Newspaper Page Text
HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL
HENS
From page iA
of S2BO in cash.
Superior Court Judge
Edward Lukemire accepted
both pleas and sentenced
each to serve 10 years in
prison. Williamson was sen
tenced to 20 years, 10 to
serve and Abbott, 15 years,
10 to serve.
District Attorney Kelly
Burke prosecuted both cases
brought by the Perry Police
Department and was assist
ed by Chief Assistant District
Attorney Jason Ashford in
the Abbott case.
In the Relax Inn inci
dent, the victims, along with
their two young children,
ages 3 and 18 months, were
from Florida, according to
Burke, and the husband was
approached by a gunman
and the accomplice as he
attempted to unload his lug
gage from his car.
The husband was forced
to the ground at gunpoint
and his wallet was taken.
When the amount of money
was insufficient to please
the gunman, Burke said, the
gunman suggested that they
would rob his wife, too.
As they forced the husband
toward the motel room, the
husband took off running,
getting in the motel room
door ahead of the robbers,
who then fled the scene
Perry Police Det. Drew
Dodson was doing surveil
lance in the area in an unre
lated matter and saw the
robbers fleeing, while simul
taneously hearing the 911
call reporting the robbery.
Dodson had patrol offi
cers dispatched to the area,
which eventually led to the
capture of Williamson and
his accomplice.
Williamson confessed to
his role in the crime when
interviewed, Burke said.
He also pled to the court,
which Burke explained, sim
ply means that the state did
not offer a negotiated sen
tence.
Williamson also was fined
CHAMBERS
From page iA
Mullins said there is some
overlap of membership
now.
“With both communities
continuing to grow and
with many of our members
having locations through
out the county,” explained
the chairmen of each cham
ber’s board of directors,
Mullins and Steve Williams,
her counterpart in Warner
Robins in a press release,
“the committee is exploring
avenues to enhance what
we can do together for our
members and the entire
business community.”
Williams said the com
mittee was formed to look
at the possibility of one
countywide chamber to
serve the best interests of
the business community.
Williams said, “the propos
al is not a merger, but the
forming of a new organiza
tion with new bylaws and
dissolving the other two.”
The committee, Williams
said, is working on the
structure of what the new
organization would look
like. “We’re in the starting
phase,” he said. “We have
the help of the RDC and
are looking at similar orga
nizations.”
Mullins said a combined
chamber has the greater
potential to enhance both
communities. “A Houston
County Chamber of
Commerce would unify the
perspective to new busi
ness and industry,” Mullins
said.
It is a way to combine the
two, Mullins said, “while
allowing Warner Robins
and Perry to maintain indi
vidual identities.”
She said the vision on the
committee at this time is to
maintain the offices in each
city. “Members will not see
a change in services,” she
said, “whichever they go
to. They will see the same
service.”
Mullins said “we see it as
an enhancement for mem
bers,” with a larger mem
bership and more opportu
nity for member-to-mem
ber networking.
The Committee will brief
both the Perry and Warner
SI,OOO and
ordered to
have no
contact with
the victims
or his co
defendant.
“Another
young man,
another
tough sen
tenc e , ”
Burke said,
“but more
importantly,
more crime
scarred vic
tims. This is
everyone’s
worst night
mare, to be
confronted
by armed
ABBOTT
-
WILLIAMSON
gunmen during your trav
els. Unfortunately, robbers
believe that visitors are often
unfamiliar with the locale
and also not as inclined to
return for a trial.”
In this case,” Burke said,
“the victims are coopera
tive and have pledged to do
whatever they need to do to
see that justice is served.”
The district attorney said,
“Mr. Williamson, to his
credit, accepted responsibil
ity once apprehended. His
remorse, while appreciated,
does not relieve him of the
harsh consequences of his
criminal act. Ten years in
prison is a long time to think
about a crime, especially
when you are just 18 years
old.”
Burke added, “the mes
sage has to get out that
armed robbery is never an
answer to any problem and
that all law enforcement
agencies in Houston County
will actively pursue anyone
who commits an armed rob
bery in this county.”
Abbott was prosecuted
as the result of an in-depth
investigation by the Perry
Police Department, Burke
said, where Abbott was iden
tified as a suspect in the
Flash Foods robbery.
Abbott cooperated with the
investigation conducted by
Robins Area Chambers
of Commerce Boards of
Directors on their findings
and recommendations,
Mullins said.
Before any action is
taken, Williams said, the
entire membership of both
chambers will be informed
of the details of any pro
posed action and input will
be sought from all existing
members.
Members will vote before
any action is taken, the
chairmen said. Members
can submit comments or
concerns to the chairman
of each chamber.
Perry Area Chamber
of Commerce Board of
Directors Chairman
Mullins can be reached at
988-2007,
Warner Robins Area
Chamber of Commerce
Steve Williams, Chairman
Board of Directors
Chairman Steve Williams
can be reached at 953-5698,
ext. 1422.
