May 22, 2017
Board of
Commissioners
County Cuts Ribbon on New Bear Creek Senior Activity and Recreation Center
Regular Meetings June 6, 2017 9:00 AM June 20, 2017 6:30 PM
Meetings held at: Administration Building Community Room 140 Henry Parkway McDonough, GA 30253 Regular Commission meetings air daily on Henry TV Channel 180 and AT&T U-Verse Channel 99, at 9 a.m. & 7 p.m.
District II Commissioner Dee Clemmons, the Henry County Board of Commissioners, county and city of Hampton officials, along with members of the community, celebrated the ribbon cutting for the new Bear Creek Senior/Recreation Center in Hampton.
Henry County officials took part in a ribbon cutting ceremony, Monday, May 22 to welcome the new Bear Creek Senior Activity and Recreation Center to the county. The combined Senior Activity and Recreation Center is the first of its kind in Henry County, with an overall size of approximately 20,000 square feet. A portion of the facility is dedicated to the Senior Activity Center, another section is dedicated to the Recreation Center, and the rest of the space is a shared fitness area. The Senior Activity Center features a lobby/lounge with a gas fire place, card room, craft room and multi-purpose room. It also has restrooms, a staff office, a full service kitchen, and dining room which is adjacent to the outdoor patio area. The Recreation Center includes a separate entrance into its own lobby with two large multi-purpose activity rooms, a kitchenette with microwave oven and refrigerator, as well as a vending area and ice machine, restrooms, office and breakroom. The shared space consists of an aerobics room, fitness area and indoor walking track. The fitness area includes three treadmills, two ellipticals, two recumbent bikes, a six piece push/pull circuit, a five station multi-stack system with cable crossover and Continued on page 2
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May 22, 2017 Published by Henry County Communications Department The Henry County Board of Commissioners
Editor Melissa Robinson
Graphic Designer Meredith Butler
Layout Designer Melissa Robinson Meredith Butler
Contributors Melissa Robinson Erika Richards Kevin Williams
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Ribbon Cutting Continued from page 1 a selection of free weights. District II Commissioner Dee Clemmons shared her gratitude, thanking everyone in participation and said that although she could not take credit for the inception of Bear Creek Senior and Recreation Center, she will take responsibility and credit to make sure that it stays beautiful. She also lauded the uniqueness of the new center. “This is an historical moment because this is the first of its kind - to have a senior and recreation center on the same property. What wonderful way to have us go from the children to our seniors in our county,� said Clemmons. The new center will officially be open to the public on May 30. The Bear Creek Senior Activity and Recreation Center was designed by Flynn Finderup Architects of Atlanta, GA and construction was done by Meja Construction, Inc. of Peachtree City, GA. The total cost of the project was $4,000,000.00. For information on this or any SPLOST project, please visit www.henrycounty-ga.org/SPLOST.
Henry County Police Officers Reach Out to Students Being Praised for Outreach and Services in the Community
The Henry County Police Department recently participated in Ola High School’s “All Around Tour” Week when officers presented safety tips, a motorcycle demonstration and more at the high school. Officer Damion Hampson, Officer Justin Boggs, and Officer Anthony Militello presented to a preschool class and high school students the importance of safety, security, vigilance and reaching out for help in time of need. They highlighted that police officers are not be feared, but rather respected and trusted. Susan Bryan, an Ola High School Early Childhood Education teacher, thanked the officers for
their work in the community. “I cannot praise the outreach and services of these officers enough, they always go above and beyond my expectations,” said Bryan. “I am hoping to incorporate more community based topics within the program to include internet safety, trafficking and intruder safety with the high school students and hope to utilize these officers to do so.” Students went home with coloring books, materials and badges as well as an experience that left them feeling excited about learning from the officers of the Henry County Police Department.
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May 22, 2017 Commissioner Clemmons Accepted into Distinguished Organization
Henry County District II Commissioner Dee Clemmons is a new member of the prominent organization the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, MECCA Chapter. Clemmons’ installation into the organization was held on Saturday, May 6 at the Atlanta Girls School. The National Coalition of 100 Black Women’s mission is to advocate for the development of leaders who will help rebuild communities and redirect the energies of young people who live in those communities.
