Coosa Valley News recently sat down with Floyd County School
Superintendent Dr. Jeff McDaniel to talk about the `Reduction
in Force` plan that was implemented. Watch as Dr. McDaniel
answers the tough questions.
For videos of former People of the Week visit us on
You Tube.
See More Videos - Coosa Valley News features all types of videos, including people who make the Coosa Vally area an extra special
place to live, work and play.
A twister devastated the city of Moore, Oklahoma on Monday,
following a similar path to one that hit the same
area on May 3, 1999.
That storm killed 46 people. The good news out of
Oklahoma City is that the death toll from Monday`s
storm has been lowered to 24. Of those, nine are
children seven of which died when the storm hit the Plaza
Towers Elementary School. In addition
to Plaza Towers, another school, Briarwood Elementary,
was heavily damaged. The storm also hit a hospital.
Earlier officials had thought that the final total rise to
between 90 and 100. They are still concerned that
an additional fourty fatalities are possible.
Rescuers, who searched through the night attempting to
find additional people who were trapped in the rubble,
continued their efforts on Tuesday.
Some people appear to be safe but trapped in their
storm cellars by debris from the storm.
Tuesday`s storm was over a mile wide and rated as
an EF-4 or an EF-5. It left a debris path 20 miles
long. It`s winds are currently estimated to have
been around 200 miles per hour, which would make
it an EF-4. The 1999 storm had the highest
winds ever clocked at over 300 miles per hour.
The debris cloud from the storm may have been 2 miles
wide.
Residents and officials had about 15 minutes
of warning before the storm hit. It is estimated
to have been on the ground for about 45 minutes.
Calhoun High Leads List of Local Graduation Rates
- Georgia’s public high school graduation rate rose more than two
percentage points over last year, from 67.4 percent in 2011 to
69.7 percent in 2012. This is the second year Georgia has
calculated the graduation rate using a new formula - known as
the adjusted cohort rate - as required by the U.S. Department of
Education. Based on an estimated cohort graduation rate of 58.6
percent in 2009, the rate of students getting diplomas has risen
by 11 percentage points since 2009. The cohort rate was applied
to 2009’s graduating class to help create a trend line, even
though the state used a different calculation then.
Chattooga Man Charged with Rape of Two Girls
- Chattooga County investigators have arrested William Fredick Marquis, 49 of Summerville, and charged him with numerous sex crimes including; statutory rape, child molestation, sodomy, incest, possession of meth and possession of less than an ounce of marijuana. Reports said that Marquis sexually molested two girls over a period of time.
Rome Police Investigating Death of 5 Year-old
- Police are investigating the death of a 5 year-old Coosa
girl who died over the weekend after drowning in a bathtub.
The child`s body has been sent to the GBI crime lab for
an autopsy.
RFPRA Closes Trails Due to Flooding
- The Rome-Floyd Parks and Recreation Authority has closed a
portion of the Ridge Ferry Park trail way system due to
flooding. The portion of the trail closed is located behind
Chieftain’s Museum and stretches to State Mutual Stadium.
The trail will reopen once the flooding has subsided and the
dangerous trail conditions are no longer present.
Rome Police Investigating Home Break-In
- Rome investigators are looking into a break-in and
close to $8,000 in electronics stolen from a home
on Davis Street. Reports said that the resident came
home on Monday after being gone for a day to discover
their doorframe damaged, furniture moved and numerous
missing items.
Murder Suspect Found Dead in Calhoun Motel
- On Monday morning, a suspect in a Sunday murder in Hamilton
County, Tennessee, Terry Lee Releford, 34 of Soddy Daisy,
Tennessee, was located at a local motel on US Highway 41
North near near Interstate 75 in Calhoun. Gordon County deputy
sheriffs assisted personnel from the United States Marshal’s
Service and the Hamilton County, Tennessee Sheriff’s Office in
surrounding the motel and cornering the suspect. Peace officers
established communications with the man, but when officers
entered the room, they found him dead from an apparently
self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Floyd Sheriff`s Office, Mason Conduct CHIP Program
- Members of the Floyd County Sheriff’s Office and volunteers
from the Masonic lodges of Floyd County took part in GACHIP
(Georgia Child Identification program) recently at Pepperell
Primary. According to the GACHIP website, `At a GACHIP event,
Freemasons set up the equipment necessary, to generate completed
identification kits. Each person progresses through several
stations taking about 10 to 15 minutes for the entire process.
