Newspaper Page Text
THURSDAY. DECEMBER 1.2022 PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS PAGE 5A
Letters *
tot/iA Editor
To the Editor:
The first time I met David
Ralston I had been working
with the parent of a local
youth with behavioral health
needs, trying to navigate
what seemed like one road
block after another. We fi
nally sought the help of our
local legislator, then-Repre-
sentative David Ralston.
He met with us, listened
attentively, and told us he
would see what he could do.
Not surprisingly, he could do
a lot - and did. What was
clear at that first meeting was
his care and concern for per
sons who experienced chal
lenges in our community, and
who were in many ways mar
ginalized. He carried that
care and concern with him
every day, especially as
Speaker.
Over the years since, I met
with David Ralston many
times, sometimes in his home
community of Blue Ridge but
more often at the Capitol, in
the Speaker’s office. His of
fice was always busy, with
aides and fellow lawmakers
going in and out, phones
ringing constantly. And yet
when he was ready to meet
with me, rather than have one
of his assistants show me into
his office, he would always
walk to his office door and
greet me by name, “Hello
there Melanie; come on in.”
Even as Speaker he never
forgot that he represented the
people and families of Fannin
and Gilmer counties - two of
the counties served by High
land Rivers Behavioral
Health. He was always avail
able to discuss the needs of a
single individual in his dis
trict, just as he was available
to talk about the needs of the
mental health system in
Georgia. If our agency en
countered challenges serving
his constituents, David Ral
ston wanted to know.
It was that same care and
concern which inspired what
will be remembered as one of
his most significant legisla
tive initiatives, House Bill
1013, the Mental Health Par
ity Act. He felt so strongly
about this issue - ensuring
that insurance companies
treat mental health with the
same importance as physical
health - that he not only
sponsored this landmark leg
islation himself, but held a
press conference in the Capi
tol Rotunda to do so.
One of the most remark
able things about this bill is
that it passed both houses of
the Georgia General Assem
bly unanimously - so rare in
these times. There is perhaps
no greater testament to the re
spect Georgia lawmakers had
for David Ralston than that.
Equally important, this law
will benefit thousands, if not
millions, of Georgians who
are impacted by behavioral
health challenges. It is a
tremendous legacy.
Highland Rivers extends
our deepest sympathies to
David Ralston’s family mem
bers and loved ones; your
loss is our loss. Georgia is a
better place because of David
Ralston, because he cared.
Melanie Dallas, CEO,
Highland Rivers
To the Editor:
Herschel Walker is the
best candidate choice for the
Georgia US Senate runoff
election race. Herschel has
the best common-sense poli
cies that will lower food and
gasoline prices by increasing
US energy production. Her-
schel’s policies will lower
crime, cut taxes, control ille
gal drugs (including fentanyl)
and stop illegal immigration,
restore and protect American
freedoms and jobs. Your vote
today for Herschel is a vote
for prosperity and peace
through strength. Encourage
all pro-Herschel voters to
vote for Herschel Walker as
soon as possible. Georgia,
America and your wallet will
feel the difference.
https://www.teamherschel.co
m/issues/
Woody Watrous
To the Editor:
Well it finally happened
and we have a Senate runoff
between Herschel Walker
and Warnock. That was ex
pected of course with a Lib
ertarian which I am. Yet, my
leanings are conservative
with a slight liberal consider
ation for the needy and dis
abled.
We had a not-so-great
turnout for conservatives.
Hopefully those who dislike
what is riding our country
now need to vote our pocket
book and save the USA from
a huge step towards Social
ism and with the comiption
that exists in our government
could lead to the next step
being at the minimum Au
thoritarianism or even worst
Communism. Let’s save the
USA and turnout even
stronger than the General
Election.
The good news is that we
had a fair and accurate elec
torate in Pickens County with
machines and hand count
matching
So let’s get out and vote.
Below is the new schedule
for early voting. Let’s do bet
ter than the General Election
this time.
Walker wins Dec. 6 we
have 50/50 Senate. Ex
tremely important to vote.
The are 38 seats up for elec
tion in Senate in 2024. One
more now puts the GOP
closer to majority. Locally
we had 60 percent turnout in
the lection. All of those peo
ple need to come out again.
Early vote starts Nov. 28th
for five days. Early voting at
the recreation center 8-6
daily and will only take a few
minutes. Local precincts on
Dec 6. open 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Let’s give Hershel the seat
in the Senate. Save America,
if they don’t do what is ex
pected vote them out next
term. If they do not deliver I
will vote Libertarian next
election.
C. Ray Smith
A concerned Veteran
In addition to the activity
from the Uniform Patrol Di
vision, Court Service
Deputies reported the fol
lowing statistics for the past
week:
Persons Scanned at
Front Door: 454
Weapons Found: 3
Courts Held: 3
Arrests Made in
the Courthouse: 0
Civil Papers Received: 18
Civil Papers Served: 35
In the Adult Detention
Center:
Total Jail population:45
Total male inmates: 38
Total female inmates: 7
Sex Offenders:
There are currently 69 sex of
fenders registered with the
Pickens Sheriff’s Office.
psqqp
REPORT
The Pickens Sheriff’s Of
fice responds to many calls
for service every day. The
following incidents are a few
deputies respond to each day.
Person with a warrant
leads to a second person
with a warrant
Deputies went to a home
to find a person with an out
standing felony warrant. The
deputies knocked on the door
and loudly called out identi
fying themselves, finally a
man came to the door. The
man at the door was the per
son with the felony warrant.
