Newspaper Page Text
VOL. 132 NO. 47 42 PAGES 5 SECTIONS PLUS INSERTS A PUBLICATION OF MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. JEFFERSON, JACKSON COUNTY GEORGIA 30549 50« COPY
:"" Services set Sat. for soldier
•Work begins on jail site
page 2A
•'Jackson: Don't take our
water' page 3A
Op/Ed:
•'Obama should have been
a Methodist' page 4A
Sports:
•Dragons prepare for
Georgia Olympics
page 1B
Features:
•Jefferson man served as
U.S. Forest Service regional
illustrator for 20 years
page 1C
•Jefferson family members
are all artists .... page 14C
Other News:
•School News
pages 8B St 11B
•Public Safety
pages 9-1OA
•Legals
pages 7-13C
•Church News
pages 4-5B
•Obituaries
page 11A
SERVICES for a local
soldier killed in Iraq last
week have been set for 3
p.m. Saturday at Grove
Level Baptist Church near
Maysville.
Shaun J. Whitehead, for
merly of Maysville, was
killed by a roadside bomb
while on patrol last week.
Whitehead’s body will
be flown to Athens Friday.
From there, he will be taken
up Hwy. 441 to Commerce,
arriving around 10:30 a.m.
From there, he will be transported
to Jefferson around 11 a.m. to Evans
Funeral Home.
The public is encouraged to line the
streets in the two towns as the body is
brought home to honor the
fallen soldier, officials said.
Vistation at Evans Funeral
Home will be held Friday
from 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m.
According to the Army,
Whitehead, 24, was on
foot patrol in Iskandariyah
Thursday when an impro
vised explosive device
exploded. He was an
infantryman assigned to A
Company, 2nd Battalion,
502nd Infantry Regiment,
2nd Brigade Combat
Team.
He is survived by his widow, Janie
Moore Whitehead, son Gabriel “Gabe”
Whitehead, 7, and daughter Janna
Moore, 12, all of Fort Campbell,
Ken.; his mother, Rebecca Whitehead,
Maysville; a sister. Amber Whitehead,
Maysville; and his grandfather Coy
O’Shield, Maysville.
For futher information as it becomes
available, visit www.mainstreetnews.
com.
Whitehead attended Commerce City
Schools. Commerce assistant superin
tendent of schools, Joy Tolbert, remem
bers Whitehead as quiet, polite and
respectful.
‘ ‘He transferred from Gwinnett County
to our middle school and continued here
until tenth grade,” she said. “He was a
very reserved young man who sort of
kept to himself. He was very likeable
and had a lot of friends and had good
relationships with his teachers. He was
not very outspoken, but when he did
speak, he was very respectful with his
remarks.”
One of his best friends was Michael
Coffins, a CHS standout in football and
basketball who, after playing football at
Clemson University, is a deputy sheriff
in South Carolina.
“We basically had everything in com
mon,” Coffins recalled in a telephone
interview. “We both enjoyed video
games, a big bowl of cereal in the morn
ing, even our handwriting was the same.
We both enjoyed weapons and knives
and playing ninja and stuff. I spent a lot
of time at his house with his mom and
sister.”
Like Coffins, Whitehead played foot
ball, but he injured a knee on his first
carry in the ninth grade. He left CHS
in the tenth grade, but he and Coffins
remained friends.
“We spent most of the time at his
house after we met,” said Coffins. “I
lived with him a little bit.
They remained friends after Coffins
went to college and Whitehead got his
GED and joined the Army. Coffins vis
ited Whitehead in Kentucky a couple
of times.
Whitehead joined the Army in 2003.
He was due to return to the U.S. at the
end of May.
His awards include the Army
Commendation Medal, Army Good
Conduct Medal, National Defense
Service Medal; Iraqi Campaign Medal;
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal;
Army Service Ribbon and Combat
Infantry Badge. He was qualified as
“expert” with the M4.
WHITEHEAD
Noise dispute leads to obscene graffiti
MESSAGE PAINTED ON BUILDING
The above obscene message — partially covered over — was
spraypainted on the wall of Mike Carron’s restaurant and bar by
the owner to “send a message” following a dispute about noise.
