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| FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS | ForsythNews.com
FORSYTH
The four-day outlook
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Lake Lanier level
1070.70 feet (as of 10 a.m March 13)
Full pool is 1,071 feet
Commission approves
new gear, more for FCFD
Items include S6OK 3D scanning devices
By Kelly Whitmire
kwhitmire@forsythnews.com
Forsyth County firefighters will
soon have some new tools to help with
their duties.
At a recent work session, Forsyth
County commissioners unanimously
approved four items to aid the coun
ty’s fire department with promoting
fire safety education, improving train
ing, gathering information and testing.
The first item approved was to allow
the department to apply for a U.S.
Department of Homeland Security
Fire Prevention and Safety Grant. If
selected, the award would not exceed
$18,895 and the county would pay a
required match of up to $995.
Officials with the department plan to
use the funds for a “Hazard House.”
“This is just ... a simulator for inter
active training for education for ele
mentary-aged students,” said Steve
Baker, fire marshal division chief. “If
you can imagine a small, mini-house
with all the various rooms, you can
simulate fires and hazards throughout
the house. The kids can actually see
what happens when smoke travels
through the home.”
Central Park opening set for Saturday
By Kelly Whitmire
kwhitmire@forsythnews.com
This weekend, bats will start crack
ing for youth baseball and softball at
Central Park ‘
Starting at 10 a.m., the Central Park
Athletic Association will host its open
ing event at the park, located at 2300
Keith Bridge Road. Jennifer Barnett,
with the athletic association, said play
ers, parents and coaches are ready to
get the season started.
“] think everyone is anxious and
excited,” Barnett said. “I think every
one is excited to get the ball rolling.
We’re ready for some nicer weather
and to be outside and playing in the
dirt and all of that fun stuff. It’s been
awesome. The kids are already making
new friends, so I think everyone is just
anxious and excited.” :
- Along with games, the event will
feature comments from Cumming
Mayor Troy Brumbalow, District 1
County Commissioner Pete Amos and
District 27 state representative and
FROM 1A
Shannon
“I knew him as a college stu
dent, a business person, a father
and a husband and I have to tell
you, you would be hard pressed
to find a better man than Mike
Shannon.”
Shannon was the third gener
ation of optometrists in his
family, following his father and
grandfather, and including his
FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS
302 Veterans Memorial Blvd.
Cumming, GA 30040
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March 10: 1070.60 feet
March 11: 1070.60 feet
March 12: 1070.70 feet
Baker said the house could be disas
sembled into two parts and transport
ed.
To aid with investigations, commis
sioners approved $60,196 for a Faro
Technologies 3D Scanning Solution.
Officials said the equipment would be
used in the forensic investigations of
fires and could also be used at crime
scenes and fatal automobile accidents.
“It will reduce our on-scene time
and take a process that’s very time
consumhing and [requiring] multiple
people, two or three people on very
large-scale scenes, [and] we’ll be able
to do that in a fraction of the time with
more accuracy,” said Barry Head, divi
sion chief of field operations.
Commissioners also approved
$82,052 for fire vent training equip
ment.
“It provides them training opportu
nities basically for roof safety dan
gers,” said Donna Kukarola, the coun
ty’s procurement director. .
The largest amount of funding, total
ing $115,000, was for promotional
testing for apparatus operation, lieu
tenant, battalion chief and captains at
the department.
gubernatorial candidate Michael
Williams.
Barnett said there will also be activi
ties and vendors there.
“We’ll have a few local vendors out,
like a bouncy house for the kids,” she
said. “[And we will be] announcing
our fundraisers with the Gwinnett
Stripers.”
She said there would also be fund
raising events with local businesses.
At opening day, attendees will have
a chance to enter a competition spon
sored by the highest league of pro
baseball.
“We’re going to have MLB Pitch Hit
Run Competition. We’ll be hosting
that for the first time ever,” Barnett
said. “The players will have a chance
to advance all the way to nationals.”
Barnett said any players who
advances past local, state and regional
competitions will go to the national
competition, held in Washington as
part of MLB’s All-Star Game week.
brother. He opened his first
office in Buford in 1988 and
relocated it to Flowery Branch
in 2009.
