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PAGE 8A 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. 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