Qualifying
update given
Candidates begin to qualify
for local high-profile races
BY ANGELA GARY
A LENGTHY dispute over noise
coming from Mike’s Down Under bar
in Jefferson has apparently led to an
obscene message painted on the side
of the building which houses the bar
and restaurant. And the owner of the
business, Mike Carron, reportedly told
police he’s the one who painted the
words to “send a message.”
“F... you Retard!” was painted
in black letters on the building. It is
located on the side of the building that
houses an insurance office. Carron’s
restaurant and bar are located in the
same building.
The statement faces the residence of
Bobby Patterson, who has filed numer
ous complaints about noise coming
from the bar. Patterson filed a police
report Saturday about the painted
words on the building.
According to the police report,
Carron was notified by a dispatcher that
someone had spray-painted obscene
graffiti on his building. Carron told the
dispatcher that he had painted the graf
fiti, according to the police report.
“Mr. Carron told me that he spray-
painted the message and he just want
ed to send Bobby a message, but that
he did not think it was against the law,”
the officer wrote in the report.
Monday afternoon, the first two
words of the statement had been paint
ed over with only “retard” remaining
legible. By Tuesday morning, all of the
BY ANGELA GARY
JACKSON COUNTY animal
control officer Rhonda Stebbins has
appealed her having been fired by the
county.
County officials said the firing is
not related to the current case involv
ing almost 300 animals taken from
an alleged puppy mill in Nicholson.
County manager Darrell Hampton did
not give a reason for Stebbins’ termina
tion. She was fired by her supervisor,
E.C. Brogan, the county’s senior code
enforcement officer.
The first step in the appeal process
will be for Stebbins to meet with her
department head to discuss the firing.
If no resolution is reached during that
meeting, Stebbins’ appeal will go to
the human resources director, Melanie
Thomas, for review. The next step
will be for the appeal to be heard by
Hampton.
words had been painted over.
At the Jefferson City Council meet
ing Monday night, city manager John
Ward said the city attorney and district
attorney had been contacted about the
matter. Ward also said the city is look
ing into the town’s noise ordinance and
the matter would be on the agenda at
the May council meeting.
At a city council meeting two weeks
ago, Patterson and another neighbor
of the bar complained about the noise
level. At that meeting, Len Sturkie,
In Stebbins’ letter of termination,
Brogan gave the following reasons for
the action:
•Insubordination: “Failure to obey
direct orders from supervisor regarding
placement of animals at Commerce
Vet, use of county cell phone.”
•Violation of county policy regarding
falsifying of county records or willfully
giving false statements to supervisors,
officials or to the public: “Falsified
records regarding location of animal
pick up on impound notice.”
•Repeated rudeness or intemperate
statements to the public, supervisors
and fellow employees: “This has been
an on-going problem. You have been
counseled on this issue numerous times
and yet the problem has continued. We
have received more complaints from
citizens as recently as Friday, April 18,
2008, about your conduct and rude
ness.”
who lives one block from the bar, said
the noise from Mike’s has caused a
“negative quality of life in my resi
dence.” He said it has caused the
“windows of his home to rattle.” He
added that the noise is “impossible to
ignore.”
But Carron said he checks the noise
level to make sure it is under the city’s
60 decibel maximum.
At the earlier meeting, Sturkie and
Patterson both asked that the decibel
level maximum be lowered.
•Non-harassment policy: “You have
made threats against fellow employees
to other staff members. Used improp
er language when speaking to fellow
employees.”
The personnel file includes one rep
rimand to Stebbins for improper use of
cell phones.
“After reviewing your phone records,
it is very obvious that you have ignored
my previous order in reference to per
sonal phone calls,” Brogran wrote in a
letter in Stebbins’ file. “I hereby order
you to reimburse the county for your
personal phone calls.”
The letter in the file has a hand
written note on it from Stebbins stating
the following: “I was told that we had
free incoming calls, as well as 1,000
minutes per month and free nights and
weekends.”
continued on page 8A
SEVERAL HIGH-PROFILE races
are starting to take shape in Jackson
County as qualifying opened this
week for July’s primary balloting.
Qualifying will close on Friday at
noon. Voters have until June 16 to
register to vote in the July 15 party
primaries.
