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Christmas fire levels home
A Forsyth County home was
destroyed by fire Christmas
morning.
The Forsyth County
Sher riff’s Department and
Emergency Squad Unit answ
ered a call around 10:20 a.m.
at the home of Mr. and Mrs.
J.G. Green.
Flames started from an over
heated pan of grease in the
kitchen and spread rapidly thr
oughout the house, officials
said.
The fire raged for approxi
mately two hours before fire
men and volunteers brought it
under control, an officer said.
The house was situated four
miles west of Cumming at the
intersection of Bethalview Rd.
and Ga. Highway 20.
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Hospital improvements
The Forsyth County Hospital
will be repaired and cleaned -
up after January 29.
Hospital Administrator J.
Lewis Markham will receive
sealed proposals for bids until
2:00 p.m. January 29 for the
renovation. Action to repair,
renovate and clean -up the
hospital was approved in a re
cent meeting of the Forsyth
County Hospital's Board of
Directors.
Bidding documents may be
obtained at the office of the
hospital’s Architect, Bert T.
Millard and Associates Inc.,
6065 Roswell Road N.E., At
lanta. Applications for bidding
documents should be filed
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Holiday accidents
Five teenagers and a
Cumming woman received min
or injuries from automobile
mishaps in Forsyth County over
the weekend.
Canton State Patrol Headqua
rters said, Mrs. Gene Elzey,
Route 6, Cumming, received
minor injuries when a three
car collision occurred around
10:45 Saturday morning.
An officer said the *62 Vol
kswagon she was driving was
hit by a *67 Volkswagon. The
second car was driven by Car
oll Andrew Pirkle, Route 3,
Cumming.
The officer said Pirkle
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J.G. Green home was destroyed by fire
promptly with the architect.
And, bids must be accom
panied by a bid bond. Both a per
formance and payment bond will
be required in an amount equal
to 100 percent of the contract
price.
The bids will be publicly
opened and read after Jan
uary 29. If a contract Is award
ed, it will be on a lump sum
basis, the report read. No bid
may be withdrawn for a period
of 35 days after the time has
been called on the date of open
ing.
The Hospital Administrator,
Lewis Markham and Hospital
Two girls were pinned in the wreckage of this auto
attempted to cross Georgia
Highway 20 when his car was
hit by a third car driven by
Allen Don Born, Route 6, Cum
ming. That knocked the Pirkle
car into the car driven by Mrs.
Elzey.
Charges were made against
Pirkle for falling to gra
nt right-of-way and driving un
der -the-lnfluence, the officer
said.
The collision occurred about
four miles west of Cumming
at the intersection of Bethal
V lew Rd. and Ga. Highway 20.
Late Sunday afternoon, five
teenagers were lnjurled when
Board Chairman, Ruell Bettis
was out of town and could not
be reached for comment.
A hospital board member,
Talmadge Bolton said the reno
vation action was discussed at
a December meeting. It was ap
proved for Administrator Ma
rkham to receive proposed bids
until January 29.
Other sources confirmed that
additional fire protection facili
ties will be included in the re
novation.
Architects stated that the re
novations will bring Forsyth
County Hospital in complete co
mpliance with Georgia’s state
fire laws.
injure several
the driver of a *64 Chevrolet
lost control and hit a telepho
ne poll on Park Rd. in Cum
ming.
The State Patrol Headquar
ters said, a 16-year-old was
charged with driving too fast
for conditions and involved in
an accident.
Taken to the Forsyth County
Hospital from that accident
were: Jo Ann Bennett, Louise
Joyce Baker, Andy Bennett,
Rocky Bennett and Walter Lut
her Bagby.
Jo Ann Bennett was later
admitted to the Hall County
Hospital with a leg injury.
THE COUNTY NEWS
CUMMING, GEORGIA
Environmental protection agency
increases Cumming sewage grant
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Deputy Johnson gets reward
Deputy Jack Johnson has re
ceived a reward for the role
he played in recovering a sto
len auto during a bizarre kid
nap—chase incident last Nov;
14.
Johnson was the first officer
to answer a call to Densmore's
Mobile Home Park, setting off
a series of events which led to
the eventual surrender of
Jimmy Lee McCranie-a murder
suspect who led police on a
two-state chase.
When Johnson answered the
call, he was able to identify a
Forsyth Co. Hospital Ad
ministrator, J. Lewis Markham
said, the other four were tre
ated and released with only
minor injuries.
Another mishap envolved two
auto's around 4:45 p.m., Mon
day, on the Shady Grove Chur
ch Rd.
