The Jackson County and Commerce planning commissions will hold a public hearing Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Commerce Civic Center to show off a proposed “overlay” zoning district to cover the entrances into town.

The proposal would make development standards identical for parcels that are in Jackson County and in Commerce in those areas, where some tracts are in the city limits and others are not.

The district would cover Hwy. 98 east and west, U.S. 441 north and south, Homer Road and Hwy. 326.

Tennis courts and a playground are among the projects to be funded with special purpose local options sales tax revenue.

The Jackson County Board of Commissioners will vote at 6 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 20, on a request to allocate $200,000 from SPLOST 5, approved by voters in 2010, for the projects.

At a work session Monday night, the commissioners discussed the projects, which include tennis courts and signs at the East Jackson Recreation Park, tennis courts at the West Jackson Recreation Park, a playground at the Hurricane Shoals Park and water lines for the county equestrian center.

By Susan Harper

When my parents had their 50th anniversary party, they insisted on putting the invitation in The Commerce News. My brother and sister and I were alarmed. Would the whole town come?

How do you plan for that many people? “Why not send out invitations?” we said. “We’ll do it – just give us the list.” But they wouldn’t even think of it. “We might forget someone,” Mother explained.

Continue reading "OPINION: Mr. Brown's Party"

Jefferson dropped off East Jackson’s 2012 football schedule, but the Eagles were able to add their closest geographic foe — Commerce.

East Jackson and Commerce (which plays in Region 8-A) will clash Sept. 7 in the Eagles’ home opener in the first match-up ever of these schools separated by 4.4 miles.

“I ...

All 11 Commerce wrestlers who competed at the area finals last weekend advanced to the sectional tournament at Telfair County this weekend.

The Tigers scored the highest team total, defying the odds with their win over Social Circle.

Commerce was forced to forfeit several weight classes because of injuries. The team ...

Inaugural East Jackson, Commerce game set for Sept. 7 at Eagle Stadium

EXIT one rival, enter another.

Jefferson dropped off East Jackson’s 2012 football schedule, but the Eagles were able to add their closest geographic foe — Commerce.

East Jackson and Commerce (which plays in Region 8-A) ...

TWO EAST Jackson wrestlers will continue their seasons after qualifying for the state sectional meet.


Junior Jeff Chandler won the heavyweight division of Area 8-AA, while senior Garrett Lott finished third in the 113-lb. division for the Eagles at the traditional 8-AA tournament. East Jackson placed ninth overall as a team at ...

EAST Jackson coach Brian Turner said his team’s 56-40 win Friday at home over Jackson County was probably its best performance of the year. It was certainly its most thorough.

Jarron Davis led the Eagles with 17 points, including three three-pointers, and Jake Grindle added 14 as East Jackson avenged a 57-45 loss to their ...

The Associated Press carried a story Monday that, in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, ran under the headline: “Defense cuts test lawmakers’ resolve on deficits.” The gist of the story was that while members of Congress claim to want to reduce spending, when the cuts affect their districts, the support vanishes.

It’s an all-too-familiar scenario among legislative bodies: everybody wants to accomplish something, but no one wants to be inconvenienced to make it happen. Yet there is little good that can be accomplished without some expense or sacrifice.
Continue reading "OPINONS: Make cuts except where it bothers us"

By Susan Harper

My latest guilty pleasure — the most recent in a long line of them, I fear — is the delicious Edwardian soap-opera called “Downton Abbey” now running on GPB (Georgia Public Broadcasting) on Sunday nights.

In the way that a good toll-house cookie is liberally studded with chocolate chips, “Downton Abbey” is replete with longing lovers, secret scandals, tinkling crystal chandeliers, aristocrats in evening dress, servants in livery, soldiers of both classes in the uniforms of World War I, satisfyingly slimy villains, and a doughty old dowager countess with a whim of steel and the saving grace of a sly wink.
Continue reading "OPINION: Guilt and pleasure"

New Nicholson City Council member Jan Webster would like to see the town brightened up and she is proposing a “yard of the season” program to encourage city residents to clean up and decorate their yards.
At the work session Thursday night Webster said that she would personally provide a $100 gift certificate to an area restaurant to the winner each season.

