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Quick return for coach unlikely
District investigation will follow sheriff s
By Jennifer Sami
lsami@forsythnews.com
It appears the West Forsyth
High School varsity boys bas¬
ketball team will be without its
Ex-worker
sentenced
in P.O. theft
Attorneys: Man spent
$30K on luxury items
By Julie Arrington
jarrington@forsythnews.com
A Forsyth County man will spend half a year in
federal prison in connection with the theft of more
than $30,000 of government funds.
According to a report from the U S. Attorney’s
Office for the northern district of Georgia, 44-year
old Kenneth Welch was sentenced Wednesday to
six months in prison and six months of home con¬
finement. That will be followed by three years of
supervised release.
Welch, a former contracting officer with fiscal
responsibility for the U.S. Postal Service, also was
ordered to pay $32,577 in restitution and perform
80 hours of community service.
The report shows that Welch pleaded guilty in
November to the federal charges.
In a statement, U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian Yates
noted that "citizens assume that government work¬
ers, particularly those who have direct responsibili¬
ty for government money, will be diligent and hon¬
est with every taxpayer dollar.”
“In this economy, we can least afford to have
someone in a position of trust wildly spending tax¬
payer money on golf carts and boat motors,” she
said.
’This money belongs to the government and to
the people, and those who do not safeguard it will
no longer work for the government or walk in free¬
dom with the people.”
According to the report, Welch reportedly used
government-issued credit cards to buy more than
$19,(XX) in luxury gifts, including a golf cart and
boat motor, for himself and his family between
April and December 2010.
The report goes on to show that from August to
December 2010, Welch created fraudulent con¬
tracts and paid his personal business for services
the company did not complete.
“Welch took money left unused on other valid
contracts that was to pay for the completion of con¬
struction work at the Decatur Main Post Office in
Decatur ... and the Warner Robins Post Office,” the
report shows.
“As a contracting officer, Welch's responsibility
was to properly reapply any funds left over on valid
contracts. Instead, Welch simply paid portions of
those remaining funds to himself, taking more than
$13,000 in public money.”
Commission considers changes to ethics code
First hearing set
for next month
By Alyssa LaRenzie
alarenzie@forsythnews.com
Forsyth County commission¬
ers will consider some pro¬
posed changes to a section in
the ethics code dealing with
conflict-of-interest transactions.
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Volume 103, Number 16 Food 3B
90W0400V O 2012, Forsyth County News Opinion 5A
Gumming, Georgia
Sports IB
West band wins 3 A
head coach for the immediate
future.
Although an exact time frame
is not known, authorities are
continuing their investigation
into an alleged incident last
EDUCATION
Learning opportunity
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Photos by Jim Dean Forsyth County News
S tudents Daryl Tatum watch of as
Balloons Over Georgia
inflates a hot air balloon
Wednesday during
Transportation Day at
Pinecrest Academy.
Students were also given
an educational bus ride
and watched as a helicop¬
ter landed on the soccer
field.
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The ordinance sets forth pro¬
visions for the county entering
into contracts with businesses
in which officials or employees
have an interest.
During a work session
Tuesday, commissioners voted
5-0 to hold the two public hear¬
ings required before voting on
the change. The first hearing
has been set for Feb. 16.
The commission did not dis¬
cuss the proposal. The item was
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week between coach Dennis
Benedict and a male student at
West,
Forsyth County Lt. Col. Gene
Moss declined to comment on
specifics of the case, saying
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last on the agenda of a session
that had already delayed a plan¬
ning commission meeting set
for 6:30 p.m.
Three county commissioners
are required to attend planning
board meetings.
Thursday County Attorney Ken
Jarrard said the considered chang¬
es arose with some commission¬
ers who had concern about the
code’s current stance on .conflict
of-interest transactions.
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only that he hopes the probe
will be wrapped up before the
weekend.
The investigation likely will
be the first of two, as the
Forsyth County school system
has said it will review the mat
ter after law enforcement has
finished.
Brady Guard and Joseph Pisczcek, right,
watch a helicopter land, below, during
transportation day. Left, Alexandra Powell
and Afton Sobb, right, stand by as the hot
air balloon is inflated.
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Commission Chairman Jim
Boff said it was not his sugges¬
tion.
“I was learning about it as
everybody else was,” he said.
“I’m not sure what the motiva¬
tion or if there’s a problem
that’s created by the current
wording of that that they’re try¬
ing to solve.”
“From what I heard, I didn’t
see anything that was alarming
enough to say no we can’t
As a result of a complaint,
which the students’ parents
filed a week ago, the school
system has temporarily reas¬
signed Benedict, who teaches
biology in addition to coaching.
He remains a paid employee,
See COACH 1 3A
bring this before the public.”
Jarrard said he wasn’t aware
of any current issues that would
be affected by the modifica¬
tions.
According to Jarrard, the first
subsection in the code would
prohibit officials from taking
action on contracts in which
they have an actual conflict of
interest.
See ETHICS 13A