Game is Thursday night in Tyler
Tuesday, 24 August 2010 07:31 | 
Tickets to Rabbit-Buckeye game on sale now
Tickets for the Atlanta-Gilmer football game Thursday night in Tyler are available at the AISD Administration Office.
The game, part of the 2010 Trinity Mother Frances Football Classic at Rose Stadium, begins at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are available 8 a.m. to noon through Thursday at the office and cost $8 for adults and $6 for students.
Tickets for students only are available at AHS and AMS before school and during lunch.
Admission at the gate is $12 for everyone.
Last Updated ( Tuesday, 24 August 2010 07:33 )
20 new stations will be added Tuesday, 24 August 2010 06:45 |
Library gets $22K grant for new computers AUSTIN – Atlanta area residents will join thousands of Texans who will gain access to new educational and economic opportunities through a major federal grant awarded to the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. The nearly $8 million grant, from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, will be matched by nearly $3.7 million from the commission and its partners in an initiative to provide public computing capabilities to underserved people throughout the state. From the grant, Atlanta Public Library will receive $25,608 which is matched by $22,852 for a total of $48,460 in funding for the project to enhance learning and job opportunities. With these funds, Atlanta Public Library will add 20 computer work stations to the seven it has now, allowing staff to help many more patrons with job searches, resume-writing and online applications so they won’t have to travel to the nearest job center, 25 miles away in the next county. The Technology Expertise, Access and Learning for All Texans project – TEAL – will fund new or upgraded computer centers at 38 libraries and branches, plus community colleges, public schools, recreation centers and health facilities, as well as three mobile learning labs that will be used to provide computer training wherever it’s needed. With more than 1 million unemployed Texans, a 16.3 percent poverty level and the lowest percentage of high school graduates per capita of any state, Texas desperately needs to close the digital divide so all its residents can learn, work and prosper. The federal Broadband Technology Opportunities Program grant will fund upgrades at 125 public computer centers and create 30 new ones, including 2,200 new and 480 upgraded work stations, enabling an additional 76,000 users a week to obtain computer access while increasing average connection speeds by 5Mbps. For the 67 percent of Texans whose local library provides their only means of computer access – and only resource for online learning, job hunting, social networking and other pursuits essential to productive participation in society – these funds will foster life-changing opportunities. "Libraries are first-responders to the needs of the community," said Sandra Pickett, chairwoman of the state library and archives commission. "It’s not just about computers and wiring. It’s about helping people connect to ways to improve their lives." Last Updated ( Tuesday, 24 August 2010 06:47 ) Contingency fund in the black Wednesday, 18 August 2010 08:48 |
Courthouse renovations well within budget By ANGELA GUILLORY This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Courthouse construction superintendent Kenath Hawkins with RBR Construction reassured commissioners on Aug. 9 they are within budget on the historic courthouse project. “The company RBR Construction and the architect have both asked me to bring the contingency up to the county,” Hawkins said. “There was a change ordered last week,” he said. “When the county received the budget, the state budgeted a contingency in it. The contingency amount was $413,890 – that is part of your contract amount. It is put in the budget in case you go over or we have change orders, it is part of it. He said his company and the architect want county officials to know, to date, that they are only at 28.9 percent of the contingency so the remaining balance is $294,218. “We wanted to let the county know that they are within budget. Everything is going fine financially. They don’t see any problem getting y’all into budget,” he said. “We know dealing with a lot of small counties we go through this. It is critical that we stay within the budget. We just want to assure everyone that we will be.” Hawkins is still searching for a contractor willing to accept the small contract to pave the road on Rush Street, from the courthouse to the ally way behind the tax assessor/collector’s office. He asked if the county could do the work and Precinct 1 Commissioner Brett Fitts said the county doesn’t have the proper equipment to lay the pavement. “I just am trying to get it resolved and I keep running into brick walls,” Hawkins said.
IN OTHER BUSINESS, commissioners accepted a bids for property the county has received in lieu of taxes. The first was for $800 for struck-off property known as “Gary Westbrook, 04-C-527; the second was for $750 for “Mrs. O.C. Dodd, 05-C-447.” A certificate of anticipated collection rate for fiscal year 2009 was presented as a matter of record. A request from jail administrator Sterling Corbett to publish a bid notice for food supplies for fiscal year 2011 and for inmate prescriptions, effective Sept. 1, was approved. Sealed bids must be received by 4 p.m. Friday, Aug 20, and will be opened 1:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 23, at commissioners’ court. Commissioners tabled a provision to adopt the Texas County and District Retirement System retirement rate for fiscal year 2011. TCDRS requested for the county to reduce the employee contribution rate to 9.05 percent for fiscal year 2011, effective Jan 1, 2011, from the current rate of 9.15 percent. Treasurer Donna Early explained 9.05 percent is the required rate. Employers may elect to pay greater than the required rate. Commissioners tabled the item until they could find out how much money it will save the county. The next commissioners’ court meeting is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 23, in the Precinct 1 Justice of the Peace courtroom on the second floor of the Cass County Law Enforcement and Justice Center building located at 604 N. Highway 8 in Linden.
