About Lake Oconee news. (Greensboro, GA) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 25, 2015)
Page A2 Lake Oconee News Friday, December 25, 2015 MORGAN COUNTY Freight train catches fire on way across Morgan Contributed This view from a Morgan County Fire Rescue vehicle dash cam shows a CSX locomotive (background) with flame spouting from its midsection as a firefighter, wielding a hand hose, approaches along a gangway. Jeff Warren jeff@lakeoconeenews.us The lead locomotive of a CSX freight train caught fire Tuesday morning, Dec. 15, as it hauled a train through Morgan County. The train crew called for help and halted in the dark beside U.S. Highway 278 near Woodcraft Road east of Madison to await assistance. Morgan County Fire Chief Jeff Stone said firefighters responded from Stations 16,14 and 4. Dispatched at 6:13 a.m., the first fire unit to the train, a Ford F-150 squad truck, arrived in ten minutes, he said. A tanker and two fire engines showed up in the three minutes that followed, bringing a total 4,500 gallons of firefighting water to the location. The train stopped on a section of rail closely paralleled by paved road, allowing fire vehicles to move close. Firefighters who arrived on the squad truck, which carries no water, had already suited up and strapped on breathing tanks as the water-carrying vehicles arrived, the fire chief said. Firefighters automatically don air tanks when called out on a structure or vehicle fire, the chief said. “It’s not so much for the smoke but for the heated gases you can’t see,” he said. Those gases can sear your lungs inside and cause you to suffocate, he explained. From the dispatcher, the train fire came across first as a vehicle fire, Stone said. Fire fighters learned the burning vehicle was a railroad locomotive during their ride to the location, he said. Having squad truck per sonnel already suited and equipped when water arrived made quick work of deploy ing a hand hose and dousing the flames, he detailed. The fire came from behind closed steel doors along the side of the locomotive, doors that shield the massive diesel power plant that moves the train. A leaking fuel line supplied diesel oil that sustained the fire near the midsection of the locomotive. “Flames came out of a hatch in the top area,” Stone said. As soon as water came and hoses could be pulled, firefighters boarded the loco motive and did their work. “They made an aggressive attack,” Stone said. “They didn’t wait around and look at it. They were able to put it out in a matter of a minute.” The train fire happened shortly before dawn. By 7:06 a.m., firefighters had finished the job and were prepared to answer other calls. “They spent a lot more time on scene making sure everything was good before they left than they did actually putting it out,” Stone said. After the fire, the train continued on its way. Acting Battalion Chief Russ McHugh directed the firefighter response at the train as he also commanded when firefight ers battled fire inside Madison’s downtown Vason Building during earlier hours the same morning. “Me being the new chief here,” Stone said, “I’ve seen a couple fires we’ve had, and I want to commend our firefighters for a job well done. We do it with a lot less people compared to a metro county—at this fire, five personnel on scene.” MORGAN COUNTY Burglar wields concrete block to enter store after hours A burglar hefted a concrete block through a glass door to break into a Valero convenience store near Rutledge after the store was closed for business Friday, Dec. 11. A burglar alarm from the store at 1999 Newborn Road brought Morgan County Sher iffs Deputy Chase Young, who worked the case and recorded his findings in an incident report. On arrival at the store, Young saw glass broken from an entrance door with half a concrete block and two plastic boxes packed with rolls of lottery tickets on the floor inside. A woman, gassing her car at a pump out front, said she arrived around 11:35 p.m. but did not notice the door damage and heard nothing out of the ordinary. Deputy Ryan Saye and store owner, Abbas