Ft. Benning marks Battle of Chickamauga

The post will hold a commemorative ceremony heralding the 100th anniversary of the Infantry School and the centennial of the Battle of Chickamauga on Thursday.

Events include a graduation ceremony for 205 infantry soldiers who have successfully completed a 14-week training course.

The 100th anniversary of the Battle of Chickamauga is of special significance to the 1st Battalion, 19th Infantry Regiment, which can trace its unit history back to the Civil War and that incident, according to an Army PAO statement:

During the battle, that unit the 1st Battalion, 19th Infantry Regiment, held fast, securing the Union Army's exposed left flank, a key position. The unit stood fast throughout a prolonged and bloody battle and earned a reputation as "the rock of Chickamauga."

Click here for more on the Battle of Chickamauga.

Chickamauga: reward for missing plaques

A $1,000 reward is being offered for century-old bronze plaques missing from the Chickamauga Battlefield in northwest Georgia.

The Civil War markers were placed by Indiana veterans in 1898 to commemorate their taking part in the 1863 Battle of Chickamauga.

Park officials say rangers discovered the plaques missing in September from the monuments of the 42nd and 88th Indiana Infantry Regiments.

Click here for more GPB coverage and features about Chickamauga.

Workers Started Walking Path that may Link Chickamauga to Cloudland Canyon State Park

Workers have started the first leg of a greenway that may one day link Chickamauga to Cloudland Canyon State Park on Lookout Mountain, an 18 mile walking path.

Walker County Road Department crews are preparing a 10-foot-wide paved corridor that will connect four city parks in Chickamauga in the first phase.

The route follows the old Durham Railroad that linked mountain-top coal mines at Durham to the beehive system preserved in Coke Oven Park.

The greenway will stretch from the 55-acre Crawfish Springs Wetland Park through Veterans Memorial Park, go under a railroad trestle, and continue on to Coke Oven Park.

(AP)

Cheney to help mark Ga. battle's anniversary

Vice President Dick Cheney will help commemorate the 145th anniversary of the Battle of Chickamauga this week.

Cheney will deliver remarks Friday at the event in Northwestern Georgia near Chattanooga, Tenn., as organizers begin a three-day re-enactment of the 1863 battle.

Chickamauga was the site of the Civil War's second-bloodiest battle and the South's last major victory.

(The Associated Press)

Click here for more GPB coverage about Chickamauga.

State announces land conservation grants

Two Georgia cities are getting special state grants for land conservation.

Tybee Island is getting a $206,000 Georgia Land Conservation Grant. Chickamauga is getting a $365,000 grant and an $875,000 low-interest land conservation loan.

Tybee Island will use the money to buy 14 acres on the north end of the island that are mostly salt marsh wetlands and maritime stand forest habitats. Chickamauga will use the money to protect the Gordon Lee mansion and grounds that date to the 1840’s.

Transportation committee makes recommendations for state

A committee of lawmakers who studied ways to fund transportation in Georgia issued its final report Wednesday at the Capitol.

The committee spent the past year criss-crossing the state and now has 18 recommendations for lawmakers. Suggestions include a constitutional Amendment to replace the 7-and-a-half percent tax on fuel, with a penny sales tax on other goods. It would allow regions like metro Atlanta to pass their own penny tax for transportation to be spent on projects only in that region. Senator Jeff Mullis of Chickamauga co-chaired the study committee, and said they were determined to do something for the state's transportation woes.

Lawmakers also want to have influence over transportation issues. They want regular reports from the DOT, and recommend the establishment of an official transportation oversight committee.

Ticket to ride: state lawmakers mull transit options

Columbus Deputy City Manager David Arrington
addresses the session. (Photo: Dave Bender)

State lawmakers continue a series of meetings around the state to come up with ways to improve Georgia's Transportation infrastructure. They are in Columbus this week.

Monday and Tuesday's sessions of the State Senate and House Transportation Funding Study Committee is the third of six such meetings.

Co-Chairman, Republican Senator Jeff Mullis of Chickamauga says the group is talking about a lot more than just funding:

"It's not just money; it's policywise, it's new technology that's come on-board, such as "HOT Lanes," which is "High-Occupancy-Toll-Roads" and new roads. We don't believe in tolling existing roads, but to create new lanes or new roads to do that, so that the user's paying for it -- and not just all the taxpayers."

Experts also talked to the committee about public transportation, air travel and port-facility improvement.

• Previous GPB News coverage of this issue is here.
• For more on this issue, click here.
• Detailed agenda and webcasts are here.

