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The Lee County Ledger
Volume XXIV - Number 35
your Hometown Source of Cocal flews
Leesburg, Georgia -- April 11,2002
Hometown Newspaper of Elton and Bettye Keaton
Fifty Cents
Robert Childs presented a petition to the Lee County School Board stating that
they did not want Keith Lee to return to the middle school.
Concerns Expressed At Lee
County School Board Meeting
Ordinance Violators Sentenced
The Lee County Magistrate
Court met April 2, 2002. Judge
Jim Thurman presided.
Kenyone B. Parrish, charged
with probation violation, was
sentenced to jail time and com
munity service.
Ernest Wayne McCrary, 1137
U.S. Highway, 19 South #7,
Leesburg, charged with disor
derly while intoxicated and pos
session of marijuana less than an
ounce, was sentenced to serve 60
days in jail, all but 35 days may
be served on probation on the
first charge, and 12 months on
probation and payment of $635
fine for the second charge.
Michael Rowl, 102 B Henrietta
Court, Leesburg, charged with
disorderly conduct was found
not guilty.
Jessie Johnson, 140 B Wind
ing Way, Leesburg, charged with
2 counts of disorderly conduct,
was sentenced to 12 months pro
bation for the first count and 12
months probation served con
secutively to count 1.
Michelle Lay Loosier, of Al
bany, charged with shoplifting,
was sentenced to 12 months pro
bation, payment of $750 fine,
and 40 hours community ser
vice.
Jerry Wayne Owens, 299
Livingston Road, Smithville,
charged with disorderly conduct,
failed to appear. A bench war
rant was issued.
Carla Delores Owens, 299
Livingston Road, Smithville,
charged with disorderly conduct,
failed to appear. A bench war
rant was issued.
Taklesia Brown, of Albany,
charged with shoplifting, entered
a guilty plea and was sentenced
to 30 days in jail.
Russell Duke, of Sylvester,
charged with deposit account
fraud, entered a guilty plea and
was sentenced to 12 month pro
bation, payment of $200 fine and
$141.94 restitution.
Deangela Redding, of Daw
son, charged with shoplifting, en
tered a guilty plea, and was sen
tenced to 12 months in jail, all
but four days may be served on
probation, and payment of $500.
James Joseph Mitcheson, of
210 B Starksville Ave. S, Lees
burg, charged with sales to un
derage persons, entered a guilty
plea and was sentenced to 12
months probation and payment
of $500.
Lisa Marie Mullis, of Albany,
charged with sales to underage
person, was nolo prosequi.
Sussiel B. Patel, 113 Edgelake
Drive, Leesburg, charged with
sales to underage persons, en
tered a guilty plea and was sen
tenced to 90 days on probation
and payment of $50 fine.
Charlie Stephens, charged with
deposit account fraud, posted a
cash bond.
Wallace Eric Strickland, 125
Seminole Ave, Leesburg, vio
lated Rule NISI and was sen
tenced to 10 days confinement.
Authur Parker, charged with
probation violation, was sen
tenced to 90 days confinement.
Erica Jackson and Robert
Childs, of the Center for Children
and Education representing a Lee
County Parent Group, appeared
before the school board Monday
night. According to Erica Jack-
son, the Lee County Parent Group
on Public Schools has spent sev
eral months investigating student
discipline problems and policies
in the Lee County School System.
Through their investigation ac
cording to Johnson, given the
same behavior, some students
received no more than a parent
teacher conference while other
students were suspended from
school. Individual teachers and
administrators showed “zero tol
erance” for low income and mi
nority students while rendering a
simple slap on the wrist for
wealthier and whiter students.
An written example given was
that according to local and state
policy, a weapon on campus is
punishable with a fine of $5,000
- $10,000 and a minimum of one
year in jail. It was noted that a
white male who was found to
have a weapon on campus was
“simple inconvenienced”. Ac
cording to the Lee County Parent
Group in Support of Children and
Education, his punishment in
cluded being suspended for only
three months and no charges
filed. According to Ms. Jackson,
that student is now enrolled in the
public school system in Dough
erty County.
Ms. Jackson said that six black
male juveniles all faced a hear
ing tribunal and were suspended
for an entire year for a simple
fight which did not include weap
ons and there were not any inju
ries. The six students were turned
over to juvenile authority to face
Doherty
Duggan
wfiouse
Insurors
Home • Auto • Business • Life/Health
P.O.Box 71628 (229)888-2040
Albany, GA 31708-1628 800-628-2040
2301 Dawson Road (31707) Fax (229) 435-3036
www.ddrins.com
Kinchafoonee
Primary
School
PTO Meeting
Tuesday
April 16 at
7:00 p.m.
criminal charges. According to
Ms. Jackson, two students faced
charges as adults for a simple mis
demeanor and were fined.
