March 19, 2015
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Local Girl Scouts Donate to Police Department Canines
Regular Meetings April 7th - Canceled April 21st at 6:30 PM Meetings held at: Administration Building Community Room 140 Henry Parkway McDonough, GA 30253 Regular Commission meetings will air Fridays, Saturdays, Mondays and Wednesdays on Henry TV Channel 180 and AT&T U-Verse Channel 99, at 9 a.m. & 7 p.m. The Henry County Board of Commissioners thanks Girl Scout Troop #11306 for their donation to the Henry County Police Department K-9 Unit. Pictured in the front row (l. to r.) Madeline Arnold, Khloe Branch, Cara Bodie, Brittany Flaherty, Taylor Eschman, Reagan Studstill and Major Keith Going; second row (l. to r.) Troop leader Stephanie Bodie, Henry County Commission Chairman Tommy Smith and District V Commissioner Bruce Holmes; third row (l. to r.) District II Commissioner Brian Preston, District III Commissioner Gary Barham, District IV Commissioner Blake Prince and District I Commissioner Bo Moss.
The Henry County Board of Commissioners approved acceptance of a donation of four K-9 medical kits on behalf of the Henry County Police Department from local Girl Scout Troop #11306 out of Hampton First Baptist Church. The action came at the March 17, 2015 Commission meeting. The Girl Scouts worked with local
businesses and citizens in the Hampton area and collaborated with the “We Ride to Provide” in collecting items and assembling the kits for Henry County Police Department’s canine officers. “We Ride with Pride” is a non-profit organization that hosts an annual K-9 memorial event and assists police officers with the purchase of safety equipment.
the henry county update
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March 19, 2015 HCPD Demonstrates Simulation Technology
Several county and community officials participated in a “Use of Force” luncheon hosted by the HCPD. Pictured (l. to r.) Henry County EMA Director Don Ash, Henry County Chapter NAACP President Eugene Edwards, HCPD Deputy Chief Mark Amerman, District IV Commissioner Blake Prince, County Manager Jim Walker, District I Commissioner Bo Moss, District III Commissioner Gary Barham, Police Chief Keith Nichols and Assistant County Manager Cheri Matthews.
Henry County Police Chief Keith Nichols hosted a “Familiarization of Police Use of Force” luncheon at Henry County Police Headquarters on Friday, March 13, 2015, where several community and government officials representing the County were in attendance. The purpose of the luncheon was to let local leaders “look through the eyes of an officer.”
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The luncheon included a presentation by District Attorney Jim Wright with an overview of the Grand Jury Procedure, as well as “Use of Force” situations presented by Lt. Vance Rosen. The participants also trained on the department’s VirTra Simulator which recreates scenarios of what officers face in potentially deadly or “Use of Force” situations.
“A Teddy Bear Affair” Gala to Benefit The Commissioner Bruce Holmes Youth Foundation and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Calling all teddy bears from across metro Atlanta, take your place on the red carpet for the inaugural Teddy Bear Affair, which will be held on April 26, 2015 at the Morrow Center. Proceeds will go to benefit the Commissioner Bruce Holmes Youth Foundation in affiliation with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. The fun-filled afternoon for both young and old will feature a furry competition, where teddy bears and their caretakers stroll the red carpet to be judged and declared the winner in their respective categories including Best Dressed Bear, Most Adorable Bear, Most Beautiful Bear, Best Facial Expression Bear, Most Lovable Bear, Living Resemblance Bear, Sports Resemblance Bear, Corporate Representation Bear,
Entertainment Representation Bear, Patriotic Bear and Healthy Lifestyle Bear. The Gala will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Morrow Center, located at 1180 Southlake Circle, Suite 100, Morrow, GA, 30260. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for children, and admission is free for children age 2 and under. Please contact Carlotta Harrell at 770- 597-7544 or email Carlotta@cbhyf.org for more information or to obtain a Teddy Bear Submission Form and instructions. All teddy bears that enter the contest will be donated to the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Hospital (all bears must be new due to hospital environmental regulations) and teddy bears may also be donated without entering the contest.
