November 7, 2014

BOARD OFCOMMISSIONERS

Regular Meetings November 18th - 6:30 PMDecember 2nd - 9:30 AM

Meetings held at:Administration Building

Community Room140 Henry Parkway

McDonough, GA 30253

Regular Commissionmeetings will air Fridays,Saturdays, Mondays and

Wednesdays onHenry TV Channel 180 andAT&T U-Verse Channel 99,

at 9 a.m. & 7 p.m.

1the henry county update

Henry County Offers New Way to Renew Car Tag

Henry County Tax Commissioner David Curry officially cut the ribbon on the county’s first self-service kiosk, now making it easier for residents to renew car registrations, with just the push of a few buttons and a credit card. The new kiosk system will reduce wait times and improve service, eventually allowing for renewals to take place after hours at a variety of locations. Henry County is one of only four counties to offer the self-service kiosks

within the State of Georgia and the first one in South Metro Atlanta. Curry, along with members of his staff, representatives from the GA Department of Revenue, representatives from the Chamber of Commerce and other county officials helped celebrate the occasion on Thursday, November 5, opening the new kiosk, which is located in the lobby of the Tax and Tag Office in the Henry County Administration Building.

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Henry County Tax Commissioner David Curry cuts the ribbon on his office’s new kiosk. Pictured (l.to r.) Commissioner Curry, Rena Cochran, Deputy Tax Commissioner with the Motor Vehicle Division, and Maria Miller, Tax and Tag Coordinator.

henrycounty-ga.org

November 7, 2014

Henry County Veterans Day Service Set for November 11

On Tuesday, November 11, 2014 a Veterans Day Service will be held at the Veterans Wall of Honor at Heritage Park in McDonough beginning at 11 a.m. Now in its sixth year at the Veterans Wall of Honor, the ceremony will include a Presentation of the Colors, remarks, a reading of memorials and placement of a wreath at the Wall of Honor. Patriotic music will be provided by the Strong Rock Christian High School Band, Jim Houston of Bugles Across America, who will perform Taps, and David Gregory will perform Amazing Grace on the bagpipes. The keynote speaker will be US Army Master Sergeant John Pierson (retired), who joined the Army in 1969 and after initial service, was assigned to the Army Reserve. He returned to active duty in January of 1981 in support of the Army Reserve, and served in various capacities until his retirement in 2001. After 9/11, he returned to Army Forces Command as a Business Systems Analyst on a project team in G-3 Operations developing and staffing a new combat support command for the Army. After completion of the project, he remained with G-3 in the Tactical Operations Center and finally in G-3 Training where he

staffed and developed training policy, retiring again in 2008. He is a 25-year member of the American Legion, and is Past Commander of Post 33 in Stockbridge, Past Commander of the 4th District, and Past Vice-Commander for the State of GA. Leading up to Veterans Day, on Saturday November 8 and Sunday November 9, Kelly’s Zeroes, a military reenactment group from Dahlonega, GA will have interactive displays of WWII soldiers deployed, as well as reenactments of those on the home front. There will be a complete WWII encampment with tents, weapons, displays to view and the soldiers will be available to discuss WWII history. On Saturday, there will also be someone portraying President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who will recite two famous speeches, one from December 7, 1941, and the second from D-Day, in June 1944. The reenactments are from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day and are free and open to the public. Heritage Park is located at 101 Lake Dow Road, just off Highway 81 east of McDonough. For more information, please contact Henry County Parks & Recreation at 770-288-7300.

The reenactment group Kelly’s Zeroes from Dahlonega, GA will be at Heritage Park in McDonough on

November 8 and 9 to perform.

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Ribbon Cutting from page 1

After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Curry demonstrated the ease and convenience of using the new kiosk by immediately renewing his vehicle registration. After a brief trial period, the first kiosk will be installed at the Kroger Store, located on Fairview Road in Ellenwood, and additional machines will eventually be installed in several other strategic locations within Henry County. The kiosks will offer the user the ability to enter the tag number, VIN number or driver’s license number to retrieve registration. Upon payment and approval, the renewed registration will print out, including the new sticker, which can be placed immediately on the vehicle. This service offers citizens the added convenience of renewing registrations outside of traditional business hours. Presently, a citizen must renew in their county of residence, however the plan is to allow citizens to renew

in other counties as the program expands across the state. For more tax and tag information, visit www.henrycounty-ga.org/taxcommissioner.

