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306 Vol. 101 - issue 10 Wednesday, March 9, 1988 16 pages, 2 inserts
County awarded All-Georgia status
by Cornelia B. Nichols
All-Georgia Community Spon
sors gave Peach County the news
Monday afternoon that Peach
County qualifies as an All
Georgia Community. This goal
had been sought by community
leaders since last April, when com
mittees of Peach 2000 began
evaluating the county and setting
goals for future development.
Sponsors from the Georgia
Department of Community Af
fairs, the Georgia Department of
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THE FORT VALLEY KIWANIS CLUB HELD ITS ANNUAL LADIES’ NIGHT DIN
ner Friday night at Pine Needles Country Club. After a
delicious prime rib dinner catered by James Ward and his
staff, the Kiwanians and their ladies were entertained by Miss
Georgia, Kelly Jerles. Kelly related her experiences in the Miss
Georgia and Miss America pageants and sang a number of
songs. In the above photo, she receives a proclamation from
Fort Valley Mayor C. W. Peterson naming Friday as “Kelly
Jerles Day” in the City of Fort Valley.
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IT IS CUSTOMARY FOR THE CLUB TO HONOR OUTGOING PRESIDENTS, BUT
in the case of Buddy. Reddick, "honoring” took on new mean¬
ing. The fun-loving Reddick was “roasted” by Capt. Austin
Barnett, Dwight Byrd, Al Pearson, Tim McCord, James Khoury
and Dennis Herbert. Khoury even presented him with a gift,
this UZI water pistol. Reddick (left) also received a T-Shirt with
"Wide Load" imprinted on it, and a plaque from the club bear¬
ing several pronouncements about his past antics.
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SOME FOLKS HAD MORE FUN AT KIWANIS LADIES’ NIGHT THAN OTHERS.
Just ask Judge Bryant Culpepper. The judge was serenaded by
Miss Jerles, and rumor has it that he left with an interesting
red imprint on his cheek.
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AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE PROGRAM, THE KIWANIS CLUB PRESENTED
a plague to Leader-Tribune editor, Mike Lovvorn in recognition
of his recent series on drug abuse in Peach County. Kiwanis
President Dennis Herbert makes the presentation.
Industry and Trade, Georgia
Power Company, Municipal Elec
trie Association of Georgia and
Oglethorpe Power Company at
tended a luncheon at First South
Bank before taking an afternoon
long tour of the county and
evaluating their findings. They
reported their assessment of the
county to a smattering of com
munity leaders at the bank after
completing their evaluation.
The state and industrial com
mittee of six men and three
arrests continue
by Mike Lovvorn
Arrests continue this week in
the Peach County Sheriff Deaprt
ment’s undercover drug investiga¬
tion. Sheriff Johnnie Becham
reported the names of four more
people who have been charged
with distribution of cocaine, br¬
inging the total arrested to 56.
In addition to the 52 names
reported in last week’s issue, Jef¬
fery Jackson, Morris Davis,
Donald Hart, and Leroy Trout-
Sheriff's assailant gets reduced
sentence from state review
by Mike Lovvorn
The Superior Court Sentence
Review Panel of Georgia has
reduced the prison term given
Charles B. Strong III of Byron.
Strong has been serving multiple
sentences for the September 1986
shooting of Peach County Sheriff
Johnnie Becham and Deputy Don¬
nie Martin.
Convicted in December 1986,
Strong was originally sentenced
to three 20-year terms for three
counts of aggravated assault on a
peace officer. Two of those
sentences were to run con¬
secutively. The third ran concur¬
rently, along with convictions for
possession of marijuana and
possession of opium.
The panel of three Superior
Court judges reduced the second
Nine running for city posts
by Cornelia B. Nichols
Mayor C. W. Peterson of Fort
Valley has no opposition for his
office in the April 6 City Election,
but three council seats are up for
grabs. Contending for three seats
are six candidates: incumbents
Ernest Anderson and N.W. Jor¬
dan, Beth Collins, Marvin Crafter,
Jimmy Lee Johnson and Preston
King.
Three are running for two seats
on the Fort Valley Utilities Com¬
mission: incumbent Frank Spear¬
man, James Lewis and Sol Vining,
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Anderson, retired Peach Coun¬
ty School Superintendent, is runn¬
ing for his second term on coun¬
cil. Jordan, owner of Jordan Elec¬
tric Company, is mayor pro-tern
and has served on council for 28
years.
Collins, a political newcomer, is
a real estate broker and owner of
Village Realty Company.
Crafter, 38, is a Fort Valley
native and works as an account ex
ecutive for an Eastman firm. Mar
ried and the father of two boys, he
was a councilman from 1980 to
1984. and ran for mayor in 1984.
