Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

Perry names Gray deputy chief By CHARLOTTE PERKINS Journal Staff Writer Joel Gray, a Floridian with nearly 25 years of experience in firefighting, fire preven tion and investigation, will take the helm at the Perry Fire Department Tuesday. The announcement, which followed an extensive search, multiple interviews and a background check, was made Friday morning by Public Safety Director George Potter. Gray’s wife, Karen, pinned the Deputy Fire Chief badge on her hus band’s shirt as part of the ceremony. Gray will head the fire department with a Loud and proud and formerly with a legal organ for Houston County, / shroud of megai activity * city of Perry, city of Warner Robins and city of Centerville pol,ce BEAT_SA VOLUME 136, NUMBER 173 Weekend September 2,2006 The Home Journal’s FRONT PORCH IN SPORTS ■ Football and plenty of it. But, that's not all. You will also find writeups on the county’s softball and volleyball teams. Also, look for a preview of Georgia Tech's matchup with Notre Dame, the Bulldogs' notebook and the latest from NASCAR. - See 6A IN BRIEF Miller Elementary sets council dates Miller Elementary School has set its School Council dates: They are Sept. 13, Nov. 15, Feb. 7, 2007 and May 9, 2007. All, according to a release, will be held in the data room and begin at 7:30 a.m. BIRTHDAYS Today ■ Jeannette Underwood ■ Cheryl Snay ■ Shawn Cartwright Sunday ■ Lois Underwood ■ Angela Cameron ■ Judy Arrowood Monday ■ David Sherman ■ Donnie Patterson ■ Sheila Dean INDEX LOCAL 2 A WEATHER 3 A OPINION 4 A SPORTS ‘. ... .6 A LIFESTYLE 1 B COMICS 5 B CLASSIFIED 6-7 B PERIODICAL 500 eiolll 4 Award-Winning XTdAJSk Better Newspaper Vyr IjjW Contest i.iii •n COOI * GEORGIA NEWSPAPER PROJECT Matrs Library UN IV OF GEORGIA ATHENS GA 30602-0002 3-OtGIT m September 2, 2006 I "I was in a hotel room working on an investigative report that morning, and I heard the lirst news report... I went down to the fire hall to be with the firefighters and we watched together.” - New Perry deputy fire chief Joel Gray, on y-n, and on what inspired him to leave his private sector job and return to public service back in the fire department salary starting at $60,000. Perry City Manager Lee Gilmour explained that under the recently-adopted organizational structure, Potter will continue as Public Safety Director. Gray, %■ I i " " *p | W Bnj|| *- r ) f- JPnPK & VHh mßmggigr iff' - *3m 1 9ttF m j ft IrIiSHF M 'BVjSB lOnBBBHi Jptj El ~r **”" .jl *3 ENI/Gary Harmon Houston County’s Craig Presley gets airborne while trying to block Ricardo Negron’s punt in the Eagles and Bears’ season opener Friday in McConnell-Talbert Stadium. Four locals make judge short list By RAYLIGHTNER Journal Staff Writer Four local attorneys have made the short list to fill the recently approved third judgeship on the Superior Court of the Houston Judicial Circuit. The third Superior Court judgeship was approved by the General Assembly in this past session. “The Judicial Council of Georgia recom mends the judges based on population and ranked Houston County number one in the state,” explained Houston District Attorney Kelly Burke. Governor Sonny Purdue will appoint the judge to fill the position, with a two-year term that begins Jan. 1, 2007. The position will come up for election in 2008 for the term that begins in Jan. 1, 2009, Burke explained. “The governor’s Judicial Nominating Commission received nine or 10 nomina tions, with some not com pleting the questionnaire,” Burke said, “as they didn’t want the job.” The JNC has submitted the following recommenda tions to fill the vacancy on the Superior Court of the Houston Judicial Circuit: Jeffrey L. Grube, Katherine K. Lumsden, Walter G. as Deputy Fire Chief, will report to Potter, as will two Perry Police Department Captains. As far as titles go, there is no “Fire Chief” in Perry now. Nor is there a “Police Chief.” WWW.HHJNEWS.COM Grace landing Here comes the judge ... possibly Jeffrey L. Grube, 52 - sole practitioner, Warner Robing since 1982. Grube is one of the few in the county qualified to defend death penalty cases. . / Katherine K. Lumsden, 35 - Chief Assistant District Houston Judicial Circuit since 2000. Lumsden tries murder and Violent crimes for the District Attorney’s Office. Waiter G. “Bo” Sammons Jr., 48 - partner; Sammons & Sammons; Warner Robins, since 1996. ' Bob Turner - sole practitioner, Warner Robins, formerly with the firm of O’Neal, Long and Hall. He was recently nominated to fill the vacancy created by the death of Houston County Chief Magistrate Judge David Pierce. He is scheduled to be confirmed and sworn in by the County Commissioners on Tuesday. 