Newspaper Page Text
Grand Jury indicts Wigington
on 57 counts, wife on 2 counts
Book-in photos / Pickens Sheriff’s Office
Former Pickens judge Allen Wigington and Rosemary Wigington.
By Angela Reinhardt
Staff Writer
areinhardt@piekensprogress.com
On Thursday, Nov. 19th a
Grand Jury indicted former Pick
ens’ Chief Magistrate Judge Allen
Wigington on 57 counts related to
financial fraud and theft. Wiging-
ton’s wife Rosemary Wigington, a
Pickens High School teacher, was
arrested after the Grand Jury in
dicted her on two counts of Theft
by Taking in the same case.
The financial crimes case
against Wigington, a 25-year em
ployee of county government,
began when he was originally ar
rested in January of this year. At
that time he was charged with im
proper use of a county credit card
and for writing checks from the
magistrate court to cover money
investigators say he stole as treas
urer of the Blaine Lodge. The case
continued to expand over the next
several months. The Georgia Bu
reau of Investigation executed a
search warrant at the home of the
former judge in May and seized
numerous items they say were ille
gally purchased with the county
card.
According to the court docu
ment obtained from the Pickens
County Courthouse, the Grand
Jury indicted Wigington on 11
counts of Theft by Taking; 3
counts of Forgery in the Fourth
Degree; 42 counts of Unauthorized
Use of a Financial Transaction
Card; and 1 count of Violation of
Oath by Public Officer. The indict
ment means the Grand Jury found
enough probable cause that crimes
had been committed, and that for
mal charges can be brought and the
case can move forward. There will
now be an arraignment where de
fendants will plead guilty or not
guilty, likely before the end of the
year.
This case is being handled by
the state attorney general’s office
after local judicial personnel re
cused themselves due to their pro
fessional relationships with the
longtime county and court em
ployee.
Among the 42 financial transac
tion fraud counts, all of which in
volved improper use of a Pickens
County government credit card,
five were related to goods and
services purchased at Hilton or
Hampton Inn hotels spanning from
2017 to 2019. The other counts,
also involving the county credit
card, are related to a wide variety
See Wigingtons on 11A
2020 (L ? ourt presented at finalpame of the deadon
The 2020 PHS Court was announced before the
Friday night football game in Dragon Stadium.
The court is made up of 10 senior girls and 10 sen
ior boys who exemplify the best of Pickens High
School. They are chosen by members of their own
senior class.
Pictured at left. L-R: Carly Shoffer, Kealy
Hillhouse, Made Buttimer, Ally Harper, Reagan
Harwood, Caroline Angelisanti, Kinsley Beck,
Paige Klein, Cassidy Richards, Brianna Simp
son.
Pictured below. Jarod Whitmore, Clay Shof
fer, Tucker Lowe, Matthew Campbell, Will
Roland, Eddie Lindbert, Stephen Brownell,
Owen Moss, Sy Chadwick, Hunter White.
See Mr. and Miss PHS on page 11 A.
Photos courtesy Jamie Richards
Boy Scouts complete
Eagle projects at Our
Lady of the Mountains
Peyton Franco and Jake Anderson (l-r) completed
an impressive area for the Catholic Church on Refuge
Road as their Eagle Scout projects.
From Our Lady of the Mountains Catholic Church
Becoming an Eagle Scout is a major accomplishment
that requires the candidate to “plan, develop, and give
leadership to others in a service project help fid to any re
ligious institution, any school, or their community.”
For their Eagle Scout project, local Scouts Peyton
Franco, son of Jose and Alana Franco, and Jake Anderson,
son of Marc and Dana Anderson, chose to build a beauti
ful stone firepit with amphitheater seating that will serve
as a gathering space for youth ministry activities at Our
Lady of the Mountains (OLM) Catholic Church in Jasper.
Both Jake and Peyton are parishioners at the church
and members of Boy Scout Troop 125 in Canton.
Eagle Scout is the „
See Scouts on 11A
Nativity to be set up this
Saturday at courthouse
A photo of the new Nativity set purchased with funds donated from the
community has arrived in time for the holidays.
Public invited to event
made possible through
successful fundraiser
By Angela Reinhardt
Staff Writer
areinhardt@piekensprogress.com
The story of the Nativity that’s displayed
at the Pickens Courthouse each Christmas is
long and convoluted, with ownership and re
sponsibility of the set changing hands over
the years. The Nativity’s story came to a
head in 2019 when it was noticeably miss
ing from the lawn during the annual tree
lighting ceremony. Members of the commu
nity went to social media with complaints.
But after a year-long fundraiser organ
ized by a private citizen a new Nativity has
been purchased and is scheduled to be set up
at a public event this Saturday.
Local business owner Marla Renner
spearheaded the fundraising effort, which
has collected over $5,000 since last Decem
ber. The set See Nativity on 11A
Inside:
/}lltfa
Peak
Black Friday
shopping guide
on page 7A.
Youth in action
Northside Church
youth deliver
Thanksgiving
dinners Page2B
COVID-19 cases in
Pickens approach 1,000
Daily testing to begin
Monday, Nov. 30th at
local health department
Since record keeping
began in March, there have
been 977 cases of coron-
avirus in Pickens, according
to the state’s department of
health daily COVID-19 status
report website as of Monday,
November 23rd. There have
been 13 confirmed deaths
here, two probable deaths
and 75 hospitalizations.
Across the state, there are
406,220 confirmed cases,
8,644 deaths, 34,083 hospi
talizations, 6,377 ICU admis
sions, and another 571
“probable” deaths from the
virus, as of Monday after
noon.
Pastor Ben Mock of Mount
Zion Baptist Church said
Monday afternoon that the
health department will discon
tinue COVID testing at his
church after Tuesday, No
vember 24th. COVID-19 test
ing will be available daily
beginning Monday, Novem
ber 30th at the Pickens Health
Department, 60 Health Way,
Jasper, from 8 to 9 a.m., ac
cording to Jennifer King of the
North Georgia Health District
1-2 Georgia Department of
Public Health. Appointments
are strongly encouraged,
King said, and are available
via the state’s COVID call
center number at 1 -888-881 -
1474. The center is open
Monday through Friday from
8:15 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. but
will be closed this Thursday
and Friday for the Thanksgiv
ing holiday.
Rapid testing is available
for First Responders or any
adult age 18 or older who is
experiencing symptoms, King
said.
Obituaries - 9A
• Bessie Ray
• Irene Hollis
• John Edwards
Contact Us
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