The Forsyth County news. (Cumming, Ga.) 19??-current, April 11, 2001, Image 1

The Forsyth County news., April 11, 2001, Image 1

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Newspaper Page Text_ rth/Atairtv High in the low 80s. Low in the high 50s. THIS ISSUE Copyright 0 2001 Fonyth County News Schools Field trip blings home the wonders • of nature. Page 9A Sports Sr American Proteins tournament reels it in for March of Dimes. Page IB LAKE LANIER LEVELS Bevel GVCI "’" n - . 561.02 ft 561.25 ft )6L46Tt TH no ft " * n Advice Er ; IHF Dear Abby dishes out good advice. PageSA INDEX Abby 6A Business Classifieds ......6B Community ••••Mt •••••■••••••»• 10A Deaths 2A Events.. MMMMMMfIMMMMMMMMM 10A Horoscope ,6A Lega15....................................2 B Opinion „ •MMIMMM •••■•■•••■••»• 12A S|)OrtS •MMMMMM*MMMM«M*tt»MM«( 1 B COMING THURSDAY Health & Safety Sports physicals offered for sls on April 21 all in Thursday's special section. Missed paper policy: For a replacement paper, call 8 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, and 9 a.m. -1 p.m. on Sunday - (770) 887*3126. m Forsvth CountvNews l—a——-—M Grand jury considers Hendrix case Photo/Tom Brooks Former Forsyth County sheriff Denny Hendrix leaves the courthouse with, from left, attorney Bill McKenney and former sheriff’s major Bill Craig. Immunization Day draws kindergartners, preschoolers The Forsyth County Health Department’s annual Immunization Day on Monday invited parents of kindergartners and preschoolers to bring their children to get the shots they’ll need before enter ing school next year. Above, Christian Summers appears less than enthusi astic about the prospect of getting a shot, but his mom is right there with him to handle the situation. Below right, Trevor Jennings seemed to enjoy his visit to immunization day, which also featured prizes, clowns, face painting and finger painting. If you have questions about immuniza tions, call the health department at (770) 781- 6900. Photos/Tom Brooks '■***. ...'*wi Kieffer to represent county on Georgia’s water planning board By Bill Johnson Staff Writer The Forsyth County Board of Commissioners on Monday named Chairman John Kieffer to represent the county on the gov erning board of the newly created Metro North Georgia Water Planning District. The board voted unanimously for Kieffer, who is also chairman of the Georgia Mountains Regional Development Center and Forsyth’s lone representative on the powerful Atlanta Regional Commission. But the vote was a mere for mality, since the governor’s bill requires that a county with a pop ulation of less than 200,000 be represented in alternating years by the chairman of the board of com missioners and the mayor of one Your "Hometown Paper” Since 1901 M’-di jr 'Jf ■ fly *■ JtfHl. of the cities inside the county. Kieffer said he has already met with city officials and appreciated receiving their support, then asked his fellow commissioners for their support, too. District 4 Commissioner Marcie Kreager made the motion to appoint Kieffer, saying, “Mr Chairman, please allow me the privilege and the pleasure to appoint you as our representative to the Metro Water Planning District.” Kieffer told his colleagues he felt the new district was vitally important to the future growth of Forsyth County. “I think this board will have a lot to do with the future of water and sewer, stormwater and all See COUNTY, Page 3A WEDNESDAY 4 ’ J 2X By Colby Jones Staff Writer Former Forsyth County sheriff Denny Hendrix and chief deputy Earl Singletary will have to wait until next Wednesday to learn if a grand jury will return criminal charges against them for allegedly padding the department’s payroll. GBI agents and special prosecutor Lydia Sartain presented their findings to a grand jury Monday morning. It is unknown what indictments Sartain has asked the grand jury to return in con nection with the GBI investigation into the payroll scandal. Hendrix and Singletary made state ments to the panel during the seven hour proceeding, according to lawyers involved in the case. Grand jurors began deliberating after lunch but were unable to reach a decision before recessing at 5 p.m. The grand jury will not convene again until ra w| gMgMK.. 1 \ Photos/Tom Brooks Fire destroys trailer home Forsyth County firefighters were called to a blaze Sunday night at a trailer home on Shady Grove Road. A number of people living in the home escaped without injury. The cause Is under investigation, although officials say arson is not suspected. April 18 because of a scheduling con flict with Sartain. Hendrix’s high-profile lawyer, Bill McKenney of Atlanta, refused to dis cuss what was presented to the grand jury but suggested the prosecution is a case of selective enforcement. “I have never seen these types of charges based on what the facts are,” McKenney said as the jury deliberated. “We feel it’s politically motivated.” Singletary’s lawyer, Lynn Young of Gainesville, refused to comment about the case. Bill Craig, a former major in the department during Hendrix’s regime, appeared before the grand jury but his involvement in the case is unclear. Hendrix, who has publicly blamed the investigation for tarnishing his rep utation and costing him re-election in the August 2000 Republican runoff election, has remained under a cloud of suspicion for nearly a year. The GBI gathered paperwork and conducted more than 40 interviews during its probe into “payroll irregular ities” within the department. Among the irregularities was money paid to deputies for hours they allegedly did not work. In the grand jury process, state law gives special privileges to public offi cials and police officers accused of misconduct. The law allows the official to attend the normally secret proceed ing and make a sworn statement direct ly to grand jurors. Neither the official nor his attorney, however, are entitled to question the state’s witnesses. McKenney said Monday he made “serious objections” to how Sartain presented her case to the grand jurors. In previous interviews, Hendrix and Singletary have said the investigation resulted from a Forsyth County Board See HENDRIX, Page 2A Fugitive labeled as ‘armed, dangerous’ By Colby Jones Staff Writer Deputies are searching for a man who ran after being stopped in a stolen pickup on April 4. Jeffery Vanalstine, 39, faces multiple charges in connection with the stolen truck and foot Vanalstine chase that occurred last Wednesday night. Auth orities said Vanalstine, address un known, should be considered armed and dangerous. Deputies reported stopping a white 1998 Chevrolet pickup driven by Vanalstine about 7:30 p.m. on Drew Campground Road in west Forsyth County. The officers stopped Vanalstine after receiving information the truck was stolen and that the driver may have been transporting drugs. Deputies found a rifle in the stolen truck. No drugs were found in the truck, according to the sher iff’s office. See FUGITIVE, Page 2A Woman reports rape in her home By Colby Jones Staff Writer Local detectives are investigat ing a report of a rape at a home in a south Forsyth County neighbor hood Monday afternoon. The woman, whose age was not immediately released, report ed being raped inside her Fernbank Court home about 11 a.m. She told authorities a Hispanic man wearing a mask entered the residence through a window. Detectives interviewed the vic tim and searched her home for evidence the same afternoon. A K-9 unit assisted in the search. The incident remains under investigation by the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, said department spokeswoman Karleen Chalker. The sheriff’s office received2o reports of rape in 2000. ‘ Anyone with information about the case should call the sheriff’s office at (770) 781-2222.