How I Came To Fort Valley The LeaThe Leader TribuneThe...
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Tribune The Leader JANUARY 20, 2010 50¢ Vol. 126 Issue No. 3 Legal Organ For Peach County, City of Fort Valley and City Of Byron An Evans Family Newspaper Look What's Inside This Week's Tribune! • www.fvleadertribune.com Serving Peach County For Over 100 Years Peach County's Newspaper How I Came To Fort Valley By Orlando Rodriquez Honors Continue For Coach Campbell and Trojans ( SPORTS ( LOCAL Scratching Out A Victory Animal Lover Turns Passion Into Business ( OPINION ONE GIANT LEAP By Victor Kulkosky News Editor There’s no money in the bank, nor has a single bond been sold, but Peach Regional Medical Center cleared a major hurdle last week in its long- running effort to build a new hospital. By a unanimous vote last week, the Peach County Hospital Authority approved an agreement between PRMC and Bergen Capital Inc., an Atlanta- based investment banking company. Bergen will underwrite and sell the bonds and perform all the functions required to manage the financing of the hospital project. The hospital authority will be the official issuer of the bonds. The most recent estimate of the project was about $27 million. In an interview after the meeting, hospital authority chairman Tom Green said Bergen Capital has been engaged to see financing for the new hospital through selling tax-exempt bonds. The bonds would be so-called “non-rated” bonds, which are considered “below investment grade.” Bonds are rated according to the credit-worthiness of the issuer. Because of PRMC’s finan- cial status, the bonds would be consid- ered risky. As a results of the bonds’ rating, they will carry interest rates around 7 percent to 8 percent. PRMC and the authority have had difficulty obtaining financing for the planned new hospital due to poor financial performance over the past few years. PRMC management has cited high percentages of indigent patients and patients on Medicare and Medicaid, along with inability to attract doctors, as the main reasons for the red ink of recent years. They have consistently argued that a newer hos- pital, closer to I-75, will attract more doctors, including specialists, as well as more paying patients. Before the Bergen Capital deal, the hospital had been trying to obtain financing through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. But USDA representa- tives had been concerned about the See Hospital Page A3 An agreement between Peach Regional Medical Center and investment banker moved this sign closer to reality. Photo by Danny Gilleland The Decade in Review: 2002-2004 By Victor Kulkosky News Editor NOTE: The dates are issue dates for the paper, not the exact dates of events. 2002 Jan. 9: A snowstorm closed Peach County schools, giving children a rare chance to build snowmen. Jan. 16: Members of the Fort Valley Utility Commission elected Bob Hunnicutt Chairman. March 6: The FVSU Lady Wildcats made history with their 3rd straight SIAC Tournament championship. April 17: The Volunteer Board of the Boys & Girls Club proposed a new building rather than renovating a section of the old Fort Valley High School. April 24: Banker and community leader Hal Peavy died at age 66. May 8: The Byron Area Historical Society buried a time capsule in the city park, to be opened 100 years later. May 15: The Byron Middle School Eagles won their first baseball cham- pionship. June 26: A bust of educator H.E. Bryant was unveiled as part of the cel- ebration of the 20th anniversary of the Hunt Educational and Cultural Center. July 10: FVSU appointed Gwendolyn Reeves as its first female Athletic Director. Aug. 7: First Baptist Church of Fort Valley celebrated its 150th anniver- sary. Aug. 21: Jody Usry beat incumbent Bill Alford in the primary election for Board of Education Post 4, setting off a runoff. Sept. 25: The Byron Middle School Lady Eagles fast-pitch softball team won their first championship. Oct. 30: The Fort Valley Utility Commission introduced wireless broadband service. Nov. 27: FVSU President Dr. Kofi Lomotey denied allegations he was a Muslim and did not say the Pledge of Allegiance. Dec. 18: Byron, Fort Valley and Peach County reached a long-delayed agreement on the formula for distribut- ing Local Option Sales Tax revenue. 