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PAGE 2A PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS THURSDAY. NOVEMBER 5. 2020
Overnight vandal hits Jasper businesses
Business owner
offers reward for
information leading
to arrest
By Christie Pool
Staff Writer
ehristie@pickensprogress.com
A businessman is offering
a reward for information
about a vandal that hit several
local businesses late Sunday
and early morning Monday,
November 1 st and 2nd. Police
Chief Greg Lovell said on
Tuesday morning his officers
do have a suspect in mind and
they continue to investigate
the crime.
Around 10:20 p.m. on Sun
day, November 1st a video
surveillance camera caught a
man in the parking lot at
Power Solutions Unlimited at
111 Confederate Avenue in
Jasper, vandalizing vehicles.
He was wearing a mask, dark
clothing, gloves and a hoodie.
“He didn’t take anything
but just busted all the win
dows out and rummaged
through things,” said Lynn
Alexander, a PSU employee.
PSU owner Scott Fowler
said he found five vehicles
damaged at his office when he
arrived to work Monday
morning.
“He found a crow bar that
our guys use for installation in
the back of one of the trucks
and used our tools to break out
the windows,” Fowler said.
Fowler said the vandal
“didn’t steal a thing,” despite
finding a $120 rechargeable
flashlight that he used to look
around in the vehicles.
“He was a local. He wasn’t
driving,” Fowler said.
Fowler has offered a re
ward for information about
the man, saying he “doesn’t
give up” and will find who
ever did this.
Video also showed the man
with a silver colored backpack
on.
Police Chief Lovell said
the man also vandalized three
vehicles at Roland Tire’s 515
location near Walmart. During
their investigation police un
covered video from Walmart’s
surveillance that showed the
vandal attempting to enter two
cars in Walmart’s parking lot.
The police chief said there
was property damage but no
monetary items were taken
during the overnight spree.
“This is a single individual
working by himself and on
foot,” Lovell said. “He started
at Power Solutions, cuts
through Walmart to Roland’s
then back to Walmart.”
Lovell said he didn’t know
what the man was looking for
or why he didn’t take things
from the vehicles after he
broke out the windows.
“I don’t know if he was
looking for lose change or
firearms - there’s no telling,”
Lovell said.
Fowler said his checkbook
was in one of the vehicles and
the vandal clearly had opened
it because the cover was in the
back seat and the checks
themselves were found in a
different areaof the truck.
Fowler is offering a reward
for information. He can be
reached at 770-893-9177.
To contact the Jasper Po
lice Department call 706-692-
9110 and ask for Lieutenant
By Angela Reinhardt
Staff Writer
areinhardt@pickensprogress.com
For the first time since
early March and the start of
the pandemic, the Pickens
Grand Jury will convene be
ginning Monday, Nov. 16.
Appalachian Judicial Cir
cuit District Attorney Alison
Sosebee said the first day will
be juror selection, with cases
to be heard through Thursday
with the option to extend into
Friday. Sosebee could not dis
cuss specific cases as the cal
endar is not yet finalized and
subject to last-minute
changes. Her office can re
lease information about those
cases after proceedings con
clude.
Grand juries listen to pros
ecutors and witnesses in cases
where criminal charges have
been brought against a defen
dant. Proceedings are held in
private, and the jury votes on
whether or not there is enough
evidence to indict the defen
dant. Only cases with more se
rious charges are brought
before a grand jury.
Sosebee said Pickens
courts will adhere to the nu
merous guidelines in place in
light of COVID-19, which in
cludes securing several alter
nates in case a juror must be
quarantined or put into isola
tion, as well as social distanc
ing in the courtroom,
mandatory facial coverings,
and sanitation measures. Wit
nesses will wear clear face
shields so jurors can see facial
expression and body language
during their testimony.
There will be 23 grand ju
rors and several alternates se
lected from what was
originally a pool of 300. That
number has already been
Cochran or Sergeant Hender
son of the criminal investiga
tions department.
whittled down significantly.
The remaining jurors should
report to the courthouse Mon
day, Nov. 16. They will be in
terviewed in staggered groups
to reduce contact among po
tential jurors, again in light of
COVID-19 safety protocols
and a final jury selected.
For the first time since the
pandemic, the Gilmer Grand
Jury convened a couple weeks
ago, and the Fannin Grand
Jury will convene November
9th. On September 10, Chief
Justice Harold D. Melton of
the Supreme Court of Georgia
signed an order that author
ized grand jury proceedings to
resume.
“Under today’s order, the
chief judge of each superior
court is authorized to resume
grand jury proceedings ‘if
doing so can be done safely
and in compliance with public
health guidance based on local
conditions,”’ according to a
release issued by the Georgia
Supreme Court. “In exercising
his or her discretion to resume
grand jury proceedings, the
chief judge must consult with
the local district attorney and
follow guidelines developed
by the Judicial COVID-19
Task Force for conducting
safe grand jury proceedings.
Jury trials and most grand jury
proceedings have been pro
hibited in Georgia since
March.”
In the order, chief justice
Melton writes, “As explained
in the last extension order, this
broad prohibition cannot con
tinue, even if the pandemic
continues, because our judi
cial system, and the criminal
justice system in particular,
must have some capacity to
resolve cases by indictment
and trial.”
Stuffed animals donated to sheriff’s office
Marble Hill Chapter #448 Order of the Eastern Star recently donated around 35 stuffed animals to the Pickens County
Sheriffs Office. The animals will be used by the sheriffs office to help comfort distressed children during emergency
situations. The collection of the stuffed animals was a community projectfor the chapterfor the 2019-2020year. Pictured
is some of the members from Marble Hill Chapter OES and the employees of the sheriffs department L-R, Teresa
Scroggs, Sergeant Jody Weaver, Dana Tippens, Captain Kris Stancil, Debby Utiss, Worthy Matron of Marble Hill OES,
Sheriff Donnie Craig, George Utiss, Worthy Patron of Marble Hill OES, and Deputy Christine Hedmann.
Grand Jury to convene
after eight months
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