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Local officials oppose Family Connection merger
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A pitch to merge the Georgia Family Connection Partnership (GFCP) with a state agency has left some in Bryan County urging lawmakers to oppose the proposition.

In his 2012 budget, Gov. Nathan Deal proposed moving the GFCP under the Governor’s Office for Children and Family (GOCF). Combining the two agencies would save money on administrative costs, according to a spokesperson from the governor’s office.

But Wendy Sims, the director of the Bryan County Family Connection (BCFC), said merging the two agencies would change the goals and services for families and children in Georgia.

“A different organization will not have the same passion and fire that the partnership has currently,” she said.

The GFCP is a public/private partnership that gets a guaranteed grant from the state every year, Sims explained. There are 159 partnerships in Georgia, one in each county. The partnership was created 20 years ago to coordinate services for educational, social, economic and well-being of children.

GOCF was created in 2008, merging four agencies, according to its website. It is tasked with prevention, intervention and treatment for children.

For more, pick up a copy of the Feb. 2 edition of the News.

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Georgia Motorcycle Safety Program announces grant
Funds earmarked for Share the Road initiatives
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Grant funding totaling $93,458 has been awarded to the Georgia Motorcycle Safety Program (GMSP) by the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety. The approved funding will be used to increase motorcycle safety awareness and outreach by encouraging all motorists and motorcyclists to Share the Road.

“The need for motorcycle safety programs is greater than ever, and this support from GOHS enables motorcycle safety programs and impaired riding initiatives to reach riders and non-riders alike” said Commissioner Spencer R. Moore. “Thank you GOHS for helping (the Department of Driver Services) and GMSP educate and encourage all Georgia drivers to ‘Share the Road.’”

The grant allows DDS to further develop the Motorcycle Safety Outreach Program by continuing to fund a position to promote state and national safety initiatives. The GMSP outreach coordinator researches, coordinates and helps maintain an adequate presence at industry events, local schools and colleges, regional meetings and festivals to increase awareness of motorcycles on the roadways and provide the most current information on motorcycle safety initiatives.

Visitors to a GMSP event display are also encouraged to sign up for regular newsletters which provide additional safety information, as well as review the motorcycle safety message on other social media platforms.

GMSP regulates motorcycle training for new riders, as well as seasoned riders, who want to learn how to ride a motorcycle legally and safely. The program is based on a continuum of learning and therefore offers three entry points to rider education.

Students participating in the Basic Riders Course do not need specialized motorcycle equipment, as the GMSP provides both a motorcycle and a helmet to class participants. Upon successful completion of the course, participants receive a 90-day license waiver card that exempts them from both the written and on-cycle skills tests needed to obtain a Class M license in the state of Georgia.

Please visit the DDS website at www.dds.georgia.gov for many online services including the convenience of enrolling in a GMSP training class and accessing many licensing services.

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