An Eastman man lost his life when the pickup truck he was driving ran head-on into another pickup truck on a dirt road.
According to the Georgia State Patrol report, Thomas Wayne Barrentine, age 17, of Eastman was driving a 2007 Nissan Titan pickup truck west on Isham Springs Road when he met Gerald Dwayne Spires, age 51, of Eastman, driving a 1995 Chevrolet Silverado east on Isham Springs Road on a hillcrest approximately three tenths of a mile from Rocky Springs Road and the trucks hit head-on.
Spires lost his life as a result of the accident. Barrentine was taken to the hospital.
Neither driver was wearing a seat belt. The accident happened at approximately 8:03 a.m. on Thursday, August 15.
The Dodge County Sheriff’s Department reported the following arrests for August 5, 2019 through August 18, 2019:
Joshua Tyler Boone, age 30, of Eastman, was arrested for possession of methamphetamine, tampering with evidence-felony, obstructing or hindering law enforcement officers and possession and use of drug related objects.
Marci Leann Courson, age 28, of Eastman, was arrested for possession of drug related objects and probation violation.
Alton Daniels, age 29, of Eastman, was arrested for probation violation.
Gary Von Edge, age 29, of Eastman, was arrested for possession of marijuana, possession and use of drug related objects and aiding and abetting.
[Full Story »]
Top Stories - Topics from August, 2019
Eastman keeps same millage rate
The Eastman City Council voted to leave the property tax millage rate at 7.5% at their meeting Monday night.
At the recommendation of Eastman City Manager Jason Cobb, councilperson Raymond Mullis made the motion to tentatively leave the millage rate at 7.5%, which was seconded by councilperson Ronnie Woodard. The motion passed unanimously. City council members will vote to set the millage rate at a public hearing scheduled for August 26, 2019.
Council then approved to spend $4,144.00 to contract with Publiq to process and mail the 2019 property tax bills. The motion was made by Mullis and seconded by councilperson Sabrina Williams, which passed unanimously.
Citizen Cecil Brown went before the council with a complaint on the Eastman Police Department. Brown stated that the hospital manager had given him permission to sell his produce across from the hospital. After being asked to move from the location, Brown requested a police report be completed.
Eastman Police Chief Becky Sheffield went before council members and explained that the property in question did in fact belong to Graham and Studstill and that Mark Studstill had told them to let Charles Deloach stay on the property to sell his produce.
Hofstadter and Associates submitted a letter to council members for the Chester Road pump station replacement bids. Bids were received from Coggins Construction Company, Inc. for S308,513.12, Plyes Plumbing and Utility Contractors, Inc. for $289,000.00, L&L Utilities, Inc. for $257,000.00 and Graham and Studstill Contractors, Inc. for $189,000.00.
Mullis made the motion to accept the bid from Graham and Studstill Contractors, Inc. for $189,000.00, which was seconded by councilperson Woodard. The motion passed unanimously.
City manager Cobb presented the proposal from Graham and Studstill Contractors, Inc. for $333,963.00 to improve the Main Street lot in Eastman between the Magnolia Theatre and Timeless Grace. A motion by Mullis, seconded by Williams passed unanimously. Funds for the improvement will be taken from the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax.
City building inspector/code enforcer Jesse Bearden requested council purchase surveying equipment for the city to use. Bearden explained that he and his son were certified surveyors and that the city could save between $20,000.00 and $30,000.00 on just Community Block Development Grant (CBDG) projects. He informed council members that to lease the surveying equipment to survey the Main Street lot project was approximately $3,000.00.
[Full Story »]
At the recommendation of Eastman City Manager Jason Cobb, councilperson Raymond Mullis made the motion to tentatively leave the millage rate at 7.5%, which was seconded by councilperson Ronnie Woodard. The motion passed unanimously. City council members will vote to set the millage rate at a public hearing scheduled for August 26, 2019.
Council then approved to spend $4,144.00 to contract with Publiq to process and mail the 2019 property tax bills. The motion was made by Mullis and seconded by councilperson Sabrina Williams, which passed unanimously.
