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v.—. LEGAL ORGAN FOR HOUSTON COUNTY, city of Perry, city of Warner Robins and city of Centerville VOLUME 136, NUMBER 216 Below the Fold: Russell billboards coming down ■ Cellphone employee accused of sending porn to teen customer Thursday November 9, 2006 The Home Journal's FRONT PORCH IN SPORTS Houston County's football game against Coffee County could very well determine if the Bears make the playoffs. For Northside, its task is to host Mt, Zion for a play-in game. -See 1B IN BRIEF Gunn Road to have lane shift Friday Friday, construction crews will be installing a waterline on Gunn Road just west of U S. 41. The roadway will not be closed, but the work will require a lane shift. Traffic will be routed to the shoulder on the south side of Gunn Road. There will be flagmen on either side of the construction to direct traffic. The lane shift will be in place for most of the day according to the Warner Robins Police Department. The city's Utility Department will supervise the construction. Informed Citizens United to meet A meeting of Informed Citizens United, a public policy issues discus sion and action group, will be held at Fuddrucker’s at 133 Margie Drive today at 6:30 p.m. The featured speaker will be Capt. Glenn Queener of the Warner Robins Salvation Army. He will, according to a ICU release, “discuss the role of this private organization in meeting many needs within our community.'' The public is invited to attend. MGC Peacock Gallery to host exhibition Middle Georgia College's Peacock Gallery announced this past week it will be hosting an exhibition by art ist Bridget Conn. The exhibit enti tled “Memory Womb” will begin on Monday and will remain in the gallery until Jan, 18, 2007. An opening reception will be held from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Monday and will include a gallery talk and question and answer session. Democratic women’s club to meet The Middle Georgia Democratic Womens' Club and Houston County Democrats will be meeting at Audrey's Bistro on Margie Drive in Centerville Nov. 18 at 9 a.m. A buffet will be available for $5. Reservations are required. E-mail Beth Perera by Nov. 16 at BETH@CHEFBETH. COM or call her 953-1933. BIRTHDAYS Today ■ Betty Seago ■ Jeff Adams DEARLY DEPARTED ■ Sidney James. Jr., 67 PERIODICAL 500 Pill 8 “55108 0000l 1 4 Award-Winning Newspaper Belter Newspaper Contest XbogjJ' iiilliHiiiilliilliiiiililltiiilliiilfiiitililliiill COOI * GEORGIA NEWSPAPER PROJECT Main Library UNIV OF GEORGIA ATHENS GA 30602-0002 3-DIGIT 306 November 9, 2006 1111111 111,1 11 ■!* !»!"*:« Smyrna Houston Cot vn Sistv l»70 Parfles agree elderly, disabled sex offenders not a real threat By RAY LIGHTS ER Joumiil Staff Writer Sheriffs in several counties have agreed not to enforce a portion of the House Bill 1059, Georgia’s sex offender legislation. Attorneys and the sher iffs in the counties where nine elderly and/or disabled plaintiffs live have reached agreements that the indi viduals named in the motion will not have to move from their homes, nursing homes, and hospice care facilities. A Houston County man is one of nine John Doe plain From elections to confections EN I/Gary Harmon Glenn Hancock, left, and Randy Christian put up Christmas lighting Tuesday in front of the Perry courthouse. Billboards coming down By RAY LIGHT* ER Journal Staff Writer Some of the billboards on Russell Parkway will be coming down soon. “It’s a long time coming,” said Warner Robins Mayor Donald Walker during the council meeting this week. The city made an agree ment with developer John Thornton in March that in exchange for annexation and city water and sewer he would move four of his bill boards off Russell Parkway within a year’s time, by April 7, 2007. Peppy Council approves Wooden Eagle By CHARLOTTE PERKINS Journal Staff Writer “So we’ve put a little lipstick on this Pig" That was Perry Councilman Joe Kusar’s terse comment following a lengthy work ses sion explanation of the zoning and terminol ogy changes, additions of parks and green space, and reduced number of houses that finally led to the city’s approval of developer Charlie McGlamry’s Wooden Eagle subdivi sion proposals. www.hhjnewß.com "ob, It's like a load fell oil (my shoulders). He doesn’t have to move.” - Mrs. John Doe VII, on the decision by sheriffs in several counties not to enforce a portion of House Bill 1059 tiffs in the lawsuit. The local