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Clemmons values being recognized as a member of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women. “It has been a long time coming, I’ve been actively working and advocating for African-American women and girls for a very long time. I think the recognition came at the brink of me being elected as county commissioner because it was another level of service and people saw that I untiringly continued to serve not only for African-American women and girls but for my community as well,” said Clemmons, “I am honored to be a part of this organization.”
Enjoy Henry County Cooperative Extension Service Farmers Market Come out every Thursday and enjoy locally sourced vegetables, fruits and jellies at the Henry County Cooperative Extension Service Farmers Market at Jason Harper Event Center in McDonough.
The Farmers Market will begin the week of May 25 and run through August 31 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It is located at 97 Lake Dow Road McDonough GA, 30252.
Fairview Urgent Care Opens to the Public District V Commissioner Bruce Holmes took part in a ribbon cutting ceremony, Saturday, May 6 to celebrate the grand opening of the Fairview Urgent Care Center in Ellenwood. The new five-thousand square foot facility will serve the Ellenwood area and Henry County with high-quality care for common illnesses and non-lifethreatening injuries with walk-in, after-hours, and weekend availability. The Fairview Urgent Care Center will soon be sharing its space with shops and townhouses as well. “This will be an area set up for millennials. We are going to try to attract that young, educated demographic to this community to help increase everyone’s property value so we all can benefit,” said Holmes.
The urgent care facility is just one element of Holmes’ vision for the Fairview Community, to help bring economic development and quality of life amenities to the area. Earlier this year, under his leadership in District V, the county opened a state-or the-art, destination park called Village Park at North Henry. The 34-acre park features an event lawn, an interactive fountain, multi-purpose sports fields, paved walking trails and pavilions with picnic tables, as well as a Par course fitness circuit and a playground is underway. The Fairview Urgent Care is open Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. It is located at 4475 West Village Parkway.
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May 22, 2017 Henry County Recognizes Emergency Medical Services Week, May 21-27, 2017
The Henry County Board recognized EMS Week with a proclamation. Pictured (l. to r.) First row: Fire Chief Nish Willis, Chair June Wood, District II Commissioner Dee Clemmons; Second row: District IV Commissioner Blake Prince, Assistant Deputy Chief Harry C. Sherwood, District V Commissioner Bruce Holmes, Assistant County Manager Brad Johnson; Third row: District I Commissioner Johnny Wilson and District III Commissioner Gary Barham.
The Board of Commissioners recognized May, 21- 27 as Emergency Medical Services Week with a proclamation on May 16, at the scheduled Commission meeting. National Emergency Medical Services Week is recognized in Henry County to bring awareness to the importance of emergency medical services and the impact it has on saving lives. The Henry County Fire Department continues to provide lifesaving care to those in need 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The proclamation reads in part, “WHEREAS,
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the members of Henry County Fire Department engage in thousands of hours of specialized training and continuing education to enhance their lifesaving skills…” Emergency Medical Services Week recognizes the hard work and dedication emergency medical services providers give to the community and will remain as an essential part to public service. For more information on Emergency Medical Services, please visit www.co.henry.ga.us/ Departments/PublicSafetyEmergencyServices/E-911. aspx.
Reconstructed Jackson Lake Road Bridge Opens
Commissioners cut ribbon on Jackson Lake Road Bridge. Pictured (l. to r.) SPLOST Transportation Director Roque Romero, District I Commissioner Johnny Wilson, SPLOST Project Manager Bert Bivins, District III Commissioner Gary Barham and SPLOST Engineer Chae Yi.
