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17 GOOD
1J VENIN VT
By Quimby Melton
—in ——
Weekend Notes:
The Griffin Chapter of Ameri
can Business Clubs celebrated
its 25th birthday Saturday night
with a big party at Patrick
Park. The club dedicated a
gymnasium built there adjacent
to the ball diamonds, made
available by Dundee Mills. Very
appropriately Elizabeth
Cheatham (wife of President
Mac Cheatham of Dundee) cut
the ribbon.
The Griffin ABC Chapter has
developed the entire Patrick
Park complex into a
recreational facility for the
youth of our community.
There were three of the
charter members of the Griffin
ABC present for this happy
event. They were Haskell
Conkle, Bill Wood and Ike Hill.
Two other charter members,
Amon Cain and Charles Jones,
continue to be active in the club
but couldn’t be present.
Griffin ABC has done as much
for the youth of our community
as any agency here. We
congratulate them on their
oirthday and on the many fine
things they have accomplished.
Griffin, as well as the rest of
Georgia, planned to open its
public schools. Among other
things the school tax rate here
was set at 16.62 mills.
Members of the local 4-H
clubs are helping the Kiwanis
Club get its fair grounds ready
For the Spalding County Fair
which will open Oct. 8. They are
painting the various exhibition
buildings.
It was announced work would
begin shortly on the proposed
addition to the hospital.
Griffin sympathized with the
mother of a new bom baby girl
whose young father was ac
cidently killed on a construction
job in Forsyth and the mother
bad to have the sad news broken
to her when the baby was but a
few hours old.
Elsewhere over the state,
nation and world:
President Nixon went on
national television to reiterate
bis position that he had no prior
knowledge of the break-in at
Watergate or its coverup. He
said it was time to turn over the
whole affair to the courts and
for the nation to get on with
ether important business.
Gov. Jimmy Carter continued
bis people to people tour over
rhe state. Reports were that he
was received warmly wherever
be went.
The United States halted its
bombing in Cambodia, bringing
to an end a decade of combat
jperations by this country in
Indochina.
fill II w
“It’s surprising how many
elks can tell us what’s wrong
with the world — and how few
can cure it.”
flore people eligible for drugs
Medicaid costs jump sl4-million
ATLANTA (UPI) - A state
study, designed to put the drug
jrogram on a computerized
jasis and make abuses easier
co spot, reveals that cost of the
state’s medicaid program has
jumped sl4 million in the past
ive years.
The study, prepared by an
rffice of the Department of
rluman Resources shows the
nain reason for the increased
?ost is because more people
save become eligible for free
irugs.
Quarter system
planned here
Griffin High School and Junior High School teachers have
begun work on a comprehensive reorganization of all
secondary curriculums into a quarter plan. Working at
the Vineyard road educational center, the 25 teachers
are developing the quarter system for implimentation in
the Griffin-Spalding County System beginning in the 1974-
75 school year. Work will continue on the program
throughout this school year.
Threat to kill Nixon
cancels parade route
NEW ORLEANS (UPI) -
The Secret Service disclosed it
had uncovered a possible plot
to assassinate President Nixon
during a New Orleans visit
today, compeling the cancella
tion of a presidential motorcade
through the downtown of the
city.
Two new
deputies
begin work
The Spalding Sheriff’s
Department has two new
deputies. They are Robert
Wayne Pryor, 32, of Dobbins
circle, and Wayne Lovin, 22, of
Sunny Side.
Lovin started work today. He
is a Griffin High School
graduate and formerly was
employed by Georgia Power Co.
A bachelor, he lives with his
parents, Mr. and Mrs. A. D.
Lovin.
Wednesday was Pryor’s first
day as a deputy. He also is a
Griffin native. Before joining
the Sheriff’s Department, he
was employed by Wright and
Lopez.
His wife, Sue, works at Griffin
Industries. They have a son,
Danny, nine.
“Inflation has accounted for
some of the increase, but the
main reason for the increase is
that more people are utilizing
the program,” said James T.
Briscoe, director of the Depart
ment’s Office of Pharmaceutic
al Services.
During the five year period
from late 1967 to the first three
months of 1973, the number of
persons eligible for Medicaid
drugs jumped from about
240,000 to almost 500,000.
