Newspaper Page Text
36 Pages 3 Sections, Plus Preprints A Publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. Winder, Barrow County Georgia 50« Copy Wednesday, November 23, 2016
mall Business Saturday: See specials inside
Look inside this week’s edition for special holiday deals from local stores. Locally-
owned businesses have pulled out all the stops to help you do your holiday shopping
and save money right here in Barrow County this Saturday.
— Pages 6-8B
LOVE
YOUR
COMMUNITY:
Spend locally!
Statham mayor asks GBI to
investigate police complaints
By Ron Bridg'eman
News-Journal Reporter
Barrow
Briefs
Offices closed
Thursday and Friday
The offices of Mainstreet
Newspapers, including the
Barrow News-Journal, will be
closed Nov. 24-25 in obser
vance of Thanksgiving. We
will reopen Monday at 8:30
a.m.
Construction to begin
on Fort Yargo raw water
project in December
The City of Winder will be
starting construction on the
Fort Yargo raw water project
next month.
The project will include
replacement of the existing
intake structure and pump sta
tion at Fort Yargo Lake, as well
as 30,000 linear feet of water
main extending from Fort
Yargo Lake to the city’s water
treatment plant at the intersec
tion of Rockwell Church Road
and Ga. 53.
Fort Yargo Lake serves as
a backup to the city's prima
ry water source, the Mulberry
River. The upgrade will allow
the city to withdraw its full per
mitted amount from the lake
during times of emergency.
The city was awarded a loan
to fund the project through
the Georgia Environmental
Finance Authority at a reduced
interest rate of 0.89 percent.
The project is scheduled to
be completed during calendar
year 2017.
Online fundraiser set up
for Barrow burn victim
An online fundraiser has
been established for Sue Lip
scomb Fowler, a local woman
and former longtime employee
of the City of Winder who
suffered third-degree burns on
36 percent of her body after
passing out under hot water in
the shower on Nov. 10.
Fowler is at the JMS Burn
Center in Augusta where she
has undergone surgeries and
battled various infections.
Fowler was also diagnosed
with Acute Respiratory Dis
tress Syndrome. As of Mon
day afternoon, the GoFundMe
Page started for Fowler by her
daughter had reached $9,440 of
a $50,000 goal to help pay her
medical expenses.
The link to donate is https://
www.gofundme.com/sues-re-
covery-fund.
Mailing
Label Below
The mayor of Statham has
requested an investigation into
the actions of officer Marc Lof
ton in the city’s police depart
ment.
Mayor Robert Bridges
requested the Georgia Bureau of
Investigation conduct an “inde
pendent review’’ of complaints
about Lofton.
The City of Winder is in the
middle of a major improve
ment project downtown around
the block surrounded by North
Broad Street, West Athens
Street, Woodlawn Avenue and
West Candler Street.
The project involves installing
new storm water pipes and catch
basins, utility work, sidewalks,
new parking areas, renovation of
A suspect is in custody in
connection with a shooting at a
Braselton gas station. Antonio
Ward Gee Jr., 19, of Dacula.
has been charged with felony
murder, possession of a fire
arm during the commission of
a crime, reckless conduct and
disorderly conduct.
Gee is suspected of shooting
and killing James Harold Walls.
56, of Flowery Branch, at the
Circle K gas station on Satur
day. Oct. 29, around 1 a.m. Gee
is currently incarcerated at the
He wrote a brief letter to Mike
Ayers, special agent in charge
of the GBI office in Athens
Nov. 17.
Lofton is the subject of a
number of citizen complaints
about his honesty, techniques
and manner.
More than 20 people attended
the council meeting Nov. 15 to
complain about Lofton, includ
ing Police Chief Allan Johnston
and city officials.
existing parking areas, landscap
ing. pedestrian lights, benches
and trash receptacles.
Among the work being com
pleted is a reconstruction of
the old public parking area off
West Candler Street behind the
Smokin’ Po Boys restaurant on
Athens Street.
