Newspaper Page Text
Warmer.
Highs in the lower 50s.
Lows near 40.
THIS ISSUE
Copyright © 1999 Konyth County News
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New kids’ feature.
Page 4A
Tackling turkeys for the
‘Grand Slam’.
Page IB
LAKE LANIER LEVELS
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Editorial cartoonist’s
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Page 7A
INDEX
Abby 6A
Classifieds 4B
Deaths 2A
Extension columns 6A
Events...... 5A
Kids'Page 4A
Opinion 7A
Outdoors & Rec IB
Sports. 3B
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COMING
FRIDAY
Entertainment Extra
Soap Opera Updates, Critics
Comer, Jill Jackson's Hollywood,
Country Music
all in Fridays edition.
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Nd V; No. 4 THURSDAY JANUARY 7, 1999 V>
Man dies in Tuesday morning house fire
By Colby Jones
Staff Writer
Darrell Sams, suffering from Lou
Gehrig’s disease and unable to escape, sat in
a recliner as a Tuesday morning fire con
sumed his living room, killing him.
Deputy coroner Mike Castleberry pro
nounced the 61-year-old resident dead upon
arrival. Sams’ son, Michael, described as
being in his 20s, was inside the residence at
the time, but was not seriously injured.
Emergency personnel transported
Michael Sams to Baptist North Hospital,
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Atlanta Gas Light welcomes PSC’s rate review
By Cheryl Vaughn
Features Writer
In response to consumer complaints
about Atlanta Gas Light Company’s high
rates during last fall’s mild temperatures, the
Georgia Public Service Commission this
week ordered a review of AGL’s pricing poli
cies.
“We feel like there is a lack of market
constraints on the part of the company,”
explains PSC Commissioner Bubba
McDonald. “So we have established the
process to bring the Atlanta Gas Light back
Guitar music keeping
Carter tied to country
By Alton Bridges
Staff Writer
Clinton Carter started playing a
guitar when he was 14 years old. “I
couldn’t afford a good guitar,”
remembers Carter, “but I tried to learn
what I could with the instruments I
had.”
“When I came out of the military,
I bought a good guitar and got serious
about playing and learning,” he said.
“I started playing in public when I
was 25 to 30 years old.”
As a young man, Carter went into
the Army and got to Korea just six
weeks before the Korean War ended.
“I got on the train at Puson with the
where he was treated for smoke inhalation
and released. Darrell Sams’ wife had the
day off from work and was not at home.
Fire Marshal Steve Anderson said the
cause and origin of the fire remain undeter
mined.
The victim’s physical condition had
deteriorated as a result of the disease.
“He couldn’t talk or walk over the past
couple of years and he began to lose func
tions of his body about two years ago. At
first it was his speech,” said neighbor J.C.
Thompson.
before the Commission to justify what has
been happening of late.”
That’s fine with the Atlanta Gas Light
Company.
“We welcome the PSC review,” says Ross
Willis, an AGL spokesman. “We think it is a
great opportunity for us and the Commission
to get together to better communicate about
how all this is working and why it’s in place
the way it is. This is the all-time, record
breaking gas deregulation effort in the coun
try and already 12 percent of customers have
switched to independent marketers.
“We don’t mind encouraging customers
2nd Division,” said Carter. “I was
chosen to stay in the rear and work in
administration. So I really did not see
any combat. A lot of my buddies did.”
It was in 1959 that he organized
his first band to play at local square
dances. Even though the band was
profitable and he learned a lot, Carter
got tired of doing the same songs over
and over. He wanted to move to other
types of music.
“I learned most of what I know by
watching others and asking ques
tions,” said Carter. “But playing for
the square dances gave me an oppor
tunity to really learn the guitar and
See GUITAR, Page 2A
Firefighters responded to the Sams’ 205
Brandywine Circle address, located off
Union Hill Road in the southern end of the
county, after Thompson called 911 at 9:40
a.m. A crew from nearby station No. 14 on
McFarland Road was first on the scene and
had the blaze under control in less than 10
minutes, said Public Safety Director Miles
Butler.
“We were not informed about an entrap
ment until we were on the scene about five
minutes,” Butler said.
Michael Sams reportedly was sleeping
Vickery Creek Middle
A majority of parents and stu
dent? we'e introduced to the
new Vickery Creek Middle
School Sunday afternoon at an
open house to celebrate the
facility’s opening. Principal Toni
Eubank said more than 500
maps were distributed to VCMS
“vipers” and their parents.
Students and staff reported for
classes at the new facility on
Monday morning. See Page 2A
for the story.
Photo/Tom Brooks
to switch, but we want them to make a fair
comparison without the allegation that we’re
ripping anybody off or using a loophole,” he
adds. “We’re doing exactly what we’re sup
posed to be doing and that is collecting our
costs in a fair and reasonable way while
enabling customers to switch to a gas mar
keter.”
According to Willis, current high gas bills
reflect fixed costs, including reservation fees
for gas usage from pipeline companies, that
don’t vary with weather for AGL.
“We got blindsided by Mother Nature,”
says Willis. “November and December was a
in a room on the opposite end of the house
and was awakened by a smoke detector. He
ran out the front door barefoot and scream
ing, said Thompson, who was washing dish
es when he noticed smoke seeping from his
neighbor’s roof and went outside to investi
gate.
“He said his dad had been smoking,”
Thompson added.
Firefighters contained flames to the liv
ing room. Butler said Sheetrock most likely
See FIRE, Page 3A
Pat Topping
resigns from
Chamber post
By Roxane Campbell
Associate Editor
The search is on at the Cumming/Forsyth County
Chamber of Commerce.
On Sunday, Patrick J. Topping resigned from his
position as president of the Chamber of Commerce. He
had held the position since October 1996.
Topping said he decided to return to his previous job
with the Macon Economic Development Commission.
He had been talking with them for a few months prior to
his Jan. 3 resignation, he said.
“It was a good opportunity to
get back to the community I con
sider home and to get back into
economic development full time,”
Topping said.
By the end of the day, a search
committee to seek candidates to fill
the position already had been put
in place by the Chamber of
Commerce’s executive committee.
Vicky Clair, Chamber adminis
trator, said she anticipates it will
take a few months to find Topping’s replacement.
“In the past, it has taken four to six months,” Clair
said.
The Chamber will look to “a lot of different avenues
to get the word out” about the open president’s position,
Clair said. There is no requirement that the president be
from Georgia, but the search will be limited to within the
state.
“Pat has been very good for the Chamber,” said
Donna Wade, incoming Chamber chairman. “He has
See CHAMBER, Page 2A
record warm period and it was 60 percent
warmer than normal in those billing periods.
The bills look way out of line because we
had these fixed charges incorporated into
customer bills, but they didn’t use any gas.
Just remember, now that it’s colder than nor
mal, the reverse will be true and bills will
seem low. It’s not a matter of how much
money we’re collecting, because we’re col
lecting the same as we used to. It’s just a
matter of when we collect it.”
McDonald said hearings will be held Jan.
19, 22 and 28, with the commission’s final
ruling issued on Feb. 9.
Topping
After his first guitar at
14, Clinton Carter
taught himself and
then invested in a
good guitar after his
military service. His
band and playing for
square dances would
be his continuing
connection to the
community.
Photo/Tom Brooks