The recorded information is presented to the child’s parent or
guardian to take home for safekeeping.`
GNTC’s Nursing Program Continues Accreditation
- Georgia Northwestern Technical College Associate Degree Nursing
program has been granted continued accreditation by the National
League for Nursing Accrediting Commission. Accreditation will
continue until the next visit scheduled for fall 2015.
`NLNAC accreditation shows that a program has met certain
standards,` said GNTC’s Program Director of Associate Degree
Nursing Ose Martinez. `It shows the public and prospective
students that the education offered is of good quality.`
Rome man wins $129K Fantasy 5 prize
- A Rome man is celebrating a win from the Georgia Lottery. Sam
Adkins, 56, won a $129,124 jackpot prize playing Fantasy 5.
Adkins matched all five winning numbers from the April 30
drawing. Smiley Shilas Corner Shop, 1714 Turner McCall Blvd.
S.W. in Rome, sold the lucky Quik Pik ticket.
Chattooga Rescue Worker Escapes Death
- A Chattooga County Rescue Squad member, Justin
Rhinehart, escaped death Sunday after being swept into a drainage tile in Gore. Numerous
families had to be rescued from their homes due to the rapidly
rising water levels stemming from the excessive rainfall on
Saturday.
Gas Prices Remain Unchanged
- Motorists in the Southeast will see little change, if any, in pump prices this week. State averages for a gallon of regular retail gasoline moved less than a penny in Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee. The cost for a barrel of oil remained stable last week, as well, and closed at $96.02 on the New York Mercantile Exchange 2 cents less than the week prior.
`People who plan to enjoy Memorial Day weekend will likely see stable prices at the pump and shouldnt expect prices to spike, barring any unforeseen events that endanger fuel supplies,` said Jessica Brady, AAA spokeswoman, The Auto Club Group. `Although gas prices are nearing year-ago levels, they are not expected to deter holiday travelers from enjoying the three-day weekend.`
Local Teens Wins State Honors
- Pepperell High School, Lakota Withrow, Halle Hanks, Hope Boyd and Alana Ellenburg will be recognized by Teens in the Driver Seat for their efforts to prevent teen driver crashes through the TDS program. The program recently announced its annual awards honoring schools, student leaders and sponsors for their efforts to prevent teen driver crashes through the TDS program.
Police Make Burglary Arrest
- Matthew DeWayne Maner, 33 of Rome, was arrested over the weekend
and charged with burglary after police said he was the man
responsible for breaking into a building on Redmond Court
in January 2012. A call to police by a citizen informed police
where to find Maner, who was listed on the top 10 of Floyd County`s
Most Wanted.
I promise this will be my first, last, and only negative
commentary about what was actually a Georgia Republican Party
Convention with a lot of encouraging signs. To move on,
however, some things need to be addressed.
Words and phrases like `grassroot` and `united front` were
mainstays at the 2013 GOP convention at the Classic Center in
Athens, and the desire for accountability and credibility from
leaders and elected officials was as apparent as the humidity
just outside its doors. But just when it looks like your kids
are playing nicely in the backseat, little Johnny decides to
punch Timmy in the face.
The pictured flier began to circulate around the convention
both in paper and electronic form prior to voting for new party
leadership on Saturday. First impressions reveal a poor (and
largely non-factual) attempt to slander Constitutional underdogs
in order to garner votes for the more deeply rooted party
liners. The heading alone is telling with the phrase `GOP Party,`
which is a repetition of the word party since GOP stands for
`Grand Old Party.` With Alex Johnson on the list actually
being slandered, and taking into account BJ Van Gundy’s public
disdain for the very term `GOP,` that leaves two camps possibly
responsible for this ridiculousness. Considering one of the
two remaining candidates, Seth Harp, used his speech to endorse
John Padgett, as they say, `then there was one.` So let’s assume
this came from the Padgett camp after some simple deduction.
