Newspaper Page Text
6 injured
in auto
mishap
Page 1
Vol. 9 No. 36
In police department
Judge asked to stop
assignments by mayor
By Billy W. Hobbs
Atty. John H. Ruffin has
filed a motion in Federal Court
asking Judge Anthony A.
Alaimo to temporarily restrain
Mayor Lewis A. Newman from
making any further changes in
assignments and shifts in the
Augusta Police Department.
Tire motion was filed on behalf
of the black police officers
who sued the police
department for discrimination
in 1973.
Newman was appointed
receiver of the police
department in October of 1979
by Alaimo. He replaced former
Chief of Police A.L. Scott who
had served as receiver since
April.
The police department had
18 percent blacks in 1974,
when 11 former officers filed a
suit in Federal Court alleging
discrimination in hiring and
promotions.
Ruffin’s motion is in
response to action taken by
Newman in his first two weeks
as receiver for the police
department. During that
period, Newman ordered three
lieutenants and a sergeant to
shift positions and hired 10
new black officers who began
work in November 1979.
In making the reassignments,
Lt. Hansel Johnsen, affirmative
6 injured in crash
By Billy W. Hobbs
Thomson, Ga. -- A four-car
crash injured six persons
last Friday morning around
7:55 a.m. on U.S. 278, four
miles east of Thomson,
according to Georgia State
Patrol.
A 16-y ear-old student
headed to school began passing
in a no passing zone when his
1972 Ford Pinto went
fishtailing due to wet roads.
Upon getting in proper lane,
his vehicle began fishtailing in
the opposite direction. Tire
Pinto crossed the center line
Controlled sl4 billion budget
Former U.S. official
Founders 9 Day speaker
The 98th Founder’s Day
Celebration at Paine College
Feb. 5 at 11 a.m. with a
Heritage Service in the chapel.
A 'pilgrimage to the gravesites
of Dr. John Wesley Gilbert and
Dr. George Williams Walker
will follow the service.
Dr. Mary Francis Berry,
former assistant secretary for
education, will speak at 11
a.m., Feb. 8 during Paine’s
Founder’s Day Convocation.
As assistant secretary for
Education, Dr. Berry headed
the Education Division of HEW
and administered an annual
February is Minority Business Month
Augusta
action officer for the police
department, was made a
headquarters lieutenant.
Rut fin told The
News-Review in November that
Mayor Newman “doesn’t have
the authority and I don’t think
he’s naive enough not to know
that. What he’s trying to do is
force the affirmative action
officer (Johnson) to resign. It’s
an old trick.” The motion
contends that Newman has
exceeded his authority by
making shift and personnel
changes based solely upon
political considerations in
violation of the First
Amendment to the
Constitution of the United
States.
Newman also exceeded his
authority by making retalitory
reassignments in violation of
the fourteenth amendment, the
motion said.
The Mayor, plaintiffs further
contend, purposely and with
vindictive design, “calculated
to punish certain individuals in
the police department for the
basic fundamental
constitutional rights and has
abused his position as receiver.
Newman has so “politicized
and polarized” the police
department that such insidious
acts have become contrary to
and was struck in the right side
by the front of a car operated
by Rachel Louise Murphy of
Thomson.
The youth, Glenn Eugene
Neal, Rt. 1 Box 74-A, Dearing
was charged with driving on
the wrong side of the road,
improper passing, and driving
too fast for conditions.
The other two vehicles were
pickup trucks diven by
16-year-old Henry Clay
Holliman of Dearing, and
16-year-old Jeffery Alan
Brown of Appling.
4
Dr. Mary Francis Berry
Paine speaker
administered
sl4 billion budget
Page 1
P.O. Box 953
the spirit and orders rendered
by Judge Alaimo. He has
created problems in the police
department and, in some
instances, exploited other
situations for political gain and
reward, knowingly and by crass
premeditation, the plaintiffs
argued.
Plaintiffs are asking Judge
Alaimo to void promotions and
assignments as well as to stop
Newman from making further
changes in the police
department.
Newman said the charges
alleged in the plaintiffs motion
are “nothing but a personal
attack on me as well as Bill
Gooding,” (a consultant to
Newman and a former F. 8.1.
agent).
“I can’t understand why
Ruffin would launch a personal
attack against Bill since Ruffin
himself recommended to
Alaimo that Gooding be
appointed as a consultant,”
Newman said. The Mayor said
Ruffin recommended Gooding
as the chief of police.
Newman said he believes
that since Gooding’s findings
don’t agree with Ruffin’s ideas
- he’s the subject of attack.
“He (Ruffin) is making a
counter move against the city
to prolong the six and one half
Taken to the McDuffie
County Hospital with multiple
injuries were: Rachel Murphy,
35, listed in serious condition:
Lavern McCauley, 40, Tammy
Murphy, 15, and Danny
Moore, 16 all passengers in
Mrs. Murphy’s auto. Mrs.
McCauley, Mrs. Murphy and
her daughter are being treated
for serious injuries in an
Augusta hospital, according to
hospital officials in Thomson.
Neal, Holliman and Brown
were checked at the local
hospital for minor injuries.
budget of nearly sl4 billion.
At 2 p.m. Friday, a plaque
will be unveiled honoring Mrs.
