FRIDAY February 8, 2019 BARTOW COUNTY’S ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER 75 cents FOSTER NAMED NEW MPO addresses county transportation projects BY JAMES SWIFT of Cartersville, which is to look at the CARTERSVILLE HIGH [email protected] potential for another separate-grade rail- road crossing somewhere between South The Cartersville-Bartow Metropoli- Bridge and Porter Street.” HEAD FOOTBALL COACH tan Planning Organization (MPO) Pol- Sills said the MPO expects to hear pre- icy Committee gathered Wednesday sentations by the middle of the month, afternoon to discuss updates on several with recommendations for county and SPECIAL county-wide transportation projects and city offi cials announced shortly thereaf- Former Cartersville High proposals. ter. defensive coordinator Conor “There have been two requests for Elsewhere in the county, Sills said two Foster was announced as qualifi cations that are out now,” Bartow major sidewalk projects funded through the new head footall coach County Transportation Planner Tom Sills the federal Transportation Alternatives Thursday during a Cartersville said. “One is for getting a consultant to Program are almost offi cial. school board meeting. For more on the hire, see page 1B. help us out with the Long-Range Trans- “One sidewalk is for a section of New portation Plan to identify the projects Hope Church Road and Glade Road that JAMES SWIFT/THE DAILY TRIBUNE NEWS once the models are set up, and they will runs between Allatoona Elementary and According to Bartow County Transportation also identify cost estimates for those. Planner Tom Sills, the LakePoint Parkway exten- Foster We also have another RFQ for the City SEE MPO, PAGE 6A sion project could be wrapped up by midsummer. Police, water department heads update GRANTING WISHES White council BEF awards BY JAMES SWIFT [email protected] 257 teacher If you’re looking to purchase Pineda about two dozen used garbage cans, you might just have the City grants totaling of White’s undivided attention. “We’ve replaced, probably, I more than $100K don’t know, 25 of them here in the last couple of weeks,” said Jimmy Nichols, a representative $120,000 bond set of the city’s water and sewer de- partment, at Monday night’s city BY DONNA HARRIS for alleged council meeting. “So we’ve got a [email protected] good stack of old garbage cans to do something with.” The Bartow Education Foundation contin- cocaine While the city has yet to make ues to dole out more money each year to help an offi cial decision on what to do teachers offer more ways for their students to traffi cker with the garbage cans, Council- learn. man Dennis Huskins proposed at At the 2018-19 Teacher Grant Banquet BY JAMES SWIFT least one possible solution. Tuesday night at the Clarence Brown Con- [email protected] “You can dispose of them at the ference Center in Cartersville, 257 grants to- landfi ll, but if there’s any value in taling more than $120,000 were awarded to Georgia Superior Court Senior them at all, there’s a lot of land- teachers from all 20 Bartow County schools Judge Shepherd L. Howell has set scapers that would love to have as well as employees at the central offi ce and bond at $100,000 for a man who al- them,” he said. “I don’t know if you transportation department. legedly traffi cked cocaine through want to go through the trouble of “Going back several years now, we’ve been Bartow County last fall. getting [the stickers] off and selling able to give over $100,000 a year back to the Jesus Pineda has been in custo- them to landscapers [but] that’s one school system, back to the classrooms, back dy at the Bartow County Jail since way to get rid of them without hav- to you, the teachers,” BEF President Greg Nov. 28. That afternoon, he was ing to destroy them.” Frisbee said, adding the foundation wishes stopped for failure to use a turn Nichols also informed the coun- it could’ve given grants to all 333 applicants. signal along Highway 41 at Mac cil that the gas line has been cut BEF Executive Director Dot Frasier said Johnson Road. for the city-owned property at 30 the nonprofi t awarded the most grants and the The offi cer soon learned that Pi- School St., which is set for demo- most money ever in its 24-year history and neda was driving with a suspended lition later this year. also received the highest number of grant ap- license, with a subsequent vehicle He also said about “20-25” new plications it had ever