Is it surprising that a group of people who followed a man
who got an entire county delegation thrown out by blatantly
ignoring a call for division at last year’s convention would hold
such mutual disdain for Constitutionally Conservative `factions`
of the party?
Frankly, nearly the entire bottom section of the of the pitiful
flier is blatantly false, or a contextual misrepresentation of a
point that takes more than 30 second to explain. Some people’s
entire political basis lives on blurbs and soundbites on the
nightly news, however, and any broader discussion that requires
actual thought is simply too much to grasp. None of the
candidates listed are members of the Libertarian Party, but
after such garbage likely from the supporters of their new
chair, I wouldn’t be surprised if they were considering it,
and understandably so. A great way to `unite` and create a
solid front against a growing base of Democratic voters in
Georgia.
Me wishing the madness would stop.
The good news? Alex Johnson got 637 votes in the final vote,
after knocking out a very capable, and impressive campaign from
Mr. Van Gundy in the first round. So even with such small-minded
garbage making its way around convention hall, Johnson was able
to walk away with a large (and growing) number of voters who
certainly represent the future of the Republican Party in
Georgia.
The (possible) bad news? If these types of tactics persist,
and if the new Chairman doesn’t leave his old ways behind you
can take 637 (mostly) young, dedicated, and highly capable
individuals and push them out of a party they love. If you’ve
ever seen a small family church congregation slowly die out
over a generation or so, this will look very similar. And all
because old man Jones doesn’t like coming in on Sunday to find
someone new sitting in `his` seat, and the preacher doesn’t like
people wearing shorts.
These `kids` aren’t going away though. They are everywhere, and
they are beginning to look just like everyone else on the
outside. And remember this: Every single new wave of
Republicans that become active after the fact will just walk in
and accept the 637 as having always been there. There is no
longer a true `us` vs. `them,` but the `them` is changing, and
changing fast. Hold on tight folks.
Blake Silvers, Director of Public Relations for the Floyd GOP,
and a State Committeeman for the Georgia GOP
FDA Drops Ball on Generics
- In the late 1980s several generic-drug companies were caught
falsifying data and bribing FDA officials to gain approval
for their drugs. Despite that incident, it appears that
Indian drug manufacture Ranbaxy has done it again.
Local Politicans Score Card for Legislative Year
- Senator Chuck Hufstetler scored the highest ranking, 100 A+. given
by the Georgia Chamber of Commerce on its annual Legislative
Scorecard. The Chamber`s legislative scorecard recognizes
legislators that supported strong business initiatives during
the 2013 legislative session. Barry Loudermilk scored a 89 B+, on the score card.
Representive Katie Dempsey also scored a 100 A while Eddie
Lumsden scored a perfect 100 A+.
White House Had IRS Info in April
- White House press secretary Jay Carney revealed that
White House counsel Kathy Ruemmler was told about the IRS`s
targetting of conservative political groups as early as April 22nd.
She then told other senior staff, including President
Obama`s Chief of Staff Denis McDonough.
So far, the White House has been very careful to talk about
the report on the misconduct rather than the actual
misconduct itself. That leaves open the possibility
that it was aware of the misconduct earlier than the
April 24th date.
The President took the same tack when he said,
`Let me make sure that I answer your specific question. I can
assure you that I certainly did not know anything about the IG
report before the IG report had been leaked through the press.`
The actual question was not about the report but
the `the agency`s actions.`
President Obama has said that the first learned about
the situation until May 10th when an IRS official
first publicly admitted that the misconduct had taken
place.
