Newspaper Page Text
Thursday, December 26, 2019
Volume 132 Number 36
Jasper, Georgia
Local News Published Weekly
Superintendent's removal:
Board chair cites ioss of confidence in leadership
But, Wilson supporters say move not warranted
Inside:
Dan Pool / Photo
Carlton Wilson shakes hands with supporters after his sudden removal as school superintendent for Pickens
County Thursday in the school board meeting room. Facing a clear three-two vote against him, he had no
choice but to resign, he said.
‘I am shocked. This
came out of left field’
says Carlton Wilson
By Dan Pool
Editor
dpool@pickensprogress.com
After two quickly called “emer
gency” meetings, a 3-2 split among
members of the school board forced
the resignation of Superintendent
Carlton Wilson Thursday morning.
The resignation was effective im
mediately, throwing the central of
fice into temporary turmoil and
prompting a third meeting Friday
morning where Dr. Charles Webb,
who had previously served as in
terim, was again named to that posi
tion [See story on page 2A],
Following the Thursday meeting,
a visibly shaken Wilson spoke to the
Progress saying, “I am shocked.
This came out of left field. We have
a great school system. Great teach
ers, great parents and great stu
dents.”
For most of the lengthy private
board session the previous day, Wil
son had not been included. Fie was
admitted for the last 30 minutes, but
told the Progress that he was not
presented any clear reasons that he
was being asked to resign.
“I have never been presented a
cause,” he said. “My last evaluation
was stellar.”
In a statement sent to the
Progress Friday afternoon, Board
Chair Tucker Green discussed their
decision to seek Wilson’s resigna
tion.
Green e-mailed, “Various experi
ences and observations throughout
See Wilson on 2A
Freak accident — Sheriff & spokesman
discuss gun discharge at Walmart
By Dan Pool
Editor
dpool@pickensprogress.com
In what they are calling a “freak
accident,” the backup pistol carried
by Sheriff Donnie Craig discharged
during the annual Shop-With-A-Cop
event Tuesday, Dec. 17th at the front
of Walmart in Jasper.
Sheriff spokesman Kris Stancil
described the scene, which had nu
merous law enforcement officers
and children inside the store, saying
that the sheriff was at the front of the
store talking with people and neither
he nor anyone had touched the gun
prior to the discharge. The Glock 43,
described as a smaller more compact
weapon, was clipped in the rear
waistband of the sheriff’s pants.
Stancil said they are considering
it a “freak accident.”
The hollow-point round hit the
store’s floor and shattered with one
shopper receiving a minor nick on
her leg from the flying shell frag
ments, but no serious injuries.
“There was the one minor cut,
and we asked her to be checked out
as a precaution,” Stancil said. “So,
technically we can’t say there were
no injuries.”
The office immediately asked the
GBI to investigate, however, they
declined. Stancil said since no one
was hurt and the shot wasn’t fired in
tentionally, the GBI wouldn’t send
an agent.
The Cherokee County Sheriff Of
fice has since undertaken an investi
gation. Stancil said after they
complete their work, the gun will be
sent to Glock for testing.
Sheriff Craig said, “I’m not say
ing it was a faulty weapon, but we
will send it over to Glock to cover all
the bases.”
Until Cherokee County com
pletes their investigation, Craig said
he is not saying much. He said they
would send all interview notes and
video from the store and anything
else that turned up in the investiga
tion over to the District Attorney
when complete.
“Once it’s all compiled I will be
as open and upfront as I can be to
everyone,” the sheriff said. “I am
very thankful no one was seriously
injured. With it being inside a store,
it could have been much worse.”
The state of children in the county
Top local officials address Family Connections
By Dan Pool
Editor
dpool@pickensprogress.com
Pickens County contin
ues to see official incomes
rise as well-to-do retirees re
locate here, while families
at the lower economic end
continue to struggle, accord
ing to discussion by top of
ficials in government,
schools and law enforce
ment at the yearly Family
Connection’s “State of the
County’s Children” meet
ing.
The county commission
chair, school superintendent
and spokesperson for the
sheriff’s office, addressed a
room full of people from
non-profits, churches and
government agencies who
deal with children and fam-
See Children on 2A
Dan Pool / Photo
Commission Chair Rob Jones discussed how wealthy retirees are great to welcome as they are moving to local com
munities, but their incomes skew averages and leave Pickens out-of-the-running for many grants and funds.
family connection
Christmas
tree recycling
Jan. 4 provides
habitat for
wildlife
Page gA
Bethlehem
Peace Light
shines Page 8A
Bent Tree
man talks
playing at
Bama under
Bear Bryant
Page lB
Obituaries - 7A
• Betty Phillips
• Charles Coltrane
• Jim Ryan
• Sandra Godfrey
Index
Editorial 4A
Letters to the Editor . 5A
Obituaries 7A
Church 8A
People 9A
Kids 3B
Legals 4-5B
Classifieds 6-7B
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Local Imerys operations not impacted by bankruptcy filing
By Angela Reinhardt
Staff writer
areinhardt@piekensprogres.com
After an article appeared
in the AJC in late November
regarding a Chapter 11 bank
ruptcy filing for a division of
Imerys, there has been some
concern that local Imerys op
erations would go out of
business or be negatively im
pacted.
The original bankruptcy
filing happened earlier this
year on February 13, but in
volved Imerys’ North Amer
ican talc business - not local
marble operations. Imerys
Talc America, Inc., which
supplies talc to Johnson &
Johnson, filed for Chapter 11
as a result of thousands of
lawsuits that claim their
products cause cancer.
The Progress contacted
Imerys, whose spokesperson
said there is no connection
between the lawsuit and
Pickens operations in Marble
Hill and Whitestone.
"Imerys 1 operations in
Pickens County, which cen
ter on mining and processing
of calcium carbonate, are not
affected in any way by the
Chapter 11 filing involving
its North American talc busi
ness,” said Melissa Noebes,
Communications Director of
Imerys Performance Miner
als - Americas. “The three
talc legal entities that have
filed for Chapter 11 protec-
See Imerys on 2A
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