Newspaper Page Text
Forsyth CountvNews
•/ Your "Hometown Paper" Since 1908
Vol. 95, No. 49
Senate leader to request
$5 million for new libraiy
Also $155,500 to plan an addition to Lanier Tech
By Harris Blackwood
Community Editor
State Sen. Bill Stephens, R-
Canton. wasted no time in flexing his
political muscle on behalf of his new
potential constituents in Forsyth
County.
The veteran lawmaker, who also
serves as Senate Majority Leader,
presently represents Cherokee and a
number of counties in the mountains.
Last week a three-judge federal panel
placed Stephens into a district made
up of Forsyth and Cherokee counties
with the largest population base in
Forsyth.
He announced Tuesday that he had
secured inclusion of $5 million in state
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Deputies check a 1994 Ford Tempo after it collided with Forsyth County school bus 932 Tuesday
about 4 p.m. at the intersection of Chattahoochee and Shady Grove roads. The car turned onto
Shady Grove Road in front of the southbound bus, officials said. The bus was full of students
from North Forsyth High and North Forsyth Middle schools when it collided with the car’s driver's
side. The driver of the car, Amanda Flowers, 22, of Dawsonville was taken to North Fulton
Regional Hospital by ambulance. She was in surgery Wednesday morning, sheriff's officials said.
Only one student on the bus was taken to the hospital by her parent and was treated and
released.
Roche to seek another
term in District 5 seat
on county school board
By Nancy Smallwood
Staff Writer
Nancy Roche has announced she
will he running for re-election to the
Forsyth County School Board.
Roche, a Republican, will be seek
ing the District 5 seat that she has
held since 2000.
Roche’s experience in the field
of technology has benefited the
school district. Prior to her decision
to leave work in 1980. Roche was
employed by IBM as a systems ana
lyst. She has a degree in computer
science and math from Moorhead
State University in Moorhead.
Minnesota.
During her first term on the
school board. Roche has initiated
the technology improvements of the
school board meetings. She has
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funds for a new Forsyth County Public
Library and $155,500 to begin design
work on a major addition to the
Forsyth campus of Lanier Technical
College.
"The people of Forsyth County
deserve a quality technical college
opportunity within driving distance,"
said Stephens in a statement released
from his office. "This funding will
allow the Forsyth campus of Lanier
Tech to expand to meet the needs of
this growing community. I'm glad this
step can be taken."
The version of the budget approved
by the House contained the funds.
Stephens' action will likely ensure that
the funds will remain intact when the
Senate Appropriations Committee
Bus, car collide
Roche
be informed while on business trips
or if they are out of town for a few
days before the meetings." said
Roche.
During the first year of her term,
Roche served as the Georgia School
Board Association Legislative
See ROCHE, Page 2A
INDEX
Abby 5B
Classifieds 2B
Deaths 2A
Government .... 7A
Kids Page GA
Opinion 9A
Sports 8A
THURSDAY March 25,2004
been able to con
vince other board
members of the
importance of
gaining access to
information about
upcoming agendas
through the
Internet.
“Now board
members can
research issues and
County’s first optometrist
remembered by
community.
Page 3A
votes on the budget.
The surprise action by Stephens
was his placement of the library funds
in the Senate version.
“This new library is needed as well
and I'm excited about this possibility,"
said Stephens. “I will need
Representatives Tom Knox and Jack
Murphy to make sure the House main
tains the funding for these two key
projects.”
State Sen. Casey Cagle. R-
Gainesville, who has represented por
tions of Forsyth during his 10-year
Senate career, was clearly surprised
when told of his colleague's action on
the library.
See LIBRARY, Page 2A
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Photo/Audra Perry
Helping a friend
Students at Sawnee Elementary School on Tuesday rehearse
the play "The Little Prince" to benefit schoolmate and friend
Josh Wallace, who is battling leukemia. See story, page 3A.
Coach’s future m question
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I i i M i MMi I 1
Photo/file
Coach Norris Vaughan talks to his South Forsyth football players
during a recent season. Vaughan, who has led the team to the
state playoffs six times, including in 2003, was informed last week
he would have to reapply for his job. See Sports, page BA.
Friday anniversary
of deputy’s death
Woman charged in March 2003 incident
By Nicole Green
Staff Writer
Friday marks the one-year
anniversary of the motorcycle acci
dent that killed Forsyth County
Sheriff's Sgt. David P. Land, and the
woman charged in his death waived
her right to arraignment earlier this
week.
Land. 32. died on March 26.
2003. after his motorcycle collided
with two cars on westbound Hwy.
20.
Land was responding to a call
with his siren and emergency lights
flashing. He attempted to pass a
Chrysler mini van driven by Wanda
Ann Sells when the van turned left
into a furniture store parking lot.
Land collided with the left side of the
van. causing his motorcycle to leave
the roadway. He struck a parked
Mercury Mountaineer and was killed
instantly.
A five-mile motorcade followed
the family to Arlington Memorial
Park in Atlanta where Land was laid
to rest.
Sells, who faces two counts of
second degree vehicular homicide for
Land's death, waived her right to
arraignment on Tuesday, according
to the Forsyth solicitor general's
Hostility towaid drug
makers detrimental to
Americans’ health?
Page9A
Partly Cloudy
' LAKE LAMER LBIELS
a Date Level
i March 20 1069.88 ft
r March 21 1069.90 ft
March 22 ’0W.91 ft
March 23 1069.91 ft
Full 1071.00-ft
High in the high 70s.
Low in the mid-40s.
icral home hosts Chamber
office.
Her case was
put on the jury trial
calendar to be tried
in late August.
Solicitor Leslie
Abernathy antici
pates putting more
than 50 witnesses
on the stand.
Second-degree
*
~
Land
homicide is a mis
demeanor punishable by a fine of up
to SI,OOO and/or imprisonment for
up to 12 months. Also. Sells was for
mally charged with failure to yield
for an emergency vehicle and
improper left turn.
Land left behind a wife, Paula F.
Land, and a daughter. Taylor Rene
Land. Paula, like her husband, was a
sergeant in the Forsyth County
Sheriff's Office. Now she works for a
local attorney. Taylor will be 7 years
old on Sunday. Paula said.
“In some ways it seems like this
year has just flown by. and in other
ways it seems like it's been forever."
Paula said Tuesday.
According to Paula's religious
faith, the one-year mark ends the for
mal mourning period and symbolizes
See LAND, Page 2A
New statewide
defense similar
to Forsyth’s
County hopes to opt out
By Todd Truelove
Staff Writer
The Forsyth County Board of
Commissioners is asking the state
government not to include (he county
in a new statewide public defense
system.
Commissioners unanimously
approved the resolution to opt out of
the program after listening to reports
from Superior Court Chief Judge Jeff
Bagley and Pre-Trial Services
Administrator Connie Brooker
Monday during a called meeting.
"Basically, it comes down to
money," Bagley told the board,
explaining that while the state would
provide some funding for a public
defense office, additional costs the
See SAFETY, Page 2A