A deal has been reached between GE and Electrolux. Swedish company will buy GE’s appliance division (owner of Roper in LaFayette) for $3.3 billion.

The deal will not be complete until 2015 (leaders hint at June 2015), so there won’t be any changes through at least the rest of this year; Electrolux will license the GE name and continue applying it to current product lines after sale is finished.

Roper employees on Monday were handed out this letter, written by the CEO of GE’s Appliances and Lighting division. The letter’s second page tells employees their jobs will be preserved for a year once the deal is done. After that all cards are off the table.

Read More on LU: Roper (Re)sale

An additional article in USA Today adds little new information but does mention Roper in LaFayette as part of the deal and a place where GE has invested money in recent years.       

During 2013, Commissioner Heiskell moved $1.4 million out of the county’s general fund to the “special recreation” fund that runs Mountain Cove Farms. She’s long insisted the money wasn’t from taxes but rather from water lines the county sold to itself.

During last week’s tax meeting, Heiskell admitted under pressure that the water lines were built with tax dollars, meaning the $1.4 million indirectly came out of YOUR pocket for HER special project. (An additional $.9 million was moved into the same fund a year earlier, taking the Farm up to at least $2.3 million since 2012 just from the general fund.)

The next and final tax meeting will be tomorrow at 10 AM.   

The Commissioner says we have financial problems and need a tax increase, but wild inappropriate spending at Mountain Cove Farms hasn’t stopped. Not hardly.

Walker County spent at least $10,000 in the last month installing this new lighting at Mountain Cove Farms in preparation for the upcoming fair. This photo was taken over the weekend; fresh hay shows where electrical lines were run across the property.

More photos of this project and other expensive purchases from the farm, like commercial kitchen equipment, flatscreen TVs, a pool table, and leather furniture inside rental “cabins,” are in the slideshow below.   

(Click to advance gallery – mouseover for captions.)

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Thursday Commissioner Heiskell hosted the first two of three meetings required by law before she can raise property taxes.

The 10 AM meeting was attended by roughly 60 people, most uninterested in more lies and excuses from the county queen. She fielded some questions but responded to many with incoherent answers or refused to answer at all, and on more than one occasion gave different answers when asked the same thing multiple times.

Here’s a typical exchange between Heiskell and 2012 election opponent Ales Campbell: Campbell reminded Heiskell of state law requiring a budget be set before taxes are raised, which Walker County hasn’t done. Heiskell says she’s always done it that way, and “..we’re not talking about that.”

During both meetings Heiskell played the following slides to make excuses why the county has less money coming in and requires a tax increase.

Apparently the 2011 tornado blew 47 properties off the map. They aren’t owned or taxed anymore. Funny how that works. Plus the darn old people and their not paying taxes. Apparently Bebe’s the only person in Walker County over sixty years old NOT responsible for this tax increase.

(Doesn’t inflation typically make things cost more? How does inflation make property worth less money and bring in less taxes?)

The REAL reason we have less money coming in is all the land she’s bought and taken off the tax list with SPLOST money. Where’s THAT on this slide?

That’s just a small sample. Video and audio recordings are still trickling in; more will be shared over the next week on LU Facebook and here on the blog leading up to the final tax meeting on Thursday 9/11 at 10 AM.               

Last night the Ramblers entered week two of the 2014 football season with a short trip to Chickamauga, facing Gordon Lee in a regular season game for the first time since 2003.

The Ramblers were initially on the ropes, down 0-14, but lept ahead to 22-14 by the end of the 3rd quarter. The final score was Ramblers 43, Trojans 22. That takes LaFayette to 2-0 for the season and leaves Gordon Lee with a 1-2 record.

Next week LaFayette will play here at home vs. Trion, also 2-0.                 

Insiders say Electrolux and GE will announce a deal next week to transfer GE Appliances (parent of Roper) to the Swedish conglomerate in a $2.5 billion deal.

A sale isn’t likely to have an immediate impact on Roper but could be disastrous for Walker County in the long term.   

Happy Labor Day! Now for today’s news…

More excuses: Now Commissioner Heiskell blames her planned 69% tax increase on Walmart in Trion, Costco in Ringgold, and economic development deals that exempt businesses from taxes – the kinds of deals she pays Larry Brooks to set up without job guarantees.

Linked article also reveals the tax increase will bring in MORE tax revenue than the $3 million she says we’ve lost. It’s essentially a million-dollar raise to prop up Heiskell’s pet projects.

Before Heiskell can raise taxes, she must comply with state laws requiring three public meetings about the milage rate change. She’s scheduled the first two of those meetings for this week: Thursday morning at 10 AM and Thursday evening at 6. The third meeting, where she will make her decision final, will be held the following Thursday (Sep. 11) at 10.

Every tax-paying citizen of Walker County (meaning all of us) should try to attend at least one of these meetings. While Heiskell is unlikely to change her mind or her plans based on constituent demands, she needs to know the voters don’t approve of her actions. A large turnout for the meetings will show her AND the media AND her blind supporters that the time for this kind of leadership is done.

If you can attend any of the meetings, please join this event page as a reminder. You’ll get updates about the meetings and various things being planned during them.     

WQCH Radio, 08/30/14: “A DOMESTIC CALL IN THE MARS THEATER DISTRICT LED TO A DRUG ARREST TUESDAY, ACCORDING TO LAFAYETTE POLICE.

