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HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL City to crack down on code violations By RAY LIGHTNER Journal Staff Writer The Warner Robins City Council is working to clean up the city. The council has changed the city code to stop repeat code violations and is work ing of redevelopment plan for slum and blighted areas. “It’s the same thing, the same violator, over and over again,” said Mayor Donald Walker about the repeat offenders. “Currently,” explained Councilman Doug McDowell, “once the case is cleared up it’s closed.” For example if the city gets a complaint about a junk car or tall grass in the yard, the resident has 10 days to resolve it - to move the car or cut the grass. They are given time for corrective action, McDowell f__ ( 0 f o , ' t. f is If- . |V \ ftj i » 8 s|f 1 h * ■ f|||| H Submitted Centerville firefighter Chad Kahley is presented Firefighter of the Year. Pictured: Mayor Harold “Bubba” Edwards, Assistant Fire Chief Jason Jones and Kahley. . ,f;Jg % , s M A -i'jT j ? ■ ■ I Tfir’SsS *-. y „,■ .- *■— -£,* F*T SMf.. s&&',, r% 'BTS jg |Sa»gapp«BM«BßaM«a^^ jm&r3tk- ifcJpf ■ I J // m V ~JHL faraWIIlMMMil u ** ■ i / \*tV* I i ■ ■yflp!vl |1 Jaggl* L. *4 J„ ' 4 §'%* 'V-j ijait mu iiiiiimM ; . . : : Jig 4 -^gpl V, '' ,r - ‘ I k |||||B 'mt&L - "ifeV Submitted Centerville presents officer Joey Harnist with Police Officer of the third quarter. Pictured: Edwards, Police Chief Ernie Pardo and Harnist. ARRESTS From page zA Bonaire, was found at Hunicutt s residence and arrested following the raid on six counts of enter ing automobiles and one count of theft by deception. The one began with around eight incident reports Monday morning from over the weekend involving vehicles being entered and items being taken. Several car CD players, car ampli fiers, speakers, and other items had been taken along with bank, debit and credit cards, explained Cpl. James Williams with the Houston said, before the city takes action and issues a ticket or fine. If they take corrective action, there is no fine and the case is closed. But the whole process starts over with the next complaint. With the change in the code, code enforcement or police, are now authorized to issue citations for subse quent violations without the requirement of additional notice or the opportunity to cure. “This stops a new case,” McDowell said. “It will be a continuation of the old case.” According to city code, which is not new, it’s illegal to store old cars, scrap parts of cars, old appliances and other such items on any resi dential lot. The term “old cars” is defined as any car inopera Honoring public service County Sheriff s Office Criminal Investigation Division, lead investigator in the case. The first entering auto mobile case was report ed Friday night in the Southfield Plantation area off of Thompson Mill Road in Bonaire where the sus pects shattered a window and a purse was taken from the vehicle. Another theft also occurred in the area of Southfield Plantation during the same timeframe where a battery charger was stolen from a driveway. The other incidents occurred Sunday night in the area of Peach Blossom Road and the west end of Feagin Mill ble because of missing parts, and any car without a cur rent tag. The fine is up to SI,OOO and/or up to a year in jail, and if the city has to come clean it up, the owner is billed for cleanup costs, plus a SIOO administrative fee, due in 30 days. The city also narrowed down the initial area for its redevelopment plan with a focus on two words - slum and blight. The definition includes dilapidated and high crime areas and the area so desig nated includes Tabor Drive and Ignico Drive. The area of east Davis Drive, Tabor to Ignico to 247 meets the state criteria. “Crime in the area is defi nitely a factor,” Walker said. “We must have 200 apart ments without doors or win dows over there.” Road. Six victims report ed their vehicles had been entered and had items taken, Williams said. Some were by forcing the door and win dows open while in others the vehicles were left unsecured. Williams credited the Patrol Division for gather ing information on suspects. Hunnicutt was stopped in traffic stop Sunday night by Dep. Chad Weldon. Williams said that stop helped in iden tifying the second suspect, Kahley, who was inside the vehicle with Hunnicutt. Both were released from the traffic stop and not charged at the time. Monday an arrest warrant was issued on Hunnicutt for LOCAL The city is in negotiations with the banks on some of the properties in foreclosure including a burned out apart ment building. “Priority number one, “Walker said, “is the demolition of the burned out apartments.” The city will be able to appoint and use the Redevelopment Authority “as soon as you get enact ment and the authority cre ated by the mayor and coun cil to create that animal,” said Ralph Nix, chairman of the Middle Georgia Regional Development Center, which along with the state has to sign off the plan. One of about a dozen bids the city council approved Monday was for demolition of 209 Tabor Drive. Sacal Environment of Macon was awarded $5,500 for the job. Sacal is also the company j ; jWU fIU Submitted From left: Vann "Kool-Aid” Baxter (from Rome), Daryl “ Winkie” Perritt (Waycross Fire Department), Jerry “Bubba” Harden (Rome) and Freddy “Higbee” Howell (Camden County Fire Rescue) take a break from taking part recently in the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial held in Maryland. Firefighters take part in memorial Special to the Journal October was fire preven tion month. During the first weekend