Presentation slide from the session illustrating
transportation modes within Georgia.
(Photo: Dave Bender)

In related news, the idea of a regional airport in northeast Georgia is gaining steam, with the re-activation of a dormant transportation commission. For more on that, click here.

Click the green arrow below to hear this report.

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Georgia Senate: Live Blogging Senate Debate on SB 31

As the State Senate begins debate on SB 31, the bill allowing Georgia Power and potentially other companies to charge customers for construction costs of nuclear power plants, two amendments aim to ease consumer watchdog concerns.

The first would require the Public Service Commission to look at the entire financial health of a power company when recovering costs.

Another amendment is expected shortly that would allow some seniors at or below the poverty line to be excluded from paying the bill.
11 36

Don Balfour, the Republican State Senator introducing the bill, says passage of this bill, will, among other things, help keep carpet manufacturing jobs in North Georgia

1140.

Democrat Rob Brown of Macon challeneges Balfour's assesment that Florida has a similar plan. Brown rightfully notes Florida is trying to stop their version of this bill.

1143

Senator Nan Orrock asks Balfour what about seniors who are paying into this, and might not be here when the power is produced?

"Seniors in my district aren't telling me they're going to die in six years," Balfour responds.

Balfour again mentions the carpet industry. Quick aside: Dalton Utilities owns a stake in Plant Vogtle.

1146

Orrock asks whether industrials got a carve out in this bill so they would get on board?

Balfour: That's not true. That's not true what so ever...

1147 (paraphrasing)

Orrock: Have you looked at the impact to the taxpayer, because the cost to power the state buildings would increase as a result?

Balfour: It will cost less in the long run, offsetting any increase begining in 2011 (when the charge is applied).

1150

Republican Senator Jeff Mullis of Chickamauga: Isn't true only Georgia Power has to go in front of the PSC to increase rates?

Balfour: Yes.

Mullis: Shouldn't every one have to go in front of the PSC to level the playing field?

Balfour: That would "cause a firestorm."

1155

Q: Isn't this about security for Georgia Power's rates?

Balfour: Yes. This provides security to GP.

1157-Real Debate Begins!

David Adelman: Balfour is a great guy who "is carrying a lousy bill for Georgia Power."

String music is playing from somewhere in the capitol and is flooding into the Senate Chamber, giving Adelman's speech a very dramatic effect as he talks about regulatory compacts. Imagine the theme from "Jaws" meets long discussion on nuances of power rate compacts.

1202

Adleman still talking. Says Southern Company is fine corporate citizen. Then says "What this bill does... is suggest the general assembly, should inject itself into the regulatory compact, on an issue, where the Georgia PSC staff as well as it's consultants, have said otherwise."

Adleman: This is not the first time Georgia Power has needed financing. The Georgia PSC has handled those before.

Transportation top issue for State Senate

Transportation top issue for State Senate

The Georgia State Senate is taking another crack at passing a transportation plan endorsed
by Atlanta Business Groups.

The current plan is very similar to a proposal that failed in the Senate last year---
it would allow voters in regions to decide whether they would want a 1 cent
transportation sales tax.
Senate Republican Majority Leader, Chip Rodgers says the plan puts the power of funding
transportation projects in the voters hands.


“We are certainly open to working with the house," Rodgers says. " If they have got a better plan, we’re all ears and, we’re certainly happy to incorporate it.”


Last year The plan was criticized by some rural and conservative senators as a road to higher taxes.
Those concerns helped kill that bill in the last hour of last year's session. Rodgers says he believes those concerns have been
worked out.


Jeff Mullis agrees. The Republican state senator from Chickamauga says Senate Leadership
is committed to passing the bill this year.

“You know, transportation is also the Lieutenant Governor’s priority in the General Assembly this year. He’s made no bones about it since the last session," Mullis says. " So hopefully with the Governor’s Office we’ll find a solution.”

Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle caught a lot of heat after the bill's failure last year. For it's part, the state House is now pushing a plan that is much more statewide in scope, but could make it harder
to fund the metro atlanta projects. Rodgers says negotiations will continue through the
session.

GA Nat'l Parks to Get Stimulus $$

Federal stimulus dollars will soon be headed our way to upgrade the state's national park sites. But, of the $750 million allocated to improve the nation’s parks, just a small portion of that … $2.4 million … is headed to Georgia.

At Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, a new $700,000 solar panel system at the visitors center, is expected to meet all of the park's electrical power needs. Park superintendent Stan Bond says the site will answer President Obama's call for developing green training opportunities.

"Part of this project will be with local colleges and universities and possibly local high schools, to help train students in green collar industries so they may have an opportunity then to move into that green collar industry as new and innovative technologies come about."

