Newspaper Page Text
DEDICATED TO THE PROGRESS
OF CUMMING AND FORSYTH COUNTY
CUMMING, GEORGIA 30130
Sheriff Denies
‘Moonlighting’
By JIM COSEY
Editor
For weeks there have been un
confirmed reports about Forsyth County
Sheriff Donald Pirkle “moonlighting”
and being out of the county and off duty
parts of each day.
Sheriff Pirkle was contacted by The
News this week and emphatically denied
the rumors saying, “It’s all part of petty
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YOU’RE NOT CRAZY!—One of Forsyth County’s new AAA Ambulance Service
vehicles is parked and waiting to be called. Many people have wondered why am
bulance is written backwards on the front of all emergency vehicles. The reason
being a state which requires the work be printed backward so motorists looking into
their rearview mirror will be able to read.
Man Charged
In Slaying
An Alpharetta man has been arrested
and charged in the slaying incident of a
Forsyth County man last Friday night,
according to the Forsyth County
Sheriff’s Department.
Records show that Jackie Ray Hut
chinson, 37, Rt. 3, Hopewell Road,
Alpharetta, has been charged with the
murder of Roy J. Scott, who was found
lying on the ground outside a camper
type van in the back yard of Mrs. Ber
nice L. Braley’s residence off Pilgrim
Mill Road. Scott’s throat had apparently
been slashed. He was pronounced dead
on arrival at the Forsyth County
Hospital.
Scott, 52, is survived by his wife,
Donna, and one sister, Mrs. Dwane
Jensen of South Dakota.
Sheriff’s officials say no weapon has
been found.
Last Wednesday, two young boys were
walking along the shores of Lake Lanier
near Eagle Creek Shores when they saw
two plastic bags hanging from a dock.
Upon close inspection, the youths
discovered that the bags were full of
money and weighted down.
The Sheriff’s Department was called
Truck Drivers Are Nice Guys
By VIRGINIA WOODWARD
“So many people who slow down when they are driving in front of a truck
don’t realize there’s 7,200 pounds behind them,” as local big rig driver, Edward
E. Strayhom said. “That 55 foot long trailer and 10 foot long tractor might not
be able to slow down fast enough to prevent a collision.”
Strayhom started driving in 1950 but in 1963 started a plumbing and heating
business. He was completely miserable, and early in the summer he went back
on the road. “It’s like a continuous vacation,” he said, “it’s pure adventure,
and to top that the truck driver is the highest paid man in the country. There
are doctors, lawyers, businessmen and a minister who holds revivals for two
weeks and drives his rig for the rest of the month.”
To become an operator a person must take an exhaustive written test and a
road test. The truck must be inspected three times a year and the driver must
have a physical examination every year. He can miss only three questions of
the 55 asked.
m|||l FORSYTH MUlfg
A fIJEI COUNTY ll Cl Vw 9
VOLUME LXVII
politics to try and get me to resign from
office.”
The rumors have said that Sheriff
Pirkle is “moonlighting at the General
Motors plant in Doraville and cannot be
reached when needed because of his out
of-town job.
Sheriff Pirkle stated, “That is ab
solutely untrue. Check with them if you
want to. I was working at General
to the scene and the money was iden
tified as counterfeit. The plastic bags
contained $3,000 in bills of 10, 20 and 50.
The case was turned over to the Secret
Service who reportedly said the money
was produced from plates in New
Orleans.
According to reports at the Sheriff’s
office someone is stocking up on guns.
Records indicate that several burglary
incidents in the last week have found
nothing but guns missing from homes.
The residence of Benny Boling on Goss
Road was entered Nov. 15 and five
shotguns stolen. Rev. Morris Patrick of
Rt. 1, Suwanee returned home Nov. 16 to
discover a gun missing.
Lanier Gilbert of Holbrook Road,
Cumming, also reports that his home
was robbed of guns on Nov. 11.
Other burglar reports include, Ralph
Johnson, Habersham boat dock, who
said someone broke into his home and
took a stereo, radio, tape, sleeping bags,
tools, stove and hunting equipment.
Henry Sizemore of Mayfield Road also
reported that someone had entered his
home on Nov. 17 and taken tools and a
tool box.
Motors up to the fall of 1968 when I
decided to run for sheriff. Then, I took a
leave of absense and haven’t been back
to work there since.”
He said he has to go back there every
fpur years to fill out some papers in
order to keep his seniority in the
organization.
“Folks are always trying to stir
something up about me. With the salary
I make as sheriff and the economic
situation today, I need to be
moonlighting, but I’m not,” Sheriff
Pirkle added.
He said he had recently been
questioned about this by the Grand Jury
and told them that it was all rumors.
“This is just a continuation of dirty
politics, in Forsyth County that’s been
going on for sometime. There is no way
I’ll give up this office. I’ll continue to
fight for what I think is right,” he said.
The robust sheriff said he had
seriously considered not offering himself
for re-election, but said, “If all this keeps
up, I definitely will run again.”
