Cartersville Pursuing $56M in Council Water, Sewage Revenue Bonds Discusses
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Sunday Edition June 10, 2018 BARTOW COUNTY’S ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER $1.50 Cartersville pursuing $56M in Council water, sewage revenue bonds discusses BY JAMES SWIFT measure authorizing a new “master bond ordi- [email protected] nance,” which City of Cartersville Water Depart- altered city ment Director Bob Jones said is essential to keep When it comes to Cartersville’s water infra- the municipality “in better shape for any future structure, Mayor Matt Santini knows the city has issue we may need to undertake to keep the sys- customer some issues. tem up.” “We have some areas of our system that are While the numbers aren’t official quite yet, aged and need to be upgraded,” he said. “We have Jones said the city is on the verge of borrowing accounts some 100-year-old pipes out there.” about $56.5 million as part of its 2018 water and JAMES SWIFT/DAILY TRIBUNE NEWS The political challenge, of course, is finding sewer revenue bonds series. BY NEIL B. MCGAHEE The City of Cartersville is expected to borrow $33 million to make the best way to pay for those infrastructure in- [email protected] upgrades to its wastewater treatment plant. vestments. In April, the city council approved a SEE WATER, PAGE 7A Just as the Cartersville City Council’s Thursday meeting seemed to be winding down, City Attorney Keith Lovell tossed a 100 Percent bombshell. “Our finance department has dis- covered some discrepancies related Committed THE PIANIST to our utility billing,” he said. “It included some improper crediting of accounts, failure to credit pay- ments, other errors and possibly Cartersville resident some theft or fraud.” Those discrepancies were caused devoted to military when Kanneya Delon Brown, 36, a former customer service supervi- veterans’ care sor for the City of Cartersville, was arrested in March on 10 counts of BY JAMES SWIFT felony theft by deception. [email protected] According to the Cartersville Po- lice incident report, utility cus- More than 30 people — virtually all of tomers began reporting that their whom were either former military or the family accounts weren’t being credited of a veteran — gathered at the Bartow County even after making cash payments. Annex Building at 112 West Cherokee Ave. The report said the customers iden- Wednesday evening. tified Brown as the employee they White, black, male, female, the attendees of paid. But Brown coordinated col- the weekly Vet-to-Vet program ran the gamut lections and service shutoffs and from Korean War veterans to those who served was not authorized to handle in Iraq in the 2000s. At one point, they were money. asked to raise their hands if any of them expe- City Manager Sam Grove said it rienced obsessive compulsive disorder symp- is still an active investigation, but toms. so far, more than $3,600 is missing No hands were raised. and it could go higher. They were asked if they experienced major Before that announcement, the depressive episodes. About half the class raised council faced a fairly mundane their hands. agenda. Then they were asked if they experienced “This is a second reading of a post-traumatic stress disorder. proposed text amendment to the Every single hand in the room went up. sign ordinance,” planning director That’s something Dr. Bob Poston, a long- Randy Mannino said. “Trinity time National Alliance on Mental Illness facil- United Methodist Church at 814 itator, knows all too well. West Avenue, would like to replace “I knew when I got back from Vietnam I had their existing monument sign with a mental illness,” the 78-year-old Cartersville an electronic monument sign.” resident said. He said that currently electronic “I got chosen to be an infantry slot, and I signs are not allowed east of the only made it about six months until a sniper got Henderson Drive and West Avenue me. Being shot and having the Bronze Star for intersection and the text amend- Heroism and being in several battles, I had ment would extend the boundary some PTSD from that, having had to kill peo- limits 500 ft. east from the Hender- ple and pack up body bags and that kind of son Drive intersection to allow for thing. It took its toll.” AHS senior to electronic freestanding signs on Poston — who, today, is perpetually trailed West Avenue. Council approved by his amicable support services Chihuahua represent US at piano the request. and is almost never seen without his Bronze In a first reading, Cartersville Fi- Star baseball cap — said he started working competition in Japan nance Department director Tom with NAMI about 10 years ago. Rhinehart