Shannon and his wife Tane
Robson, also a Hall County
native, had three children.
Miller added that the whole
community loses when a man
like Shannon dies. Miller said
PUBLISHER | Stephanie Woody
GENERAMI::: | Norman Baggs
EDITOR | Frank
SPORTS EDITOR | Brian Paglia
CIRCULATION DIRECTOR | Lisa Salinas
OBITUARIES -
Jeffrey Patrick Bellinger
Jeffrey Patrick Bellinger, age 68, of
Cumming passed away on Thursday,
March 8, 2018. :
He was born on Oct. 24, 1949, the son
of George Edward and Barbara Jane
Patterson Bellinger, who have both pre
deceased him.
Jeffrey is survived by his former wife,
Susan Bellinger; children, Justine
Michaud, Jay Bellinger, Cheryl Mills
and Doug Smith. He is also survived by
his sisters, Georgann Bellinger-Lord,
Jennifer Bellinger-Blake and his broth
er, Matthew Bellinger. Additionally,
eight grandchildren survive him.
A private family service is planned for
a later date.
Condolences.may be expressed at
www.mcdonaldandson.com.
McDonald and Son Funeral Home in
Cumming is in charge of arrangements.
Sign_the guest book at forsythnews.
com.
Forsyth County News
March 14, 2018
William Patrick Green
William Patrick Green, age 66, of
Dawsonville passed away on Saturday,
March 10, 2018. He was preceded in
death by his parents, William and
Shirley Green; sister, Sandra Landers.
Survivors include his wife, June
Green; children, Jennifer Lee (Andy)
Wilson, Tony Green, Joe (Chevi) Green,
Steven Green; grandchildren, Brittany
Wilson, Bryce Wilson, Bubba Wilson,
Brandon Green, Anthony Green, Dylan
Green; great-granddaughter, Ava May
Green; nephew, Dan (Jodie) Landers;
great niece, Olivia Landers; and a num
ber of other relatives also survive.
Memorial services to be held at a later
date. A simple man, simply laid to rest.
Ingram Funeral Home & Crematory
in Cumming is in charge of arrange
ments.
Condolences may be made at www.
ingramfuneralhome.com.
Sign the guest book at forsythnews.
com.
Forsyth County News .
March 14, 2018
Kathleen Womack McCarty
Kathleen Womack McCarty, age 93,
of Cumming, formally of Doraville,
passed away Friday, March 9, 2018. The
Funeral Service was held at 2 p.m. on
Monday, March 12, 2018 in the
Peachtree Corners Chapel of Crowell
Brothers Funeral Homes & Crematory.
Burial followed at White Chapel
Memorial Gardens. The family received
friends from 11 a.m. until the time of
service on Monday, March 12 at the
funeral home.
Kathleen was of the Baptist faith. She
loved gardening, antiques and her fami
*ly. She is preceded in death by her
spouses, Chester F. Womack, Sr. and
Harry McCarty and siblings, Vera Hunt,
Joetta Smith Leroy Wills and Nell King.
Kathleen is survived by her sons, Chet
Womack (Jane) of Hartwell, Barry
Womack (Maryanne) of Peachtree
Corners; brother, Tab Wills of
Buchanan; sister, Betty Shuttlesworth of
-Sandy Springs; grandchildren,-Melinda-
Boudreau (Mark), Kathy Mclntosh (Dr.
Edward), Wayne Womack and six great
grandchildren as well as numerous niec
es and nephews.
Online condoleh& may be expressed
at www.crowellbrothers.com. Crowell
Brothers Funeral Homes & Crematory
in Peachtree Corners is in charge of
arrangements.
Sign the guest book at forsythnews.
com.
Forsyth County News
March 14, 2018 :
Vicki Lea Phillips
Vicki Lea Phillips, age 68, of
Cumming passed away Friday, March 9,
he and his wife talked several
times about the kind of man
Shannon was after finding out
about his death. -
“I can’t say enough good
things about Mike Shannon,”
Miller said.
Shannon was born Oct. 5,
1957, in Gainesville to Emily
Kathryne Wallace Shannon,
originally from Griffin, and
Dr. Edward Hogan Shannon
Sr., an optometrist in
Gainesville.