Current Tax Digest and Five Year History of Levy
The Perry City Council does herby announce that the City of Perry millage rate will be set at a meeting of the Council to be held Tuesday, September
18,2007 at 6:00 p.m. at City Hall, 1211 Washington Street, Perry, GA. Pursuant to O.C.G.A. Section 48-5-32. the Council hereby publishes the
following presentation of the current year’s tax digest and proposed levy, along with the tax digests and levies of the past five (5) years.
Tax Year . 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
Digest
Real and Personal $ 217,338.952.00 $ 219,242,747.00 $ 234,678,420.00 $ 255.241,339.00 $ 311,227,959.00 $ 351,773.228.00
Motor Vehicles 21,038,740.00 20,447,840.00 20,277,940.00 20,600,030.00 19,626,660.00 22,160,860.00
Mobile Homes 694,241.00 585,821.00 583,950.00 617,840.00 1,326,752.00 1,102,825 00
Timber . . 28,327.00 100,194.00
Heavy Equipment 92.000 00 - 229.061.00 191.452.00 66.704.00 241,198.00
Gross M&O Digest $ 239,333,864.00 $ 240,276,408.00 $ 255,769,371.00 $ 276,650,661.00 $ 332,276,402.00 $ 375,378,305.00
LessM&OExemptions $ (21,298,528.00) $ (7,045,007.00) $ (6,449,156.00) $(13,048,759.00) $(14,918,386.00) $(15,306,981.00)
Net M&O Digest $ 218,004,172.00 $ 233,231,401.00 $ 249.320.215.00 $ 263,601,902.00 $ 317,358,016.00 $ 360,071,324.00
Millage
Gross Millage 13.45 13.44 14.34 14.34 14.33 13.05
Rollback 0.01 0.06 0.00 0.01 1.23 0.04
Millage Levy 13.44 13.38 14.34 14.33 13.05 13.01
Levy Impact
Net Taxes Levied $ 2,929,973.00 $ 3,120,600.00 $ 3,575,000.00 $ 3,777,400.00 $ 4,141.500.00 $ 4,684,500.00
Net Tax $ Increases $ 63,657 00 $ 190,627.00 $ 456.400.00 $ 202,400.00 $ 364,100.00 $ 543.000.00
Net Tax %% Increases $ 2.22% 6.50% 14.62% 5.66% 9.64% 13.11%
Dodson, Capt. Heath Dykes
and Capt. Bill Phelps of the
Perry Police and confessed
to the crime.
Abbott, Burke said,
showed the police officers
what actions he took during
the robbery and expressed
remorse for his crime. The
handgun was recovered in
the location that Abbott
gave the officers.
Abbott’s remorse indi
cated his desire to accept
responsibility for his crime,
Burke said.
“Interestingly, Abbott
had just celebrated his 17th
birthday mere days before
this armed robbery.”
Along with his sentence,
Abbott was also was ordered
to pay S2BO in restitution,
commit no crimes of theft or
violence, and have no con
tact with the victim or inci
dent location.
Additionally, he must com
plete his GED while he is in
prison.
“Mr. Abbott’s armed rob
bery endangered the lives
of innocent people, as all
armed robbers do. While we
appreciate his remorse, his
crime nonetheless carries a
significant penalty,” Burke
said.
For the next 10 years,
Burke added, “Mr. Abbott
will sleep and wake in a
Georgia prison, serving a
tough sentence for a crime
with virtually no financial
gain. He is, in essence, serv
ing 10 years in prison for
a S2B per year theft. His
young life is forever impact
ed by his illogical and hor
rendously stupid decision.”
Burke said, “while many
young people don’t watch
the news or read the papers,
I encourage their mothers,
sisters, aunts and grand
mothers to tell young men
that armed robbery is going
to result in long prison sen
tences. It is a crime that
always gets thorough police
investigations and tough
prosecutions. There is merit
to the old saying that ‘crime
doesn’t pay’.”
AREAS
From page iA
• Baker, Columbia,
Gadsden, Hamilton, Jackson,
Jefferson, Leon, Madison
And Nassau counties in
Florida;
• Cherokee, Clay, Jackson
and Macon counties in North
Carolina
• Abbeville, Aiken,
Allendale, Anderson,
Barnwell, Edgefield,
Hampton,
Jasper,McCormick and
Oconee counties in South
Carolina; and
• Bradley, Hamilton,
Marion and Polk counties in
Tennessee.
All counties listed above
were designated natural
disaster areas July 27 mak
ing all qualified farm opera
tors in the designated areas
eligible for low interest emer
gency loans from USDA’s
Farm Service Agency, pro
Total net assessed value added by reassessment for 2007 is $1,254,828.00
LOCAL
DEALERS
From page iA
Both were indicted on
drug trafficking charges
and pleaded to the lesser
possession with intent.
