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Elaborate virtual scam targets local sisters Jill Helton publisher@tribune-georgian.com You might think you are too smart to fall for a scam. That’s what Sarah Wood thought until a phone call from her sister on Tuesday that suddenly turned into a life-and- death situation. At least she had thought it was. And she almost cashed out thou sands of dollars in pre-paid credit cards as ransom before she realized the truth. Wood was the victim of a virtual kidnapping scam and was led to be lieve her sister was in grave danger. At the same time, her sister had been the target of a jury duty scam, where callers are told they will be arrested for missing jury duty unless they follow a specific set of instruc tions. It was an elaborate scam with two parts, and it almost worked. “I have officially had the scariest thing happen in my life today, and I am still kind of numb from it,” Wood wrote on her Facebook page later that night in a post that has gotten thousands of shares. She said during an interview Wednesday morning that she was still coming to grips with how the day’s events unfolded. “Now I’m kind of piecing it to gether and figuring out how they got this information,” she said. See SCAM, page 8A 417 sites. 10 years. 1 last stop. Submitted photo Ohio resident Tom Wright visited Cumberland Island National Seashore earlier this month to finish up his 10-year ad venture to see all 417 national parks, seashores, monuments, sites and preserves. Now he’s trying to see as many as he can twice. “I’m going to keep doing it until I die,” Wright said. Seeing America, one park at a time Johna Strickland Rush iohna@tribune-georgian.com Tom Wright didn’t start out plan ning to visit every site managed by the National Park Service but there he was, 10 years later, finally stand ing in park No. 417, Cumberland Island National Seashore, in early December. He brought cookies for the park rangers and had someone take his photo with the park sign. He’d made it, joining a small group in the National Park Travelers Club, a nonprofit social club, of members who have achieved platinum status by visiting every national park site. And like a true superfan, Wright was off to see more national park system sites that day, visiting Fort Caroline and Kingsley Plantation in Jacksonville, Fla., and Castillo de San Marcos National Monument in St. Augustine, Fla. The next day he stopped by even more sites on his way back home to Ohio. With the list complete, Wright figures he’ll see how many he can visit twice or more. He’s already visited about 250 sites more than once. “I’m going to keep doing it until I die,” Wright said. See PARKS, page 7A Marine center due diligence includes study Jill Helton publisher@tribune-georgian.com The Camden County Joint Development Author ity, which is actively nego tiating to attract an anchor tenant for its St. Marys Marine Center, approved a marketing study as part of its due diligence. The authority will issue a request for proposals and estimates the study to cost about $6,500. It will analyze the market, relative to this We need to have some assurances from an outside source that we have a viable project. Jeff Barker JDA chairman type of marine operation, and provide data that can guide future decisions, said Jeff Barker, JDA chairman. “We need to have some assurances from an outside See PROJECT, page 8A Tribune & Georgian file photo Situated at the edge of the old mill site, the St. Marys Marine Center project includes building boat slips, yacht haul-out, dry boat storage, marine trades and services, retail space, hous ing, restaurants and manufacturing. Looking back at 2017 in Camden Johna Strickland Rush iohna@tribune-georgian.com January In the first five days of 2017, two groups appealed a hardship variance granted by the county planning commission in December 2016 that allows nearly 88 acres on Cumberland Island to be split into 10 lots. The owners want to build a few houses for themselves. The planning board’s vote kicked off months of discussion on both sides with the county trying to reach a compro mise before letting the Na tional Park Service take the lead in negotiations in June. Kmart, an anchor retail store in the Camden Woods shopping center, told em ployees that the store would be closing. Sonny Felix Michel was arrested Jan. 12 and charged with child molestation and See YEAR, page 6A 'sf Tribune & Georgian file photo Hurricane Irma roared through Camden County in September, causing flooding, downing trees and sinking boats. 1 Poll Index Are you making a New Year’s resolution? Vote online at www.tribune-georgian.com and see last week’s results on page 5A. Obituaries Crime report Opinion Upcoming events 2A Sports 3A Religion 4A Classifieds 5A Legals 1B 3B 5B 7B Tribune & Georgian Volume 114, No. 52 © 2017, Tribune & Georgian, Community Newspapers Inc.