Newspaper Page Text
VOL. 132 NO. 41 40 PAGES 5 SECTIONS PLUS INSERTS A PUBLICATION OF MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. JEFFERSON, JACKSON COUNTY GEORGIA 30549 50« COPY
— Inside —
Area news:
•Jefferson
Easter egg
hunt set Sat.
.... page 2A
•Rep. Benton's school tax
exemption passes House
page 2A
•Commissioners set vision,
mission statements at retreat
page 2A
Op/Ed:
•'Where are concerned
voices on child abuse?'
page 4A
Sports:
•JHS 2-0 in region play
page 1B
Features:
•Electric vehicle rally held
Sat. at EJCHS
page 1C
Other News:
•School News
pages 6-1 OB
•Public Safety
pages 8-9A
•Legals
pages 6-12C
•Church News
pages 10-11A
•Obituaries
page 12 A
Hearing to be set in ‘puppy mill’ case
Citizens air concerns at BOC meeting
BY ANGELA GARY
COUNTY OFFICIALS say a forfeiture hear
ing must be held to determine if the 300 puppies
taken from a Nicholson kennel can be adopted, or
whether they will be returned to their owners.
More than 50 concerned citizens attended a
Jackson County Board of Commissioners meet
ing Monday to hear an update on the case.
The citizens repeatedly asked for a time line on
when the case will be resolved. County attorney
Jane Range said it would be up to court officials to
set the forfeiture hearing. BOC chairman Pat Bell
said the case has been a priority for the county and
it will continue to be so until it is resolved.
Three weeks ago, more than 300 puppies were
removed from a Nicholson kennel following the
arrests of the owners after allegations of abuse
and neglect. The kennel license has been revoked
by the Georgia Department of Agriculture and
state officials say the owners will likely never be
allowed to operate a kennel again because of the
condition of the puppies.
David Gunter, an attorney representing the state
department of agriculture, said that the kennel
owners could be facing up to $1 million in fines.
He said the investigation is continuing by the state
into the civil case. He said it would be up to the
district attorney to pursue criminal charges.
A criminal case
against kennel own
ers and operators is
in the early stages
of review, according
to district attorney
Rick Bridgeman.
A civil case, with
potential $ I million
in fines, is under the
state’s jurisdiction.
District attorney Rick Bridgeman was not at
the meeting but he said, when contacted, that the
criminal case is “in the early stages of review.”
“The next grand jury meets in May,” Bridgeman
added. “We aren't involved in the impoundment
process other than to give our consent to release or
dispose of the animals at issue prior to resolution
of the criminal case.”
Kennel owners and operators, Marie, Jennifer
and Ronnie Hughes and Brandy Stone, were all
charged with misdemeanor and federal animal
cruelty charges.
At Monday's BOC meeting, a report was given
on the condition of the puppies found at the
Nichoslon kennel, including broken bones, open
sores, skin conditions, dehydrated, malnourished,
severe dental issues and high parasite levels.
“They had mud and feces all over them,” said
one woman whose organization has housed many
continued on page 6A
EASTER CRAFTS AND GAMES
Craft tables, games and inflatable toys were available for children to enjoy after the Easter egg hunt
Saturday at Maysville United Methodist Church. Photo by April Reese Sorrow
Braselton father and son
killed in wreck Sun. night
BY KERRI TESTEMENT
A BRASELTON father and son were
killed in a head-on collision in Cobb
County on Sunday
night, according to
Marietta police.
Rodney James
Godfrey, 47, and
his son, Eric James
Godfrey, 17, were
killed when their
1995 Ford Taurus
was struck by a
1999 Mercury ERIC GODFREY
Villager traveling
on the wrong way of the Canton Road
Connector, according to police.
The driver of the mini-van, Nicasio
Rodrigo Vicente-Hemandez, 29, of
Kennesaw, was also killed in the inci
dent.
Marietta police said Vicente-
Hemandez was fleeing another minor
traffic accident when he drove in the
wrong direction of travel on the road,
striking the Taurus.
Also injured in the accident were
Mary Clare Godfrey, 51, and a 12-year-
old son. Mary Godfrey was reportedly
slated to undergo surgery this week.
Eric Godfrey was a sophomore at
Jackson County Comprehensive High
School. He was “very well liked, a very
popular student” who was extremely
involved in the school’s fine arts and
band programs, according to principal
Todd McGhee.
“(He) was a very talented musician,”
McGhee said.
Eric Godfrey, a saxophone play
er, had recently performed with the
Georgia All-State Band.
“It's a devastating loss for our school
community,” McGhee said.
