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Virgil Adams, GIDC representative (c), is pictured presenting grant award check to Chief Judge Rucker Smith (I) and Judge George Peagler (r). SWJC Receives Technical Assistance Grant Ellen Downs, Lee County Indi gent Defense Administrator, at tended the Southwestern Judicial Circuit of Georgia Council meet ing in Americus September 19 where it was announced that the Southwestern Judicial Circuit of Georgia (SWJC) received funds from a grant for technical assis tance to provide technology and information necessary for more efficient and effective administra tion of indigent defense pro grams. While leaving the admin istration of each program to indi vidual counties, the project will create a centralized automated database, for utilization by all six counties in the circuit. The Southwestern Judicial Cir cuit of Georgia (SWJC) covers six counties including Lee County. The population in the counties ranges from a low in Webster County with a popula tion of 2390 to Sumter County with a population of 33,200. On the average, 19 percent of the population circuit-wide lives be low the poverty level, with half the counties experiencing poverty levels in excess of 25 percent. The percentage of persons age 25 and older who have not completed high school exceeds 38 percent in four of the counties and is above 11 percent in the other two coun ties. The number of people qualify ing for indigent defense services has increased in recent years. In fact, the cost of indigent defense is rising at an alarming rate, hav ing increased from $292,882 cir cuit-wide in 1998, to more than $349,473 in 1999. The Fiscal Year 2000 figures likewise reflect significant increases. The technical assistance project Nice Catch Bobby Cox of Leesburg caught and released this beauty Saturday afternoon at Dennis Taylor’s Sunday school class fellowship. Fire Prevention Week is Octo ber 7 -13, 2001 with the theme “Cover the Bases and Strike Out Fire.” State-sponsored activities include the statewide poster and essay contests in which several Lee County Primary School stu dents participated. The fire safety poster contest is an opportunity for Georgia students in grades K- 5 to learn about and contribute to fire safety through an art project. The topic for the essay contest for students in grades K-5 was to write why they would like the Fire Safety “House” to visit their school during Fire Prevention Week or Month. Lee County Pri mary School submitted three posters - one from each grade level and had to select one essay to represent the school in compe tition. All of these entries will be forwarded to the State Fire Marshall’s Office for competi tion. Leesburg Police Files Weekly Report Leesburg Police Chief Charles Moore reports that officers worked several cases during the past week including cases involv ing disorderly conduct, thief by taking and burglary. Cases involving disorderly con duct were filed against Jonathan Thornton, 18. of 375 Livingston Road, and Anthony Jenkins, 18, of 178 Cedar Street. Smithville, both Lee County High School students on September 17 by As sistant Chief George McDonald. Assistant Chief McDonald stated that Norman Sims, high school assistant principal, identified seven students on the school se curity camera that showed all seven students at one time or an other attacking a student. The incident occurred in the school cafeteria. Five juveniles that took part in the attack against the student will also be charged. Thornton and Jenkins admitted to McDonald that they attacked the student. They also reported that the five juveniles attacked the stu dent. A theft by taking case was in vestigated by Captain Monterey Moody on September 20. Captain Moody received a complaint from a clerk at a convenience store on Walnut Street who re ported a gas drive off. A burglary was reported on Army Sgt. Taruisa M. Johnson has graduated from the U.S. Army Primary Leadership Devel opment Course (PLDC) Fort Stewart, Hinesville, Ga. During the five-week course, the soldier learned basic leader ship and communications/coun seling skills, supply and mainte nance. and military professional skills to perform duties and ex ecute responsibilities of a junior noncommissioned officer; train and lead soldiers to work and fight under supervision of the battle-competent, first-level non commissioned officer. The course included written and physical fit- Magnolia Street September 20 to Captain Moody. He was advised by the victim that an unknown person(s) removed a window air conditioner from her living room