Rome TEA Party Hosting Educational Event
- The Rome TEA Party is hosting A Forum On Common Core Georgia
Performance Standards(CCGPS) on Thursday, May 30, 6:30-8:30 P.M.,
at the Charles C. Parker Citizens Center (Etowah Center), 1325 Kingston Road, Rome, GA.
Speaker panelists for the forum are State School Superintendent
Dr. John Barge, State Senator Chuck Hufstetler (R-52), and
Attorney Jane Robbins Senior Fellow American Principles Project.
The moderator is Martha Zoller noted talk radio host and recent
candidate for 9th Congressional District.
Georgia Lottery Has Numerous Local Winners
- Georgia Lottery players statewide won big from Saturdays historic $591 million Powerball drawing. Winning tickets worth $1 million were sold at RaceTrac Number 0543, 1465 Riverstone Parkway in Canton, and Corner Cupboard Number 0003, 3857 Milgen Road in Columbus. Two of 17 winning tickets worth $10,000 were sold in Decatur with the others sold in Buford, Columbus, Lindale, Duluth, Savannah, Atlanta, Marietta, Buchanan, Calhoun, Carrollton, Hiram, Covington, Cumming, Mableton and an Internet wager winner.
Whitfield Baby Dies After Car Incident
- A two-month old Whitfield County child was killed this week after the mother slammed
the child and father accidently against the wall of their home. Police
said that the dad was carrying the child in a car seat when the mother`s
foot slipped off the brake and onto the gas, pinning the two.
Georgia Ranks 4th in Credit Card Delinquencies
- According to TransUnion, one of the `Big Three` major credit
reporting bureaus, Georgia is ranked as the fourth highest
credit card delinquency rate in the country during the first
quarter of this year. The 0.87 percent rate, down from 0.99
percent in the first quarter of 2012.
Rapper Chief Keef Arrested in Atlanta
- Atlanta rapper, Chief Keef, AKA Keith Cozart, 17, was arrested in
DeKalb County this week. Police reports said that Cozard has been
charged with disorderly conduct.
Georgia Cyclist Seek Safer Streets in 2013
- Highway safety officials and cycling advocates are calling on
Georgians to make 2013 a safer year for cyclists in Georgia.
Cyclist fatalities increased by 28 percent in 2012, while
traffic deaths continued to decline overall in Georgia last
year. Highway safety officials and bicycle safety advocates
attribute the increase to the growing numbers of cyclists on
the road as more Georgians seek cleaner and healthier commute
options.
Atheist To Put Book in Georgia State Parks
- A New Jersey based atheist group said it plans to send the
Georgia Department of Natural Resources enough popular atheist
books to place one in every state park cabin in the state.
The move comes after an admitted atheist complained to state
parks officials when he found a Bible, placed by the Gideons,
in his cabin at Amicalola State Park in Dawson County. After
the complaint, all Bibles were removed, but, Governor
Nathan Deal later ordered the Bibles replaced.
Two Arrested for Chemical Endangerment of a Child
- Two Etowah County women have been arrested and charged with
chemical endangerment of a child, according to Sheriff Todd
Entrekin. Tiffanie Angelia Mitchell, 23, of Gadsden, was
arrested on May 6 and is charged with one count of chemical
endangerment of exposing a child to an environment in which
controlled substances are produced or distributed.
Breanna Latreace Wilson, 18, of Attalla, was arrested on May 2
and is also charged with one count of chemical endangerment of
exposing a child to an environment in which controlled
substances are produced or distributed.
Atl. Nursing Home Employees Guilty of Stealing
- Keshorna Miller pled guilty to Theft by Taking, in Fulton County
Superior Court for stealing personal funds from elderly residents
at an Atlanta nursing home. Miller was employed at Parkview
Manor Nursing and Rehabilitation Center as patient account
clerk, which meant that she oversaw residents’ monetary funds.
Parkview Manor Nursing and Rehabilitation Center is a Medicaid
provider serving elderly residents living with age related
diseases, including cognitive diseases.
