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2024 LIVESTOCK PARADE PICTURES ON PAGE 14
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Lifestyles ..2 | Editorials ..7 | Church News ..5 | Sports ..3-4 | Obituaries ..8 | Legals ..9 | Farm & Land..15 | Booking Log ..12
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Statesboro man gets life in July 2022 murder
John Morris shot Dolan Blanchard three times
-Statesboro Herald Staff Reports
A Statesboro man pled guilty last week to the
murder of a man he came to know through their
mutual participation in an online video gaming
community.
John Wamell Morris of North Main St. was
charged with malice murder, felony murder,
aggravated assault and aggravated battery for the
shooting death on July 17, 2022 of Dolan Blanchard
of Sylvania. After hearing details of the incident
from both the defense and the state, Superior Court
Judge Lovett Bennett sentenced Morris, 21, to life
in prison plus an additional 15 years. He will be
eligible for parole after serving the first 30 years of
the sentence.
“Morris has been held accountable for his
heinous actions while Dolan Blanchard’s family has
been spared the distress and uncertainty that comes
with trial and post-trial appeals process,” said
Casey Ross Blount, an assistant district attorney
who prosecuted the case for the Ogeechee Judicial
Circuit. “Our thoughts and prayers remain with
Dolan’s parents, Wayne and Alethia Blanchard, as
well as the rest of Dolan’s family.”
Blount said that the investigation showed that Morris and Blanchard
were part of a group of friends who played Xbox games with one
another over the Internet.
After playing online for a few hours late on the night of July 16,
2022, Morris invited Blanchard to come to Statesboro
from Sylvania and join him in shooting road signs with
a gun. Blount said they drove in Blanchard’s car to the
intersection of Maria Sorrell Road and Clito Road, just
west of Highway 301 North, about 1:30 a.m. July 17.
After they both got out of the car, Blount said Morris
shot twice at the stop sign at the intersection and then
turned and shot Blanchard three times.
Morris then left Blanchard mortally wounded in the
road and took his car to a nearby location and set it on
fire with the murder weapon inside.
Deputies with the Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office
responded to a report of a man lying in Maria Sorrell
Road shortly after 1:30 a.m. Blanchard received first aid
measures from deputies at the scene, but he died before
Emergency Medical Services arrived. He was 21.
Blount commended the efforts of lead investigator
Reid Odom and Capt. Todd Hutchens with the Sheriff’s
Office.
“(Their) thorough investigation allowed them to
secure a full confession and an on-scene walk-through
of the crime by Morris,” Blount said. “Defendants
simply do not plead guilty to malice murder, so the fact
that this defendant did demonstrates the quality of the
investigation.”
Dr. Morgan’s
Minute
Dementia, more common and
challenging than many of us
realize
Full Story Page 2
THE POET’S
CORNER
Holy Sonnet 10 by John Donne
Full Story Page 8
NIlWS ACROSS
6RORQIA
Arbery’s killers argue appeals of
hate crime convictions
The men convicted of hate
crimes for killing Ahmaud
Arbery in 2020 will appeared in
federal court last Wednesday in
Atlanta.
See Page 12
Crossword
Puzzle,
Sudoku
Full Story Page 6
FISHING WITH
JACK
Well, I say, it's spring, no it's
not spring, oh yes, it is spring....
and so on....how ever, it is
suppose to be spring. You cannot
tell it, can you? But, it is, and it
is time to fish.
Full Story Page 15
(Dozier's (Doggie
Daze
Tippy and the Orange
One day, I was sitting at the dining
table and Tippy was sitting quietly
nearby (he never begs, just drills
holes in you with his eyes!), but
every hair on his body was twitching!
Full Story Page 6
Tucker Thomas and Adileigh Rountree
Rountree
and Thomas
Advance in
Governor’s
Honors
-Amanda Kqrt, Special
Contributor
SCHS has two students
selected as finalists for the
Governor's Honors program.
It has been a long time since
we had 1 student selected for
this major accomplishment,
we now have TWO!!
Congratulations to
Adileigh Rountree and
Tucker Thomas for being
selected to participate in
the Governor's Honors
Program. They will have the
opportunity to spend 4 weeks
in the summer program at
Georgia Southern studying
Agricultural Research. They
are 2 of 650 finalists out of
4,200 applicants.
2024 Livestock Parade was
bigger than ever
2024 Livestock Parade, Grand Marshall, Lindy
Sheppard and Grandson, Lane White start the
parade off with a smile and some candy for the
spectators.
This years Livestock
Parade was a huge hit
with citizens of Screven
County and surrounding
areas. Folks from all over
the county lined the streets
to get a view of the local
talent and celebrities.
Some spectators even
came from as far a New
York to visit with family
and friends. It was simply
a beautiful day for a
parade!
There were alot of
great floats this year,
however the newspaper
was impressed with the
amount of tractors this
year, old and new. Don't
forget, the livestock shows
are going on now and end
Thursday, April 4, 2024.
We hope to see you there!
See pg for more parade
photos
FCCLA Members
Advance to Nationals
Members of the Screven County High School FCCLA
chapter participated in STAR Events on Monday, March
18 in Athens at the State Leadership Conference. Caroline
Boswell, Lauryn Herrington, and Emree Yarber placed 1st in
the STAR Event, “National Programs in Action."
The high school FCCLA program is under the direction of
Mrs. Wynn Pollock.
They prepared a 10-minute presentation on the National
Program, Families First. They will advance to the nationals
in Seattle, Washington this summer.
William Bland and Grandson, Parker are seen here riding on
their old antique Oliver Tractor in the 2024 Livestock Parade.
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