(National Park Service)
Georgia economic development officials were left red-faced as a veteran state lawmaker said the department's plans to shutter a visitor center in former President Jimmy Carter's hometown of Plains violated state law.
The Georgia Department of Economic Development's budget plan eliminated $186,407 for the visitor center as part of agency budget cuts.
But at a budget hearing Thursday at the state Capitol, state Sen. George Hooks, a Democrat from Americus, said Georgia law dating from 1977 requires the state to "construct, operate and maintain a tourist center" near the home of any Georgian elected president.
Economic Development Commissioner Ken Stewart said he was not aware of the law and said "we will certainly go look at our options."
(AP)
Click here for more GPB coverage about budget cutting statewide.
Local residents examine overturned vehicle in SRH parking lot on March 2, 2007, the morning after the tornado struck. (file/Dave Bender)
Officials at Sumter Regional Hospital in Americus have decided to lease operations to Albany's Phoebe Putney Health System.
Sumter Regional was destroyed by a tornado on March 1, 2007.
Wrecking crews demolishing Sumter Regional Hospital earlier this year. The facility was severely damaged by a twister that tore through Americus on March 1, 2007. (file/Dave Bender)
Patients have been using temporary facilities nearby, and relying on other area hospitals for more comprehensive medical services since then.
Hospital officials say Phoebe Putney will add at least $25 million dollars to rebuild SRH, and will provide core primary and emergency services, according to a report in the Albany Herald newspaper.
Both hospitals are expected to finalize the agreement by the New Year.
Click here for more GPB News coverage of the tornado, and it's effect on SRH and Americus.
An oak tree struck the Plains home of former President Jimmy Carter as Tropical Storm Fay moved through southwest Georgia, according to a family member.
Jeff Carter, one of the former president's sons, says the tree struck the house Saturday night just above the living room. He says both his father and his mother, Rosalynn Carter, were at home at the time but neither was hurt.
The former president is scheduled to address the Democratic National Convention in Denver this evening.
Information from: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, http://www.ajc.com
(The Associated Press)
Wrecking crews demolishing Sumter Regional Hospital earlier this year. The facility was severely damaged by a twister that tore through Americus on March 1, 2007. (Dave Bender/file photo)
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)has approved 75 percent of a $7.4 million dollar bill for rebuilding Sumter Regional Hospital in Americus, ravaged by a tornado in 2007.
The $5.5 million FEMA aid will help equip several departments, including operating rooms and cardiac care.
State and local funding is expected to cover the remainder of the cost, according to a statement from the Governor's Office.
The hospital served as the primary care facility for seven counties until it was destroyed when a twister that ripped through Americus on March first of last year.
Meanwhile, patients are using temporary facilities nearby, that opened on April 1.
Two of a series of COGIM units set up in the hospital's parking lot, which serve patients in the interim, until a permanent facility is built. (Dave Bender/file photo)
Hospital officials say they hope to break ground on a permanent structure in early 2009.
Click here for more GPB News coverage of the twister's damage to SRH and Americus.
Sumter County School buses ferrying students to classes this fall will be making fewer stops, primarily to save on gas according to the Americus Times-Recorder.
The decision, by the Sumter County Board of Education, will affect students residing no more than one and a half miles from school. State law does not subsidize fuel costs up to that distance.
The familiar yellow buses will continue on the same routes, but will not stop at locations listed here.
Wrecking crews demolish ruins of Sumter Regional Hospital, severely damaged by the storm, February, 2008. (Dave Bender)
Governor Sonny Perdue and state officials will attend memorial services in Americus today, commemorating the one-year anniversary of a tornado that devastated the town.
The F-3 twister took two lives, and left a two-mile swath of destruction through the town on the night of March first, 2007.
Then and now: Doctor's Pharmacy, Americus, in Feb., 2008, and on the morning after the storm, March 2, 2007. (Dave Bender)
Perdue will join local officials and residents in mourning their loss, but, looking to a brighter future:
An anonymous donor has given a $1 million dollar donation to reconstruction efforts at the town's Sumter Regional Hospital, destroyed by the storm.
The SRH Foundation has received close to $4 million dollars in donations and equipment, according to local reports.
COGIM units set up in the hospital's parking lot, will serve patients in the interim until a permanent facility is built. (February, 2008/Dave Bender)
A temporary, 76-bed acute-care center will serve the community until a permanent hospital is built. It is slated to open in 2010. More information is available on the Internet at http://www.sumterregional.org.