Johnson, age 44, is a contractor
and pastor of James Temple in
Montezuma. A Fort Valley native,
the political novice decided to run
for office because he "wants to see
a better city ... for everybody."
Married and the father of two
boys, Johnson says he is a hard
worker.
King, 35, another political
newcomer teaches school in
Oglethorpe and is pastor of the
Bethel Missionary Baptist Church,
women praised the county’s in
dustrial and recreational parks,
school system, libraries, organiza
tion of goals and leadership to im
plement those goals.
Areas for improvement cited by
the sponsors include the ap
pearance of the exits from the in
terstate and downtown Fort
Valley. Noting a widespread pro
blem with litter, Dennis Chastain
of Oglethorpe Power said, “You
need to work very hard on that,”
as Becky Aliff of the tourism divi-
assault count, that of Martin, to
ten years. Judges Richard T.
Winegarden and T. Penn
McWhorter voted to reduce the
sentence, while Judge Gordon
Knox, Jr. dissented.
The sentence reduction effec¬
tively means that Strong’s total
prison term is reduced from 40
years to 30 years.
The sheriff and his deputy were
wounded with bullet fragments
from a 30-06 rifle after serving a
search warrant on the home of
Strong’s father, Charles Strong,
Jr. on the afternoon of September
5, 1986. Becham, and Martin,
along with Chief Deputy Jimmy
Jones, and deputies Kenny
Cameron and Terry Deese, raised
the Chapman Road location after
information was developed that
A Fort Valley resident for 19 in History and Political Science
years, he graduated from Fort Continued On Page 3
Valley State College with a major
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GEORGE BROOKS OF BIBLE CAMP ROAD NEAR P0WERSVILLE SAYS THERE
are two sides to every story, and this photo would ten to bear
him out. Mr. 3rooks lost this cow, valued at over $500 to dogs
during the night Friday, something that he says is an ongoing
problem for farmers in the area. Last week, a neighbor accus
ed Brooks of putting poison in the area. However, he says he
^ as p| acec j n0 poison outside the confines of his property, and
would neither confirm nor deny using it at all. But he wants to
know just what he can do to protect his livelihood. "These are
not coyotes or wild dogs, these are people’s pets that are
allowed to run loose. Brooks obviously has some problems
with his neighbors. Last Thanksgiving, he reported that he
caught a 10-12 year old boy urging his dog to attack his cows,
anc j adc )s that he has had a calf shot with a .22 rifle, and a
fence torn down by vandals. Brooks would like to see some or¬
dinance forcing people to control their dogs out in the county.
"The law says my cows can’t run loose, but it says nothing
about these dogs that killing them. We need help. This ,
are is
$500-600 that I have to dig a hole and bury,” he added.
sion of Industry and Trade
reminded the community that the
exits provide an important initial
impression of the county to
tourists.
Clay Wells of MEAG urged con
struction of a brick and masonry
speculative building that is “dif*
ferent, unique, one that stands out
in the crowd.” Wells would not be
pinned down to suggest a size. He
also suggested working for
community-wide unity as Jim
Lenahan of Industry and Trade
man all have been charged with
distribution of cocaine. Davis was
charged with three counts.
About 28 more persons are ex¬
pected to be arrested in the next
few weeks. The arrests began last
Monday, and culminated an
eighth-month undercover opera¬
tion which began in July of 1987.
Assisting in the arrests last
week were the Fort Valley Police
Department, Byron Police
Department, GBI, FVSC Security,
spoke up for a comprehensive land
use plan and zoning,
Noting the importance of a
brochure to give a positive ina
pression of the county, Aliff sum
marized the evaluation by saying,
“Clean up and stay on top of the
growth.”
Presentation of the All-Georgia
Community Award will be made
in Atlanta on Friday, April 8.
Helen Rhea Coppedge, chairman
of the local effort, urged large af¬
tendance at that event.
and the Crawford County Sheriffs
Department. A typographical er¬
ror in last week’s story caused the
FVPD, Byron PD, and GBI to be
omitted from that story.
Sheriff Becham explained that
the arrest process was moving
slower now because many of the
remaining warrants only identify
suspects by nickname. The under¬
cover agent must be brought in at
times to make positive identifica¬
tions.
indicated marijuana was being
cultivated there. During the
course of the-, search, some 25
marijuana plants were confiscated.
Strong had come home from
work, spotted the sheriffs cars
and slipped back to the house
through the woods. As the of¬
ficers were leaving, he fired four
shots from a 30-06 rifle from a
distance of about 100 yards. All
four shots struck the cars of
Becham and Martin, and both of¬
ficers suffered shoulder wounds
from bullet fragments.
