Newspaper Page Text
Thursday, July 7, 2022 | Volume 135 Number 12 | Jasper, Georgia | 22 pages, 2 sections | Published Weekly | $1.00
Two bodies found in Georgia Highlands home
had been there well over a year, investigators say
Photo/qPublic
Investigators believe the bodies found in this home are the couple who
owned it. The first body was discovered by a bank employee taking pho
tographs for foreclosure proceedings who called 911.
By Angela Reinhardt
Staff Writer
areinhardt@pickensprogress.com
Two bodies were discovered in
side a Georgia Highlands subdivi
sion home last week. Authorities
believe the bodies had been in the
house for at least a year-and-a-half,
and possibly more.
Pickens Sheriff’s Criminal Inves
tigation Division Capt. John Cagle
described the macabre scene that un
folded after a bank employee came
to the house at 1823 Highland Park
way, which was being foreclosed on.
The employee arrived at the home
around 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, June
23 to get photos of the interior.
After finding the doors locked,
the employee forced his way in and
discovered a deceased male on a
mattress on the floor in the master
bedroom, which had no bedroom
furniture in it. There was an open
laptop on the mattress.
The employee immediately con
tacted authorities who arrived
shortly after and discovered the re
mains of a female in the master bath
room jacuzzi tub. Investigators be
lieve her body had been in the home
longer than the male’s because of the
differing states of decomposition.
The home was in disarray, with
trash littering much of the interior
when deputies arrived. The power
was also off.
“Initially, we thought they may have
been squatters,” Cagle said.
The remains are believed to be
those of Deborah Neerman, 72, and
Keith Neerman, 67, the couple who
owned the home, but because of the
badly deteriorated state of the bodies
and lack of dental and other records,
Cagle doubts they can get a positive
identification.
At this time cause of death is un
known, but no foul play is suspected
in terms of an outside party entering
the home.
It was noted that Mr. Neerman
had been arrested in Pickens County
See Bodies on 11A
Distinctive,
meat-allergy
causing tick
has made
Pickens
home
By Alex Goble
Staff Writer
agoble@piekensprogress.com
Over Memorial Day|
weekend 2021 Robin Dunn
was at his family lake home
in Florida when he found
something odd attached to |
his leg. It was slightly larger
than a pinhead.
That something was a
tick.
Dunn pulled it off with
out much thought and re
turned home to Jasper.
Then, in late June 2021,
he drove up to Fredericks
burg Va. to visit his brother
and sister-in-law. He was
about an hour and a half)
from their house and getting
hungry when he stopped at
a Wendy’s to get a ham-|
burger. After eating he con
tinued north. An hour later
he noticed that his hands
were turning a bright shade
See Tick on 11A
photo/cdc.gov
One Progress staff mem
ber has spotted a lone star
tick here, with its unique
spot eerily visible, warning
of the potential problems it
can cause.
Celebrating the 4th in a small town
draws big crowd to streets, park
photo/Robin Dunn
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It was hot, but not too hot to turn away the crowds
this year for the Jasper Lions annual July 4th celebra
tion. The streets were packed as was the carnival.
The Jasper Fire Chief said they had no calls from
the events, but had prepared with a tent downtown
just in case. Lions leader Leslie Miller thanked all the
volunteers who made all the different activities in town
possible.
The Lions have been hosting the Independence
Day celebration here almost every year since 1939.
See Photo Essay from Robin Dunn on small town
July 4th celebration on Page 5-7A.
First responders receive Narcan packs, training
Nasal spray to revive opioid overdoses used on three calls in same day
By Dan Pool
Editor
dpool@pickensprogress.com
Jasper fire and police per
sonnel along with sheriff
deputies attended training
and were given a fresh sup
ply of Narcan nasal spray to
treat opioid overdoses
Thursday.
The free supply of the
drug that is considered a life-
saver for many overdose pa
tients was provided by
Jasper Drag Store, Highland
Rivers Health and the More
house School of Medicine,
and it came at a particularly
needed time.
The day before, July
29th, first responders used
the nasal spray drag on three
separate calls where people
had overdosed. A Jasper fire
official described the kits as
“Narcan nasal spray is a po
tentially lifesaving medica
tion that is used to reverse
the effects of an opioid over
dose within minutes.”
Jasper Assistant Fire
Chief Von Headrick said
three times in a day across
the county is unusual but
overdose calls come in
spurts. He said the county
may go a month without a
single opioid overdose, then
you get a wave.
Headrick and other offi
cers at the class said one
leading theory on the waves
of overdoses could trace
back to a batch of drugs
being brought into the
county with higher levels of
fentanyl, the deadly additive
that often shows up in drags.
Jasper Fire Chief John
Scherrer said opioids are
definitely sweeping the
country and present an addi
tional challenge to first re
sponders.
He said it’s great that they
See Narcan on 11A
Good Vibes Series
Smoking and barbecuing meat
By Angela Reinhardt
Staff Writer
areinhardt@piekensprogress.com
Alan Home describes his love of smok
ing and barbecuing meat as “much more
than a hobby.” They’re passions sparked by
a childhood of cooking, fanned by his love
of the process, then shared as his own form
of community service.
“Growing up our biggest family time was
around meals that we would prepare,
whether it was a fish fry or a barbeque,”
Home said. “That was the big bonding time.
Like a lot of southern families, life revolved
around that dinner table. We took it a step
further and we all cooked very young, and
things went from there for me.”
He loves cooking in general, but slow-
cooking meat is his favorite.
“It’s a stress relief and decompression ac
tivity for me,” Home said. “Smoking and
barbequing is a longer process and you can
really dive into it. I especially enjoy the tra
ditional way of cooking with wood where
you’re managing your fire and managing
See Good Vibes on 11A
Alan Horne’s passion for barbecue and cooking devel
oped young where he says family time revolved around
meals and food.
Here, Horne gets Boston butts prepped for a fundraiser
for the Boys & Girls Club. He estimates that there were
180 butts cooked that day by everyone involved.
For Kids
Maze Craze
Can you find the way through tt
Give your kids,
grandkids a
challenge
every week
with our Kids
Page.
Page 5B
Big Canoe
Chapel awards
scholarships
Page 2A
Tips for fishing
in the heat
Page 1B
Obituaries - 9A
• Damie Morris
• Debbie Grimes
• Dolores Veazey
• Patricia North
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