Area News
Number of school building improvement projects on tap in 2019
Grady County voters will go to the polls in March to decide whether or not to continue to levy a one percent sales tax to benefit the county’s public schools, but the sales tax is not the only source of funding school leaders plan to use to invest in facility improvements in 2019. A major…
Read MoreCairo Hardee’s now has new ownership
By David Maxwell Ponder Enterprises, Inc. (PEI), based in Donalsonville is selling its Hardee’s operations, including the Cairo Hardee’s, to Phase Three Star, LLC based in Tampa Florida. The sale closed on Wednesday, December 26. PEI is owned by Dan and Ernest Ponder and was founded in 1983. Their first Hardee’s was built in Donalsonville…
Read MoreGrady EMC attorneys seek to settle following recent court ruling
No replacement for Stuckey has been named The board of directors of the Grady Electric Membership Corporation held a special called meeting Friday morning in response to a recent court order that declared the election of former District 5 board member Earl Stuckey invalid. Grady EMC has removed Stuckey’s photograph and contact information from its…
Read MorePlans are being finalized for upcoming Chamber of Commerce membership meeting
The Chamber of Commerce is calling on the community to help them recognize local individuals who have made a positive difference this year by nominating them for one of their annual awards. Winners will be announced at the upcoming 93rd annual chamber banquet scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 31. The banquet, presented by the Cairo-Grady County…
Read MoreCounty’s sham of a budget is amended Tuesday night
Grady County Administrator J.C. (Buddy) Johnson III, on Tuesday night described the 2019 operating budget previously adopted by the county commission as a complete fabrication and recommended the board approve budget amendments to increase projected revenues by $277,505 and estimated expenditures by $321,195. The amended budget is balanced at $14,209,960, up from $13,888,765. “The budget…
Read MoreClerk of Courts’ decades long battle for more space continues
A “disappointed and discouraged” Grady County Clerk of Courts appeared before the Grady County Commission Tuesday night requesting additional space for her office, a request she has made for the last decade. Debbie Kines, clerk of superior, state and juvenile courts, told county commissioners this week that Senate Bill 407 had been by passed by…
Read MoreTaxpayer who failed to file for Freeport exemption gets a pass
A Grady County boat manufacturer will not have to pay as much in county ad valorem taxes as he thought after failing to file for Freeport exemption. On Tuesday night, the Grady County Commission voted unanimously to grant Seminole Marine the Freeport exemption on approximately $1.7 million of inventory. Paul Hoppes, owner of Seminole Marine,…
Read MoreCHS Bands and Chorus to perform Christmas concerts
Adding to the Christmas spirit are two upcoming concerts performed by student musicians from Cairo High School. The 70th annual Christmas Concert by the Cairo High School Bands is this Thursday night, Dec.13, beginning at 7 p.m. at the CHS auditorium. The CHS Concert Band, under the direction of Adam Swan, will perform three selections,…
Read MoreJury convicts accused murder, Judge Chason orders life sentence
A Grady County jury convicted Nicholas Lopez last week for the May 2017 murder of his neighbor. After the two-day trial and conviction, Chief Superior Court Judge J. Kevin Chason sentenced Lopez to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Lopez was found guilty of shooting his neighbor, Robert James Moon, 49, as Moon…
Read MoreCity continues to tweek revised alcohol ordinance
The Cairo City Council is continuing to fine tune a proposed revision to the city’s alcohol ordinance, which would be the first major update in decades. At Monday night’s council meeting, Cairo city clerk Carolyn Lee reviewed some additional changes and shared new information she has learned since the council last discussed the proposed revised…
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