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Forsyth County News Is Sold To Gwinnett News Publishers Publisher Tony Maddox an nounced Wednesday that he has contracted to sell The Forsyth County News to The News Com pany, publishers of the Gwinett Daily News and The Winder News. Maddox, who is leaving the newspaper business, said that plans call for the immediate transfer of the newspaper to the purchaser. Maddox said he and his family will continue to reside in Cum in ing, where he will lie engaged in the real estate business. Kenneth Hudgins, publisher of Tne Winder News, will serve as acting publisher of The Forsyth County News until a permanent publisher is named. Guy Cabe Leaves Area Health Council At the Area Comprehensive Health Advisory Council meet ing, last week. Guy Cabe announced his resignation as chairman of that body. Due to his recent appointment as Area Human Resources Director, he felt that he would no longer have enough time to serve on the council, which was estab lished recently to study area health problems and to recom mend a comprehensive plan of action. A request for membership from the Chiropractic Associ ation received considerable di scussion by the group. A mot ion to deny this request was defeated by one vote. Since no affirmative motion was made chiropractors were not included in the council at this meeting. In other business, an appli cation to the National Health service Corps for two physi cians for Hall County was who le -heartedly endorsed by the group. This project, sponsored by the Hall County Exchange Club, would facilitate the estab lishment of a private practice in Gainesville for at least two years. Dr. Phesant of NHSC WtjNw I -j/JpKk HHj WM ‘ I A am ' jJH SHapt \ JHp i.' Wi hmA ■ 'St 1 V 4-# cj* j - \ r.{ .• ■ nMtSa imp . 's9[P9 The state’s largest taxpayer, Southern Bell, is one of the largest taxpayers in the county. Southern Bell manager, Walter Stapleton, hands Donald Major. Tax Com missioner for Forsyth County, a check for $23,425.59 in payment for Southern Bell’s county ad valorem taxes. On December 27th, the Southern Bell official gave a check for $1,821.06 for Southern Bell’s City of Cumming ad valorem taxes. The Southern Bell check was one of the largest received by the city. Herman Hamby, Chairman of the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners looks on as the check is presented. Hudgins, longtime advertis ing manager for The Daily Times in Gainesville, said plans call for expanded new s coverage and predicted the newspaper will experience rapid expansion as Cum iiing and Forsyth County continue to grow . “Our airn is to be a vital force contributing to the orderly and healthy growth of Forsyth County,” he stilted. ‘ * We believe that an informative newspaper that provides solid leadership is one of a community's most valuable assets,” Hudgins ad ded. The offices of the newspaper will continue to be located at 107 Daltlonega Street, in Cum rning. Other than Maddox, the explained that similar applica tions from Dawson County, and possibly Rabun County, would be reconsidered for approval next month. The council also unanimous ly endorsed an application from the Rabun County Memorial Hospital for certain x-ray and laboratory equipment. Ttiis project would be funded by Ap palachian Regional Commis ion. All heal thy applications for federal assistance must be re viewed by tills council, com posed of both consumers and providers of health services. Mr. Les Brown of the Geor gia Mountains Planning and De velopment Commission ment ioned other project proposals being developed by the Haber sham County Hospital, the Hall County Hospital, and the North Health District. These applica tions will probably he reviewed at the February meeting of the council. Mr. Brown also encouraged the recently appoi nted committees on facilities, manpower, and services to be gin their studies of particular health problems In the Georgia Mountain Area. existing personnel w ill continue w ith the newspaper. Maddox, who has been pub lisher of The Forsyth County News for more than seven years, said he w as pleased to be selling the newspaper to The News Company. “They have the dedication, know -how and resources to pro duce an outstanding new spaper, which Forsyth County de serves,” Maddox stated. The New s Company is a joint venture of Gwinnett Publishing Company and Georgia Commun ity Papers, Inc. The latter■cor poration formerly owned the newspaper before selling it to Maddox in 1907. The News Company, head- ! quartered in Law rencev ilJe, be- j gan publication of the Gw innelt j Daily News In 196.7. It now hasa paid circulation of more than l 10,000. The company also pub- , lishes The Winder New s, a eo- j unty seat weekly in Barrow Co unty, w ith a circulation of 4,600. The Gwinnett Daily News has I won numerous awards for news and advertising excellence in recent years. Tl>v Georgia Pn •ss Association had judged it to be am mu the three best dailies of 20,000 circulation and I under in the state lor the past four vears. Wood Is Asst. Whip ATLANTA Rep. Joe