Click here for more GPB News coverage of the tornado and the reconstruction.
Sumter Regional Hospital, Americus, Ga., Feb. 4, 2008. (Dave Bender)
On March first of last year, a tornado ripped through Americus, killing two and devastating the community. What did the city learn and what are their plans if such a disaster strikes again?
The force-3 twister ripped apart lives, homes, businesses and vehicles in a two-mile wide-swath of destruction. Although much of the external damage has been fixed, city and county officials are still dealing with deeper issues of planning and preparation.
Mary Ann Crowley directs the Americus chapter of Habitat for Humanity:
“These kinds of events and catastrophes in the lives of communities are not 30-minute sitcoms. They don't start and end when you want them to. You can't do the instant replay and skip the parts that you don't like.”Crowley says that long time residents of Habitat homes damaged in the tornado faced a welter of legal and insurance issues over ownership, that only a year later have been cleared up.
"Within 69 days the community was, essentially, cleaned up. The rebuilding, reconstruction has gone on - if you ride through town, you can see new buildings have been put up in place of the buildings that have been destroyed. We do still have some structures that are still, haven't been rebuilt; there are still some issues with insurance companies...”But the biggest issue in town is the local hospital. Sumter County Regional was destroyed by the tornado.
“We've applied for some grants from FEMA and GEMA; thus far, we have not received any for an emergency warning system.”Blount is hopeful he'll get such a system in the coming year. But one thing has changed for the better since the tornado - communication between the Police, Sheriffs Department, city and county rescue services:
“We have rectified that, so that now all the different emergency personnel can communicate with one another.”Turning to the home front, Blount says he's told residents that first and foremost they have to get their own houses in order. That means a supply of non-perishable food, water, an evacuation plan and an emergency radio with fresh batteries.
Destroyed vehicle in SRH parking lot. Hospital is in the background, March 2, 2007. (Dave Bender)
The hospital destroyed in a tornado that ripped through Americus nearly a year ago is for sale - one brick at a time.
Sumter Regional Hospital is selling bricks from the building ripped apart by the March 1st, 2007, storm to help pay for a new hospital. For months, doctors treated more than 5,400 patients in eight counties in tents set up near the hospital.
Since then, the facility has operated in a temporary structure.
Basic medical triage services were held in several tents like these, set up in the hospital's parking lot. March 2, 2007. (Dave Bender)
The bricks go for $25, $50 and $100 each. For more information, contact the hospital's marketing department at (229) 928-4000.
(Dave Bender)
The tornadoes killed nine people in Sumter, Taylor and Baker counties, and caused more than 210 million dollars in damage, demolishing dozens of Georgia homes and businesses.
Click here for more GPB News coverage of the twister and its aftermath.
(The Associated Press)
Local residents examine overturned vehicle in SRH parking lot the morning after the tornado struck. (Dave Bender)
Georgia Senate President Pro Tem Eric Johnson, and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter are teaming up to help Sumter Regional Hospital in Americus win a new, million-dollar MRI scanner, according to hospital officials.
The hospital used the diagnostic tool to serve thousands of area residents. But twisters that ripped through the town on March 1st destroyed the facility, ruining their existing scanner.
Officials say a new hospital is slated to open it's doors in 2010.
Americus is close to Carter's hometown, Plains.
Click here for more GPB coverage of the storm's aftermath.
Habitat volunteers at work. (Courtesy Habitat)
The Americus-based Habitat for Humanity organization has expelled 12 of the group's affiliates, according to a Habitat spokesman, two of them within Georgia.
Duane Bates, director of Habitat's media relations declined to name the Georgia affiliates, but said that:
“One had not tithed in over four years, and the second dissolved on a voluntary basis.”
Bates says the process of what the organization calls, "disaffiliation," with the US-based branches, began on March 9, 2006 for a variety of reasons:
Five were voluntary, meaning the affiliates were winding down their operations, and wanted to close. One affiliate was in the process of merging with another affiliate and would cease being an independent entity. Two of the affiliates had not reported the completion of a house in more than eight years. The others had not participated in Habitat For Humanity's tithes in more than four years.”
Click here for more GPB News coverage of events in Americus.
Construction workers at Sumter Regional Hospital in Americus, ravaged by a twister on March 1st, have erected the first of a series of COGIM temporary facilities.
COGIM unit. (Photo courtesy of The Americus Times-Recorder)
The 70,000-sq. ft. facility will hold 76-beds, and be fully functional, hospital officials say.
