The Piedmont Journal - 09/04/13

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PIEDMONT VOLLEYBALL TEAM OFF TO SLOW START, PAGE 8 2013 FOOTBALL SEASON / SPORTS, 8

RECIPES / COMMUNITY, 4

KELLY LATTA IS READY FOR COLLEGE FOOTBALL

BULLDOGS OPEN SEASON WITH A VICTORY OVER WARRIORS

The Piedmont Journal www.thepiedmontjournal.com

75 CENTS

WEDNESDAY // SEPTEMBER 4, 2013

COUNCIL

Piedmont officials talk trash LAURA GADDY Consolidated News Service

Trash, tall grass and dilapidated homes, a garbage truck and one rat dominated the conversation at the Piedmont City Council meeting Tuesday night. The conversation led to an unscheduled vote concerning the city’s automated trash truck, which needs more than $10,000 in repair. After hearing that the

2011 model vehicle was broken, the City Council approved the expenditure noting that the city needs to continue providing trash service to residents. “We need to stay in the trash business because we need all the revenue we can get,” said Carl Hinton, the city employee who oversees garbage collection. Piedmont collects garbage from about 2,200 households, each paying a monthly rate of $16. The mechanical arm on one

of its trash trucks broke, prompting the need for repairs, officials said. Hinton said the problem is common for trash trucks with as many miles on it as the damaged vehicle. He told the council it would be better to lease trash trucks for two years at a time to avoid having to pay for maintenance on them. The city also talked about abatement problems, citing complaints about tall

Piedmont resident wants community watch program Vincent Cottrell wants to keep children safe

■ See COTTRELL, page 5

■ See COUNCIL, page 8

KIDCHECK PLUS

Piedmont children get basic checkup About 900 students in pre-k through eighth grade get screenings LAURA GADDY Consolidated News Service

LAURA GADDY Consolidated News Service When Piedmont city officials decided to remove basketball goals from a park to keep people from loitering after dark, Vincent Cottrell became disheartened. A long time Piedmont resident, Cottrell said he didn’t want to see the goals removed because they were used by children and there are already too few activities for them there. But he also understood why the city was trying to squelch mischievous activity, so he decided to try to help the city by taking another approach. Cottrell is trying to start a community watch program to help the police keep the peace in Piedmont, but he’s not ready to begin just yet. Cottrell wants to take the next year to develop the watch group,

grass and destroyed buildings and homes that harbor pests. Each council member said they want to eliminate blight in the city, as did several residents who stood and spoke. “We’ve talked and talked and talked but we aren’t doing nothing,” said Councilman Frank Cobb, who also spoke about existing city ordinances concerning

Anita Kilgore

Vincent Cottrell is trying to start a community watch program to help police keep peace in Piedmont.

Long before Julie Houck began working as a nurse for Piedmont City Schools, she knew why it was important for children to get health screenings at an early age. Houck was not yet 10 years old when a teacher noticed she had to squint to see the board in class. That revelation prompted her mom to take Houck to be outfitted with glasses. She can still remember the first time she saw clearly. “I remember looking up and saying, ‘Wow, I can see every leaf on the tree,’” Houck said. Now Houck helps conduct a comprehensive

Julie Houck

■ See KIDCHECK, page 5

JOURNAL FEATURE

Pastor grew up in a Christian environment Rev. Bob Staggs met his wife in Piggly Wiggly MARGARET ANDERSON Journal Correspondent Rev. Bob Staggs remembers the first sermon he ever preached. It was Jan. 9, 2011 at his home church at that time, Hatcher Avenue Baptist. He had a lot of mixed emotions and felt a little nervous. He got through the sermon fine, and that only motivated him to move forward with his decision to preach. He began to feel God’s calling in November 2010. “I was scared to death when He first called me to preach,” said Anita Kilgore

■ See STAGGS, page 5

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Bob Staggs in front of Roberts Chapel Baptist Church.

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THE PEIDMONT JOURNEL

VOLUME 32 | NO. 36

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OBITUARIES See page 3.

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•Gregory Hardin Browder, 63 •Adam Clayton Harden, 25 •Carol Ledbetter Kiser, 76

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