Pirkle said several attempts had been
made to oust him from office and he feels
this is just another try. “The old time
powers used to run this county until I
was elected. Now they can’t do that
anymore and they’ve done everything in
their power to get me out. I was indicted
but the court proved me innocent,
because I was. They recently tried to put
me out by setting up a county police
force and relieve me of my duties, but
the voters voted it down and now they’re
trying to stir up more trouble with these
rumors,” he said.
Reliable sources have indicated that a
petition is or will be circulated soon
protesting the sheriff “moonlighting”.
This petition supposedly would be
presented to the county commissioners
for consideration.
“All anyone has to do is call General
Motors and ask for themselves. It’s that
simple. I just don’t work there!” Pirkle
continued.
He said that there is a part time deputy
•that works at General Motors and in
dicated that some people may have
misconstrued the facts. Deputy Eugene
Gentry, who works parttime on the
weekends for the Forsyth County
Sheriff’s Department, is employed at
General Motors.
Sheriff Pirkle said he’d like to stop
these rumors and get on with the
business at hand of halting the mounting
crime in Forsyth County. A rash of
burglaries in the county has kept the
department busy recently and Sheriff
Pirkle predicted that with the bad
economic situation, the burglaries will
continue.
A Sheriff’s Department spokesman
told The News this week that Forsyth
County has no more burglaries than any
other surrounding county. “Go look at
the records in Hall or Gwinnett Counties.
They have just as many burglaries as we
—See SHERRIFF page 3
Early Deadline
Set For News
Due to the Thanksgiving holiday next
Thursday, The Forsyth County News
will publish a day early.
The News will publish on Tuesday
instead of Wednesday. Holiday deadline
for advertising is 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22.
Deadline for news is Saturday at noon.
If you were a turkey you’d only have
eight days left!
He must work 10 hours, and take eight off. He must abide by motor safety
regulations, and may be stopped at any time by 8n inspector and asked any
question or have his rig inspected. Each morning he must inspect his own gear
and make any repairs needed before he takes to the road.
Strayhom has more than $40,000 invested in his tractor alone, which in turn
he leases to North American Van Line, with which he started, to be used as a
common carrier to travel any place on the continent.
“There is a fraternal feeling among the drivers,” Strayhom said, “and the
police say we have the finest communication system in the country. They have
certain signals of warning to motorists, and all trucks carry radios. We like to
see the police on the road and have excellent relations with them. In turn
drivers like to help the police.”
There is a 24-hour radio station in New Orleans that is geared to truck drivers
only. “The program is a diversified one. “Strayhom said. “They bring us the
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1974
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LAKE LANIER DOWN—Homeowners on the shores of Lake
Lanier have been concerned recently about the level of the
lake being so low. Boats have reportedly been sunk into the
mud and docks have collapsed along the shoreline. The lake is
Special Election
Is Next Tuesday
Three Forsyth County men are
seeking the office of county tax com
missioner which will be decided in a
special election to be held next Tuesday.
The election is to fill the unexpired
term of current tax commissioner
Donald Major, who recently resigned his
post when he was appointed as the new
county administrator.
The unexpired term is from Jan. 1,
1975 to Dec. 31, 1976. The next regular
election for the full term of the tax
commissioner will be held in August of
1976.
Two of the three candiates for this
office are new to the political scene.
Douglas E. Sorrells and Broadus Orr are
running for a county office for the first
time. Bobby Gilbert sought the tax
commissioner’s office during the last
election and lost to Major in a runoff.
Precincts will be open next Tuesday
from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. County voters will
go to their district precinct to cast their
ballot, which is the shortest sheet voters
have seen this year.
Two Enter City Race
Two incumbent Cumming City
Councilmen are being opposed for their
bids for re-election in the city election
scheduled for Dec. 3.
Mack L. Holbrook, 120 Mountain View
Drive, qualified last week for post two on
the council. That post is currently held
by Quincy Holton.
John D. Pugh, 108 13th Street, has
qualified for post one, presently held by
weather, jobs available, dedication of musical numbers and serves as a wat
chline. We can contact the station on our own radios and they will notify our
families when we are on the way home. There is also an exchange of
emergency situations on the road.”
What can the average driver do to help in safety on the highway as it is
concerned with trucks? Strayhom has come up with the following advice:
Stay 200 feet behind a truck, and don’t come up behind one with the bright
lights on.
Do not itake any fast stops.
Never slow up in front of a truck.
Never pass unless there is plenty of space to pull back in behind.
uon t pass unless the truck driver indicates safety.
Do not slow down to attempt to make driver use airhom.
And drive according to the law and as courteously as the big rig driver has
been taught to do.
NUMBER 47
undergoing its annual drainage but additional service has
been supplied to fill the West Point dam lake near Newnan.
This view at Balt Ridge Marina shows the ragged shore
displaying mud and rocks.
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The precincts include: Barker’s, Bell’s
Bit Creek, Chattahoochee, Chestatee,
Coal Mountain, Cumming, Ducktown,
Hightower, New Bridge, Roland’s,
Settendown and Vickery.
Rupert Sexton.
Qualifying for the mayor and city
council will end at 12 noon, Wednesday,
Nov. 20.
Other incumbent councilmen seeking
re-election include: Lewis Ledbetter,
post three; Bass Farr, post four; and
Charles Welch, post five. Mayor Ford
Gravitt is seeking another term as
mayor.