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HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL timtafpit Ibol^.ljuurual Perry Office 1210 Washington St. P.O. Box 1910 Perry, GA 31069 ‘ (478) 987-1823 See us online at www.hhjnews.com Reader □®f® Classified Advertising: Call (478) 987-1823 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. You can fax 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, GA 31069; (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 print a 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 State Briefs Democrats seek land Investigation ATLANTA (MNS) - A group of Democratic law makers are asking state and federal prosecutors to look into a 2004 Florida land deal between Gov. Sonny Perdue and a developer whom Perdue had earlier named to a state board. At a Wednesday press con ference, the legislators also called for an investigation into a tax bill, signed by Perdue in 2005, that gave him an estimated SIOO,OOO tax break on the land. Perdue’s camp quickly argued that the event was an attempted distraction from a scheduled discussion of allegedly illegal contribu tions to Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor, the governor’s Democratic challenger, set for today’s meeting of the State Ethics Commission. “Georgians need to know why their governor gets a tax cut when they don’t,” said House Minority Leader Dußose Porter, D-Dublin. In a letter to David Nahmias, the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Georgia, and state Attorney General Thurbert Baker, the four lawmakers argued that media reports about the deal between Perdue and devel oper Stanley Thomas raised serious questions. “I ask that your office take immediate action and open an investigation into this matter, specifically whether the Perdue Administration has provided any illegal benefits to Stanley Thomas or any of his companies in return for the extraordinary financial opportunity he provided to the Governor,” the letter says. “In addition, a thorough investigation is needed to determine wheth er the state legislative pro cess was wrongly manipu lated to provide a tax benefit to the Governor worth more YOUjk WEATHER TEAM! TODAY’S jUr Today's Weather Local 5-Day Forecast Fri 8/25 92/70 A few clouds early, otherwise mostly sunny. Humid. High 92F. Sunrise Sunset 7:06 AM 8:09 PM Georgia At A Giance \ 91/68 JN~\ Augusta \ y 92/71 V v \ *\ Savannah -Wyyt > i p er ® \ 91/73 / • 92/7& ... '\. x y ( / Valdosta -L w • 88/72 c** - )Ww m N Area Cities I city U Lofcond. | Albany 90 72 t-storm Athens 92 68 sunny Atlanta 91 68 sunny Augusta 92 71 sunny Bainbridge 91 74 t-storm Brunswick 87 77 t-storm Cartersville 93 68 sunny Chattanooga.TN 90 68 sunny Columbus 91 72 t-storm Cordele 91 72 t-storm National Cities Atlanta 91 68 sunny Boston 67 57 rain Chicago 87 69 t-storm Dallas 100 81 pt sunny Denver 79 59 t-storm ©2005 American Profile Hometown Content Service than $100,000.” Democrats admitted they have no evidence of ille gal activities on the part of Perdue or Thomas. Perdue appointed Thomas to the state Board of Economic Development in 2003. More than a year later, he paid Thomas $2 million for a plot of land near a toll road leading to Walt Disney World. Democrats say that land is now worth at least $9 million. In 2005, the gov ernor signed the tax mea sure, which was supported by Democrats who now say they were deceived. Officials say lender a part of fraud ring ATHENS (MNS) - Authorities have charged a lender in connection with a massive alleged mortgage fraud in southeast Clarke County another player in a scam investigators say required a real estate agent, attorney, appraisers and others to artificially inflate sales prices and falsify loan applications. Tina Rae Musselwhite, 43, was a loan officer with Meridian Lending Inc. of Loganville when she han dled loan applications for some of the deals in the alleged scheme that netted $7 million at the Milford Hills subdivision, according to Athens-Clarke police Det. Sean McCauley. Musselwhite, a Grayson resident now listed with Capital Mortgage & Financial Group, with offices in Atlanta and Stone Mountain, would not comment. McCauley said Musselwhite was the loan officer for “more than one” Milford Hills proper ty deal, but would not say how many. According to real estate records, Meridian Lending Inc. was involved in nearly 20 transactions in the subdivision. According