About The Eatonton messenger. (Eatonton, Ga.) 18??-current | View Entire Issue (June 19, 2025)
PUBLISHED CONTINUOUSLY SINCE 1861 The Latonton dessenner ) V Official organ of Putnam County and City of Eatonton V - Locally Owned by Smith Communications Inc. 4) County and City of Eatonton VOLUME 164 • NO. 25 THURSDAY, JUNE 19, 2025 www.msgrnews.com G PA SPCIAIL GNEWS Man jailed for stabbing roommate, fleeing police Lynn Hobbs lynn@msgrnews.com An Eatonton man stabbed his roommate, punched the glass out of a window and ran from officers, but he now sits in Putnam County jail, according to authorities. Eatonton Police Officer Chad Burket responded to a 911 call regarding a fight between room- mates around 2:30 a.m. Sunday, June 15, on the 300 block of North Maple Street. When Burket arrived, the caller told him his roommate had stabbed another roommate and then punched the glass window out of the front door. The caller said the roommate, identified as Agustin- Pascual Santos Pascual, ran out the back door when he saw police officers pull in the driveway. Seeing blood on the floor along with the broken shards of glass, Burket called emergency medical personnel to the scene as he ran out the back door in search of Pascual. Meanwhile, EMS arrived and took the 20-year-old stab bing victim to Putnam General Hospital, where he was treated and released. Finding more blood on the back steps, Burket asked the caller if Pascual was injured and learned that his hand was cut from smashing the glass. As Burket searched the back yard, he heard someone running through the woods just north of the house. As he continued searching, Burket found one of Pascual’s shoes inside the wood line that suggested he had turned and was headed back to his residence, according to Burket’s report. Meanwhile, Burket was notified that Pascual had called another resident of the house and asked if the police officers had all left the house. He reportedly said he wanted to go back and grab himself another pair of shoes and some different clothes. MORE ARREST ■> A3 • • • I 212 IAN TOCHER/Staff In a presentation at Barrel 118 on Friday night, Kevin Tomson-Hooper introduced four new artworks to the Eatonton Sculpture Trail, including "Delicate Balance," which has been installed outside The Artisans Village Gallery on West Marion Street. New artworks expand Eatonton sculpture trail Ian Tocher ian@msgrnews.com Observant visitors to downtown Eatonton will no doubt notice a few changes to the sculpture trail introduced last year. The brainchild of local entre preneurs Sara Tomson-Hooper, her husband Kevin, and previous Eatonton-Putnam Chamber of Commerce (EPCOC) President Maggie Milner, the Eatonton Sculpture Trail began with 10 outdoor artworks but now boasts 13 stops. “We work with a consultant out of South Dakota who’s kind of the conduit to find sculptures for us, and he shot me a text two days ago and said, ‘I think once you get these four new sculptures MORE TRAIL » A3 Finding blessings in the storm Lynn Hobbs lynn@msgrnews.com As she drove home last Saturday evening, Shawn Leverett saw what appeared to be a storm with light ning and heavy rain ahead to the east of her. Then she pulled in her long driveway. “Trees were down, and then I saw something dark in the headlights,” she said. “And it turned out to be red clay stuck under the roots of a tree that was down on top of my house, and another tree also was down and it was holding up that tree. I sat there in tears, scared to go in the house. So, I pulled around back and could see the rafters where the tree was literally pulling the house apart.” A total of six trees were uprooted by the storm that passed over Leverett’s home on the 700 block of Oconee Springs Road June 8. Leverett said she knew of at least three of her neighbors who also had trees down in their yards and one on their roof. Because the tree was on the very end of the house, Leverett was able to go inside the home she’d lived in for 31 years. “Limbs were poking down through MORE STORM > A3 County commission addresses many, varied concerns Ian Tocher ian@msgrnews.com The Putnam County Commis sion met June 6 for a wide- ranging meeting. Even before the agenda was approved, a 10-minute discus sion ensued over whether the commission needed to approve of the commissioner signing off on the Putnam Development Authority making an agree ment to provide tax abate ments regarding the proposed Helms College development off Harmony Road. In the end, all motions were rescinded, and agreement was reached only to revisit the issue in the future. The first official business involved recognition of Allen Carlton McMichael, who recently retired after a 25-year with the state’s Department of Corrections and another 17 years with the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department. Sheriff Howard Sills joined the commissioners in presenting McMichael with a plaque commemorating his service to the county. “He (McMichael) is the only example of nepotism I have at the office. We have the same great, great, great, great, great grandpa,” Sills said to a chorus of laughter. John Fox, president of the Sugar Creek Farm, spoke next in public comments. He said he’d already approached District 3 Commissioner Steve Hersey about the need for repaving 1.1 miles of Sugar Creek Trail near Lake Oconee. “It’s got a little rough going through there with a golf cart and almost impossible with a bicycle,” Fox said. “I can give a free golf cart ride to see it if you MORE COUNTY»A2 0 94922 87854 WEATHER Thursday Partly HIGH Cloudy 72 LOW 0 Detailed forecast / B4 For breaking news or to subscribe, visit www.msgrnews.com or call 706-485-3501 SMITH COMMUNICATIONS^ Newspapers • Magazines • Printing Roberts leads Gators’ All-State team » PAGE Bl INSIDE THIS WEEK Classifieds D1 Public Record A7 Community C1 Opinions A4 Crossword Puzzle C5 Obituaries A6 Legal Notices D3 Sports B1 Father's Day was a great day celebrating with family and friends. It also was the day of the arrival of my first great- grandson, Cooper, a healthy 9-pound baby of my oldest granddaughter. Should be ready to go fishing soon, I think. George got back from the Belmont Race with bib winnings picking his favorite horse Sovereignty to beat out Journalism, just like in the Derby. Had Sovereignty run the Preakness race he could have been a Triple Crown winner. On a sad note, my best buddy Budweiser went to dog heaven to chase squirrels with my other departed pets. I will miss him. Boss says to take til fish and tend my garden. Think I will. PUTNAM off to LAKE DOCONEE DENTISTRY Dr David Bradley Dr Patti Bradley &. Associates OCALLY ° WNED & OPERATE SINCE - 1998 LAKE OCONEE’S DENTIST Looking for a Family Dentist? 600 New Patient YL Exam & X-Rays Add a Cleaning for Just $69 (save up to $288*) VOTED THE LAKE AREA’S BEST DENTIST FOR 12 YEARS RUNNING! Call 706-438-4444 today for your appointment Located off Hwy. 44 in Greensboro, between Publix and the movie theater *Cash only, or your insurance may cover at usual and customary fees. LAKE OCONEE DENTISTRY, Personalized & Comfortable
