Thursday, June 16, 2022 | Volume 135 Number 9 | Jasper, Georgia | 24 pages, 2 sections | Published Weekly | $1.00
Gaming machines targeted
in second burglary in past month
By Angela Reinhardt
Staff Writer
areinhardt@pickensprogress.com
Gaming machines were the target of a second
burglary in the city of Jasper within a month, with
the most recent incident occurring at Marathon
convenience store on West Church Street.
Authorities were dispatched at approximately
6 a.m. on June 9 after an employee arrived to
work and found the gaming machines had been
broken into and the cash boxes inside stolen.
According to Jasper Police Detective Nathan
Henderson, the suspect entered the building
through a hole that was cut into the rear of the
structure. The suspect appears to be male with a
medium to small build, wearing all camouflage
clothing, a mask that covered his face, and black
gloves. He was carrying a backpack at the time of
the burglary.
The suspect appeared on scene just after 3:30
a.m. and left at approximately 4:44 a.m.
At this time it is not known how much money
was stolen from the gaming machines, which
many people refer to as “ding ding machines.”
The other incident occurred at Dunn’s Food
Mart in Talking Rock on May 16 just before 4
a.m. Video surveillance shows two suspects fully
covered with masks, gloves, and long-sleeved
dark clothing, approach the side of the building
where they broke into the establishment. One of
the individuals was wearing a wide-brimmed
black hat. Similar to the more recent incident, em
ployees who arrived for work later that morning
found gaming machines had been broken into.
Investigations are ongoing. When asked if it
is suspected that the two incidents are connected,
Henderson said they are not riding it out at this
time. If anyone has information pertaining to the
burglaries, please contact the Jasper Police De
partment and request Sergeant Nathan Henderson
or Investigator Heath Watson.
Tuesday
runoff will
settle west
commission
seat race
GOP east voters
get this runoff
Election Day off
By Alex Goble
Staff Writer
agoble@pickensprogress.com
Early voting for
runoffs have already
started for Pickens
County voters with the
Republican ballot con
taining only one local
race, between David
Shouse and Josh Tip-
pens, and the Demo
cratic ballot containing
four state races, includ
ing lieutenant governor
and secretary of state.
There are several
caveats for voters to
keep in mind that are
specific to runoffs:
•If you did not vote
in the primary and de
clare a party you can
still vote in the runoff.
•If you voted non
partisan in the primary,
you did not declare a
party so you can vote in
the runoff.
•If you voted a party
in the primary, that is
the party you will have
to vote in the runoff.
•The Republican
ballot has one local
race, (Shouse/Tippens)
and you must live in
District 1 (West) to vote
on that ballot.
Early voting will run
June 13 to 17 at the
Pickens County Rec
Center from 8 a.m. to 5
p.m.
Election Day is June
21 at each voter’s as
signed precinct from 7
a.m. to 7 p.m.
Sample Ballots
Page 9B
Active shooter drills are regular training
for Pickens sheriff deputies
“Godforbid it
happen here, we
don’t want
anything to break
down, ” says
chief deputy on
training
By Dan Pool
Editor
dpool@pickensprogress.com
On Saturday, 26 officers
with the Pickens Sheriff’s of
fice conducted group train
ing exercises for active
shooter situations, including
simulated drills at the court
house downtown and school
campuses.
Chief Deputy Jeff Hall,
supervising the groups of
deputies gaining access to
the front of the courthouse
with a pretend shooter in
side, was emphatic that the
day’s work was not in re
sponse to any of the shooting
around the nation, nor any
thing special.
photo/ Dan Pool
With the blue guns out for training, deputies, under the watchful eye of command
staff of the sheriff’s office, perform an active shooter response drill on Jasper’s Main
Street Saturday.
Hall said it is disappoint- conduct this type of training, shooting, I say “where’ve
ing that Georgia and many “For any agency who y’all been?” Hall said. “We
other states do not require all said law enforcement needs do this regularly.”
law enforcement agencies to more training after the Texas „
° ° See Shooter training on 11A
Fire destroys Grandview home
By Angela Reinhardt
Staff Writer
areinhardt@pickensprogress.com
A home in the Grand
view area was destroyed
during a Sunday blaze,
which created a large black
plume of smoke that could
be seen from Jasper and sur
rounding areas.
Pickens County Fire
crews were dispatched at
approximately 5 p.m. on
June 12 to a possible struc
ture fire on Wilderness Lane
off Grandview Road, but the
911 center had received sev
eral reports of smoke prior
to the structure fire call.
“When crews arrived the
structure was fully in
volved,” said Pickens Fire
Chief Tim Prather.
Prather said the fire
posed a challenge in the op
pressive heat of the day,
which caused one firefighter
to suffer from heat exhaus
tion. The firefighter was sent
to the hospital for treatment.
“It was hot and humid,”
he said. “We were taking
See Fire on 11A
Photo/Provided by Pickens Fire & Rescue
This photo of the Wilderness Lane home was taken by
a neighbor just before Pickens Fire & Rescue crews ar
rived on the scene.
The structure was a total loss.
'’"Good Vibes Series
+
+
This summer the Progress is doing a
series we ’re calling Good Vibes. Our re
porters are seeking out people with in
teresting hobbies and finding out why
they love participating in them.
From golfing and painting to thrift
store junkies, homebrewers, BBQers
and readers, if you have a hobby you
love, let us know about it. We would love
to interview you. Email us at
articles@pickensprogress.com.
Will golf for
snacks and sun
By Melissa Lowrie
I took my first golf lesson when I was 15.
My dad played, so he bought me a cheap set
of ladies clubs and I learned the basics. It
was the beginning of a lifelong hobby.
There are two things that stick out from
my early golf days. The best was getting out
of school early for golf team practice; I went
to a small school, so if a student had a pulse
and clubs, they made the team. The kids who
played varsity sports had the last hour of the
See Good Vibes Golf on 11A
Warm weather vacations find the Lowries - Melissa
and Parish - on the links. The two are shown here in the
summer of2021 on Kiawah Island.
One of the best
decathletes in the
world comes
from Ball Ground
and is on a
mission to see
sport in Olympics
Page 1B
Special Health
and Wellness
section in this
week’s edition
Festivals and events
have Pickens County
residents smiling.
See photos
throughout this
week’s paper.
Obituaries - 5A
Betty Goyer
Daniel Lanier-Goltz
Dave Daily
Evelyne McFarland
Jerry Hancock
Robert Brooks
Robert Johnson
Roger Teague
Ruby Bors
Russell Burrows
Steve Jeffrey
Webster Whinery
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