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Shelby Ventura named
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Robinson Elementary
INSIDE, 4A
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DawsonCountyNews
WEDNESDAY I DECEMBER 28, 2022 DaWSOflNeWS ^COITI DAWSONVILLE, GEORGIA $1.00
Man charged with sexual explotation of child
Maxfield
By Nick Watson
DCN Regional Staff
A tip from the Hall County
Sheriff’s Office led to a
Dawson County man being
charged with nine counts of
sexual exploitation of chil
dren, according to authorities.
John Leonard Maxfield Jr.,
41, was arrested and charged
Tuesday, Dec. 20 by the
Georgia Bureau of
Investigation Child
Exploitation and Computer
Crimes unit.
After the report from Hall
County, the GBI unit started
looking into Maxfield’s
online activity regarding
“possible online possession
and distribution of child sex
ual abuse material,” accord
ing to the GBI.
The GBI and the Dawson
County Sheriff’s Office exe
cuted a search warrant at
Maxfield’s home. Maxfield
was subsequently transport
ed to the Dawson County
Jail.
The GBI said seven of the
counts were for possession
while two counts were for
distribution.
The Times has reached out
to the Hall County Sheriff’s
Office for more information
on their involvement in the
case.
‘The highlight of my year, every year’
Photos by Julia Hansen Dawson County News
Dawson County Sheriff's Office deputies and school administrators help students choose toys for their
Christmas wish lists during the agency's 16th annual "Shop with a Cop" event atWalmart on Monday, Dec. 19.
DCSO spreads cheer to kids with annual Shop with a Cop
DCSO detention officer Deputy Jane Czajkoski laughs with siblings
Javier and Astri Salazar Vicente while waiting to ring up their Christmas
presents.
By Julia Hansen
jhansen@dawsonnews.com
For almost half of the Dawson County
Sheriff’s Office staff, Monday’s mission
at the Dawsonville Walmart was clear:
Spread Christmas cheer by helping doz
ens of local children buy presents during
the agency’s 16th annual Shop with a
Cop event.
This DCSO fundraiser lets children
who otherwise couldn’t purchase
Christmas gifts for themselves or family
members.
With donations, DCSO was able to get
100 $200 gift cards, worth $20,000, said
the agency’s HR and budget manager,
Sandra Evans.
Over 80 children were each given gift
cards and paired off with DCSO deputies
to “shop ‘til they drop,” as school
resource officer Dep. Phillip Cofield put
it. Several deputies also filled out stock
ings for children unable to attend.
Local fundraising efforts were ongo
ing leading up to the event. Earlier this
fall, 10-year-old Nolan Dearwent and his
parents sold bracelets to help raise
money for Shop with a Cop.
DCSO also resumed its annual
October motorcycle ride to benefit the
event.
Dawson County Schools also donated
$9,500 before Shop with a Cop, and
anonymous donors gave $550 during the
event, Sheriff Jeff Johnson said.
Multiple Chestatee-area community
groups presented a joint $13,500 check
to DCSO for the annual program on
Wednesday.
“Even as bad as things have been this
year [with the economy], the community
has continued to shine and continued to
come through with the donations for the
fundraisers,” Johnson said.
The sheriff added that he’s “proud of
the community and proud of the men
See Shop 13A
DCFES hires
new leaders for
two divisions
By Julia Hansen
jhansen@dawsonnews.com
Dawson County Fire and Emergency
Services recently hired new leaders for two
of its five overall divisions.
Prior DCFES employee and longtime
firefighter Johnny Irvin has been named
the Division Chief of Operations and
Training, a position previously held by
Jason Dooley.
Fire and EMS veteran Don Patterson was
hired as the EMS division chief, filling the
spot left by Robby Lee.
Johnny Irvin
Irvin’s passion for the fire service is what
drew him to work as a first responder.
“I grew up watching the TV show
‘Emergency’ many years ago and just got
hooked on firefighting, and the passion just
never left me,” Irvin said.
He began his tenure in 1986 as a basic
firefighter with the Cornelia Fire
Department, about an hour from Dawson
County.
He also became involved with the
Georgia Fire Academy over the years,
working his way up in that organization to
See Leaders 16A
Fatal house fire’s
cause ruled as
undetermined
By Julia Hansen
jhansen@dawsonnews.com
The cause of a fatal November house fire in
southern Dawson County has been ruled
undetermined, according to Fire Marshal Jeff
Bailey.
“The fire’s official cause was listed as unde
termined but appeared to be electrical in
nature and unintentional, and the sole occu
pant did die as a result of the [fire’s] combus
tion,” Bailey said.
Bailey explained that his office, the State
Fire Marshal’s Office and a private firm hired
by the insurer of the property all came to the
conclusion that the fire looked to be acciden
tal.
On Nov. 15, Dawson County’s Fire and
Emergency Services requested the State Fire
Marshal’s Office to respond to a residential
fire with one recorded fatality on Kelly Bridge
Road, according to a Nov. 18 press release.
Emergency crews responded to a structure
See Fire 13A
0
90994 04002
Inside
Volume 8, Number 47
© 2022, Dawson County News
Dawsonville, Georgia
Church Events
2B
Classifieds
7B
Dear Abby
6B
Deaths
2A
Legals
7B
Opinion
7A
Sports
1B
3A Sawnee EMC
named tops
in customer
satisfaction
by J.D. Power
4A Bowen Center
for the Arts
announces
winner of
quilt raffle
"We all try and go above
and beyond and give that
five start treatment, so it's
rewarding to know that
what we do matters."
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754 HWY. 53 WEST, DAWSONVILLE, GA
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