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Business owner sentenced
federal cocaine charges I
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By Julfe Arrington
Staff Writer
A former Forsyth County business
owner has been sentenced to 12 years in
federal prison on cocaine charges.
Paul Lee Longoria, 36, of Cumming,
was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District
Judge Charles Pannell Jr, said Patrick
Crosby, spokesman for the U.S.
Attorney ’s Office in Atlanta.
Narcotics investigators with the
Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office found
about 450 pounds of cocaine in 2007 at
Longpria’s business, Crown Fencing Co.,
off Hwy. 369.
At the time, authorities thought the
cocaine seizure was the largest ever made
New local chess club holds first j
tournament
A new local chess club
plans to hold its first tourna¬
ment Saturday, with players of
all ages invited to swing by and
test their skills.
North Georgia Chess
Centef founders Cathy and Joe
Couvillion said their club has
grown a lot since its start in
late June.
“The club’s going great,”
Cathy Couvillion said. “Our
group is growing by at least
one person a week.”
The club meets at 6 p.m.
every Monday night at Bames
and Noble at The Avenue
Forsyth.
Tournament registration
begins at 11:30 a.m. Saturday
and the games will begin at
12:30 p.m.
The event will be held at
Chestatee Commmunity Center
at 6875 Keith Bridge Road,
next to Chestatee Elementary
School ip Gainesville.
There is a $25 entry fee.
Trophies for first through
fifth place will be awarded, and
all participants will receive a
certificate.
Cathy Couyillion said local
star chess players in the club
include Christopher Marchat
DIVIDED from 1A
Mario precincts.
Boff carried the Polo
precinct by one vote, while
Tressler came out a single vote
ahead in Daves Creek.
It most likely will not be
enough to alter Tuesday’s
decision, but the candidates
could each receive more votes
when,the provisional/absentee
tally’is conducted Friday.
Tressler could also ask for
a recount, something she had
not ruled out as of Wednesday
morning.
Forsyth-County elections
chief Gary J. Smith said
Tressler has until Tuesday to
ask for a recount. The request
must be in writing.
“Jt’Y not out of the ques
tion,*!TrCsster said Wednesday
morning. V I may request a
recount, say.’NV^' biil N it’s too early to
If’Bbtfting ^s^er changes radical
cono?(Jr|Ke ly, said, she plans to
race Friday fol
lowing-the 3off final results.
and his supporters
gathered Tuesday night at the
Aberdeen Clubhouse in south
Forsyth, where Boff said he
gave his acceptance speech
mintites after learning the final
resujts.
“Jt was closer than I
thought it would be, but the
FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS —Thursday, Auguat 7,2008
in the metro Atlanta region.
Longoria pleaded guilty in May to
conspiracy to possess with intent to dis¬
tribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine,
Crosby said.
The minimum mandatory sentence for
that charge is 10 years.
Longoria and truck driver Jessie
Steve Urbina, 39, of Alamo, Texas, were
arrested May 3, 2007, reportedly after
agents with the Georgia Department of
Motor Vehicle Safety pulled Urbina’s traffic
tractor trailer over in a routine
stop.
The sheriff’s office’s K-9 unit was
called in to search the vehicle for drugs.
Edward Lopez, 40, of Alamo, Texas
was arrested in Texas about, a week after
and Benjamin Grander.
They’re both doing
Well,” she said,
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File photo
Benjamin Grantier and his chess teacher, Joseph
Couvillion, strategize on chess moves during a game.
amount of support I got was
fabulous,” he said.
Tressler supporters hud
died at Tam’s Backstage
restaurant in Cumming to
watch the results filter in
precinct by precinct,
We worked as hard as we
could at this,” Tressler said
afterward. “Obviously, I’m
disappointed, but I feel like we
ran a good race.”
Tressler also said she was
grateful for the support she
received.
“I’m really proud of the
people I had in my camp,” she
said. “I came into this race as
an underdog, and to get within
29 votes of it, I guess I need to
feel good about this whole
thing.”
She felt good enough about
it to not rule out another run
for office in t£e future.
No Democrat sought the
post and incumbent District 5
Commissioner Linda
Ledbetter did not run for a
second term. Boff will begin
serving his four-year term in
January.
Commissioners receive the
bulk of their compensation
based on the the number of
meetings they attend. They are
paid $125 per meeting for up
to^20 meetings per month.
Longoria and Urbina. Authorities said
Lopez directed the loading of 200 kilo
grams of cocaine dropped off at
Longoria’s Forsyth County business.
Urbina reportedly told authorities he
unloaded his cargo at the fence company.
