Newspaper Page Text
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THE
ACKSON
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Wednesday, May 3, 2017
rlERALD
VOL. 142 NO. 47
40 PACES 3 SECTIONS PLUS INSERTS
Merged in 2017 with
The Commerce News
A PUBLICATION OF MainStreet Newspapers, Inc.
JEFFERSON, JACKSON COUNTY GEORGIA 30549
75c COPY
Tanger suspect killed in Atlanta shootout
By Alex Pace
A multi-agency manhunt ended in a shootout on Friday
after an Atlanta man shot a local deputy and fled the area.
Avery Richard, 32, of Atlanta, was killed in a shootout
with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Richard had
allegedly shot a Banks County Sheriff’s Office deputy
Wednesday and FBI agent Friday; attempted an armed
robbery and kidnapping in Commerce; and held a Com
merce woman at gunpoint to force her to drive him from
the area.
Two additional arrests have since been made in con
nection with the incident. Dustin Terrell Heuatt, 29, faces
charges of conspiracy to commit armed robbery and
conspiracy to commit kidnapping. James Hall Askew, 26,
faces charges of aiding and abetting.
It started Wednesday afternoon in Banks County after
authorities say a silver passenger vehicle dropped Rich
ard off near the Atlanta Dragway. Richard reportedly
walked to the Atlanta Dragway and attempted an armed
robbery around 4:12 p.m.
While authorities were on their way, Richard allegedly
tried to kidnap the victim, but eventually fled in a stolen
vehicle, A BCSO deputy caught up with him near Tanger
Outlet Center and attempted a traffic stop, but Richard
fled.
The deputy, Robert Wilkins, struck the stolen vehicle
with his patrol car and Richard allegedly got out and
fired at the deputy, striking him in the chest. Richard con
tinued shooting as he fled the scene and ran across 1-85.
Wilkins, who has been employed with the BCSO for
six months, was transported to the hospital with minor
injuries and is in “good condition.” His ballistic vest
prevented major injuries.
A massive manhunt followed as authorities from more
than a dozen agencies searched for the suspect in Jackson
and Banks counties. Officers set up a perimeter, and a
K-9 unit and helicopter searched the area.
At 4:39 p.m., officers were called to a Haggard Road
residence after a residential alarm was activated. A BCSO
deputy and Commerce police officer made contact with a
person matching the suspect’s description in a driveway
after he broke into the Haggard Road residence.
Richard fled behind the residence and officers lost
contact.
Around 7:30 p.m., Banks County Sheriff Carlton
Speed, Jackson County Sheriff Janis Mangum, Georgia
Bureau of Investigation agent Mike Ayers and Georgia
State Patrol officer A1 Whitworth held a press conference
on the shooting and manhunt.
Richard was described as armed and dangerous.
Authorities stressed the search would continue until they
found him.
“We’re not in the habit of letting people shoot deputy
sheriffs and get away with it,” said Ayers.
Several businesses in the area, including the Tanger
Outlet Center, closed early due to the manhunt.
KIDNAPPING
Around 9:20 p.m., authorities were called to the Publix
on Hwy. 124 in Hoschton. A Commerce woman said the
suspect kidnapped her and forced her to drive him from
the area.
“(She) was visibly shaken as she related to me that she
had been kidnapped from her home,” according to the
Jackson County Sheriff’s Office incident report.
The woman told officers a black man in his early 20s,
wearing all black with a fuzzy goatee broke into her
house through the kitchen window. He allegedly held a
silver handgun to the woman’s head and forced her to
drive him to Atlanta in her vehicle since he did not know
how to drive a manual transmission vehicle.
She dropped him off on 1-285 near SR 400. He alleged
ly threatened to hurt her if she called the police and wrote
down the woman’s driver’s license information before
leaving her.
She was transported to the hospital for minor injuries.
