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COPYRIGHT-THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 2015 • VOLUME 127 NUMBER 38 JASPER, GEORGIA • 750 Teams compete in Holiday Classic Page IB Book selections for 2015 Page IB If you would like to subscribe call 706-253-2457 or fill out a form at pickensproaress.com rxkvi (anaI; frapm \ is.* C -* i gD '1 • Juvenile defenders suit settled Details released after open records request By Angela Reinhardt Staff writer areinhardt@pickensprogress.com Two former juvenile indigent defense lawyers have been awarded a total of $75,000 in a negotiated settlement agreement following a lawsuit that brought breach of contract and First Amendment violation charges against the county. Under terms of the agreement, signed January 3, 2015, plaintiffs James John son and Victoria Ford agreed to “keep confidential the amount of the settle ment, as well as the terms and condi tions of this settlement,” according to the Confidential Settlement Agreement obtained by the Progress following Open Records requests. It was only after Open Records re quests were filed that details of the set tlement were released. The settlement goes on to state that payment by the Pickens County Govern ment to plaintiffs is not “an admission of liability” and that the county “specif ically denies any liability.” The settlement was mentioned briefly at a recent board of commission ers’ meeting, but county leaders would not release information to the public at that time. The Progress later learned that parties were subject to a confidentiality agreement regarding details of the me diation and filed Open Records Re quests soliciting all documents related to the settlement. County attorney Phil Landrum, III made settlement documents available to the Progress on Tuesday, Jan. 13 after requests were filed with the county on Friday, Jan. 9. In the original complaint - submitted to the U.S. District Court for the North ern District of Georgia on December 24, 2013 - plaintiffs Johnson and Ford al leged that although contracted with Pickens to provide legal defense for in digent persons in the Pickens County Ju venile Court for $45,000 and $40,000 a year, respectively, those contracts went underpaid for three years. They also claimed that, as a violation of their First See Settlement, Page 14A Tate marble worker killed by falling stone By Dan Pool Editor dpool@pickensprogress.com Pickens emergency crews responded Monday evening to a 911 call at the marble plant, 200 Georgia Marble Lane, in Tate where a worker had been hit by falling stone. The incident report said Kevin Voyles, 28, was found unresponsive and bleeding with large pieces of broken marble on him. Voyles later died from those injuries. A co-worker told a deputy that he saw Voyles be fore he had gone on break. When he returned 30 min utes later, “I saw Kevin lying underneath several large broken pieces of marble. I immediately began pushing the marble off of Kevin and tried to wake him up. When I couldn't get him to respond I called 911,” co worker Keith Myers told the deputy. Voyles was taken to Piedmont Hospital by ambu lance. Voyles was married with two small children. The Rev. John Foster, who is the head of the union at the marble operations, said the company closed See Voyles, Page 14A Thick as pea soup: County cocooned by thick fog Damon Howell / Photo A view from the driver’s seat looking west across Highway 515 shows a heavy fog early Monday. Foggy conditions remained through Tuesday. Well-loved business owner Maxine Moore dies By Angela Reinhardt Staff writer areinhardt@pickensprogress.com Lifetime Pickens resident Maxine Moore passed away last week, leaving a legacy of unwa vering support for and love of the community. Moore, who ran one of the oldest businesses in Jasper until the day of her passing, was known for her active community involvement with civic groups, as well as her tireless work to promote downtown Jasper and Pickens County. Moore began her career in re tail in 1947, working for Will Poole in a downtown Jasper gen eral store. In 1961 Moore and her husband, G.L., opened Moore Furniture on Main Street in Jasper, the same location the business has operated out of for over five decades. Moore was a member of the Jasper Lions Club, the Down town Development Authority, the Jasper Merchants Associa tion, and was on the Pickens County Chamber Board of Di rectors from 1984-1987 and again from 2003-2005. In No vember of 1991 she was awarded the first Downtown Merchants Award. Moore was also a charter member of the Piedmont Moun tainside Hospital Auxiliary and was very active organizing downtown Cruise-Ins, the annual Fourth of July parade and a num ber of other events. In addition, she supported the Pickens County Recreation Department, the Pickens County Library and many other programs and chari ties. The downtown business owner helped local organizations and individuals through her store by selling event tickets, putting out collection boxes and