An officer said Jerry Eugene
Simonds who was driving a
1965 Ford hit a parked 1969
Ford. The car was owned by
Paul Cagle, Cumming.
No injuries were reported
and the officer did not state
if charges were made.^u^
DEDICATED TO THE PROGRESS OF CUMMING AND FORSYTH COUNTY
LXV
Jack Johnson (left) receives award from Roy Kiker
call, he was able to identify a
stolen auto belonging to Frank
Mussel white. The auto was be
ing driven by the mnrder sus
pect and was recovered by
officers.
Four cars
wreck on
U.S. 19
Heavy rains which created
hazardous driving conditions all
over Forsyth County late last
week were partly to blame for
a four car pile up on U.S. 19
north of Cumming, Thursday
which left one person injured.
Danny Bennett of Cumming
was treated for cuts and bru
ises at Forsyth County Hospi
tal. Bennett was a passenger
in a car driven by Sheila Ben
nett, the fourth car in line.
The accident occurred on the
ralnsoaked highway asT.L.Fa
rist of Ellijay was making a
turn. His car was struck from
the rear by a car driven by
Jack Searcy of Tucker. The
third vehlcu in tne wreck
was drivel, oy Carlene Rouse,
Dawsonville, according to For
syth Sheriff's deputies who in
vestigated.
Burglars
hit local
business
Burglars last Thursday night
entered the Cumming Beverage
Shop and took $2,500.
Cumming Police officers said
they drove by the Beverage Shop
on the Atlanta Highway during
the time it was burglarized.
When they stopped to inves
tigate a broken window, the bur
glars ran.
Stanley Darnell, owner of the
shop, said at least SSOO was ta
ken in cash. The other sum was
checks.
No cigarettes or beverages
were reported taken, Darnell
said.
The break-in is still under in
vestigation.
ISSUE 52
McCrainie at the time was
sought for the murder of his
grandfather, Bob Lee Mc-
Cranie, whose body was found
in Hawkinsville early Monday
morning.
McCrainie came to Forsyth
County, officers said, looking
for his wife. McCrainie found
her and left the trailer park in
Frank Musselwhite’s auto.
Musselwhite is Jimmy McCr
anie’s father-in-law.
Officer Johnson said he fol
lowed the car at some point
90 miles per hour from the
trailer park to Buford to Saw
nee, back to Shakerag and down
Highway 120. Then the suspect
lost control, wrecked, aban
doned the car, fired a shot, the
officer said, and fled into a
wooded area.
While the chase was on, John
son radioed other officers in
surrounding Gwinnet, Fulton
and DeKalb counties. A bay of
officers by 11 a.m. had arrived
at the wooded area. McCrainie
holding his wife at gunpoint,
was coaxed into a patrol car.
He was then taken to the Mil
ledgeville State Hospital for
treatment.
About a month later, officer
Johnson was contacted by Roy
P. Kiker, manager of the Geor
gia State Auto Association. Ki
ker said Johnson was due a
reward.
A SSO check was presented
to Johnson last Wednesday by
G.S.A.A. “for the recovery of
Frank Musselwhite's auto.”
Kiker also informed Johnson
“that if the thief that was app
rehended is convicted, he (John
son) will receive an additional
$200.”
Local boy
is injured
An U-year-old boy remained
in serious condition Wednesday
morning at DeKalb General
Hospital after he was struck by
an automobile Christmas Day.
James Ricky Shadburn, Star
Route, Buford, suffered from
multiple chest injuries, broken
arms and legs, DeKalb hospi
tal authorities said.
Two witnesses said the youth
just walked in front of a car
driven by Charles Howard Phe
lps, Calhoun.
Canton State Patrol Head
quarters said the accident was
unavoidable.
The youth is the son of Mr.
and Mrs. Lelan E. Shadburn,
Star Route, Buford.
15 CENTS PER COPY
Word came from Washington
this week that the Environmen
tal Protection Agency has more
than doubled a grant for the pro
posed Cumming Wastewater
Treatment Works Project.
The original grant announced
about a month ago amounted to
$191,600. This figure has been
increased to $435,600- an in
crease of $243,940.
Report
on Jails
critical
ATLANTA (PRN) —Less than
2% of Georgia’s 370 jails pre
sently in use hold a certificate
of occupancy from the State Fire
Marshal’s Office, Comptroller
Johnnie L. Caldwell announced
today.
Caldwell, who also serves as
Georgia’s Safety Fire Commis
sioner, recently released the
results of a state-wide inspec
tion that was carried out out by
his office. The inspection re
vealed that 7 of Georgia’s jails
were qualified to hold a certi
ficate of occupancy from his of
fice.
