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McGehee resigns from
Hospital Authority;
Wilton Walton named
Ventura resigns, moves office to Warner
Robins; Hollifield asks for status report
By Hallie Rigdon
News Editor
Josiah Phelps, Vice Chairman of
the Peach County Hospital Author¬
ity, announced last Thursday that
Bill McGehee had resigned as
chairman of the authority. Phelps
will act as interim chairman until
the nominating committee comes
back next month with a recommen¬
dation for a replacement for McGe
hee.
McGehee has been on the author¬
ity for nearly 11 years, filling the
unexpired seat left when Pete Peter¬
son was elected mayor and then be¬
ing re-elected for three three year
terms allowed by the by-laws.
a My term would expire this fall, n
said McGehee, “and knowing how
much of my time is demanded by
the work of the authority coupled
with the farm and peach season ex¬
pansion this year, I just thought this
was the right time to resign. 1 can’t
devote the time needed to either job
by doing both of them.
Wilton Walton of Walton & Wal¬
ton Advertising and Fox Valley
Printing has been named to fill the
unexpired term of McGehee. When
the term is up in the fall, Walton
will be eligible for renomination by
the nominating committee.
In another surprising move, Dr.
Peter Ventura requested a change in
privileges from staff physician to
consulting physician. The request
was accepted by the authority with
regret.
There are several reasons for
Ventura moving his Fort Valley of¬
fice to Warner Robins.
"I had decided to take the job in
Peach County a full year before my
residency was up," said Ventura,
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Photo by Eric Zellars
Money confiscated... carload of
Investigator Terry Deese (left) and Sheriff Johnnie Becham count the money taken from a
Colombian aliens on 1-75 last week. Concealed in the driver's door panel was over $109,000 in cash.
A look at the aftermath of the
Persian Gulf war... Rigdon, 4A
She iCeaher-uIrtbune
Peach County's best news and advertising source... since 1888
Volume 103, Issue 10
"you don’t make a major move with
five children on the spur of the mo¬
ment. Then as we were coming here
the pediatrician left town. That
made a big difference in the patients
that would be referred to me. But
that was a long time ago."
Since that time there have been
problems with equipment break¬
downs, supplies ordered that remain
"on back order" and equipment
maintenance oversights that both¬
ered Ventura.
"These would be brought up in
committee meetings and sugges¬
tions would be made but it didn't
seem like anyone was listening,"
said Ventura.
It took me over a year to real
tze, he continued, "trial* when
someone said ’it's on backorder'
meant that a vendor hadn't been
paid and was not shipping to Peach
County Hospital. If someone had
told me that up front, I'd have
bought the supplies myself."
"The big thing," said Ventura, "is
feeling as though the hospital was
not morale-supportive. When the
closing of the OB unit came up it
made me feel that a few years down
the road that no one would go to bat
for me if 1 needed them." The situa¬
tion and the way in which it was
handled by the administration of the
hospital really bothered Ventura.
"1 love Peach County," he said,
"it is where we live and where our
children go to school. I'm not get¬
ting pediatric referrals and need
them. I am just better off moving
my office to Warner Robins where
there are pediatricians."
"We have worked with Peter in
every way we could," said McGe-
Wednesday, March 6,1991
hee, "and are sonry to lose a physi¬
cian like him. Clearly there is noth¬
ing we could have done to change
his mind."
"1 expected more efficiency and a
higher technical atmosphere," said
Ventura, "it just hasn't worked out."
In an ever vigilant search for
ways to save money, the adminis¬
tration of the hospital recommended
to the authority that all free meals
be suspended immediately and that
the 40% discount for employees in
the cafeteria be ended. “We have
found a ‘big hole’ in food services
that amounts to a great deal of mon¬
ey,” said Hospital Administrator Joe
Greene, “and recommend the au¬
thority adopt these changes. It will
save a great deal of money. 15
The authority passed the recom¬
mendation but not without saying
that the 40% discount to employees
was difficult as none of the em¬
ployees have had a raise in two
years.
New authority member Ray Hol¬
lifield asked Greene for a report by
the next authority meeting detailing
the sort range and long range status
of the hospital along with a defini¬
tion of what the hospital is to be.
We need to know,” said Hollifield,
how we see ourselves. What kind
of hospital are we and what are our
goals?”
Negotiations on the nursing home
beds is ongoing with Greene indi¬
cating that the nursing home (Peach
County Health Care Center) is in¬
terested in the services.