support ing local authors by selling their books. For her lifelong dedication to the county through volunteer and humanitarian work, Moore was named Pickens County Citizen of the Year in 2008. Moore passed away on Thurs day, Jan. 8. Cautious optimism at legislative session From medical marijuana to transportation By Dan Pool Editor dpool@pickensprogress.com State Representative Rick Jasperse, who has represented Pickens County as part of his Dis trict 11 for four years, sat down with the Progress Friday to discuss the legislative session that opened this week. Jasperse said he sees “a cautious optimism” with fellow lawmakers this year. This marks a subtle change from previous years where huge budget challenges dominated the work of the legislature. “There are always issues, but fortunately Georgia is in a positive position. The last four years we have seen increased revenue, in creased jobs and businesses mov ing here,” he said. While not apparent in District 11, Jasperse said the effects of the improving economy are seen in major companies moving to the state, like Mercedes Benz announc ing a relocation here earlier this month. Around the south, Georgia is clearly doing the best in economic terms, Jasperse said. He credits this to progressive business practices adopted and encouraged by the state including incentives, tax pol icy, cutting energy taxes to manu facturing sites and other components that make this state at tractive. But Jasperse said he believes lawmakers are starting this session, “knowing the economy is some thing that can change in a hurry.” Budget aside, Jasperse noted several areas that he believes will be take center stage under the Gold Dome this year. Transportation - Jasperse said the funding of state transportation needs will be the “big discussion.” He didn’t believe it would be set tled this session, but state leaders recognize the need to develop a vi sion. “Do we want more mass transit, more local control, an outer perimeter, toll lanes?” he asked. “This is coming to a head.” The driving force is the gridlock reaching Atlanta in most any direc tion. A few people have argued this is purely an Atlanta issue. Jasperse disagrees; pointing out that Atlanta is clearly the economic center of the state and the traffic is prevent ing companies from operating effi ciently. “You have to be able to get serv ices in to and out of Atlanta,” he said. “Once you can’t do that, you are in trouble.” Jasperse said he believes more trains will figure in as a means to State Rep. Rick Jasperse says with a stronger economy, law mak ers will turn their attention to transportation during this session, now underway. Look for Jasperse to offer regular reports in the Progress as the session continues. get goods from the ports on the coast into other areas. While Pick ens doesn’t see much train traffic, Jasperse said the part of his district See Jasperse, Page 14A Obituaries - Page 4A Michael Ferguson David Stokes Jack Pagel, Jr. Ned Womack Maxine Moore John McNeal Sarah Hamilton Billy Norton Helen Chatman Traffic stop ends with foot chase through busy commercial area By Dan Pool Editor dpool@picken- sprogress.com A deputy arrested a man for DUI (drugs) and other offenses fol lowing a traffic stop and foot chase through the crowded commercial area at Highway 515 and Highway 53 on Jan uary 2. The Progress was alerted to the story by bystanders who saw the chase, which started after Cody Alan Jones, 27, of Nelson, left his truck after a traffic stop at Zaxby’s and took off on foot. Sheriff Sgt. Jer- rit Pack had been pa trolling and recognized Jones as someone he had tried to serve an ar rest warrant on earlier that day. Jones was wanted for failure to ap pear in court. The foot chase con tinued from Zaxby’s across Highway 53 and through the Bojangles and Trout’s parking area and included an effort by Pack to use his taser on Jones. But, possibly due to the drags in the suspect’s system, the taser was ineffective on Jones, who pulled the taser leads out and con tinued running, accord ing to sheriff office spokesman Lt. Kris Stancil. One person told the Progress that people had seen the action in the busy area a little after 8 p.m. and that a shot had been fired during the chase, but sheriff records show no shots were fired by either the fleeing driver or deputies. Stancil con firmed that only tasers were drawn. Deputy Tony Heath, who joined the pursuit on foot, did aim and warn Jones that he would be tased. The in cident report filed by Heath noted that he was out of taser range when he yelled this but seeing the red dot of the taster’s targeting beam caused Jones to stop briefly. Jones then fell trying to jump down a cross tie wall between Trout’s parking lot and Century 21 near the intersection. Jones was hand cuffed after a brief straggle with the deputies. He then passed out and EMS was called. The deputies noted that the medics gave Jones Narcan. Stancil said Narcan is used to reverse the ef fects of drugs in some- See Chase, Page 14A Q O