Newspaper Page Text
SPORTS
Football previews:
Broncos, Horns look to stay
unbeaten;War Eagles hit
the road again in Week 6.
Page IB
FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS
Weekend Edition-September 23-24,2022 FORSYTHNEWS.COM Pjforsythcountynews Q @ForsythNews (§J@ForsythNews $2.00
400 LIFE
In this month’s edition
MANOR LAKE
Senior care with a family focus
ALSO:Tips from your local library |
Know the symptoms of burnout in the workplace
New charges for trucker in fatal wreck
By Kelly Whitmire
kwhitmire@forsythnews.com
New charges have been filed
against a Forsyth County truck
driver already charged with
homicide by vehicle.
On Monday, Sept. 19, the
Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office
filed additional charges of pos
session of methamphetamine,
possession of drug-related
objects and open container of
alcohol for Charles Wilkins, 61,
was previously charged with
first-degree homicide by vehi
cle, reckless driving,
driving too fast for con
ditions and following
too close in a fatal, mul
tiple vehicle accident at
the intersection of Ga.
400 and Hwy. 369 on
Friday, Sept. 16.
The additional charg
es came after a search
warrant was executed on the
Freightliner tractor-trailer driv
en by Wilkins in the crash.
As a result of the search,
additional warrants were also
obtained and executed, accord
ing to the FCSO.
According to informa
tion from the sheriff’s
office, Wilkins’ truck
was traveling north on
Ga. 400 and approached
stopped traffic at the
intersection, which is
under construction for a
new interchange, “at an
unreasonable speed for the cur
rent traffic conditions and con
struction zone.”
“The Freightliner failed to
stop and struck the rear of the
Nissan [in the left, northbound
lane] at highway speeds, caus
ing a chain reaction,” officials
said in a news release. “The
Nissan and the Freightliner
crossed over the center median
into the southbound lanes. The
Freightliner struck the Kia at
the driver’s side front door. The
driver of the Kia, 65-year-old
James Wright, of Cumming,
was pronounced deceased at
the scene by Fire/EMS person
nel.”
Along with the Nissan, three
other vehicles in the left north
bound lane were involved in the
crash, and Wilkins and the
other northbound drivers were
taken to local hospitals with
non-life-threatening injuries.
“Multiple other vehicles were
damaged by flying debris, but
no additional injuries were
reported,” the release said.
“The roadway was closed in
both directions for over five
hours due to the investigation
and extensive cleanup.”
FCSO officials said informa
tion on Wilkins’ employment
and who owned the truck was
not available as of Tuesday.
Wilkins
Cricket fields swing and
miss on expansion
Sex ed program
may soon change
in Forsyth schools
By Sabrina Kerns
skerns@forsythnews.com
Forsyth County Schools is working with stakeholders
and families to create its own sex education curriculum
for middle and high school students.
Learning Specialist Kayla Duncan and Director of
Secondary Education Heather Gordy presented their
work so far on the district’s sex education pilot program
to the Board of Education at its meeting on Tuesday,
Sept. 20.
They explained that school staff have used the same
abstinence-centered sex education curriculum provided
by Choosing the Best, a national organization whose
mission is to educate teens on the benefits of delaying
sexual activity, since 2005.
But last school year, Gordy and her team decided “it
was the right time to start thinking about going in a dif
ferent direction.”
See Sex Ed 12A
Photos by Atlanta Cricket Fields for Forsyth County News
The Atlanta Cricket Fields will not be expanding after a unanimous 5-0 vote against the
project at the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners meeting onThursday, Sept. 16.
Commissioners deny project by unanimous vote
SWAT arrests man wanted in
connection with 'foul play'
death in Panama City
ByAshlyn Yule
ayule@forsythnews.com
A cricket league’s request to
expand its field space was shot
down by commissioners at the
latest Forsyth County Board of
Commissioners meeting on
Thursday, Sept. 16.
In a unanimous 5-0 vote, com
missioners voted to deny a zoning
request by Atlanta Cricket Fields,
located on Keith Bridge Road, to
add one more field on 7.3 acres
on the property’s northeastern
comer.
The purpose of the field would
have been to allow children a
place to train and practice cricket.
Ethan Underwood, attorney
representing the applicant,
explained that a previous zoning
condition placed on the property
states that a “boundary of any ath
letic field may not be located
within 450 feet of Cantrell
Circle,” the road to the north of
the fields.
“It doesn’t say ‘concession
stand;’ it doesn’t say ‘training
facilities;’ it doesn’t say the prop
erty cannot be used,” Underwood
said. “It just says athletic fields.”
Underwood argued that the
land could potentially be used for
any of the aforementioned uses,
but Atlanta Cricket Fields were
requesting an additional, smaller
cricket field in order to ameliorate
possible future noise and lighting
issues between the fields and sur
rounding neighbors.
While Underwood said he
knew the Wild Rose neighbor
hood, a neighborhood across
from the property on the other
side of Cantrell Circle, was not in
favor of the expansion, he hoped
the proposed conditions for the
amendment of zoning request
would help quell neighbors’ wor
ries.
Some conditions included pro
hibiting loudspeakers and lights
on this specific field, prohibiting a
field from being placed within
300 feet of Climbing Rose Way,
prohibiting vehicular access onto
Cantrell Circle and retaining a
40-foot buffer between the prop
erty and Cantrell Circle.
During his presentation,
Underwood explained that the
applicant had received letters of
support from the neighbors that
directly abutted the property to
the west and southeast.
See Cricket 15A
Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office officials have confirmed
a man was arrested on Thursday, Sept. 22, tied to a “foul
play” death in Florida.
According to officials with the Sheriff’s Office, Tyler
Davis was arrested by the SWAT team on Thursday and is
being held for another jurisdiction. Davis was arrested
without incident, officials said.
According to a release from the Bay County Florida
Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a 911 call at about 8
a.m. on Thursday and found Julian Clifton Davis Jr.
deceased with a gunshot wound.
Officials said “evidence indicated Davis was a victim of
foul play and the gunshot was not self-inflicted” in Panama
City Beach and a homicide investigation was launched.
The release also said a suspect had been identified and
was likely heading to Georgia.
“A person of interest has been identified,” the release
said. “Investigators believe the person has fled the state.
There is no danger to the community from this suspect.
Investigators are enroute to Georgia and are working with
authorities in that state.”
No charges or other information were available at press
time.
Check back to ForsythNews.com for updates.
Kelly Whitmire
76/53
Forecast! 2A
Sheriff, GOP
candidates hold
public safety
town hall. 4A
Forsyth County News app
available for download
FCN
0
7
Find the app at
forsythnews.com/apps
for local news at your
fingertips.
Volume 113, Number 74
© 2022, Forsyth County News
Cumming, Georgia
Home of the
/MuTiiinfi
FIND
NEW
ROADS
Established 1948
WWW.ANDEANCHEVY.COM
WHY BUY ANYWHERE ELSE
Lifetime Warranty
—vrJ - F i
LARGEST QUICK LUBE DEPARTMENT
1 -GM WORLD CLASS TECHNICIAN ^
4 - ASE CERTIFIED MASTER TECHNICIANS
4 - EV GM CERTIFIED TECHNICIANS
ACCEPTING WALK-IN OIL CHANGES
NOW OFFERING LIFETIME ALIGNMENTS