to the detec Sun 8/27 90/70 Mix of sun and clouds. Highs in the low 90s and lows in the low 70s. Sunrise Sunset 7:07 AM 8:06 PM Sat 8/26 / 91/70 Partly cloudy. Highs in the low 90s and lows in the low 70s. Sunrise Sunset 7:06 AM 8:08 PM TFIE3VT WILLMON a little more livin’ . :ava:u*abi>v-"/n-EH-v.r.Xi ■> t sx.;s sol; I city dLo Cong. | Dalton 95 69 sunny Dillard 90 62 sunny Dublin 94 69 pt sunny Duluth 90 67 sunny Gainesville 92 69 sunny Helen 91 65 sunny Lagrange 90 68 mst sunny Macon 93 70 mst sunny Marietta 90 67 sunny Milledgeville 92 70 mst sunny Houston 92 76 t-storm Los Angeies 79 63 sunny Miami 89 79 t-storm Minneapolis 82 62 mst sunny New York 76 66 cloudy tive, the woman signed off on loan applications that had “glaring” irregularities that should have sent up red flags of possible mortgage fraud. “She was either involved or should have known” a fraud scheme was being committed, said McCauley, the lead local investigator on the case that’s being han dled jointly with the state attorney general’s office. Musselwhite was booked into the Clarke County Jail on a charge of violat ing the state Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act and later released on SIO,OOO bond. She and other alleged con spirators face up to 20 years in prison if convicted. Man shot after officer hit by car SAVANNAH (AP) - A Savannah man was hospi talized early Thursday after being shot by police officers when he tried to run them over with his car, according to authorities. Savannah-Chatham Police stopped Darin Lenard Manigo, 40, of Savannah at about 9:30 p.m. Wednesday during a sweep of an area where there had been sev eral recent crime reports. As officers were investigat ing after discovering he did not have a driver’s license, Manigo drove off, according to a release from the police. Manigo struck three police Centerville Downtown Development Authority Town Hall Meeting August 31, 2006 at 6:00p.m. City Hall Community Room 300 E. Church Street STATE AND REGION ci fi e i Jyry Math+wson Tk„,i, n y Mon 8/28 93/70 Times of sun and clouds. Highs in the low 90s and lows In the low 70s. Sunrise Sunset 7:08 AM 8:05 PM Moon Phases • New Aug 23 © Full Sep 7 UV Index Fri 8/25 Sat 8/26 Sun 8/27 Mon 8/28 Tue 8/29 The UV Index is measured on a 0-11 number scale, with a higher UV Index showing the need for greater skin pro tection. o m mam 1 6ty d LoM I Peachtree City 89 67 mst sunny Perry 92 70 t-storm Rome 94 69 sunny Savannah 91 73 t-storm St. Simons Is!andß7 77 t-storm Statesboro 95 75 t-storm Thomasville 90 73 t-storm Valdosta 88 72 t-storm Warner Robins 93 71 mst sunny Waycross 91 72 t-storm HiLoConct^l Phoenix 101 83 t-storm San Francisco 70 55 mst sunny Seattle 80 57 sunny St. Louis 94 74 mst sunny Washington, DC 88 69 pt sunny cars during the chase that followed. When officers sur rounded his vehicle after he struck the last two cars, Manigo struck one officer and tried to run over the others, according to the release. Five officers were involved in the chase and shooting. All were placed on admin istrative leave while the department investigates. Teenagers testify in sex case EATONTON (AP) - Two girls testified Wednesday that teenagers posed for sexually explicit photos and played with sex toys in the home of a former Eatonton police officer last Labor Day weekend. Darrell L. Sanders Sr., 45, and his 32-year-old wife, Jennifer, gave them alcohol and drugs, and she took a bubble bath with them before watching pornographic mov ies, the teenagers testified about a party including a group of 13- and 14-year olds spending the weekend at the home. They also said they smoked marijuana that Sanders had confiscated during traffic stops. The testimony came dur ing the first day of the for mer officer’s trial on charges of exploitation of children, child molestation, contrib uting to the delinquency of a minor and distributing marijuana. wr Tue 8/29 / 93/71 Partly cloudy with a stray thunderstorm. Sunrise Sunset 7:08 AM 8:04 PM t> First Aug 31 H Last Sep 14 I Very High Very High Very High Very High Very High 100037401^ OBITUARIES CURTIS RAY MORRIS CENTERVILLE - Ray Morris, 71, passed away Tuesday. