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Newspaper Page Text
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Highs in the mid-70s.
Lows in the mid-60s.
THIS ISSUE
Copyright © 1998 Forsyth County News
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Cartoonists’
views on
the news.
Page 20A
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I
Showdown for softball
teams in Region 7-AA
tournament.
Page IB
LAKE LANIER LEVELS
Date Level
Sept. 25 1065.17 ft
Sept. 26 1065.08 ft
Sept 27 1065.00 ft
Sept 28 1064.92 ft
Normal 1071.00 ft
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Gymnastics getting
tiny tots to the
mat for fitness.
Page 4-5A
INDEX
Abby .9A
Business 14A
Classifieds 5B
Deaths 2 A
Events 8A
Health 16A
Horoscope .......9A
Legals 3B
Opinion 20A
Sports... IB
COMING
FRIDAY
Entertainment Extra
Soap Opera Updates, Critics
Comer, Jill Jackson's Hollywood,
Country Music
all in Friday's edition.
Missed paper policy:
For a replacement paper call
8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday and
Friday, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on
Sunday - (770) 887-3126.
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Vol. 89, No. 118 WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 30, 1998 50 Cents
Demonstrating a show of park support
By LeAnne T. Bell
Corporate Editor
The horns were audible signs of support
of the adults and children who stood around
the Forsyth County Administration
Building with signs of support for recre
ation ballfields.
Signs opposing the proposed amphithe
ater on property off Ga. 400 originally
announced as Central Park, a recreational
area to be developed in conjunction with the
county’s water treatment plant off Antioch
Road, were also visible.
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Photo/Tomßrooks
North Precinct 2 opens
Humane Society member Don Burkhardt cut the ribbon at Saturday’s official opening of the Don
Burkhardt North Precinct 2. The new precinct provides a law enforcement facility closer to home
for residents in the north end of the county. Burkhardt was instrumental in acquiring the space for
the Sheriff’s office. More, including awards, from the event in an upcoming issue.
Two injured in Ga. 400 mishap
By Colby Jones
Staff Writer
Two men remained in inten
sive care Monday after a pickup
truck hit a van parked in the emer
gency lane on Ga. 400 under the
Majors Road overpass late
Cell tower worker falls to death
By Colby Jones HL, was working on a Bell South-owned cell
Staff Writer tower near 5360 McGinnis Ferry Road when he
fell at 9:46 reported officials.
An Illinois man on the job for only two weeks “He was apparently climbing the cell tower
fell more than 100 feet to his death Monday with another man,” said Sheriff’s office spokes
morning.
Gable W. Lindsey, 33, of Chicago Heights, s ee £)£47H, Page 2A
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Photo/Chris Pugh
Taking time to bait a hook with kids
The Cumming Kiwanis Club hosted its annual fishing rodeo on Sept. 26 from 9 a.m. - noon
at Buford Dam Park. More photo coverage in Friday’s edition.
Among those gathered was Tommy
Bagwell, co-owner of Lanierland Country
Music Park, whose $5,000 pledge retained a
legal team for Citizens for a Better Forsyth,
a newly-formed group targeting defeat of
the amphitheater and considering a possible
recall effort against at least two county
commissioners.
“I put my money where my mouth is,”
said Bagwell, who reminded that he has
offered the county $40,000 an acre for the
improved acreage being postured for the
water plant. Bagwell said he stands by the
Saturday afternoon.
According to a Sheriff’s office
incident report, a 1990 Ford
Ranger driven by Dawsonville
resident Harry Cleland, 57,
swerved into the emergency lane
at 5:35 p.m. and hit a 1978 GMC
van from behind. Alan Post, 43,
numbers he presented at the Sept. 22 meet
ing when he took the terms of Lakewood
Amphitheater lease and applied them to the
Twin Creeks Performing Arts Center pro
posal from Concert/Southern Promotions
and SFX Entertainment.
Bagwell said Conlon had “tried to out
smart” Forsyth County. Bagwell has said he
was insulted.
Lisa Hood said she doubts Peter
Conlon’s proposal for an amphitheater can
support the number of shows he is propos
ing when sharing the market with the exist-
of Acworth, was filling the van’s
radiator with water at the time.
The impact pushed the van into
Post. He went over the hood, struck
the windshield and landed in some
nearby grass.
See MISHAP, Page 3A
Victim-witness
assistance funded
By LeAnne Bell
Corporate Editor
The Forsyth County Board of
Commissioners Monday
approved the $93,000 budget
request from District Attorney
Phil Smith for the Victim-Witness
Assistance Program.
The program is required by
law under the Crime Victims Bill
of Rights.
Smith explained that the bill is
fairly detailed and spells out what
judicial circuits are required to
provide for crime victims and
witnesses. He said the Blue Ridge
Judicial Circuit program had
already been set up, however, the
Bell-Forsyth Judicial Circuit’s
July 1 creation now requires the
capital expenditures to establish
the new circuit’s own program.
i “This is not an unfunded man
i date,” Smith said, explaining that
money is designated from court
costs which are collected by the
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Photo/Chris Pugh
Homecoming at NFHS
Crystal Strickland was crowned Miss Homecoming 1998 dur
ing halftime of North Forsyth High School’s football game
Friday night. Seth Campbell was crowned Homecoming King.
More photographs on Page 17A.
Second-degree vehicular
homicide verdict decided
in McGinnis’ court case
By Colby Jones
Staff Writer
A jury acquitted Jody
McGinnis on four counts of
first-degree vehicular homicide,
finding him guilty of vehicular
homicide in the second degree
and two other misdemeanors
Friday night.
Jury members deliberated for
five hours before returning the
verdict at 10 p.m.
Liz Rourke said she was
extremely disappointed by the
ing Lakewood and Chastain, and you must
add the rebuilt Omni into the competition
pie as well. “There just aren’t that many
acts,” Hood said.
David Sexton, who was at the rally with
his three children, said the real problem was
having county commissioners who have no
business experience managing others.
“This is a classic case of kids in the
candy store,” Sexton said, referring to com
missioners with a large budget to spend.
See SUPPORT, Page 7A
Clerk .of Superior Court. Smith
said there is approximately
SIOO,OOO in the fund now,
according to assistant county
administrator Donald Major.
“We have already made grant
applications for state money to
assist in making the bill of rights
more than just a piece of paper,”
Smith said. Plans are to provide
an outreach for older crime vic
tims, victims of domestic vio
lence and a neighborhood watch.
“We want to put this money to
work.”
This is a start-up budget
which would finance a vehicle,
computers, equipment and office
furniture. A coordinator’s posi
tion and later a full-time and a
part-time assistant will be added.
A vehicle will also be obtained to
provide necessary transportation
of witnesses and victims.
Space for the program will be
See VICTIM, Page 7A
acquittals. Her husband, Albert
Rourke, was killed when a 1994
Toyota pickup driven by
McGinnis broadsided his
Chrysler Concorde at the inter
section of Hwy. 9 and
Bethelview Road last February.
“I feel like the jury must have
held Al partially responsible for
the accident,” Rourke said. “It’s
not the resolution we were look
ing for the family. I don’t think
it was justified and now it’s not
See VERDICT, Page 2A
