Newspaper Page Text
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Volume 138, Number 002
IMCIHEi oca * : Two return to the scene of the crime ... but with intent to rob it again! Sports: Matthew Brown on: A mis-
IlivlvCi take, the NFL and the Mitchell Report Community: The Sweet Everlasting selected as ‘OB community read. More.
By DON MONCRIEF
Jou rrul Managing Editor
The first issue of the Houston
Home Journal in 2006 had a year
in review featuring among other
things: A visit by the President of
the United States and Northside
winning its first state title in foot
ball.
This past year? Well, it didn’t have
a Presidential visit but those Eagles
made history again. More on them
in the year in review in sports on 18.
Meanwhile, let’s take a look at some
of the headlines from 2007:
JANUARY
O The year begins with solemn
but stern news when James Phillip
Brooks is denied parole - again - for
the murder of his common law wife
Harriett Joyce Hogan.
□ It’s good to be the mayor of
Warner Robins. Especially if your
salary is bumped from $50,000 to
SIOO,OOO a year, which is what the
city council did for Donald Walker
in 2007.
□ Paradise Development Group,
Inc., clears the planning and zoning
hurdle and gets the OK to build a
Publix grocery store in Perry.
□ The 116th Air Control Wing
at Robins Air Force Base is award
ed the Air Force Outstanding Unit
Award, the 13th time it has won the
distinguished honor.
□ Houston County School
Superintendent Danny Carpenter
announces he will retire effective
June 30.
□ The Warner Robins Air Logistics
Center is selected as the recipient
of the 2006 Franz Edelman Award
for “achievement in operations
research.”
□ Larry Walker is given a seat
on the Georgia Department of
Transportation Board, a 13-member
body that oversees policy, long-range
planning and budget matters for the
GDOT.
□ Perry Police discover a man in
his car on 1-75 who had been shot
multiple times when an apparent
local drug deal went bad
□ The Perry City Council, after an
abstention lasting 23 years, votes to
give itself a pay raise.
□An extensive investigation by the
Warner Robins Police Department
results in the arrest of nine sus
pects, wanted in connection with
nine robberies in the area.
□ Erik Stephen Mize is indicted
for the murder of Felicia Hardman
and the rape of another woman. It
is reported he may face the death
penalty for his actions.
□ Robins Air Force Base discon
tinues the use of vehicle decals for
entry into the installation. And why
not considering they were checking
everybody’s ID card anyway.
□ Two women are killed at a train
cross on Hwy. 247 when the driver
reportedly tried and failed tp beat
PERIODICAL 500
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Georgia Newspaper Project
Man Library
University of Georgia
ATHENS GA 30602
ALL FOR ADC 301
January 5,2008
Serving Hols ion. Counts' Si mi 18-70
LEGAL ORGAN FOR HOUSTON COUNTY,
CITY OF PERRY, CITY OF WARNER ROBINS AND CITY OF CENTERVILLE
the train across.
□ Ethics allegations (which are
sometime down the road dropped)
are filed against state Rep. Larry
O’Neal, complaining he allegedly
got Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue a
SIOO,OOO tax break.
□ The Perry-Houston County
Airport receives a sl.l million grant
for improvements.
□ Frank Field announces he will
step down as president and CEO of
the Warner Robins Area Chamber
of Commerce due to “personal rea
sons.”
□ The City of Warner Robins OKs
two $1 million road projects: The
widening and extension of Corder
Road and the 1-75 Frontage Road
between Russell Parkway and the
Ga. 247 Connector.
FEBRUARY
□ Houston Medical Center gets
the OK from the state for its new
five-story Northwest tower along
with the accompanying renovation.
□ The Houston County Board of
Education selections 13 - Gladwyn
Barfield, Ruby Carpenter, Earl
Cheek, Claire Coleman, Mamie
Coleman, Blanche Collins, Frances
Couey, Florence Harrison, Sarah
Lewis, Molly Moss, Ad Redmond,
Susie May Tharpe and Malissa
Tucker - to its inaugural Hall of
Fame.
□Adesign team from the University
of Georgia visits Centerville to cre
ate a “conceptual master plan for a
new town center.”
MARCH
□ The Board of Education selects
David Carpenter as the next super
intendent of schools.
□ Strong storms, coupled with
tornadoes, rage across the state.
Locally it translates to trees falling
on cars and houses, business signs
being blown away and local fire-
U/ N
—— i mm w
ENI/Gary Harmon
Lorette Jackson and Perry Idol
turned out to be one of the biggest
hits in 2007.
BIRTHDAYS
Jan. 6 \
'«Roger Harrow
> Tony Outlaw
Jan. 8
• Jay Branam
Jan. 7
■ David Thompson
■ James Brian Bearden
(Happy stht)
■ Ed Rodgers
■ Kimberly Couch
» Patrick Ross
"TQabe Holt (Happy 10thf!)
B Jack Southerland
T Cody QPns
E-mail birthdays to:
hhj@eviinanewspaporß.cpm
or do n m @*vansn®W spapers.
com. Mail to: 1210 Washington
St., Perry 31069 atln: Don®
Moncrief. Or, call 987-1823 V
E« mi.\ ; W
Saturday, January 5, 2008
REWIND 2007
This week in HHJ history:
50 years ago:
Houston County ranked equal or better than the state average in terms of Maternal and Child health. That
is according to Dr. Helen W. Bellhouse, director of the Maternal and Child Health Division of the State Health
Department. Houston County also ranked less than the whole of the U.S. in only one categroy: Unwed mothers.
