time to hoop it up
moving on
safety first
king george’s boys’ and girls’ basketball squads ready for a new season. Page 5
sammy zambon, Caledon state park’s chief ranger, will be leaving area after 11 years. Page 4
local agencies teaming up to offer students Internet, cell phone and driving tips. Page 9
T he
POSTAL CUSTOMER
King George
Volume 38, Number 49
Wednesday, December 3, 2014 50 Cents
helping you relate to your community
KG officials ready to OK rebar company plan Phyllis Cook
The King George Board of Supervisors is expected to OK Commercial Metals Company’s plan to invest $12 million to relocate and expand its manufacturing operations in a 75,000-square-foot facility on 30 acres of land in the industrial park. The topic was on the board’s agenda at its Dec. 2 meeting, which occurred after The Journal’s deadline. On Dec. 1, Gov. Terry McAuliffe announced the news by saying, “My
top priority as governor is to create a new Virginia economy, and Commercial Metals Company’s investment in the Fredericksburg region is another step forward in this goal. Virginia is proud to retain a valued employer and corporate partner like CMC and King George County’s manufacturing site with rail service meets the company’s current growth needs and provides capacity for future expansion.” Commercial Metals Company is a global, low-cost metals recycling, manufacturing, fabricating and
trading enterprise. The facility is expected to be completed within two years and bring about 40 jobs from its other locations, including Spotsylvania, along with creating an additional 10-20 new jobs within five years of completion. “This addition serves as another positive step in our vision as we work to build out this park. Today is a great day for CMC and King George,” said Joe Grzeika, chairman of the King George board. “CMC will bring additional high-paying manufacturing jobs and
revenues to our county, and we believe they will find King George a great place to enhance and grow their business.” The deal has been in the news since May when supervisors approved an agreement spelling out terms for both parties. “Considering the highly competitive nature of economic development, it is exciting to be able to add a Fortune 500 Company of CMC’s caliber to King George County,” said Linwood Thomas, the county’s director of economic development. “This project
will also help to bring additional infrastructure to the King George Industrial Park, making it a destination for manufacturing corporations nationally and internationally looking to grow and expand between Washington, D.C. and Richmond, Virginia, strategically located on the eastern seaboard.” As part of the project, 4,200 feet of railroad track had to be laid to serve the facility. The rail project will extend the existing rail line serving a portion of the industrial park by CSX, estimated
Students show off their holiday spirit
at $800,000. The county agreed to provide up to $150,000 toward the rail line improvements. Since then, the board approved $52,765 for engineering services related to railroad design and $10,015 for professional surveying services relating to a boundary survey, property line adjustment plat and subdivision plat for the property. It also authorized $86,383 and an agreement with Metrocast Communications for construction of a fiber optic cable infrastructure line to the industrial park.
County’s Christmas program has begun Gifts will be handed out to about 400 King George families Phyllis Cook
Leonard Banks
Members of the King George High School FFA packed and delivered Thanksgiving meals to 30 families in the county.
Collect, distribute food locally Leonard Banks On Nov. 23, FFA advisor and King George High School agriculture and horticulture teacher Stan Mitchell and members of the FFA organized, packed and delivered 30 turkey food packages to fellow students and families in need throughout the King George community. “The object of this program is help people who need help,” Mitchell said. The effort was open to all classes and organizations at KGHS, including administrators, employees and parents. The act of giving has a special
place in the heart of King George High School junior and president of the King George branch of the National Future Farmers of America, Chelsea Kowall. “The holidays have always been dear to me because it’s a time of family and giving,” Kowall said. “I believe by helping the less fortunate helps bring us all together as a closeknit family.” Future Farmers of America was founded by a group of aspiring farmers in 1928. Its mission was to prepare future generations for the challenges of agricultures as it pertains to the growing American population.
The King George Social Services’ Christmas program is under way with sponsorship for about 400 families for the Christmas holiday, according to Dave Coman, director of King George’s Department of Social Services. This holiday program focuses on gifts for children, as well as senior citizens and people with disabilities. It’s not a food program, like those for Thanksgiving that provided baskets of turkeys and trimmings. “This allows us to be more generous in the gift-giving area,” Coman said. The program is for children up to age 14, individuals older than 65 and individuals with an established disability through the Social Security Administration on fixed incomes, he said. “We have tons of experience on what to provide and to whom it should go,” he said. “As a planning district, we try to reach out to those truly in need and have fixed those ages because this is the arena that we all agreed are the most vulnerable. “It is a very large operation. The Salvation Army, the government workers on base, all of the contractors, other nonprofits and, of course, our local churches are major contributors.” The program has been in operation for about 25 years and, Coman said, provides “lots of smiling faces.” The distribution is scheduled to take place beginning at 12:30 p.m. Dec.16 at the Masonic Lodge on U.S. 301. Coman said the donors will arrive around 8 a.m. for drop off. Coman said the department does not solicit donations for the program. “If people want to donate, please have them contact the Salvation Army with donations; they are always in need,” Coman said. Coman said the effort could use more sponsors for senior citizens and people with disabilities. If anyone would like to aid in sponsoring seniors or disabled adults in King George, Coman said to call Tracy Curtis at 540775-3544.
Now you can follow local breaking news daily on our website at www.journalpress.com
Register NOW for Spring 2015 classes at Germanna In-person or Online at www.germanna.edu For a list of current course offerings visit www.germanna.edu or call 540-891-3000 for more information.
Culpeper • Fredericksburg • Locust Grove • Stafford • Online
YOUR FUTURE. OUR COMMITMENT.