Henry County Update - Newsletter

August 18, 2017

Board of

Police Warn of ATM Skimmers

Commissioners Regular Meetings Sept. 5 meeting rescheduled to Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2017 9:00 AM Sept. 19, 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 Charter Channel 180 and AT&T U-Verse Channel 99, at 9 a.m. & 7 p.m.

An example of an altered ATM card slot on the right.

The Henry County Police Department is warning consumers to be vigilant when utilizing ATMs at area banks and other locations. Recently, law enforcement became aware of a situation in which thieves targeted a local ATM with a skimming device. The incident took place at Heritage Bank, 860 Hwy. 20 West, McDonough, GA where it is suspected that Alexandru Tomescu placed a financial transaction card skimmer on the ATM machine.

Known to law enforcement, Tomescu is a citizen of Romania and was arrested in Florida in 2015 and 2016. According to police, he avoided prosecution by skipping out on his bond.

In order to avoid becoming a victim, police urge consumers to always examine the ATM before use. Look for anything that appears to be different or unusual, including pin holes that can disguise hidden cameras placed by criminals in order to record PINs (personal identification numbers.) When using an ATM, cover the key pad when entering a PIN and visually/physically check the card reader. If you find a skimming device call 911 immediately.

A photo of a removable skimming

device.

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August 18, 2017 Published by Henry County Communications & Public Information Department Henry County Government

Editor Melissa Robinson

Graphic Designer Meredith Butler

BOC Approves Purchase of Vehicles

The Board of Commissioners approved the award for the purchase 16 Ford trucks at the regular Commission meeting held on August 15.

The eight 2018 Ford F-150s, five 2017 Ford F-250s and three 2017 Ford F-350s will be purchased to meet the operational needs for fleet replacement for the Fire, DOT, Parks and Recreation and Facility Maintenance Departments.

Funds for these vehicles are available in the Fleet Services budget.

Layout Designer Melissa Robinson Meredith Butler

Contributors Melissa Robinson Erika Richards Kevin Williams

BOC Approves Amendment to Intergovernmental Agreement with City of McDonough

The Board of Commissioners approved the first amendment to an Intergovernmental Agreement with the city of McDonough regarding the development of property along Jonesboro Road, for use as a public park. The action came at the August 1 Commission meeting.

Both the city of McDonough and the county

henrycounty-ga.org

have agreed that McDonough will develop a passive park containing walking trails and other related facilities, as well as furnish all remaining development costs and the management of the property.

Henry County will assist in the development of the property by providing engineering and design services for the grading, drainage and stormwater management plans for the proposed park entrance and parking lot. The services will all be conducted by county staff.

HCPD Offers Free Classes to Citizens

The Henry County Police Department is offering both a Citizens Police Academy and Women’s Self Defense class, both starting in September at the HCPD training room at the Public Safety complex in McDonough. Classes are free.

The Citizens Police Academy class will begin on September 12 through November 28 and will meet every Tuesday night for 11 weeks excluding October 31.

The Women’s Self Defense class will be

offered on September 7 through September 9 as well as November 2 through November 4. These three-day classes will meet on Thursday and Friday from 6-8 p.m. and Saturday from 8-11 a.m.

Applications for the Citizens Police Academy class must be turned in and completed by September 5.

Applications for the Women’s Self Defense class must be completed by September 1 for the September class. Please fill out and return original copies to Henry County Police Department located at 108 S. Zack Hinton Pkwy, McDonough, GA 30253.

For more information, applications and background consent forms, please visit co.henry. ga.us/Departments/PublicSafetyEmergencyServices/ PoliceDepartment.aspx and look under Citizens Police Academy or Women’s Self Defense or contact jmiller@ co.henry.ga.us or 770-288-8285.

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August 18, 2017 HCWA Opens its Doors to Henry County Teachers

Teachers explore an exercise on the Cycle of Water during the “Rain to Drain” teacher workshops held at HCWA facilities in June.

When several thousand Henry County School teachers kicked off the 2017-18 school year earlier this month, a handful did so with a better idea of how to use the resources of the Henry County Water Authority (HCWA) to bring the classroom to life.

Approximately 20 Henry County teachers joined the HCWA for the first annual “Rain to Drain” water resources workshop this summer, over the course of four days in June. The event is the manifestation of the ongoing partnership between the HCWA, Henry County Schools, and Henry County Stormwater, to enhance public education in the protection and preservation of natural resources.

During the four-day event, Henry County teachers toured the HCWA Tussahaw Water Treatment Plant, the Walnut Creek Water Reclamation Facility, the HCWA Engineering Facility, and the HCWA Cubihatcha Outdoor Education Center. In addition, each day the teachers participated in activities that henrycounty-ga.org

they could translate into lessons for their students at these respective HCWA facilities.