2003 Jan. 29: Georgia Trend and the Georgia Municipal Association See Review Page A5 County Adds to Trojans Honors By Victor Kulkosky News Editor The Peach County Trojans football team is already in the weight room getting ready for the 2010 season, but last week the Peach County Board of Commissioners kept talking about the 2009 season. The board opened their regular monthly meeting with Chairman Martin Moseley reading a proclamation declaring Jan. 12, 2010 as “Peach High School Trojans State AAA Champions Day.” The board also unveiled a copy of the new road sign that informs visitors Peach County is home of the 2005, 2006 and 2009 AAA state champions. “Everywhere we go on the road, we have tremendous support,” Head Coach Campbell said. He noted Trojans fans filled about one-and-a-half sections of the stadium at the St. Pius X stadium, which only has one side “I feel honored and privileged,” Campbell said. “I work for a great school system.” Commissioner Michael Dinkins said the five commissioners plan to go in together to buy one state champion- ship ring, each of which costs $340. In other business, commissioners held a public hearing to discuss rec- ommendations from the Peach County Planning and Zoning board. Zoning Administrator Rickey Blalock told commissioners the board had unanimously recommended approving the request by Bobby and Bonnie Evridge to rezone a 1.52-acre lot cut from a larger parcel that the couple owns, for the purpose of allow- ing their daughter to build a 2,000- square-foot home. The request was for rezoning from R-Ag (Residential Agricultural) to R-1 (low-density resi- dential). Blalock said the P&Z Board also unanimously recommended approv- ing the request by Allen Temple AME Church to rezone 6.14 acres at Ga. 49 and Jones Rd. from R-Ag to C-2 (General Business). Church Trustee Phillip Shannon told commissioners the church is building a new sanctuary to replace the older one that burned down, and the church’s bank recom- mended the rezoning in order to build a large-enough parking lot on the site. Commissioners unanimously approved both recommendations. In other business, commissioners unanimously approved a $368,452 contribution to the defined benefit plan for county employees. County Administrator Marcia Johnson said the Government Employee Benefits Corp. See Review Page B6 From left, Peach County Commissioners Roy Lewis, Melvin E. Walker Jr, Chairman Martin Moseley, Coach Chad Campbell, and Commissioner Michael Dinkins pose with the new sign and the proclamation. Photo by Danny Gilleland PRMC Signs Banker for New Hospital, But Much Work Remains to be Done Keeping The Dream Alive Danny Gilleland Staff Writer/Photographer The annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Day March was held Monday morning. Participants gath- ered at Wildcat Commons Clubhouse on the Fort Valley State University campus and began their trek at 9a.m. The march crossed the campus, then followed State University Drive, and ended at James Miracle Temple for a Memorial Day Service led by Pastor Jamie Johnson. President Larry Rivers and First Lady Betty Rivers led the marchers as they sang their way along the route. Sponsors of the event were FVSU Student Campus Life, FVSU Student Government Association, Fort Valley Ministerial Alliance, The Peach County Branch of the NAACP, and the Fort Valley Chapter of SCLC. U.S. Representative John Conyers of Michigan first introduced legisla- tion for the holiday four days after Dr. King was assassinated in 1968. The holiday was finally approved and signed into law by President Ronald Reagan in 1983. Fort Valley State President Larry Rivers and his wife Betty lead the annual Martin Luther King Day March along State University Drive Monday morning. Photo by Danny Gilleland Lady Wilcats Trump Tigerettes and move to 15-0 Charles Sneed Wins - Green Frog Counting Contest PRMC Bites The Bullet For Everyone By Victor Kulkosky
Transcript of How I Came To Fort Valley The LeaThe Leader TribuneThe...