received. search revealing a large cache of road signs have recently gone up “And the percentage of the grants turned in suspected illicit substances. throughout the city. “We’ve got all and awarded is the highest percent we’ve ever “The deputy sheriff found 1,031 the City of White city limit signs had,” she said. “This year is just bigger and grams of cocaine in that car,” up,” he said. “We’ve got two on 411, better, bigger and better, than ever before.” RANDY PARKER/THE DAILY TRIBUNE NEWS Cherokee Judicial Circuit Assistant two on Old Tennessee Highway, Superintendent Dr. Phillip Page, attending Clear Creek Elementary School teacher Shelly Abernathy hugs Bartow Education District Attorney Erle Newton said Foundation Executive Director Dot Frasier at the 2018-19 Teacher Grant Banquet one on Richards Road … and if the event for the fi rst time, called the banquet Tuesday at the Clarence Brown Conference Center. at a Bartow Superior Court hear- you ride through at night, they sure “legendary” because the BEF had raised ing Tuesday morning. “That has a are looking back at you. They’re re- “well over a million dollars” to give back to have each school being awarded, and I am Scott said he, other school system SROs, street value of about $30,000, so it’s fl ective, they’ll shine back at you.” the teachers. just so proud to represent our school system deputies from the Bartow County Sheriff’s a very big stop.” Recently sworn-in Chief of Po- “What I’m excited about is, one, that we as superintendent when we give back the way Offi ce’s Highway Enforcement of Aggressive According to Pineda’s legal lice Chris Barnes gave an update can give away so many teacher grants,” he that we do.” Traffi c Unit and K-9 offi cer Sgt. Chris Barnes counsel, the defendant has lived in as well. said. “I do not know of another school sys- Ms. Frasier told the educators that she ap- and his dog, Nero, from the White Police De- Cartersville for roughly 20 years “So far this month, I’ve been tem that pours into the teachers like the Bar- preciated their “taking the time to sit down partment go into Bartow County elementary and has worked at the local Aquafi l busy trying to take over as chief, tow Education Foundation does. I’ve never and fi ll out these simple forms and tell us, ‘I schools to “talk to kids about their relation- plant for about eight years. trying to get [Georgia Crime In- heard of that. Coming here and doing a little know my children. I know what they need.’” ship with the police.” “Mr. Pineda is not a citizen of formation Center] stuff, but the research before being honored to be superin- “And it doesn’t take a big bank account,” “We go from kindergarten all the way up the United States, and therefore department runs in compliance,” tendent, this was one of the areas that really she said. “Sometimes some of the best grants to fi fth [grade], and we just communicate the State argues that he is a fl ight he said. “I’ve spoken to the GBI, stood out because it is unique. It is special.” I’ve read would be $195 or $300. God-called with them, and then we feed them ice cream, risk,” Newton said. “He may want they’re actually going to send Page, who was joined at the event by school teachers can do and make it happen just with and we meet with the kids one on one,” he to remove himself from this coun- somebody from the training divi- board members Fred Kittle, Derek Keeney a little bit of resources.” said. “So they have one-on-one time with a try and go to Mexico to avoid these sion to come help set up and make and Anna Sullivan, said another thing he was She also said she plans to visit the schools police offi cer there at the school. We’re trying charges.” sure we’re complying.” excited about was the diversity in the employ- to see some of the grant-funded programs in to get the kids to understand that we’re police Newton requested a bond The city is also hard at work set- ees who received grants. action. offi cers, and we’re human just as well.” amount no lower than $150,000. ting up a new radio system. “As I was looking over the tables, I see new “That’s what really thrills my soul,” she Since August, eight or nine offi cers at a “With such a large amount of co- “Our radio system is about 30 teachers,” he said. “I see fi rst-year teachers. said. time have visited classes at White, Pine Log, caine, the State argues that he has years old and it just doesn’t pick up … We also have our veteran teachers.