Billing for services during the
month of January was the highest
on record for Peach County Hospi
tal.
Registration open now for
youth baseball, softball... 6A
18 pages, 3 inserts
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Photo by Eric Zellars...
Students support troops in Middle East...
Students at Hunt Elementary School have shown their support for
the troops in the Middle East in a variety of ways. At Hunt, SSS
stands for Student Support for Storm and several recent assembly
programs have demonstrated that support. During one February
program, students were recognized who had a family member
actively serving in the Middle East. The students have also done
historical presentations during the month and sung a variety of
patriotic songs. Inside this week are more photos from these
programs.
Interstate stop results in
cash seizure
Local authorities took possession of over 5109,000
in cash last week following what began as'a routine
traffic stop by a Ga. State Patrol trooper on 1-75 near
the Peach County line. The money was seized under
federal drug trafficking laws that require persons
carrying large amounts of cash to be able to explain the
source of the funds to authorities.
Shortly after noon last Monday (Feb. 25), a trooper
made a traffic stop of a 1981 Cadillac bearing New
York plates. The car was southbound on Interstate 75.
After writing a warning for reckless driving, the
trooper obtained consent to search the vehicle.
Opening the driver's door, he noticed that the inside
panel had been altered. An air vent that appeared to
have been recently spray-painted caught his attention.
Using a screwdriver, the trooper pried open the
vent to discover that a metal plate had been welded
inside, burtner investigation uncovered several
packages wrapped in plastic and duct tape.
The driver and two passengers in the vehicle were
taken into custody and brought to the Peach County
Law Enforcement Center. When counted, it was found
that the packages contained $109,301 in cash.
The three occupants were all Colombian aliens,
and after immigration authorities were notified, it was
learned that they were all in this country illegally.
The driver, Gabriel Bortero/Tavares, had been
deported previously for a similar incident, involving the
transportation of a large sum of cash to Miami.
The vehicle was registered to another Colombian,
Rufino Castenada of a New York address. The driver
35 cents
Olivetti
officials
agree to
meet
Several months of effort by the
Peach Co. Chamber of Commerce
and Development Autfiority have
apparently been fruitful, as officials
of the Olivetti Corporation have
agreed to come to Fort Valley to
meet with local leaders.
Olivetti, which employs about 75
people in its local operation,
announced in December that it
would close the Fort Valley plant in
late February or early March.
As soon as that announcement
was made, Chamber and
Development Authority leaders
began to put together a strategy,
both to try to market the plant and
to convince Olivetti to reconsider
their decision.
Olivetti may not be reconsidering
closure of the plant, but they have
at least agreed to meet and discuss
the options.
According to Chamber CEO Ray
Hollifield, no less than the
managing director of the firm,
Giuseppe Cuneo of Italy , has been
contacted about the Fort Valley
decision. Mr. Cuneo has agreed to
send his technical director, Mauro
Marta, to Fort Valley on March 22
to meet and discuss the local
situation.
On that date, Mr. Marta will meet
with Chamber and Development
Authority representatives to explain
their decision to close the plant
here, and hopefully to discuss other
alternatives to that closing.
'We have made a national and
international effort, both to market
the plant, and to get the attention of
Olivetti officials," said Hollifield
Monday.
"We finally went to the head of
the company (Mr. Cuneo) in Italy,
and he has agreed that it is worth
someone coming here to talk about
the possibilities."
Heath Focus com¬
ing March 27
On Wednesday, March 27, the
Leader-Tribune will publish its
annual Health Focus section.
In that section, we will
highlight health care opportunities
in the Middle Georgia area, with
both news and advertising from
area health care providers.
If you are in the health care
field and have not been contacted
about inclusion in this section,
please call Susan Plummer at 825-
2432 for more information.
denied any knowledge of the money and claimed that
Castenada had paid him 51000 to drive the car to
Miami.
The Sheriffs Department confiscated the money
and car, but released the three Colombians on advice of
the immigration officials. Investigator Terry Deese
said they were dropped off at the local bus station.
Deese could only speculate that the three were en
route to Florida to make a large drug buy, since the
money was so well concealed in the vehicle. The
paperwork was being processed this week through the
U.S. Attorney's office in Macon in order to condemn
the seized money.
Once the condemnation process is complete, the
money and the car can become the property of Peach
County,
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Doui pant;i where money was concealed.