About Lake Oconee news. (Greensboro, GA) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 13, 2017)
Tigers off to impressive start in region play after slow beginning juniafiMi Your official newspaper sewing Greene, Morgan and Putnam counties in Georgia's Lake Country \ www.LakeOconeeNews.us VOL. 19 NO. 2 FRIDAY JANUARY 13 2017 75 GENTS Vicki Parker/Staff Winter storm Helena tracked a little farther north than expected, and the forecast for up to four inches of snow turned out be wrong with Lake Country receiving only a dusting of the white stuff. It did get cold enough to keep this fountain in Harbor Club frozen for three days, though. Stay tuned, folks, forecasters are calling for temperatures in the seventies this Friday. LAKE COUNTRY YOUR LIFE: Is it worth a penny? T. Michael Stone michael@lakeconeenews.us Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills thinks it is time to compensate local law enforcement officers in accordance with the risks they take, and his peers in Lake Country agree with him. Last week the veteran law enforcement professional, who began his career in Bulloch County in 1974, wrote a lengthy letter to his constituents outlining what he believes is a crisis point for law en forcement. According to Sills, 140 law enforcement officers lost their lives in 2016, 106 of them local city and county police officers and deputies. SEE SHERIFFS » All GREENE COUNTY K9 cop catches crook T. Michael Stone michael@lakeconeenews.us A Greene County man tried to slip away from deputies trying to arrest him on a warrant, but a patrol canine tracked him down. When Greene County Deputy Josh Elrod arrived at 3501 Cunnningham Road to serve a warrant on Robert James Seymour, 25, of Greensboro, he was told by Seymour’s girlfriend Melissa Cook that Seymour could be found around the lake working on seawalls and decks. She said that Seymour did not have a cell phone because he did not pay his bill. SEE CANINE » A2 Contributed Greene County Patrols K9 "Oby" helped track down a wanted man last week. index Calendar B5 Churches B8 Classifieds D3 Community B1 Opinions A4 Recipes D1 FRIDAY 71/50 Mostly Sunny WEATHER »D6 0 94922 87855 7 Published by Smith Communications Inc. MORGAN COUNTY Cheryl Bland takes her seat on the BOE T. Michael Stone michael@lakeoconeenews.us Cheryl Bland may feel lonesome when she attends her next Board of Education meeting she realizes that meetings aren’t all packed with students. But her first one as a board member was certainly one to cherish as the board and Superinten dent Dr. James Woodard honored band members, coaches and student athletes from fall sports programs. “I was excited to see the students and coaches recognized for their hard work,” Bland said. Bland was sworn in as the newest member of the Morgan County Board of Education by Probate Judge Charles Merritt before the meeting and got to enjoy the festive atmosphere. Bland defeated incumbent Erica Veasley in the primary election last May by only six votes to take over the District 1 seat on the Morgan County Board of Ed ucation. Bland said that she thought Veasley did a good job on the board but felt she could do better. “I have experience as an educator, an administrator and as a parent of a special needs child,” Bland said. She felt she had something unique to offer the board of education. A native of Gray in Jones County, Bland first came to Morgan County more than a decade ago and worked in Walton SEE BLAND » A10 Cheryl Bland will continue to serve as the interim director of the Morgan County African American Museum. T. Michael Stone/ Staff PUTNAM COUNTY Murder suspect served time in Tennessee jail Lynn Hobbs lynn@lakeoconeenews.us More reports have come in on the man accused of murder in Eatonton in December, showing Frank Don Causey also has a criminal record in Tennessee, The Messenger has learned. Causey, 26, formerly of 202-B Putnam Ave., Eatonton, was charged Dec. 20, 2016 with one count of murder in connection with the death of 63-year-old Lydia Huggins Ivanditti. She was found dead in the bathroom of her 307 W. Walnut St. home Dec. 2. There were reportedly of strangulation and drowning. Causey appeared before Putnam County Chief Mag istrate Judge Ellen I. Pierce Dec. 21 for a first appearance bond hearing. The judge advised Causey of his rights, but no bond was set because Causey only SU p er j or cour t judges have authority to set bond for murder charges. signs Causey’s attorney, public defender G.B. “Butch” Moore, has not filed a motion for bond in Superior Court and is not expected to, Assistant District Attorney Wright Barksdale said Monday. Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills said no one charged with murder SEE CAUSEY » A10 Who you choose to work with in real estate makes all the difference... 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