Newspaper Page Text
DEDICATED TO THE PROGRESS
OF CUMMING AND FORSYTH COUNTY
CUMMING, GEORGIA
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New Flag For County
The Forsyth County Superior courtroom and the flagpole that
once stood in front of the courthouse, now have flags for the
first time since the courthouse burned last year. Veterans of
Foreign Wars Monday presented United States and Georgia
flags to Judge Marion T. Pope, and raised flgas at the court
house. Participating in the ceremony (1-r) were: Doyle
Jim Cosey Is New
Publisher-Editor
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Jim Cosey
News Will
Print Early
The Forsyth County News will be printed a day early next week due to
the Fourth of July holiday and deadlines have been pushed up ac
cordingly.
Next week’s edition will be printed on Tuesday and delivered to the
stores Tuesday. Home delivery will be on Wednesday.
All church news and community news should be submitted by noon
Friday to assure publication in next week’s paper. News of weddings and
women’s events must be in by 5 pjn. Thursday.
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lull COUNTY JNEIVWtfeP
VOLUME LXVII
Jim Cosey, 30, has assumed the
position as publisher-editor of The
Forsyth County News.
Cosey comes to Cumming for Warner
Robins, Ga. where he was executive
editor of The Daily Sun. He was born and
raised in Butler, Ga. where he was
graduated from high school. He attended
Georgia State University in Atlanta and
received a bachelor of arts degree in
journalism in 1966.
While in high school, Cosey was editor
of the newspaper and was an honor
graduate.
At the university he was a member of
the college newspaper staff and the
annual staff. He is a charter member of
the Men’s Society for Journalism,
forerunner of Sigma Delta Chi.
He received the Senior Award for
scholastic and extra-curricular ac
tivities upon graduation.
Cosey went to The Warner Robins Sun
as news editor in 1966 which at the time
was a semi-weekly newspaper. In 1969
the paper went to a daily operation was
he was named managing editor. In 1971
Cosey was appointed executive editor in
charge of all departments.
While at The Sun, Cosey led that paper
to being named the best daily newspaper
Carder, commander; Everett Tate, senior vice commander;
Walter Rucker, trustee; and Ed Woods, quartermaster. They
also installed a gas light for a perpetual flame in front of the
memorial to the dead servicemen, and the county will have it
connected to gas.
in Georgia with circulation under 20,000.
The Sun also won several awards
through the Georgia Press Association in
areas of local news coverage,
typography, advertising, local sports
coverage and local pictures.
In 1972 Cosey was named Outstanding
Continued On Page 14
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Youthful Artists Display Talent
Tina Manders, 14, won the Best in the
Show honors in the annual Home Savings
Federal and Loan Art Festival for
children held in the parking lot on
Dahlonega Street last Saturday. Her
picture will be framed by Home
Decorating Center in Lanier Village •
Shopping Center.
On display, and for sale at the festival,
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 1974
County-City Clash
On Dump Problem
By JIM COSEY
Editor
The city and county clashed heads
Monday in a fiery debate at the county
commission table over what to do about
the controversial garbage dump that has
been smouldering for nearly six weeks.
After an hour of words between
Cumming Mayor Ford Gravitt and
members of the commission, it was
decided that the county will hire a man
to be in charge of the dump. This new
“dump watcher” will determine where
garbage may be unloaded and also have
the responsibility of covering the trash
with loads of dirt to extinguish the fire
that is presently burning there.
The meeting opened when Mayor
Gravitt told the county governing body
that he had received a letter from the
Department of Natural Resources in
structing him to get dirt and cover up the
trash that has been burning for six weeks
or close up.
Mayor Gravitt stated, “I told you
(commissioners) to decide what to do.
Two loads of dirt was hauled in to put out
the fire, but it didn’t do the job. The only
alternative we had was to close the dump
to everyone. We have no ill will toward
the county, it’s just a matter of con
forming with the state health depart
ment.”
He continued, “We were also being
sympathetic to the people who live in
that area!”
Commission Chairman Herman
Hamby told Gravitt, “I got a letter from
the state people too, but mine said we
had 30 days to do something.”
Mayor Gravitt instructed that the
dump be closed to all residents last
Thursday.
Gravitt retaliated, “We were trying to
help the people out there. We feel like it’s
a county problem, not a city problem.