window. Captain Moody checked the area for evidence and lifted two latent prints. The case is pending further investigation. ness tests, a field training exer cise, land navigation, and military studies. Johnson is a Bradley gunner assigned at Fort Stewart. He is the son of Lowetta Johnson of Smithville, Georgia. The recently promoted sergeant is a 1997 graduate of Lee County High School in Leesburg, Geor gia. BUFFET PIZZA Now At 5impfy (MOSEtMi Johnson Completes Leadership Course The Lee County Ledger, Thursday, September 27,2001 - Page 5A Deposit Account Fraud Cases Heard In Magistrate Court addresses the problem that the in dividual county indigent defense programs have in maintaining, disseminating and evaluating data for meaningful improvements to their programs, without nega tively impacting county budgets. Centralization of data will help meet this need in two ways: It will speed the repetitive tasks per formed by administrators and fa cilitate dissemination of appoint ment information, allowing coor dination of efforts by the various offices involved in the criminal process and it will encourage cen tral office access to necessary in formation to identify areas of need, recommend program im provements and assist in obtain ing program funding sources. The centralization will result in a more efficient operation of the programs, faster adjudication of cases, fewer delays in the admin istration of justice and lower cost for court and inmate housing. The Lee County High School Varsity Debate Team competed at the Wake Forest University’s National Early-Bird Tournament September 14, 15 and 16. The team of Blake Cash and Ashley Streat advanced to the Octo-final round. This is the farthest that any team from Lee County has ever advanced in a national tournament. Ashley Streat also won an eleventh place speaker award. That same weekend at the Westminster School’s one day tournament, the debate team of Sunni Kelly and Amanda Ruckel placed seventh out of 59 teams. Amanda Ruckel also picked up a third place speaker award, Pictured are Blake Cash, Ashley Streat and Amanda Ruckel. Judge Diane Bowles presided over Lee County Magistrate Court September 18,2001. Seven cases were on the docket for deposit account fraud. Sarah Terry, charged with two counts of deposit account fraud, forfeited bonds of $301.40 and $299.37. David Crocker, charged with one count of deposit account fraud, forfeited a bond of $691.38. Jade D. Edwards, charged with one count of deposit account fraud, forfeited a bond of $220.52. Ida K. Evans, charged with two counts of deposit account fraud, forfeited bonds of $245.99 and $237.46. Tom Brown, charged with one count of deposit account fraud, forfeited a bond of $237.39. Dougherty County DUI & Defensive Driving School NEXT RISK REDUCTION CLASS Oct. 4, 5, 6, 7 (4 Day Class) Thurs. & Fri. 5:45pm-8:45pm Sat. & Sun. 8:30am-4:30pm NEXT DEFENSIVE DRIVING CLASS Sept. 29, Sat. 9am-4pm Call Us For More Class Schedules! WE NOW ACCEPT CREDIT CARDS & DEBIT CARDS VISA #933 1110 Whispering Pines gp Just off Slappey Dr. 420-3591 #7050 Bill Chambers Motors Serving the People of Lee and Dougherty County and all of Southwest Georgia for over 47 years. “Trade with Bill and save a bill!” U.S. 19 North at Creekside Drive Leesburg 883-0887 409 W. Oglethorpe Albany 436-4046 • 439-2101 WWW. Billchambersmotors. com /Wt Iwk /Wt 'wV riBh /Wri ifFl /Wk IWh * * it » ? £ £ .Xi. - X' * X ■ > ■■ p •• K *>"'• ■*' j *3: ", tr T A f 1 v . , ‘ it it it it it it it it it it it it it it 'C/C6f s * Te rm ites o* Fleas Roaches % <r w/g s Ants Beetles <S> X> Sims Pest Control Inc. Serving Southwest Georgia For Over 30 Years! CompleteTermite & Pest Control / Real Estate Inspections / Moisture Control Serving Albany, Leetburg, Camilla, Pelham and Surrounding Areas / Household & Commercial ALBANY436-3215 CAMILLA 912/336-7070 FAX 436-8844 it it it 'it it it it it it •Jr -Jr tAt -Jr -He Jfc 1m W: 1m M m M Lee County Primary School students participated in state sponsored activities for Fire Prevention Week. Pictured left to right are Caroline Bramble, poster winner-Kindergarten, Danielle Shiver overall essay winner - second grade, Sarah Richards, poster winner - second grade and Sarah Sheffield, poster winner - first grade. Lee County Primary School Students Participate In Fire Prevention Week Activities LEE COUNTY Attention New Tag and Title System for Lee County beginning October 1, 2001. Office will close at 3:00 p.m. September 28, and reopen at 9:30 a.m. on Oct. 1st. due to implementation of this system. Regular office hours will resume on October 2.