Valdosta GA News Commentary and Reading Recommendations

The Post-Searchlight features an opinion piece of Sen. Dan Moody (R-Alpharetta) on improving Georgia's infrastucture. Well worth a read.

From http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=2...9&PAG=461&rfi=9:
 
With five of the nation’s 10 fastest growing counties here in Georgia, our population is surging and so are our infrastructure demands. Water systems are straining to serve more people while meeting increasingly stringent federal water-quality mandates. Many roads are simply overwhelmed.
Meanwhile, we face new demands on state funds, as our growing and aging population fuels the need for social services. Today, three-fourths of Georgia’s budget goes to education and health care, and the battle for the remaining 25 percent is intense.
Increasing taxes is certainly no solution. With taxes claiming 27 cents of every dollar earned in Georgia, tax hikes would threaten our economic health. Already, our state and local tax take is 18th highest in the country. That’s worse than Massachusetts — and up from 41st in 1970.
Instead, Georgia should use public-private partnerships, as appropriate, to supplement infrastructure improvement plans. It’s an idea whose time has come—but it’s not new.

It's always nice to read about ideas 'straight from the policitian's mouth.' The article outlines an interesting possible solution to Georgia's infrastructure problem.

09:05 AM   

Our prayers are with the victims and families of all people affected by the recent storms.

From http://www.cnn.com/2004/WEATHER/09/17/hurricane.ivan/:
 
Four people died in Georgia, including a 6-year-old girl who was swept away by floodwaters. An electrocuted utility worker, a 4-year-old swept away and a person hit by a falling tree also died, according to the Georgia Emergency Management Agency.
(...) Tornadoes in the Panhandle town of Blountstown, west of Tallahassee, and in Panama City Beach caused six of Florida's eight deaths. A tornado destroyed the Blountstown mobile home of Santana Sullivan and her fiance, Chris Ammonds. They returned home to find "a clear lot," she said

Please respect the victims' rebuilding efforts by not going on "sightseeing tours" through their neighborhoods gawking at the damage.

06:11 AM   

Their burgers are quite good. In my opinion, better than Dairy Queen's, but not quite as good as Hardee's.

From http://www.walb.com/Global/story.asp?S=1886707&nav=5kZQNKBu:
 
Georgia's first Whataburger is open for business in Valdosta. In the next year, another location will be added in the northern part of town, and one in Thomasville.
"Whataburger is kind of a unique concept started in Texas in 1950, its open 24 hours a day, all made to order food, best burger in town, huge, made to order any way you want it," said Chris Murdock, Owner.
As part of its grand opening today, Whataburger donated $500.00 to the Valdosta-Lowndes Habitat for Humanity chapter.

Whataburger is bringing 40 new jobs to South Georgia.

07:35 AM   

A great list of projects that will be sponsored by the recent $12.5 million distributed by Governor Sonny Perdue in grands and loans, to spur economic development in rural Georgia communities.

From http://theweekly.com/news/2004/May/20/Perdue_Awards.html:
 
"These awards support the creation of 2,175 new jobs for Georgians as well as the retention of 639 jobs in a variety of industry sectors," said Governor Sonny Perdue. "Creating new jobs and growing private investment throughout the state is a top priority of my administration." (...)

The Equity awards, round two of FY 2004 funding, are designed to assist communities and regions build the necessary infrastructure to support economic development. (...) Project awards are given through three competitive rounds annually and are capped at $500,000. Tier 1 and 2 communities, and in some cases Tier 3 communities, are eligible for Authority Assistance. The next Equity application deadline is June 8, 2004.
Equity awards total $4,413,904 including grants totaling $2,722,956 and loans totaling $1,690,948. These awards include...

Read through the list of projects, it's interestesting what they picked.

07:23 AM   

The 'grand daddy' of Valdosta eateries.

From http://www.walb.com/Global/story.asp?S=1883303&nav=5kZQNIES:
 
There are so many good places to eat here in Valdosta. But the one that's been around the longest is King's Grill. It's been on the same downtown street corner since the late 1930's. (...)
"We do usually three meats and six or seven fresh vegetables," says Owner Pat Yeomans. Vegetables you can't get at a drive through. "Fast food is good, but they get tired of that sometime, and they're ready to eat," says Yeomans. "Now you got it." (...)
That's what makes King's Grill like home away from home. "We been here so long and the customers have been coming here so long that they're just like part of the family."(...)
Albert Smith remembers: "The first time was in about 1945 when Mr. King had King's Grill when I was in 1st grade."