of the month some special firefighters traded in their turnout gear for some greasepaint and wigs and transformed them selves into fire clowns. According to a release, their goal was simple - “to put smiles on faces while they ease the pain of loved ones who have lost their lives in the line of duty.” While the first week of October is usually directed toward shows for young sters, these clowns instead traveled to Emmittsburg, Maryland to participate in the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial. Since 1982 the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation has recognized fallen heroes who have sac rificed their lives to perform their duty. In 2005 107 firefighters died in the line of duty. This year, eight fire clowns attended the Memorial, four from Georgia and four from Texas. The four from Georgia, Vann “Kool-Aid” Baxter (Rome), Jerry “Bubba” Harden (Rome), Freddy “Higbee” Howell (Camden County Fire Rescue) and Daryl “Winkie” Perritt (Waycross Fire Department) are all veteran instructors of the most progressive fire pre- violation of parole for a prior burglary charge, He appar ently hasn t learned his les son, said Williams said. The execution of that warrant around 10:45 p.m. Monday led to the arrest of Kahley, who was at the residence and agreed to talk with investigators. It also led to another warrant for the search of Hunnicutt’s car the next day. The search of the vehi cle turned up several items inside the vehicle that linked to the entering automo biles, such as tools and the gloves they wore, Williams said. Most of the stolen items were recovered at a local pawnshop where Kahley FRIDAY/SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10-11, 2006 ♦ that demolished the old fur niture store on Commercial Circle. That site is expected to be cleaned up in about two weeks. The city council also approved the following bids: • $190,000 from Pat’s Pump & Blower in Forest Park for a combination sewer and cleaning truck for the Utilities and Sewer departments. • $14,592 from Tools of the Trade in Warner Robins for duty jackets with pan els for the Fire Department. $37,467, the amount of the reimbursement check from Federal Emergency man agement Agency for city firefighters deployed to St. Bernard Parish, La., was transferred to the personal protective clothing fund to pay for the purchase. • $8,606 from Radiodetection of Bridgton, jUBN/Bk i wWiwr"jHmkSPp . s file. h ■HIHaPSIIIB jhk Submitted From left: Baxter, Perritt, Harden and Howell in their civilian attire. vention education pro gram, Alternative Teaching Methods, which is taught two times per year at the Georgia Fire Academy. During the memorial weekend, they performed, also according to the release, “an immeasurable duty as well by entertain ing the families and help ing the children with activi ties designed to make them laugh while they comfort them in the face of their loss.” Although one of the main projects the fire clowns assisted with was the mak ing of luminaries designed to be lit at a special cere mony by the families, jokes and balloon sculptures were usually the highlight of the day. “The weekend has an impact on everyone involved,” read the release. “The fire clowns realize that their primary role as a firefighter puts them in and Hunnicutt had pawned them Monday afternoon. Kahley remains in the Houston County Detention Center without bond. More charges are pending on both, Williams said, as the investigation is ongoing. Hunnicutt is wanted for seven the felony arrest war rants plus the violation of parole. He is described as a white male 5-feet, 10-inches tall, 200 lbs., with brown hair and hazel eyes. He resides at 143 Pinewood Drive in Bonaire. Anyone with information on Hunnicutt’s whereabouts is asked to call Williams at 542-2085 or call 911. Maine, for a pipeline map ping kit for the Utilities Department. • $7,670 and $4,228 from Ferguson Waterworks of Macon for 18-inch steel cas ing and for curb stops and couplings, both for inven tory. • $6,996 from Middle Georgia Computers of Warner Robins for comput ers for the Senior Citizens Center. The funding comes from a grant. • $3,468fr0m Data Supplies of Byron for data processing supplies - 300,000 blue util ity bills with changes. • $3,017.24 from Stantec Consulting Services of Macon for technical review services for Willingham Woods subdivision. • $2,590 from Jim’s Handi- House of Warner Robins for dugout covers for Fountain Park. danger every day, just like these children’s loved ones. “These clowns are acutely aware of the consequences of their jobs, which is why they insist on coming back every year to cheer up fami lies and honor their fallen heroes. Many children are irreversibly changed by the experience and some have even become clowns as well. Laughter is the best medi cine.” “We humbly honor those firefighters who have gone beyond the call of duty and have given their lives to save others. They have made the ultimate sacrifice for someone they may not have even known. They and their loved ones deserve our utmost compassion and respect. “The hearts of four Georgia fire clowns have been made full by their participation in this event and they look forward to it again next year.” MONEY From page zA with conspiracy to traffic in cocaine. From there the inves tigation led to the dealer in Jacksonville, which led to another seizure of cash and drugs. Potter praised the efforts of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Douglas County and Jacksonville, Fla., sheriff’s offices. “We worked well with the GBI. The GBI is a great asset for us,” Potter said. Subscribe today Call 987-1813 5B