DNA Test Confirm Remains Missing Student
- DNA tests confirm human remains found off of Cabero Road in
Hawkinsville are that of Jmaal Keyes. To make the
identification, DNA from the human remains was compared to DNA
identified as belonging to Jmaal Keyes.
Obama in Atlanta for Morehouse Commencement
- President Barack Obama was in Atlanta on Sunday to give
the commencement address at Morehouse College. The president
later attended a fundraiser for the Democratic Senatorial
Campaign Committee at the home of Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur
Blank.
Georgia ports volume up 4.7% in April
- The Georgia Ports Authority announced that the state`s
cargo moved was up 4.7 percent in April over a year ago. The authority said that Georgia`s ports shipped 2.4 million tons of cargo. The amount was the ports highest ever for a month on record.
GDOT to Suspend Major Lane Closures - Memorial Day
- The Georgia Department of Transportation will scale back its
construction projects across Northwest Georgia, suspending
construction-related lane closures on all interstate and major
state system highways to ease Memorial Day weekend traffic
congestion. Beginning at noon on Friday, May 24, and extending
to 5 a.m., Tuesday, May 28, 2013, there essentially will be no
construction-related scheduled lane closures on any Georgia
interstate highway or primary state route.
Georgia Quote Hunt Application Period Starts
- Beginning June 1, sportsmen and women of all ages can apply
electronically for quota hunts including all adult/child, deer,
alligator, waterfowl, dove and many others, according to the
Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources
Division. A quota hunt is a scheduled event at a Wildlife
Management Area or other state-managed property where a limited
number of hunters are allowed. Quota levels are based upon the
sound principles of wildlife management and public desires for a
quality hunt. These hunts provide a challenging experience to
hunters of all levels. There is no application fee. However,
selected hunters must be properly licensed to participate in a
quota hunt.
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Each credit is good for 1 overnight rental of 1 DVD. If you keep
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This week there is a nice deal on Excedrin at CVS! Spend $20 get $10 ECB`s:
Rome Falls to Augusta on Tuesday
- The Rome Braves fell to the Augusta Greenjackets Tuesday
afternoon 7-4, before a crowd of 4,017 fans at State Mutual
Stadium. The series is now tied 1-1.
Softball Youth Clinic Reset for June 2nd
- Berry College softball will hold a youth clinic on Sunday,
June 2, 2013 from 1 to 4 p.m. The clinic was originally
scheduled for May 19, but was postponed due to weather.
The youth clinic offers instruction for offensive, defensive
and pitching fundamentals. The event is for ages 8-14. Clinic
attendees are asked to bring their own glove, helmet, bat,
cleats and a water bottle.
Pepperell Baseball FInishes Fantastic Season
- The Pepperell Dragons` baseball season started out inauspiciously
February 19, with a 7-2 loss to Class 5-A Woodland. The Dragons
rebounded to take the next four games, including a rematch win
over Woodland on March 2. A loss to crosstown Rome on March 7,
however, is where Pepperell`s fun began.
It was known going into the season that if Pepperell was ever
going to be competitive in Region 7-AA, this would be the year.
With nine rising seniors the Dragons had plenty of experience to
back up the talent they already knew existed. Pepperell had only
lost two seniors from the previous year`s team, so expectations
in Lindale were higher than in recent years.
Falcons Given $200 Million Loan for New Stadium
- A loan of $200 million has been approved for the Atlanta
Falcons by NFL owners to construct a new football stadium.
Atlanta received the money Tuesday which will be used
to construct the $1 billion stadium.
Braves Win Fourth Straight
- Rookie Julio Teheran allowed only one run in 8 1/3 innings, as
the Braves won their fourth straight game, defeating the Twins
5-1 on Monday.
Bulldogs to Replace Perno as Head Coach
- The University of Georgia announced that David Perno has been released as its head baseball coach. Georgia finished the season with a disappointing 21-31 record. The team also went 7-19 in SEC play, worst in the league.
Health care has been confusing enough for consumers, but as the
federal bureaucracy expands, so does the list acronyms used in
health care reform-related materials today. With this topic
constantly in the news, it is important to know the lingo in
order to stay informed. Here is a list of common acronyms and a
definition for each.