By law, a certificate of oc
cupancy from the fire marshal’s
office is required by any jail in
operation in the state. The cer
tificate cannot be issued unless
the jail meets the requirements
for life safety with respect to
the provisions for prevention of
loss of life by (ire.
The major hazardous condi
tions noted by the report are
inadequate exits (203 facilities),
inadequate supervision ( 154 fa
cilities), no emergency lighting
(275 facilities), unprotected
stairwells (114 facilities), haz
ardous heating equipment (134
facilities), hazardous electrical
wiring (134 facilities), inade
quate number of fire extinguish
ers (270 facilities), and poor
housekeeping (115 facilities).
Other hazards or conditions
noted as severe were flamm
able liquids improperly stored
or used, unenclosed kitchens,
boiler rooms, etc, no super
vision or restriction of smok
ing or smoking materials, no
plan of action for dealing with
emergency fire conditions, and
no fire alarm systems.
In many facilities the single
supervisor on duty was expect
ed to release all Inmates under
fire or other emergency condi
tions with 3 or more keys. 5 or
more keys were not uncommon.
In general, the keys were for
padlocks and not for regular cell
door locks. The report states
that the potential hazard was co
mpounded by the facilities over
one story in height with unpro
tected stairways and with only
one exit out of the cell area.
A special report on jails was
prepared at the request of The
House and Senate Jail Stand
ards Committees for their con
sideration of possible state leg
islative action.
Caldwell expressed the hope
that local governmental
officials would immediately
start correcting fire safety
violations cited for their Jails.
“The only way we are going to
improve this situation is for
every city and county gov
ernment to take it upon them
selves to upgrade their facili
ties so that they meet the min
imum standards for safe Jails."
“Hopefully a portion of the
revenue sharing program of
the federal government can be
used to assist financially
pressed local authorities to
correct this hazardous
situation," Caldwell said.
Dec. 28. 1972
Cumming Mayor Ford Gravitt
said Wednesday that methods of
financing the balance of the one
and-one-half million dollar
project are being sought.
“Cumming now has the cap
ability of financing the sewage
program through revenue
bonds, but we are attempting to
fund the project without raising
water and sewage rates,’’ Gra
vitt said.
He said that EPA would con
duct a study of rates and would
revise rates upward to provide
enough money to retire approx
imately one million dollars in
bonds if the city attempted to fi
nance the entire balance of the
needed amount.
“We are applying to addi
tional state and federal agencies
for grants to help supplement
the EPA money,’’ Gravitt said.
It is hoped that approximately
$500,000 can be secured from
various state and federal agen
cies to supplement the grant
from EPA.
Gravitt said that Cumming
could then finance the remaining
amount of needed money with no
increase in water or sewage
rates.
The Mayor said he felt that
Cumming citizens at the present
time would “not welcome” an
increase in utility rates and he
said that the attempt to secure
additional grant money will con
tinue until the city is success
ful in its goal of building the
system without raising rates.
Shooting
deaths
Two Forsyth County men are
dead from separate shooting
incidents over the weekend.
Forsyth County Deputy, Jim
Ingram said Milton Payne, 31,
was shot with a .32 caliber
pistol in the left side and in
the left leg. The victim was
at his cousin’s house when the
shooting occurred, Ingram said.
Officers said Andrew James
Barrett, the cousin, was arrest
ed by Deputy Sheriff B. B.
Brumbalow Friday night after
a warrant was issued by the
victim’s wife, Mrs. Linda Pay
ne.
Barrett will appear before
Justice of Peace A.E. Marjen
hoff, Dec. 29 for a committal
hearing.
Barrett is being held with
out bond in the Forsyth County
jail.
Attorney Jane Plaginos will
represent Barrett.
In another shooting incident
Sunday morning, a 32-year-old
man died of an apparent self
inflicted gunshot wound.
The victim was identified by
the sheriff’s department as Wil
liam Cleveland Roach of Home
stead Trailer Park Road.
Cumming.
That shooting happened about
12:30 a.m. after the victim
and his wife returned from a
Christmas party, according to
officers.
The victim was employed by
the Georgia Power Company.
Little league
Meeting set
A meeting is scheduled at
3:00 p.m. on Jan. 7 in the Bank
of Cumming's Lanier Room to
discuss next summer's little
league baseball season.
All parents with boys between
the ages of six and 15 years
old are invited to attend.
President of the Cumming
Little League, Jackie Thomas
ask the team managers and
those interested in managing
a league next summer to at
tend.