Entries by Mike Buffington
Fire hits Jefferson house
A fire appeared to do significant damage to a home in Jefferson on Skyline Drive Wednesday afternoon. No details were available at this posting.
Updated: Couple beaten by daughter, son-in-law
A COUPLE was injured in a domestic dispute last week after they say their daughter and son-in-law attacked them.
[Full Story »]
Updated: Jackson sales taxes up first six months
While economists debate whether or not there will be a “double-dip” recession this fall, for Jackson County the first six months of 2010 appears to have seen some recovery.
Sales tax revenues to the Jackson County government were up for the first half of 2010 by 9.2 percent over 2009.
For the year, Jackson County has seen revenues of $2.6 million in sales tax. The county budgeted $5.2 million in sales tax income for all of 2010.
Those results indicate that retail sales rebounded during the first half of the year, but many economists believe the overall economy is slowing and that another recessionary dip will happen this fall.
Sales tax revenues to the Jackson County government were up for the first half of 2010 by 9.2 percent over 2009.
For the year, Jackson County has seen revenues of $2.6 million in sales tax. The county budgeted $5.2 million in sales tax income for all of 2010.
Those results indicate that retail sales rebounded during the first half of the year, but many economists believe the overall economy is slowing and that another recessionary dip will happen this fall.
Updated: JPD officer arrested in bar fight
Wednesday, September 1. 2010
Updated: 9 hours ago
Jefferson Police Department officer Stephen Taylor who got into a bar fight while off duty, was charged Tuesday in connection with the incident. Taylor was charged with one count of misdemeanor battery. He turned himself in to the Jackson County Jail Tuesday and bonded out on a $2,000 bond.
Taylor remains on administrative leave with pay from the JPD after being involved in an altercation at Mike’s Down Under bar. JPD Chief Joe Wirthman said Wednesday that Taylor will remain on paid leave while the department does an internal investigation of the incident. JPD Major Dave Hill is doing the internal probe, he said.
Taylor and James Tyler Beck, 22, reportedly got into a shoving contest at the bar around midnight on Aug. 24 over comments about the color of Taylor’s shirt.
In Beck’s version of events to JPD officers who responded to the incident, he said he had made a comment to a third party in the bar about Taylor’s pink shirt. The comment was not made in Taylor’s presence, he said, but someone told Taylor about it.
Beck said he stood up to leave the bar when Taylor confronted him about the pink shirt comments. Beck said he put his hand on Taylor’s shoulder and told him he didn’t want any problems, but that Taylor responded by pushing him in the chest and then hitting him with a closed fist on the left side of the face.
Taylor told officers that Beck had pushed him and that he acted in self-defense. He said the incident had stemmed from a verbal altercation he blamed on Beck, saying Beck was upset over a woman who was "hanging out" with him.
A blood alcohol test of both men taken by the JPD reportedly showed Taylor at .183 while Beck was .00.
Taylor remains on administrative leave with pay from the JPD after being involved in an altercation at Mike’s Down Under bar. JPD Chief Joe Wirthman said Wednesday that Taylor will remain on paid leave while the department does an internal investigation of the incident. JPD Major Dave Hill is doing the internal probe, he said.
Taylor and James Tyler Beck, 22, reportedly got into a shoving contest at the bar around midnight on Aug. 24 over comments about the color of Taylor’s shirt.
In Beck’s version of events to JPD officers who responded to the incident, he said he had made a comment to a third party in the bar about Taylor’s pink shirt. The comment was not made in Taylor’s presence, he said, but someone told Taylor about it.
Beck said he stood up to leave the bar when Taylor confronted him about the pink shirt comments. Beck said he put his hand on Taylor’s shoulder and told him he didn’t want any problems, but that Taylor responded by pushing him in the chest and then hitting him with a closed fist on the left side of the face.
Taylor told officers that Beck had pushed him and that he acted in self-defense. He said the incident had stemmed from a verbal altercation he blamed on Beck, saying Beck was upset over a woman who was "hanging out" with him.
A blood alcohol test of both men taken by the JPD reportedly showed Taylor at .183 while Beck was .00.
Updated: EDITORIAL: Courts can’t stop science
A federal judge’s ruling this week that appears to have derailed federal funding of embryonic stem cell research will, in the long run, be just another bump in the road.
No matter what the legal and political climate is today, the march of science will move forward. Most Americans support embryonic stem cell research, but a vocal minority has long opposed the practice. Opposition comes mostly from religious groups who believe the destruction of embryonic stem cells is akin to destroying life. Many of those groups say working with adult stem cell is just as effective, a point on which the medical community is divided.
Nevertheless, the march of science and scientific research will move forward. It’s inevitable, a fact proven over and over again across the centuries. Opposition from the Catholic Church in the 1500s didn’t stop science; nor did opposition to Darwin’s theory of evolution stop research; nor did moral objections to the atom bomb stop nuclear development.
Science and the human imperative for research and greater knowledge will always trump objections; it cannot be stopped.
No one really knows where embryonic stem cell research will lead. Those engaged in that science may find all kinds of cures, or they may not.
But just because the federal government refuses to fund that research doesn’t mean it will stop. Private money in this country will continue and other nations will, on their own, pursue it.
