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- . — PRSRT STD
US POSTAGE
UGUSTA GA
MS.JEANNIE LEDFORD GA NEWSPAP
PROJ CHIPS DEPT, MAIN L 1 UGA FERDALY Tt 302
ATHENS, GA 30602-1641
Serving Metro Augusta,
South Carolina and The CSRA ~—
August 26-September 2, 2004 Vol. 23, No. 1173
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Q :
No-go on gay governor
Blacks in NJ have
shown lukewarm sup
port for Governor
James McGreevey fol
lowing his recent res
ignation amid tales of
sexual harassment and
a homosexual affair
with a staffer. Page
2A
A for effort
Two professors at
South Carolina’s old
~est HBCU, Benedict
College have been
fired for refusing to
comply with grading
standards that practi
cally give students a
passing grade for
showing up. Page
3A
e A SR S S BT AR
All’s fair in love, war
and....politics?
As the saying goes all
is fair in love and war
but ;udgm% from the
revelation of Republican
involvement in criminal
investigations into their
political foes, it seems
they've added one
more no-holds barred
arena to thar list.
Page 8A
R O 0 S S T e S AR
ARTBEAT
Miller whitewash
Miller Beer cans mark
ing the 50th anniversary
of Rock and Roll have
raised the ire of some in
the black community.
None of the eight com
memorative cans include
any African-American
artist. Page 1B
R T A A R 0 v VTR .
Honoring Ashe
Organizers have put
together the 9th Annual
Arthur Ashe Kids' Day in
honor of the tennis leg
ends dream of using the
sport to promote human
ftarianism and sports
manship in young peo-
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Cheeks ‘moving force’
In Walker investigation
By THERESA MINOR
Augusta Focus Staff Writer
State Sen. Don Cheeks (R-22) helped to fuel a
federal investigation against his rival in the upcom
ing November election, Augusta Focus publisher,
Charles Walker, according to motions filed by
Walker’s defense attorneys on August 20.
The motions to dismiss the 142-count federal
case against Walker and his daughter, Monique
Walker-Hill, state that Don Cheeks and the former
U.S. Attorney Rick Thompson were the “moving
force behind this prosecution.”
Evidence contained in 34,000 pages of informa
tion supplied by federal authorities to defense attor
ney Ed Garland indicates FBI investigators spoke
with Cheeks on two occasions, the first shortly after
the November 2002 election and again in January
2003.
“... political opponents of Senator Walker
were invited to offer whatever gossip they could
Sports arena,
other items snag
SPLOST process
Working towards an August 27 “drop-dead” date, members of
the Augusta- Richmondug‘u;umy Commission spent an entire
weg(n ‘jwd?fufing away at a proposed list of projects for SPLOST
Vv ing.
Ina ser%es of marathon meetings, commissioners were able to
ok a number of “safe” projects to be included in the fifth phase
of the penny sales tax whiie continuing to spar over more con
troversial items.
“If the sports arena or the amphitheater and some of those
other projects at the bottom of the list are not on the ballot then
we're not going to have a SPLOST. Thar’s just my opinion,” said
Commissioner Bobby Hankerson.
Hankerson and Commissioners Don Grantham and Jimmy
Smith are three of the commissioners seemingly in support of
the S6O million sports arena slated to be built at the old Ecgency
Mall site pending voter approval. Hankerson told the group that
he believes Augusta citizens want entertainment venues, such as
the arena, that will improve their quality of life. Commissioner
Andy Cheek, however, countered 313[ while people he’s talked to
woufil appreciate such a facility, they don' favor it in lieu of flood
relief or parks where their children can play- an argument that
seems to be supported by a Republican straw poll taken duri
the July 20 primary. Just over ;O percent of votes cast in the pofi
were in favor of the arena.
