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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
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Mostly Sunny
WEATHER »D6
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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
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