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March 19, 2015 Commissioner Blake Prince to Co-Host Appreciation Luncheon for First Responders District IV Commissioner Blake Prince and Stockbridge City Councilman Alphonso Thomas are partnering to co-host an Appreciation Luncheon for Henry County’s emergency first responders, to be held on March 26, 2015 at the Merle Manders Conference Center in Stockbridge. Prince and Thomas said they decided to partner on the venture to honor the men and women who serve the county bravely and honorably, and to let them know how much they are appreciated. “First responders touch so many lives in Henry County. They come when they are called and they do so with a servant’s heart. They give to our community and I would like to give back by saying thank you,” said Prince. “Henry County and the city of Stockbridge stand united in our thanks for all they do for our community
and what better way to show our appreciation than a city/county collaborative effort.” Thomas shared those sentiments, saying that he feels this is a great partnership between the city and county to work together in honoring the community’s first responders. “We get so busy throughout the year, and what better time to say thank you than the present,” said Thomas. ”First responders put their lives on the line every day, and we want to let them know how much they are appreciated.” The luncheon is being sponsored by Bridgeview Country Cooking in Stockbridge. In addition to the catered lunch, there will be a demonstration by Henry County Police Department’s K-9 Unit.
Agenda Item Removal
Please note that agenda item RZ-14-01 Meredith Homes of McDonough, GA for property located at 354 Wilson Drive has been rescheduled and will be heard at the April 21, 2015 Commission meeting.
The Henry County Police Department is now using YouTube! The purpose is to work in partnership with our citizens in solving and reducing crime.
www.youtube.com/user/HenryCountyPoliceDpt
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Henry County Police Department Announces 2014-2015 H.E.A.T. Grant
Henry County police officers conduct a road check.
The Henry County Police Department is proud to announce the award of a matching funds grant from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS) in the amount of $55,200 to be part of the “Metro-Atlanta Multi-Jurisdictional DUI Task Force.” The unit will be comprised of three officers and one sergeant, and the grant from GOHS will fund 40 percent of the salaries for one officer and the sergeant, and Henry County will be responsible for 60 percent of their pay as well as 100 percent of two additional in-kind officers. The Task Force will be operating under the Highway Enforcement of Aggressive Traffic (H.E.A.T.) unit, and the grant began October 1, 2014 and will run through September 30, 2015. The H.E.A.T. unit will consist of three officers and one sergeant whose primary duty is traffic enforcement. The officers involved in this project are Sergeant Scott Cumbie, and veteran HEAT officers Timothy Williams, Kelly Horne and Jason Jones. These officers have a level of dedication to the mission unmatched in the state and 100 percent of their time will be devoted to making the roadways of Henry County safer for citizens, employees and visitors.
The purpose of the H.E.A.T. unit is to enforce D.U.I., speeding, and aggressive driving laws and to educate on the importance of Occupant Safety (seat belts and child restraints) to the citizens and visitors of Henry County. By maintaining this valuable program, the Henry County Police Department hopes to encourage the continued support of citizens in the H.E.A.T. Officers’ pursuit of safer roadways. The Henry County Police Department is pleased to announce the award of the grant and the opportunity to enhance its statewide partnership with the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety and other local law enforcement agencies in a continuing effort to save lives and reduce injuries and fatalities on Henry County and Georgia highways. Should you need additional information regarding this grant, please contact Sgt. Scott Cumbie, HEAT Unit, Henry County Police Department, at 770-288-8293 or Kimberly Monast at 770-288-8133. The Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety is a full partner in this program.
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March 19, 2015 Henry County Shines at the 4-H District Project Achievement Competition
Henry County UGA Extension hosted 191 fifth and sixth grade 4-Hers at the Annual Cloverleaf County Project Achievement Competition held at Henry County High School in January. Of the 191 4-H students who participated at the county level, Henry County 4-H had 86 4-Hers from 20 elementary schools, one middle school and homeschoolers advance on to the Cloverleaf District Project Achievement, which was held at Rock Eagle in Eatonton, GA on Saturday, February 14, 2015.
The fifth and sixth grade 4-Hers really impressed the judges and carried home 23 first place ribbons, 19 second place winners, and 26 third place winners. This was the highest percentage of winners for a county group at the contest. Similar to the county-level competition, participants presented their projects, in speech form, to judges who were experts in the project area. The participants were competing in a specified project area against other 4-Hers from different counties around the state of Georgia. With 86 competitors, the Henry County delegation scored the award for the highest number of participants. “They’re all winners,” said Tracy Gauge, Henry County 4-H Associate. “It took a lot of work and practice for each young person to prepare for this event. We want Continued on Page 7 henrycounty-ga.org
to especially thank all the adult volunteers, teen leaders, teachers and parents that helped to make this event such a huge success. We could not have achieved such success without their help and dedication.” Henry County 4-H is a non-profit organization that encourages youth development through public speaking. Each year the 4-H program sponsors the 4-H members to participate in these events. Because we firmly believe that public speaking is an asset to a child’s development, no fee is required to become a 4-H member. If you would like to make a donation to support future public speaking experiences, please contact the 4-H office at 97 Lake Dow Road, McDonough, GA 30252 or call at 770-2888421.