Last Updated ( Wednesday, 18 August 2010 09:06 ) |
Anytime Fitness, CVS Tuesday, 24 August 2010 06:43 |
Two businesses coming to town By CHRISTY GREEN This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Hackleman Brothers Construction is preparing the foundation for Anytime Fitness, which will be located at 108 Highway 59 North in Atlanta. According to Atlanta Ciity Secretary Janice Elliott, a building permit was given in the amount of $278,000 for the facility. Anytime Fitness has nearly 1,300 locations nation-wide, according to Anytime Fitness manager Brian Crooks of Atlanta. "Were shooting to be open by the first of November," Crooks said. According to Crooks, Brent Bernard of Ruston La., owns two branches in Texarkana, one in Ruston, La. one in New Boston, and the soon-to-be Atlanta branch. He also said there may soon be locations in Forney and Ashdown, Ark.. Anytime Fitness will be open 24 hours and offer tanning, personal training, round-the-clock safety and security and will be equipped with private restrooms with showers. "Memberships are good nationwide and can be used at any facility," Crooks said. To learn more about the programs and other services offered by Anytime Fitness, visit www.anytimefitness.com. CVS Pharmacy will be coming soon to 101 Loop 59 North in Atlanta, but according to Janice Elliott, a permit hasn’t been issued for the proposed $900,000 facility. Last Updated ( Tuesday, 24 August 2010 06:45 ) August check has arrived Wednesday, 18 August 2010 08:44 |
Cities' sales tax rebates down Journal Staff Report Sales tax revenues are down an average of 6 percent so far this year in Cass County cities, but for the month of August rebates are down more than 8 percent from the same period last year. The total allocation to all of the cities within the county is $233,727.37, down 8.35 percent from the August 2009 total of $255,027.27. Since January, local cities have received a total of $1,707,051.95, a decrease of 6.1 percent from the year-to-date total of $1,818,138.28 in 2009. August sales tax allocations represent sales taxes collected in June by businesses that file sales taxes monthly, and sales taxes collected in April, May and June by quarterly filers. Texas Comptroller Susan Combs said state sales tax revenue in July was $1.69 billion, up 2.2 percent compared to one year ago. “Total monthly sales tax revenue has now exceeded year-ago levels for the last four months,” Combs said. “Sales tax collections in major sectors such as retail trade, the oil and natural gas industry and construction are up from a year ago. We are monitoring these sectors to see if collections are returning to consistent growth.” Combs sent $556.3 million in August sales tax allocations to local governments, up 2.3 percent compared to August 2009. So far this calendar year, sales tax allocations to local governments are down 2.5 percent compared to this time last year. ATLANTA’S SALES TAX allocation check this month is down almost 7 percent from the same period last year. The city received a check from the comptroller’s office in August for $148,600. Last year, the city’s sales tax allocation was $159,694. Since the first of the year, Atlanta has received $1,152,284, a decrease of 6.5 percent from 2009’s to-date total of $1,233,613. Atlanta’s sales tax rate is 2 percent. Queen City’s rebate is down more than 8 percent with $24,492 received this month compared to $30,406 in August 2009. The city’s sales tax rate is 1.75 percent. To date the city has received $152,305, down 5.5 percent from the 2009 total of $161,317. Linden’s allocation for $28,322 in August is 8.5 percent less than the $30,958 received this time last year. Linden’s tax rate is 2 percent. So far this year, the city has received $177,363, up down .54 percent from last year’s to-date total of $161,317. Bloomburg’s sales tax rebate check for $2,003 reflects a 37 percent decrease from the $3,192 received last August. The city’s sales tax rate is 1 percent. Since January, Bloomburg has received $12,954, up more than 2 percent from the 2009 year-to-date total of $12,670. Domino received a check this month for $3,035, up almost 8 percent from last August’s rebate of $2,817. The city’s sales tax rate is 2 percent. Domino has received $22,334 this calendar year, up 9 percent from the to-date total of $20,405 in 2009. Douglassville’s sales tax rebate check this month is $189, a 26 percent decrease from last August’s rebate of $258. To date, Douglassville has received $1,563 compared to $2,153 in August 2009, a decrease of 27 percent from last year. The city’s sales tax rate is .25 percent. Avinger’s check this month for $2,552 is up about 5 percent from the $2,443 earned during the same reporting period last year. To date, the city has received $18,946, down 24 percent from last year’s to-date total of $24,982. Avinger’s sales tax rate is 1.5 percent. Hughes Springs received a sales tax rebate for $24,534, down 3 percent from August 2009’s rebate of $25,279. Since January, Hughes Springs has received $169,305, down 8 percent from $184,664 at this time last year. The city’s sales tax rate is 1.5 percent. Texarkana, by comparison, received a sales tax check for $1,320,564 in August, down about 2 percent from last year’s check for $1,344,913. Texarkana’s sales tax rate is 1.5 percent. In 2010, the city has received $9,036,309, down .71 percent from last year’s to-date total of $9,101,568. Nine Bowie County cities pay in sales taxes to the state and August’s total rebates are $1,538,521, a 2 percent decrease from the 2009 total of $11,569,214. Thus far this year the cities have received $10,512,848, down only 1.4 percent from the 2009 year-to-date total of $10,669,254. THE COMPTROLLER sent sales tax payments of $375.5 million to Texas cities, up 2.2 percent compared to last August. Calendar year-to-date, city sales tax revenues trail 2009 by 2.2 percent. Sales tax payments of $33.7 million will go to Texas counties, 0.2 percent below last August. So far in calendar year 2010, county sales tax allocations are down 5.6 percent compared to last year. In addition, $23.5 million in sales tax revenue goes to 169 special purpose taxing districts, up 11.1 percent compared to August 2009. Ten local transit systems will receive $123.5 million, up 1.6 percent compared to a year ago. For details of August sales tax payments to individual cities, counties, transit systems and special purpose districts, locate the Monthly Sales and Use Tax Allocation Comparison Summary Reports on the Comptroller’s Web site at www.window.state.tx.us/taxinfo/allocsum/compsum.html. Due to the Labor Day holiday, the comptroller’s next sales tax allocation will be delayed until Monday, Sept.13. Last Updated ( Wednesday, 18 August 2010 08:48 ) |
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