Citizen Cecil Brown went before the council with a complaint on the Eastman Police Department. Brown stated that the hospital manager had given him permission to sell his produce across from the hospital. After being asked to move from the location, Brown requested a police report be completed.
Eastman Police Chief Becky Sheffield went before council members and explained that the property in question did in fact belong to Graham and Studstill and that Mark Studstill had told them to let Charles Deloach stay on the property to sell his produce.
Hofstadter and Associates submitted a letter to council members for the Chester Road pump station replacement bids. Bids were received from Coggins Construction Company, Inc. for S308,513.12, Plyes Plumbing and Utility Contractors, Inc. for $289,000.00, L&L Utilities, Inc. for $257,000.00 and Graham and Studstill Contractors, Inc. for $189,000.00.
Mullis made the motion to accept the bid from Graham and Studstill Contractors, Inc. for $189,000.00, which was seconded by councilperson Woodard. The motion passed unanimously.
City manager Cobb presented the proposal from Graham and Studstill Contractors, Inc. for $333,963.00 to improve the Main Street lot in Eastman between the Magnolia Theatre and Timeless Grace. A motion by Mullis, seconded by Williams passed unanimously. Funds for the improvement will be taken from the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax.
City building inspector/code enforcer Jesse Bearden requested council purchase surveying equipment for the city to use. Bearden explained that he and his son were certified surveyors and that the city could save between $20,000.00 and $30,000.00 on just Community Block Development Grant (CBDG) projects. He informed council members that to lease the surveying equipment to survey the Main Street lot project was approximately $3,000.00.
[Full Story »]
Commissioners are looking to raise millage rate
The Dodge County Board of Commissioners today announces its intention to increase the 2019 property taxes it will levy this year by 8.67% over the rollback millage rate.
Each year, the Board of Tax Assessors is required to review the assessed value for property tax purposes of taxable property in the county. When the trend of prices on properties that have recently sold in the county indicate there has been an increase in the fair market value of any specific property, the board of tax assessors is required by law to redetermine the value of such property and adjust the assessment. This is called a reassessment.
When the total digest of taxable property is prepared, Georgia law requires that a rollback millage rate must be computed that will produce the same total revenue on the current year’s digest that last year’s millage rate would have produced had no reassessments occurred.
The budget tentatively adopted by the Dodge County Board of Commissioners requires a millage rate higher than the rollback millage rate, therefore, before the Dodge County Board of Commissioners may finalize the tentative budget and set a final millage rate, Georgia law requires three public hearings to be held to allow the public an opportunity to express their opinions on the increase.
All concerned citizens are invited to the public hearings on this tax increase to be held at the Dodge County Courthouse Annex, 5016 Courthouse Circle, Eastman, Georgia on August 15, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. Times and places of additional public hearings on this tax increase are at the Dodge County Courthouse Annex, 5016 Courthouse Circle, Eastman, Georgia on August 15, 2019 at 6:00 p.m. and August 22, 2019 at 6:00 p.m.
Each year, the Board of Tax Assessors is required to review the assessed value for property tax purposes of taxable property in the county. When the trend of prices on properties that have recently sold in the county indicate there has been an increase in the fair market value of any specific property, the board of tax assessors is required by law to redetermine the value of such property and adjust the assessment. This is called a reassessment.
When the total digest of taxable property is prepared, Georgia law requires that a rollback millage rate must be computed that will produce the same total revenue on the current year’s digest that last year’s millage rate would have produced had no reassessments occurred.
The budget tentatively adopted by the Dodge County Board of Commissioners requires a millage rate higher than the rollback millage rate, therefore, before the Dodge County Board of Commissioners may finalize the tentative budget and set a final millage rate, Georgia law requires three public hearings to be held to allow the public an opportunity to express their opinions on the increase.
All concerned citizens are invited to the public hearings on this tax increase to be held at the Dodge County Courthouse Annex, 5016 Courthouse Circle, Eastman, Georgia on August 15, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. Times and places of additional public hearings on this tax increase are at the Dodge County Courthouse Annex, 5016 Courthouse Circle, Eastman, Georgia on August 15, 2019 at 6:00 p.m. and August 22, 2019 at 6:00 p.m.
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