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Georgia Nevepaper Project
Untreruity of Georgia OV
Es Athens, Ga. 30602 home in Byron, ties up lady, steals car
A 29-year-old escapee from a Florida prison gave a
Byron woman quite a scare Thursday, breaking into her
home, tying her up, and stealing her car, along with
some cash taken from the lady's handbag. Sheriff
Johnnie Becham said that luckily Mrs. Connie Blair ol
White Road was unhurt in the incident.
The ordeal began Thursday afternoon when the
man ran from a car on Interstate 75 as it was being
stopped by a Georgia State Patrol trooper just south of
Byron. William Christopher Derr, address unknown, fled
the vehicle when it was stopped on 1-75 near White
Road. Derr had escaped from Rayford Slate Prison in
Rayford, Florida and was reportedly heading to Ohio
with a companion who aided in his escape.
The sheriff said that Keith Alan Shepard, 25, of St.
Augustine, Florida, stole the car in that city and picked
up Derr from a roadside prison work detail. Authorities
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Galen Johnson Middle Georgia RESA iii
jFort Valley Midde School [wgFrae School* Procpr
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Pictured are the award winning posters trom Peach County students that ended up being big billboards
in the anti-drug campaign. Above is the art work of Fort Valley Middle School sixth grader Galen
Johnson and below is the handiwork of Byron kindergartener Jose Carrazco.
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Variety of activities planned
for Black Observance
Fort Valley State College will
celebrate African-American History
Month now throughout February
with a round-up of activities that
will be held on campus. All events,
are free.
FVSC sponsors the month-long
slate of activities to recognize the
many achievements and contribu¬
tions that African-Americans have
made in their communities and the
nation. Many of these accomplish¬
ments have been omitted from the
written history in America.
The month of February each
year is an attempt to remedy this
neglect and to provide for all
Americans the information needed
for creative and empathetic
understanding about African
Americans.
The national theme for this
year’s celebration is, “Educating
America: Black Universities and
Colleges - Strengths and Crises >1
in Florida said that Shepherd had been paroled from the
same facility just three days earlier,
Traveling north on 1-75, the vehicle aroused the
suspicion of a GSP trooper about 2:30 Thursday
afternoon. Alter fleeing from the trooper momentarily,
Shepherd pulled over just south of Byron. Derr ran
from the vehicle in the direction of White Road,
Local authorities were summoned and a search for
the man ensued. Meanwhile, Shepherd was arrested
and charged with aiding an escape and theft by bringing
stolen property into the state. He is housed in the Peach
County Law Enforcement Center in lieu of S15.000
bond. At presstime, Derr remained at large.
Becham said that Derr made his way to the Blair
home on White Road, where he entered by diving
headfirst through a kitchen window.
Mis. Blair ran from the house, but was chased,
caught, and dragged back inside, where she was taken
Campus activities for the month
include:
• Now through Friday, Feb. 29 -
The Student Government
Association will conduct a Black
Trivia Contest at 10 a.m. daily in
the Lottie M. Lyons Student Center.
• Thursday and Friday, Feb. 14
and 15 - Jomandi Productions, a
professional theatre company com¬
mitted to the development of new
works recreating the African
American experience, will perform
“Queen of the Blues - An evening
With Dinah Washington,” at 7:30
p.m. in the C.W. Pettigrew Center.
• Tuesday, Feb. 19 ‘ “Saud,” a
four-piece jazz ensemble, will per¬
form at noon in the Lottie M. Lyons
Student Center.
• Thursday, Feb. 21 - FVSC
President Oscar L. Prater will host a
Presidential Forum on the national
theme at 7:30 p.m. in Founders Hall
Auditorium. Guest speakers are Dr.
Waldo W. E. Blanchett, the third
• *
to a bedroom and tied with belts and a phone cord.
Derr took several hundred dollars in cash from the
lady's purse and fled in her automobile, a 1984 Buick
station wagon. The vehicle was found in Atlanta on
Monday, abandoned on Peachtree Street.
Around 5:30 p.m. Mrs. Blair managed to free
herself enough to make her way to the highway, where
she flagged down a car and was taken to the Byron
Police Department. Except for rope burns, she was
uninjured. sought and will faces,
Derr is still being local
charges of burglary, armed robbery, kidnapping and
theft of a motor vehicle. At the time he entered the
Blair home, he was armed with a long screwdriver.
Chapman investigation continues
The sheriff said the investigation of County
Extension Director Joe Chapman was continuing, with
president of Fort Valley State
College; Dr. Billy Black, president
of Albany State College; and
William E. Gardner Jr., president of
Savannah State College.
• Wednesday, Feb. 27 - FVSC
students will vie for a SI,000
scholarship when they compete in a
n Share the Dream Black History
College Scholarship Oratorical
Competition,” at 7:30 p.m. in
Founders Hall Auditorium. The na¬
tional theme is the topic for the
contest. Deadline for applications is
Feb. 15.