Rossie Thompson Hollis, the
first alumna trustee of Paine, in
the Hollis Hall reception room.
Friday’s activities will
conclude with the Alpha Affair
Ball at 9 p.m. at the
Thunderbird Inn, sponsored by
the Eta Alpha Chapter of
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.
See “SPEAKER”
Page 3
January 26,1980
year old case. He simply does
not want the case to end,”
Newman continued. “I did not
exceed my authority, the court
was informed at all times and if
I did, it's a big surprise to
me.
The mayor said he has no
political motives. “I’m not
running for re-election and the
only motive I have is to get the
police department managed
properly, thus making my job
easier. After I was appointed
receiver, I decided to make the
necessary changes in
compliance with the federal
court order.”
“It is absolutely false that I
have politicized and polarized
the police department. Other
than the four individuals who
were reassigned, you’ll find the
department personnel verifying
100 percent improvement in
effectiveness and morale of
policemen,” Newman noted.
Federal Judge Anthony A.
Alaimo seems “very pleased”
that the police department has
met its 40 percent court
ordered ratio for blacks hired
as officers, Newman said.
Ruffin declined to respond
to the mayor’s charges. “I
don’t plan to try this case
through the newspapers,” he
said.
I »wra
&»■■■■s>'*
Fannie Flono
Ms. Flono
promoted to
news editor
Fannie Flono has been
promoted from reporter to
news-editor of
Editor-Publisher Mallory K-
Millender announced this
week.
In her new role, Ms. Flono
will be responsible for
coordinating news assignments
and assisting with news editing.
Her work will continue on a
part-time basis as she is still
enrolled at the University of
South Carolina who is pursuing
a graduate degree in
economics.
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Sickle Cell is real
to Augusta couple
Mr. and Mrs. Lee Wallace of
Augusta rushed their son,
Derrick, to a hospital in Texas
because he was experiencing
severe pain in his joints. They
had no idea little Derrick was
the victim of a disease no
doctor can cure. Derrick has
sickle cell anemia.
Derrick is one of
approximately 50,000
Americans who have sickle cell
anemia. Thousands of other
people in the United States are
carriers of the sickle cell trait,
like the Wallaces.
Sickle cell anemia is an
inherited disorder of the blood
in which red blood cells
frequently lose their normal
round shape and become
Grand jury calls jail ‘unhealthy 9
By Billy W. Hobbs
A Richmond County grand
jury charged the lighting,
sanitation and ventilation
system in the county jail create
“an unhealthy environment.”
The jury said the jail has
“little, if any air circulation,
and a sour odor pervades
throughout the corridors and
cell blocks.”
Sheriff James G. Beck said
the conditions were due to a
Less Than 75% Advertising
LEE WALLACE urges girls to take test for sickle cell trait.
shaped like a farmer’s sickle.
The disease occurs mainly in
blacks and other groups
originally from Africa and the
Mediterranean areas.
Affected people have
sickle-shaped blood cells which
are more brittle than normal
round cells. These sickled cells
sometimes jam up in the blood
vessels bringing periods of pain
and other health problems.
Doctors call these periods of
pain a “crisis.” In addition,
sickle cells are not produced as
quickly and do not live as long
as normal cells. An anemia
called sickle cell anemia results.
Health problems associated
with sickle cell anemia include
lack of money appropriated by
the county and on Ute juror’s
ignorance of a regular day at
the jail.
Recently the jail has
undergone extensive
renovation ordered by U.S.
District Judge Anthony A.
Alaimo. Alaimo’s order came
after a class action suit filed in
federal court.
The grand jury said,
“Cigarette butts were noticed
JUJU ' Uuinple Copy
wand jury
says jails
W ‘unhealthy’
Page 1
pain, jaundice, frequent
infections and leg sores or
ulcers. The disease does not
affect intelligence. With proper
medical care people with sickle
cell anemia, like Derrick, can
be very productive.
Derrick’s parents do not
have sickle cell anemia.
However, they do carry the
sickle cell trait. The trait is not
an illness and does not cause
health problems. In fact,
individuals with the sickle cell
trait will never know they have
it unless they are tested or have
a child bom with sickle cell
anemia. But if both parents
have the trait, they have a 50
percent chance of having a
on the floor in various areas of
the building. Numerous butts
on the floor and window ledges
of the viitor room has
apparently been there for
several days.”
Sheriff Back said that there
are two people in each
cellblock and assured the jurors
of finding some butts outside
the window. “It’s a continuous
thing to keep it clean.”
The walls have recently
child with the trait, a 25
percent chance of having a
child with the disease, and a 25
percent chance of having a
normal child.
The Wallace family has three
children. Derrick and his
younger sister, Laveda, both
have sickle cell anemia. But
their older sister, Lithia, has
only tire sickle cell trait.
For more information about
sickle cell trait and sickle cell
anemia, and a free screening
test, contact Mrs. G. Ruth
Horton, field director, at the
Paine College Sickle Cell
Education Program. The phone
number is 722-4471, extension
336 or 339.
received fresh coats of paint
and Beck claims to have
intended a painting program
this year. He says due to a lack
of monies in the budget die
program was abolished.
“When you lock up drunks,
they come in and regurgitate
and urinate. That stinks,
because you can’t give them a
bath - you do good to get them
in the cell with no one getting
hurt,” the sheriff added.