Folks in town are being double-taxed and
we want more service from the county! ”
Commissioner Lawton Sosebee asked
Gravitt if other counties furnish landfills
for cities. He answered that many do,
but they charge. “It’s our thinking that
the county should pay for it all,” the
youthful mayor replied.
Outspoken Commissioner Lanier
Bannister jumped into the argument
when he said, “I agree with the mayor
that it’s a critical situation out there. I’m
willing to do whatever is necessary. The
county can handle the problem, but we’d
have to charge for the use. It would be a
service charge, not a tax charge.”
Gravitt answered, “I disagree. This
shouldn’t be a joint thing. It’s a county
problem. Whether you believe it or not,
the city is also a part of Forsyth County.
We want county services, too!”
Chairman Hamby told the mayor,
“We’re working on getting another site
for a landfill approved. A state man told
me we could go ahead with the way the
present site is now, just put out the fire.”
Commissioner Bannister made a
motion to haul the dirt to put out the fire.
The motion did not receive a second.
Mayor Gravitt told Bannister,
“There’s no way to put that fire out.
were works by local artists, and several
hundred people were present for the
event which was coordinated by Raine,
local artist, and judged by Marsha
White, art teacher in the Forsyth County
Schools; June Lane, local real estate
agent; and Dixie Mason, artist.
Fifteen $5 awards were made. Children
painted with materials furnished by
Garbage is still being dumped there and
it just adds fuel to the flame.”
A specialist from the state department
who was present at the meeting told the
board that covering the dump with dirt
would not work. He said the only way to
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Chairman Hamby Listens To Mayor
Sheriffs Trial
Continues Here
Hearing on a quasi-criminal suit to
determine if Forsyth County sheriff
Donald Pirkle should be removed from
office was in its second day Tuesday with
Judge Marion T. Pope Jr., on the bench.
The suit, brought by district attorney
C.B. Holcomb, contends that Pirkle
permitted a prisoner to escape from the
county jail on March 4 and that he was
guilty of theft by deception by unlawfully
causing to be issued payroll checks to
one Lloyd Gerald Bums for working as
radio dispatcher at the jail, when in fact
Bums’ brother, Earl Bums, who was
being held in the jail, did the work.
The prisoner involved in the escape
contention was Jimmy Dean Hester, who
was being held in the jail to face charges
of burning the Forsyth County court
house last year in lieu of $200,000 bond.
Hester was later convicted.
Hester allegedly was transported to
Gainesville for a radio interview, which
repudiated his earlier statement in
volving two other men, and his own guilt.
A criminal case concerning the same
allegations against Pirkle is pending in
superior court. The current case is civil
in nature and does not bring any charges
against the sheriff.
Home Federal, from 10 a.m. until noon,
with no ehlp from adults. The judges
retired at noon to make their decision.
The winners, in the up to nine group,
were Leanne Chester, nine; Ken
Padgett, seven; Kay Studdard, six;
Rachel Worley, six; and Karensa
Shoemake, five. The judge was Mrs.
White.
NUMBER 26
stop fire is to get the material that’s
burning out.
Bannister withdrew his motion after
this fact was revealed.
Member of the Cumming City Council
Continued On Page 14
The plaintiff rested his case at 3:30
p.m. Tuesday after Earl Bums was
recalled to the stand and testified that he
had left the jail to go to town on an
errand and to his brother’s home to
shower.
Early in the afternoon Hester testified
that he left the jail March 3 without
permission and asked Carl Turner for
help in getting someone to listen to his
story. Hester also said that Turner drove
him to the home of Tony Maddox, news
director for radio station WGGA in
Gainesville and that he made a tape at
Maddox’s home and a second one at the
station.
Hester said he had made no attempt to
escape but wanted to tell his story
because he was mad at GBI investigator
Oscar Keenan who had promised him
that he would be kept in the Forsyth
County jail and had not kept his word.
Keenan said after it became known
that Hester had testified before the
grand jury, he had warned Rogers that
he may not be safe in the Forsyth County
jail.
He said that on one occasion he had
Continued On Page 14
Ten to 12 winners, judged by Mrs.
Lane, were Elizabeth McGary, 12;
Barbara Harold, 12; Barry Manners, 11;
Tracy Evans, 12; and Lisa Martin, 12.
Mrs. Mason judged the 13 to 16 year
olds, won by Tina. Second was Denise
Martin, 13; followed by Robin Lane, 15;
Randall Holbrook, 13; and Penny
Walker, 13.
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