David Curry demonstrates the ease of using the new kiosk.

henrycounty-ga.org

November 7, 2014

Seven Henry County Students Receive Fire and Life Safety Awards At the 22nd Annual Life, Fire and Safety Awards Luncheon Late last month, seven Henry County students were recognized and received awards at the 22nd annual “Fire and Life Safety” Awards Luncheon held at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center in Forsyth. The students were participants of the Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner’s Statewide Fire Safety Poster and Essay Contest, which is one of the activities held each year during National Fire Prevention Week that supports the initiative of fire safety and prevention. The Henry County Fire Department is proud to have the following students as partners in Fire Prevention and congratulates them on their hard work and their awards. They are Lily Marston of East Lake Elementary who won the month of January, Arianna Pacheco of Wesley Lakes Elementary whose work will be featured in the month of April, Zoey Olawuni of Wesley Lakes Elementary who was awarded

the month of May and Maeley Ledford of East Lake Elementary who was awarded the month of December, in the Calendar Poster Contest. Additional awards went to Brooklyn Whitmore of Austin Road Elementary and Harmonee Anderson of Wesley Lake Elementary, who both earned second place in Fire Safety Poster Contest, and Alora Davis of Fairview Elementary who won third place in the poster contest. Fire Prevention Week was established to commemorate the Great Chicago Fire in 1871 that killed more than 250 people. Since 1922, the National Fire Protection Association has sponsored Fire Prevention Week. Although the official week encompasses the October 9th anniversary of the Chicago Fire, the entire month of October, and year round, Fire and Life Safety Education is taught throughout Henry County in effort to make our community a safer place to live work and play.

Pictured with her award-winning poster is Zoey Olawuni from Wesley Lakes Elementary School.

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The Henry County Resource Court is more than just an Accountability Court, it is an opportunity for those experiencing mental illness to take back some control over their lives and learn how to cope as productive citizens. Last month, two of those citizens embarked on the road to wellness after completing requirements to graduate from Henry County’s Resource Court, becoming the latest participants to get a fresh start on the road to mental health and living productive lives. The mission of the Henry County Resource Court is to provide alternatives to incarceration for citizens who are involved in the criminal justice system as a result of their mental health or drug abuse problems. The goal of the program is to decrease the criminalization of participants through early and ongoing identification and treatment, thereby reducing recidivism, assisting participants to become productive members of the community, and enhancing public safety. The program is presided over by Judge William P. Bartles and during the graduation ceremony, he pointed out each participant’s hard work and determination in making the program work, congratulating each graduate with a certificate and gift, and the graduates were given an opportunity to thank their friends, family and the staff.He also commended his staff for their dedication and commitment to the program. “The staff makes this program run,” said Judge Bartles. “In my three or four years Resource Court judge…it gives me enormous pleasure to see how the participants have progressed and grown.” According to Debra Brown, Director of the Henry County Resource Court, participants are put through a rigorous program that includes intensive counseling, 12-step meetings, case management, and visits from the Sherriff’s Department, drug screenings and weekly court

sessions with Judge Bartles. She said there are also four phases of the program, which can take between 12 to 24 months to successfully complete. She added that approximately 83 percent of those completing Resource Court have no new arrests. Graduates show a 91 percent reduction in jail days from the 12 months before they started Resource Court compared to the 12 months after Resource Court. Since 2010, 37 participants have successfully graduated from Henry County Resource Court. For more information on Resource Court, please visit www.henrycounty-ga.org/resourcecourt.

