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HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL Muusfcm jnunml • Perry Office 1210 Washington St. P.O. Box 1910 Perry, QA 31069 (478) 987-1823 See us online at www.hhjnews.com Reader □KF® Classified Advertising: Call (478) 987-1823 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. You can tax an ad 24 hours a day to (478) 988-9194. Display Advertising: Call Nicole Crofutt at ext. 224. Delivery by mail: Delivery by mail is available for $62 in-county and SB2 elsewhere per year paid in advance. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: P.O. Box 1910, Perry, GA31069 The Houston Home Journal, A peri odical, mailed (ISSN 1526-7393) at Perry, Ga., is published Tuesday through Saturday for $62 per year by Evans Newspapers Inc., 1210 Washington St., Perry, GA31069: (478) 987-1823 Fax (478) 988-1181. Not published Thanksgiving and Christmas. Office Hours: The office in Perry is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. NEWS TIPS: Call (478) 987-1823 ext. 231 Newsroom Fax: (478) 988-1181 Presentation editor: Contact James Tidwell at jtidwell@evansnewspapers.com Corrections: The HDJ strives for fairness and accuracy, and will prints correction or clarification when one is in order. Call ext. 231. Advertising errors and omissions: The advertiser agrees that the pub lisher shall not be liable for damages arising from errors in advertisements beyond the amount paid for the space actually occupied by that portion of the advertisement in which the error occurred. There shall be no liability for non-insertion of any advertisement beyond the amount paid for such advertisement. This newspaper is a member of The Georgia Press Association, The National Newspaper Association and The Associated Press Sinre Briefs Police: man running home repair scam ATHENS (MNS) - A shady contractor who spent time in state prison for a home improvement scam is at it again, this time victimizing at least six Clarke County homeowners, police said. Steven George Stratacos took half his fees up front, then disappeared after doing minimal work on projects for which he was paid about $52,000, according to police. Police on Monday obtained arrest warrants charging Stratacos with six felony counts of theft by decep tion, though authorities did not know his whereabouts, police said. “The victims say he’s a very smooth talker,” said Athens-Clarke police Det. Taylor Bell of the Criminal Investigations Division’s financial crimes unit. “A lot of (contractors) don’t ask for half their money up front, but apparently he was able to get away with it.” Stratacos, 42, explained to customers he needed to be paid in advance so he could buy supplies, according to Bell. Stratacos was released from the Clarke County Correctional Institution in August 2004, after spending 15 months behind bars for taking $92,000 from a Hall County family for renova tions he didn’t complete. Stratacos has used sev eral aliases, including Steve Tyson, and for the alleged Clarke County scams called himself Steve George, Bell said. He named his company King Craftman of Colbert. He solicits jobs by plac ing flyers in mailboxes, Bell said, and uses false refer ences posing as satisfied cus tomers. Stratacos showed up in Clarke County in February, when a Homestead Drive YOUR WEATHER TEAM! [TODAY'S Local 5-Day Forecast Thu 8/24 / ' x 92/69 Scattered clouds with the possibility of an isolated thunder storm developin. Sunrise Sunset 7:05 AM 8:10 PM Georgia At A Glance \ 1/ \ Atlanta V \ 90/69 q -—mi. Augusta \ ,/ 90/71 \ / \ Warner Robins \ \A V V V Savannah ) Perry \ 91/73 ® ) 91/70 & { Valdosta \jJ « 89/73 Area Cities | City HI Lo Cond. | Albany 91 72 t-storm Athens 90 68 pt sunny Atlanta 90 69 pt sunny Augusta 90 71 t-storm Bainbridge 92 74 t-storm Brunswick • 88 77 t-storm Cartersville 92 68 pt sunny Chattanooga,TN 89 67 mst sunny Columbus 92 72 t-storm Cordele 92 72 t-storm National Cities I City L° Con.d. 1 Atlanta 90 69 pt sunny Boston 70 59 pt sunny Chicago 82 67 t-storm Dallas 99 81 t-storm Denver 89 61 t-storm ©2005 American Protile Hometown Content Service property owner hired him to build a shed for $4,000. Bell said Stratacos was paid $3,000 for the job, but only completed half of the structure’s frame. Stratacos then victimized five other Clarke County homeowners in similar scams, the detective said, and Oconee County arrest warrants charge him with three more alleged scams. Stratacos also stiffed day laborers and students work ing summer jobs by not pay ing their wages, Bell said. Most recently, a local cou ple hired Stratacos to com plete a $27,000 makeover of their house on St. George Drive off Timothy Road in southwestern Clarke County. Accordingto Bell, Stratacos got a 10-page contract to paint, install new flooring, lay tiles and do other reno vations to the house. Work began July 8, but the contractor disappeared after ripping up flooring, accord ing to Bell. Stratacos has an arrest record “going back quite a while,” Bell said, at least to 1998 when he was charged with theft for taking money to repair four tornado-dam aged houses in DeKalb County. He was acquitted after a jury trial. Professor