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The LeS County Ledger
Your Hometown Source Of Local News
Hometown newspaper of Randall and Donna Hetland
Volume XXX - Number 45
Leesburg, Georgia - - July 9, 2008
Fifty Cents
Wally Roberts
Enter Senate Race
Special to the Ledger
Retired Georgia State
Patrol Troop Commander
and current Lee County
Commissioner Wally Roberts
announced that he will seek
the 13th Dis
trict Senate
seat being
vacated by
Joseph Cart
er. Roberts
has formed
a commit
tee and
stated he
‘is already
working
hard in each
of the eight
counties
which form the 13th Senate
District.”
Roberts resides in Lee
County with his wife of 43
years, JoAnn. He has two
grown children and many
grandchildren who also
lives in the 13th District.
After serving in the United
States Marine Corp, Roberts
worked as a trooper with the
Georgia State Patrol for 25
years. He attained the rank of
Captain and supervised the
operation of the State Patrol
in 22 South Georgia counties
as Troop Commander. After
retiring from the State Patrol
in 1995, Roberts continues to
be very active in his church,
the community and in his
business investments.
Roberts believes that public
service is important and feels
his service as commissioner
in one of the fastest grow
ing counties in the state will
serve him well as a State
Senator. Roberts stated, “Lee
County’s budget is 20 mil
lion dollars and the revenue
is tight. I have learned to
balance a budget both with
the County
Commission
and with the
State Patrol.
I am used to
dealing with
major issues
and working
as a team
player.” Rob
erts continues
to donate his
salary as a
commissioner
back to Lee
County. Roberts explains,
“Given the budgetary con
straints in Lee County, I have
just never felt like I should
take the salary.”
Roberts feels that some of
the important issues fac
ing the State Senate relate
to farming, infrastructure,
industry creation and tax
reform. Roberts grew up
the son of a sharecropper
and intends to work hard for
farmers. Roberts believes
infrastructure needs to be
improved in the rural areas
of the state to attract indus
try. He is also particularly
concerned with the current
property tax system and sup
ports reform. Roberts added,
“If elected, I pledge to act
ethically and responsibly as
a public servant. I will not
waste the taxpayer’s money
and I will be accessible to the
people of the 13th District.”
Lee County Commission Chairman Morris Leverett and Commissioner Ed Duffy from the Palmyra
District are pictured with Sam Allen, EMS Supervisor, Monday at the fire station on Highway 82.
Commissioner Duffy said that it was a great day for Lee County and a great day for the residents
of the Palmyra District. A fully staffed ambulance is at the station which reduces response time
in case of an emergency.
Lee County Enhances
Emergency Medical Services
Special to the Ledger
Lee County is enhancing its EMS
services within one of its most populist
districts within the county by assigning
a fully staffed ambulance at the exist
ing Fire Station on Highway 82.
What this means to residents in the
Palmyra District and surrounding areas
is a reduced response time of some six
to eight minutes, which could make
the difference between life and death
or full recovery for heart attack and
stroke patients, not to mention traffic
and other accident victims.
Bobby Watkins, Director of EMS
for Lee County, states that four full
time paramedics will be hired to staff
this new vital service. There will be
a full time paramedic on duty 7 days
a week, 24 hours a day, along with
a Firefighter/EMT ready to respond
when a call comes in. This means that
the ambulance will have a quicker
response time and the crews respond
ing will have the training and equip
ment to perform advanced life support
services, such as administering life
saving drugs, inserting various airway
adjuncts to help with breathing, and the
use of a cardiac monitor/defibrillator,
which could stabilize a patient with a
cardiac disorder en route to a hospital.
This is a service which has been vitally
needed because of the existing and
growing population in this part of Lee
County, as well as the increased auto
mobile and truck traffic on Highway
82.
The county is expecting to experi
ence tremendous commercial growth
along this corridor over the next several
years, which will increase demands for
emergency services. This service will
be fully operational on July 7, 2008,
starting at 8:00 A.M.
