Bibb County schools and presidential candidate Newt Gingrich have at least one thing in common: their choice for legal counsel.
In November, the Bibb County school board, in a 5-3 vote, chose Atlanta-based law firm Hall, Booth, Smith & Slover to handle the system’s legal services.
The law firm has offices throughout the state, as well as in Nashville, Tenn.; Charleston, S.C.; and the eastern European country of Georgia.
Some of Bibb’s services, including open records requests, have been handled through firm partner Patrick Millsaps’ offices in Camilla and Albany. Millsaps is serving as the lead attorney for Bibb County’s cases, although a team of lawyers is also handling them, he said by phone Friday.
Millsaps, former chairman of the Georgia Ethics Commission, also has been named deputy general counsel for Gingrich’s campaign, The Daily Report’s ATLAW blog reported this past week.
Millsaps said his work with Gingrich will not have an impact on the services Bibb schools receive, as he is part of a large network of attorneys.
“We have a 100-member firm,” Millsaps said. “They are well taken care of.”
Georgia College business school accreditation renewed
Georgia College & State University’s business school has renewed its accreditation for an additional five years.
The J. Whitney Bunting College of Business recently received accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Georgia College’s business school must go through the process every five years.
“Georgia College maintained its prestigious AASCB business accreditation through the hard work of the faculty, staff and students,” interim President Stas Preczewski said in a news release. “That dedication to excellence exemplified across the campus represents the heart and soul of this university.”
It is one of 643 business schools, just 5 percent of those around the world, to have accreditation from the association, according to the release.
In the report from the accreditation team, Georgia College’s business school was noted for its dedication to ethics and community service, as well as its efforts to diversify the student body.
In the past year, the J. Whitney Bunting College of Business also has received accolades from publications such as U.S. News & World Report and CEO Magazine.
Houston organization giving to schools
Six Houston County schools are the recipients of grants from the Houston County Heritage Foundation, which strives to support public education in the county.
Hilltop and Linwood elementary schools will each receive $1,000 in the coming weeks. The funds are to be used for a Delve into Digital project and Literacy Bags program, respectively, while Houston County and Veterans high schools will receive a little more than $400 for their Music in the French Classroom project.
Mossy Creek Middle School already has received $1,000 toward building a school barn, and Northside Elementary was awarded $960 for its Science eLABoration project.
Compiled by Telegraph staff Andrea Castillo and Caryn Grant.