Local and federal officials found car
tons of cabbage containing an estimated
$8 million to $10 million worth of!
cocaine at the company.
All three men were indicted by a fed- j
eral grand jury on charges of possession
with the intent to distribute cocaine and
conspiracy to distribute cocaine.
Urbina and Lopez are scheduled to be j
sentenced in September, Crosby said.
E-mail Julie Arrington at juliearring- |
ton @ forsythnews. com.
Joe Couvillion is a former
state class A champion, who
teaches courses across the
They are routinely paid for
the maximum number of
meetings each month. District
5 Commissioner Linda
Ledbetter made $34,924.55 in
2007.
Boff, a 56-year-old retiree,
led what was originally a field
of four candidates in the July
15 primary, but he failed to
reach the 50 percent majority
needed to win outright.
He received 44 percent of
the vote last month, while
Tressler took in 35 percent.
Terry Sweeney received 9 per¬
cent and Walter Waddell 12
percent.
The commission district,
which covers Cumming and
much of eastern Forsyth, was
one of three on the July 15
ballot.
Brian Tam won re-election
in south Forsyth’s District 2,
besting three Republican chal¬
lengers with 55 percent of the
vote. -
In District 4, or north
Forsyth, Patrick Bell defeated
incumbent David Richard,
also with 55 percent of the
vote. Bell will face Democrat
Jon Flack in the Nov. 4 elec¬
tion.
E-mail Frank Reddy at
frankreddy @ forsythnews.
cpm. r
Forsyth
County
sheriff’s
deputies
search
Crown
Fencing
Co., where
they dis¬
covered
about 450
pounds of
cocaine, in
May 2007.
File photo
Atlanta area. One of his chess
teams, the Jonesboro High
School Royal Knights, placed j !
third in a 2008 competition.
For more information, call
(678) 207-9937 or e-mail
northgachesscenter@gmail
.com.
— Frank Reddy
Deaths
Ruth Louise
Witherow
Mrs. Ruth Louise
Witherow, age 92, a native
and lifelong resident of
Forsyth County passed
! away Monday, Aug. 4,
2008. She was preceded in
death by her husband of 63
years, Homer Lee
Witherow; and sons,
Roscoe and Richard
Witherow.
Survivors include her
children, Willie Mae
Ramey, Jessie Lee Woody,
Virginia and Leon Woody,
Herbert Witherow and
Pauline and Homer Long,
all of Cumming; daughters
in-law, Evelyn Witherow
and Faye Witherow, both of
Cumming; sister, Violet
Wallis of Dawsonville; 25
grandchildren; 47 great
grandchildren; numerous
great-great-grandchildren,
nieces, nephews and other
relatives also survive.
Funeral services were
held Wednesday, Aug. 6, at
I 4 p.m. in the Ingram
Funeral Home Chapel with
Rev. Danny Ray Martin,
R e v. Gerald Carnes and
| Rev. Randall Woody offici
ating. Interment followed at
Sawnee View Memorial
Gardens.
The family received
friends Wednesday, Aug. 6,
from 9 a.m. until the hour
of service.
Ingram Funeral Home
and Crematory is in charge
of arrangements.
Sign the online guest
book at forsythnews.com.
Forsyth County News
July 7, 2008
Ronald Tremblay
Ronald Tremblay, 75, of
Cumming passed away Aug.
6,2008.
Byars Funeral Home and
Cremation Services is in
charge of arrangements.
Forsyth County News
Jtyy 7 2008
Deaths
Virginia S. Barnes
Virginia S. Barnes, age 85, of
Gainesville, formerly of Athens,
passed away Sunday, Aug. 3,
2008.
Funeral services were held
Wednesday, Aug. 6, at 11 am. in
the Chapel of Lord and Stephens,
WEST, Bogart, with Dr. Stewart
B. Simms Jr. and Dr. Robert Jolly
officiating. The Athens Council t
AT&T TelecomPioneers were
honorary pallbearers. Interment
followed at Evergreen Memorial
Park
Virginia was bom in Cornelia,
Sept. 9, 1922, and resided in
Athens until 2005 when she
moved to Gainesville. She was a
member of Beech Haven Baptist
Church and the Glory Sunday
School Class, and a guest mem¬
ber of First Baptist Church,
Cumming. After her retirement
from Southern Bell in 1979, she
was an active member of the
Athens Council AT&T
TelecomPioneers, the Bobbin
Mill Garden Club, the African
Violet Club, the Ladies Auxiliary
of American Legion Post 7, and
the Ladies Auxiliary of VFW Post
2872.
