Bennett says reassessment likely again next year
A property reassessment will be likely again next year, according to Grady County Chief Appraiser Susan Bennett. Ms. Bennett appeared before the Grady County Board of Commissioners Thursday to review the most recent sales study conducted by the Georgia Department of Revenue. The state recently pulled a random sampling of 50 real property sales made…
Read MoreLake Authority members earn training certification
Members of the newly created Grady County Lake Authority completed required training and certification during a day-long training held at South Georgia Technical College in Americus on Friday. The training was coordinated by the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia. Georgia law requires new and reappointed members of all authorities in…
Read MoreImagining a Barber Park with lots of shade and a splash pad
Encouraging people to get active to improve their health is a major goal established by a group of local people interested in health issues that affect Grady County. The group meets monthly as an Issue Work Group of the Grady County Archway Partnership. Earlier this summer, the group met with students from University of Georgia’s…
Read MoreGrady jobless numbers remain among lowest in SW Georgia
Unemployment ticked up in Grady County and southwest Georgia in June, according to the Georgia Department of Labor. Although the jobless rate in Grady County increased from 7.3 percent in May to 8.0 percent in June, the local unemployment rate remains among the lowest in the region and the state. For the southwest Georgia region,…
Read MoreTwo board members allegedly tried to influence coaching changes
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the accreditation division of AdvanceED, has put the Grady County Board of Education on notice that the board is being monitored for alleged misconduct by two board members. At the heart of the matter is the alleged desire of Grady County Board of Education Vice Chairman Scott Higginbotham…
Read MoreSACS has eyes on Grady school board
Members of the Grady County Board of Education are under additional scrutiny by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) for alleged misconduct of two school board members. Through an examination of public records under Georgia’s Open Records Act and from interviews with parties involved, The Messenger has determined the identities of the board…
Read MoreCouncil seeks way to better combat overgrown lots
Cairo Building Official Brian Hayes and his staff are aggressively working to reduce blight within the corporate limits and already the building department has cited as many blight cases as it did in all of 2012. On Monday night, Hayes updated the council on his department’s efforts to reduce blight, as well as other operations…
Read MoreMulholland staying put, not running for state post
District Attorney Joe Mulholland will not be in the race for Georgia Attorney General next year. Mulholland admits he was contacted by Democratic Party leaders and encouraged to run, but he said he gave them three good reasons why he will not seek the statewide office next year. “I’ve got three good reasons why I…
Read MoreSuspect being chased by deputy killed in fatal crash
A Grady County man was killed in a single car accident over the weekend while allegedly fleeing from a sheriff’s deputy here. James Dustin Trawick was driving a 1991 Toyota Corolla when the accident happened at the intersection of Lewis Road and Midway Road around 3:55 a.m., Sunday, according to the Georgia State Patrol. The…
Read MoreSchool board votes 3-2 to maintain tax rate
The Grady County Board of Education remained split over the 2013 tax rate, but with a full board present Monday night the majority bucked the superintendent and left the millage rate at 14.2 mills. Vice Chairman Scott Higginbotham and board members Jeff Worsham and Allen Jenkins voted to maintain the millage rate at 14.2 mills…
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