A wonderful piece of Valdosta's heritage. May they continue to stay in business for a long, long time. Hey, why not eat there tonight instead of running to McDonald's or Taco Bell?

08:37 AM   

Very important, for the safety of kids and families. It's a one-day event only, but keep on the lookout for future events if you can't make it.

From http://www.valdostadailytimes.com/articl...news/news04.txt:
 
Gun safety locks are available through the Valdosta Police Department today at the police station, 500 Toombs St., and Thursday at Super Wal-Mart on Inner Perimeter Road.
The VPD partnered with Project Child Safe to distribute the free Firearms Safety kits, which include safety guidelines and a cable-style gun lock.
Patrolman Vernotis Williams will be at Wal-Mart from 2-4 p.m., offering anyone two of the kits. He will be available for questions also.

A worthy cause and very important project.

07:06 AM   

Another indication of Valdosta's fast-paced growth.

From http://www.valdostadailytimes.com/articl...news/news01.txt:
 
The Valdosta-Lowndes County Conference Center and Tourism Authority had a good March, seeing the highest grossing space rental in the history of the center.
According to Marty Brown, executive director of the center, events such as the Homebuilders Association and the Cardiovascular Symposium allowed the center to exceed sales predictions for the center, which was more than $30,000 in space rental alone. March 2003 saw $25,329 in space rentals, and in 2001-02, the amount was $22,461.

Looks like they might not need extra funding from the city or the county, due to the rise in income.

06:58 AM   

These days, if you get a heart attack in Valdosta, you can breathe a bit easier...

From http://www.valdostadailytimes.com/articl...news/news03.txt:
 
South Georgia Medical Center officials placed automatic external defibrillators in four community-based locations Tuesday morning.
(...) Chief J.D. Rice of the Valdosta Fire Department was one of those who received the life-saving device. His will be placed at the department's airport location.
"It is really great that we got this," Rice said. "There are so many folks who come through the terminal each day. Now we'll be able to assist those who may suffer from a heart problem."

08:31 AM   

The military plane crash at the Savannah-Hilton Head Airport took the life of a Thomasville resident.

From http://www.walb.com/Global/story.asp?S=1760461&nav=5kZQM3xf:
 
Captain Judson Brinson, of Thomasville, and Captain Lee Moore, of Valdosta, died on the scene. Both were members of the 39th Flying Training Group based at Moody Air Force base in Valdosta.
The pilots were headed back to the Moody AFB, after a routine training mission, when the plane went down.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the families.

06:21 AM   

It's great to see a business thriving, especially from the local area.

From http://www.timesenterprise.com/articles/.../news/news4.txt:
 
The 8-year old company, based in Cairo, is expanding and opening a new maintenance base in the Perimeter East Industrial Park, adding 63 jobs with an annual payroll of $2.4 million to the area economy.
Owner Robert Bearden said, "Valdosta is a crossroads for trucking, with Interstate 75 and Interstate 10. Valdosta is growing, and that's why we're here -- to support that growth."
(...) The 8-year old company, based in Cairo, is expanding and opening a new maintenance base in the Perimeter East Industrial Park, adding 63 jobs with an annual payroll of $2.4 million to the area economy.
Owner Robert Bearden said, "Valdosta is a crossroads for trucking, with Interstate 75 and Interstate 10. Valdosta is growing, and that's why we're here -- to support that growth."

Read more about the new facility in the article quoted above. The company's total investment is expected to top $300,000.

07:57 AM   

Congratulations!

From http://www.valdostadailytimes.com/articl...ts/sports03.txt:
 
In Moultrie, Valdosta Middle's eighth-grade girls basketball team claimed the South Georgia Athletic Conference tournament on Saturday at home, defeating Colquitt County 29-19 in the final.
The Lady Cats jumped out to a 9-2 lead and defeated the Lady Packers 29-19 to win the tournament championship. Valdosta dealt Colquitt County three of its five losses.

Way to go, girls!

09:26 AM   

She held a party - and that's what she got for it? Very unfair.

From http://www.valdostadailytimes.com/articl...news/news01.txt:
 
woman remains in the hospital after she was struck by a bullet intended for another person Sunday night.
Joyce Williams, 41, 1015 N. Lee St., remains in South Georgia Medical Center after she was struck by a bullet fired by Virginia Williams, 51, 4254 Beaver Run Road,
(...) Owens said Joyce Williams told officers that she had a party at her residence that Virginia Williams and an unnamed man attended. Another woman came to the party and got into a disagreement with Virginia Williams about the man.

