About Lake Oconee news. (Greensboro, GA) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (June 16, 2017)
Your official newspaper serving Greene, Morgan and Putnam counties in Georgia’s Lake Country \ www.LakeOconeeNews.us VOL. 19 NO. 24 FRIDAY JUNE 16 2017 75 CENTS Lynn Hobbs/Staff Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills, left, and Georgia Department of Corrections Commissioner Greg Dozier, right, talk to reporters during a press conference Tuesday. T. Michael Stone/Staff An FBI mobile command center arrives in Madison to help local law enforcement search for the escaped prisoners. GUARDS KILLED IN PUTNAM Escaped convicts went to Madison before disappearing Lynn Hobbs lynn@lakeoconeenews.us and T. Michael Stone michael@lakeoconeenews.us Two escaped inmates were still at large Wednesday after killing two correctional officers and escaping from a prison transport bus Tuesday morning. Inmates Ricky Dobose and Donnie Rowe were among 33 inmates being taken from Hancock State Prison to a Georgia Diagnostic Class Prison in Jackson, GDOC Commission er Greg Dozier said. The bus has a “cage” which separates the inmates from the two guards on board. As the bus traveled along State Route 16/Sparta Highway, between Long Shoals Road and Texas Chapel Road, prisoners Ricky Dubose, 24, and Donnie Russell Rowe, 43, somehow got through the cage gate and over powered the guards, taking their guns and shooting them. The slain correctional officers were Sgt. Christopher Monica, 42 and Sgt. Curtis Billue, 58. Both were transfer sergeants at Baldwin State Prison and both had more than eight years of service with the department. Rowe, of Lewisburg, Tenn., has been serving life without parole since 2002 for aggravated assault, armed robbery, possession of a firearm, and other crimes. Dubose, of Madison County, was serving a 20-year-sentence for aggravated assault, armed robbery, entering vehicles, various financial fraud/theft convictions, robbery, criminal trespassing, eluding officers and more. He is SEE GUARDS » A3 index Calendar B4 Churches B8 Classifieds D3 Community B1 Obituaries A8 Opinions A4 Recipes D1 Sports C1 Sports C1 FRIDAY 80/72 T-storms Likely WEATHER »D6 0 94922 87855 7 Published by Smith Communications Inc. GREENE COUNTY BOE votes to change insurance Wil Petty wil@lakeoconeenews.us The Greene County Board of Edu cation, following a 3-2 vote, decided to change the district’s insurance provider during its meeting on Monday, June 12. The district, which was using the insurance through the Georgia School Boards Association (GSBA), will now be covered by Arthur J. Gallagher. Upon sending out requests, the district was expected to pay $130,765 in insurance premiums Wil Petty/Staff Greene County Schools Superintendent Dr. Chris Houston, speaks to the Board of Education, requesting SEE GREENE » All they approve the changes to district's insurance policy MORGAN COUNTY Milestones indicate Morgan students are trending up michael@lakeoconeenews.us Attendance up at all schools Results from the latest round of testing indicate that Morgan County students are learning faster and more efficiently than ever before. Chip Meyer, the testing director for the Morgan County School System, said that results from five different testing programs have come in, but he focused on the results of the MAP and Milestones tests. Meyer said that Morgan County has had a better testing experience than he thought after listening to the horror stories other teachers told at state meeting attended by testing directors. Meyer said that 79 percent of students at Morgan County Ele mentary school read on or above grade level. “That goes back to the emphasis that was put in place four years ago,” Meyer said. “We’re starting to really see that payoff.” In addition, 49 percent of elemen tary school students scored profi cient or higher which puts most of the test takers near the top. That’s up from 44 percent last year. Students fall into one of four categories on the tests: beginning, developing, proficient and distin guished. Results from Morgan County Middle School were equally encour aging with 79 percent of students SEE MORGAN » A12 FEATURED LISTING Who you choose to work with in real estate makes all the difference... "I highly recommend Alyce and Jonathan without reservation. They did a great job from start to finish. They were able to generate traffic and received a reasonable offer for our house in a short period of time." -ROBERT CRIDER ★★★★★ HIGHLY LIKELY TO RECOMMEND cJJafe Oconee's Jjest tn dR.eaiCsta(e Group LUXURY HOMES INTERNATIONAL KELLER WILLIAMS® REALTY 1100 HARDWOOD HOLLOW
