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'I came out the
front door, walked
to my car and
was putting my
bag in the back
as she pulled in
and plowed in
front of me.'
Matthew Cunningham
Witness
POLITICS
Welcoming new faces
GOP pleased
with turnout for
precinct meeting
By Jennifer Sami
iennifersami@forsythnews.com
About 200 Republicans got an
early start Saturday morning, dur¬
ing the Forsyth County Republican
Party’s mass precinct meeting.
“Everything went off like clock¬
work,” said Ethan Underwood,
party chairman. “There were a lot
of new faces, which was good
because we had a lot of new folks
who wanted to get involved.”
The meeting was the first in a
two-step process to elect the
party’s officers. About 800 dele¬
gates were approved to attend the
county convention next month and
vote for officers.
Delegates did not have to attend
Saturday’s meeting at Forsyth
Central High School to be select
ed.
The people who do attend typi¬
cally handle that for them,
Underwood said, often putting
“names of neighbors, friends and
people they go to church with, as
well as other acquaintances.”
During the last precinct meeting
two years ago, Underwood said
some 650 delegates were selected,
about 250 of whom actually
attended the county convention.
Underwood said he’s hoping for
all 800 this year, but expecting
fewer than 300.
Precinct chairs were also elected
during Saturday’s meeting.
The county has 27 precincts, just
24 of which will have representa¬
tion. Keith Bridge, Old Atlanta
State senator wrestles with woes
Jennifer Semi Forsyth County News
State Sen. Jack Murphy, pictured at a
recent press conference, faces several
banking lawsuits.
Mi? i 3y II 9
o... 04
Booster club owes county
Coffee hit
1 hurt as driver plows into store
By Julie Arrington
iuliearrington@forsythnews.com
For the second time in as many
weeks, public safety officials were
called to a local coffee shop after a
vehicle smashed through its store¬
front.
The incident occurred about 1:30
p.m. Monday at the Starbucks at
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Photos by Autumn McBride Forsyth County News
Paul Cushman addresses fellow Precinct No. 1 members about
picking a representative during the Republican mass precinct
meeting Saturday at Forsyth Central High.
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and River Club will not have a
chair.
The county convention is set for
March 12.
“I think it will be a great show
ing for the county convention,
Underwood said.
Matters will be resolved, Murphy says
By Jennifer Sami
jennitersami@forsythnews.com
Time is running out for Jack Murphy
to respond to a FDIC lawsuit charging
him and seven other executives at failed
Integrity Bank for gross negligence and
breach of fiduciary duties.
But in the meantime, Murphy, the
District 27 state senator from Cumming,
has also been dealing with two other
lawsuits for reportedly failing to repay
Inside
Volume 102, Number 27
C 2011, Forsyth County News
Cumming, Georgia
Market Place Boulevard and Hwy.
20 .
Forsyth County Fire Capt. Jason
Shivers said a man, whose name has
not been released, was taken to
Northside Hospital-Forsyth with
minor cuts and abrasions.
Shivers said the man was inside
See HIT 13A
“The thing I’m most excited
about is that we’ve got a lot of new
folks that were elected as precinct
chairs that are energetic and excit
ed about organizing the
Republican Party down at the
precinct level.”
Abby 3B
Classifieds 4B
Deaths 2A
Horoscopes 2A
Legals 1C
Opinion 5A
Sports IB
%■
3A
r i i
l our teams fly to quarterfinals | 1B
Ralph Stepp
raises his
hand to sec
ond a
motion.
Sitting next
to him is
Marvin Epp.
bank loans.
“This economic situation has taken its
toll on a lot of individuals,” said Murphy,
who chairs the Senate Banking and
Financial Institutions Committee,
“This is about business dealings that
have been in negotiations for two years
through my attorneys and settlements are
being negotiated as we speak.”
The two lawsuits are nowhere near the
size of the $70 million Integrity Bank
matter, but both target Murphy individu-
r l A Chairman of
v jX ethics board
steps down.
S3"-*
|
Officials
probing
blaze at
condo
Family displaced
as home charred
By Julie Arrington
juliearrington@forsythnews.com
Fire officials continue to investigate a
blaze Sunday that destroyed a condominium
near Lake Lanier.
Forsyth County Fire Capt. Jason Shivers
said the blaze, which occurred about 11 a.m.
at 3590 Deep Cove Drive, does not appear to
be suspicious, but investigators have not
determined how or where it started.
No injuries were reported in the incident,
Shivers said, and the woman who rents the
home got out with her dog.
See BLAZE 1 3A
9
Jim DeJn Forsyth County News
Firefighter/EMT Nick Ellsworth goes
through the remains of a condominium
that burned Sunday.
ally for his failure to pay back loans.
One of the lawsuits, filed by Nexity
Bank, claims that as of October 2009,
Murphy owed $48,708, including inter¬
est and late fees, on a $75,000 loan taken
out in July 2007.
Collateral for the loan was 20,500
shares of Integrity Bank, which failed in
August 2008
Murphy also used Integrity Bank
shares as collateral for his $247,650 loan
from Siiverton Bank, the other institution
that has filed suit for failed payments.
See WOES 13A
Ft A 1 Crawford:
w Legislature
actually
slowing down.
♦
For the sec¬
ond time this
month, a
vehicle
crashed into
the front of
the Star
bucks on
Market Place
Boulevard.
Jim Dean
Forsyth County
News
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60/43
Forecast 12A