Bee’s Home Cookin’ owner arrested for arson

            With a very low 9.9 percent turnout, Pickens voters overwhelmingly approved the SPLOST in the November 5 election, with almost 68 percent of the voters casting ballots supporting the sales tax.

            In all 1,468 people voted in favor of the 6-year plan expected to produce $37 million in one penny sales tax to fund road paving, parks and pay off development debts at the airport in addition to public safety funding and some money for the cities.

            The SPLOST was the only countywide race on the ballot and overall only 2,212 people voted in either early voting or at the polls Tuesday out of 22,335 registered voters.

            Commission Chair Rob Jones, who waited on the results at the Pioneer Road elections office, said in a brief comment that he was very pleased with the results as “it will allow us to proceed on schedule with our development.”

            In other action: Jasper and Talking Rock voters said serve me bartenders with both municipalities approving alcohol ordinances. In Jasper 71 percent of the voters were in favor of earlier serving times on Sundays for restaurants, moving it up to 11 a.m.

    And in Talking Rock 10 voters said yes to allowing businesses to serve alcohol by the drink while 2 cast negative votes.

Check back at this website tomorrow for Nelson city council vote totals.

photo / Gaylon Mathews

Fire crews force entry into the West Church Street restaurant Tuesday evening. 

            Investigation is underway at Bee’s Home Cookin' restaurant in Jasper, where a fire broke out Tuesday evening. 

            On November 5, city of Jasper Fire crews were dispatched to the restaurant on West Church Street at approximately 10:12 p.m. after a passerby saw smoke and called 911. Crews had to force entry by breaking through the glass front door, which was locked. No one was in the restaurant when emergency workers arrived on the scene.

All six of Pickens County's Teacher of the Year nominees are pictured here with their respective school principals. School Superintendent Dr. Carlton Wilson said of the nominees, that although they are considered Pickens County's "finest," they are also representative of the many fine teachers employed by the Pickens County School System. (L – R) Harmony Elementary Principal Marla Callahan with Caladie Duncan; Pickens Junior High Principal Chad Flatt with Claire Eubanks; Tate Elementary Principal Stephanie Hall with Matthew Gibson; Supt. Carlton Wilson; Amanda Jones with Hill City Elementary Principal Jennifer Halko; Andrew Krakeel with Jasper Middle Principal Corey Thompson; and Kyle Rasco with Pickens High Principal Chris Wallace. 

By Larry Cavender

Progress contributor

"I was overcome with joy and excitement, and shocked," was Caladie Duncan's reaction after she was named Pickens County Teacher of the Year at a banquet held Monday night, Oct. 21 at Chattahoochee Technical College. She added, "I have been greatly blessed and I am honored to be Pickens County's Teacher of the Year."

Now in her ninth year of teaching, Duncan says she believes education is about "creating a safe environment for students, fostering imagination and creativity, going the extra mile, and teaching through experiences." A special education teacher who has

Damon Howell / Photo

Clean-up crews were on the scene Tuesday afternoon, dismantling fixtures and building new walls on the interior of the building at Mary Ann’s. No completion date has been released.

        Investigators have ruled a fire that destroyed the interior of Mary Ann’s Country Cooking was arson. Investigation is underway. 

“There’s no doubt,” said Jasper’s Assistant Fire Chief Von Headrick. “We knew within the hour the night of the fire it was an arson, we just weren’t ready to release the information at that time.”

        See full story in this week's print or online editions.