Newspaper Page Text
County coroner
seeks second term
By Nicole Green
Staff Writer
Lauren W. McDonald HI
has announced that he will
seek re-election as Forsyth
County Coroner.
McDonald beat 28-year
incumbent Royston '‘Buck"
Ingram Jr. by 132 votes in the
July 2000 Republican pri
mary race for the coroner's
seat. That slim margin is the
same number of votes that
won his father, Lauren
“Bubba” McDonald Jr., his
first election to the state
Legislature in 1970,
McDonald said.
McDonald 111 said he ran
with the intention of making
major changes in the coro
ner’s office.
His predecessor's spend
ing practices were the subject
of a 1998 Georgia Bureau of
Investigation (GBI) investiga
tion that revealed “poor
accounting and purchasing
policies" in the coroner’s
office. McDonald has cut the
coroner’s expenses during his
four-year term, he said.
"I’m most proud that I
was able to return 30 percent
of the budget every year to
the coun-
ty, Mc-
Donald
said.
He was
able to
save money
by obtain
ing most of
the neces
sary equip
ment his
fir c t «r ao «*
66
I'm most proud
that I was able to
return 30 percent of
the budget every
year to the county.
99
first year,
McDonald said. The budget
included a mobile investiga
tion/removal unit worth
560.000, which McDonald
said he purchased from a
Tennessee hospital for only
$25,000. The coroner and
deputy coroners, Phillip
Faulkner and Mary Ellen
Troup, use the vehicle as a
portable laboratory.
In addition, McDonald
purchased a laptop computer,
stretchers, two cameras, a
desktop scanner, a laser print
er. four backboards and three
portable 16-channel radios
for $11,500.
McDonald also kept his
campaign promise to move
the morgue from the base
ment of the incumbent's
funeral home to Northside
Hospital Forsyth.
McDonald, who is also a
certified emergency medical
technician and firefighter, and
his deputies responded to 280
coroner calls last year, he said.
Traffic fatalities acounted for
28 of those calls.
McDonald also remarked
that the suicide rate in
Forsyth County is unusually
high.
Though his job requires a
somewhat reticent view of
death, McDonald admitted
that he has had some cases
that were personally chal
lenging for him.
For example, 21 days after
McDonald became coroner,
he investigated the death of a
fellow firefighter Randy
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McDonald
Thompson
who died of
ethylene gly
col poison
ing.
“You get
emotionally
involved
sometimes,
but it’s hard
to keep your-
self separat
ed,” McDonald said.
Julia Lynn Womack
Turner, Thompson’s former
lover and the mother of his
two children, is the prime
suspect of a GBI investiga
tion into his death. Evidence
in Thompson's case will be
used to prosecute Turner in
the murder trial, scheduled to
begin April 26, in which she
stands accused of poisoning
her husband. Glenn Turner.
Though many people do
not realize that the coroner is
an elected official, McDonald
said the office is part of a tri
angle of criminal investiga
tion.
“There are checks and bal
ances between the sheriff's
office, the GBI [Georgia
Bureau of Investigation]
office and the coroner. It's
kind of like the
branches of the
government:
legislative,
executive and
judicial.” said
McDonald, who
has a bachelor’s
degree in politi
cal science.
The coroner,
who investigates
any deaths thought to be of
unnatural causes, often acts
as eyes and ears for the GBI
office.
There exists a similar
level of trust between the
sheriff's office and the coro
ner who have to work togeth
er in investigations.
The term "coroner" origi
nated in England from the
word “crown." The coroner
was the death investigator for
the king, McDonald said.
The king would acquire
the possessions of criminals
and any person whose death
was deemed by the coroner to
be "against God,” such as sui
cide.
McDonald and his father
opened McDonald & Son
Funeral Home in late 1997.
They and state Rep. Carl
Rogers acquired Hillside
Funeral Home in Gainesville
one year ago.
McDonald spends about
20 percent of his time in
Gainesville where business is
doing well, he said.
McDonald’s time away
from the coroner’s office and
funeral home is spent with his
family. McDonald. 35. and his
wife Clare have two sons:
Lauren "Wylie” McDonald IV,
19 months, and Ridley, six
weeks.
The 2004 election calen
dar includes the general pri
mary election on July 20, the
primary runoff (if necessary)
on Aug. 10 and the general
election on Nov. 2.
Church turns storefront into youth coffeehouse
A Forsyth County church
has rented a retail’Storefront
and is now operating The
Tuesday Night Coffee Club .
The club is located in the
Ingles shopping center on
Hwy. 20 (Canton Highway).
“Tuesday nights are
changed forever as we bring
great Christian pop, hip hop,
and acoustic musical acts live,
on stage in a relaxed night
club environment," said Jay
Bird, who facilitates the pro
gram for Grace Community
Church.
The live musical acts
include Christian alternative,
hip-hop, and rock groups. Bird
said the center also offers G
rated stand-up comedy, sketch
comedy, and improvisational
comedy.
The coffee house is a part
of the Grace Community
Church, an inter-denomina
tional ministry dedicated to
guiding the young and old to a
Bible-based faith in Christ
through fun. fellowship, and
bridge building relationships,
church officials said.
The Tuesday Night Coffee
House is open to youth of all
■MR2BJhSE£SEdL2KKdK2BH|
Sunday & Monday,
we invite you to enjoy an extra
25% off
Your purchase
including sale, regular price and clearance items*
April 18th shop until 9 p.m.**
April 19th shop 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
‘’Except where prohibited by law
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‘Because of the already low prices, electronics, denim, Dockers®, athletic shoes, Y.E.S. value items,
tuxedo rentals, fragrances, fine jewelry, cosmetics and Goody's Giftcard purchases are not included.
Not applicable with any other coupon or discount offer.
Good Sunday, April 18 and Monday, April 19, 2004 only.
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Photo/Submitted
The Tuesday Night Coffee Club features live music by Christian alternative, hip-hop
and rock bands.
ages and faiths and is not
exclusive to members of
Grace Fellowship, according
to Bird.
"We look forward to serv
ing all of the area churches
and fellowships with this
unique and exciting coffee
house ministry." he said.
FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS - Sunday, April U, 2004
National recording artist
David Glen will be appearing
in concert this Tuesday.
Joining Glen will be local hip
hop artist D-R-J and the come
dy team Apples of Gold.
There is no admission
charge and free refreshments
are served.
Bird said that the ministry
is designed primarily for mid
dle and high school students
and he invites parents to join
them for the events.
For more information call
(770) 887-1578 or on the Web
at www.tuesdaynightcof
feeclub.com.
PAGE 5A