About Lake Oconee news. (Greensboro, GA) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (June 23, 2017)
Your official newspaper serving Greene, Morgan and Putnam counties in Georgia’s Lake Country \ www.LakeOconeeNews.us VOL. 19 NO. 25 FRIDAY JUNE 23 2017 75 CENTS Casey Parrish/Staff Inmates Ricky Dubose and Donnie Rowe enter Putnam County Superior Court Wednesday morning, clad in chained shackles, orange jumpsuits and orange flip flops. PUTNAM COUNTY BRADLEY: WE WILL SEEK DEATH PENALTY Lynn Hobbs lynn@lakeoconeenews.us Inmates Donnie Rowe and Ricky Dubose had been in Putnam County only about four hours when they learned the death penalty would be sought on them. Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit District Attorney Stephen A. Bradley made the announcement in Rowe’s and Dubose’s first appearance hearing in Putnam County Superior Court Wednesday morning. “I have been asked repeatedly if I will be seeking the death penalty,” he said to Ocmulgee Judicial Court Judge Brenda H. Trammell and the court. ‘We are going to be very careful... but I am telling the court SEE COURT » AlO Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit District Attorney Stephen A. Bradley makes statements to the defendants during the first appearance hearing. Casey Parrish/ Staff Prisoners caught, returned to Putnam Michael Stone michael@lakeoconeenews.us and Lynn Hobbs lynn@lakeoconeenews.us Escaped inmates Ricky Dubose and Donnie Rowe were to be back in Putnam County Wednesday, June 21, where they were supposed to appear before one of the Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit judges. Their extradition from Rutherford County, Tenn. is just a little more than a week after they reportedly over powered two correctional officers on a prison transport bus on the Sparta Highway in Putnam County around 6:45 a.m. June 13, took the officers’ 9 mm handguns and fatally shot them. » Around 6:50 a.m., Philip Beasley, a Putnam County resident, drove up to the bus, then loaded with SEE TIMELINE » All index Calendar B4 Churches B8 Classifieds D3 Community B1 Obituaries A8 Opinions A4 Recipes D1 Sports C1 Sports C1 FRIDAY 85/73 Showers Likely WEATHER »Cx 0 94922 87855 7 Published by Smith Communications Inc. GREENE COUNTY Greensboro asked to revisit animal control Wil Petty wil@lakeoconeenews.us Dogs and the town’s animal control ordinance were discussed again during the Greensboro City Council’s regular scheduled meeting on Monday, June 19. Concerned citizen Rick Plymale talked about his concerns of loose dogs in the community, and men tioned what other cities in Georgia are doing with animal control laws. “I’m asking this council to take a look at, examine, study, modify and amend the animal control or dinance,” he said. SEE ANIMAL » A12 City Council member Morris Miller speaks on the issue of loose dogs throughout the city of Greensboro during the Greensboro City Council meeting, Monday, June 19. Wil Petty/Staff MORGAN COUNTY Citizens express disquiet at zoning meeting Katherine Klimt katherine@lakeoconeenews.us A pair of zoning variances that would affect the lot width of two land parcels on North Avenue hit a snag in the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting on Thursday, June 19. The variances, previously approved by the Historic Preserva tion Commission on June 13, seek to reduce the minimum lot width by 18 feet, from the current 100 feet to 82. After vocal objections from several citizens in attendance, the PZC decided to send the vari ances back to the HPC for further review. Controversy was sparked by applicant Everett Royal’s apparent submission to the PZC of a dif ferent map of the affected areas than the one previously presented to the HPC, and news that he was planning to subdivide his property into four lots rather than the original three. The rezoning of Royal’s property, from Rl, Large Lot Residen tial District, to R2, Medium Lot Residential District, provoked protest earlier this year from some members of the public but was approved by the city council during its meeting on Jan. 9 of this year. Concern has centered around the possibility of increased popula tion density in the area and fears among neighbors that Royal may SEE ZONING » A2 * BBB OUTDATED HEATING AND COOLING SYSTEM CLEANING OUT CALL WILSON BRYANT • Commercial • Residential • Maintenance • New Install 866 Harmony Rd. Eatonton, GA 706-485-5456 www.bryant-air.com