District I Commissioner Johnny Wilson and District III Commissioner Gary Barham along with other county officials all took part in a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Jackson Lake Road Bridge over Mackey Creek, in McDonough on Tuesday. The new bridge was rebuilt ahead of schedule, and took only eight months for contractors to complete. Barham said that the accessibility of Jackson Lake Road Bridge will be helpful to drivers in the near future. “The 81 bridge, down at the South River is going to be taken out pretty soon and the state’s going to be re-routing traffic around that for a year. This will
probably be one of the major cut-throughs in the way to travel around the county,” said Barham. Wilson appreciated the fact that Jackson Lake Road Bridge was done in a timely manner. “This bridge is four months ahead of schedule and I want to thank the contractor for putting it on his priority list to get this bridge open to allow our citizens to travel safely down this road,” said Wilson. Georgia Bridge & Concrete, LLC was the contractor and the project was designed by Moffatt & Nichol, Inc. The total cost of the bridge was $1,126,376.00 and was funded by SPLOST IV.
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May 22, 2017
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May 22, 2017 Memorial Day Service Set for May 29
In honor and remembrance of the lost service men and women, this year’s Memorial Day service will be held at the Veterans Wall of Honor, May 29 at 11 a.m. in McDonough. The Keynote Speaker will be W. Montague “Q” Winfield, Major General, U.S. Army (Retired) who severed his country for 31 years, and whose extensive military titles included Commanding General of US Army Cadet Command, first Commanding General of the newly formed Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, Assistant Division Commander for the 25th Infantry Division and Commissioner of the United States Russian Joint Presidential Commission on POW/MIAs. Major General Winfield’s top civilian award is the Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service and his top military decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, two Defense Superior Service Medals and three Legions of Merit. The Memorial Day service will also include a presentation of the colors by the Ola AFJROTC
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Color Guard and the Pledge of Allegiance will be led by Fredric Wilcox, with American Legion Post 516. Rick Berry, CSM (Retired), Commander of American Legion Post 55, will provide the welcome and opening remarks and the invocation and benediction will be given by Commander J.B Bass, U.S. Navy (Retired). A special reading will be recited by Pat Rosser, Chaplain, Andrew McBride Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and a wreath will be presented by CPO Richard McLeod, USN (Retired) and SSG Darrell Woodall, Melissa Callender will perform the National Anthem and the service will be peppered throughout by various musical interludes provided by bagpiper David Gregory, and Jim Houston, with Bugles Across America, will close the service with Taps. The Veterans Wall of Honor is located in Heritage Park at 101 Lake Dow Rd. in McDonough. For more information, please contact Jim Joyce with Henry County Parks and Recreation at 770-2887300 or visit www.hcprd.org.
The Henry County Board of Commissioners proclaimed the week of May 15 through 20, 2017 as Salvation Army Week
The Henry County Board of Commissioners proclaimed the week of May 15 through 20, 2017 as Salvation Army Week in Henry County at the May 16 Commission meeting. Pictured in the first row: (l. r.) Advisory Board Members Lt. Demetrius Brownlee and Beverly Davis, McDonough Salvation Army Service Center Director Tammy Jackson, District II Commissioner Dee Clemmons, Commission Chair June Wood and Salvation Army Advisory Board Member Mickie Jackson; Second row: Salvation Army Board Member John Jackson, District IV Commissioner Blake Prince and District V Commissioner Bruce Holmes; third row: District III Commissioner Gary Barham and District I Commissioner Johnny Wilson.
Henry County Libraries Serve Free Lunch for Area Youth
The Henry County Library System, as a site for the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), will be serving free nutritious meals to children 18 years old and younger from June 5 through July 31, Monday to Friday between noon and 1:30 p.m. This service is sponsored by the Literacy for Youth Foundation and operates under the United States Department of Agriculture’s SFSP and the National School Lunch Program. The SFSP is federally funded and state administered. Sponsors are funded by the USDA and work with state agencies to manage the
program logistics and sites. The program aims to feed children in low-income areas during summer months who depend on low cost/free public school lunches during the school year. There is no cost or enrollment to participate. Meals are free for kids at the McDonough, Fortson, Locust Grove, and Fairview Public Libraries which will provide lunch from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. and Cochran will start serving lunch at noon and end at 1 p.m. These libraries are all approved sites for the free lunch program. Other Henry County sites include several public school locations and churches. For more information on the Summer Food Service Program and verified program sites visit the USDA’s website at www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/ summer. For more information on the Henry County Library System’s participation visit www.henry.public. lib.ga.us.