And, $380,000 will go to Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park to develop jobs for young people. Sam Whettle is the park's spokesman.

"They're going to work on trails and other projects that will improve the park's landscape. We're also going to do work on repainting historic plaques. These are the cast iron plaques that are located throughout the battlefield that show the strategic points of different units that were serving during that time. And, they'll also do work to restore trails and remove hazardous trees."

Additional stimulus dollars will go to the Cumberland Island National Seashore ($162,000 for solar powered lighting and to upgrade dormitories) and to the Chattahooche River National Recreation Area ($736,000 for five projects, including construction of a new comfort station).

Senate Committee Approves Confederate History Month

The Senate Rules Committee has approved a measure making April “Confederate History and Heritage Month” and sent it on to the full chamber for a vote.
Sen. Jeff Mullis (R-Chickamauga) says he sponsored the legislation to pay homage to his ancestors.

“It’s only appropriate for me, with a family who fought in the Civil War, a family who owned property where the battlefield exists now, to be part of such a bill to commemorate the War Between The States in Georgia,” Mullis says.
He says his resolution shouldn’t be controversial, but it is. It comes just days after African-American lawmakers called for an official apology from the state for slavery. Mullis says his legislation is not a response to their call, although he does not support it.

Candidate Launches 'Walk of Georgia'

State Rep. Austin Scott, a Republican candidate for governor in 2010 is embarking on a 1,000-mile "Walk of Georgia" tour. Scott, of Tifton, plans to start the tour Saturday at Chickamauga in northwest Georgia. The purpose of the walk is "to meet citizens, listen to their concerns, and ask for their support." According to a statement released Thursday by his campaign, the walking and listening tour will take Scott through 48 Georgia counties and dozens of cities and towns. The walk is set to conclude on the steps of the Capitol in Atlanta.

(Associated Press)

Tour crosses state lines

As the Tour de Georgia wound its way through the mountains of Northwest Georgia Wednesday, the steep climbs separated the front runners from the rest of the pack in a dramatic fashion.

The young Belgian cyclist Gianni Meersman won Stage Three, boosting his fellow members of the Discovery Team’s chances at a Tour victory.

But the surprising end of the race was not the exciting sprint to the riverfront of Chattanooga after 118 miles over steep terrain, but the 29-minute gap between the front 13 riders and everyone else.

With the field so narrowed, Thursday’s time trials in Chickamauga and up Lookout Mountain could determine the race’s eventual winner.

Spanish rider David Canada Gracia of the Saunier Duval team is the new race leader, taking the coveted yellow jersey from Italian Daniele Contrini of Tinkoff Credit System’s team.

Transportation Funding Study Committee wraps meetings

Finding money for Georgia’s transportation needs is the issue a committee of state lawmakers hopes to solve. They wrapped up two days of meetings in Atlanta today.

Members of the Joint Senate and House Transportation Funding Study Committee heard a number of proposed solutions, but it’s the bigger ideas that will be debated the next few weeks-—an additional statewide gasoline tax versus a sales tax.

Committee chair, Republican Senator Jeff Mullis of Chickamauga, says the emergence of non-taxed alternative fuels changes the equation:

"I think a sales tax maybe instead of a motor fuel tax could be the funding source".

House Speaker Glenn Richardson in his brief address to committee members says he's "willing to do anything, except do nothing" in solving Georgia's transportation woes. Richardson told reporters he would hope lawmakers in next year's General Assembly can consider a transportation sales tax, along with his own sales tax proposal.

The committee expects to come out with its recommendations in a few weeks for consideration by top lawmakers.

Cyclists "See Rock City"

Stage Four of the Tour de Georgia ended Thursday afternoon on Lookout Mountain with another Discovery Channel Team victory.

The cyclists still in the race sped through the Civil War battlefields of Chickamauga up Lookout Mountain in a different route from Wednesday's climb in Dade County.

The 18.9 mile time trial was over for most riders in under an hour as they flew into Rock City's Enchanted Gardens, one by one.

United States cyclist Levi Leipheimer won the stage with a time of 44:51. His victory, combined with teammate Gianni Meersman's win Wednesday in Stage Three, gave the race lead for the first time to fellow team member Janez Brajkovic.

Whether or not Brajkovic can hold on to the yellow jersey is debatable. But the chances of the eventual Tour winner coming from the Discovery team seem very high.

On Friday the Tour leaves Dalton and ends on top of Brasstown Bald, the highest point in Georgia. The towering climb is expected to narrow the field of potential winners even more.