About Lake Oconee news. (Greensboro, GA) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 8, 2016)
‘Sweet' win for Lady Dogs; Top-ranked teams to play Saturday iHiiii J Lake Oconee News ii ii - Your official newspaper serving Greene, Morgan and Putnam counties in Georgia’s Lake Country \ wum.LakeOconeeNews.us FRIDAY JANUARY 8 2016 VOL. 18 NO. 1 75 CENTS BARTENDING COMPETITION HELD AT RITZ- CARLTON community » B1 OPAS DIRECTOR IMPRESSED WITH IDOL FINALISTS community » B2 STAY CONNECTED n facebook.com/ lakeoconeenews ©lakeoconeenews index Calendar B5 Churches B6 Classifieds D3 Community B1 Obituaries A6 Opinions A4 Recipes D1 Sports C1 FRIDAY 60/46 Few Showers WEATHER »D5 0 94922 87855 7 Published by Smith Communications Inc. GREENE COUNTY Supt. Mellor's contract dissolved in 3-2 vote Jackie Gutknecht jackie@lakeoconeenews.us In a 3-2 vote during a special called meeting that lasted less than 30 minutes Greene County Board of Education passed a mutual dissolution of Superin tendent Philip Mellor’s contract with compensa tion. BOE Chairman Arlie Collins and BOE member “I’m sad and disappointed for the community.’ - Philip Mellor Leah Dukes voted against the decision. The board’s discussion on the personnel matter was done solely in executive session. “I’m sad and disappoint ed for the community,” Mellor said Tuesday night in a phone call after the meeting. He had no other comment to offer by press time. Collins said Assistant Superintendent Rotonya Rhodes and Greene County School System CEO Dean Ware would handle the day-to-day activities of the school system until a new superintendent is found. The board is actively pursuing a replacement and already has “feelers” out, he said. Mellor began his career with GCSS as Superinten dent of Schools July 1, 2014. SEE BOE » A9 Jackie Gutknecht/Staff Philip Mellor was not in attendance during Tuesday night's special called board meeting. Water-logged motorist rescued Jeff Warren jeff@lakeoconeenews.us A stranded driver, whose vehicle was pushed off Briar Creek Road by flood waters Dec. 30, made it to safety, rescued by lawmen and county firefighters. Morgan County Sheriffs Deputy Shawn O’Kelley, one of several peace officers on the scene at the county’s east side, recorded the incident in a sheriffs office report. O’Kelley joined seven other sher iffs officers, a game warden and Morgan County Fire Rescue per sonnel at about half past noon that Wednesday as they prepared to assist James Brown, of Madison, who stood atop his vehicle, sur rounded by surging flood flow. The vehicle, a white Ford Ranger pickup, was well out into floodwa- ter then crossing the road at sig nificant depth and strong current, O’Kelley recorded. “He was in the middle of the creek. It had pushed him off the road down into the creek,” said Morgan County Fire Chief Jeff Stone, describing the rescue the day after. Sergeants Lanier and Pritchett of the sheriffs office teamed with firefighters to make a way to Brown in the swollen stream. Holding to taglines, ropes held by other team members on the bank, the rescuers reached Brown and brought him to land. The fast-flowing water was about SEE FLOOD » A2 MORGAN COUNTY Detective arrested for DUI Jeff Warren jeff@lakeoconeenews.us An investigator with the Morgan County Sheriffs Office was arrested and booked into the county jail near 10:30 p.m. New Years Day after Georgia State Patrol troopers judged her to be op erating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. Arrested was Lisa Marie Reynolds, 51, of a Concord Lane, Madison address. Though not on call to fulfill law enforcement investigative duties that night, Reynolds was contacted that evening by the detective working a child molestation case south of Rutledge, explained chief deputy, Capt. Christopher Bish, of the Morgan County Sheriffs Office. The detective who previously specialized in child molestation cases just retired, Bish explained. Reynolds was due to assume SEE DUI » A9 GREENE COUNTY GREENE COUNTY Hoverboard catches fire at Ritz Jackie Gutknecht jackie@lakeoconeenews.us Room 463 at the Ritz Carlton Reynolds, Lake Oconee is in need of remodeling after a hover board caught fire on New Year’s Eve, causing damage. The fire was put out quickly by the fourth floor room’s sprinkler system, Greene County Sheriffs Deputy Jordan Knowles reported. The initial call came into Old Salem Fire Rescue at 10:51 a.m., Deputy Fire Chief Derrick Daniel said. OSFR, Walker Church Fire Department, Greensboro Fire De partment and Greshamville Fire De partment responded. The Putnam County Fire Rescue Ladder Truck SEE FIRE » A9 Chris Bridges/Contributed The charred remains of a hoverbord that was left plugged-in to recharge and caught fire at the Ritz Carlton on New Year's Eve. Union Point, county open can of worms on services Mark Engel news@lakeoconeenews.us Attorneys for Greene County and the City of Union Point were animated as they huddled at the front of the courtroom Monday morning. As other lawyers and clients waited for their cases to be heard, Union Point City Attorney Joe Reitman looked up at Superior Court Judge William Prior and said “we’re just narrow ing the issues.” Prior, obviously pleased, said “well, continue to narrow!” In the process of trying to narrow the issues, the two sides came to a temporary agreement that could actually widen the scope of the potential problems. Union Point forced the county to court over the county’s decision to charge the city $40,000 per year, starting October 1, 2015, for emergency 911 and other police services provided by the county. Fire department and EMS services would not be affected. Union Point argues that city residents have been paying for all of those services for years through ad valorem taxes and the $1.50 monthly surcharge on telephone bills. Letters and legal actions have been exchanged since June, when the county made the decision. SEE UNION POINT » A8 Carrier turn to the experts Home Comfort FACTORY 7- AUTHORIZED Carrier® Warmth «/ BBB 866 Harmony Rd. Eatonton, GA | Phone: 706-485-5456 | www.bryant-air.com LIKE US ON FACEBOOK