The Leader TribuneThe Leader TribuneThe Leader TribuneThe Leader TribuneThe Leader TribuneJANUARY 20, 2010 50¢ Vol. 126 Issue No. Issue No. 3 3
Legal Organ For Peach County, City of Fort Valley and City Of Byron
An Evans Family Newspaper
Look What's Inside This Week's Tribune! • www.fvleadertribune.com
Serving Peach County For Over 100 Years
Peach County's NewspaperPeach County's NewspaperPeach County's Newspaper
How I Came To Fort ValleyBy Orlando Rodriquez
Honors Continue For Coach Campbell and Trojans
( SPORTS ( LOCALScratching Out A Victory Scratching Out A Victory
Animal Lover Turns Passion Animal Lover Turns Passion Into Business
( OPINIONHonors Continue For Coach
( SPORTS
ONE GIANT LEAP
By Victor KulkoskyNews Editor
There’s no money in the bank, nor has a single bond been sold, but Peach Regional Medical Center cleared a major hurdle last week in its long-running effort to build a new hospital.
By a unanimous vote last week, the Peach County Hospital Authority approved an agreement between PRMC and Bergen Capital Inc., an Atlanta-based investment banking company. Bergen will underwrite and sell the bonds and perform all the functions required to manage the financing of the hospital project. The hospital authority will be the official issuer of the bonds. The most recent estimate of the project was about $27 million.
In an interview after the meeting, hospital authority chairman Tom Green said Bergen Capital has been engaged to see financing for the new hospital through selling tax-exempt bonds. The bonds would be so-called “non-rated” bonds, which are considered “below
investment grade.” Bonds are rated according to the credit-worthiness of the issuer. Because of PRMC’s finan-cial status, the bonds would be consid-ered risky. As a results of the bonds’ rating, they will carry interest rates around 7 percent to 8 percent.
PRMC and the authority have had difficulty obtaining financing for the planned new hospital due to poor financial performance over the past few years. PRMC management has cited high percentages of indigent patients and patients on Medicare and Medicaid, along with inability to attract doctors, as the main reasons for the red ink of recent years. They have consistently argued that a newer hos-pital, closer to I-75, will attract more doctors, including specialists, as well as more paying patients.
Before the Bergen Capital deal, the hospital had been trying to obtain financing through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. But USDA representa-tives had been concerned about the
See Hospital Page A3
An agreement between Peach Regional Medical Center and investment banker moved this sign closer to reality. Photo by Danny Gilleland
The Decade in Review: 2002-2004
By Victor KulkoskyNews Editor
NOTE: The dates are issue dates for the paper, not the exact dates of events.
2002Jan. 9: A snowstorm closed Peach
County schools, giving children a rare chance to build snowmen.
Jan. 16: Members of the Fort Valley Utility Commission elected Bob Hunnicutt Chairman.
March 6: The FVSU Lady Wildcats made history with their 3rd straight SIAC Tournament championship.
April 17: The Volunteer Board of the Boys & Girls Club proposed a
new building rather than renovating a section of the old Fort Valley High School.
April 24: Banker and community leader Hal Peavy died at age 66.
May 8: The Byron Area Historical Society buried a time capsule in the city park, to be opened 100 years later.
May 15: The Byron Middle School Eagles won their first baseball cham-pionship.
June 26: A bust of educator H.E. Bryant was unveiled as part of the cel-ebration of the 20th anniversary of the Hunt Educational and Cultural Center.
July 10: FVSU appointed Gwendolyn Reeves as its first female Athletic Director.
Aug. 7: First Baptist Church of Fort Valley celebrated its 150th anniver-sary.
Aug. 21: Jody Usry beat incumbent Bill Alford in the primary election for Board of Education Post 4, setting off a runoff.
Sept. 25: The Byron Middle School Lady Eagles fast-pitch softball team won their first championship.
Oct. 30: The Fort Valley Utility Commission introduced wireless broadband service.
Nov. 27: FVSU President Dr. Kofi Lomotey denied allegations he was a Muslim and did not say the Pledge of Allegiance.