man, only identi fied as John Doe VII, is 81 The billboards were approved by the Peach County Commission, prior the city’s annexation of the road and land along it out to Interstate 75. Russell Parkway has an overlay zoning with addi tional land use and appear ance restrictions including no billboards On Monday, Thornton was back before the council with four possible locations within the city to move the billboards. Three of the sites are zoned commercial and will reqire a special exemp tion for the billboards. The subdivision, which involves more than 80 acres at the southwest corner of Sandefur and Lake Joy Roads has already been partially annexed into the City of Perry and now will be completely within the city limits. In an effort to bring the housing den sity into accordance with city standards for Residential 2 and Residential 3 zoning, the number of lots has been reduced from 297 to 269, and two parks as well as a green space area have been incorporated into See APPROVES, page 6A and lives with his son and 77-year-old wife of 61 years. His wife had not been able to find another home. “Oh, it’s like a load fell off (my shoulders),” said Mrs. Doe VII. “He doesn’t have to move.” Her husband is in the last stages of Alzheimer’s, which has disabled him for the last three years. Mr. Doe VII is losing the power of speech and cannot recognize family members. He was convicted of stat utory rape in 1994, said See A GREE, page 6A The fourth, on Hickman Street at Ga. 247, is zoned industrial, which permits the signs. The other three locations are 715 Hwy. 96, Galaxy Liquor Store; 581 Carl Vinson Parkway by the Honda motorsports deal ership; and 6037 Hwy. 247 Connector, west of U.S. 41. That last site is across from a church, but Thornton said the contract includes stipulations on what can be advertised. “Nothing lewd, or suggestive in content,” he said. See DOWN, page 6A Two sections • 20 pages "But I wanted to do more. It was nearly 1845 and everyone seemed to either talk about it or go and loin up. I thought 'Why not me?’ Why not me, to help the wounded men? It was Just the right thing to do, to help out." - Ruth Metcalfe Nursing a nation back to health Editor's Note: This is installment No. 3 in our salute to vets. Don’t miss Friday I Saturday’s paper for a special section on those who have served so well. By NANCY HAWK Journal Staff Writer The sparkle in her eyes is bright. Her hands sway and move with a grace that betrayed her profession as a surgical nurse. An unmistakably caring nature poised her words and relayed the story, her story, of a successful career as an officer in the United States Air Force. Born Myrtle Ruth Brewer, in Lumber City, Telfair County, Dec. 7, 1918, she was not a shy flower of Georgia but a child of the country and farm. She spoke of how her grandfather, a stern man of the day, would take her fishing. The sturdy farm life prepared her for many things. Her mother’s nim ble fingers - the same ones that clothed Ruth Metcalfe, her married name - pre pared her for others. The first major one of — '—■ ' ' ' t ' ' K M' ■ •.:£«• a- Jg| V ■■■ * Hfe- jj bk % »| . -' ' \ gu ENI/Nancy Hawk Ruth Metcalfe breaks out some |k of the ribbons!decorations she earned while serving more than 20 WM years in the military. Man accused of sending porn to teen customer By RAY LIGHTNER Journal Staff Writer An employee at a cell phone store is accused of sending porn to a teen after selling him a phone. The 16-year-old and his mother reported the inci dent Nov. 2, after she and her son purchased the phone from the Centerville Verizon Wireless store. v\ ti\>M s/7r'Su^.><\fev.s/ > -\V, > /y/fj ara those was joining the Army Nurses Corps. When asked how her mother felt about that, Ruth Metcalfe’s eyes dance. “She didn’t like it, but then she made it better. We talked a good bit. “But she knew I was a Tom-boy. They were basi cally happy since I had found what I liked to do. I think she was happy with it.” Her brother, eight years her senior, just seemed sat isfied. She chose the military way of life because, a stu dent at Emory, she had higher aspirations. “I enjoyed the nursing school,” she said. See NURSING, page 6A The woman said they met with an employee named “Jon” while purchasing the phone. After leaving the busi ness, the 16-year-old began to receive pornographic photos on his Verizon cellu lar phone from “Jon”. “His phone number and name were on the phone with See PORN, page 6A