About Lake Oconee news. (Greensboro, GA) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 24, 2017)
Friday, February 24, 2017 Lake Oconee News Page A3 GREENE COUNTY MORGAN COUNTY Proclamation for 'Tap 1 Gresham Mark Engel/Staff Greene County District 1 Commissioner Angela Deering reads a proclamation to Bobby Gresham, son of the late Woodrow "Tap" Gresham, at the Feb.16 Board of Commissioners meeting. "Tap" Gresham was believed to be the oldest World War II veteran of Greene County at the time of his death on Dec. 23 of last year at the age of 97. He and his wife Bessie raised 16 children and were members of New Bethel Baptist Church. The Board "commend Woodrow "Tap" Gresham for exemplary service to his country and his community in Greene County." As members of his family watched, the younger Gresham said his father would have said that the honor was not necessary but "since you did it, thank you very much!" MORGAN COUNTY Smart phone, smart owner outwit thief An Albany man was arrested for felony theft last Wednesday afternoon after he stole an iPhone 7 from the rest stop on 1-20 and was subsequent ly pursued by the smart phone’s rightful owner. Christopher Kurpuis of Pensacola, Flori da.,stopped at the rest area to use the facilities and walked past the suspect, Joe Willie Brown, 36, of Albany, Ga., as he exited the restroom. He saw Brown enter the stall he had just vacated and then remembered that he had left his new iPhone, valued at $600, in the stall. When Brown exited the stall, Kurpuis looked for his phone inside but it had vanished. Kurpuis then confront ed Brown, who denied stealing the phone. Brown then left the rest area in his grey Nissan Altima with Kurpuis in hot pursuit. When he pulled up next to his quarry, Kurpuis called his own phone with a pas senger’s cell, and saw his vehicle’s Bluetooth sync feature activate, confirm ing his phone was on and in range. Having verified the theft of his property, Kurpuis then called law enforcement to intervene. Arresting officer Kevin Berisko stopped the alleged thiefs vehicle near exit 114 on 1-20 at around 4:30 p.m. When Berisko spoke to Brown, he admitted having spoken to Kurpuis but denied taking his phone. A subsequent search of the vehicle, however, located the phone under the driver’s seat of the car. Police returned Kurpuis’ purloined property, and placed Brown under arrest for one count of felony theft. He was transported to the Morgan County Detention Center for booking. More Sellers turn to Us. MORGAN COUNTY Progress being made on environmental projects in downtown Madison Katherine Klimt katherine@lakeoconeenews.us The meeting of the Downtown Development Authority on Thursday, Feb. 16 yielded several updates on environmental improve ment projects in the area. According to city planner Monica Callahan, the West Washington Gateway effort, which centered around the removal of old subterranean gas tanks, is progressing smoothly. Many of the fuel tanks have been successfully removed and the environmental testing results indicate that no further action is neces sary throughout most of the site. Unfortunately, one plot within the Gateway area, the 410 Washington location, is need of further environmental review. During the removal of the site’s gas tanks, the smell of gasoline was apparent, and significant levels of contam ination were found in the surrounding soil, though the groundwater was seem ingly unaffected. The city has filed a report with state authorities, but it is uncer tain whether any further action will be necessary. If the city does not receive such approval, another year of testing will commence. Another improvement site on North Second Street has also been subject to environ mental testing, and signifi cant levels of arsenic in the soil and groundwater pol lution were discovered. The arsenic is limited to specific pockets, but further inves tigation is needed before more soil can be removed from the area. According to state regulations, the city has two years to complete their evaluations. In the meantime, the location will likely be closed to the public, with only limited access available to city employees. ADDRESS: NAME: PRINT SUBSCRIPTION INCLUDES ALL ONLINE CONTENT FOR BOTH (Ore Uatnutim Jili'ssi'tuyT & Lake Oconee News (FOR ONLINE ONLY SUBSCRIPTION GO TO: WWW.MSGR.COM) Madison once again a movie set Katherine Klimt katherine@lakeoconeenews.us Madison’s historic district recently became host to an independent film production that has trans formed a dilapidated house on Academy Street into a 1950s-era convent. The film, entitled “St. Agatha,” is being directed by Darren Lynn Bousman, known for horror films in cluding “Saw II” and last year’s “Abattoir.” Leading cast member Carolyn Hennesy, whose previous work includes roles in Fox’s “The Mindy Project” and HBO’s “True Blood,” de scribed the film as “psycho logical horror,” though she could not provide further details of the plot. One of the film’s writers, Sara Sometti Michaels, a native of Italy and resident of Los Angeles, explained why the production chose to film in Madison, pointing to its beauty and the abun dance of atmospheric historical locations. This sentiment was echoed by the film’s leading actress, Sabrina Kern, originally from Switzerland: “It’s just so beautiful here,” she said. Both Michaels and Kern ex pressed admiration for the Atlanta area, to which they are both newcomers. Though most of “St. Agatha’s” cast and crew are from outside Georgia, the production has also employed extras from the local community, some of whom are aspiring actors and others who are simply in it for fun and “$8 dollars an hour and a free lunch,” as one actor put it. Georgia has become a popular destination for film and television production in recent years, most famously with the American Movie Classics series “The Walking Dead,” which has been filmed in areas around Atlanta and Senoia for all of its seven wildly popular seasons. Nor is this Madi son’s first cinematic rodeo. “American Made,” a film about drug smuggler and DEA informant Barry Seal starring Tom Cruise sched uled to be released in Sep tember and the 2015 film “Goosebumps,” starring Jack Black, as well as portions of the 1992 classic “My Cousin Vinny,” with Joe Pesci and Marisa Tomei, were also filmed in town or around Morgan County. “St. Agatha” will continue filming at various locations around Madison for around another month, though as an independent production, the timeline for release is as yet undetermined. Hope fully, however, Madison residents will get to see the town on the big screen sometime in the next year. We attract more buyers. Period Serious about buying or selling? Call Coldwell Banker. coLPiueu. BANKER a www.cbcLakeCountry.com • www.cbLakeOconee.com ,1.1*204 M GROC SSIES @ piggly wiggly Drop entry by Piggly Wiggly or The Eatonton Messenger, or mail to r P.O. Box 4027, Eatonton, Georgia 31024 SUBCRIBE OR ENTER TODAY AND 228 N. JEFFERSON AVE. EATONTON, GA DOWN HOME, DOWN THE STREET. YOUR HOMETOWN GROCERY STORE. Drop entry by Piggly Wiggly or The Eatonton Messenger, or mail toP-OBo 4027 Eatonton, Georgia 31024. Limit one entry per persin per month - no copy or fax accepted. All winners announced by the To?hI of each month in both The Eatonton Messenger and Lake Oconee News You can win $200 in free groceries of your choic^ INNER EACH ■ RIP OUT, RIP JFP WIN free foo d AT O piggly wiggly CITY: STATE: ZIP: PHONE: E-MAIL: GUL : RIL E OR ENTER TODAY! DROP ENTRY BY PIGGLY WIGGLY OR THE EATONTON MESSENGER, OR MAIL TO P.O. BOX 4027, EATONTON, GEORGIA 31024 NEWS - SPORTS - WEATHER - COUPONS - MAGAZINES Employees of Piggly Wiggly and Smith Communications Inc. are not eligible for drawing.