Russell Jenkins, of
Smithville, was arrested July
Doherty, Duggan
& Rouse Insurors
AN EMPLOYEE OWNED COMPANY
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
Re-organizational
Meeting
Lee County
Historical Society
7:00 p.m.
Monday
July 14
Hong Garden
Restaurant
3 after a quantity of cocaine
was found in his truck. The
Lee County Sheriff’s Office
Narcot
ics Unit
stopped
Jenkins in
Smithville
to serve an
arrest war
rant for
possession
of Tylox
when the
cocaine
was dis
covered in
his truck.
A search
warrant
was ob
tained for
his residence.
During the service of the
search warrant at Jenkins’
residence, approximately 91
grams (over three ounces)
of “crack” cocaine was
found along with packaging
materials. The officers also
Russell Jenkins
Two To Be Tried In
Baby Launched Case
located more Tylox which is
a schedule 2 drug.
Sheriff Harold Breeden
said that this
is a signifi
cant arrest
because it
gets a large
dealer of
“crack”
cocaine off
the streets of
Smithville.
Jenkins
remains in
jail and faces
a sentence of
life in prison
on the fed
eral charge.
Over $1500
in twenties
were confiscated by the of
ficers. Twenties are used in
the purchase of cocaine. The
value of the cocaine seized
in this case has a street value
between $88 and $1000.
More arrests are antici
pated in this case.
Lee County Sheriff Harold
Breeden confirmed Monday,
July 7 that the two male
juveniles will be tried in the
case in which a eighth month
old baby was launched
from a pillow. The juvenile
that placed the baby on the
inflatable pillow and the
videographer both will be
charged. The videographer
will be charged with being a
party to a crime of cruelty to
a child.
Sheriff Harold Breeden is pictured with over $1500 in cash and cocaine
valued at approximately eight to ten thousand dollars was obtained when
Russell Jenkins of Smithville was arrested July 3.
Arrest Made In Large Cocaine Case
Permits For New
Homes Drop
During the month
of June 2008, the Lee
County Building Permit
Office issued 14 permits
for single family dwell
ings as compared to 23
permits during May,
12 of the permits were
for homes in the
unincorpo
rated area of Lee
County while
two permits were
issued for single
family dwellings
in Leesburg.
During May, 23 permits
were issued for single
family homes. 18 of the
permits were for homes in
the unincorporated area
of Lee County while five
permits were issued for
single family dwellings in
Leesburg.
The estimated con
struction cost of the 12
homes in the unincorpo
rated area of Lee County
was $1,149,295.00. The
estimated construc
tion cost of the two
homes in Leesburg was
$136,000.00.
During June, one permit
was issued for a mobile
home in the unincorpo
rated area of Lee County.
During June, in the un
incorporated area of Lee
County, two permits were
issued for churches and
other religious use.
The estimated
construction cost
$209,000.00 and
one permit for
non-housekeep
ing shelter was
issued.
Also during June, one
permit was issued in the
unincorporated area of
Lee County for stores and
customer service. The es
timated construction cost
was $89,120.00.
One permit was issued
for offices, banks and pro
fessional use in Leesburg,
The estimated cost associ
ated with the construction
was $194,920.00.
During June, one permit
was issued for a mobile
home in Smithville.
The estimated cost was
$89,600.00.
Sheriff Breeden said that
he conferred over the week
end with Cecilia Cooper,
the district attorney, about
the case. Breeden said that
he and D.A. Cooper agreed
that both juveniles should be
charged in the case.
The sheriff’s office re
ceived a tip that a second
video had been made. A
search warrant was executed
and a computer was seized to
determine if a second video
was on the computer.
The sheriff’s office has re
ceived communication from
around the country concern
ing the video that has been
shown on newscasts.
To Subscribe Call 229-759-2413
Smells
Bank
2627 Dawson Rd.
229-888-5600
1607 Highway 19 S
229-434-4550
Catch the
Reading Bug
at
Lee County Library
Summer Reading
Program
through
July 25, 2008
Stories, crafts, and
lots of books!
Call 229-759-2369
F/M/l