4sa«P * ' . “Bo” Sammons Jr., and Bob Turner. Of the four nominees, Burke said, “I’m supporting Katie for the position. I’m making no secret about it. I’ll tell the governor and the commission that she’d be a great choice.” The short list was compiled by the 19-member Judicial Nominating Commission, appointed by the governor to interview and select a short list for judicial vacan cies in the Georgia Supreme Court, Court of Appeals and Superior and State courts. The committee is chaired The Grays will move here from Clearwater, Fla. where he is leaving the position of chief of the city’s Fire Prevention and Investigations Division, and has been third in command of the department, which serves a community of over 100,000. He and his wife were already looking at houses in Perry on Friday. Gray’s first day of work in his new post will be Tuesday. Gray said he decided on a career in firefighting after volunteering with the Safety Harbor Fire Department in Florida. In his early work See GRAY,page 10A by former Attorney General Mike Bowers and includes local attorney Mike Lpng of the firm O’Neal, Long and Hall. Long also serves as attorney for the county and the Houston County Development Authority. The Judicial Nominating Commission was created by executive order at the very beginning of Perdue’s administration, said Shane Hix, Perdue’s spokesman. Nominees were also announced for appointments in five other judicial circuits. There are three for Superior Court - Blue Ridge Judicial Ip mjj Journal/Charlotte Perkin* Karen Gray pins the deputy chief badge on husband, Joel, during a ceremony Friday. Circuit, Coweta Judicial Circuit and Paulding Judicial Circuit - and two for State Court - Gwinnett County State Court and Toombs County State Court. The final candidates will now interview with the governor. Each candidate already has interviewed with the commission. “There is not a specific timetable for appointments,” Hix said, “but it will be done as quick ly as possible. With so many nominees, it should be done in the next several weeks.” The new judge will See LIST, page 10A aa I:\ a\s Family Newspaper TWO SECTIONS • 18 PAGES Below the fold ■ Four local attorneys named to short list to fill judgeship ■ Vision 20/20 has plan to improve fire service is l SPLOST refund on the horizon? By RAYLIGHTNER journal Staff Writer The 2001 Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax was for SBS mil lion over five years. The 2001 SPLOST “dis continues the end of this month, (August) with the last check coming from the state in December,” said County Director of Administration Steve Engle. In March voters approved a renewal of the SPLOST, this one for six years and $l3O million starting in January with the first check coming in March. With the 2006 SPLOST, any additional money will go toward additional jail pods at •the Houston County Detention Center. Legislation recently changed on the rules for SPLOST, no longer lim iting the amount that See REFUND, page ioA Vision 20/20 comes up with fire service plan By RAY LIGHTNER Journal Staff Writer Vision 20/20 has come up with a plan to improve fire service in the unin corporated parts of the county. The plan would have city fire department responding outside of city limits, so the closest fire station would respond. “If we have the capacity to do it,” said the new Vision 20/20 Chairman, Centerville Mayor Harold Edwards, “we should see if we can do it.” If the cities and the county can work out the details and costs, home owners in the unincorpo rated areas may get and See PLAN, page 10A