GRIFFIN
Daily Since 1872
The FBI, who also had a
hand in an investigation of the
reported plot, called it “a real
threat.”
In Washington, a Secret
Service spokesman, Jack War
ner, said “we have a lookout”
for a man identified as Edmund
“Punchy” Gaudet, described as
a former New Orleans police
man. Warner emphasized “I
wouldn’t draw an inference that
the two (the reported assassina
tion plot and the lookout) are
connected at this time.”
Television Station WWL-TV
said it had learned part of the
alleged plot involved the theft
of a police uniform and a car
assigned to Police Superintend
ent Clarence Giarrusso.
Giarrusso’s car was found
abandoned in New Orleans’
lakefront district and another
car was reported to have been
stolen nearby, the television
station said.
The announcement came less
than an hour before Nixon left
Key Biscayne, Fla., to fly to
New Orleans for a speech to
Weather
ESTIMATED HIGH TODAY
87, low today 64, high yesterday
88, low yesterday 67, high
tomorrow in upper 80s, low
tonight in mid 60s.
Total cost of the program for
the five years is $75.4 million
in state and federal funds. That
; represents a growth rate of
about $2 million yearly since
Medicaid started.
Briscoe said the tremendous
jump in porgram cost during
1970 was caused mostly by
I more people coming on the
> welfare roles, making them
f eligible for Medicaid and its
I free drug program.
Briscoe said the cost of drugs
represents about 10 per cent of
Griffin, Ga., 30223, Monday, August 20, 1973
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the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
A Secret Service spokesman
said the agency strongly
recommended that Nixon call
off his midday motorcade from
International Airport outside
the city to the Rivergate
Convention Center on famed
Canal Street. The White House
complied with the request.
Nixon went ahead with plans
for the speech to the annual
convention of the Veterans of
Foreign Wars.
The Secret Service said the
investigation was coordinated
with New Orleans police and
the FBI.
An FBI spokesman in Wash
ington referred inquiries to the
Secret Service but commented:
“It’s a very real threat and we
do have agents on the case.”
Ruth Asha- of the New
Orleans police public informa-
Temperature
drops to 64
The temperature dropped to
64 degrees here early this
morning, the lowest in many
weeks.
The mercury was expected to
climb into the 80s this after
noon.
Weather officials predict
another reading in the mid 60s
for Tuesday morning.
the total cost of the Medicaid
program in Georgia. He
described that as about average
for the nation.
The study shows that current
ly 51 per cent of the drug costs
are charged to the aged who
comprise only 18 per cent of the
welfare rolls.
“I think what the study shows
is that the program costs a lot
of money but there are some
rigid controls over it that have
been effective,” Briscoe said.
tion office said she had no
information of the investigation,
referring questioners to the
Secret Service,
Police had set up Mardi
Gras-type barricades along
Canal Street in anticipation of
the presidential motorcade.
Two huge white canvas banners
were erected with red and blue
letters saying, “New Orleans
Loves You” and “The Home of
the Saints Says, Hi.”
Nixon had been reported
planning to stop his limousine
Spalding Grays among
units in Guard test
FT. STEWART, Ga. (UPI) —
The final phase of what military
spokesmen call the most exten
sive test ever given a National
Guard Division has gotten
underway for elements of the
30th Infantry, (Mechanized),
Division from South Carolina,
North Carolina and Georgia.
The Spalding Grays National
Guard Unit is mong those
participating in the two-week
summer encampment
program. The unit is scheduled
to return home this weekend.
Practice for the test, designed
to determine the ability of the
National Guard to mobilize with
in 6 weeks notice, rather than
the present 10 weeks, has been
going on for the past 18 months.
“This exercise is one of the
most significant events which a
reserve component has con
ducted in recent times for the
30th. It represents the greatest
challenge which the Division
has faced since its role in World
War II,” said Maj. Gen. Dan
K. Edwards, commanding of
ficer of the 30th Infantry Divi
sion.
Since 45 per cent of the
nation’s total defense capability
is now in the National Guard
and reserve, this week’s test,
consisting of division size at
tacks defense and retreat opera-
Vol. 101 No. 197
at several points along the
parade route to shake hands
with well-wishers.
Following the assassination of
President John F. Kennedy in
Dallas in 1963, New Orleans
District Attorney Jim Garrison
charged that the assassination
plot was hatched in New
Orleans. However, his claims
were never substantiated.
