A Public Debate
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Sunday Edition July 15, 2018 BARTOW COUNTY’S ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER $1.50 $15M public safety radio system to go live in December BY JAMES SWIFT a deputy even in a vehicle to communicate, or the [email protected] fire service even in a vehicle to communicate, let alone when they’re out of a vehicle with a portable Barring any sudden administrative or environ- or inside a building with a portable,” said Bartow mental review snags, a countywide public safety County Administrator Peter Olson. radio system funded under the 2013 SPLOST is fi- While four of the planned towers have already nally expected to go online at year’s end. been erected, another four — planned for 1212 Eu- The county awarded Motorola a contract in 2015 harlee Road in Euharlee, 137 Boyd Mountain Road to construct a $15 million, eight-tower, 700/800 in Adairsville and 949 Peeples Valley Road and megahertz radio system that would provide 1300 Joe Frank Harris Parkway in Cartersville — JAMES SWIFT/DTN deputies, firefighters and other public safety person- have been held up due to their proximity to loca- Outside of presidential nel coverage and connectivity throughout 95 per- tions either listed in or eligible for the National Reg- elections, Bartow County cent of Bartow. ister of Historic Places. Elections Supervisor Joseph JAMES SWIFT/DAILY TRIBUNE NEWS The system will replace Bartow’s current very “Because we’re getting a federal license, you Kirk said local voter turnout The equipment to construct a public safety radio tower at 1300 remains consistently low. This Joe Frank Harris Parkway in Cartersville is already onsite. high frequency (VHF) radio system, which origi- need an FCC license, you have to coordinate with nally utilized just two towers near Vineyard Moun- the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) so millennium, he said the highest Pending a final environmental review, the structure — as well as general primary turnout in three other towers throughout the county — could be going up tain and Peeples Valley Road. Bartow has been just 32.62 SEE TOWERS, PAGE 4A shortly. “We’ve got spots in the county where it’s hard for percent of registered voters. Three new Vote of No Bartow A PUBLIC DEBATE Confidence principals With few prepare to exceptions, meet Bartow students, voter turnout parents remains low BY JAMES SWIFT BY DONNA HARRIS [email protected] [email protected] For Bartow County Elections When the bell rings Aug. 8 in Supervisor Joseph Kirk, the local Bartow County, three schools will turnout for May’s general primary have new principals at the helm. elections but was the latest in a long Stephen Revard, former assistant line of disappointments at the polls. principal at North Cobb High Just 14 percent of the county’s School in Kennesaw, has taken the registered voters cast their ballots a principalship of Cass High School few months ago, and Kirk isn’t too from Michael Nelson, who was optimistic the numbers for the July named coordinator of administra- 24 runoffs will be any better — in- tive services for Bartow County. deed, he said he’s hopeful the num- Euharlee Elementary Assistant ber creeps up to only 20 percent. Principal Tracey Alford was pro- JAMES SWIFT/DAILY TRIBUNE NEWS But electoral ennui — at least moted to principal of Pine Log El- MetroAtlanta Ambulance Service President when it comes to non-presidential ementary after Lenora Nyeste and CEO Pete Quinones said privatization contests — is hardly a new phe- resigned to take the principal’s po- of Bartow's emergency medical services will sition at Lost Mountain Middle save county taxpayers millions of dollars. nomenon in Bartow. Dating back to School in Kennesaw. 2000, the absolute highest general Former Bay Springs Middle primaries turnout the county has School Assistant Principal Jennifer posted this millennium is barely 32 Miller has come to Bartow from Controversy over EMS percent. Carroll County to fill the shoes of The historical data doesn’t lie. Dr. Bernadette “Bunny” DiPetta, Even though the number of regis- who retired in June after 40 years privatization rages on in Bartow tered voters in Bartow has in- with the school system. BY JAMES SWIFT Perhaps the biggest piece of gossip, he creased from 29,022 in 1996 to All three principals took over [email protected] noted, is the hearsay that Bartow taxpay- 47,828 in 2016, the percentage of July 1, though some of them were ers will be on the hook for his company’s those registered voters who actu- on campus before then. Pete Quinones, president and CEO of operating expenses. ally do vote has dropped over the Marietta-based MetroAtlanta Ambu- In reality, Quinones said his company last 20 years. Despite having more Stephen Revard lance Service, has definitely seen the isn’t receiving “one dime” from Bartow than 18,000 additional voters on Revard, 36, said he “couldn’t angry comments on Facebook. County or its taxpayers under the con- the rolls, the turnout for the 2016 have felt more excited and blessed “When you look at social media, you tract MetroAtlanta inked earlier this general primaries, which also in- to join the Cass family” after find- see all kinds of stuff,” he said. “We had month with Commissioner Steve Taylor cluded several county-level races, ing out he’d been named the new people thinking we were going to re- to provide countywide 911 response am- was 21.94 percent — a figure lower principal. spond from Marietta and from other bulance services — with one exception. than 1996’s turnout, which stood at “Cass High School is a special parts of our operation and that we’re “The only thing we will be being paid 28.17 percent. place with an established tradition going to pull all the units out of Bartow METROATLANTA AMBULANCE SERVICE and great community support,” he — but that’s not the case.” SEE EMS, PAGE 5A PRESIDENT AND CEO PETE QUINONES SEE VOTING, PAGE 2A SEE PRINCIPALS, PAGE 4A County law enforcement agencies report writing more warnings than citations BY NEIL B. MCGAHEE The law, which went into effect July 1, prohibits [email protected] drivers from physically holding or handling a cell- phone unless they are legally parked or using some One week after Georgia’s hands-free driving law sort of hands-free technology such as Bluetooth. took effect, Bartow law enforcement agencies say the However the term “hands-free” can be confusing. transition by the public has been very positive. Under the new law, “holding or supporting, with Of the 267 citations and 1,662 warnings written any part of the body, a wireless telecommunications statewide by the Georgia State Patrol, only five cita- device or stand-alone electronic device such as an tions and 14 warnings were written in Bartow County. iPod is prohibited.” “People seem to really want to do the right thing,” Other “no-no’s” include, “Writing, sending or read- said Cpl William Shamblin of Post 3 in Cartersville. ing any text-based communication, including a text “There has been a great influx of technology and most message, instant message, e-mail or internet data of the ones we stop either don’t understand the tech- while holding your device,” and “Watching a video or RANDY PARKER/DTN nology or they don’t know how to use it. We under- movie other than watching data related to the naviga- New Cass High Principal stand there is a learning curve and we try to help tion of your vehicle — a mapping app or GPS screen Stephen Revard comes to motorists whenever we can.” — or recording a video.” Bartow County from North RANDY PARKER/THE DAILY TRIBUNE NEWS The Hands-Free Georgia Act was passed by the A week later all county and municipal law enforce- Cobb High School in While some cities and counties are giving motorists Kennesaw. He is one of three Legislature in 2015 after more than 3,000 people were ment agencies say enforcement efforts are going as warnings during the month of July, others have implemented new principals in Bartow reported to have been killed nationwide the previous a zero-tolerance policy and are issuing citations for violators SEE , PAGE 2A County schools. year in vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers. HANDS-FREE of the July 1 law which prohibits the use of handheld devices. INSIDE TODAY Cloudy, Obituaries . .2A Around Town . .1C storms VOLUME 72, NO. 61 School News . .6A Entertainment . .7C High 88 Blotter . .7A Business . .1D www.daily-tribune.com Sports . .1B Classified . .4D Low 72 2A Sunday, July 15, 2018 • www.daily-tribune.com Local The Daily Tribune News ContactUs OBITUARIES The Daily Tribune News ATCO Baptist Church. She was a 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday July 17, November 1, 1950 a daughter of grandchildren; brother, John Ross, Address: 251 S. Tennessee St. sight! She made friends with any- 2018 in the chapel of Parnick Jen- the late Harvey Ross and Eunice Rome and sister, Linda Sims, Cartersville, GA 30120 one she came in contact with. She nings Funeral Home and Cremation Owens Ross. She had lived the Rome. A number of nieces and could be as mean as a rattlesnake if Services. Interment will follow in greater part of her life in Rockmart nephews also survive. Mailing Address: she needed to be and she could Sunset Memory Gardens cemetery. and was of the Baptist faith. Mrs. Funeral services were held 251 S. Tennessee St. make you laugh. In addition to her The family will receive friends on Stokes loved collecting dolls and Thursday, July 12, 2018 at 11:00 Cartersville, GA 30120 parents, she is preceded in death by Monday July 16, 2018 from 5:00 – spending time with her grandchil- am in the chapel of the Alvis Miller her husband, Robert E.