One judge’s ruling here won’t stop it.
No matter what the legal and political climate is today, the march of science will move forward. Most Americans support embryonic stem cell research, but a vocal minority has long opposed the practice. Opposition comes mostly from religious groups who believe the destruction of embryonic stem cells is akin to destroying life. Many of those groups say working with adult stem cell is just as effective, a point on which the medical community is divided.
Nevertheless, the march of science and scientific research will move forward. It’s inevitable, a fact proven over and over again across the centuries. Opposition from the Catholic Church in the 1500s didn’t stop science; nor did opposition to Darwin’s theory of evolution stop research; nor did moral objections to the atom bomb stop nuclear development.
Science and the human imperative for research and greater knowledge will always trump objections; it cannot be stopped.
No one really knows where embryonic stem cell research will lead. Those engaged in that science may find all kinds of cures, or they may not.
But just because the federal government refuses to fund that research doesn’t mean it will stop. Private money in this country will continue and other nations will, on their own, pursue it.
One judge’s ruling here won’t stop it.
Updated: Jefferson officer on leave after fight
Jefferson police officer Stephen Taylor has been placed on administrative leave with pay after being involved in an altercation at Mike’s Down Under Monday night.
Jefferson police chief Joe Wirthman said he has asked the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to look into the incident.
Taylor and James Tyler Beck, 22, reportedly got into a shoving contest at the bar around midnight over comments about the color of Taylor's shirt. At some point, Taylor reportedly hit Beck in the face.
A blood alcohol test of both men taken by the JPD reportedly showed Taylor at .18 while the other man was .00.
Taylor was off-duty when the altercation occurred.
Jefferson police chief Joe Wirthman said he has asked the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to look into the incident.
Taylor and James Tyler Beck, 22, reportedly got into a shoving contest at the bar around midnight over comments about the color of Taylor's shirt. At some point, Taylor reportedly hit Beck in the face.
A blood alcohol test of both men taken by the JPD reportedly showed Taylor at .18 while the other man was .00.
Taylor was off-duty when the altercation occurred.
Updated: Qualifying begins Mon. for Pendergrass City Council seats
Qualifying will begin Monday for two council seats in Pendergrass that are up for re-election. The seats currently held by Judy Stowe and John Pethel will be on the Nov. 2 ballot.
Qualifying begins at 8:30 a.m. Monday, Aug. 30, and ends at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 1. It will be held in the city clerk’s office at city hall. The qualifying fee for each council seat is $35.
Candidates must be a Pendergrass resident for at least 12 months prior to the election. The candidates must be registered and qualified to vote in city elections.
Qualifying begins at 8:30 a.m. Monday, Aug. 30, and ends at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 1. It will be held in the city clerk’s office at city hall. The qualifying fee for each council seat is $35.
Candidates must be a Pendergrass resident for at least 12 months prior to the election. The candidates must be registered and qualified to vote in city elections.
Updated: Foreclosures up 10 percent in NEGA over last year
Wednesday, August 25. 2010
Updated: 6 days ago
Because of two years of recession and a collapsed real estate market, foreclosures in Northeast Georgia are continuing at a fast pace.
For the first nine months of 2010, foreclosures in Barrow, Jackson, Madison and Banks counties are running ahead of 2009 at the same point.
In Jackson County, foreclosures are up 10 percent year-to-date at 1,162, up 109 over 1,053 at the same point last year.
In Barrow County, foreclosures are up 11 percent at 1,769 YTD.
Banks County has seen 223 so far in 2010, up 16 percent, while Madison County has had 337 for the first nine months, up 19 percent from 2009.
For the first nine months of 2010, foreclosures in Barrow, Jackson, Madison and Banks counties are running ahead of 2009 at the same point.
In Jackson County, foreclosures are up 10 percent year-to-date at 1,162, up 109 over 1,053 at the same point last year.
In Barrow County, foreclosures are up 11 percent at 1,769 YTD.
Banks County has seen 223 so far in 2010, up 16 percent, while Madison County has had 337 for the first nine months, up 19 percent from 2009.
Jefferson sidewalk replaced
A new sidewalk being placed between Martin Street and Dell Street in downtown Jefferson has to be replaced after it was found to be too high.
Jefferson city manager John Ward said the sidewalk, as well as the curb and gutter, was put in too high.
“The contractor has agreed to correct this by removing the newly-poured items and to replace it at no additional cost to the city,” Ward said.
The problem was discovered last week when city of Jefferson staff, along with project managers with Bron Cleveland, Clark Patterson Engineering and Tri Scapes, met at the site to conduct a project review of the downtown streetscape project.
Demolition and replacement work has already began.
The sidewalk is part of the streetscape project in the downtown Jefferson area.
Jefferson city manager John Ward said the sidewalk, as well as the curb and gutter, was put in too high.
“The contractor has agreed to correct this by removing the newly-poured items and to replace it at no additional cost to the city,” Ward said.
The problem was discovered last week when city of Jefferson staff, along with project managers with Bron Cleveland, Clark Patterson Engineering and Tri Scapes, met at the site to conduct a project review of the downtown streetscape project.
Demolition and replacement work has already began.
The sidewalk is part of the streetscape project in the downtown Jefferson area.
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