Houston Superior Court
Judge Edward D. Lukemire
accepted both pleas and
sentenced both to 20 years,
10 to serve.
The cases were prose
cuted by Senior Assistant
District Attorney George H.
Hartwig 111.
Escalera was arrested
March 8, after a traffic stop
by Warner Robins Police
Officer George Witherspoon.
Escalera did not have a driv
er’s license, Hartwig said
and officers asked for and
received consent to search
his person.
A small amount of meth
amphetamine and $1,040
cash was found in his pock
et. Escalera was placed
in custody for possession
and a search of the vehicle
revealed just over an ounce
of methamphetamine hid
den inside the car.
“Escalera claimed he
just borrowed the car, but
police found papers with his
name in the trunk,” said
Hartwig.
At the time of his arrest,
Escalera was on probation
for theft of an automobile,
Hartwig said. He admitted
that the new drug offense
HCSO arrest robbery suspect
By RAYLIGHTNER
Journal Staff Writer
Travis Quantez Farms
was arrested Wednesday for
a March armed robbery.
Farms, 20, of Warner
Robins, was arrested by
investigators who, accord
ing to Capt. Robert Clark
of the Houston County
Sheriffs Office Criminal
Investigation Division,
“gone out to the house to
interview a suspect in an
unrelated incident.”
“He gave them a false
name but one of them rec
ognized him from prior con
vided eligibility require
ments are met. Farmers in
eligible counties have eight
months from the date of
the declaration to apply for
loans to help cover part of
their actual losses. FSA will
consider each loan applica
tion on its own merits, tak
ing into account the extent
of losses, security available
and repayment ability.
FSA has a variety of pro
grams, in addition to the EM
loan program, to help eli
gible farmers recover from
adversity.
The USDA has also made
other programs available to
assist farmers and ranchers,
including the Emergency
Conservation Program,
Federal Crop Insurance
and the Noninsured
Crop Disaster Assistance
Program.
Interested farmers may
contact their local USDA
Service Centers for further
information on eligibility
was a viola
tion of his
probation
and proba
tion sen
tence was
revoked in
full to pris
on, concur
rent with
his drug
sentence.
“This
guy was
already on
probation
for a felony
and he’s
got meth
on him -
how dumb
is that?”
asked
Hartwig.
ESCALERA
HAWKINS
“Escalera has been in jail
since his arrest March 8
because of the probation
he was already under,”
Hartwig said. “Had he not
pleaded guilty now, he likely
would have stayed in jail
until his trial
“He will be given credit
for the time he has served
since March 8,” Hartwig
said.
Hawkins was arrested on
Nov. 6, 2006, after Perry
Police Sgt. Ron Brainard
made a traffic stop on a car
Hawkins was a passenger
in. The three occupants of
the car were traveling from
Atlanta to Bainbridge when
stopped for a minor traffic
tact.”
Farms was charged with
giving a false name and
date of birth to officers at
the home in the 100 block of
Forest Avenue in Bonaire.
After interviewing him,
Clark said officers then
realized he was the suspect
in the armed robbery that
occurred earlier this year
in the 100 block of Torres
Drive in Bonaire. For that,
Farms is also charged with
criminal attempt to commit
armed robbery, aggravated
assault and possession of a
firearm during the commis
sion of a crime.
requirements and applica
tion procedures for these and
other programs. Additional
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violation.
A drug detection canine
gave a positive alert on the
vehicle, Hartwig said and
a small amount of cocaine
was found in the passenger
compartment.
A search of the trunk
revealed approximately
250 grams (half pound) of
cocaine and a pound of mar
ijuana.
“This was certainly a
big bust for Perry Police
Department,” said Hartwig.
“They recovered a half
pound of 80-percent pure
cocaine and a pound of mar
ijuana - that is a good day’s
work.”
Hartwig said, “there is no
question these drugs would
have been distributed on the
streets of south Georgia had
this car not been stopped.
The Houston DA’s office
will continue to aggres
sively prosecute drug deal
ers and traffickers 'caught
plying their illegal trade in
Houston County.”
Upon release from prison,
Hawkins will be on proba
tion for 10 years. As special
conditions of his probation,
Hawkins will be banished
from Houston County and
will be subject to random
drug testing and warrant
less searches. Hawkins was
also fined $5,000. plus other
statutory fees.
The total fines and fees
will be approximately
SB,OOO.
The victim in the case
reported he returned home
on Torres Drive around 7:45
p.m. in March when a black
male approached him in his
yard with a gun.
The male ordered the vic
tim to the ground and the
victim struggled with him
before being able to run
away on foot.
The suspect did not get
away with any items or
money and no one was seri
ously injured in the inci
dent.
Farms is being held in
the Houston County Jail in
Perry without bond.
information is also available
online at: http://disaster.fsa.
usda.gov.
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