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BARROW JOURNAL
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2008
ON THE SCENE
A GDOT worker and a Winder firefighter check gas levels in the air near the site of
the rupture.
Christmas takes a detour in Winder
A construction crew work
ing on the future site of a
new Walgreens drug store in
downtown Winder ruptured
a city gas main, forcing an
almost three-hour evacuation
of streets and businesses at
Winder’s busiest intersection
two days before Christmas.
The rupture occurred
just after noon on Tuesday
Dec. 23.
Barrow County sheriff’s
deputies, Georgia Department
of Transportation workers
and even a ranger from Fort
Yargo State Park assisted the
Winder Police Department
in keeping traffic off East
and West May streets, North
Broad Street and some inte
rior streets in the vicinity.
“That’s the major intersec
tion in Winder, and it takes
a lot to shut it down,” said
Winder Police Capt. Dennis
Dorsey.
Just after 2 p.m., Winder
firefighters and GDOT work
ers used hand-held devices to
measure gas levels in the air.
The odor of the leaking gas
also was detectable by smell.
It took two attempts for the
hole to be repaired.
"They thought they had
it fixed, but it didn’t hold,”
Dorsey said.
The repair was completed
at about 2:45 p.m., and the
streets and businesses were
allowed to reopen.
SCENE OF
DEATH
Law enforce
ment officials
gather at the
residence
where 14-year-
old Brittany
Nichole Brown
died Saturday.
GBI probing death of Hoschton teen
BY KERRI TESTEMENT
The Georgia Bureau of
Investigation says the results
of a toxicology report may
give more details into the
death of a 14-year-old girl in a
Hoschton house on Saturday.
Brittane Nichole Brown,
Hoschton, was unresponsive
when rescue, EMS and sev
eral area police agencies were
called to a house at 38 White
Street on Saturday afternoon.
Jim Fullington, special
agent in charge at the GBI’s
office in Athens, said an
autopsy on Monday didn’t
show any signs of foul play
or other physical indications
of death. A toxicology report
is expected to take 4-6 weeks
to complete.
Fullington said witnesses
indicated there was drug use
of prescription pills during
the incident, but tests haven’t
confirmed that. He added that
there were other “non-family
members” in the house at the
time of Brown’s death.
“It’s hard to tell at this
time,” Fullington said. “A lot
of this depends on the cause
of death.”
Hoschton police chief Dave
Hill said Monday that he con
tacted the GBI to investigate
the scene when he was given
information about the inci
dent.
Any possible charges of
other people will hinge on
the results of the toxicology
results, Fullington said. The
GBI continues to investigate
the case.
Law enforcement units
from Hoschton, Braselton and
Jackson County responded to
the scene, along with West
Jackson Fire Department and
EMS personnel and the coro
ner.
Brown was a stu
dent at Jackson County
Comprehensive High School,
where she participated in
basketball. She also enjoyed
spending time with her
friends, dancing, listening to
music and track, according to
her obituary.
Brown’s funeral will be
held on Wednesday, Dec. 31,
at 2 p.m., at Evans Funeral
Home in Jefferson.
In lieu of flowers, donations
may be made to the Brittane
Brown Memorial Fund c/o
Northeast Georgia Bank,
P.O. Box 130, Braselton, GA
30517.
Local families lose homes before Christmas
Four arrested by Statham Police Dept.
Fires forced two Barrow
county families from their
homes shortly before
Christmas.
The first family was dis
placed Dec. 19; the second
family Dec. 22.
According to Barrow
County Fire and Emergency
Services, firefighters arrived
at 213 Canyon Ct. shortly
after 6:15 p.m. Dec. 19 and
saw heavy flames at the rear
of the home.
The firefighters initially
tried to battle the blaze from
inside the house but had to
retreat. The house was exten
sively damaged.
Three days later, a family of
seven was displaced from their
mobile home by an 8 a.m. fire
at 864 Knollwood Dr.
“Because of limited access
to the home, firefighters were
forced to hand jack-hose lines
several hundred feet to reach
the location,” states a fire
department press release.
The home was extensively
damaged.
The causes of both fires
are under investigation by the
Fire Investigation Team. The
American Red Cross assist
ed the families, and the fire
department offered the ser
vices of the Children After the
Fire program.
Statham police from Dec. 22-28 arrested
four people and responded to three calls about
thefts. Those arrested included:
•Pamela Norris Johnson, 46, of 537 Hayes
Lake Road, Statham, simple battery in viola
tion of the Family Violence Act.
•Billy Ray Mobley, 66, of Statham, DUI
after allegedly running over mailboxes on
Broad Street.
•Carol Small, 48, of Winder, on a Walton
County warrant for an insufficient funds
check.
•Jeffery Andreas Wyland, 43, of 298 Hwy.
211, Statham, DUI.
INCIDENTS
The thefts reported during the week includ
ed:
•$70 taken from a cash register at the Waffle
House of Atlanta Highway.
•a plywood cutout of a donkey and a sheep
removed from a nativity scene in front of a
home on Baker Street.
• a pistol from a residence on Oaksprings
Street.
www.barrowjournal.com
Fits Wanted
Local photographer/artist is looking for pets
for a special project. You will be compen
sated for your time with a complementary
session and a gift portrait. If you think you
would be interested in participating in this
art project, please call Bentley Photography
for information.
Only a limited number of participants
will be chosen for this special project.
This project is scheduled to be completed
by January 31, please call the studio today
to take advantage of this opportunity.
Questions?
Call
770-867-2853
*Portraits will be used for display and an artbook
creation. You will be asked to sign a copyright
release for this purpose.
www.bentleyphotography.com
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