Federal and state organizations, donors and local volunteer groups been active in caring for SRH patients in the interim, as the construction continues.
SRH the day after the tornado struck. (Dave Bender)
Click here for more GPB News coverage of the tornado and the aftermath.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reports that $27,968,851 million in federal and state assistance has been approved by their organization and the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) to help eligible individuals, communities and counties recover from the March 1st twister and other storms that have ripped through Georgia.
Counties affected or aided include Baker, Clay, Crawford, Hancock, McDuffie, Mitchell, Muscogee, Stewart, Sumter, Taylor, Warren, Webster and Wilkinson counties, according to FEMA's latest update. Federal aid approved as of August 29, 2007 includes:
More GPB News coverage of FEMA/GEMA funding, and where much of it is went is here.
- $1,323,054 in disaster assistance has been approved through the Individuals and Households Program:
- $875,520 has been approved for Housing Assistance. This includes temporary disaster housing and help in restoring uninsured homes that were made unsafe, unsanitary or non-functional.
- $447,534 in disaster assistance has been approved for Other Needs Assistance (ONA). ONA awards are for disaster-related necessary expenses and serious needs such as medical or dental expenses; funeral expenses; moving and storage; transportation costs; and the repair or replacement of household appliances, clothing and necessary educational materials.
- $9,599,900 in loans has been approved by the SBA for homeowners, renters and businesses:
- $5,588,300 in loans for homeowners and renters.
- $4,011,600 in business loans.
- $93,235 in Disaster Unemployment Insurance has been disbursed.
- $16,952,662.23 in Public Assistance funds has been obligated.
- $ 2,463,344.34 state obligated
- $14,489,317.89 FEMA obligated
A county-by-county summary of Individual and Household Program assistance follows:
Georgia Tornado and Severe Storms Recovery Individual and Household Program: HA - Housing Assistance
ONA - Other Needs Assistance as of 8/29/07County HA Amount ONA Amount Total
Individual AssistanceBaker $120,988.24 $54,715.43 $175,703.67 Crawford $29,255.99 $4,391.52 $33,647.51 Dougherty $58,042.16 $1,711.86 $59,754.02 McDuffie $67,617.17 $47,142.07 $114,759.24 Mitchell $66,045.05 $3,104.73 $69,149.78 Sumter $313,717.04 $303,929.71 $617,646.75 Taylor $34,449.02 $11,756.77 $46,205.79 Warren $80,365.47 $350.00 $80,715.47 Worth $105,039.80 $20,432.09 $125,471.89 TOTAL $875,519.94 $447,534.18 $1,323,054.12
"No timetable - no funding, and there should be no further excuses. The Congress needs to stand their ground. They had a mandate from the American people in the election of November in 2006, and they need to meet that mandate."Speaking to some 2,000 students, faculty and area residents on the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, Edwards assailed the government's handling of the evacuation and resettlement of refugees.
Candidates Mitt Romney and John Edwards will make their cases at events in Atlanta and Americus on Tuesday and Wednesday.
In Atlanta, Republican candidate and former Massachusetts governor Romney is to reportedly hold a private meeting with supporters Tuesday evening. On Wednesday, Romney plans to attend a private fundraiser luncheon at the Grand Hyatt shortly before noon.
An aide told GPB News that Romney will talk about “a stronger military, stronger families and a stronger economy.”
Democratic contender and former South Carolina senator Edwards will attend a noon rally at Georgia Southwestern State University in Americus.
GSW alumnus, former President Jimmy Carter will reportedly introduce Edwards. Former first lady Rosalynn Carter and Edward's wife, Elizabeth, are also expected to attend the event.
A statement from the school said Edwards plans to talk about the "American Dream."
Americus residents inspect overturned SUV, shattered hospital
building at Sumter Regional. (Dave Bender)
The Federal Emergency Management Bureau has pledged to provide significant financial aid to Sumter Regional Hospital, hammered by a tornado on March 1st.
The announcement came on Friday as 60 temporary housing units, known as COGIM arrived at the facility's parking-lot.
Hospital CEO and President David Seagraves told reporters at the site,
“We are happy to say that FEMA is on board on the financial side of things to build a new hospital...”Hospital CFO Troy Hammett told the Americus Times-Recorder:
“FEMA’s not committed to paying a dollar amount, just 75 percent of what’s left after the insurance pays.”Hospital officials say the interim facility is expected to begin handling patients in November.