Fallah, soon arrived. After the two deputies cleared the store, ensuring no intruder was still inside, Fallah entered to see what was taken. The burglar’s haul was confined to Georgia Lottery scratch-off tickets. Fallah retrieved the store’s video surveillance footage of the break- in. Viewing the video, Young observed a male in black boots, trousers and jacket, wearing a gray hoody and black stocking cap, black gloves and silver sunglasses, as the man walked around the east side of the store at 11:16 p.m. The suspect next brought a concrete block from the parking lot and placed it near the glass front door. A passing vehicle then prompted the man to tem porarily duck from sight. At 11:17 p.m., the intruder used the block to break the door glass and dove headfirst inside the store between the door’s hori zontal security bars. He moved behind the counter, checked the empty cash drawer, ripped two stacks of lottery tickets from the counter top and exited the way he came. Two of the plastic boxes containing scratch-off tickets broke from stacks the man left with, rolls Young found later on the floor. The video shows the suspect leaving the parking lot, headed northeast toward Newborn Road. Fallah was advised to contact the sheriffs office later, once he knew all the serial numbers of missing lottery tickets and an estimated cost of the damage to his business. The case remains active. - Jeff Warren Services Continued from A1 of people for city officers in the field. In June, the county com mission decided it wanted Union Point to sign an inter governmental agreement to pay an additional $40,000 per year for these police services. It later offered a $30,000 option that would provide fewer services. Fire and EMS services are not impacted by this agreement. The Union Point City Council argued they have been and will continue to pay for these services through county property taxes and the $1.50 per month charge on telephone bills. They do not want to pay any more. BOC Chairman Ed Bullard says it’s an issue of fairness, “Greensboro pays us $60,000 alone, so why should Union Point not pay anything? Then the argument is how much should they pay. That’s the discussion. Right now they’re saying nothing. Zero is not the answer.” Last week the city asked the county for a 30 day reprieve to negotiate. They wanted all services to continue but did not offer to pay any additional money. On Monday, one day before the deadline, the issue was never discussed at the county commission meeting. Tuesday morning, sources said representatives of the city and the county started trading emails and phone calls trying to avert a crisis. The county threat ened to stop all services except to notify city police on one-way voice pagers, only once each time a 911 call comes in. But that never happened. The city and county went before Superior Court Chief Judge William A. Prior, Jr. who agreed to hear arguments on Jan. 4. Union Point was required to deposit $7,500 with the court and the county agreed not to shut off services. Chief Sanders said in the first two weeks of December, Union Point had a total of fourteen calls through Greene County’s 911 system. Four of the calls, he explained, were emergencies like a domestic incident reportedly involv ing a gun and another sit uation where police had to use a taser to subdue the suspect. The other 10 calls were what Sanders referred to as non-emergencies, however, some of them were medical calls for help. Chairman Bullard said if Union Point doesn’t want to pay for the police services, they can go it alone by using cell phones to communi cate. ‘We talk about these very expensive radio systems that we have,” Bullard said, “and you talk about it, you actually can do pretty well with your cell phone. Granted, it’s not superb but, you know, if you need to communicate...” Sanders says that’s not realistic. “I don’t see how cell phones are going to be all that effective if an officer is trying to call for backup,” he said, “I don’t understand how he would take time to dial a phone number.” The agreement is no closer to approval