The recommendation for can
cellation of the motorcade was
quickly accepted by the White
House.
tions, is considered of maximum
importance.
The 10,000 personnel taking
part in the operation will be
returning to their homes Aug.
25 and 26.
Leading a list of visitors
during the test week are Carl
Wallace, Assistant Army Sec
retary for manpower and re
serve affairs, and Deputy
Undersecretary of Defense
James Woodall. Wallace will be
accompanied by Howard Cook,
counsel for the House Armed
Committee.
Rustlers
steal two
calves here
Sheriff Dwayne Gilbert said
cattle rustlers have stolen two
calves from a Spalding County
farm in the last several days
and the owner is offering a
reward for information leading
to the arrest and conviction of
the thieves.
The calves, valued at around
S6OO, were stolen from a pasture
owned by Minter Dupree of
Route One.
The sheriff said that Dupree
is offering a $l5O reward for
information leading to the
arrest and conviction of the
rustlers.
(F)
First taxes in Spalding County were
assessed on August 3, 1852.
Coup leader
slain in Laos
VIENTIANE, Laos (UPI) —
A former Laotian air force
commander tried to overthrow
Premier Souvanna Phouma
today in a carbon copy of an
unsuccessful coup he attempted
in 1966. This one failed too and
he was killed when Laotian
ground troops shot down his
plane.
The leader of the abortive
coup was identified as former
Brig. Gen. Thao Ma, about 43,
a professed neutralist who is
bitterly anti-Communist and
who apparently acted because
he thought Prince Souvanna
Phouma was giving away too
much in the recent peace
agreement with the Communist
Pathet Lao.
Souvanna went on the air less
than seven hours after the coup
attempt began with a bombing
strike by T2B planes and told
the nation the bid to overthrow
him had failed. Souvanna,
leader of the nation for 13
years, was also premier when
Ma led the abortive 1966 coup.
In both cases Ma launched an
attack on government positions
with T3B planes while his
supporters who crossed the
Mekong River from Thailand
seized a number of key
positions. He had taken refuge
in Thailand when the 1966 coup
was smashed. That coup had
also been directed against right
wing military leaders whom he
had accused of corruption.
The insurgents quickly seized
Wattay Airport including its
military section and also took
control of the radio station and
national bank. Tanks were
positioned outside Souvanna’s
official residence and Ma, in a
blue and white scarf, climbed
into a propeller-driven T2B
fighter-bomber and began buzz
ing the city.
Leaders of the attempted
coup began broadcasting com
muniques over the radio in the
name of the “Peoples and
Armed Forces Revolutionary
Committee” and declared mar
tial law was in effect. Loyalist
ground troops took pot shots at
the vintage T2Bs, including that
piloted by Ma, as they swooped
across Vientiane.
Souvanna said in his radio
report to the 2.5 million people
of this tiny mountain kingdom
that government artillery units
shot down Ma’s plane about
10:30 a.m. outside the airport.
Ma, 41, was a much-decorated
combat pilot with 453 missions
behind him when he was sent
into exile in 1966 after the coup
attempt,
(Keo Vipakron, the Laotian
ambassador to Thailand, told
reporters in Bangkok that about
60 persons took part in the
revolt and that at least 14 were
arrested. He said a dawn to
dark curfew had been imposed
in Vientiane “for a few days.”)
The United States quickly
gave strong backing to Souvan
na as word of the coup attempt
spread. An Embassy statement
said the United States “takes a
very serious view of the
attempted coup (and) it reiter
ates its strong support for the
government of Prince Souvanna
Phouma and for a negotiated
settlement in Laos.”
When the fighting ended, the
72-year-old Souvanna went on
offical radio to tell his nation:
“The government of his majes
ty the king (Savang Vatthana)
is still functioning, including all
of its ministers” and vowed to
“deal seriously with the rebels
to maintain the kingdom’s
independence, neutrality, sove
reignty and unity.”
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Mrs. Wilton Whatley of Flat
Shoals road, Concord, holds a
potted sweet potato plant in full
bloom which she has grown.
Mrs. Whatley said that it is the
first time a plant of the type had
bloomed to her knowledge. She
works in Griffin at American
Mills.