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May 22, 2017 Sheriff’s Office Receives Award from the Police Benevolent Foundation Sheriff Keith McBrayer accepts an award on behalf of the Henry County Sheriff’s Office for supporting the 2016 “Race for the Fallen - Glow Run”. The award was presented by Patrick Cullinan from the Police Benevolent Foundation and executive board members of the Police Benevolent Association - Three Rivers Chapter. The Police Benevolent Foundation is a taxdeductible 501(c)(3) organization. It exists to support law enforcement officers by providing funds for families of fallen officers, youth scholarships, disaster relief for officers, and post-traumatic stress and life concerns seminars for law enforcement officers and their families. One way funds are raised in support of law enforcement is the annual “Race for the Fallen 5K and 1 Mile Glow Run” in locations
across Georgia. The R4TF event recognizes the contributions and sacrifices made by the officers and their families. Sheriff McBrayer commented, “The Glow Run is a fun community event for all ages with the serious goal to benefit law enforcement families across the state. The run takes place at night and runners are covered from head to foot in glow-in-the-dark items.” The Race for the Fallen 5K Glow Run will light up the night on Saturday, September 9, 2017. The race takes place at Salem Baptist Church Recreation Complex located at 1724 GA-155 N. For registration details on the different categories and costs visit: https://raceforthefallen. com/. Each registration includes a neon race shirt, 21 pieces of glow gear, a finisher LED glow medallion and more!
L to R: V.P. of PFF- Jon Williams, President of PFB - Richard Harned, Sheriff Keith McBrayer, Patrick Cullinan - PBF, Senior V. P. and Major Jack Oakman
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Commissioners Adopt FY2018 Budget The Henry County Board of Commissioners adopted a $154,357,270 budget for fiscal year 20172018 at the regular Commission meeting held on May 16, 2017. The final budget adoption came on the heels of two public budget hearings, culminating from a budget process with staff that began at the start of the New Year. C o u n t y Manager Cheri Hobson-Matthews and Assistant County Manager Brad Johnson, presented a resolution detailing the proposed budget, citing the highlights and expenditures for the coming fiscal year, along with a summary of accomplishments and major projects. Some notable items include the apportionment of $776,397 to fund a two percent raise for eligible full-time and part-time permanent, non-public safety employees, and $961,096 for public safety employees, who will receive a one percent COLA (cost of living adjustment) and a one percent longevity increase. The raises will take effect at the start of the new fiscal year beginning on July 1st.
Commissioners also elected to cover the cost of an increase of $4.3 million dollars to employee health insurance premiums, and allotted for $500,000 in additional funding for the Henry County Library System. The budget also slightly reduces contributions to other state agencies. Additionally, the FY 2017-2018 budget calls for $1,764,390 for salaries for Fire Department stations 15 and 16; $282,936 to staff the Bear Creek Senior/Recreation Center and approximately $482,810 for other new positions and upgrades. Hobson-Matthews thanked staff for their excellent work toward this year’s budget process and listed several goals for the county, which includes developing a county-wide strategic plan and developing a capital improvement project list and funding source. For more information or to view the budget in its entirety, please log onto www.henrycounty-ga.org. Henry County Commission meetings are available on demand through the County website at www.henrycounty-ga.org/Departments/A-C/ CommunicationsDepartment/WatchHenryTV.aspx.
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May 22, 2017 Commissioner Clemmons Presents Symphony Tickets to Middle School Students
District II Commissioner Dee Clemmons presented Atlanta Symphony tickets to the Luella Middle School Chorus earlier this week, as part of a performing arts outreach to the local schools. Clemmons provided tickets and sound advice to the class, letting them know that it is okay to express themselves to their commissioners. “If there is something that you don’t like that is
happening in the county that you are living in, let your commissioners know. They will help you with those problems and get them resolved,” she told the students while visiting their school in Locust Grove. The Luella Middle School chorus students were able to attend the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s debut of Gluck’s Orfeo concert in Atlanta.