'Unnamed man'... sounds mysterious. 'A disagreement about the unnamed man?' Those police reports always leave out the juicy details.

08:17 AM   

'Ragged growth,' 'complete recovery,' and '1 out of 5 manufacturing jobs lost' don't go together well in my opinion.

From http://www.macon.com/mld/macon/news/7821433.htm:
 
After two full years of "ragged growth," Georgia's economy will be substantially better in 2004, a state economist said Wednesday.
"Georgia's economic recovery is complete," said George Benson, dean of the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia, during a presentation at the Wilson Convention Center.
(...) The state jobless rate will rise to 5.3 percent in 2004 from 5 percent in 2003, he said.
(...) "The outlook overall, I think near-term is for gradual improvement in the economy limited by the continued weakness in manufacturing," he said. "New business location may buffer some of this as well as existing firm expansions."

Buy American-made. Too many jobs have been lost to overseas in the last few years. This goes from customer support departments in India to manufacturing in Mexico, where lax environmental standards allow manufacturing at a fraction of the price. - But the bottom line is not the only thing that counts!

06:59 AM   

This breaks my heart. What an awful loss.

From http://www.valdostadailytimes.com/articl...news/news07.txt:
 
VALDOSTA -- In less than an hour after stopping to eat dinner Jan. 10 at a local restaurant, a Tennessee couple had their cache of rare coins stolen from their vehicle.

... $65,000 worth of coins, that is. That just goes to show again, never leave anything valuable in your car. Criminals can smell if a vehicle is worth breaking into! I believe next time they'll take the drive-through.

09:51 AM   

About Perdue's visit to South Georgia:

From http://www.walb.com/Global/story.asp?S=1611022&nav=5kZQKKvL:
 
The Governor also showed off new bomb disposal units that will be placed throughout the state. Georgia has received more than $100 million dollars for homeland security in the past year.
Governor Perdue says some of that money went toward equipping GBI offices throughout Georgia with state of the art bomb detection systems. This year he has proposed that more money will go to the GBI offices around the state.
The GBI office in Thomasville will be equipped with one of the $550,000 units within the next few weeks.

How do "bomb disposals" work? Just like garbage disposals, only bigger. (No I just made the last part up, I have no clue how they actually work.)

08:13 AM   

Sad...

From http://www.gwinnettdailyonline.com/GDP/a...BBDF83C643F.asp:
 
WestPoint Stevens Inc., one of the nations largest makers of sheets, pillow cases and towels, will close two plants in the middle Georgia town of LaGrange, a loss of 550 jobs.
(...) The plants will shut down March 9. The state Department of Labor made the announcement Friday.
(...) The company, which was founded almost 200 years ago, filed for bankruptcy last year.

06:51 AM   

From http://www.valdostadailytimes.com/articl...news/news09.txt:
 
The Valdosta Regional Airport had a record month, with more passengers flying in December than any month previously.

Great news for the region.

07:50 AM   

Am I the only one who is deadly afraid of those log trucks! I usually annoy traffic behind me by driving behind them, back far enough so that if one of those logs rolls off, I can still avoid it. (And with my reaction time, that's waaaay back...)

From http://www.valdostadailytimes.com/articl...news/news10.txt:
 
Three people were injured, one critically, after a log truck overturned in the eastbound lane of Highway 84 Tuesday morning.

08:15 AM   

From http://www.valdostadailytimes.com/articl...news/news10.txt:
 
VALDOSTA -- A bag full of cash was seized by a Lowndes County Sheriff's Office deputy after he stopped a car early Tuesday morning.

Back at the police station, they proceeded to fill a hot tub full of dollar bills, and frolicked in the cash for a couple of hours drinking champagne. (No I just made the last part up.)

07:49 AM   

... in the national Experience Works calendar.

From http://www.walb.com/Global/story.asp?S=1598926&nav=5kZQKAOh:
 
She isn't your typical senior citizen. Aigen owns her own business and still works at least 40 hours a week. "It's a one stop shop, everything you need to promote your business, we do here at J and L Concepts," said Aigen.
Her enthusiastic work habits earned her the title of Miss January in the national Experience Works calendar. The organization helps keep seniors in the workforce. "It's just great, I love it and I think that's what keeps me ageless," said Aigen.
(...) As far as plans for retirement, Aigen has none. "If something comes up and I have to retire, I will, but something will have to tell me to retire," said Aigen.

Work keeps your mind young. It's important to have a reason to get up in the morning... if you want to keep getting up well into your 80's and 90's.

09:48 AM