Virginia was surrounded by
friends and family, whom she
loved selflessly and into whom
she poured herself. She joyfully
participated in a variety of corn
munity service activities, such as
making safety bears, water bears
and hugga’ bears for children,
which won an award from the
National Water Safety Congress,
For many years, Virginia
could be seen each Saturday
delivering homemade sourdough
bread to friends, the sick, and
many people who had shown her
acts of kindness.
Those of us who loved her
will miss her smile, her mischie¬
vous antics, and her sweet spirit.
She is survived by her loving
husband of 59 years, John Barnes;
daughter, Susan Carter (Frank);
grandsons, Darnel Carter and John
Carter (Jessica); brother, J.D.
Simmons (JoNell); sister, Jeanette
Thompson; sisters-in-law, Emily
Porter and Ruth Bames - several
nieces and nephews, and her
devoted caregivers, Kim Whisnant
and Tracey Shipley.
In lieu of flowers, contribu¬
tions may be made to the Guest
House, 320 Tower Heights Road,
Gainesville, GA 30501; the
Alzheimer’s Association of
Georgia, 1925 Century Blvd.,
Suite 10, Atlanta, GA 30345; or
Georgia Sheriffs’Youth Homes
Inc., P.O. Box 1000, Stockbridge,
GA 30281; or other appropriate
charities.
Lord and Stephens, WEST, in
Bogart is in charge of arrange
ments.
Sign the online guest book at
forsythnews.com.
Forsyth County News
July 7,2008
Forsyth County News
J Your "Hometown Paper" Since 190S J
USPS 205-540
Veterans Memorial Blvd., Cumming, Georgia 30040
Phone: 770-887-3126 Fax:770-889-6017
Internet Address: www.forsythnews.com
j m •J ) Publisher Editor General KEVIN Manager JOHN R. HALL ATWILL NORMAN BAGGS
’ Circulation Director GARRY TINSLEY
MEMBER Production Director JEFF BUCCHINO
Published Sunday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday by the Forsyth County News
Company, Veterans Memorial Blvd., Cumming, Ga. Second Class Postage paid at
Cumming, Ga. and additional offices. Subscription rate for Forsyth County, $54
per year plus tax; $37 plus tax for sue months; other Georgia and out of state sub
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address change to Forsyth County News/P.O. Box 210, Cumming, Ga. 30028.
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*
Sandra Sue Robinson
Sandra Sue Robinson, age
65, of Forsyth County died at
home Aug. 2, 2008. She was a
native of Turtletown, Tenn.
Sandra worked as a licensed dis
pensing optician, touching the
lives of thousands of people by
helping them to see comfortably
with their glasses and contacts,
She had been an active member
of the Opticians Association of
America. At the age of 18,
Sandra won the title of “Miss
Tri-State 1961,” a beauty pag¬
eant. Sandra enjoyed many out¬
door activities withy her family
and friends, including camping,
horseback riding, and rafting the
Ocoee River in Tennessee. She
also traveled the world including
the destinations of Greece,
Germany, and St Croix.
Survivors include her
daughter, Elizabeth Bowling;
two granddaughters, Kristin and
Aston Dobbins, all of
Knoxville, Tenn.; and her hus¬
band of 15 years, Rodman
“Roddy” Lister of Forsyth
County.
Funeral services will be held
in McCaysville, with arrange¬
ments being handled by Fineh
Cochran Funeral Home.
Sandra, you were a ray of
sunshine to many of us, and you
will be missed!
Sign the online guest book
at forsythnews.com.
Forsyth County News
July 7, 2008
Angle L. Young
Angie L. Young, age 43, of
Cumming passed away
Monday, Aug. 4, 2008, follow¬
ing a sudden illness. She was
preceded in death by her father,
Charlie Young. Angie was
employed with the USDA as a
food inspector for over 13
years.
Survivors include her
daughter, Sara Young of
Cumming; mother and stepfa¬
ther, Gloria and Hollis Perego
of Cumming; brothers and sis
ters-in-law, Wesley and
Deborah Young and Eddie and
Kathy Young, all of Cumming;
numerous aunts, uncles, nieces,
nephews and other relatives
also survive.
Funeral services will be
held Thursday, Aug. 7, at 11
a.m. at Calvary Baptist Church
with Pastor Jeff Hill and
Brother Robb y Pnest officiat- .
“8- Interment will follow at
Calvary Baptist Church
Cemetery. The family received
“ Tue ^’ Aug 5 ’ f ™ m
6-9 p.m. and Wednesday, H Aug.
6, from 4-9 p.m.
Ingram Funeral Home and
Crematory, Cumming is in
charge of arrangements.
Sign the online guest book
at forsythnews.com.
Forsyth County News
July 7, 2008