4-Hers from page 6 2015 District Winners
Project
Achievement
Andrew Creech, Avonlea Kirby, Hayden Lockhart, Hope Mask, Emily Simpson, Jessica Hawxhurst, Camille Duncan, Samara Hunter, Gabrielle Murison, Gabrielle Pierre, Savannah Scott, Nyla Thompson, Mason Dodgen, Shashwith Arcot, Kendrick Warren, Nichols Wells, Lauren Anderson, Gabrielle Skovran, Lily Betsill, Vernard Hodges, Teniah Jackson, Sophia Donaldson, Jayden Freeman, Thirisa Brinkley, Makayla Irby, Hayden Hambrick, Dylan Pouliot, Afnan Ahmad, Maeley Ledford, Darsh Shah, Jacob Jordan, Sydney Beach, Hannah Riley, Dalton Clinton, Tripp Hill, Dathan Leggett, Trinitee Keel, Jolene Monge, Carter Stanton, Elizabeth Bussey,
Ellington Loy, Riley Smith, Suhani Patel, Jeremi Williams, Elizabeth Nix, Jedea Cook, John Perry Baucum, Kaylee Pappa, Jennings Ray, Trevor Trobaugh, Christopher Morley, Bryce Pearson, Jaiden Burt, Daniel Hayes, Autumn Richmond, Jordan Fordyce, Skyler Griffin, Maria Flores, Allison Kuss, Madison Hall, Grace Ivey, Emma Rowland, McKenzie Vazquez, Reagan Horne, Kennedie Mosley, Hayley Sweatman, Lacey Garcia, Annalie Bell, Macey Downs, Katie Feeney, David Dickey, Ryanne Mullen, Devonte Stewart, Connor Biffle, Madison Phillips, Jesse Stiles, Shaanie Butler, Thaomy Pham, Casey Jones, Madison Rainer, Laney Waldrop, Laurel Ardis, Colemah Selfe, Cierra Crawford, Marissa Menard, Eli Spicer
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March 19, 2015 Henry County to Hold Seminar and Networking Session on Doing Business with the County Each year Henry County Government awards millions of dollars in contracts to companies for a variety of projects, including capital and transportation projects, infrastructure, human services and more. There is no secret to doing business with Henry County Government, but taking advantage of available opportunities and being aware of the open and transparent procurement process is critical to maximizing the potential for success. The Henry County Purchasing Department constantly strives to make sure that Henry County follows proper procedures when vetting and hiring firms to perform work for the County, and takes great strides to ensure fairness and equality when evaluating the thousands of purchase requests that are processed through the department. Rod Gray, Purchasing Department Director, will be hosting a “How to Do Business with Henry County” seminar on Tuesday, March 24, 2015 at 10 a.m. with a networking session to follow. This free event can help your company learn the proper steps to take when trying to work with Henry County Government, and is an outreach effort to businesses to make sure they understand how to do business with the County and where to look to find jobs or projects available for bid. “This seminar and networking session is an excellent opportunity for businesses to make themselves aware of the steps required to participate in the County’s procurement process,” said Gray. “Participants will also have the opportunity to network with the Purchasing Department and other firms that have been successful in the County’s solicitation process.” Interested parties are encouraged to contact Gray’s office and reserve a spot in this informative and important discussion on “Doing Business with Henry County.” Please RSVP to this event by phone at 770-2886027 or by email at henrycountyrfp@co.henry.ga.us and mark your calendars:
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How To Do Business With Henry County Tuesday, March 24, 2015 10:00 -11:00 a.m. Henry County Community Room, Henry County Administration Building Vendor Networking Session Tuesday, March 24, 2015 11:00 a.m.-12:00 Noon The Henry County Community Room, Henry County Administration Building The Henry County Administration Bldg.is located at 140 Henry Parkway in McDonough, GA 30253.The Henry County Board of Commissioners approved the award of a bid for the construction of a concession/ restroom building for the baseball field park located on Tanger Boulevard in Locust Grove. The action came at the March 3, 2015 Commission meeting. The concession stand project is part of a larger SPLOST IV park project in cooperation with the city of Locust Grove to complete a baseball-softball field park in District 1. Nine vendors responded and the bid to construct the concession building was awarded to Earth 1st Construction out of Fayetteville GA in the amount of $116,233. According to SPLOST Capital Projects Director Ron Burckhalter, cost of the new ball field park project is funded under SPLOST IV and will be split between the County and the city of Locust Grove, with the county paying 70 percent and the city contributing 30 percent. The fields have already been graded and sodded and both the fencing and field sports lighting are in progress. Construction on the building is expected to begin by the end of March and the entire project is expected to be completed by the end of May. For more information on this or any SPLOST project, please visit www.henrycounty-ga.org/splost.