is louitd guilty of homicide AUGUSTA (MNS) - A jury deliberated less than an hour on Tuesday before con victing a medical school pro . fessor on charges of second degree vehicular homicide, a misdemeanor, and driving the wrong way on a divided highway. The Richmond County Superior Court jury acquit ted Dr. Mohammad A. Behzadian of a vehicular homicide charge that could Sat 8/26 90/70 ' Partly cloudy, chance of a thunder storm. Sunrise Sunset 7:06 AM 8:08 PM Fri 8/25 93/70 Partly cloudy, chance of a thunder storm. Sunrise Sunset 7:06 AM 8:09 PM TRENT WILLMON a little more livin’ ava:i.abi.b •■WEnrtßn Mrsic is soi.r: |6ky WLo Cond. | Dalton 93 69 pt sunny Dillard 87 62 pt sunny Dublin 93 69 t-storm Duluth 89 67 pt sunny Gainesville 90 70 pt sunny Helen 89 65 pt sunny Lagrange 91 68 pt sunny Macon 92 70 t-storm Marietta 90 67 pt sunny Milledgeviile 91 71 t-storm I city Houston 93 75 t-storm Los Angeles 82 65 sunny Miami 87 79 t-storm Minneapolis 76 67 t-storm New York 74 66 t-storm have sent him to prison for three to 15 years. Just after 10 p.m. Feb. 28, 2003, Behzadian crashed his vehicle head-on into a Toyota driven by 18-year old Brandon Layton. The Lakeside High School senior died of massive internal injuries. “We’re grateful the jury recognized this tragic event for was it was,” said defense attorney Michael C. Garrett. “It was a mistake. It was a man who made a wrong turn at a dark and danger ous intersection.” Behzadian, 60, turned onto River Watch Parkway from Stevens Creek Road. He intended to go west, toward his Evans home. But, he admitted in testimo ny Tuesday, he turned into the eastbound lane of the divided highway. Behzadian had one glass of wine with dinner, an amount corroborated by the blood alcohol test result of no more than .015, his attorney noted in his clos ing argument. Neither he nor Behzadian explained the metabolites of stimulant and pain control medicines in the doctor’s urine. But, Garrett argued, the drugs were no longer in the bloodstream -- no longer able to impair his driving that night. Layton’s blood tested neg ative for alcohol and drugs. Suspected copper thieves arrested COVINGTON (AP) - Police arrested two people suspected of stealing copper wiring from Bell South Corp. after a third suspect left a Best Cooks In Perry! STATE AND REGION Meteorologist Jerry Mathewson "Where Middie Georgia Turns *sr News* • Sun 8/27 93/70 Isolated thunder storms. Highs in the low 90s and lows in the low 70s. Sunrise Sunset 7:07 AM 8:06 PM Moon Phases New Aug 23 Full Sep 7 UV Index Thu 8/24 H Very High Fri 8/25 I Very High Sat 8/26 ■ Very High Sun 8/27 H Very High Mon 8/28 |g Very High The UV Index is measured on a 0-11 number scale, with a higher UV Index showing the need for greater skin pro tection. 0 11 % U\ Lo Cond. Peachtree City 89 66 pt sunny Perry 91 70 t-storm Rome 93 69 pt sunny Savannah 91 73 t-storm St. Simons Islandßß 77 t-storm Statesboro 94 75 t-storm Thomasville 91 73 t-storm Valdosta 89 73 t-storm Warner Robins 91 71 t-storm Waycross 91 72 t-storm Phoenix 103 85 pt sunny San Francisco 71 54 mst sunny Seattle 74 56 pt sunny St. Louis 93 70 sunny Washington, DC 88 69 t-storm wallet at the scene. Covington Police said they had stepped up patrols because of several recent copper wire thefts at the Bell South complex. At about 4 a.m. Monday, they noticed a black Ford Ranger parked near where the copper had been sto len. Officers found 15 rolls of copper wire in nearby woods, and a trail leading from Bell South toward the truck, Officer Paul Madsen said. In the truck they found a wallet containing informa tion that led them to a home in Douglasville. There, they found 36-year-old Archie Ray Underwood Jr. hiding in a storage building. Although he was not the owner of the wallet, he admitted involve ment in the thefts, police said. He is charged with fel ony theft and criminal tres pass, they said. Later that morning, Georgia Ann Day, 48, con tacted police and said the truck was hers. Day was arrested and charged with theft and providing false information. Police said more arrests are expected. Copper theft has been on the rise throughout Georgia in recent months as copper prices have surged on global commodities markets. Police arrest fourth in slaying ATLANTA (AP) - The WE BUY GOLD! Satterfield & Dempsey Jewelers 100 H. Houston lake Hd • Centerville. C 4 t'v jt ■ .'..<•>% . JHhhh| Mon 8/28 / 93/71 Partly cloudy, chance of a thunder storm. Sunrise Sunset 7:08 AM 8:05 PM First Aug 31 vs Last Sep 14 (MHi.V.973 USDA declares state drought disaster Crop losses nearing SIB By VICKY ECKENRODE Morris News Service ATLANTA - Farmers throughout Georgia can now apply for emergency loans because of the with ering drought affects on crops this year, state officials announced Tuesday. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has declared 155 of Georgia’s 159 counties as primary natural disaster areas. The four remaining coun ties - Fannin, Gilmer, Towns and Union - decided to wait until harvest time to turn in damage reports, but farmers there also are included in the declaration because they are located next to the pri mary disaster counties. Growers have racked up more than SBOO million in damages this year since March because of the heat and lack of rain, according to the University of Georgia Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development. State Agriculture Commissioner Tommy Irvin described this year’s drought as one of the most costly ones in his 37 years heading up the department. “I would predict it runs in the top two since I’ve been commissioner,” he said. Gov. Sonny Perdue, who applied for the disaster dec laration earlier this month, said the drought conditions have been devastating to farmers and farming com munities. “Georgia farmers have sustained significant eco nomic losses due to the dry conditions in Georgia, and I’m pleased that financial relief will now be available to them,” he said in a state ment. Farmers will be eligible for low-interest loans through fourth suspect in the killing of a Morehouse College stu dent in suburban Clayton County was arrested Tuesday in Chicago, authorities said. Theodore Holliman was apprehended by investiga tors with the U.S. Marshals Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force on a warrant charging him with aggravated assault, kidnap ping, burglary and murder in the death of Carlnell James Walker Jr. Clayton County police say Walker, 23, was bound, gagged, beaten and stabbed before being shoved into the trunk of his car on June 20 after Holliman and three others broke into his home. The U.S. Marshals Service said Holliman was observed exiting a vehicle and enter ing the home of a girlfriend in Chicago. Investigators found Holliman hiding in the clos et, and he was arrested with out incident. Police already have arrest ed two former Morehouse students and one current student in the attack on Walker. They believe the killing was motivated by a $3,000 insurance settlement that Walker was expected to receive. SUGARLOAF A Lovely Sidewalk Community In Perry These Homes are quality built all brick homes. We have 3 & 4 bedroom homes starting at 131,900 Homes have features such as custom cabinets, fireplace, sod, sprinkler system. Builder is giving a $5,000 bonus if you contract on one of our last 2 completed homes and close within 30 days We have a new loan program available to use that is a 100% loan with no PMI. Information Center open daily Mon, Thur, Fri 12-6 weekdays, Sat 11-5 Sun 1-5. Stop by and visit with Karen or give her a call at 954-HOME (4663) Located on the Perry Parkway right across from the new Court House Coming Soon Another CARTER-WILKES S/D REMINGTON CHASE CONSTRUCTION, INC. m. tU (478)971-2115 331 Margie Drive, Warner Rodins, GA. 31088 Disclaimer: Bonuses based on certain completed homes only Loan program based upon credit and may not apply to all purchasers THURSDAY, AUGUST 24, 2006 At A Glance CROP DAMAGES Here are estimates in mil lions for agriculture losses of some crops because of drought and excessive heat since March: Crop Losses Cotton $239.5 M Peanuts $101.4 M Com $40.1 M Tobacco $25.3 M Hay, forage $107.6 M Pasture $224.3 M , Pecan $49 M (projected) Source: University of Georgia Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development the USDA Farm Service Agency and will have to show the extent of their losses and the ability to repay. “I think a lot of our farm ers have no choice but to take advantage of it,” Irvin said. Irvin also said he hopes federal lawmakers move on disaster funding when Congress reconvenes next month. A $4 billion drought relief package is waiting for a vote in the Senate. The USDA has made disas ter declarations similar to Georgia’s in 23 other states this year. U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., said Georgia has the second-highest number of disaster designated counties off all the states now covered under declarations. “Georgia is not alone in facing disaster condi tions, and as I have trav eled the country over the past month, more and more producers everywhere are experiencing drought condi tions,” Chambliss, chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, said in a state ment Tuesday. “We will continue to close ly monitor these disaster conditions.” ’ "advertisement ; Hearing Tests Set ; ;for Senior Citizens; Free hearing tests will be ( I given at the Beltone Hearing | l Care Center at 212-A Hospital i l Dr. in Warner Robins on I I Monday, Tuesday, Wednes-I ■day, Thursday, and Friday' 'from 9:00 to 5:00. Board Certified Hearing .Instrument Specialists, Jack ( I Corry, II and Betty Schwartz | I have almost 40 years combined | I experience in the hearing I l healthcare field. I ■ Everyone who has trouble l 'hearing or who has loved' ones with hearing difficulty is welcome to take advantage. lof this service. Some of the ( l causes of hearing loss will | Ibe explained and recom-i Imendations will be made. I ■ Test results will reveal l ■if medical treatment or' ' hearing aids will help. Yearly testing is recom l mended, especially for those ( I with hearing difficulty. | I Current hearing aid users andi I those who have been told I • previously nothing could! ■be done for them should be 1 'tested to determine if new technology would benefit ,them. ! Call for your appointment t ■ so you won't have to wait, i : 929-4567 j 3A 00036365