Pre-paid cell phone fee to help Dougherty Co. 911 center - WALB.com, Albany News, Weather, Sports

Pre-paid cell phone fee to help Dougherty Co. 911 center

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  • Wednesday, June 19 2013 12:10 PM EDT2013-06-19 16:10:40 GMT
    Ravi Mikel Givens was arrested Tuesday and charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute. He is being held in the Dougherty County jail. Givens, who played ball at Westover and Stetson
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    Officials say 38-year-old Melissa Right was traveling south on the highway when her SUV drifted across the center line and hit a tractor trailer.
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  • Wednesday, June 19 2013 10:16 AM EDT2013-06-19 14:16:37 GMT
    Demetria Porter, charged with causing the death of Ja' Kavion Davis, appeared before a judge at the Dougherty County jail this morning to hear the charges against her. She is charged with cruelty to a
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Dougherty County leaders hope to use a cell phone fee to improve the 911 center.

People who use pre-paid wireless phones pay a 75-cent fee when they buy the phone and add minutes to it.

The state collects the fee, but the county may pass an ordinance to keep the money here to help fund 911 operations and offset money being lost as more people move away from landline phones.

"If they do not pass an ordinance to authorize the collection of the fee, the money will still be collected as a state fee. It'll go to the state and it will wind up being distributed among those communities that have 911 centers and have actually passed an ordinance," said EMA Deputy Director Jim Vaught.

A new state law passed this year allows that change.

 

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