Newspaper Page Text
32 Pages 3 Sections, Plus Preprints A Publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. Winder, Barrow County Georgia 50« Copy Wednesday, March 1, 2017
Saunders gets 2 years in prison
Former Adult Literacy Barrow director sentenced at hearing
By Scott Thompson
News-Journal Editor
Barrow
Briefs
School
system
stakeholder
meetings
set for this
month
Each school in the Barrow
County School System will
hold meetings to get input
from families and communi
ty members as each begins
to identify areas for improve
ment for the 2017-2018 school
year.
The following list indicates
when schools will hold their
comprehensive needs assess
ment stakeholders meetings.
Parents are encouraged to
attend and provide input in
the following areas:
•School and district
improvement plans
•Professional Learning
plans
•Federal program budgets
and plans
Meeting locations, dates
and times are as follows:
•Apalachee High, March 2,
8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
•Auburn Elementary, March
21, 5 p.m.
•Bear Creek Middle, March
21, 6:30 p.m.
•Bethlehem Elementary,
March 15, 5 p.m.
•Bramlett Elementary,
March 9, 5 p.m.
•County Line Elementary,
March 7, 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
•Haymon Morris Middle,
March 9, 6 p.m.
•Holsenbeck Elementary,
March 9, 6 p.m.
•Kennedy Elementary,
March 21, 7 a.m. and March
22, 5:30 p.m.
•Russell Middle, March 21,
6 p.m.
•Statham Elementary,
March 9, 5 p.m.
•Westside Middle, March
16, 6 p.m.
•Winder-Barrow High,
March 8, 5 p.m.
•Yargo Elementary, March
9, 5 p.m.
Index:
Church News
10A
Classifieds
3-4C
Legals
5-11C
Obituaries
11A
Opinions
4-6A
Public Safety
7-9A
Sports
1-6, 8B
Mailing
Label Below
8 *0 4 8 7 9 14541 7
For nearly two decades, Lisa
Maloof considered Ron Saun
ders her mentor and friend.
He was her supervisor from
1998-2002 when he was the
Barrow County School System
superintendent and she was exec
utive director of the non-prof
it organization now known as
Adult Literacy Barrow — a role
he took over post-retirement in
2012.
Maloof never could have envi
sioned standing in a Barrow
County courtroom last week,
tearfully detailing how Saunders
betrayed her trust and that of an
entire community.
Saunders pled guilty on Feb.
Last month. Barrow County
Emergency Services began using
the LUCAS device on all cardiac
arrest patients.
The LUCAS device is an
automatic machine that provides
continuous compressions to
the chest of cardiac arrest vic
tims. This means a crew mem
ber no longer has to push on
the patient's chest (known as
compressions) during CPR. It is
portable, easily attaches to the
patient's body, and delivers per
fect chest compressions while
the patient is being moved to the
ambulance and during transport.
High quality CPR is critical for
patients experiencing a cardiac
The Barrow County Board of
Commissioners approved several
items at Tuesday's meeting that
require budget amendments.
Approval was given to spend
$261,512 to purchase five Intel-
liHot water heaters and storage
vessels for the Barrow Coun
ty Detention Center. Sheriff Jud
Smith talked to the commis
sioners about the problems with
22 to a single count of felony
theft by taking and was sen
tenced to two years in prison
for stealing $121,625 from Adult
Literacy Barrow over a 23-month
period between August 13, 2014
and July of last year.
During that time, he forged the
signatures of three members of
the organization’s board of direc
tors on checks roughly 780 times
without their knowledge.
Saunders was transported late
last week to Georgia Diagnostic
and Classification State Prison
in Jackson. The Georgia Depart
ment of Corrections will deter
mine if he remains there, or if
he will be sent to another prison.
Saunders was sentenced to an
additional eight years’ probation
and must pay full restitution of
arrest, and the LUCAS device
delivers just that.
‘A special thanks to the Board
of Commissioners for approving
the purchase of these devices
for our community,” said chief
John Skinner in a news release.
“These devices not only improve
patient outcomes, but also reduce
potential workers' compensation
claims from injuries that may
be sustained while performing
CPR.”