Dec. 18: Byron, Fort Valley and Peach County reached a long-delayed agreement on the formula for distribut-ing Local Option Sales Tax revenue.
2003Jan. 29: Georgia Trend and the
Georgia Municipal Association See Review Page A5
County Adds to Trojans Honors
By Victor KulkoskyNews Editor
The Peach County Trojans football team is already in the weight room getting ready for the 2010 season, but last week the Peach County Board of Commissioners kept talking about the 2009 season. The board opened their regular monthly meeting with Chairman Martin Moseley reading a proclamation declaring Jan. 12, 2010 as “Peach High School Trojans State AAA Champions Day.”
The board also unveiled a copy of the new road sign that informs visitors Peach County is home of the 2005, 2006 and 2009 AAA state champions.
“Everywhere we go on the road, we have tremendous support,” Head Coach Campbell said. He noted Trojans fans filled about one-and-a-half sections of the stadium at the St. Pius X stadium,
which only has one side“I feel honored and privileged,”
Campbell said. “I work for a great school system.”
Commissioner Michael Dinkins said the five commissioners plan to go in together to buy one state champion-ship ring, each of which costs $340.
In other business, commissioners held a public hearing to discuss rec-ommendations from the Peach County Planning and Zoning board.
Zoning Administrator Rickey Blalock told commissioners the board had unanimously recommended approving the request by Bobby and Bonnie Evridge to rezone a 1.52-acre lot cut from a larger parcel that the couple owns, for the purpose of allow-ing their daughter to build a 2,000-square-foot home. The request was for rezoning from R-Ag (Residential Agricultural) to R-1 (low-density resi-
dential).Blalock said the P&Z Board also
unanimously recommended approv-ing the request by Allen Temple AME Church to rezone 6.14 acres at Ga. 49 and Jones Rd. from R-Ag to C-2 (General Business). Church Trustee Phillip Shannon told commissioners the church is building a new sanctuary to replace the older one that burned down, and the church’s bank recom-mended the rezoning in order to build a large-enough parking lot on the site.
Commissioners unanimously approved both recommendations.
In other business, commissioners unanimously approved a $368,452 contribution to the defined benefit plan for county employees. County Administrator Marcia Johnson said the Government Employee Benefits Corp.
See Review Page B6
From left, Peach County Commissioners Roy Lewis, Melvin E. Walker Jr, Chairman Martin Moseley, Coach Chad Campbell, and Commissioner Michael Dinkins pose with the new sign and the proclamation. Photo by Danny Gilleland
PRMC Signs Banker for New Hospital, But Much Work Remains to be Done
Keeping The Dream Alive
Danny GillelandStaff Writer/Photographer
The annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Day March was held Monday morning. Participants gath-ered at Wildcat Commons Clubhouse on the Fort Valley State University campus and began their trek at 9a.m. The march crossed the campus, then
followed State University Drive, and ended at James Miracle Temple for a Memorial Day Service led by Pastor Jamie Johnson. President Larry Rivers and First Lady Betty Rivers led the marchers as they sang their way along the route.
Sponsors of the event were FVSU Student Campus Life, FVSU Student Government Association, Fort Valley
Ministerial Alliance, The Peach County Branch of the NAACP, and the Fort Valley Chapter of SCLC.
U.S. Representative John Conyers of Michigan first introduced legisla-tion for the holiday four days after Dr. King was assassinated in 1968. The holiday was finally approved and signed into law by President Ronald Reagan in 1983.
Fort Valley State President Larry Rivers and his wife Betty lead the annual Martin Luther King Day March along State University Drive Monday morning. Photo by Danny Gilleland
Lady Wilcats Trump Tigerettes and move to 15-0
Charles Sneed Wins - Green Frog Counting ContestFrog Counting Contest
PRMC Bites The BulletFor EveryoneBy Victor Kulkosky
