Newspaper Page Text
32 Pages 3 Sections, Plus Preprints A Publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. Winder, Barrow County Georgia 50« Copy Wednesday, May 16, 2018
2 arrested in death of Walton
Barrow
Briefs
ARTS AND INNOVATION
MAGNET PROGRAM TO
START FOR FIFTH, SIXTH
GRADES
An arts and innovation mag
net program will start in August
at the Center for Innovative
Teaching in the Barrow County
School System. Four classes
of fifth- and sixth-grade stu
dents will be selected by lottery
after May 18. The program will
focus on learning through arts
integration, projects and other
research-based teaching prac
tices.
For this first year, appli
cants will be limited to fifth-
grade students at Statham or
Yargo elementary schools, and
sixth-graders at Bear Creek or
Westside middle schools. Infor
mational meetings for families
were held recently.
Families may come to the
BCSS Professional Develop
ment Center to obtain a lot
tery application or download
one online at www.barrow.kl2.
ga.us.
Completed lottery applica
tions must be turned in to the
BCSS Professional Develop
ment Center by Friday. Stu
dents whose applications are
received after May 18 will be
placed on the program waiting
list and will not be eligible for
the lottery. Submission of an
application does not guarantee
a child will be enrolled in the
program, but ensures the child
will be assigned a number in
the lottery.
Four lotteries will be held
to determine class lists and
waiting lists, beginning at 9
a.m. Tuesday. The drawings are
open to the public and will be at
the school's professional devel
opment center. The first four
classes are: Statham Elementa
ry School fifth-graders, Yargo
Elementary School fifth-grad
ers. Bear Creek Middle School
sixth-graders, and Westside
Middle School sixth-graders.
For more information or to
access an online lottery appli
cation, go to www.barrow.kl2.
ga.us.
FOOD
DISTRIBUTION DAY
The Barrow County Food
Pantry, in partnership with The
Food Bank of Northeast Geor
gia, will hold a food distribu
tion day 8 a.m. (rain or shine)
See Briefs on Page 2A
Index:
Public Safety
7-8A
Opinion
4-5 A
Lifestyle columns
2-3C
Church News
10A
Classifieds
5-6C
Legals
7-11C
Obituaries
11A
Sports
1-6, 8B
Mailing
Label Below
Two people in Barrow Coun
ty have been arrested after
the body of a missing Walton
County man was found at their
residence earlier this month.
Michael Brent Huff, 46.
and Jennifer Louise Huff, 46,
both of 1051 Fleemand Rd.,
Hoschton, have been charged
with probation violation, tam
pering with evidence and con
cealing the death of another in
connection with the death of
Montez Watson, 32.
Watson, who was last seen
in early February in Logan-
ville, was found buried on
the property and the Huffs
went missing. Jennifer Huff
was located in North Carolina
and taken into custody last
Co. man
Thursday, while Michael Huff
turned himself in at the Barrow
County Detention Center last
Thursday, according to a news
release.
The investigation into the
death is ongoing.
Statham
meeting
dominated
by talk of
arrests
By Ron Bridg'eman
News-Journal Reporter
The Statham City Coun
cil voted Tuesday night to
keep its police force “as is
permanently." and a dispute
broke out over two people
who were arrested for crim
inal trespassing.
Vice mayor Perry Barton
made the motion to retain
the city's police force.
Council member Dwight
McCormic, elected in
November, said at the April
council meeting that he
would gather information
about costs involved for the
Barrow County Sheriff’s
Office to take over.
McCormic opposed Bar
ton’s motion on the police
department.
McCormic also said he
was kicked off the water
and public works depart
ment committee by Mayor
Robert Bridges after the
meeting. Bridges and
McCormic had a lengthy
conversation at Bridges'
chair after the meeting.
McCormic raised the
issue of two arrests of
Tony McDaniel and Sondra
Moore.
He repeatedly said he
wanted to get at “the intent”
behind the arrests. He said
Moore and McDaniel were
volunteering to help the
city.
McCormic asked why the
two were arrested five days
after the initial confronta
tion.
He said the arrest of
McDaniel and Moore was
“unlawful.”
“In any kind of con
frontation, generally the
(police) officer takes action
right away,” McCormic
said during the meeting.
Moore said Tuesday
night she was arrested
twice Thursday. The first
time was in the morning at
her house.
She said two Jackson
County deputies came to
the house and took her to
meet Barrow County dep
uties.
See Statham on Page 2A
Student showcase
CROWDED CIRCUITS
The crowd was shoulder-to-shoulder around the “squishy circuits” exhibit from County
Line Elementary School at the Student Showcase on Innovative Learning on May 4. The
electric circuits were created with Play-Doh. Cathy Mason was the mentor of the group that
developed the idea. The exhibit was at at the Center for Innovative Teaching. It included 31
exhibits of the STEAM curriculum - science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics.
Photos by Ron Bridgeman
ELECTRIC CAR
Griffin Anderson, second from right, a senior, and Steven Griffing, right, engineering
instructor at Sims Academy, talk about the “electrathon car” manufactured by students.
Wilson was the driver for the car when it took second place at the Barber Motorsports
track in Leeds, Ala. Students began working on the car in August, Griffing said. It was first
constructed in 2015. Griffing said the car needs new batteries. The four lithium batteries
in it are original with the car. Griffing also had an agricultural drone project at the Student
Showcase of Learning last week.
o
Primary election set for Tuesday; early voting ends Friday
Voters in Barrow County will
head to the polls Tuesday for
Georgia’s primary election and
will be voting for several local
and statewide offices as well
as referendum and amendment
proposals.
Barrow County Republicans
will be deciding on three county
Board of Commissioners races.
Incumbents Isaiah Berry (Dis
trict 4), Billy Parks (District
5) and Ben Hendrix (District
6) are facing challenges from
Derek Cox, Debbie Reid and
Deborah Lynn, respectively. The
primary winners are presumable
locks for election in November
as there are no Democratic can
didates for the seats.
There will be no contested
primary races for the county
school board, but there are five
seats on the ballot. Republi
cans Debi Krause (incumbent
from District 1) is not facing
any Republican or Democrat
ic opposition and Republicans
Beverly Kelly (District 4) and
Stephanie Bramlett (District 9
at-large) have a clear path as
they prepare to replace outgoing
board members Michael Shel
ley and Mark Still, respective
ly. Republican Lisa Maloof and
Democrat Johnny Smith will
face each other in November for
the District 3 seat being vacated
by Connie Wehunt. and Repub
lican Bill Ritter and Democrat
Anthony Mayweather will be
looking to fill the District 7
seat being vacated by Suzanne
Angle.
There is also a contested race
on the Republican ballot for state
senate. District 47. as incum
bent Sen. Frank Ginn takes on
challenger Scott Howard. Dawn
Johnson is running unopposed
in the Democratic primary.
Other contested races on the
ballot for Republicans include:
•Governor — Casey Cagle,
Eddie Hayes, Hunter Hill. Brian
Kemp, Clay Tippins, Marc
Urbach and Michael Williams.
•Lieutenant governor —
Geoff Duncan, Rick Jeffares and
David Shafer
•Secretary of state — David
Belle Isle, Buzz Brockway, Josh
McKoon and Brad Raffensperg-
er
•Insurance commissioner —
Jim Beck. Jay Florence and
Tracy Jordan
See Primary on Page 6A
