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Forsyth J Your "Hometown Count' Since t1 ^ws Vol. 99, No. 81 Man shoots self after teen Ju lie Arrington Staff Writer A 21 -year-old man is dead after authorities say he shot himself in the head following a confrontation I uesday morning with his ex-girlfriend near a bus stop in southern Forsyth County. a I : ■ ■ - u Veterans banner from to By Lara Moore Staff Writer Comforts are few and far between when bringing home comrades in caskets. “I buried a lot of good friends,” said Darcy Blow, an infantry medic, hanging his head slightly. The hulking Blow, so large he looked as though he wore a Kevlar vest underneath his uni¬ form, was the senior to other nearby soldiers in experience but didn't hide any emotions Tuesday morning at Chattahoochee Elementary School. Blow and his fellow mem bers in the 1st Battalion of the 121st Infantry Georgia Army National Guard presented an American flag to the school to show their gratitude to students and staff, who supported the unit during its previous serv¬ ice. The flag had flown in Iraq. Soldiers remember warm receptions such as the one at Chattahoochee because little else reconciles military deaths, said Blow, who has served two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. As he spoke, students dart¬ ed by, asking the men to sign their notebook paper, T-shirts and arms. Lt. Col. Andy Hall, a Cumming resident, said the presentation was twofold: to give children something to think about on Memorial Day and to use the event as a train¬ ing exercise. The soldiers from the local unit are due back in Iraq in See FLAG, Page 2A Sales tax accord could come soon By Jennifer Sami Staff Writer Forsyth County has what the city of Cumming considers its final offer in the ongoing effort to resolve the future of the 1-cent sales tax. Missed paper policy: For a replacement paper, call 8:30 a.m. -1:00 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday (770)887-3126. Copyright © 2007 Forsyth County News THURSDAY May 22, 2008 21-year-old dies after incident at bus stop Capt. Frank Huggins of the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office said Chad Michael Cornutt first attempted to shoot Stephanie Guevara, an 18-year-old senior at South the flag * | I | m ’-i- f % ; 1 rS fvVj —Sx. County has what may be city’s final offer • « i thini n.i R the Clt .y s rnade a lot of concessions in trying to resolve this issue, Cumming Mayor H. Ford Gravitt said Tuesday night. “And I INDEX Abby............ 4A Classifieds. 3B Deaths........ 2A Kids Horoscope 4A Opinion....... Page... 6A 5A Sports.......... 5B Forsyth High School. When the gun misfired, he then turned it on himself Guevara was not injured, Huggins said. Cornutt was taken to E M % : >| \ ' s** Ex 4 -; o, 4 '^0. m "5 sat ©fey 5 fli* .! h ■m wm -■•■■Is If w It -- _ recommend to the board we send it back to the county as our final offer to the county to resolve the issue because we’d like to keep the sales Local Family safe after north Forsyth house fire. Page2A Northside Hospital-Forsyth before being transferred to North Fulton Regional Hospital, where Forsyth County Coroner Lauren McDonald III said he died £$1 tl m Left, Jeremiah Bailey stands as Darcy Blow signs his shirt. Treating the soldiers like rock stars, the students asked for autographs on T-shirts, napkins and arms. tax coming in. The agreement, which has the blessing of the city council, essen tially would give the city an addi tional $12.5 million cut of the sales See TAX, Page 2A Sports South’s Whatley takes first at equestrian nationals. Page5B Tuesday night. Huggins said there were no witnesses to the incident, which occurred about 7:30 a.m. on Beaver Ridge Drive, off Bethelview Road. The street is in the Big Creek Township community, a new subdivision where large homes with well-manicured Above, students Hannah Goeckel, left, and Kaleigh Lawson join Calvin C. Wilcox, right, as they show their respect Tuesday for a new flag as it’s raised at Chattahoochee Elementary School. The flag was delivered by members of the National Guard in a UH-60 Army helicopter, left. Below, as student Ethan Hall waits in a Humvee, sol¬ diers march the flag from the heli¬ copter to the waiting vehicle for the short ride to the school. Photos/Jim Dean Possible Storms LAKE LANIER LEVELS Date Level May 17 1057.79 ft llh'1,11 May 18 1057.80 ft May 19 1057.79 ft May 20 1057.76 ft Full 1071.00 ft High in the low 80s. Low in the low 60s. , 0 * ,k; £ 1 / • % , lilies BUSINESS, 1B Day thrive, defy drought lawns are nestled close togeth er. The community is near Polo Golf & Country Club, “She was walking from her residence to the bus stop and was confronted in the street ■ Huggins said. Huggins said Cornutt was See SHOOTS, Page 2A Cumming to honor military service Annual Memorial Day ceremony set for Friday By Frank Reddy Staff Writer The city of Cumming will honor men and women who served their country during the 14th annual Veterans War Memorial and Avenue of Hags Dedication on Friday morn ing. "It means a lot to the people of this city to support those who served and to honor their service in the mili¬ tary,” said Cumming Mayor H. Ford Gravitt, who will give the introduc¬ tion. “It’s a very moving program. Gravitt said the event, which begins at l l a.m. at 301 Veterans Memorial Blvd., usually draws sever¬ al hundred people. “It shows community spirit,” he said, adding that the city has been holding its Avenue of Flags since the memorial was built. In total, 12 names will be recog¬ nized at the event and I0 flags will be raised and added to about 150 others. Forsyth County resident Jo Ann Leifeste dedicated one flag for two members of her family who served in the U.S. military: her father and her second cousin. Her second cousin. Jack Lafayette McBride of the U.S. Navy, survived the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, but was killed in the Battle of Savo Island on Nov. 13, 1942. He was 19. “He was helping to man a large gun on the USS San Francisco at the time of his death,” Leifeste said, not¬ ing that 34 other men also died in the attack. See HONOR, Page 2A 4 File photo An F-16 fighter jet soars above the crowd at the 2007 Memorial Day ceremony in Cumming.