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Screven
County
MIDDLE
SCHOOL
Supply List
page 7
County Commissioner faces day in court
Allison Willis strikes pregnant daughter
Joe Brady
Editor
According to reports filed at
the Screven County Sheriff’s
Office, on July 6, the 19-year-
old daughter of County
Commissioner Allison Willis,
Samantha Lee, reported to the
authorities of an assault she
received at the hands of her
mother.
Lee explained to deputies
that what started as a verbal
argument quickly escalated
into a physical altercation over
whether a minor child should
be babysitting children under
the age of 1 year old. According
to Lee, Commissioner Willis
began hitting her in the head and
pulling her hair out. “When I told
her I was going to call the cops.
Mom began yelling that nobody
was calling the {expletive} cops
on her. Lee had just found out
she was 11 weeks pregnant the
day before this altercation.
This is not the first incident
at the Willis home. On April 8,
2022, Screven County Sheriff’s
Deputies were dispatched to the
residence and arrested Samantha
Lee for possession of a Schedule
2 Controlled Substance, and
possession of a prescription drug
without a label. Commissioner
Willis had reported her daughter
after discovering what appeared
to be adderall, without a
prescription in her daughter’s
possession. This incident was
reported in the April 13 th edition
of The Sylvania Times.
Sheriff’s reports dated Monday,
July 11, 2022, and obtained
by The Sylvania Times further
states that at “6 p.m., on July
6, Sheriff’s deputies were
dispatched to the Optim Medical
Center-Screven Emergency
Department in reference to the
assault. Upon arrival deputies
met with Lee and took her
statement.
“I’m pregnant with Allison’s
grandchild and she never should
have put her hands on me,”
Samantha explained. “How
can I trust her to not hurt her
grandchild? Physical abuse by
Allison has been going on my
whole life. I just feel sorry for
my siblings.”
The case was turned over to an
investigator and a statement was
released Monday afternoon, July
11 by Sheriff Mike Kile, “The
case has been turned over to the
magistrate court to schedule a
hearing on the matter.”
“It is time to shed the light on
Mom. I hope she can admit she
was wrong and get some help
for my siblings’ sake. If this
had to happen for my family to
get help, then I’m glad it did
{happen},” Samantha says. The
Sylvania Times reached out to
Commissioner Willis but as of
press time, no response had been
received, (photo contributed)
Screven County
Library
Temporarily Moves
Sarah Saxon
Reporter
In the June 29 edition of The
Sylvania Times, it was reported
that the city was replacing a
fuse at the transformer behind
the library when the transformer
blew up, causing the library to
be in the dark. Since then, the
library has operated until noon
each day and held the summer
reading programs at the Cail
Center.
All that changes however on
July 13, when the library will
temporarily move to Ogeechee
Technical College (OTC)
Campus, the hours will be
Monday - Friday from 9 a.m. -
6 p.m. OTC is across the street
from the existing library.
Patrons will have access to the
computer lab, however, there will
not be any onsite printing nor
copying or faxing.
Regional Director of the
Screven-Jenkins Regional
Library System Kathryn Youles
explained, “if someone wants
a book, please email scl@sjrls.
org or go to the library’s App
and give us the book title and/or
author and we can pull the book
for you and let you know.”
The phone number to the library
is still unavailable to the public,
however; you can still reach
them by email.
County Manager Lori Burke
says “the OTC building is owned
by the county, and it makes sense
to use that building as it is across
from the library. OTC is allowing
the library use of the computer
lab and several offices.”
The Didgeridoo Down Under
- the Australian Outback will
be held at the Cail
Community Center
next Tuesday at 10
a.m. Students will
return to OTC on July
19. Youles explained,
“we will work
cohesively to ensure
patrons and students
can work together at
the college.”
The Sylvania Times
will keep you updated
as to when the library
will re-open, (photo by
Sarah Saxon)
Screven gets much needed
drought relief from heavy rains
Sarah Saxon
Reporter
If you have driven down either Mims Road
or Rocky Ford Road, you have noticed Farm
Bureau has had a sign posted that says, “Pray
for Rain”. We prayed and He answered.
Over the past couple of days, we have seen
lots of that liquid stuff that waters our grass,
fills our ponds, wells, and keeps all things
beautiful.
With all the heavy rain, it makes driving
conditions very dangerous. If you feel unsafe,
pull over and make sure your lights are on so
that everyone can see you.
According to the NOAA, Screven County
is classified as Abnormally Dry, which,
in laymen’s terms, the topsoil moisture is
decreased, planting is delayed, and the fire
risk is elevated. Eight percent of the county
is classified as being in moderate drought
conditions which translates to crops are
vulnerable, soil moisture is low, gardens and
lawns require more water, stream and pond
levels are lower and tree mortality has begun.
Will Boyd, who farms on Poor Robin Road says of the recent downpours, “we are in the driest part of the
county and have received approximately 2 inches of rain within the last week.”
Over this past week, various areas of the county have gotten anywhere from 2 14 to 3 inches of rain.
Jason Mallard, with the UGA Extension Service says” the rain has been very beneficial, and with no rain for
several weeks, it’s very bad for all the crops. Of course, we need more rain, because the plants have a water
holding capacity that keeps rain in the soil, but once it evaporates the crops begin to wilt.”
Mikki Saxon, the Deputy Director of the Screven County EMA reports, the rain amounts at the fire stations
around the county have averaged between 1.14 inches to 2.66 inches.
The forecast for the rest of this week calls for chances of rain every day. Screven County is currently 3.61
inches below normal from average rainfall.
Claxton Poultry
President acquitted
Mikel Fries acquitted of
price-fixing on chicken
products
Joe Brady Editor
Diane Bartz & Keith Coffman Contributors
Mikell Fries, president of Claxton Poultry Farms and Scott Brady, vice-
president, have been acquitted in a scheme to suppress competition and fix
prices, (photo contributed)
Three executives who worked for poultry
company Pilgrim's Pride and two executives of
Claxton Poultry Famis were found not guilty on
Thursday of fixing prices in the poultry sector.
A court official said on Thursday in an email
that the five were acquitted, ending the Justice
Department's third attempt to win a conviction.
Former Pilgrim’s Pride chief executives William Lovett and Jayson Penn were found not guilty, as well as
former Pilgrim's Pride vice president Roger Austin. Mikell Fries, president of Claxton Poultry, and Scott Brady,
a Claxton vice president, were also acquitted.
The government had originally charged 10 executives with price-fixing but dropped charges against five of them
after two mistrials.
In 2020, Pilgrim's Pride Corp agreed to pay a $110.5 million fine after striking a plea deal with the Justice
Department over price-fixing charges on chicken products. Pilgrim's Pride is mostly owned by Brazilian
meatpacker JBS SA. see CLAXTON
Prices of chicken wings and breasts, meanwhile, have climbed
38%
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