The next day, authorities released a sketch of the
suspect and announced he was believed to have fled to
the Atlanta area. A $20,000 reward was also offered for
information leading to his arrest.
continued on page 14A
BANKS CROSSING,
THE SCENE
OF MANHUNT
Banks Crossing
was the scene of a
manhunt after Avery
Richard (left) reported
ly shot a Banks County
Sheriff’s Office deputy
and fled. Local authori
ties, including Jackson
County Sheriff Janis
Mangum (above) held
a press conference
after the shooting on
Wednesday, April 26.
Walton seeks
bankruptcy protection
in Canadian courts
By Mike Buffington
Walton International, the largest landowner in Jack-
son and Barrow counties, is seeking bankruptcy protec
tion in Canadian courts.
The Calgary-based firm and 32 of its affiliate com
panies were granted creditor protection last week under
a Canadian law known as the Companies’ Creditors
Arrangement Act, according an article in the Calgary
Sun and other Canadian news outlets.
While the move does not directly include any of its
local area holdings, the firm’s financial turmoil might
indirectly affect how the company manages its holdings
here in the future.
According to the published reports, Walton lost $67.3
million over the last three years. Its sales volume fell
from $117 million in 2013 to just $20 million last year,
a drop of 83 percent.
As a result of the financial turmoil, the company has
dramatically shrunk its North American workforce from
469 employees in 2013 to just 96 in April this year.
According to the Sun, the company plans to sell some
of its assets and restructure its debt.
Canadian banks are reportedly demanding the com
pany do monthly “paydowns” on some of its debt relat
ed to nine Canadian projects. That, along with the lower
sales, has created “short-term liquidity issues,” William
Doherty, CEO of Walton, told the Sun.
In a hint that some local Walton property might be
affected in this bankruptcy action, Doherty also said the
continued on page 2A
FARMERS FEEL EFFECTS OF DROUGHT, ARMYWORMS
Joe McMullan (R), owner of JBM Farm, talks with Greg Pittman, Jackson County extension agent,
about storing feed off for his cattle. McMullan has expanded his use of baleage, the wrapped hay. He
had about one-third what he needed for a normal year, he said recently. Farmers across the county
have been forced to sell cattle they hadn’t planned to sell after the drought and armyworms. See the
story and more photos on page 14A. Photo by Ron Bridgeman
Smith selected for
superintendent job
Jefferson High School principal Kevin Smith
has been hired as superintendent of the Pierce
County School System in South Georgia.
Superintendent John Jackson said Smith has
accepted the position.
The Jefferson City School System is search
ing for Smith’s replacement as principal. The
job has been posted. Jackson is not sure wheth
er he’ll have a recommendation to the Jeffer
son Board of Education by its May meeting.
The Pierce board of education voted
3-2 Thursday to hire Smith, who was
one of three top finalists for the job.
Pierce County is located just north
of Waycross in Southeast Geor
gia. The county seat is Blackshear.
The Pierce system has three elementary
schools, one middle school and one high
school. It has over 3,200 students and 216
faculty members.
KEVIN SMITH
Jefferson High School princi
pal Kevin Smith has been hired
as superintendent of the Pierce
County School System.
Daisy Festival set this
weekend in Nicholson
The 40th annual Daisy Festival will be held in
Nicholson Friday and Saturday. The event will be
held at the Nicholson City Park, located behind
city hall on Lakeview Drive.
The Mr. and Ms. Daisy Pageant will be held at
6 p.m. on Friday.
The parade will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday,
leaving from the River of Life Church and going
to the Nicholson City Park. The grand marshal
will be representatives from Benton Elementary
School.
Activities planned on Saturday include two
cake walks (one at 11:15 a.m. and another at 1:30
p.m.) hosted by the Friends of the Library, perfor
mances by the Commerce School of Dance, East
Jackson Comprehensive High School (EJCHS)
Dance Dazzlers, EJCHS Chorus and Tiger Town
Twirlers.
The band, Georgia Red Clay, will perform Sat
urday from 6 to 9 p.m.
Both Friday and Saturday, there will be food
vendors, jumpy houses, pony rides and crafts.
For more information, call city hall at 706-757-
3408.