Henry County Fire Department Accepts Monetary Donations The Henry County Fire Department accepted a grant from the Georgia Association of Emergency Medical Services after the approval from the Board of Commissioners meeting that took place on Tuesday, May 16. The Georgia Association of Emergency Medical Services will be giving Henry County Fire
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Department approximately $15,000. Additionally, the fire department also received a $10,000 donation from Pinecrest Baptist Church in McDonough. The Henry County Fire Department will be able to purchase trauma equipment, supplies and funding for EMS related training with these funds.
HCPD Recognizes Two Investigators for Continued Education
The Henry County Police Department recognized Investigators. Brian Eck and Jason Hatcher for their continued education in obtaining their Traffic Accident Reconstruction Specialist Certifications. Both investigators have completed over three hundred hours of specialized training and endured an eight-hour final exam to obtain this limited certification. Investigators Eck and Hatcher are two of only seventy certified Traffic Accident Reconstruction Specialists in
the State of Georgia. Investigator Hatcher is a fourteen-year veteran with the Henry County Police Department and has been assigned to the Special Operations, Traffic Unit for eight years. Investigator Eck is an eight-year veteran with HCPD and has been assigned to the Special Operations Traffic Unit for six years. The Henry County Police Department congratulates both investigators on receiving this very difficult achievement.
Ellenwood Vikings Wants Coaches Coaches are needed for Commissioner Bruce Holmes Athletic Association’s Ellenwood Vikings. Individuals who possess great character, who are committed and have strong ties to the community that want to coach are desired to come and participate. If interested, please contact Gary Willis at 678-632-4909.
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May 22, 2017 Two Henry County Police Officers Awarded with Medal of Valor
L-R: Deputy Chief Mark Amerman, Sergeant Carl Tippens, Officer Yusuf Saadiq, and Chief Keith Nichols
Sergeant Carl Tippens and Officer Yusuf Saadiq were awarded with the Medal of Valor for heroic actions they performed while on duty. The Medal of Valor is the highest honor anyone can receive in the police field. The criteria to receive this award is that the officer must have put himself in harm’s way to save the life of another. On April 29, 2017, Sergeant Tippens and Officer Saadiq responded to a suicide attempt call whereby the female caller had notified 911 that she was sitting in a running vehicle inside an enclosed garage. She also advised the dispatcher that she had cut her wrists. Upon arrival, the officers could hear a vehicle running in the garage and smelled the strong odor of gasoline. The officers found an unlocked front door henrycounty-ga.org
and called out with no response. The officers entered the residence and immediately experienced difficulty breathing from the fumes. They were able to locate the unresponsive female, who was on the kitchen floor. The officers carried the female out of the residence to EMS personnel who had just arrived. Both officers had to be treated for carbon monoxide exposure but made a full recovery. The Henry County Police Department is very proud of Sergeant Tippens and Officer Saadiq for their heroic efforts. They went above and beyond to save the life of another. During the award ceremony, Sergeant Tippens stated that every life matters and is important to someone. Henry County Police Department congratulates them on a job well done.
Southern Crescent Tech Breaks Ground on Second Building
Henry County Commission Chair June Wood, along with other Commissioners and officials took part in a groundbreaking ceremony on May 19 for the second building of the Southern Crescent Technical College (SCTC) Henry County campus in McDonough. Southern Crescent Technical College in Henry County first broke ground in 2013 for Building A. Building B will be located adjacent, and will be 82,500 square feet of a multi-level, state-of-the-art facility. The new building will house various programs like medical, computer and industrial training programs intended to meet the immediate workforce needs of the area. Wood expressed her appreciation to the partners who made Southern Technical College possible. “This has been a role model of what a county can do when you have a vision, when you have action plans and you bring everybody together,� said Wood.
Both the County and the city of McDonough utilized SPLOST funds, allocation $5 million and $1 million respectively. The Technical College System of Georgia contributed more than $20 million for this project. Construction and site preparation will be handled by Garbutt Construction Company and Praxis3 will design the facility. The expected completion date is scheduled for the summer of 2018 with classes to begin for Fall Semester of 2018. For more information of Southern Crescent Technical College, please visit www.sctech.edu.
Henry County Commission Chair June Wood gives remarks during SCTC groundbreaking ceremony.
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