Entries by Staff Writer

The Banks County Sheriff’s Office investigator Dan McDuffie is investigating the disappearance of a Gillsville woman.
Brenda Burton Mashburn, 50, has not been heard from in six months.

McDuffie stated family members say Mashburn was living with her longtime boyfriend at a mobile home in the 900 block of Henderson Road at the time of her disappearance. Mashburn was reported missing by family members on Oct. 4, 2010.

McDuffie met with Georgia Bureau of Investigation agents to discuss what he knows about Mashburn and her disappearance. He planned to turn the case over to the state agency believing it may have additional resources to locate the woman.

[Full Story »] 

BY JOHN KONOP

Math 123 may be a well-intended effort to prepare students for a globally competitive workplace, but it’s a proven failure that’s causing substantially more harm than good. Math 123 radically changed our high school math curriculum without properly reviewing it with teachers and parents. It replaced the traditional math sequence (Algebra I & II, Geometry, and Trigonometry) with Math 1, Math 2, and Math 3, which teaches each subject in parallel, rather than starting and completing one topic before moving on to the next.

Every Georgia child is now required to pass Math 123 to graduate from high school, which means they must complete the equivalent of Algebra II. That is too aggressive of a goal for some students. Prior to Math 123, less than one-third of students were able to complete Algebra I. Those that can’t pass Math 123 are dropping out of school in shocking numbers, which damages their self-esteem and long-term economic prospects. Many resort to taking the GED, which doesn’t require Algebra II, in an effort to salvage their futures. [Full Story »] 

Following a 17-minute closed session Wednesday morning, the Banks County Development Authority released the names of the three finalists for the newly-created Banks County Community Developer position.

The three finalists are Dan Gasaway, Homer, Gerard “Pepe” Cummings, Jefferson, and Bradley Day, Dawsonville.

No time frame was given on when a final decision would be made. A salary range also has not been released.

The Development Authority and board of commissioners have held several recent closed meetings to discuss personnel with this issue apparently being a topic of discussion. Monday morning, the two boards met in closed session for approximately one-and-one-half hour meeting to discuss personnel, as well as land acquisition. When the meeting was re-opened to the public BOC, chairman Milton Dalton stated there was no action to report. The development authority did not have a quorum for that meeting.