About Dawson County news. (Dawsonville, Georgia) 2015-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 9, 2019)
WEDNESDAY I OCTOBER 09, 2019 DaWSOflNeWS ^COITI DAWSONVILLE, GEORGIA $1.00 Murder suspect arrested in Penn. Stryker, 5 others now in custody for Lumpkin County killing By Alex Popp DCN Regional Staff Authorities say that Austin Todd Stryker, the man who is considered a prime suspect in the recent murder of a Lumpkin County woman, has been taken into custody. After several weeks spent on the run from multiple law enforcement agencies, Stryker turned himself in to authorities in Pittsburg, authorities report ed on Wednesday, Oct. 2. “Efforts to return him to [Georgia] are in prog ress,” the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said via Twitter. Stryker is accused of killing Hannah Bender, a 21-year-old woman from Dahlonega, whose body was discovered in a shallow grave off Parks Road in north Forsyth last Wednesday. Bender was reported missing in Lumpkin County by her mother on Sept. 19 and shortly after bloody clothing was found in nearby Dawson County. At a press conference held last week, Lumpkin County Sheriff Stacy Jarrard said that authorities believe that Bender was killed at a campsite in Lumpkin County, but the search for her body involved law enforcement authorities from multiple agencies and crime scenes in Lumpkin, Dawson and Forsyth counties. Six arrests have been made during the investigation. Stryker’s wife, Elizabeth Donaldson, 21, was arrested Wednesday, Sept. 25 — the day law enforcement found Bender’s body — and charged with tampering with evidence. Jerry Harper, 78, was arrested Sept. 27 in Dawson County and charged with theft by receiving stolen property and driving while license suspended or Stryker revoked, but the GBI previous ly stated it had taken warrants out for Harper for “conceal ment of dead body” and “tam pering with evidence” in Forsyth County. Then, on Monday, Sept. 30, Dawson County residents Isaac Huff, 18, and Dylan Reid, 19, were arrested in Dawson by the GBI. Huff has been charged with one felony count for concealing death and is accused of allow ing another to keep Bender’s body on his property. See Arrest 14A Collins inspires next generation Photos for the Dawson County News Congressman Doug Collins greets fifth graders at Kilough Elementary School Oct. 2. Congressman Doug Collins greets fifth graders at Kilough Elementary School Oct. 2. Congressman visits fifth grade class, discusses what its like as a legislator By Jessica Taylor jtaylor@dawsonnews.com Congressman Doug Collins stopped by Kilough Elementary School last Wednesday to talk to fifth graders about what it’s like to be a legislator. Fifth grade teacher Amy Tankersley invited Collins to speak to her class on Oct. 2 where he talked with the stu dents about government and policy making. “He was super personable,” Tankersley said. “He was super inter active. He asked the kids questions. He did a little activity where they pretend ed that they were going to pass a law and had to them all vote like they were members of the House of Representatives.” Tankersley said her students enjoyed getting to meet their United States rep resentative. Collins has represented the 9th District of Georgia, which includes Dawson County, since 2013. “They thought it was the coolest thing that he talks to the president on the phone on a semi-regular basis and that he’s met like five or six presi dents,” Tankersley said. “He did a real ly great job.” It’s not the first time Tankersley has had guest speakers in her classroom. Last year she had George Washington and a Revolutionary War reenactor come speak to her fourth grade class. She said she would gladly invite Collins back to talk to her students. “It was really educational. It tied in with our standards, and he had a good message too. He talked about how he’s friends with other congressmen who have very different opinions than him and how they can still work together to solve problems,” Tankersley said. “I thought that was a really cool message for the kids, how he was like ‘just because you have a different opinion doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re a bad person’ and he talked about how they can work together.” Special land use application for Iron Mountain Park approved By Jessica Taylor jtaylor@dawsonnews.com The future of Iron Mountain Park was made clearer for Lumpkin and Dawson County residents after the Lumpkin County Board of Commissioners unani mously approved the project’s Special Land Use Application (SLUA) at its regu lar session meeting Oct. 1. The status of the project was last dis cussed on May 7 when Lumpkin County commissioners voted to table the project until the Oct. 1 meeting in order for offi cials to gather additional information and for the proposal to address a “lack of specificity.” Iron Mountain Park is a 4,300-acre ATV park and music venue located in Lumpkin and Dawson counties. Property See Park 17A Third annual NOA talent show Sunday By Jessica Taylor jtaylor@dawsonnews.com The third annual North Georgia’s Got Talent Show is coming back to Dawsonville this Sunday afternoon. Ten acts from across Georgia will gath er together at the Performing Arts Center at Dawson County High School on Oct. 13 to put on a show that raises money for No One Alone (NOA), a local domestic violence shelter serving Lumpkin and Dawson counties. Last year’s show raised more than $15,000 to support the nonprofit’s efforts to provide counseling services as well as See NOA 17A 0 9 0 9 9 Inside Volume 4, Number 55 © 2019, Dawson County News Dawsonville, Georgia Church Events 3B Classifieds 7B Dear Abby 6B Deaths 2A Legals 4B Opinion 9A Sports 1B 3A DCES unveils new ballistic vests, pet oxygen masks 4A Spooky things L to do near Dawson this October COMMUNITY WOMEN'S CANCER PROGRAM More women trust Northside Hospital Cancer Institute for their cancer care than any other program in the state. As Georgia's leader for women's cancer care, we're proud to have the #1 community breast and gynecologic cancer programs in the entire nation. Learn more at builttobeatcancer.com m NORTHSIDE HOSPITAL CANCER INSTITUTE BEATCANCER ■feUILTTO