ACA: The Affordable Care Act. Used to refer to the final, amended version of the health care reform legislation.
CHIP: The Children`s Health Insurance Program. Program that provides health insurance to low-income children, and in some states, pregnant women who do not qualify for Medicaid but cannot afford to purchase private health insurance.
DOL: United States Department of Labor.
EBSA: Employee Benefits Security Administration. A division of the DOL responsible for compliance assistance regarding benefit plans.
EPO Plan: An exclusive provider organization plan. A managed care plan that only covers services in the plan`s network of doctors, specialists or hospitals (except in an emergency).
ERRP: The Early Retiree Reinsurance Program. A temporary program created under health care reform to provide coverage to early retirees.
FPL: Federal poverty level. A measure of income level issued annually by HHS and used to determine eligibility for certain programs and benefits.
FLSA: The Federal Fair Labor Standards Act. Amended by PPACA to incorporate health care reform-specific provisions.
FSA: Flexible spending account.
HCERA: The Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010. Enacted on March 30, 2010, to amend and supplement PPACA.
HCR: Health care reform.
HDHP:High deductible health plan.
HHS: United States Department of Health and Human Services.
HMO: Health maintenance organization. A type of health insurance plan that typically limits coverage to care from medical providers who work for or contract with the HMO.
HRA: Health reimbursement arrangement or account.
HSA: Health savings account.
IRO: An independent review organization. An organization that performs independent external reviews of adverse benefit determinations.
MLR: Medical loss ratio. Refers to the claims costs and amounts expended on health care quality improvement as a percent of total premiums. This ratio excludes taxes, fees, risk adjustments, risk corridors and reinsurance.
NAIC: The National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
OCIIO: The Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight. A division of HHS responsible for implementing many of the health care reform provisions.
OOP: Out-of-pocket limit. The maximum amount you have to pay for covered services in a plan year.
PCE: Pre-existing condition exclusion. A plan provision imposing an exclusion of benefits due to a pre-existing condition.
PCIP: The Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan. A temporary high-risk insurance pool to provide coverage to eligible individuals until 2014.
POS Plan: Point-of-service plan. A type of plan in which you pay less if you go to doctors, hospitals and other health care providers that belong to the plan`s network. POS plans require a referral from your primary care doctor to see a specialist.
PPACA: The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Enacted on March 23, 2010, as the primary health care reform law.
PPO: Preferred provider organization. A type of health plan that contracts with medical providers (doctors, hospitals) to create a network of participating providers. You pay less when using providers in the plan`s network, but can use providers outside the network for an additional cost.
QHP: Qualified health plan. A certified health plan that provides an essential health benefits package. Offered by a licensed health insurer.
SHOP Exchange: The Small Business Health Options Program. A program that each health insurance exchange must create to assist eligible small employers when enrolling their employees in qualified health plans offered in the small-group market.
Stay informed about changes in health care laws! Visit our
website to learn more! www.thebabcockagency.net
Studying Rocks and Minerals Through Jewelry
- Tellus Lunch and Learn presents Studying Rocks and Minerals Through Jewelry: Wednesday, May 22 at 12:15 PM.
Members: Free. Non-members: Regular admission
Tellus Director of Education Cantey Smith will share photos of jewelry that she has made over the years and information on the rocks, minerals and fossils that she has used in her art.
Heyman Hospice Care to Remember Patients
- Heyman HospiceCare at Floyd will remember former patients and
honor their families at its semi-annual candlelight memorial
service Thursday, May 23. The service will be held at St.
Peter`s Episcopal Church at 6 p.m.
Local Author Book Signing
- Raymond L. Atkins a local author in Rome, GA will be in our store signing copies of his new novel Camp Redemption. Copies of his previous novels Front Porch Prophet and Sorrow Wood will also be available. Atkins will be signing at the Rome
store on Saturday, May 25 at 2:00 pm.
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- The honesty of your pisotng is there for all to see