Henry County Resource Court Gives a Fresh Start

Judge William P. Bartles at a recent Resource Court graduation where he recognized the success of participants.

henrycounty-ga.org

The Henry County SPLOST Department and other county officials held a public information meeting on Thursday, October 30, 2014 at Red Oak Elementary School to present plans for intersection improvements to Jodeco and Blackhall roads. Officials from the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) were also present. Approximately 60 people attended the meeting where officials made a presentation on modern roundabouts and presented findings from GDOT that a roundabout would work to drastically improve the intersection, which has been the site of numerous accidents and daily congestion from traffic backups. Information presented included that roundabouts reduce traffic delays, can handle 30 to 50 percent more traffic than traditional intersections and with slower speeds,

reduce the incidence of serious traffic accidents. District II Commissioner Brian Preston addressed the crowd, and along with SPLOST Transportation Director Roque Romero and Henry County DOT Director, Terry McMickle, and answered questions and concerns from those in attendance. According to Romero, the project is an 80/20 split between GDOT and SPLOST, with construction scheduled to begin mid-year in 2016. The total budget for the SPLOST IV priority 1 project is $1,275,000 with a $1,020,000 from the state and $255,000 from SPLOST. For more information on the SPLOST Department or to view a presentation on modern roundabouts, please visit www.henrycounty-ga.org/splost.

County Officials Present Plan for Intersection Improvements to Jodeco and Blackhall Roads

November 7, 2014

District II Commissioner Brian Preston addresses residents during a public information meeting regarding improvements to the intersection of Jodeco and Blackhall roads.

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Three new officers were officially sworn in for duty on Friday, October 31, 2014, by Henry County Police Chief Keith Nichols. Henry County’s newest officers recently graduated from the North Central Georgia Law Enforcement Academy as Class #286. Officers Craig

Ogilvie, Brandon Maddox and Justin Northcutt accepted the Department’s Police Officers Oath and Appointment from Chief Nichols, and begin the Field Training Officers Program this week.

Henry County PD Welcomes New Officers

Pictured are (l. to r.) Chief Nichols, Brandon Maddox, Justin Northcutt, Craig Ogilvie and Deputy Chief Mark Amerman.

The Henry County Police Department is now using YouTube! The purpose is to work in partnership with

our citizens in solving and reducing crime.

www.youtube.com/user/HenryCountyPoliceDpt

henrycounty-ga.org

November 7, 2014

The Henry County Council on Aging and the Henry County Senior Services Department are once again making the holidays a little brighter with its Adopt-A-Senior for Christmas program, where residents can buy a gift for a senior or simply make a donation to the program. Instead of a suggested gift item this year, organizers have revamped the program by interviewing seniors and creating individual wish lists of specific items. Gift-givers will have the satisfaction of knowing that they are providing a gift from a senior citizen’s wish list that will be appreciated because it was chosen especially for them. Currently, there are 300 seniors in Henry County to be adopted and many of the residents who will benefit from the program are homebound and on a fixed income. These simple, but much-needed gifts will help bring them Christmas cheer. The idea behind the program is for individual, families, groups, churches businesses or organizations to adopt seniors in our community, who are aged 60 and over who are in need, in order to provide

them with a Christmas gift. “This program allows the giver and the receiver to experience the joy of Christmas in a very special and unique way,” said program coordinator Ann Marie Quincey. “The program brings a special joy to our seniors who may not have any other way or anyone else to celebrate the season with them.” Those interested in participating should call Senior Services who will provide information on a senior in need. Gifts can be festively wrapped or placed in a gift bag and should be delivered to any Henry County Senior Center no later than December 5, 2014. Cash or check donations are always appreciated. Heritage Senior Center is located at 1050 Florence McGarity Boulevard in McDonough. If you are interested in adopting a senior during this holiday season, please call Ann Marie Quincey at 770-288-7000. For more information about the Henry County Senior Services Department, visit www.henrycounty-ga.org/seniorservices.

Henry County Battalion Chief Steve Copeland presented a check for $2,225.00 to the Piedmont Foundation, which will go toward cancer research in Henry County. The money was raised through the sale of HCFD Supports Breast Cancer Awareness tee-shirts. Fire Department officials are grateful for the support from everyone who participated in purchasing a shirt and spreading the message of the importance of breast cancer awareness. They also extend a special thank you to T & T Uniforms and Chief Copeland for making this vision possible and supporting a cause locally.

Adopt-a-Senior for Christmas in Need of Volunteers

Henry County Fire Department Makes DonationTo Support Cancer Research

Members of the Henry County Fire Department present a donation to the Piedmont Foundation, to be used for cancer research in Henry County.