Wood of Gainesville has been named an assistant majority whip of tile Georgia House of Repre sentatives. Representative Vood was named assistant whip by Rep. i Jack Connell of Augusta, House Majority Whip. Connell explained that the j majority whip, one of several I leadership positions filled by i a vote of the House Democra tic Caucus, is responsible for] making sure members vote on j key issues and that on matters affecting the caucus all Demo-' cratic legislators are briefed? on amendments, substitutes and I other motions. “The job requires rapid cnm-l inunication on the floor of the! House and, from time to time, I some fast thinking on your feet to make sure everyone follows the different stages of a par ticular vote properly” Con nell said. VUP FORSYTH MWHTfI A Hll COUNTY IV JCI WW 9 CUMMING, GEORGIA Two Die In County Mishaps Trailer Fire, Auto Crash j v."jy'' %IHRf ■' g* * -■ ■ Julj! J ■ lOaa&it jiL , * * "i „.! aig" ~ ,,j Forsyth’s POW Family Bobby Ray Coming Home , Daughter On “Cloud Nine” Mrs. Ralph Bagley was re covering from a serious bout with the flu at Forsyth County Hospital last week when she heard that an end had finally come to the conflict in South east Asia. She felt better right away. The words of peace meant that at last her son, Bobby Ray, would be coming home. Lt. Col. Bobby Ray Bagley, USAF, was shot out of the sky over North Vietnam on Sept ember 16, 1967. For nearly three years he was listed as missing in action but finally word came that Bagley was held captive in an enemy prison ca mp. The news that Lt. Col. Bag ley was alive came on his dau ghter Vickey’s fourteenth birth day. Earlier this year she said, “It was a real birthday present just to know that my daddy was alive. I didn’t cry until the next day. I really don’t know why. I guess it was just because I knew God would take care of him And I believe he will be home for my eighteenth Birth day, too.” Vickey, who turns seventeen in March was right by more than a year. Her Grandmother DEDICATED TO THE PROGRESS OF CUMMING AND FORSYTH COUNTY LXVI George Smith “hurried up” in trailer home Free Home barn fire left only rubble in Forsyth County said it again took a while for the news of father to touch her. “It took a day or two for it to sink in but now she’s on cloud nine,” Col. Bagley’s mother said of Vickey. Mrs. Bagley, who was recov ering at her home in Sharon early this week, said she was disappointed that her hospitali zation made it impossible for her to watch the President’s ad dress on television. “But I read all about it in the papers the next day and Ralph watched and told me all about it.” The POW’s mother said that an officer from Dobbins Air Fo rce Base in Marietta called her Saturday and said her sons name was on the list of prisoners to be returned. She said she was told the Col. Bagley could be returned in as few as 16 days but that the air force would notify her and her husband in plenty of time to meet him. She expects him to be bro ught to Montgomery, Ala., where the nearest air force hos pital is located, “But we plan to be there whenever he gets there, whereever lt is,” Mrs. Bagley emphasized. She said she was pretty sure lt would be a hospi tal, though. “They plan to keep them all (returning prisoners) in the hospital for a while.” “I Just hope nothing happens. Surely it won’t,” she said ex pressing the doubt which five ISSUE 4 plus years of frustration has brought. During the years of captivity the Bagleys and Vickey and Col. Bagley’s wife, Sandy, received a total of 18 letters and five cards from him. Vickey and her mother each received a letter at Christmas time and the Bagley’s received a card about the same week. They had not had any word from him since August when the Christmas mail arrived. In his latest mail he said he was well,” his mother said. “He always says he’s well,” she added. “And he always says he hope s we will all be back to gether soon.” Mrs. Bagley said she was not sure when her son would be re turning to Forsyth County. He was building anewhomeinOak land Plantation near Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter, S.C. when he left for overseas. Tho ugh his wife and daughter have lived in the house for nearly six years, Col. Bagley has never seen it. But he will probably go there upon his release from the military hospital and will not be in Cumming until a later date, according to his mother. For now we will be happy to Just see him return to the states. “We’re so Thankful. It’s the answer to long years of prayer,” she said. 15 CENTS PER COPY A 64-year-old man burned to death in one of three fires in Forsyth County during the past week. Chief John C. “Jake” Moore of the Forsyth County Volunteer Fire Department said George E. Smith died when his small tra iler burned January 18. The next night fire destroyed a hay barn on Georgia 20 near Free Home, just across the Cherokee County line. And Sunday night a fire which began in a sofa bed gutted a trailer in the Lewis O. Phillips Trailer Park on U.S. 19 in south Forsyth County. Chief Moore said Smith’s tra iler was “far gone” before the volunteer firefighters were not ified of the blaze. The trailer was off Spot Road near the J.O, Chadwick General Store in the north portion of the county. Chief Moore said the victim “burned up in it” and the tra iler was too badly damaged to determine the precise cause of the blaze. He said, how ever, that it was possibly caused by a faulty heater. The hay 1m in situated tie tween a house and a gas station, was engulfed by flames when firemen arrived at the scene. “There was nothing we could do to save the barn,” Chief Moore said, “But we did con tain the fire and protect the home and filling station.” The wooden structure burned completely leaving only twisted remnants of its tin roof. Chief Moore said the contents of the storage structure were believed to have been hay. He said there was no machinery or farm equipment stored in it and the cause of te blaze was unknown. The chief said te destruction of the second trailer could have been prevented had its owner called the fire department im mediately. He said that the owner, Jimmy Hudgins, discov ered the fire and tried to put it out himself. Hudgins apparently thought he had succeeded and opened the doors and windows to let the heavy smoke escape. The blaze then reflared and the fire department was called but by the time they got there the trailer was burning fully, according to the chief. Chief Moore said some resi dents of the county are under a false presumption that it will cost them money if they call the fire department. He said the firefighting fees are char ged in some small counties but the services of the Forsyth vol unteer group are free. Commission Held Special Meeting The Forsyth County Board of Commissioner held a Special Meeting at 3:00 p.m. Monday in the Commissioners Conference Room. All Commissioners were present. The following official action was taken: 1. Met with Delegation repre senting Southern Bell Telephone Company and reached written a greement in which Southern Bell will restore all damages to Co unty Right of Way caused by them. This includes reseeding Right of Way when damaged. Co unty Commission authorized any Commission to sign any Right of Way Agreement that includes above agreement on it. 2. Commissioners voted to deslglnate all monies held by Tax Commissioner and Clerk of Court as pass book savings ac counts until turned over to Co unty Commission and Board of Education. This permits up to 4 1/2 % Interest to be earned on this money. 3. Commissioners voted to allow the Volunteer Fire De FEBRUARY 1, 1973 He emphasized,however, that though the group in non-profit and strictly volunteer it does need money. Donations are being solicited and accounts have been opened at both local banks in the name of the Forsyth County Volunteer Fire Depart ment. He said that the barn fire on the Cherokee County side of the Forsyth-Cherokee line was fou ght by local firemen because Cherokee does not have a volun teer fire department yet. One is being organized in Canton, he said, and “We’re hopingwewill be able to rely on them for as sistance if we have a big fire. They owe us one already, now.” he added. Chief Moore also said addi tional volunteers are needed es pecially in the North and north east sections of the county. The volunteer firefighters will meet Thursday night at 7:30 in te jury room at the courthouse. Thy invite any ntan over 18 in good physical health to join them. Fourth Fatality Scored A 22-year-old Dahlonega man was killed late Monday in a tra ffic accident on U.S. 19 north of Cumming. The death was the fourth tra ffic fatality in Forsyth County thus far in 1973. Jackie Lewis Chester was alone in his 1965 Chevrolet when he apparently lost control on a curve 7.5-miles north of the city limits, according to the state patrol. Trooper W.C. Walraven, who investigated, said Chester’s southbound car went over an embankment and overturned. Chester, of Route 3, Dahlonega, was thrown from the car and it rolled over him causing the fatal injuries. He was alone in the car. Authorities pronounced him dead on arrival at Forsyth Co unty Hospital. None of Forsyth County’s 1973 traffic victims wore seat belts, according to police records. partment- house old Canning Plant as a fire station and au thorized $200.00 Expenditures for use in remodeling this bui lding. Commissioner J.C. Roe was deslginated by County Com mission as Fire Commissioner for County representing the Bo ard of Commissioners. 4. Commission voted to ad vertise for bids to convert Co urt house from Propane gas to natural gas and to heat the en tire building with natural gas. Should save approximately one half on fuel bill there. 5. Commissioners voted to aks for bids on diesel fuel, gas oline for vehicles and oils and greases for use in all county vehicles this year. Commiss ioners Roe and Watson to pre pare information for bids. All area distributors will be in vited to bid. 6. Commissioners voted to request Sheriff Department to appear at a future meeting to discuss bids on Towing andSto rlng of wrecked and Impounded vehicles and other matters.