than it was when first proposed six months ago. It has come down to a $40,000 game of chicken between the City of Union Point and Greene County with the potential safety of Union Point resi dents at stake. ROTARY- Super RAFFLE ROTARY Club of Greene and Putnam Counties 2015 2015 2015 Rotary Club is Happy to Announce the December 17 th Winner December 10 th Winner Suzan Harris ^December 24™ PRIZE A a 42" Television valued at $350 donated by WEEESrEjVRGO/ADMSORS g~HE Ritz-Carlton^p Corey Crouse #537 Two 50-minute massages and Lunch at Gaby's - Ritz Carlton. This prize, valued at $400 is donated by The Ritz Carlton Date: Item - Retailer (Value): Date: Item - Retailer (Value): Date: Item - Retailer (Value): 1-Jan Infrared Grill - Pike's Nursery ($750) 7-May Pro Shop Water Toy - Crowe Marine ($300) 3-Sep Countertop Appliance - Askew Appliances ($300) 8-Jan 00 & BV Pairing once month for 12 Months - Plantation Olive Oil ($325) 14-May Costa Del Mar Gift Package - The Clothing Depot ($320) 10-Sep Round of Golf for Four - Harbor Club ($550) 15-Jan Round of Golf for Four and $100 Gift Certificate for any Cuscowilla restaurant - Cuscowilla ($700) 21-May Gift Certificate - Greensboro Tire ($400) 17-Sep Gift Card - Art Work or Picture Frame - Frames on Main ($300) 22-Jan Catered Party for up to 30 People - GA Butts/Tim Cadiere Band ($1,000) 28-May Rover 5 String Banjo with Carry Bag - Milledgeville Music Man ($450) 24-Sep Round of Golf for Four and $100 Gift Certificate for any Cuscowilla restaurant - Cuscowilla ($700) 29-Jan Shampoo, Cut and Style monthly for 12 months - PJ Kinchen at Salon Essentials ($420) 4-Jun Tokyo-Obrien Stand-up Paddle Board - Singleton Marine Group ($1,295) 1-Oct Blue Tooth Speaker & Headphones - Lakeside Comp/Radio Shack ($300) 5-Feb Shopping Spree - Greensboro Jewelers ($300) 11-Jun Gift Certificate - Bone Island Grillhouse ($300) 8-0ct iPad - Micki Tanner/Susan Couch ($300) 12-Feb Full Teeth Whitening System - Dr. Scott Roberts ($350) 18-Jun Gift Certificate - Oconee Fast Lube ($300) 15-0ct Ruger 10/22 Rifle with Scope and One Estate Planning Consultation - Frier and Oulsnam ($500) 19-Feb 5' X 7'10" New Zealand Rug - Dalton Carpet One ($599) 25-Jun Kayak - Pathway to Healing ($300) 22-Oct Gift Certificate - Jimmy Britt Chevrolet ($300) 26-Feb Shopping Spree - Maggie Lane ($300) 2-Jul Shopping Spree - Lights of Oconee ($300) 29-Oct Services (Hair Color) - Zapiens ($300) 5-Mar Round Trip ATL Airport for Two - Lakeside Travel & Limo ($324) 9-Jul Round of Golf for Four and $100 Gift Certificate for any Cuscowilla restaurant - Cuscowilla ($700) 5-Nov Shopping Spree - Classic Wines ($300) 12-Mar Shampoo, Cut and Style monthly for 12 months - Cindy Griffeth at Salon Essentials ($420) 16-Jul Eye exam + $ 200 towards frame - Eyewear Gallery ($329) 12-Nov Seafood/ Meat - Pounders Market ($300) 19-Mar Yeti Cooler - Jay Dell ($300) 23-Jul TaylorMade Driver-The Kingdom at Reynolds Plantation ($500) 19-Nov Gift Certificate or Piece of Art - Genuine Georgia ($300) 26-Mar Melody Soundcast Bluetooth Wireless Speaker- RF Designs ($400) 30-Jul Artwork - Main Street Furniture ($300) 26-Nov Bose Quiet Comfort 25 Headphones - Advanced Audiology & Hearing Care($300) 2-Apr Gift Certificate - Da Corrado's ($300) 6-Aug Golf for Four (Choice of Course) Reynolds Plantation ($980) 3-Dec Shopping Spree - Greensboro Jewelers ($300) 9-Apr Round of Golf for Four and $100 Gift Certificate for any Cuscowilla restaurant - Cuscowilla ($700) 13-Aug iPad - Mindy Chandler, On Q Financial ($450) 10-Dec Gift Card - The Oconee Cellar ($300) 16-Apr Services or Products at Sinclair Marina - Sinclair Marina ($300) 20-Aug Tailgate Green Egg w/stand and 10 lb. Charcoal - Spa & Patio Center ($550) 17-Dec Two 50 min Massages and Lunch at Gaby's - Ritz Carlton ($400) 23-Apr Yeti Cooler - Allstate ($300) 27-Aug Queen Mattress Set - The Furniture Outlet ($499) 24-Dec 42" Television - Wells Fargo Advisors ($350) 30-Apr Handmade Silver Bracelet - Aurum Jeweler ($300) 31-Dec Two 6 mo. Memberships, Three Personal Training Sessions, & One Year Tanning - Max Fitness ($300)