Also, then Perry Mayor Stanley E. Smith signed a proclamation making it Jaycee Week in the city. Along
with that, the then-National President of the Jaycees, Charles Shearer, came to town to inspect the State
Headquarters of the Jaycees, located here.
30 years ago:
Perry dentist Dr. William R. Jerles is presented with the “prestigious” H.H. Johnson Trophy, naming him Man of
the Year, by the Central Georgia Dental Association. According to the newspaper article, the award recognizes the
person for his work within the community and his contributions to dental health. Some things never change ... The
Houston County Property Owners Association hold a meeting at the courthouse in Perry. The purpose: “generate
methods of combatting the probable revaluation of property in the county.”
10 years ago:
Houston County Commission Chairman J. Sherrill Stafford announces he will seek a third term. “I’m still not ready
to go home and do nothing," he says.
In other news, gangs are reportedly moving from big cities to rural Georgia communities. “Right now our biggest
problem with gangs is probably Criminal trespassing and tagging - painting the gang graffiti,” says Karen Stokes,
Gang Intelligence Officer for the Warner Robins Police Department. (And in (act the picture accompanying the story
has Perry Police Officer Craig Smith looking at a building with “Crips" and other stuff painted on the walls.)
- Complied by Don Moncrief
fighters deploying to Americus - one
of the locations hit hard by torna
does/strong winds - to help out
□ Sacred Heart Catholic Church
dedicates its massive‘and beautiful
church just off Davis Drive.
□ Warner Robins Police
Department begin investigating a
shooting between two brothers in
which it appeared one shot the other
then committed suicide.
□ Perry pretty much doubles in
population when members of the
Family Motor Coach Association -
billed as 12,000 strong - make their
annual trek to the fairgrounds.
□ The state of Georgia and the
Air Force - the impact of course
coming via Robins Air Force Base
- form a partnership. The land
mark event, according to Georgia
Gov. Sonny Perdue will allow more
Georgia companies to win contracts
under the Cooperative Research and
Development Agreement.
□ Perdue makes the announce
ment that Houston American
Cement Company - a S2OO million
industry - will be built near Perry.
□ “Cat woman”, a Warner Robins
woman, faces charges of animal cru
elty when 133 cats are found in two
apartments she is connected with.
(Note: In her defense she said some
one else left them there, she had
just learned of them, and was there
- the day police arrive - to try and do
something with them.) Of the 133,
112 were euthanized that night.
APRIL
□ The Houston County Board of
Education votes to move two poll
ing locations and consolidate several
others, reducing the number of pre
cincts to 24.
□ Perry Idol, which began back in
early March - and turns out to be a
smash hit - culminates in a finale
where 20 of the county’s best sing
ers go head-to-head. The winner:
Mother of five and supply technician
at Robins Air Force Base Lorette
Jackson.
□ Perdue Farms earns
Manufacturer of the Year; the award
presented by Perdue (the governor,
of course).
□ Perdue holds a “kickoff rally” to
begin his campaign for re-election.
□ Houston County mandates
water use restrictions.
□ The governor and Walker, on
behalf of the city, sign a land swap
for an area adjacent to Robins
Air Force Base. “The swap is a
See RE WIND, page 6A
’1 tried to go in holding a garden hose, but
the ceiling started falling in. Then I went
to the back and called and Cuddles came
out."
- 69-year-old Jim Funderburk, on getting his blind dog out
of a burning house
Couple loses
everything in fire
By CHARLOTTE
PERKINS
Journal Staff Writer
Mary Funderburk can tell
you all about the fire that
destroyed the home she’s
lived in since the 19705. She
seems stunned with the way
the house turned into a con
flagration in a matter of min
utes, but the tears don’t come
until she talks about losing
her mother’s family Bible,
and the irreplaceable family
photos.
Jim Funderburk, who is
nearing 70, and has to have
oxygen steadily for his bron
chitis and emphysema, is
still going over and over the
■ .■ -- •.- v'... -gigs* JIM
lit m sb
Lc K'':t. ?
MAY
JUNE
Journal/Charlotte Perkins
Mary and Jim Funderburk, their grandson, Josiah Nelson,
and their dog Cuddles, are staying at a local motel since
their home on Klondike Road burned to the ground last
Friday.
www.hhjnews.com
' " 1 1,11
“l f here neigh/fors inee/
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sequence of eveijts.
“We heard a popping sound, ”
he says, “and I went to check
on the breaker, but there was
nothing wrong there. Then I
saw smoke coming out from
under the living room floor
and a fire already going in the
corner of the room.
“Fire!” he yelled.
Mary tried to take time to
call 911 but the ceiling was
already falling. Jim knew
that they had to get out fast
because there were 24 oxy
gen tanks in the house. Their
grandson, 13-year-old Josiah
ran out and used his cell
phone to call 9-11.
See FIRE, page SA
MBBPfW *jPJ
Know someone or an agency
that could use a pat on the
back? Send your “Kudos" to
hhj@evansnewspapers.com.
INDEX
OBITUARIES 3A
OPINION 4A
SPORTS 1B
COMMUNITY. 3B
COMICS 5B
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