Commissioners first began work on the SPLOST list in early
See SPLOST, page 12A
Finding hope: House gives women second chance at life
By HALEY A. DUNBAR
Augusta Focus Staff Writer
A few days before Hal
loween 2001, Pensola
Parsons found herself sit
ting on the side of a bath
tub in an Augusta motel
room. All of her worldly
possessions fit easily into
a green garbage bag that
lay crumpled in a heap on
the floor. As other guest
moved about in sur
‘rounding rooms, possibly
making plans for coming
days, Parsons’ thoughts
rested on one idea — mak
ing that day her last.
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Photo by H. Dunbar
The name Hope House meant a lot to Pensola Parsons when she
arrived there in October 2001 with no money, no skilis and no
where else to go. She says the house gave her hope and got her
on the road to living instead of just existing.
was just existing,” she
said.
Homeless and suffering
from the “}pcss of drug
g‘fl{flctipy for over two
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Don Cheeks
to initiate a prosecution.
Rather than interviewing witnesses who the govern
ment agents thought had reliable information to
provide, the agents simply went to his opponents
and obrtained a laundry list of possible areas of
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Photo by H. Dunbar
Pailbearers carry the casket of Ed Mcintyre out of the Bell Auditorium following funeral services.
Nearly 3000 mourners joined in the “Home Going Celebration” for Mcintyre, Augusta’s first black
city councilman and only black mayor. Speakers at the service inciuded his son Dr. Ashiey Mcin
tyre, Georgia Court of Appeals Judge John H. Ruffin Jr. and former Fulton County Commissioner A.
Reginald Eaves. Mcintyre's remains were laid to rest at Hilicrest Memorial Park. The icon leaves
to cherish his memory a wife, Juanita; a daughter, Wanda (Dr. Keith) Mcßae; two sons, Marlow Jr.
(Traci) and Ashiey (Delecia); four grandchiidren and many other relatives and friends.
decades, Parsons lived on
the streets of Augusta
doing “whatever she had
to do” to get the narcotic
that she says she couldn’t
www.augustafocus.com
“... political
ocpponents
of Senator
Walker were
invited to
offer what_-
ever gossi
they couldp
to initiate a
prosecu
tion.” states
motions to
dismiss
live without. But that
day in late October, the
then 37-year-old says she
realized that she no
longer wanted to live
with it. In the midst of
her drug-induced haze,
the name Hope House
surfaced in Parsons’
mind. A friend had told
her about the place that
serves homeless, female
addicts —the only one of
its kind in the city. After
gaining some semblance
of consciousness, she
called the facility only to
learn that there were no
available beds at the time.
Crushed, the Charleston
born, Augusta-bred
mother of one turned to
the only constant in her
life. All that night and
into the wee hours of the
morning, Parsons binged
inquiry that should be pursued.,” the motion states.
Checks, according to the FBI documents, was
said to have questioned Walker’s involvement in the
Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) contract with
the Augusta Mini Theatre and a S3O million state
allocation that was used to fund revitalization efforts
in Augustas inner city — implying that Walker
received a kick back. DJJ cancelled the Mini The
atre contract and the state decided to stop the last
installment of the S3O million revitalization grant
shortly after the Cheeks interview with federal
authorities. However, the senator denies that he
played a role in the investigation for his own politi
cal end.
“I didn’t prompt anyone. The FBI came to my
residence on several occasions. They asked me what
I knew about a colleague of mine, Charles Walker,”
said Cheeks. “How would I know two years ago
when they came to me that [ would be in the 22nd
District with Charles Walker. The whole allegation
: See Investigation, page 12A
FIFTY CENTS
on alcohol and crack
cocaine before finally
passing out for what
seemed like the last time.
No where to turn
According to recent
reports, 50-70 percent of
the estimated 6200
homeless individuals in
Augusta suffer from the
disease of addiction.
Despite accounting for
the bulk of that homeless
population, women with
children only have one
placé in Augusta that
offers them residential
treatment services -
Hope House. Dr. Gerald
Carrier, director of the
facility since 2002 says he
believes the lack of long
term recovery programs
for female addicts can be
See Hope, page 11A