Ms. Jackson requested that in
stead of the students being out of
school for an entire year that they
be allowed to returned the first
day of the next school year. She
was told by Dr. Bill Lewis,
School Superintendent, that the
students and their parents were
told originally that they could re
turn at the beginning of the next
school year.
Robert Childs, also representing
the Lee County Parent Group,
presented a petition to the board
members signed by 60 to 70
people. Childs said that the sign
ers of the petition did not want
Keith Lee to return to the middle
school. The reason given was that
Mr. Lee harasses black students
and parents that are involved in
discipline cases.
Viki Mullins, a parent, spoke to
the board members concerning
community relations. Mrs.
Mullins informed the board that
their latest personnel decisions
are the latest in a string of deci
sions that have left people bewil
dered and saddened.
Mrs. Mullins said the personnel
action of the board is chipping
away at teacher morale and un
dermines the public confidence in
the school system. Mrs. Mullins
said “It feels like you are playing
a game of musical chairs with
school system personnel.” In ref
erence to three school administra-
see School Board,
Page 2A
Lawrence was charged after of
ficers responded to the incident
location in regards to a domestic
dispute.
Brigette Louise Hash, 18, of
1262 Usry Road, Leesburg, was
charged with burglary. Hash was
arrested on said charge on a bur
glary which occurred in July,
2001 after investigators received
information on her whereabouts
Sheriff’s Department
Issues Arrest Report
Lee County Sheriff Harold
Breeden reports that officers with
the Lee County Sheriff’s Depart
ment made several cases recently
involving theft by shoplifting,
disorderly conduct, aggravated
assault, burglary, possession of
marijuana less than an ounce,
contributing to the delinquency of
a minor, simple battery (family
violence), aggravated stalking,
and probation violation.
Jimmy Cody Webb Jr., 18, of
333 Creekside Drive, was
charged with theft by shoplifting
on April 1. Webb was charged
with theft by shoplifting after at
tempting to exit Walmart with
unpaid items.
Robert Alan Attell. 17. of 1711
West Broad Avenue, Albany, was
charged with theft by shoplifting
on April 1. Webb was charged
with theft by shoplifting after at
tempting to exit Walmart with al
tered price items. One juvenile
was also charged.
Amy Ashley Everson, 31, of
193 Thompson Road, Colquitt,
Georgia and Sabrina Donley
Holt, 43. of 154 Willis Cook
Road, Colquitt, Georgia, were
charged with theft by shoplifting
on April 2. They were charged
with theft by shoplifting after at
tempting to exit Walmart with
unpaid items.
Jessie James Johnson, 41, of
MOB Winding Way, Leesburg,
was charged with disorderly con
duct April 2. Johnson was
charged with disorderly conduct
after officers responded to the in
cident location in regards to a
dispute.
Chadbum James Lawrence, 40.
of 503 Mays Road, Leslie, Geor
gia was charged with two counts
of aggravated assault April 2.
in Sumter County.
Joshua Eugene Pritchard, 20, of
168 C Winding Way, Leesburg,
was charged with possession of
marijuana less than one ounce.
Pritchard was charged with pos
session of marijuana less than an
ounce after investigators know
ing Pritchard was wanted made
contact with him after passing
him in the 00 block of Winding
Way. After contact, Pritchard was
found to be in possession of a
See Sheriff, Page 4A
BUFFALO ROCK
Lee County
Georgia Certificate Of Merit Winners
The following Lee County High School Juniors have been
nominated for the Georgia Certificate of Merit issued jointly by
the State of Georgia and the University of Georgia: Michael
McCavitt, Mary Clark, James Belanger, Victoria Gapa, Colt
Holmes, Jessica Hernandez, Marc Blair, Sharina Moore, Christina
Albritton, Terry Whitaker, Tabitha Korona, Becky Mohl, Ashley
Pasteka, Renee Perkins, Dustin Ritchie, Brooke Burson, and
Kaitlyn Bagnato.
The Georgia Certificate of Merit is awarded to juniors on the
College Prep track who are in the top 5% of their class. This
prestigious award is designed to identify and reward superior
scholastic endeavors and outstanding achievement during the first
three years of high school. Over 400 schools through the state
participate in the program, and the Certificates of Merit are
signed by Governor Roy E. Barnes and University of Georgia
President Michael F. Adams. The awards are presented in the
hope that such recognition will result in "even greater academic
effort and full pursuit of a formal program of higher education."
Georgia Certificate of Merit Winners are heavily recruited by
colleges and universities. They will receive information related to
their academic fields of choice ranging from Agriculture and
Architecture to Pre-medicine and Philosophy and Religion.
Congratulations to these outstanding students! They will receive
their certificates during the Lee County High School Honors
Night program to be held May 16 at 7:00 pm at the Robert A.
Clay auditorium located on the LCHS campus.
Retired
Educators
will meet
Monday
April 15
10:00 a.m. at
Leesburg United
Methodist
Church