He graduated from Georgia
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State University in 1981 and
Southern College of.
Optometry in 1985. He
launched his optometric prac
tice in Cumming and expand
ed to offices in Buford and
Flowery Branch.
He was a member of the
Georgia Optometric
Association, which honored
him with its legislative service
award. His patients voted him
the Best of Forsyth Best
Optometrist multiple times.
In addition, he was recog-
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(TRO FV AL PR L
2018. Vicki was a giving soul who made
friends with anyone and was loved by
everyone. Vicki and her husband
Edward have been long time members
of Lanier United Methodist Church.
She is survived by her loving hus
band, Edward C. Phillips; a son and his
wife, John and Beth Pruett; two sisters,
Debbie Carlson and Donna Darrow; two
brothers, Vance Courser and Roger
Courser; three grandchildren; and five
great-grandchildren. She is preceded in
death by one sister, Margaret Seeley.
Per Mrs. Phillips’ request, there will
be no funeral services, but a Celebration
of Life has been planned.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be
made to Family Promise of Cumming,
in her memory. Donations can be sub
mitted to Lanier United Methodist
Church, 1979 Buford Highway,
Cumming, Ga., 30041.-
Ingram Funeral Home in Cumming is
in charge of arrangements.
Condolences may be made at www.
ingramfuneralhome.com.
Sign the guest book at forsythnews.
com.
Forsyth County News
March 14, 2018
Mattie Conner Watson
Mattie Conner Watson, age 93, of
Cumming passed away on Friday,
March 9, 2018. She was a member of
Harmony Grove Baptist Church where
she sang in the Choir, and the Birthday
Card coordinator. She was a faithful
member of the McDonalds coffee club.
She was preceded in death by her par
ents, Marion Edgar, Elizabeth Floyd
Conner; husband, Eldred B. Watson;
siblings, Wylene Samples, Roy Conner,
Irene Brown, E. J. Conner, Frank Lynell
Conner; son-in-law, Larry Milford.
Survivors include her daughters, Ann
Watson Milford; Debra Watson (Rickey)
Grogan, Regina Gwen Watson; brothers
in-law, Wansley (Lindell) Watson,-Larry
(Imogene) Watson; sisters-in-law, Judy
Jewel Conner, Dot Conner; grandchil
dren, Stephanie Morgan (Todd), Todd
Milford (Kim), Amanda Grindle
(Kevin), Chad Grogan (Kim), Adam
Wood, Anna Ridings (Greg); 10 great
grandchildren; two great-great-grand
children; and a number of other relatives
also survive.
Funeral services were held at 2 p.m.
Tuesday, March 13 at Harmony Grove
Baptist Church with the Revs. Tim
Biddy, Craig Richard and Ruel Martin
officiating. Interment will follow in
Sawnee View Memorial Gardens. The
family received friends at Ingram
Funeral Home from 2-4 p.m. and 6-9
p.m. on Monday and from 10 a.m. until
the hour of service.en Tuesday.
Ingram Funeral Home & Crematory
in Cumming is in charge of arrange
ments. :
Condolences may be made at www.
ingramfuneralhome.com.
Sign the guest book at forsythnews.
com.
Forsyth County News
March 14, 2018
_Janet Cecilia Jones
Janet Cecilia Jones, age 63, of
Cumming passed away March 12, 2018.
Byars Funeral Home & Cremation
Services in Cumming is in charge of
arrangements.
Forsyth County News
March 14, 2018
Mildred Castleberry Shirley
Mildred Castleberry Shirley, age 85,
of Cumming passed away on March 9,
2018. :
Ingram Funeral Home & Crematory
in Cumming is in charge of arrange
ments.
Forsyth County News
March 14, 2018 -
nized as one of America’s Top
0 it blico.
tion by that name.
He was a member of
Chestnut Mountain Church,
where his son-in-law, Jared
Cagle, is associate pastor.
Cagle and Todd Robson will
officiate Shannon’s funeral
today. Interment will be in
Memorial Park Cemetery in
Gainesville.
FCN Regional Staff Writer Layne
Saliba contributed to this report.