“WHILE RESPONDING TO THE FIGHT CALL INVOLVING A MAN AND A WOMAN TUESDAY MORNING, POLICE HEARD THAT THE PAIR HAD LEFT THE ORIGINAL SCENE IN A CAR. A VEHICLE ANSWERING THE DESCRIPTION WAS PULLED-OVER AND THE DRIVER CONSENTED TO A SEARCH.

“OFFICERS SAID THEY FOUND A METH PIPE ON HIS PERSON, ALONG WITH MARIJUANA AND PRESCRIPTION PILLS IN THE CAR. 22 YEAR OLD JEREMIAH SAMUEL GODFREY OF LAFAYETTE CLAIMED THAT THE DRUGS WERE HIS, SO THE TWO OTHER OCCUPANTS OF THE VEHICLE WERE ALLOWED TO LEAVE.

“GODFREY WAS CHARGED WITH POSSESSION OF METH AND MARIJUANA, ALONG WITH A PROBATION VIOLATION.”

Mr. Godfrey was last arrested in December for forgery.

Nice of him to take the drug charge for his friends, but that may not hold up since his baby-mama later admitted (on LU Facebook no less) the drugs were actually hers. She also admitted, in a likely drug-assisted rant against LaFayette PD, to several traffic violations and endangering her child following Sam Godfrey’s arrest.

(Can we please stop referring to West LaFayette as “Mars Theater District” ? There’s no such thing – it’s a concept Mike Lovelady came up with to get government grants for his property.)   

This serious wreck in front of Saddle Ridge School during Thursday morning rush hour had traffic backed up for miles.

Per observers, a parent failed to yield and pulled out in front of the pickup truck depicted. None of the people involved were seriously injured.

Beyond verifying the uselessness of a “55 MPH” school zone sign, this accident again shows the need for a regular traffic light in front of the school and rrandom visits from law enforcement to make sure drivers on 27 AND exiting the school obey traffic laws and drive safely.

Be careful out there – the school year has just begun.   

Days before bulldozing one of the prettiest pieces of land in Noble, Walker County Development Director Larry Brooks admits to local media we still have no idea how many jobs the Project Eagle / Audia International investment will bring to the area.

WQCH Radio, 08/27/14: “WALKER COUNTY’S NEWEST INDUSTRIAL NEIGHBOR SENT MEMBERS OF THEIR HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT TO VISIT OTHER INDUSTRIES IN THE LAFAYETTE AND ROCK SPRING AREA, LAST WEEK.

“DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY DIRECTOR LARRY BROOKS SAID THEY WERE SENT TO ‘REACH OUT’ TO THEIR SOON-TO-BE INDUSTRIAL NEIGHBORS. FIRST, TO GET ACQUAINTED, AND SECOND, TO REASSURE THEM THAT AUDIA INTERNATIONAL WON’T BE TRYING TO ‘STEAL THEIR EMPLOYEES’. THE EXECUTIVES WERE ALSO LOOKING AT HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE ‘HANDFUL’ OF AUDIA EXECUTIVES THAT WILL RELOCATE TO WALKER COUNTY.

“BROOKS SAID AUDIA IS STILL DECLINING TO SAY JUST HOW MANY EMPLOYEES THEIR NEW OPERATION IN THE NOBLE BUSINESS PARK WILL BE HIRING.

“MORE EARTH-MOVING EQUIPMENT WAS BROUGHT ON-SITE LAST WEEK, AND MOST OF THE TREES AND HILLS THAT ARE NOW VISIBLE FROM U.S. 27 WILL BE TAKEN DOWN IN THE BUILDING PROCESS. THE ‘VIEW’ FROM THAT ANGLE, ‘WILL CHANGE DRAMATICALLY’ BROOKS SAID.”

Millions of dollars invested, the county’s natural beauty paved over, and he can’t guarantee a single job will be created when it’s all said and done. AND the company has essentially admitted it won’t be hiring any locals.

This is NOT how you do development deals.   

Final arrangements for Frances Middleton held today at Wilson Funeral Home.

The family asks for donations to help with funeral expenses instead of flowers. Those interested in helping pay for the poor lady’s burial can send a check to Wilsons at PO Box 1992, LaFayette or give online here. Middleton’s survivors apparently need about $4,000 to cover everything.

(As previously reported, Middleton was found dead last weekend in her LaFayette apartment after suffering a medical emergency and bleeding to death.)     

GBI autopsy finds Frances Middleton died of natural causes related to medical problems.

Per official reports, blood found in the home came from a burst vein in her throat. “Signs of struggle” seen in the apartment were caused by Middleton attempting to get out of bed and get help. There was no break-in, no foul-play, and no murder. She died within minutes and couldn’t have been saved even if she was inside a hospital.

Before autopsy results were released, Middleton was described as a friend of police, despite occasionally being arrested. A “local legend” known all over the community, nicknamed The Amazon due to her height.     

GA Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle will make a scheduled appearance this afternoon at Roper. (Roper employees have been asked to wear patriotic colors and hope to avoid another day of equipment trouble while a VIP is watching.)

Cagle is up for reelection this fall, facing Democrat candidate Connie Stokes.

You’re probably curious what the Georgia Lieutenant Governor actually does.

As it turns out, not very much.   

Since 2006, the US military has transferred gobs of extra equipment to civilian law enforcement agencies around the country. The New York Times has compiled a map showing what every county – including Walker – got.

Remember Sheriff Wilson’s armored tank? It’s in here, along with weapons and body armor.