Page A6
Lake Oconee News
Friday, November 23,2017
Contributed
Marine Corps 2nd Lieutenant Alberto Eguia and Greensboro Dreamers sponsors
Tom and Kathy Kelly recently celebrated Alberto's acceptance to flight school in
Pensacola, Fla.
Dreamer Eguia accepted
into jet fighter school
Dave Brown
dave@lakeoconeenews.us
The Greensboro Dreamers
were a group of local kids
sponsored by local philan
thropist Tom Kelly that
were urged to graduate from
Greene County High School
and earn a scholarship to
college from the program.
The 18-years-in-the-mak-
ing inspiration really clicked
at the last-minute with
Alberto Equia.
“As an incentive to The
Dreamer, we use a trip after
graduation as an incentive,”
said Kelly.
“We wanted to show them
a world outside of Greene
County.”
Over the years, The
Dreamers have taken tripsto
such venues as New York City,
Chicago and Philadelphia.
On one such trip, one
Dreamer was on his way
to Boston when he made a
startling revelation.
“It was (Alberto Eguia’s)
first time ever in an airplane.
He worked hard to make the
specific grading require
ments to earn the trip,” said
Kelly.
“It was during that plane
ride that Alberto decided he
wanted to be a pilot.”
Eguia decided not just to
be a pilot, but to get in the
rarefied air to become a jet
fighter pilot.
You just don’t jump in the
pilot’s seat of F-35 fighter jet
that costs $100 million to
build and equip.
After graduating from
Greene County High School
in 2012 and then Georgia
Military College in 2016,
Eguiaaddedadegree inbusi
ness administration in 2017.
Eguia began this year at
Officer Candidate School
in Quantico, Va., and then
finished Officer Training
School.
It was only at that point
was he selected to the pres
tigious Jet Fighter School in
Pensacola, Fla.
“We went to visit him in
Florida. It’s a very vigorous
training they undergo,” said
Kelly.
Jet fighter pilots normally
spend two years in train
ing and start off with twin
engine Cessna planes before
getting to fly an F-35.
Also, they must agree to 11
years of service beforejoining
Jet Fighter School.
“We joined Alberto for
lunch,” said Kelly.
“Skip Flynt, a retired
Marine veteran who served
in Vietnam, joined us for
lunch and told us a lot of
stories.
“I just sat there and lis
tened like a fly on the wall.
Skip happened to mention
that during a USO Tour he
flew Bob Hope and Ann
Margret around.
“Alberto didn’t know who
they were.”
One characteristic of a
Dreamer is they learn about
the past and move forward
with their lives.
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GREENE COUNTY
New version of Daylight Bandit
apprehended in Greensboro
Dave Brown
dave@lakeoconeenews.us
Greensboro city manager
Larry Postell served as chief
of police for 15 year and
remembers the original
Daylight Bandit.
“The Daylight Bandit used
to break into women’s houses
and attack them in the
shower,” said Postell, who
was appointed city manager
in 2002.
“We eventually arrested
him, and he got 50 years to
serve, but he got paroled out,”
he said.
As so often is the case,
criminals return to a life of
crime.
“We eventually had to
arrest him again for armed
robbery.”
Apparently, anew Daylight
Contributed
Richard Bernard Edwards
was charged with false
imprisonment, aggravated
assault, armed robbery
and burglary.
Bandit has struck again.
Last Thursday, a week
before Thanksgiving,
Greensboro Police officers
responded to Sycamore
Apartments in reference to
an assault.
The 65-year-old female
victim said she returned
hometodiscoverablackmale
hiding in her residence.
The victim said the
intruder brandished a knife
and demanded money. Her
attacker also choked her and
struckherinthehead several
times.
The suspect was quickly
identified and apprehended
in the area.
RichardBernardEdwards,
47, of 507 Mill Street,
Greensboro, was charged
with false imprisonment,
aggravated assault, armed
robbery and burglary.
The victim was trans
ported to St. Mary’s Good
Samaritan and treated for
her injuries.
GREENE COUNTY
BankSouth COO receives service award
The Community Bankers
Association of Georgia(CBA)
recognized David Cowles,
executive vice president and
COO of BankSouth, recently
for 31 years of dedicated ser
vice to the community bank
ing industry. CBA’s President
& CEO, Rob Braswell with
family, friends and co-work
ers present, presented this
prestigious award.
“Georgia is fortunate to
have such an impressive
number ofcommunity bank
ers who have reached these
milestones,” Braswell said.
“It’s our pleasure to honor the
men and women who have
served the banking needs
of their communities and
lent their expertise to a new
generation of community
bankers throughout their
careers. Wearehonored to be
counted among their peers.”
David is aTennessee native
and graduated from the
University of Tennessee
with a bachelor of science
in business administration
degree with a major in
Banking. During college,
he started his first bank
ing job as a relief teller for
Greene County Bank in
Greeneville, Tenn. Upon
graduation, he took on a
full-time role. Cowles moved
to the investment industry
but returned to banking at
First American Bank, now
Regions Bank, in Nashville,
BankSouth
COO
David
Cowles.
Contributed
Tenn. In 2003, Cowles
and his family moved to
Greensboro, where he joined
BankSouth, Citizens Union
Bank at the time. He has
served as COO for the past
14 years and EVP since 2009.
David has had the honor
of serving as a member
of the board of directors
for the Mountain Region
Speech and Hearing Center
for several years, and as
chairman for two years,
Habitat for Humanity for
five years and the Greene
County Chamber for the
past 13 years where he also
served as Chairman. Cowles
is consistently involved in
BankSouth’s community
activities, including an active
role with the BankSouth
Foundation’s support of
education and community
projects.
While in Tennessee,
Cowles served on the
Tennessee Young Bankers
Board of Directors and was
a regent for the Tennessee
Banking School. Over his
14 years at BankSouth,
Cowles has played a key
role in many of the bank’s
milestones such as de novo
branching into Savannah,
establishing branches
alongside the mortgage
company headquarters in
Dunwoodyandsubsequently
in Buckhead, the acquisition
of North Georgia Bank in
Watkinsville and support
ing the growing footprint
of BankSouth Mortgage. In
addition, Cowles has led the
launch and advancements
of bank services such as
Internet banking, RDC,
mobile banking, in-house
core processing, training,
enhanced employee bene
fits and other processes to
improve efficiencies and
customer service.
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