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THIS ISSUE
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Page 1C
LAKE LANIER LEVELS
Date Level
Apri 7 1071.15 ft
Apri 8 107T.1pft
Aprj 9 1071.53 ft
Apri 10 1071.77 ft
Normal 1070.00 ft
Spring Home
Improvement
Inside
INDEX
Business... .8A
Classifieds 1 „..4B
Community ...5A
Forsyth Life IB
Hea1th....... 6B
Horoscope .... ...7B
Opinion —IOA
Schools .. ...6A
Sports 1C
Internet address: \
www.forsythnews.com
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Commentary Galore
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Bill Shipp and Phil Danner in
Wednesday edition.
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Forsyth County News
J Your "Hometown Paper" Since 1908 J
Vol. 89, No. 44
County police force may be decided by vote
By Phillip Hermann and Michael Kurtz
Staff writers
Should some of the duties of the Forsyth
County Sheriff’s Department be transferred
to a new county police department? That’s
the question that could face voters in July if
the Forsyth County Commission authorizes
a referendum election.
The commission will consider the pro
posal at its next meeting slated for Monday
night beginning at 5 p.m. on the second
floor of the county administration building
in downtown Cumming.
Assistant Administrator Donald Major
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. ... PhotofTom Brooks
Visiting dentists
Dentists from Russia came to Forsyth County’s water department this week to find out more
about adding fluoride to the water system to improve dental health. From the top of the
stairs, Zara Pogasian, translator; Dr. Eleonara Sakharova, deputy director at the Institute for
Stomatology in Moscow; Dr. Anatole Kolesnik, chief of the preventive dentristy department
and Fred Finley, of the Georgia Rural Water Authority.
Lake test finds low bacteria levels
By Colby Jones
Staff Writer
Recent water samples taken
from 23 swimming holes at Lake
Lanier register within the state’s
limit for fecal coliform, a bacteria
commonly found in human waste.
Mark Williams, chief park
ranger for the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, said the Corps tests its
beaches for contamination month-
No firearms found in Forsyth schools
By Beth L. Chester
Staff Writer
So far this year, Forsyth County School records
indicate no firearms have been found on any of the
school system’s campuses.
And overall, officials say the incidence of vio
lence in the schools is down compared to the 1996-97
school year.
In that year, one hunting rifle was discovered in
the automobile of a Forsyth County high school stu
dent, but officials say they don’t believe the student
who owned the gun intended to cause anyone harm.
Instead, they say the boy had been hunting earlier
and had left the gun in his car, which he drove to
school. The gun was left exposed to passers-by, one
of whom saw it and reported the weapon to adminis-
From left, County manager
Stevie Mills, Battalion Chief
Tommy Coleman,
Commissioner John Kieffer
and Forsyth County firefight
ers look over plans for the new
fire station 15 before the
groundbreaking ceremony
held Wednesday. The new
station will be located on Hwy.
20 east.
Photo/Tom Brooks
Your "Hometown Paper" Since 1908 «
SUNDAY APRIL 12, 1998
said that creation of a police department
would impact some of the duties currently
under the direction of the sheriff.
The sheriff would still be responsible for
providing deputies for the courthouse,
maintaining the county jail and serving war
rants and papers. In other words, the sheriff
would maintain all constitutionally desig
nated powers provided for by state law.
The referendum would be July 21, the
date of the general primary election. The
item is second on the commission’s consent
agenda for the meeting.
Commission Chairman Bill Jenkins said
ly and before holidays from April
to September. A crew travels by
boat and collects samples just
inside the swim line. Afterward,
they go to a lab and count the
number of bacteria colonies using
a microscope.
Thursday’s round of testing
was the first of the season. The 10
beaches in Forsyth County con
tained fecal coliform levels rang-
trators.
Still though, in light of three deadly school shoot
ings elsewhere in recent months, coupled with an
increase in illegal and legal drug use among Forsyth
students and warnings from law enforcement that
they see growing signs of gangs operating in the area,
school officials are now considering implementing a
zero-tolerance policy on weapons.
Already, all school system employees are required
under Georgia law to report illegal weapons to school
principals, and principals are required to notify law
enforcement.
Weapons prohibited from schools by state law
include any firearm, bowie or switchblade knife, bal
listic knife or any other knife with a blade of three or
See FIREARMS, Page 4A
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the question of whether there should be a
county police department started in October
1997 when citizens began asking him to
look into it. Further study showed that the
only legal way to create such a department
would be through voter approval.
Jenkins added that it took until now for
it to appear on the agenda because members
of the commission had been working on the
Special Local Option Sales Tax referendum
and didn’t want to “dilute” the voters’ atten
tion.
Speaking about the proposed referen
dum, Jenkins noted, “They (his con-
ing from 0-11 colonies per 100
mL.
The Environmental Protection
Division sets the limit at 200
colonies per 100 mL. If the Corps
finds a fecal level greater than
200, they test the area again. If
excessive contamination persists,
they post a warning sign and con
tact the EPD.
See LAKE, Page 2A
Grand jury won’t get
commissioners’ cases
By Michael Kurtz
Staff Writer
District Attorney Garry Moss
said he will not present two criminal
investigations involving county com
missioners to the grand jury until a
third party has investigated the
claims.
On Thursday, Moss confirmed he
received case files about
Commissioners Lamar Suddeth and
Julian Bowen from Sheriff Denny
Hendrix.
Hendrix alleges Suddeth illegally
registered vehicles in Gilmer County
which are used by a local business
connected to Suddeth. He also
alleges Bowen tampered with bid
procedures when the county auditing
contract was awarded to James
Owens and Associates.
Moss said the way the investiga-
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Bridge work
A Department of Transportation work crew began adding a new
type of sealer to the Pilgrim Mill Road bridge over Ga. 400
Friday morning.
50 Cents
i stituents) asked me to do it and I told them I
r would.”
> His personal preference? “I would vote
: for it if it gets on the ballot. But it’s up to
I the citizens t 6 decide."
His thoughts were echoed by
r Commissioner Andy Anderson who on
> Friday said, “I support giving the opportuni
: ty to residents of the county to decide
i whether or not they want to create a police
■ department.”
On Friday, Sheriff Denny Hendrix said
See POLICE, Page 2A
lions were handled was “pure poli
tics” and are the latest retaliation
effort by two parties who can’t get
along.
“I’m not on either side in this
local conflict but enough is enough,”
said Moss. “Let’s get to the bottom
of this.”
Moss said both the board and the
sheriff are using the media to fight
one another, and it is “not appropri
ate” for them to air certain matters in
the public before proper investiga
tions are completed.
“None of this should have been
made public,” he said about Hendrix’
investigation of Bowen and Suddeth.
“The investigation needs more infor
mation before we have a case.”
He said his office was not con
sulted prior to or during the investi
gation, and now he is not comforl-
See CASES, Page 2A
Construction begins on
fire station number 15
By Michael Kurtz
Staff Writer
Work on the county’s 15th fire station got under
way, Wednesday, with a ceremonial groundbreaking.
Station 15 will be located on Hwy. 20 east near
Sanders Road and will serve residents on Hwy. 20, in
the Chattahoochee Subdivision and who live closer to
the border, said Public Safety Director Miles Butler.
Area residents are served by Stations 1 and 10.
Butler said the new station will improve service in
the area.
“This station will decrease response time for us,”
he said.
Eastwind Group of Cornelia was awarded the
See STATION, Page 2A