an increase in water and “I have support groups that we run, three of BY DONNA HARRIS sewer rates were needed. them, as a matter of fact, for just veterans,” he [email protected] “The increase will allow the said. “And I have two other support groups that water department to continue the meet for family violence and anger manage- An Adairsville High senior has won the op- maintenance of the existing water ment … it started out with just five or six folks. portunity to be the United States’ first repre- and sewer system as well as up- Now there’s more than 150 participants.” sentative in an international competition in date/expand the system to fulfill the Poston said his goal is simple — he wants as Japan. needs of existing customers,” he many local veterans as possible to obtain the Helen Bryant, daughter of Dr. Kerry and said. “For residential customers, benefits they rightly deserve. Kelly Bryant of Waleska, was awarded first the water and sewer rate increase “I have two licensed professional counselors place in the 2018 U.S. Regional Osaka Inter- equates to $0.66 per 100 cubic feet that work for me, and of course, we do a lot of national Music Competition May 12 at Geor- used for city residents. The total es- assessments,” he said. “Normally I do one and gia State University in Atlanta and will be the timated increase for a residential the two licensed professionals do theirs and first U.S. delegate to ever compete in the water and sewer customer is $2.24 that’s how we send the stuff down to the VA prestigious international competition in per month on 7000 gallons con- for them to analyze and give the people their Osaka, Japan, Oct. 4-8. sumed.” disability ratings.” “It felt incredibly surreal to win this com- Even with the increase, petition since it is the first one that has given Cartersville’s water and sewer rates SEE VETS, PAGE 4A me the chance to compete abroad,” said SPECIAL remain one of the lowest in the Senior Helen Bryant performs with the Adairsville High School SEE , PAGE 5A SEE PIANIST, PAGE 8A band at the University of Alabama Honor Band Clinic recently. CARTERSVILLE Cartersville Chick-fil-A closes its doors for summer BY JAMES SWIFT Jordan among the ranks of the sentimental. [email protected] “It does feel a little nostalgic, a lot of fun things have happened here — team members Having served as a fast food anchor in met and got married, a lot of meetings happen Cartersville for nearly a quarter century, it’s here on the same day every week,” he said. “But only fitting that many loyal customers would I’m not emotionally tied to the building. I’m have bittersweet emotions upon the closing of ready to knock it down — if we could just dy- JAMES SWIFT/DAILY TRIBUNE NEWS the Chick-fil-A at 115 Cherokee Place Friday namite it tomorrow, that would be fine with me.” Dr. Bob Poston, 78, offers weekly JAMES SWIFT/DAILY TRIBUNE NEWS counseling services to military veterans evening. While the new restaurant is constructed, Chick-fil-A will serve a SEE , PAGE 5A in Cartersville. But don’t count longtime operator Glenn CHICK-FIL-A limited menu at an “express” location this summer. INSIDE TODAY Partly Obituaries . .2A Family Living . .1C sunny VOLUME 72, NO. 31 World/National . .4A Entertainment . .7C High 89 Blotter . .7A Business . .1D www.daily-tribune.com Sports . .1B Classified . .4D Low 69 2A Sunday, June 10, 2018 • www.daily-tribune.com Local The Daily Tribune News ContactUs OBITUARIES The Daily Tribune News spent most of her adult life work- Collins Drive, Cartersville, GA, Sargent Simmons served two nephews; along with 1 special son, Address: ing for the 3M Company in Min- has charge of the arrangements. tours in Vietnam during his active Charles Swaney of Canton. 251 S. Tennessee St. Cartersville, GA 30120 neapolis, MN, duty in the Marine Corp. He was Funeral services will be held on retiring after 37 an avid car enthusiast and spent Tuesday, June 12, 2018, at 11:00 Mailing Address: years, where she Clarence Earl time with his son, Sam, driving a a.m. in the chapel of Parnick Jen- 251 S. Tennessee St. was Vice Presi- race car around dirt tracks. He also nings Funeral Home and Crema- Cartersville, GA 30120 dent of Advertis- Popham loved his church missions. In ad- tion Services with The Reverend ing, Public Clarence Earl Popham of dition to his parents, he is pre- Brian Crisp officiating. Interment Phone: 770-382-4545 Gwen Arnold Cartersville, GA, passed away After 5 p.m.: 770-382-4548 Relations, and ceded in death by his son, Sam will follow in the Georgia Na- Fax: 770-382-2711 Ashby Digital Market- Saturday, June 9, 2018. Funeral Simmons, and a brother, Donald tional Cemetery with military Gwen Arnold Ashby, passed ing.