Jail Expansion Complete
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CMYK Hounds, Lady Hounds eyeing momentum before region tourney. SPORTS >> B1 — NOTABLE QUOTABLE — >> Delivering your hometown news since 1895 << www.facebook.com/jcnews “Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something.” Young men shall see visions, and old men shall dream dreams. Your news available online! – Plato Where there is no vision the people perish. Subscribe to get the news in your inbox $ 1 VOLUME 127 | ISSUE 5 THURSDAY FEBRUARY 4 2021 @ www.jcnews.com SHERIFF’S OFFICE Man arrested for meth traffi cking, gun Gray Police, U.S. Marshals assist in nabbing suspect Debbie Lurie-Smith said the arrest of Three [email protected] 27-year-old Barajas, of kilograms Riverdale, took place of meth, which Jones County Jan. 27, following equals 6.6 Sheriff’s Department a lengthy investi- lbs., were Investigators with the gation. He added seized in assistance of local and that Jones County the Jan. 27 regional law enforce- Jose Barajas investigators were arrest. ment took another assisted by the Gray alleged drug trafficker off the Police Department and the CONTRIBUTED street. U.S. Marshals Southeast Sheriff Butch Reece Regional Fugitive Task announced the arrest of Force. Jose Barajas in a Jan. 29 Facebook post. The sheriff MORE ARREST >> A2 EDUCATION JJailail eexpansionxpansion JCHS staggers ccompleteomplete student schedule Plan allows more social distancing Debbie Lurie-Smith [email protected] DEBBIE LURIE-SMITH/Staff Jones County High School is One of the features of the new wing at the Law Enforcement Center is an additional exercise area for inmates. once again putting the safety of students first in its move to a hybrid schedule that started this Female wing currently being used to isolate inmates past Friday and will continue at least through the month of Debbie Lurie-Smith of the 40-bed addition 21, 1998, and the addition was February. [email protected] in a Jan. 25 Facebook the first since its construc- In a phone interview Friday post. He thanked Warren tion. The previous location of morning, School Superintendent The new addition to & Associates, Precision the jail was next to the Jones Chuck Gibson said the hybrid plan the Jones County Law Planning and Cherokee County Courthouse. originated on site and was a reflec- Enforcement Center has Brick for the project being Chief Deputy Earl tion of the hard work of Jones been completed and is now completed on time and on Humphries said 40 is the County High School Principal occupied. budget. maximum number of inmates Lance Rackley and his staff. Sheriff Butch Reece The law enforcement center MORE announced the completion was originally dedicated Feb. MORE JAIL >> A3 JCHS >> A2 CITY OF GRAY City to apply for CDBG grant, look into term limits Debbie Lurie-Smith during Mayor Pro Tem James Collins’ citizens.” mayor pro tem if he had a plan to imple- [email protected] report for the city’s Plan committee that Collins asked for the topic to be placed ment term limits, and Collins said it the topic of term limits was brought up. on the next meeting agenda. was the same as he had spoken about to City of Gray Council members agreed Collins said he has talked to constitu- City Attorney John Newberry noted council previously. at their meeting of all committees to at ents about term limits, and he has found that putting term limits in place would Barbee asked if he had anything least consider the idea of term limits. many in favor of the idea. require a change to the city’s charter in writing. The mayor pro tem said The Jan. 25 meeting was called to “I would like to at least move toward and approval by the state legislature. order by Mayor Ed Barbee. It was a vote,” he said. “I think we owe it to the Councilman David Tufts asked the MORE CITY >> A2 INDEX WEATHER Cross Country Churches ....................... A6 Opinions ........................ A4 award Classifi eds .......................B7 Public Notices ................B9 winners Crossword/Sudoku .......B6 Obituaries ...................... A7 60/46 Events..............................B6 Service Directory .......... A9 Mostly Cloudy recognized. Open Records ................ B5 Sports ...............................B1 >> Page B10 >> Page B1 CMYK A2 | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2021 >> www.jcnews.com aware that a consent order is on CITY the table. CONTINUED FROM >> A1 City property Councilman Terry Favors that needed to be done by brought up two issues in his Newberry. neighborhood. He said the Collins said his suggestion cul-de-sac is still washing out is a limit of three terms for when it rains, and he also spoke each office, but he added that about a building that was half time would not start until finished. DEBBIE LURIE-SMITH/Staff the term limits were in place. Favors said he said the Greg Boike (center) with the Middle Georgia Regional Commission speaks with council The amount of time council members at their Jan. 25 meeting of city committees. building is falling apart and is members had previously served adversely affecting the property would not count toward that to serve residents in low-in- Boike said that gives the with the commissioners when values of the homes around it. limit. come areas. MGRC its marching order. we can.” The councilman said the house “I think this is a good time to He explained the grant could “We’ll get started,” he said. Collins noted that is empty and for sale. do it. I can’t imagine that any be used for improvements to Fulford pointed out that the Commissioner Sam Kitchens “We have a barn in the middle of us on council now would be housing, streets and sewer Local Option Sales Tax was was in attendance and asked of our neighborhood,” he said. serving more than three more issues. coming up for renewal with him if he had any comments. Newberry said the first step terms,” he said. Boike said the maximum the deadline of Dec. 30, 2022, Kitchens said there was a lot to address the issue would Barbee said he was amount of the grant is to come to an agreement with of discussion among commis- be a planning and zoning concerned that implementing $750,000. He said the last Jones County and file the sioners about working with the complaint. term limits could create a situ- time the city was successful in paperwork. city. Public safety ation of having new council having a CDBG funded was in Water and sewer “We are absolutely inter- members taking office all at 2016 for $500,000. That grant ested,” the commissioner said. Gray Police Chief Adam one time. But he did say that was used for housing. Collins said he wanted to Water Superintendent Lowe said city police officers the limitation of three addi- Boike said the deadline for have a discussion about the new Cheyenne Morgan reported on and fire department personnel tional terms would not be an the grant is in June, which gives wastewater treatment plant. a recent meeting with represen- had the opportunity to get issue for him personally. the city some time. He added, He said the new plant would be tatives of the Environmental COVID-19 vaccinations. He The first committee report however, that it usually takes able to handle 800,000 gallons Protection Division. Morgan said a total of 12 GPD officers for the meeting was from four to five months to complete per day. said the meeting was about the and seven firefighters had Finance Committee Chairman the application process. “We have made great prog- city’s continued overflows at tested positive for the virus. Councilman Terrell Fulford. He “We have to be able to docu- ress, but while we are looking its wastewater treatment plant Lowe also announced that reported 91 percent of the city’s ment the need. We would need at the plant, I would like us to and sewer spills. the city’s new fire truck is on 2020 property taxes had been pictures of things like dilap- think about at least selling the The superintendent said he track for delivery the first week collected. idated houses or backed up county some capacity,” he said. was told that a consent order of March. Fulford introduced Greg sewer,” he said. “The first step is The mayor pro tem said was coming. At the conclusion of the Boike, who is the Director to decide your priority.” water and wastewater agree- “We’ll have to send them a agenda items, council members of Public Administration for Collins said he would like to ments with the county could be report every month and let entered into a closed session the Middle Georgia Regional look at housing needs. similar to a water authority but them know where we are on meeting with members of the Commission. “We have an area in District 1 the city and county would stay addressing the infiltration and Gray Downtown Development Boike told council members that would benefit. We already separate. inflow of the system,” he said. Authority to discuss property that the city has the oppor- have a good list,” he said. “The increased cost that is “We have found some issues we acquisition. tunity this year to apply for Fulford suggested, while coming will be hard for city need to address soon.” The next meeting of the a Community Development looking at that area, they could customers on fixed incomes,” Morgan said he brought it Gray’s City Council is Feb. 1. Block Grant, which can be used also look at its sewer problems. he said. “I would like to work to the council so they could be Reece said Barajas was found to be could have led to an unfortunate situa- approached by officers as he pulled into ARREST in possession of approximately 3 kilo- tion,” he said.