JCCHS offered additional counsel
ors on Monday to allow students to
deal with the emotional loss, he said.
Rodney Godfrey was also involved
in the school, McGhee said. Mr.
Godfrey was a leader of the JCCHS
band booster club and remained “very
involved,” he added.
As of press time, funeral arrange
ments had not been announced.
DA theft case hearings set
HEARINGS WILL be
held Tuesday in Banks
County Superior Court on
charges filed against former
Piedmont Judicial Circuit
Assistant District Attorney
Brett Williams and former
DA employee Linn Jones.
The hearings are set for 10
a.m. Tuesday in Banks County
Superior Court.
Jones is the wife of former
DA Tim Madison, who pled
guilty to theft charges and was
sentenced two weeks ago to
six years in prison and to pay
restitution of $40,000.
Williams is charged with
theft by taking, theft by receiv
ing and violation of oath of
office for having allegedly
received a double salary, one
from the state and one from
Banks County, then kicking part of the
Banks County salary back to Madison.
Jones is charged with four counts
of false statements and one count of
conspiracy to defraud the state for hav
ing allegedly received pay for
hours she didn’t actually work.
Madison had put his wife on
the payroll in both Jackson
and Banks Counties in 2005
and 2006.
All three were indicted
last August and entered not
guilty pleas in December. Two
weeks ago, Madison changed
his plea to guilty and received
his sentence.
The cases began in March
2007 after a series of inves
tigative newspaper articles
in The Jackson Herald out
lined financial abuse in the
DA’s office. Georgia Attorney
General Thurbert Baker sub
sequently asked the GBI to
formally investigate the mat
ter. Madison and Jones both
resigned their positions in
May. Williams had already left the
DA’s office and was working for the
U.S. Justice Department in Atlanta.
He subsequently resigned from that
position.
Li
JONES
WILLIAMS
Jefferson police shoot horse
Spent 15 hours trying
to capture animal
JEFFERSON POLICE officers
shot a horse on March 8 after trying
for 15 hours to capture the animal.
The decision was made to shoot the
horse because it was getting in traffic
and officers were concerned about
the safety of motorists, according to
a report on the incident.
The horse was first spotted at 6
p.m. on March 7 near Hwy. 129 at
1-85. It was “darting out into traffic,”
according to the incident report.
Several officers and others called
to the scene tried to rope the horse,
but were unsuccessful. The depart
ment of agriculture was then called.
“Since the horse was endangering
the lives of the citizens of Jefferson
by running out in to traffic on Hwy.
129 and with the risk of the horse
getting loose on 1-85 and possibly
causing a traffic accident that could
result in a motorist losing their life,
he (the department of agriculture
representative), stated that we could
put the horse down,” the incident
report reads.
continued on page 6A
COMMERCE HOME DAMAGED BY TREES
This Commerce home was damaged as strong storms moved across Jackson County and all of
North Georgia Saturday afternoon. Photo by Lyn Sengupta
Storm damage reported in county Sat.
More than 50 countians seek shelter at Arcade city hall
BY ANGELA GARY
SIRENS BLARED across Jackson
County Saturday as a severe storm hit
North Georgia.
Hail, rain and strong winds were
reported in all nine towns in the coun
ty. In Arcade, more than 50 people
went to the Arcade City Hall to seek
shelter during the storm. At area busi
nesses “lockdowns” were put in place
and customers gathered together in the
back of stores.
The storm damage included an
awning coming down at Tanger Outlet
Center, roof damage at Maysville and
Dry Pond businesses and several trees
down on power lines. Trees also dam
aged one home in Commerce, one
home in Plainview and one car in
Commerce.
Three minor storm-related injuries
were also reported, including one per
son who fell while going to the base
ment.
Commissioners split 3-2 on impact fees vote
Crow’s motion for study denied
BY ANGELA GARY
JACKSON COUNTY commissioner Tom Crow
continued to push his fellow commissioners to move
forward to study impact fees Monday night, but his
motion failed in a 3-2 vote.
Commissioner Dwain Smith voted with Crow to
do an impact fee study. But commissioners Jody
Thompson and Bruce Yates and BOC chairman Pat
Bell voted not to fund the $28,000 study.
CROW
“I feel like the timing is not right,” Bell said.
“I’m concerned about the cost. It would totally
wipe out our contingency fund...I’m against
spending money that is not in the budget.”
Thompson suggested the BOC consider mak
ing the study a budget item next year instead of
taking the money from the contingency fund.
But Crow said it would take time to get a
study completed.
continued on page 6A