Candidates qualify either as a
Democrat or a Republican. So far
in local county races, no Democrats
have qualified to be on the ballot.
Non-Partisan elections will be
held in November. That will include
the three judges of the Piedmont
Judicial Circuit. Judge Bob
Adamson reportedly plans to retire.
Curry Mingledorf of Winder has
announced plans to see Adamson’s
vacated seat.
TOP RACES
One of the leading races in the
Jackson County area looks to be that
for district attorney of the Piedmont
Judicial Circuit, which covers both
counties. A year of controversy has
surrounded that office following last
year’s arrest and later conviction of
former DA Tim Madison, his wife
and a former ADA on theft charges.
After Madison’s resignation
last summer, Rick Bridgeman of
Hoschton was appointed by Gov.
Sonny Perdue to fill the DA’s seat.
Bridgeman now faces two challeng
ers for the seat, former ADA Brad
Smith of Hoschton and Jefferson
attorney Donna Golden.
Jackson will also have a contested
sheriff race. Long-time incumbent
Stan Evans is being challenged by
former Hoschton councilman Jim
Keinard.
In county government races.
Hunter Bicknell of Hoschton has
qualified for chairman of the Jackson
County Board of Commissioners to
replace incumbent Pat Bell, who is
not running for re-election. Bicknell
is expected to face Ron Johnson
for the chairman’s seat, although
Johnson had not qualified as of press
time.
BOC District 2 incumbent Jody
Thompson will also have opposition
from Chas Hardy.
Jackson County races
(qualified as of Wednesday)
Jackson BOC Chairman
Hunter Bicknell
Jackson BOC District I
Tom Crow (incumbent)
Jackson BOC District 2
Chas Hardy
Jody Thompson (incumbent)
Jackson BOE Post I
No one was qualified at press time
Jackson BOE Post 4
Lynne Wheeler (incumbent)
Sheriff
Stan Evans (incumbent)
Jim Keinard
Surveyor
Dan Venalbe (incumbent)
Clerk of Courts
Camie Thomas (incumbent)
Solicitor State Court
Don Moore (incumbent)
Probate Judge
Margaret Deadwyler (incumbent)
Magistrate Judge
Billy Chandler (incumbent)
Coroner
Keith Whitfield (incumbent)
State Court Judge
Jerry Gray (incumbent)
Tax Commissioner
Don Elrod (incumbent)
State Races
(qualified as of Wednesday)
U.S. Representataive
Paul Broun (incumbent) (R)
Barry Fleming (R)
Bobby Saxon (D)
Animal control officer appeals firing
Nicholson s Daisy Festival ahead this weekend
THE NICHOLSON Daisy Festival will be held Friday,
May 2, through Sunday, May 4, at the Nicholson City Hall.
Nicholson Daisy Festivars Sched
Friday
• 6-7 p.m. - Cakewalk
• 7-9 p.m. - Singing by Cheryl Andrews
Saturday
• 10 a.m. - Parade
• 11:30 a.m. - Opening ceremonies, political speaker, prayer
• 1-2 p.m. - Commerce School of Dance
•2-2:30 p.m. - Jazz band, high school band
The weekend event will features arts, crafts, food booths,
contests, a parade and more.
ule of Events
• 2:30-3 p.m. - Pie eating contest
• 3-4 p.m. - Cakewalk
•4-4:30 p.m. - Hula Hoop Contest
•4:30-5:30 p.m. - Bucky Sorrow Band
• 5:30-7 p.m. - Karaoke, winner of Ugly Truck contest
•7-10 p.m. - Time Travelers Band, picnic table give-away
Sunday
• 1-5 p.m. - Clarke Kesler, all-day Gospel singing
Area Race Rundown
(As of press time Wednesday. All are Republicans.)
District Attorney
Piedmont Judicial Circuit
(includes Jackson and Barrow Counties)
Rick Bridgeman (incumbent)
Donna Golden
Brad Smith
State Senate District 47
(parts of Jackson & Barrow)
No one was qualified at press time
District 31 State House
of Representatives
(Parts of Jackson and Barrow Counties)
Tommy Benton (incumbent)
State Senate District 49
(part of Jackson)
Lee Hawkins (incumbent)