Strong gave himself up around
3 a.m. the next morning,
culminating a manhunt that in¬
volved over 100 officers from six
counties. Prior to surrendering,
he had vowed not to be taken
alive.
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To have your club orginizition. community
evtM or official mooting listod boro call >25-2432
FORT VALLEY GARDEN CLUB - will hold
their March meeting at 10 a.m.
Thursday, March 10 at the home of
Mrs. Avis Lux on E. Main Street.
GOVERNOR TREUTLEN CHAPTER NS0AR -
to meet Wednesday, March 9 at 3:30
p.m. at the home of Mrs. Gene
Waites on Peggy Drive, Fort Valley.
Mrs. Ed Gowen has the historical
program entitled “Lady with a Lamp
• Symbol of Liberty.”
AL-AN0N — a newly formed A I-A non
group will be meeting every Wednes¬
day night at 8:30 p.m. at St. Andrews
Episcopal Church, 309 Central
Avenue, Fort Valley. Al-Anon is a
group of family or friends of
alcoholics working together with
Alcoholics Anonymous.
FASHION SHOW AT ST. JULIANA’S -,
Saturday, March 12 at the church
hall on Highway 341 South.
Fashions will be featured from
Khoury’s. Tickets are available at
Khoury's for $7 or by calling
825-7122 or 825-7813.
PERRY PLAYERS PRODUCTION - “Who’s
On First” to be presented Saturday
evening, March 12 at 8 p.m. by the
Perry Players at the C. W. Pettigrew
Farm and Community Life Center at
Fort Valley State College. Tickets
are $6 for general admission and $4
for area students with $1 discount
for advance purchases. Tickets
available at the door or advance by
calling 825-6386.
MIDDLE GEORGIAN AFRICAN VIOLET S0CIE
TY wil! present their annual
African Violet Show at the Houston
Mall, Warner Robins on March 11
and 12 during regular mall hours Fri¬
day and from 10 a.m. till 5 p.m. on
Saturday.
Peach County Republicans will meet Satur¬
day March 12th at 10 a.m. at the..
Peach County Courthouse to elect:
delegates for the convention.
FORT VALLEY UTILITIES COMMISSION -
will meet Monday, March 14, at 7:30
p.m. at city hall.
PEACH COUNTY PLANNING AND ZONING
COMMISSION - will meet Thursday,
March 10, at 7:30 p.m. at the cour¬
thouse.
AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY - will hold
an auction for their benefit Saturday,
April 9, at the American Legion Hall
in Fort Valley. The silent auction will
begin at 7 p.m.; the regular auction
at 8 p.m. Businesses or individuals
who would like to donate articles for
the auction may contact Helen Hud¬
son at 825-5537.
PEACH COUNTY COUNCIL AGAINST CHILD
ABUSE — will hold its regular meeting
Thursday, March 10 at 7:30 p.m. in
the Community Room of Thomas
Public Library. Miss Pam Harvey is
featured speaker for this session.
BLUE REVUE — sponsored by the Delta
Beta and Beta Rho Zeta Chapters of
Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. will be
held March 12 in Founders Hall
Auditorium at Fort Valley State Col¬
lege at 7 p.m. The public is invited.
YOUTH IN ACTION - meeting Sunday,
March 13, 3-6:30 p.m. at the Spruce
Street Gym.
LiONS CLUB PANCAKE BREAKFAST - Sun¬
day, March 20 at the Byron Elemen¬
tary School, West Campus, from 7
a.m. till 1 p.m. Tickets are $3 for
adults and $1.50 for children.
AMERICAN LEGION AND AUXILIARY - will
meet March 15 at the Legion Post at
7 p.m. for their monthly meeting.
Mrs. T. Varnadoe is the hostess.
FORT VALLEY STUDY CLUB - will meet
March 15 at 3 p.m. in the home of
Mrs. Pete Peterson. Mrs. Dan
Nathan is program chairman.
BETA LAMBDA CHAPTER OF BETA SIGMA
PHI — will meet March 10,1988 at the
home of Pat Shealy at 7 p.m. Pro¬
gram for the evening is Your Per¬
sonal Score: Relationship of what
you are and what you expect of
yourself.
FVSC FACULTY RECITAL - featuring
Leonard A. Giles, trombonist, ac¬
companied by James Harris, will be
held in Founders' Hall Auditorium
Thursday, March 10, 1988 at 7:30
p.m. The public is cordially invited.
To Have Your
Community Event
Listed Here
Call 825-2432