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. today in the Chapel of McCullough Funeral Home with interment following in Centerville Cemetery. Morris was bom Nov. 2, 1934 in Americus. Survivors include his wife, two children, one brother, three sisters, four grandchildren and one great grandson. Bush to campaign fop Max Burns LARRYPETERSON Morris News Service SAVANNAH - President Bush is coming to Chatham County for Max Burns - a signal that the national Republican Party is going all out for the Georgia congres sional candidate. Bush is to be the featured speaker at a Sept. 7 fund raising luncheon for Bums at Pooler’s Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum. “You can probably get in for 100 bucks,” said U.S. Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Ga., “but if you want to give three or four thousand, they’ll be happy to provide that oppor tunity.” Burns, a Sylvania Republican, is trying to win back the 12th Congressional District seat he lost to John Barrow in 2004, and his polls say the race is a dead heat. Control of the House is up for grabs and the 12th is one of a handful of Democrat held seats the GOP thinks it can retake. But Burns is running far behind in the scramble for the campaign cash he needs to get his message to the district’s voters As of June 30, the end of the last campaign finance reporting period, Barrow had $1.3 million on hand compared to $733,393 for Burns. Bush’s visit should be a big boost, said Charles Bullock, a professor of political sci ence at the University of Georgia. “He’s going to raise a ton of money,” Bullock said. “He will be well positioned to go toe-to-toe with Barrow. ... (This race) could be pivotal to control of Congress.” Kingston, too, read signifi cance into the willingness of the president, who he said is due to give a speech in Atlanta on the same day, to appear for Burns. “The Republican Party believes it’s important that Max win. They (the White House) would not do it if ... (Burns) was out of the pic ture, but he’s closing in.” Tim Baker, Burns’ cam paign manager, did not deny that the president is coming, but referred inquiries to the White House. “Obviously though,” Baker added, “Max Burns would be delighted to have the presi dent here for him.” SHELTER TO SEE THESE ANIMALS, CALL HANNAH AT 478-338-0199, or email her at HJB@yAHoo.coM. HI, I would tel you my name, but I don't have one yet The animal control officer picked me up In a bad neighborhood. The type of neighborhood flat uses adrit dogs Ike me to IWit or as bait. lhntgutasss she rescued me. My previous owners ddn't take good care of me; I was very underwent and had a lot of worms. I Itched al the time from sometttig caled the mange. MINI that was aggravating. You shotSd see me nowll I am a Ittle butterbal, my skin Is dear and pretty none and I don't have anymore worms. The animal control officer looks at me with a sad face, but I don't know why because I am a good dog. I heard her say something about having to put the majority o( pit bußs and pit biJ mixes to sloop because they had a low adoption rate. Anywa* maybe someone special wl ove me a good home ■ml of the other cute modes. LOVE MVUire, NONANE 7 or s2l Adoption Fee, You can take home a companion! PAS IS SPONSORED BV: 904 Jernigan St. rnAvis Perry, GA 31069 iom p-w'i 478-987-2443 FRIDAY, AUGUST2S, 2006 ♦ Kingston described the event as “multi-tiered.” Guests pay a set amount to attend and additional amounts - running into four figures - to have pho tos taken with Bush or chat with him at a small recep tion. It’s not the first time the White House has helped Bums. Last October, Vice President Dick Cheney spoke at a Bums luncheon that raised an estimated $140,000. He was also the headliner for a May 2004 Bums luncheon at Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum that raked in $175,000. Despite the expected finan cial bonanza, Bush likely won’t much help Burns with voters in the 12th, which takes in most of Savannah. Bush fell just short of breaking even with Democrat John Kerry there in 2004. And the most recent state wide poll shows that more Georgians disapprove than approve of the president’s performance. Barrow’s response to the upcoming event was low key. “The president is always welcome,” he said. “While he’s here, I hope he has a chance to visit the Port of Savannah to find out first hand why we need to pass my Protect America First Act - to stop foreign govern ments, like Dubai, from buy ing up our nation’s ports.” Great Deals Free AD for items under SSO Call 987-1823 for details mamm WARNER ROBINS SUPPLY OF PERRY We Rent! 612 Ball St. Perry, GA 987-2334 .hg atJ? A irt % p®^. 3A 137072 00037246