Newspaper Page Text
ISSUE 19 Thursday, MAY 7, 2020
The Bwon Buzz
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COVERING BYRON AND PEACH COUNTY
email us at: BYRONBUZZ@PSTEL.NET
Flooding in Byron
Byron received over six inches of rain
last Wednesday evening causing flood
ing around town including at North
Peach Park. Peach Crossing which
floods frequently, was much worse this
time. Envirogreen Services right, has
been working on New Dunbar Road for
the City of Byron and had built a dam
and their equipment was flooded and
the port-a-potty overturned which is
not environmentally friendly.
Fired fire chief asking for jury trial
Man shoots ex-wife,
steals son, drops at ER
Former Byron Fire Chief,
Rachel Mosby (hired as J.D.
Mosby) and was fired (June
2019), is now asking for a trial
by jury in his lawsuit against
the City of Byron.
According to Meshy’s
attorney, Kenneth E. Barton,
a request was made to the
EEOC (Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission) and
Department of Justice to issue
a Right to Sue Letter. That was
done and a lawsuit was filed in
federal court on Tuesday, April
28,2020.
When asked about how a
jury trial benefits them, Barton
responded that, “After a law
suit is filed, a defendant must
be served with a copy of the
Complaint. The federal courts
encourage parties to save the
costs of service (i.e., sending a
Marshal or Deputy to serve the
papers) by having the defen
dant agree to waive service.
They have thirty days to decide
to do so, and the benefit is that
they would get additional time
to file a response to a lawsuit.”
Barton said the proper
Notice and Request for Waiver
was sent to City Attorney Tom
Richardson last Wednesday
and receipt was confirmed.
It is Barton’s understanding
that the City of Byron will be
bringing in outside counsel to
represent them and though
the law firm has not received
the Waiver of Service, the City
has several weeks to do so.
Barton said under federal
law, a plaintiff has to request
a jury early on in the case. The
alternative would be that a
judge would decide facts of the
case. “We believe that Judge
Self, the judge assigned to this
case, would carefully consider
the issues and decide the facts
fairly. However, it is import
ant to keep our options open.
When a jury of Chief Mosby’s
peers hears all of the facts and
evidence, we believe the jury
will determine that Chief Mos
by was fired for illegitimate
and illegal reasons.”
The City of Byron falls with
in the Macon Judicial Division
of the U.S. District Court for
the Middle District of Georgia
which means a trial would be
held in the Federal Courthouse
in Macon.
Mosby was fire chief 12
years and feels his trouble
started when he came out as
transgender. He maintains
that nothing in his perfor
mance warranted termina
tion. There was an incident of
misuse of city credit card for
personal use (women’s cloth
ing) and Mosby was required
to pay the city back. (Buzz ran
that story before termination.)
Mosbv’s attorney hold that
termination was discrimina
tory and violation of constitu
tional right of due process. The
attorney also feels Mosby was
singled out because of gender.
Mosby was entitled to a name
clearing hearing after being
terminated, but his attorney
there would be no benefit for
such a hearing.
In the termination letter,
City Administrator Derrick
Hayes, wrote that the city no
longer had confidence in Mos-
by’s ability to lead the depart
ment. Lack of performance
indicators listed included in
the letter:
• failure to release new/
renewal business licenses for
approval in a timely mat
ter, causing undue delays in
processing customers’ request.
This was an issue since 2018
and supposedly Mosby was
notified of this through email
and in staff meetings.
•only attended five out of 21
classes of a GAFC Conference
in Savannah and did not take
any classes the first two days.
• failure to maintain fire
investigator certification
required by the Fire Chief job
description. He attended the
Arson Investigator class at
least two times at the city’s
expense but failed to maintain
the certification.
Because this is a lawsuit, the
city of Byron can’t respond one
way or the other.
Peach County Sheriffs
Emergency Response Team
participated in a month long
investigation into a burglary
ring in Bibb County with
other agencies from Bibb
County. Various items were
taken from various business
es throughout Bibb County.
In many of these burglaries
exterior walls of the business
es were breached with either a
sledge hammer or some type
of saw. Crowbars or other
prying tools were used to en
ter other businesses. Safes in
many of the businesses were
either cut open or removed
altogether. Surveillance video
Twenty-five-year old
Michael Lipford of Lizella
was arrested early Monday
morning after allegedly
shooting his ex-wife and
kidnapping her son.
Peach County Sheriff
Terry Deese says they got a
call from a witness on Sher
wood Boulevard in Byron
around 11:30 p.m. Sunday.
The witness said he heard
a gunshot and then saw
a man dragging a woman
into his car at a neighbor’s
home, Deese says.
When the witness tried to
intervene, the man pulled a
gun on him and drove off.
