About The wiregrass farmer. (Ashburn, Ga.) 1984-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 4, 2006)
Getting a handle on the Civic Center repairs Mike Geoghagan, Page 4 ™ Wiregrass Farmer Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2006 ASHBURN, GA, 31714 VOL 106-No. 1 -500 ^Around town ^ Rec basketball Turner County Recreation Department Basketball Registration Tuesday, Jan. 3 - Friday, Jan. 13 Old Ashburn Gym 4-6 p.m. Boys and Girls - Ages 6-14. Cost $25. Coaches needed: Please contact David Kingry at 567-5223. Firefighting 101 Ashburn Fire & Emergency Services will offer the Basic Firefighter: Module One Course as part of its in-service training program. The course is a very fast paced course, which is the mandated training course required by Georgia Law to become a firefighter. The class will begin on Monday Jan. 9, at 6 PM at Ashburn Fire & Emergency Services Station #2 in Ashburn. The course is 60 hours in length and will be held on consec utive Monday and Thursday Nights. The course will take approxi mately 8 weeks to com plete. If you are interested in attending the class please call 567-4952 to register. There is no charge for this class and after successful completion participants may pursue a career in the Fire Service. Bike engraving The Ashburn Police Department and The Wiregrass Farmer are offering FREE bicycle theft protection help. Just bring your bike by the APD or The Wiregrass and someone will engrave your name and address in a hid den location on the bike. We’ll also take down infor mation about the bike so if it is stolen, law enforce ment will be better able to recover to the stolen bike. Two kids bikes, boy and girl were found Tuesday. Call 567-2401 to identify and claim. 2005 WGF on CD The entire 2005 year of the Wiregrass Farmer is now available on CD in PDF file. CDs are $5 each (includes mailing), or you can bring a blank CD by our office and we’ll burn it for free. 2004 and 2003 editions are also available. Open House Open House - Turner County Middle School 4-6 p.m. Parents are encour aged to come to the school and pick up their child's report card. Obituaries Nealon Murphy, 63, Ashburn Mr. Harold Morgan, 64, Fitzgerald Montyne W. Roberson, 76, Irwinville Complete obituary informa tion is on Page 5. Serving Turner County Since 1902 Gang in town Arrests confirm presence of street gang in Ashburn Three beaten badly in gang attack APD to step up intervention efforts by Ben Baker Editor Ashburn has a gang. The gang is actually two separate groups, the Folks for males and the Pearls for females. Ashburn police officers have been aware for some time that such a gang was forming up here, but could do little about it until the gang members broke the law. According to APD Lt. Ed Yarbrough, the gangs broke the law Monday, Dec. 26 when gang members attacked three people, injuring one severely enough that one victim was in the hospital in Tifton for days with a concussion. The other two victims suffered dam age to their faces, including damage to the eye sockets that resulted in their making appointments to see a specialist for extended care, the lieutenant said. One of these two victims also had surgery on a finger which was broken badly enough to require pins be placed in the bones, he said. The three victims were beaten with a 2x4, Lt. Yarbrough said. One of them (See ATTACK Page 2) by Ben Baker, editor The Ashburn Police Department is stepping up gang-related law enforce ment efforts, according to Chief Ben Sumner. “It is not going to be tolerated. We will not have a city taken over by gangs. We will use everything in law enforce ment to stop this,” said APD Investigator Lt. Ed Yarbrough. “Georgia has a gang law, sentencing and fines are a lot more harsh.” The chief said his department is planning a series of gang-intervention seminars for law enforcement and the school system. Sometimes gang-related matters on the streets can spill over into the school, he said. The department is also broadening it’s own reach. “We’re in the process of getting in with the South Georgia Rural Gang unit. We’ll get some help in manpower and in tracking these people,” Lt. Yarbrough said. “Within the next month we’ll have a recognizeable gang task force at the APD.” The chief and Lt. Yarbrough said the gang has received the message that (See GANG Page 2) Go Rebels! Cole Soliday gives teacher Amanda McCard a high-five at a recent basketball game after the Rebs make a good play on the court. The purpose of a congressional office by Ben Baker Editor What does a U.S. Representative's field office, the offices located in the district he represents, do anyway? That's a question Turner County native Hobby Stripling recently answered at the quarterly elected offi cials meeting here. "The Congressman's office serves as the Congressman's eyes, ears, feet and hands," Mr. Stripling said. "We make him aware of what goes on in the dis trict." Mr. Stripling works for Rep. Jim Marshall, D- Macon, who serves the district Turner County will be at the next Congressional election. "Jim views the Congressman's office as belonging to the people of the district. He is a caretaker of the office," he said. Congressional field offices are paid for by taxpay ers. "The Washington office handles all the legislative business. The D.C. Office gets two mail deliveries a day, one at 11 a.m. and one at 2 p.m. They get hundreds of mails and emails every day and that does not include junk mail," Mr. Stripling said. "The phone calls are con stant." The Washington office also handles tours of the Capitol as well as requests for flags which have flown over the Capitol. During his talk, Board of Education member Mary Frances Office noted the congressman does not have an office in this area of Georgia. Mr. Stripling reminded everyone Rep. Marshall's district does not yet include Turner County. "We won't serve this area until 2007," he said. And that only if Rep. Marshall wins re-election. Ashburn City Clerk asked if a field office would be located somewhere in this area if the Congressman won re-election. Mr. Stripling said that will probably happen. "We've got to be sure he gets elected to this district," he said. The quarterly meeting was held at Keith-A-Que and sponsored by Rebecca and Sycamore. Tickets available now for Chamber bash by Ben Baker Editor Tickets are on sale now for the annual Ashburn-Turner County Chamber of Commerce banquet. The banquet is Friday, Jan. 27 at 6:30 p.m. at the Civic Center. Dress is business attire. Tickets are $30 and are available at the Chamber of Commerce, 567-9696, or from any Chamber Board member. Tickets can only be picked up at the Chamber office. Board members who sell tickets will deliver the tickets to the buyer after the tickets are paid for. As in year’s past the ban quet will provide a setting for several community awards sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce. Citizen of the Year, Farm Family of the Year, Small Business of the Year, Industry of the Year are all sponsored by the Chamber, but winners are selected by prior year recipi ents. Chamber Volunteer of the Year will also be presented. The night will also serve as the official full membership meeting for the year. Walker’s BBQ is catering the event. The menu is still be selected. This year’s entertainment is Steve Brogan, a professional comic-ventriloquist.” According to his website, “Brogan is a career ‘Comic Ventriloquist’ and a major suc cess in his profession. A versa tile entertainer, Steve has the unique ability to script his shows to include audience par ticipation. Steve and his ‘friends’ perform nationwide for events just like yours. He has received national awards for his work in ventriloquism and has appeared on Good Morning America and The Fox Network, to name a few. Steve follows a history of ventrilo quists in his family and has turned that childhood hobby into his occupation. ‘I feel very fortunate to be able to make people laugh for my living,’ says Steve. This laughter is brought about through several different ventriloquial charac ters in Steve's shows as well as lots of audience participation. Steve Brogan and Elmer at a recent performance. From a parent's right to know what their children are doing, to protecting citizens across the country from the growing threat of gang violence, the House Democrat leadership is simply out to lunch. Virginia Foxx