During the tour of the Tussahaw Water Treatment Plant, educators learned about the Authority’s work as a U.S. EPA WaterSense Promotional Partner. In doing so, the HCWA Tussahaw Plant staff provided tips on water conservation for teachers to share with students, in addition to details about the water production and distribution processes.

On day two, when teachers toured the HCWA Walnut Creek Plant, they were provided with details of the Authority’s Fats, Oils and Grease (FOG) education program. The lesson the Authority hopes to pass on to Henry County teachers and students is the importance of not pouring FOG down the drain, in addition to the proper disposal of non-dispersible items such as “flushable” wet wipes.

The third day of Rain to Drain Tours for Henry County teachers included a trip to the HCWA Continued on page 5

Henry County Fire Department Accepts Donation The Henry County Fire Department accepted a donation of $6,337.80 from the Firefighter Burn Foundation after the approval from the Board of Commissioners during the August 15 Commission meeting.

The donation is part of the proceeds

from the “Give Burns the Boot” Foundation collected by Henry County Fire Department employees.

The funds from this donation will be used to purchase Fire Safety material.

Teachers Continued from page 4 Engineering & Technology Division, where they were exposed to lessons about water meters, in addition to learning how the Authority’s staff uses advanced technology to read more than 75,000 meters each month.

Teachers looking for ideas to bring STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) curricula to life found plenty of examples at the HCWA Engineering Building, from the design and installation of water and sewer infrastructure to the use of GIS Mapping and Leak Detection technologies.

On the final day of HCWA tours for Henry County educators, guests received an up-close look at the public amenities of the Cubihatcha Center in Locust Grove. Teachers also experienced demonstrations in Georgia Adopt-A-Stream Training, with insights on how to monitor the health of local streams and waterways.

At the conclusion of the Rain to Drain Workshops, Henry County teachers left with an open invitation to use HCWA facilities and employees as resources for experiential learning. Those 20 or so teachers and administrators who participated say they will take advantage of these resources that can assist them in teaching practically any subject for any age student.

“This event was inspiring and eye opening, unlocking an unknown door for teachers to explore the things they didn’t know Henry County has,” says Heather Toliver, Science Teacher on Special Assignment with the Henry County Board of Education, who gave the Rain to Drain Workshops a perfect 10 rating. “Every subject and all content areas are covered (by visiting HCWA sites and operations), and it’s all relevant to learning. Plus, as teachers, we have the opportunity to not only educate and inform, but raise awareness among students and build connections between them and their community and environment.”

Henry County teachers not only have access to HCWA facilities, but Authority employees are willing to help connect what they do as water professionals to what is taught in the classroom.

“As teachers, we must tie it all together so it integrates naturally, but the Water Authority does that for us,” adds Jennifer Burton. “We have everything we need right here (at HCWA facilities) to get students excited about science.”

Media contact: Chris Wood, Ph.D., Phone: 770757-1681, Email: jcwood@uga.edu or chris@jwapr. com

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August 18, 2017 Henry County Master Gardeners Presents Summer’s End Garden Seminar As leaves on trees change colors and the summer season ends, Henry County Master Gardeners will host an informational seminar on Saturday September 9, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Henry County Extension Office to close out the

traditional gardening months.

Attendees of the Master Gardeners seminar will be able to hear from four local and renowned speakers and enjoy door prizes, catered lunch and browse through a variety of vendors.

The Extension Office is located at 97 Lake Dow Road in McDonough and the seminar will be conducted in meeting room B. For more information, please call 770-288-8421.

Commission Makes Several Board and Committee Appointments

Henry County Commissioners made several board appointments at the August 15 regular commission meeting.

Commissioners chose a nominating committee to appoint an at-large member to the Henry County

Board of Elections and Registration. Members appointed to the nominating committee include Neil Daniell, Lincoln Parks, Cheryl Shaw, Mike Elrod, Pete Peterson and Mildred Reed.

Commissioners also appointed Jessica Stormer to the Henry County Board of Family and Children Services effective immediately for a term of five years expiring on August 15, 2022.

Mildred Williams was approved as the District III appointee to the Henry Council on Aging for a term to expire on August 15, 2021.

Jonathan Buck is the District V appointee to the Henry County Recreation Board for a term to expire on December 31, 2018.

Save the date for HOA Boot Camp

Henry County District V Commissioner Bruce Holmes and McDonough Councilwoman Sandra Vincent will be hosting a Homeowners’ Association Boot Camp from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, September 2 at the McDonough City Hall.

The HOA Boot Camps consist of comprehensive sessions and panel discussions packed with information to empower homeowners and associations alike. henrycounty-ga.org

The HOA Boot Camp will have free admission and parking. To RSVP for this event, please visit HenrySept2017.eventbrite. com.

McDonough City Hall is located at 136 Keys Ferry Street in McDonough.