Newspaper Page Text
Forsyth J Your "Hometown Count Paper" Since 19 T
Vol. 99, No. 94
6 held in
botched
burglary
Authorities: Suspects
could be members of
‘Blue Jean Bandits’
By Michele Hester
FCN regional staff
Six suspects in Tuesday’s foiled bur¬
glary at the Dawsonville outlet mall are
scheduled to appear in court this morning.
The five men and one woman, all from
the metro Atlanta area, were captured over
several hours Tuesday following a man¬
hunt in northern Forsyth County that
included helicopters and bloodhounds.
Exact charges have not been released.
Authorities did say. however, that Michael
Johnson, 25, and Altavious Jackson, 18,
both of Atlanta, as well as two male juve¬
niles, likely will face a variety of conspir¬
acy to commit theft and traffic counts.
Also arrested were Abby Holland, 26,
of Norcross and 48-year-old James
Burson, who reportedly drove to Forsyth
County to pick up the suspects.
Tuesday morning’s incident marks the
second time in less than a month that ban¬
dits have targeted the Saks 5th Avenue at
the North Georgia Premium Outlet Mall.
In mid-May, more than $10,000 in
designer blue jeans was taken in an early
morning smash and grab.
Authorities believe the crew arrested
Tuesday could be the same or part of the
same group that hit the store last month.
They also have said the two
Dawsonville incidents are most likely
connected to a rash of similar jean thefts
tit. c • • • Still hold hands
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Clogging couple
celebrates 60
years of marriage
By Frank Reddy
Staff Writer
Through marriage, family life and
... clogging, “Big John” Walters said
his wife, Shirley, has been the sup¬
porting structure in his life and many
others.
“Anything we’ve done, she’s been
the backbone of it,” he said. “She runs
the family, and everybody knows who
the boss is.”
Today, the Walters mark 60 years
of marriage — and they’re not alone
in the celebration. They’ve got four
children, 10 grandchildren and eight
great-grandchildren wishing them
well.
One son, John Jr., lives in Austin,
Texas, while much of their family
lives in Forsyth County, including
sons, Bruce and Randy, and daughter,
Becky Powell.
Powell feels her parents’ 60th
anniversary is a testament to the cou¬
ple’s commitment to family life.
“I’m very proud to be their daugh¬
ter,” she said. “They set an incredible
example for the rest of us.
Powell recalled her parents’ affec-
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Copyright © 2007 Forsyth County News
THURSDAY June 12, 2008
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Photos/Jim Dean
One of the suspects in Tuesday’s foiled burglary attempt is arrested and placed into a Forsyth
County sheriff’s vehicle Tuesday afternoon outside Banks Tanks, where three of the suspects
reportedly asked for water and to use the telephone.
in the Atlanta area since last summer.
Members of the Atlanta Blue Jean
Bandit Taskforce are working with
Dawson County authorities to link the
cases.
“Our investigators have been to
Atlanta and have been working with
them since the burglary three weeks
ago,” said Lt. Tony Wooten of the
Dawson County Sheriff’s Office.
“Our investigators are still contin¬
uing to work together to see if they
can link the crimes in Dawson County
to those that have taken place in the
Atlanta area,” he said.
The crew was apprehended
throughout the day Tuesday, after
authorities say they backed a stolen
van up to Saks before daylight.
Wooten said authorities found a
large rock, which they believe was
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Photos/Jim Dean
“Big John” and Shirley Walters stand in front of a wall covered in
family photos taken through the years. Top left, a picture from their
wedding, 60 years ago today.
tion growing up.
tt My dad came in every afternoon
after work and kissed my mother as
he walked in the door. They truly have
always loved each other. They raised
the bar for me and the rest of the fam¬
ily.”
To this day, the couple’s affection
for one another has not faltered.
“We still hold hands everywhere
INDEX
Abby............. Classifieds. ,7A
3B
Deaths......... 2A
Horoscope ,7A
Kids Page... 10A
Opinion...... 9A
Sports.......... 5B
. - going to be used to break into the
store,” in the suspects’ van, as well as
a firearm. The suspects also had a sig-
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A Forsyth County sheriff’s deputy counts money found on one of
the suspects during Tuesday’s arrest.
we go,” said Shirley Walters, 80.
People look at us kind of funny, but
we don’t care. That’s what we want to
do.
John Walters, 81, said the secret to
marital longevity is to “love each
other.”
“If you do things right,” he said.
See COUPLE, Page 2A
Local
Forsyth firefighter
receives honor for
2007 rescue.
Page3A
nificant amount of cash,
See BOTCHED, Page 2A
Next map move:
Board targets
golf course site
By Frank Reddy
Staff Writer
More changes to Forsyth
County’s comprehensive plan could
be in the works.
The county commission on
Tuesday directed county staff to
make arrangements for a public
hearing on potential changes to
some properties currently zoned as
activity center on the future land-use
map. That includes, most notably,
Lanier Golf Course.
The motion passed 4-1 at
Tuesday’s work session, with
Commissioner Linda Ledbetter
maintaining her stance against
against altering the comprehensive
plan without major public participa¬
tion.
As with recent changes to the
future land-use map, which were
approved at a June 5 public hearing,
any alterations to the comprehensive
plan must first go through Georgia
Mountains Regional Development
Center, a research organization that
studies community growth and natu¬
ral resource conservation.
At a previous meeting, the com¬
mission asked staff to come up with
a map showing all activity centers
on the future land-use map, and then
to zero in on properties with activity
center designations that may not
Sports
Youth baseball
teams take home
trophies.
Page5B
..... n
Hunt
nets
pots
of pot
Deputy, dog
find plants
during pursuit
By Julie Arrington
Staff Writer
Robbery suspects weren’t all
authorities found Tuesday morn¬
ing while searching the northern
Forsyth County countryside.
A Dawson County Sheriff’s
deputy tracking suspects with a
bloodhound happened upon sever¬
al suspected marijuana plants
behind a house near
Chattahoochee Elementary School.
Authorities from Dawson and
Forsyth counties were searching
the area around Pilgrim Mill Road
for suspects in connection with a
foiled burglary attempt at a
Dawson County outlet mall.
The suspects led authorities on
a chase from the mall before
wrecking on Ga. 400 near Pilgrim
Mill. From there, they escaped on
foot.
The ensuing manhunt yielded
See POT, Page 2A
quite fit the comprehensive plan's
definition of the zoning classifica¬
tion.
Staff came up with two separate
zonings for activity center on the
future land-use map: a section along
Crystal Cove Trail, in northeastern
Forsyth, and the Lanier Golf site off
Buford Dam Road.
Chairman Charles Laughing
house voiced concern over current
litigation involving Lanier Golf
Course. He asked County Attorney
Ken Jarrard whether changing the
property’s designation on the
future land-use map could affect
lawsuits.
Jarrard said there would be no
impact with respect to litigation.
Development company Well
stone LLC has a contract to buy the
golf course site if it is rezoned. The
company wants to build a 772-unit
residential development that
includes a 300-unit continuing care
retirement community.
The Forsyth County commission
denied Wellstone's rezoning request
in September. The owners closed the
course in October, only to reopen it
earlier this month.
Wellstone filed a lawsuit, along
with course owners, against Forsyth
County last fall. In the suit, they
See MOVE, Page 2A
Thunderstorms
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High in the mid-80s.
Low in the high 60s.
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BUSINESS, 1B
Picking out gifts for dad
LAKE LANIER LEVELS
Date Level
June 7 1057.55 ft
June 8 1057.50 ft
June 9 1057.42 ft
June 10 1057.34 ft
Full 1071.00 ft