The witness said he could
tell the woman had been
shot, according to Deese.
At this point, Deese says
the 911 center put out a call
to local hospitals to be on
the lookout for a woman
who had been shot.
The Medical Center,
or witnesses indicated that the
suspects wore dark clothing
and masks.
The investigation led to war
rants being issued on April 28,
2020 and searched discovered
items believed to have been
used during the commission
of the burglaries including
concrete saws, blades, sledge
hammers, crow bars and
bolt cutters. They also found
items fitting description of
goods taken from the burglar
ized businesses. Four were
charged, Frankie Lee Barnes,
51; Cornelius Antonio Red
ding, 31; Antuane McQuell
Simmons, 32; and Margo
Navicent Health in Macon
reported they were treating
a 24-year-old woman with a
gunshot wound from Peach
County.
She told the hospital her
ex-husband shot her and
kidnapped her one-year-old
son, Deese says.
A be on the lookout
(BOLO) was issued early
on Monday, and the Bibb
County Sheriffs Office no
tified Peach that they found
the suspect’s car at the
Huddle House off I-16.
Deese says Bibb Coun
ty told them the suspect,
25-year-old Michael Lip-
ford, was in custody and the
child was safe.
The woman is in stable
condition at the Medical
Center. Lipford was booked
for aggravated assault,
but Deese says he expects
additional charges against
Lipford.
Shada Watts, 31.
In addition to burglary,
they are charged with the
Georgia RICO Act because it
is believed that in this spree of
burglaries they collectively en
gaged in a pattern of unlawful
conduct. These individuals are
suspected of being involved
in additional burglaries. As
the investigation continues
more burglary and/or theft
charges will likely be added to
each one. Investigators will be
following up with businesses
victimized in these cases to
determine if any of the goods
recovered can be identified by
their rightful owners.
PC team helps bring down burglary ring
/ / ^ _
Qualified, experienced and focused on putting ®l
from the desk of
Gregory W. Winters
Former District Attorney, Macon Judicial Circuit
Dear Fellow Republican,
I am writing to you about the primary election that is happening on June 9th. As a lifelong Republican and the former
District Attorney for the Macon Judicial Circuit, I have always selected a Republican primary ballot. This year is different.
I am selecting a Democratic primary ballot so I can vote in the District Attorney's race. And I am voting for ANITA
HOWARD.
I have met and come to know Anita. From her roots in Middle Georgia to her current position as an Assistant District
Attorney in the Towaliga Circuit for over 15 years, Anita has the right work ethic, integrity, and vision for our community.
That is not just me saying that. Her peers and law enforcement also recognize her passion for victims and justice.
In 20181 was awarded the Assistant District Attorney of the Year Award for the State of Georgia. Anita has done better
than that. She was the recipient of the National Criminal Enforcement Award focusing on Spouses and Children of Law
Enforcement Officers who died in the line of duty in 2019. This is a national award given to her by law enforcement.
Law enforcement around the country recognizes her determination for seeking justice for victims of crimes. This makes
her a very good prosecutor. But this is not enough to be an exceptional prosecutor.
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of the
Macon Judicial District
(Bibb, Crawford, and Peach Counties)
To be exceptional, a prosecutor fights for justice while keeping personal contact with victims to walk with them through
the most difficult days of their lives. This was evident when she prosecuted the murderer of Elaine McGuire. The
personal contacts she had with Ms. McGuire's family helped them get through those difficult days. Ultimately, because
of the hard work of Anita and law enforcement, justice was done and Ms. McGuire's killer was convicted, sentenced to
life without parole, and is where he belongs today, in prison. Anita is exceptional.
As a former Republican District Attorney, I have been asked if Anita will be soft on crime. My answer is simple, NO,
Anita was born and raised here and lives here now. Anita realizes that protecting our community is her number one job.
Soft on crime is not safe. Everyone deserves to live in a safe community. Not a community that in 2018 the FBI ranked
#3 in violent crime and #1 in property crime. Anita will work and change that.
I ask you if you have not decided to vote in the Republican primary to vote in the Democratic primary and vote for Anita
Howard. She is the right choice; and I'm voting for her.
Greg Winters
Former District Attorney
Macon Judicial Circuit
'BEST CHOICE - CLEAR VISION 2020"
‘Vote
ANITA REYNOLDS
FOR
DISTRICT ATTORNEY
OF THE MACON JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
(BIBB, CRAWFORD & PEACH COUNTIES)
Tuesday, June 9th
Early Voting begins ITlay 18th
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...An experienced 15 year prosecutor
www.AnitaReynoldsHoward.com | P.O. Box 5299 Macon, GA 31208
PAID FOR THE COMMITTEE TO ELECT ANITA REYNOLDS HOWARD