The Forsyth County news. (Cumming, Ga.) 19??-current, April 30, 2004, Image 1
Forsyth Count vNews
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Vol. 95, No. 70
Dogs rescued
from Forsyth
County home
Filthy conditions reported
By Colby Jones Many of the animals reportedly
Staff Writer
Nearly three dozen dogs are recu
perating at a local veterinarian's office
after being rescued from a feces
filled home in north Forsyth County.
A delivery man earlier this month
filed a complaint with the Forsyth
County Sheriff’s Office about the
poor living conditions inside the eld
erly woman’s residence, prompting
an investigation by animal control
officers. It was not the first time
someone has complained about the
numerous dogs inside the home,
according to authorities.
Officers discovered feces
throughout the woman’s residence in
the vicinity of Shady Grove Road,
said Lt. James Poe. head of the ani
mal control division.
"They were in poor health
because of the environment." Poe
said.
Neither the name of the woman
nor her address were released by
authorities because an investigation
is ongoing. Poe said.
Attorneys look for
bias among jurors
By Nicole Green
Staff Writer
PERRY Prosecutors and
defense attorneys grilled potential
jurors in the poisoning murder trial
of Forsyth resident Julia Lynn Turner
Wednesday and Thursday, searching
for character traits or experiences
that might bias a juror for or against
the defendant.
Before the trial was moved to an
area outside metro Atlanta media
coverage of the high profile case,
questions to the jury pool in Cobb
County centered around jurors’
assumptions of Turner’s guilt. In
Houston County Superior Court, two
hours south of Turner’s hometown,
attorneys Wednesday concentrated
on jurors' personal and professional
history.
Hospital verbally agrees to give funds
to pay government broadcasting bill
By Todd Truelove
Staff Writer
Northside Hospital Forsyth has
made a verbal agreement with the
Forsyth County government to con
tribute $20,000 in programming
costs to broadcast local programs
produced by the county in exchange
for the ability to advertise events
sponsored by the hospital.
George Ivey, the hospital’s man
ager of public relations, Wednesday
confirmed the agreement, but said
details remain sketchy.
“It seemed like it would be a
good opportunity to promote com
munity health events," said Ivey. “We
have just agreed in principle, but we
haven’t worked out the details.”
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ill III!
suffered from numerous flea bites
and severe loss of hair consistent
with the mange. All 34 dogs inside
the residence were impounded by
animal control officers on April 15. (
The majority of the animals are
cocker spaniels and the woman car
ing for them was described by Poe as
a “collector" —a person who impul
sively takes in stray animals despite
not having the resources to take care
of them.
Collectors often favor a particular
breed.
"She didn't take in the dogs for
resale but for her own personal
enjoyment." Poe said.
After meeting with a county attor
ney on Wednesday afternoon. Poe
said that the case likely will be dis
posed of through mediation instead of
a trial.
“The main goal, because it doesn't
appear to be a case of malicious neg
lect, is the welfare of the woman and
the welfare of the animals." Poe said.
See DOCS, Page 2A
K
KI
Turner
jurors in Houston County who said
they knew too much about the case
to presume Turner innocent.
Turner is accused of the 1995 poi
soning murder of her husband Glenn
Turner, a Cobb County police officer.
She is also the prime suspect in the
See TURNER, Page 2A
Those details could include a
show produced by the hospital,
according to county Public
Information Officer Bill Johnson.
However, Ivey said he doubted such
a show would be a part of the deal
immediately.
Instead, Ivey said the hospital
hopes to promote local health events
sponsored by the hospital such as
informative meetings on arthritis and
birthing classes for new parents.
“I’m not going to rule [a hospital
show] out, but... it certainly won’t be
happening anytime soon,” said Ivey.
“We’re trying to do something like a
30- or 40-second spot.
The county has been broadcasting
local government-produced shows
free of charge since the beginning of
INDEX
Abby .....6A
Church events .....8A
Classifieds N************************* 5B
Deaths JA
F00d............... ..
Horoscope ............H............6A
Opinion 11A
Sports 1 B
FRIDAY April 30,2004
Only 60 percent
of the jury pool
said they heard
about the case prior
to jury selection,
which began
Tuesday, compared
to 94 percent in
Cobb. Superior
Court Judge James
G. Bodiford of
Cobb excused two
Vegetarian recipes that are
sure to please the entire
family.
Page 5A •
It’s a big world out there
*■ ■» . •, •
•a.
Photo/David McGregor
Big Creek Elementary School students congregate at the school’s playground area for the official
unveiling of a 40-foot by 60-foot map that was painted by Shannon Terrell and was the brainchild of
Big Creek principal Dr. Thomas Davis. See story, page 3A.
GOP candidates asked to fill out
questionnaire when qualifying
By Todd Truelove
Staff Writer
At least one Republican candidate
was startled earlier this week when
he arrived at the County
Administration Building to qualify to
run for the board of commissioners
and discovered a questionnaire
attached to the documents.
Brian Tam. a co-managing part
ner of Outback Steakhouse who is
running for the south Forsyth district
seat, refused upon first glance to fill
out the survey which included ques
tions such as whether candidates
believe the board of commissioners’
meeting room should be open to
the year thanks to a deal with
Adelphia that was made in January.
That deal expired at the end of
March, and though free program
ming continues, the county and
Adelphia are in the process of sign
ing a contract that would charge the
county about S3O an hour for air
time, according to Johnson.
“If we do two hours a night; that's
about S6O a night,”Johnson said.
The board of commissioners may
discuss the contract during Monday’s
meeting, Johnson said.
In the meantime, the county con
tinues producing shows using rooms
at Byars Funeral Home near
See CABLE, Page 2A
Harrell
"I wasn't aware that I was going
to have to fill out a questionnaire
when I came in to register." Tam
said, adding he had other obligations
to attend to and didn't have the time
■■K HKSI
djdflE nJui
Photo/Todd Truelove
Jim Dean tapes Forsyth County Procurement Director Ed Miller,
right, and procurement agent Avery Gravitt as they discuss county
government purchasing procedures. The show is one of several
new television programs the local government is producing.
See what’s
happening in
local churches.
PageSA
groups holding
events that benefit
residents specif
ically the Forsyth
County Republican
Party’s Town Hall
meetings and
whether candidates
believe the sales
tax revenue split
between the county
and city of
Cumming is fair.
Partly Cloudy
High in the high 70s.
Low in the low 60s.
SPORTS, IB
Forsyth soccer sweeps first round
to complete the form.
"I just couldn't stay there and do
it: I understand I have until Friday at
noon to fill it out." he said, adding
that while it is not required to fill out
the survey to qualify for the election.
Republican Party members told him
the responses would be published.
Use of the commissioner's meet
ing room stirred controversy last year
after the board closed it to public
groups. Though commissioners con
sidered instituting rules and fees for
use of the facility, a majority of
board members eventually decided
otherwise and kept the policy ban-
See QUALIFYING, Page 2A
LAKE LANIER LEVELS
Date Level
April 25 1070.35 ft
April 26 1070.36 ft
April 27 1070.41 ft
April 28 1070.42 ft
Full 1071 .OHt