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Three kilos! ♦
By Jarrett K. Reagan
A late night drug bust in Peach
County last weekend neeted SI.5
million worth of cocaine that was
to be distributed in the Middle
Georgia area.
The Houston County Sheriff's
Office, the Warner Robins Police
Department and the Peach County
Sheriff’s Office culminated a we¬
ek-long investigation with the
arrest of six individuals and the
seizure of 6V2 pounds of cocaine
with a street value of SI.5 million.
All three agencies coverged on the
Red Carpet Inn on the 247
Connector in Peach County Sun¬
day night, January 14, around
11:30 p.m. Also seized in the
arrest were four vehicles, two
firearms, and approximately $10,
000 in cash.
During a press conference held
Monday afternoon, January 8, at
the Houston County Sheriff's
Office, Houston County Chief
Deputy Sheriff Willie Talton,
Warner Robins Police Cheif Geor¬
ge Johnson, and Peach County
Sheriff Johnnie Becham refused to
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Maddox Hits The Campaign Trail
Former Georgia Governor Lester Maddox (left) & Cream, and her daughter, Amber (center),
came through Fort Valley Monday, January 15, Mr. Maddox was Governor of Georgia from
for a scheduled stop on his campaign route 1967 to 1971 and Lt. Governor from 1971 to
for Governor. Mr. Maddox walked the streets 1975. Other candidates for Governor include
of downtown Fort Valley chatting with citizes former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young and now
and old acquaintances. Here he is pictured Lt. Governor Zeil Miller,
with Nan Hunnicutt (right), owner of Peaches PHOTO BY JARRETT K REAGAN
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DUI Accident
Members of the Peach County Fire Depart¬
ment douse a wrecked car with water to pre¬
vent the vehicle from burning. J. D. McGhee,
Jr. escaped serious injury but faces several
charges, one of them DUI, following a one
vehicle accident on State College Drive last
She ICeaftcr-Sribune
Your hometoim newspaper... since 1SSS
VoL 102 Issue 3
give any details about the arrest or
how the intelligence information
was obtained other than surveilla¬
nce work because the investigation
was ongoing and possibly more
arrests would result.
According to a press release
issued by the departments, the
cocaine was received by local
parties from a Miami, FL source
and transported to the motel for
distribution to area suppliers who
would futher distribute the drug to
dealers in the area. The Miami
source for the cocaine were among
those arrested.
Chief Johnson noted that they
feel this is a major arrest on
possibly one of the greatest
suppliers in the area.
Those arrested are: Sammy
Wilson, 28, of 304 Keith Drive in
Warner Robins. He is charged
with conspiracy to commit violat¬
ion of the Georgia Controlled
Substances Act.
Willie Wilson, 29, of 99 Scoono
ver Dr. in Houston County. He is
charged with conspiracy to commit
violation of the Georgia Controlled
Substances Act.
Wednesday, January 10. There were no
passengers in the car when McGhee lost con¬
trol of the vehicle, hitting a culvert and over¬
turning.
PHOTO RY JARRETT K RFAGAN
Wednesday, January 17, 1990
Houston Peach authorities make million
dollar bust; arrest six, seize four vehicles
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Ulysses Simmons, 38, of 104
Shi Street in Warner Robins. He
is charged with conspiracy to
commit violation of the Georgia
Substances Act.
James A. Jones, 49, of 237
Woodland Trl. in Warner Robins.
He is charged with possession
with intent to distribute cocaine,
possession of a firearm during the
commission of a felony, possession
of a firearm by a convicted felon,
and aggravated assault on a police
officer.
Pamela O. Majors, 27, of 3755
N.W. 176th Street in Carol City,
FL. She is charged with conspira¬
cy to commit violation of the
Georgia Controlled Substances
Act and carrying a concealed
weapon.
Johnny Ward, 37, of 17135
N.W. 48th Place, in Miami, FL.
He is charged with trafficking in
cocaine and conspiracy to commit
violation of the Georgia Controlled
Substances Act.
It was also noted that all six
individuals arrested had a previ¬
ous arrest history with drug-relat¬
ed charges.
Peach County Sheriff Johnnie Becham (left),
Houston County Chief Deputy Sheriff Willie
Talton (center), and Warner Robins Police
Chief George Johnson (right) are holding the
Local man fought
in Panama invasion
by Vicky Whitehead
Lifestyle Editor
While most of us were snug and
secure in our homes and watching
the Panama situation on televi
sion, Fort Valleyan Ron Borders,
Jr. was in the middle of the action.