“I want to work on Nicholson’s presentation,” Webster said. “I want people to take more pride in where they live and what is around them… I think this (yard of the season) would encourage people to have a little pride.”
Continue reading "Beautification incentive proposed for Nicholson"

The Commerce Downtown Development Authority is going to do something new this summer.

It will hold its Independence Day fireworks display on — Independence Day.

For the last 15 years at least, the city fireworks show was part of the City Lights Festival held at least a week before July 4. Last year it was on June 25.
Continue reading "City Lights Festival out; July 4th fireworks on"

A man and a juvenile boy face theft by taking charges after they allegedly loaded an electric grocery shopping cart into their truck and drove away.

The mistake they made, according to the Commerce Police Department, was stealing it from a store across the street from where they lived.
Continue reading "2 charged in theft of power shopping cart"

By Mark Beardsley

Hoping for enlightenment, I dropped in on the “Green Life Expo” Saturday morning at The Classic Center — an event heavily dedicated to recycling.

Parked at the end of the hall was a Coca Cola truck. Surely, I thought, Coke is here to announce to the world that it’s phasing out 16-ounce plastic containers for all Coke products, thereby making a statement about a commitment to the environment.
Continue reading "OPINION: Make my next beer a Coors Light"

The Commerce Police Department has issued arrest warrants for a 42-year-old Commerce man who allegedly emptied a canister of pepper spray into the face of an officer the night of Wednesday, Jan. 25.

Brantley Kip Cowart, 196 Leachman Road, fled the area, but in a tussle with an officer — in which the officer also dropped his firearm — Cowart left behind his wallet, which contained his identification.

Cowart faces charges of felony obstruction, obstruction, attempting to disarm a law enforcement officer and battery on a police officer. As of Tuesday morning, he remained at large.
The event began with a traffic stop at 10:48 p.m. on Baugh Street. An officer pulled over a vehicle driven by Michael Troy Wilburn, 39, 265 Gordon Road, Commerce, for a tag light violation and failure to maintain a lane.
Continue reading "Man sought after pepper-spraying officer"

Fall and winter rains have refilled the Bear Creek Reservoir, but restrictions implemented last fall on those who use the water remain in place.

As of Jan. 25, the lake was just an inch below full pool, according to Hill Baughman of J & G Services, which manages the 505-acre reservoir and its water plant for the Upper Oconee Basin Water Authority.

In spite of near-average rainfall in December and January, the flow of the Middle Oconee River remains low.
Continue reading "Reservoir full, but restrictions remain"

The Georgia Department of Transportation was due to complete the installation of a new traffic signal at State Route 98 (Maysville Road) and B. Wilson Road on Tuesday. The light is the final phase of a project that provided a westbound left-turn lane for the Quality Foods Shopping Center and left-turn lanes for B. Wilson Road and King Road. The intersection between SR 98, B. Wilson Road and King Road was also realigned during the project.

It may all come to naught, but Commerce residents should take note of the extent to which the Commerce Planning Commission went recently to resolve a dispute between residents of Oconee Pointe subdivision and Northeast Georgia Bank.

The issue — minor to most of us, but important to all the involved parties — was whether the bank could rezone lots previously designated as greenspace and then sell them to recover loaned money lost via foreclosure.
Continue reading "OPINION: Going above the call of duty"

Former playing jerseys belonging to two of Commerce High School’s record-breaking basketball scorers will be retired, again, next week.

Shirley Nunn and Linda Lang Exley, whose jerseys were first retired in 1963 and 1960, will be honored during the Lady Tigers’ final home game of the season on Tuesday, Feb. 7.

...

There weren’t many water bottles left to douse Commerce coach Chad Bridges’ inflamed nerves during his team’s double overtime thriller at East Jackson last weekend.

Instead the Tigers quenched their thirst to win on the court in unlikely ways last week. They did so consistently, winning three of three contests played, and ...

EAST Jackson coach Brian Turner didn’t think a postgame meeting in the locker room was even warranted.

Feeling his players had sufficiently left everything out on the floor in an 82-80 double overtime loss Saturday to crosstown rival Commerce, he released his squad to go home early.

“I told the kids that I ...

EAST Jackson beat Commerce for the third time this season, but win no. 3 over the Lady Tigers proved much more cumbersome than the previous two.

The Lady Eagles hung on for a 46-38 victory Saturday at home after having routed Commerce by 26 and 28 points respectively in the first two meetings.

“I think it’s ...