Quality chest compressions
can be exhausting, especial
ly in less than ideal environ
ments (like the back of a moving
ambulance). The LUCAS devic
es don't get tired, and provide
the current 400- and 600-gal-
lon tanks. He said the current
units were installed at the time
the Detention Center was con
structed and maintenance per
sonnel has determined that the
polymer coating lining the tanks
has deteriorated to the point of
causing system leaks. The new
water heaters will be purchased
from Ken Clary & Associates
LLC and they will come with a
10-year warranty.
Funding for the water heaters
the embezzled funds within two
years of his release from prison.
He paid $109,000 the morning of
his plea hearing, assistant district
attorney David Qulliams said in
court.
The money comes from the
mortgage of property his sister
and he owned, Saunders' attor
ney, Mark Wiggins, said.
Saunders also was required to
waive his Fourth Amendment
rights, which will permit search
es of his home without require
ment of a warrant, and he will
have to undergo a mental health
evaluation and submit to random
drug and alcohol screenings.
“Dr. Saunders betrayed a
trust.” Piedmont Judicial Circuit
Court Chief Judge David Motes
said while issuing the sentence.
perfect CPR compressions, even
when moving patients down
stairs. This new tool will assist
Barrow County Emergency Ser
vices in continuing to deliver
the highest quality patient care
available. New developments in
the field of emergency medicine
mean more lives are being saved
every year.
“Barrow County Emergency
Services thanks the citizens of
Barrow County for their support
in providing our service with
the most up-to-date, high quality
equipment and funding for our
department as we continue to
build for the future,” Skinner
said.
will come out of the Detention
Center’s fines and fees.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business at the meet
ing, the BOC:
•approved the adoption of the
updated employee handbook to
become effective March 1, 2017.
•unanimously approved a
$4,633 budget amendment for
the Mental Health Court Grant
See BOC on Page 2A
“He took money from a pro
gram that was designed to help
the most needy of the citizens
of Barrow County, those who
were struggling to read and bet
ter themselves.
“The evidence is he has con
victions, but that does not dis
pute his conduct. Dr. Saunders
must be punished. ... This pun
ishment must let everyone in the
community know this type of
conduct cannot be tolerated.”
‘23 months of deception’
About 70 people packed a
third-floor courtroom at the Bar-
row County Courthouse to hear
testimony from state and defense
witnesses as well as Saunders
himself.
Statham
sued over
transfer
station
By Ron Bridg'eman
News-Journal Reporter
A company seeking to
build a transfer station for
solid waste in Statham
Industrial Park has sued the
City of Statham and city
council members.
Statham Industrial,
which also owns Roll Off
Systems, a recycling and
waste equipment company,
filed the lawsuit Feb. 15
in Barrow County Superior
Court.
The company charges the
city supported the project
but then switched positions.
The city has denied permits
for the company.
Mayor Robert Bridges
has said several times in
public meetings that “we
will not be issuing a permit
until told to by a (judge).”
At the end of a work session
Jan. 12, Bridges reiterated,
“I done promised you that
we’re not going to issue no
permit. I don't know what
more you want.”
He made those com
ments in response to prop
erty owners in the industrial
park who oppose a transfer
station.
Robert Wall, owner of
Cable East, was among the
first to publicly oppose the
project. He was joined at
meetings early this year by
Scotty Thurmond, Oconee
Foundations, and Dave
Headley, Premier Market
ing.
John Stell, Winder attor
ney, also argued against the
project, representing Wall.
Stell said at one meeting
the city would get financial
support from the proper
ty owners in the industrial
park to help pay for a law
suit.
“We have told the city
on many occasions that we
would support the city,”
Wall said Friday. “Yes,
we will support the city
financially as soon as that
gets worked out (how to
provide for private people
to contribute to the city’s
defense).”
Douglas Dillard. Julie
Sellers and Jillian Arnold,
attorneys with Pursley
Friese Torgrimson in Atlan-
See Station on Page 3A
See Saunders on Page 2A
High-quality CPR
BCES PLACES LUCAS DEVICES IN SERVICE
Barrow County Emergency Services (BCES) began using the LUCAS device on all cardiac
arrest patients this month. The LUCAS device is an automatic machine that provides con
tinuous compressions to the chest of cardiac arrest victims.
BCES places LUCAS devices in service
Commissioners approve purchase of hot
water heaters for Barrow Detention Center
By SL aron Hog'an
News-Journal Reporter
