Author Archives: admin

Appt. to DBHDD Community Service Board —Jane Osborn

Received yesterday on LCC: work session cancelled, regular meeting Tuesday 26 July 2011. -jsq

Another item that was tabled at the last meeting was the selection of the second person from the county to be a member of the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities Community Service Board. I have asked to be appointed, but the item did not get put on this week’s agenda. In this critical period while new systems are going to be put in place for consumers of DBHDD’s services, it is important that people be at the table to hear and react to what is planned by Atlanta for Region IV in which we reside. Linda Floyd, RN from the VSU Nursing program will be re-appointed, but another place is empty.

-Jane Osborn

Confusing humane care and euthanasia —Susan Leavens

Received 28 June 2011. -jsq
Back in 09 a horse was found down and could not get up, the sheriffs office helped, lake park fire rescue and Dr. Ali Thornihill was also on the scene, the horse was euthenised, and the owner Clinton Miller also a registered sex offender was written citations it was later
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LCC: work session cancelled, regular meeting Tuesday 26 July 2011

County to adopt tax millage Tuesday; cancels work session about that. See next post for more. Now: the agenda for Tuesday.

According to lowndescounty.com, the Monday morning work session is cancelled,

“Due to the lack of items on the agenda that require additional information”
but the Lowndes County Commission meets Tuesday evening as scheduled. The agenda does not contain the formerly tabled Nottinghill rezoning proposal for Cat Creek Road. Since rezonings are usually considered once a month (every other meeting), presumably the Commission will take that one back up in August.

The rest of the agenda is the shortest I’ve ever seen, so unless lots of citizens sign up to be heard, don’t blink or you’ll miss Tuesday’s meeting.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION CANCELLED
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, JULY 26, 2011, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
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Motion to table and vote, Nottinghill on Cat Creek @ LCC 13 July 2011

Newsflash: Lowndes County Commission does right thing about rezoning!

Commissioner Raines expressed puzzlement as to what to do about rezoning for Nottinghill on Cat Creek since he thought the previous day that there was a deal between the developer and the neighbors, but it turned out there was not. Commissioner Powell recommended tabling until next meeting so the developer and the neighbors could try again to work something out.

Commissioner Powell made a motion Continue reading

Nottinghill on Cat Creek by Mr. Nijem and discussion @ LCC 12 July 2011

Speaking for the Nottinghill rezoning request on Cat Creek Road, Bill Nijem said it was nothing like Glen Laurel. Nothing like repudiating your work of last year….

Commissioner Richard Raines thanked Nijem for sitting down with the neighbors.

As David Rodock wrote in the VDT the next day, Citizens speak against Cat Creek crowding: Disapprove of the proposal to build residential areas

Bill Nijem, representative of the applicant, brought forward information demonstrating his client’s willingness to work with neighbors, in that lot sizes were increased by 20 percent and that the average lot size would range from a minimum of 12,000 square feet to 20,000 square feet. Nijem also reminded commissioners that the applicant was willing to install any necessary buffers or fences to prevent children from playing in the neighboring fields and would have water and sewer installed with his own financial resources.
Carolyn Selby reminds me that Mr. Nijem didn’t say Continue reading

Review, review, and review —Rattlin’ Georgia’s Cages

Received yesterday from the blogger of Rattlin’ Georgia’s Cages on Joe Pritchard notified of euthanasia violation March 2011. (Red text is that blogger’s comments.) -jsq
One thing I’ve learned in reviewing a-n-y document that the Ga. Ag. Animal Protection Divison prepares, is to do just that – review, review and review.

In regards to “missing cc’s”, there isn’t a law or Ga. Ag Animal Protection “Rule” that covers “missing cc’s” or even “missing euth poison”.

The code that the Ag inspector cited for a violation is 40-40-13.-08 (11) which reads:
(11) Euthanasia records shall be kept on forms approved by the Georgia Department of Agriculture and the State Board of Pharmacy and shall be signed by the person performing euthanasia and the witness.
Source: Ga. Animal Protection Rules
http://www.files.georgia.gov/AGR/Files/GA%20Animal%20Protection%20Rules.pdf

Did the shelter staff have their records/euth poison logged on the proper form – but just missing that particular’s day/date?

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shelter cat Miss Kitty —Susan Leavens

Received 28 June 2011. -jsq
Miss Kitty was Lowndes County’s “shelter cat” she free roamed our shelter for more then 7 years, around the beginning of 2010 she started loosing her hair and chewing holes in herself.. and hiding from everyone. She was loosing more hair and bleeding all over paper work and counter where people came to ask about adoptions, she then was stuffed in a dog create with towels
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Private Prisons don’t save money in Arizona

For this Sunday, a video of a church person spelling out The Pitfalls of Private Prisons; story by Caitlin Harrington for Arizona Public Media, July 20, 2011.
Arizona recently greenlit a new private prison slated to host over 5,000 beds.

Private prison supporters have long argued that private prisons save the state money. Now new research by the American Friends Service Committeesuggests Arizona’s private prisons are generally costing the same amount, if not more than state prisons.

“There’s an abundance of evidence that private prisons aren’t saving us money, are not entirely safe, and are really not good for the state of Arizona,” says Caroline Isaacs, program director of the committee, tells Arizona Illustrated.


Caroline Isaacs, program director, American Friends Service Committee

We don’t need a private prison in Lowndes County, Georgia. Spend those tax dollars on rehabilitation and education instead.

-jsq

Lawsuit against school charter surrender

In Tennessee, supporters of education decided to fight a bogus consolidation attempt.

Lawrence Buser and Sherri Drake Silence wrote for the Memphis Commercial Appeal 12 February 2011, Shelby County Schools files suit over Memphis charter surrender: Complaint says city shirking duty to kids; rapid takeover ‘impossible’

Shelby County school leaders have taken their fight against consolidation to the courts, filing a federal lawsuit Friday alleging that the city school board’s “irrational” charter surrender deprives Memphis students of their constitutional rights.

In the lawsuit, suburban district leaders also blast the city of Memphis and the Memphis City Council for supporting “the (MCS) board’s unplanned and un-thoughtful effort to abandon its obligations to the children of Memphis.”

Hm, I wonder if there would be legal grounds for this around here?

-jsq

The end game is …. —Karen Noll

Received yesterday on “the qualified voters voting thereon in each separate school system proposed to be consolidated”. -jsq
Questions abound: Why is it that Lowndes County residents will not be voting on the most important issue to face their school system since its inception in 1950?

If I lived in the county I’d be mad that CUEE and the Chamber of Commerce chose to leave my vote out of such a very important decision.

Quick fact: Consolidation alone will not save money & Consolidation alone will not improve academic success, according to the Vinson Institute report commissioned by CUEE and the Chamber.

Further Query: Why would CUEE and the Chamber of Commerce spend $50 grand to collect the signatures for the petition causing the City of Valdosta to spend thousands of tax dollars (2 staff dedicated to task & 4 temps hired) to verify the signatures on the petition?

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