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Highs in the low 80s. Lows in the high 60s. THIS ISSUE Copyright C KMX) Korsyth County Newt Central picks up softball wins. Page IB South drops the ball. Page IB LAKE LANIER LEVELS Date Level Sept 3 1059.76 ft 1059.76 ft Sept 5 1059.75 ft | WL6* 1659.70 ft' Normal 1071.00 ft ' See what’s happening in local churches. Page9A INDEX Abby 8A Community 6A Deaths— 2A 1 Education 7A Health 4A Opinion 11A Horoscope 8A Sports IB COMING SUNDAY Commentary Galore Bill Shipp offers his opinion about politics and government on the editorial page. Missed policy: For a replacement paper call 8 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, and 9 a.m. -1 . pm- on Sunday - (770) 887-3126. W] Forsyth Count vNews J Your "Hometown Paper" Since HAIN LIBRARY-UGA Vc - N' 142 ' County plans fight with GRTA Commissioners react to agency’s proposal to invoke jurisdiction By Bill Johnson Staff Writer Georgia’s transportation superagency has notified 13 counties including Forsyth it will begin flexing its muscles next week by invoking legislatively Police authority in question Cumming couple take their case to High Court By Colby Jones Staff Writer Cumming residents James and Barbara Smith, who sued local police for allegedly attempting to run them and their television repair shop out of town, have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to hear their case. It is the latest wrangling in a longstanding legal battle between the Smiths, owners of Decuff Electronics, and the Cumming Police Department. The dispute began when Cum ming Police Chief Buck Jones and Fbrsyth County Chief Deputy Earl Singletary were co-chiefs of the police department in 1995 . In the Aug. 25 petition filed by the Smiths’ attorney, Cliff Hard wick of Roswell, Jones “intention ally injected” himself into business dealings between the Smiths and their customers, though the couple was not under criminal investiga tion. “As part of his effort, he tried to get as many complaints against the Smiths as possible, feeling that, if he could get enough com plaints, he could could then go before the mayor and city council and get their business license pulled...” states the petition. The petition to the Supreme Court follows a May 31 ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals, which sided with the city of Cumming and upheld the trial court’s January 1999 decision to dismiss the Smiths’ case. The appeals panel found the First Amendment rights of the couple were violated, but their business did not suffer as a result. Police ran a criminal back- Drunk driver skids into multiple traffic charges By Colby Jones Staff Writer A drunk driver skidded in cir cles on Ga. 400 at 150 mph and later mowed down trees in front of a Johns Creek business during a wild weekend chase. Timothy Blankenship, 36, of Cumming is charged with more than half a dozen traffic offenses in connection with the Sept. 2 run from police. Deputies said the chase began when an officer, who was in the process of stopping another motorist for speeding, clocked a 1999 Jaguar going 150 mph near the Shiloh Road overpass. The blue lights from the patrol car apparently caused Blankenship to slam on his brakes, turning the car completely around shortly after midnight. “He skidded 1,400 feet down approved authority to assume jurisdiction over certain decisions made by county gov ernments. At this point no one seems exactly sure how GRTA will “activate jurisdiction” as it has said it will do over Forsyth and 12 other counties that are considered within the MWBK JF < , V Z ' ■ >fZ * 1 WlSr inn s W 3HB til ; —I xTM; r*** *** ' subject tec \ *cco«otrti w ffs, • CUSTOMS ■ CW JByJk arriruo ground check on the couple, con tacted a private investigator to get information about them and spread rumors they were drug dealers, Hardwick stated in the petition. The bad blood increased when Cumming police charged Barbara 400” and continued to drive north toward Cum ming, said department spokeswom an Karleen Chalker. Blanken ship exited onto Hwy. 141 and then drove south Blankenship for six miles with two wailing patrol cars behind his white luxu ry sedan. The chase ended when Blankenship lost control of his car and ran over trees and shrubs in front of a Lowe’s Home Improve ment Warehouse. After wrecking the car, Blan- See DUI, Page 2A FRIDAY SEPTEMBERS Smith with weaving on the road way. She contended the action was part of an ongoing practice by the department to increase revenue through bogus tickets. The citation prompted her husband to video tape officers during traffic stops in Photo/Tom Brooks Time to check the furnace? It seems like only a few days ago temperatures were in the high 90s and the heat and humidity were making life slight ly unbearable. Mother Nature provided Forsyth Countians with a respite from the warm wave of high heat indexes through a forecast for cooler weather this weekend. nonattainment area in terms of air quality standards, but it seems likely the regional transportation agency will become involved in local development issues such as zoning and road projects. And county offi cials aren’t happy with the prospect of a gov ernment superagency Jenkins an attempt to gather evidence of the alleged ticket scam. Singletary, in turn, accused James Smith of obstructing justice, resulting in Smith’s appearance See COURT, Page 2A Photos/Tom Brooks Cumming residents James and Barbara Smith, who sued local police for allegedly attempting to run them and their television repair shop out of town, have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to hear their case. It is the latest wrangling in a long standing legal battle between the Smiths, owners of Decuff Electronics, and the Cumming Police Department. poised to become involved in local decision making. Commission Chairman Bill Jenkins said he asked attorney Frank Jenkins to draft a letter to Georgia Regional Transportation Agency Executive Director Catherine Ross notifying her of Forsyth County’s objection to the agency’s planned course of action. Jenkins said Wednesday, “We’re going to resist it even into court. Some of the authority being granted the GRTA board See GRTA, Page 2A Local buses affected by recall By Laura Lavezzo Carrico Lifestyle Editor Forty-two local school buses will, after all, be affected by a nationwide movement to replace an anti-lock brake system that could be defective. School transportation officials were on alert earlier this week when Thomas Built Buses Inc., one of the nation’s largest manu facturers of school buses, con ducted a safety recall of a specific brand of anti-lock brake systems. This was not the first recall of the Ohio-based Bendix Corpor ation’s anti-lock brake system. Local school buses were inspected in August after International Truck and Engine Corporation required their customers to check the system for chafed wires. Anti-lock brakes have been required since March 1998. Since then, the local school system has purchased 56 buses with anti-lock brakes.. “Forty-two of the 56 buses have the International chassis and the Bendix braking system, which is a part of the current concern,” said Carlton Allen, director of transportation with Forsyth County Schools. In a letter dated Sept. 6 from Nalley Motor Trucks, the area dealer for International Truck and Engine Corporation, the Forsyth County School System was informed that an electronic ele ment of the anti-lock brake system would be replaced as soon as parts become available. “Basically what it says is that the [recall] we received in July should take care of the concerns we have now,” Allen said. “However, the electronic control See BUSES, Page 2A Tax officials clarify school exemptions By Laura Lavezzo Carrico Lifestyle Editor Forsyth County seniors ages 62-64 can still qualify for an income-eligible homestead exemption despite provisions of the new total exemption from school taxes for seniors over age 65. Legal jargon is being blamed for the way the new local home stead exemption law was mistak enly interpreted, according to • Forsyth County Chief Appraiser Mary Kirkpatrick. In July, when Forsyth County voters approved a total homestead exemption from school taxes for local property owners over age 65, See TAXES, Page 2A 50 Cents