Borders, who is stationed at
Fort Bragg, North Carolina, was
with the 2,000 troops that left
Fort Bragg and parachuted into
Panama on December 20th. He is
with the 82nd Airborne, 1st Bat¬
talion 504 Parachute Infantry
Regiment.
Nobody talked on the way
down,” he says. His squadron’s
main objective was to take a
military compound away from the
PDF. Once in the landing zone,
the squadron received heavy
sniper and mortar fire.
After taking the compound and
finding various weapons and am¬
munition, mainly Soviet in
nature, says Borders, the squadron
began doing patrols and continued
until they left Panama, 24 days
later.
Guns and ammunition were
found in the homes of everyday
people. The citizens were scared
to say anything because they had
been threatened. Weapons includ¬
ed AK47s and M16s.
An opposition group, known as
the Dignity Battalion was, accor¬
ding to Borders, their biggest
enemy. This group, who was
notorious for killing whole
families, was broken up.
“The people loved us and were
glad we were there,” he says.
Borders, who says the group
had to wear the same clothes for a
Man charged with DU1,
escapes serious injury
A Fort Valley man escaped
serious injury last Wednesday
night, following a one-vehicle
accident on State College Drive
in Fort Valley. J.D.McGhee, Jr.
was charged with Driving Under
the Influence after he lost control
of his 1980 Chevrolet Caprice
about 9:45 Wednesday night,
January 10.
According to a Georgia Stale
Patrol report, McGhee was (ravel¬
ing south on State College Drive at
20 Pages, 3 Inserts
6 V 2 pounds of cocaine seized in a raid on a
motel room at the Red Carpet Inn in Peach
County last Sunday night.
PHOTO BY JARRETT K REAGAN
week in 95 degree temperatures,
until care packages came, notes
that when they first arrived
Panama was filthy with burned
cars everywhere. After everything
calmed down, a clean-up campaign
had begun by the Panamanians.
11 By the time we left everything
was looking better.
A 1988 graduate of Peach Coun¬
ty, Ron is the son of Jo Ellen
Borders. He had 18 parachute
jumps to his credit before the
Panama jump. Some of his com
rads had as a few as six.
And at 19, not of legal drinking
age, Borders has seen combat, in¬
cluding losing two people in his
squad -- Martin Doug Denson, 21
of Abeline, Texas and Jeffery
Scott Daves, 19 of Hope Mills,
North Carolina.
Combat’s not all I thought it
would be. It’s changed me a lot. .
.,” he stated. “I believe it’s made
me grow up and now I see things
in a different perspective.
And though, the troops
■ rehearsed” the day before, the
real thing is much different, he
said. Also before jumping into
Panama the troops had to receive
shots to immunize against various
jungle disease such as malaria. On¬
ly four from his squadron out of
750 had ever seen combat before.
*4 I don’t care too much about see¬
ing combat again anytime soon, M
the soldier added.
On the day that Noriega turned
himself in, Borders says there
were lots of noise, fireworks and
flag waving. “It was what the
whole country wanted.
The ride back to the base in
North Carolina was different
--everyone was able to get some
sleep. Borders notes that there
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Ron Borders
was a huge crowd on hand to
greet them when they returned.
The whole squadron will be get¬
ting seven days leave next week.
The squadron will also be get¬
ting several awards including the
Combat Jump Wing, Combat In¬
fantry Badge, Combat Patch and
the Expedition Medal for being
the first Infantry to drop into
Panama.
Ron and the other troops spent
Christmas in Panama, so he came
home to see his mother this past
Saturday. He is happy to be back
on U.S. soil again and is scheduled
to go back to Panama in February
for Joint Operation Task Train¬
ing. Before the Panamanian crisis.
Ron had been scheduled to be in
Panama on May 1st. “I just got
there a little early,” he jokes. And
even though, he wasn't crazy
about combat, he says he will
more than likely re-enlist when
the time comes.
a high rate of speed when his car
ran off of the roadway and struck
an embankment, His vehicle
continued to travel approximately
200 feet on the shoulder of the
road before striking a culvert.
After striking the culvert, the car
overturned and traveled another
51 feet before coming to rest
against a tree. Sheriff’s
The Peach County
Department and the Peach County
Fire Department answered the
call. Peach County I’ 11C Uepartm
ent Stations #2 and #3 responded
with two trucks to prevent the car
from burning.
McGhee is charged with DUI,
driving too fast for conditions, and
no proof of insurance. He was
taken to Peach County Hospital
and released into the custody of
the Peach County Sheriff’s Depar
tment. Georgia State Patrol
Trooper Bobby Mathis investigat¬
ed the accident.
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