The work involves making the
parking lot surface smoother and
Barrow County Jail.
He had previously been arrest
ed this year for failure to yield
while turning left, reckless con
duct and theft by receiving sto
len property.
Officers with the Braselton
Police Department tracked
down Gee after finding the sil
ver Honda vehicle that had been
seen on surveillance video at the
gas station. The vehicle owner,
Christopher Carneiro, 30, of
Athens, reportedly told officers
that he let Gee borrow his vehi
cle.
Carneiro was also arrested
and is facing charges of pos-
Residents of Statham and sev
eral people from other areas
complained about Lofton. Ten
people spoke.
Those who complained said
six DUI charges issued by Lof
ton had negative results for
drug and alcohol screening.
Opponents of the officer start
ed an online petition calling on
the city to investigate and/or
fire Lofton. About 400 people
signed that petition.
building handicap-accessible
ramps for pedestrians to have
easier access to the block along
Athens Street.
Also in the area of the old
Granite Hotel at the intersec
tion of Athens and Broad streets,
additional downtown parking is
being built. All of the work began
in October and is scheduled to be
completed spring 2017.
session of a firearm by a con
victed felon. Other charges are
pending.
Officers aren’t certain of the
motive, but think it may involve
a robbery. The suspect reported
ly met Walls at the Waffle House
for a deal before driving over to
the gas station. Walls was shot
at the gas pump of the Circle K.
There have now been five
arrests in connection with the
shooting.
Angela Nicole Baker, 28.
Oakwood, was with Walls the
night of the shooting. She was
See Suspect on Page 7A
In his letter. Bridges said,
“Numerous citizens as well as
residents of other areas have
complained about his actions
and techniques.
“The city’s police chief has
reviewed several of these com
plaints and determined that no
action is warranted.
“Despite that fact, in this envi
ronment in which trust between
a community and its police
Level 2
drought
response
declared
Based on recommen
dations by the Georgia
Environmental Protection
Division. Gov. Nathan
Deal approved a Level 2
Drought Response desig
nation for more than 50
counties in north Georgia,
including Barrow County,
on Thursday.
During a Level 2
Drought Response, out
door landscape watering
is only allowed two days
a week determined by
odd- and even-numbered
addresses.
Even-numbered address
es and properties without
numbered addresses may
water on Wednesday and
Saturday between 4 p.m.
and 10 a.m. Odd-num
bered addresses may water
Thursday and Sunday
between 4 p.m. and 10
a.m.
Prohibited outdoor
water uses include: •
•Washing hard surfaces
such as streets and side
walks.
•Water for ornamental
purposes, such as foun
tains.
•The use of fire hydrants,
except for firefighting and
public safety.
•Non-commercial wash
ing of vehicles.
•Non-commercial pres
sure washing.
•Fundraising car wash
es.
As drought conditions
worsen across much of
the state, 52 counties have
been elevated to Level 2
status while another 58 in
the southern portions of
the state have been desig
nated Level 1.
See Drought on Page 2A
Index:
Church News
10A
Classifieds
4-5C
Legals
6-11C
Obituaries
11A
Pets of the Week 2C
Public Safety
7-9 A
Sports
1-12B
See Statham on Page 7A
Making improvements
~ ■. ' . ■'' w
ONGOING CONSTRUCTION
Construction continues recently in the old public parking area off West Candler Street
in downtown Winder. The area is being reconstructed to be more level and will include
handicap-accessible ramps leading toward the area of Smokin’ Po Boys on Athens Street.
The work is just a little bit of a major improvement project on the block that includes West
Candler Street, West Athens Street, North Broad Street and Woodlawn Avenue. Photo by
Jessica Brown
Downtown block upgrades continuing in heart
of Winder, work set to be done in the spring
Braselton murder suspect arrested
By Alex Pace
News-Journal Reporter