• Thursday, Feb. 28 - Soul Food
Day with musical entertainment by
the Afro-Jazztet from 4:30 p.m. to 6
p.m. in the Food Service Center.
For additional information on
African-American History Month
activities, call Dr. Norma N.
Givens, Chairperson of the African
American History Month
Committee, at (912) 825-6270.
Board of Education
student artists
Jose Carrazco is a kindergarten
student in Byron. His poster, “Don’t
Monkey Around With Drugs,” is
now on Highway 49 in Byron as a
billboard. His poster was the one
chosen out of all the entries in the
Byron school. Galen Johnson, a
sixth grader at Fort Valley Middle
School, won for his poster, “Drugs
Can Tear A Family Apart.” His
billboard is on Highway 341 just
beyond five points going north.
Both students were recognized by
the Peach County Board of
Education and School Supt. Gene
Sheets during the board’s regular
meeting.
Baccalaureate services were dis¬
cussed as board attorney Charlie
Adams gave his opinion based on
the Jager vs. Douglas County Board
of Education; the case which has
prohibited prayer before football
games. Since a baccalaureate
service during graduation is a
religious service, the board
researched other school systems in
our area to see how they handled
the event. Only Taylor and Peach
Controversy continues in
Byron over appointment of
Borders as chief
The Byron City Council once
again discussed the position of
Chief of Police at their regular
monthly meeting Monday,
February 4. Council members
questioned Mayor James Williams
appointment of Byron Police Lt.
Robert Borders to the position of
Chief of Police, contending that
Assistant Chief James Barbour
should fill the office.
Mayor Williams justified his
position by insisting that Borders
continues to fill the position as
acting chief rather than permanent
chief. The Mayor then stated that
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Breakfast kicks off Black History Observance...
Congressman Louis Stokes addresses the crowd at the annual Black History Observance Breakfast
Tuesday morning at the Pettigrew Center of FVSC. Seated at the head table to Mr. Stokes' right are
FVSC President Dr Oscar Prater and Dr. Melvin Walker, co-chairman of the program. Photo by Eric
Zellars.
nothing new to report this week.
Leads were still being pursued as authorities
attempted to develop a case involving "sexually-related
materials' removed from a search of the Chapman
home two weeks ago
On January 25, officers from the Peach County
Sheriffs Dept., District Attorney's Office and Fort
Valley PD served a search warrant on the Chapman
residence. Charges of possession of marijuana And
possession of drug-related objects were made against
the man as a result of that search.
According to Melvin Davis, Central District
Extension Director , Chapman has been placed on
"administrative leave with pay."
Both the sheriff and Assistant District Attorney
Biff Tillis have promised to explain the details of the
investigation as soon as it i> concluded
County school systems hold
baccalaureate services since the
Jager decision.
Wishing to continue the tradition
here, Sheets contacted the two min¬
isterial alliances here in Peach
County and asked if they would be
willing to sponsor the service. Both
agreed. The Peach County Board ot
Education no longer sponsors the
graduation baccalaureate but it will
go on without ceasing under new
sponsorship.
The board adopted ten guais
which were put together with the
input of the teachers and
administrators within the system
along with the board. With the
intention of becoming among the
top five school systems in like size
systems, those goals ate
• Improve student achievement
test scores in all subject areas.
• Identify academic and social
needs of average/above average stu¬
dents and provide appropriate
and/or enhanced
instruction/activities.
he would let council “know in
time” when a permanent ap¬
pointment was to be made to fill the
position.
Council members questioned
the validity of the appointment and
that the appointment should have
been placed before the council for
their advice and consent.
City Attorney Larry Collins
submitted to council his written
opinion on the matter. Council was
advised that “ no candidate's name
had been submitted to the Council
for their advice and consent as was
required after the final adoption of
• Identify under achieving and At
students (potential drop-outs);
plans to help students over¬
problems that cause them to
At Risk.
• Enhance public relations
the school system,
and state.
• Continue to promote the in¬
volvement of p.cents in the educa¬
tional process.
• Elementary and middle schools
to become accredited by Southern
Association ol College and
Ci tools and all schools apply for
the “Schools of Excellence” pro
gram.
• Expand the middle school con
cept
• Upgrade computer liter aey.
• Continue to provide and expand
guidance/counseling services for all
students.
• Continue to provide and expand
the fine arts curriculum.
The board also discussed the
teacher incentive pay program but
tabled the matter to iron out a few
language glitches.
the new charter at the regular
January 1991 meeting.” It further
stated that Border’s present po¬
sition was a continuation of his
duties prior to January 1991 and
until the the position of Chief of
Police is filled.
During the meeting, Borders
stated that he would be the police
chief for the whole city and would
suppoit everyone. Lt. Bill Grinnell
of the Byron Police Department
also noted that “as a whole one
hundred percent of the police
department is behind Robert
Borders.”