Deputies spoke to the other
three people in the house and
found another man with an
outstanding warrant. Both
men were taken to jail.
A man hunting on
property that had
been sold
Deputies went to a prop
erty, which does not have an
address yet, because there
was an unknown man on the
property. When deputies got
to the property they spoke to
the man, he told the deputies
he had permission to be hunt
ing from the previous owner.
The man said he had sent a
picture to the previous owner
and the previous owner told
him he had sold the property.
The man said as soon as he
found out the property sold,
he started packing up his be
longings to leave. The new
owner of the property said
she thought that was proba
bly the mix up.
Trump banners stabbed
A woman called deputies
to report a person she had
been driving to church for the
last several months had
started to behave strangely.
The woman said the man
started being upset with some
of the elderly people at the
church saying they believed
wrongly. The woman said a
few days later the man sent
her a video where he was in
her front yard with her
Trump banners and the man
was cutting up a potato with
Letters welcomed - No letter more than 450 words; Send to
news@pickensprogress.com or Pickens Progress 94 N. Main, Jasper, Ga.
30143; All letters must have a full name that will be published, and contact info.
(Email Address or Phone Number), which will not be published.
FLOOD THE POLLS
VOTE
REPUBLICAN
PAID FOR BY CITIZENS FOR RICK JASPERSE
The Sheriff’s Beat
From the Pickens Sheriff’s Office
a knife. Later the woman said
her Trump banners were
stabbed and tom down.
Deputies tried to reach the
man but were unable to con
tact him.
Overdose
Deputies were called to a
home by a man saying his
adult son had overdosed on
heroin. The dad said he found
his adult son turning blue so
the dad used NARCAN on
his adult son and he woke up.
The man said his adult son
was not making any sense
while talking and he had left
the home and walked up the
hill. Deputies found the adult
son and took him back to the
home. There were no more
drugs in the home and the
adult son refused any med
ical treatment.
Stolen car
A woman called for
deputies because she said her
car was stolen. The woman
said she was in the house
playing pool when she heard
the car start up. The woman
went outside and saw the car
backing out of the driveway.
The woman said there was a
truck there also and the per
son in the truck blew the hom
at her. The woman said she
took over payments on the
truck and sent the monthly
payments to the registered
owner to pay the bill. The
deputy asked if the woman
thought it could be a repos
session, and the woman said
she did not believe that to be
the case.
Pigs on the loose
A man called to complain
that some domesticated pigs
were loose and on his prop
erty. The man told the deputy
that the pigs belong to a
neighbor down the road, and
these pigs get out of their pen
often. The man wanted to
make a report because the
pigs are always in his prop
erty and in his garden. The
deputy spoke to the pig
owner and he told the deputy
he has nine pigs and four had
escaped the fence that morn
ing, however the pig owner
had fixed the fence and the
pigs should not escape again.
Disorderly man
possibly having a
mental break down
A woman called for
deputies because her adult
son was being disorderly.
The woman said her adult
son was having a mental
break down and had not slept
in 48 hours. The woman said
her son believed he was in
hell. Deputies had EMS
check the adult son and he
was transported to the hospi
tal for further evaluation.
Golf cart accident
Deputies were called
about a golf cart accident.
The man driving the golf cart
said he was going too fast
down a steep hill and lost
control of the golf cart. The
man tried to regain control
and over corrected and
caused the golf cart to flip
over on its side. All four pas
sengers were treated for in
juries from the crash.
Mountain Dew bottle
caused damage
to a car
A man called to report to
deputies that while he was
driving down the road a car
in front of him threw out a
Mountain Dew bottle that
bounced off the hood of his
car and hit his windshield.
The bottle cause paint dam
age to the hood and some
damage to the windshield.
Woman bought a car that
was not street legal
A woman called to make a
complaint that she bought a
car from a man for her
teenaged son. The woman
said when she went to get the
title in her name she was told
the title was a “parts title”
and could not be driven on
the road. The woman said she
had the car towed from the
house she purchased it from
to her house and had not
driven it. The woman said
she had no idea the car was
not able to be driven on the
road, she said it had never
been explained to her. The
woman said she felt like she
was purposely sold a bad ve
hicle. The deputy spoke to
the man that sold the woman
the car. The man said he told
the woman the car was a
drifting car and could not be
driven on the road. The man
said the woman insisted she
wanted to buy it for her
teenaged son. The man said
he was not going to give her
the money back, but he
would help her sell the car if
she wanted him to. The
deputy told both people this
was a civil issue and told
them how to go about the
civil process.
During this past week, the Pickens Sheriff’s Office
responded to or initiated 2,999 calls for service.
These numbers are taken from the report provided
directly from the 911 Center where all calls are
logged as they are performed. Below is a breakdown
of all dispatched calls by the call type for each inci
dent.
Accidents 41
Suicide Threats / Attempts 1
Domestics 26
Theft / Burglary Related 12
Forgery / Fraud 17
Traffic Stops 230
Citations Issued N/A
Animal Investigations 15
Suspicious Persons/Activities 24
Alarm Calls 20
Stranded Motorists 20
Street Hazards 10
Vandalism 7
Abandoned Vehicles 1
Extra Patrol - neighborhoods, businesses, resi
dences 2,252. In addition to these, other calls include
search warrants, civil service, 911 hang-up calls, as
saults, disorderly persons, missing persons, assis
tance with medical calls, natural death
investigations, demented persons, funeral escorts,
harassment, trespassing, and many more.
Breakdown of Charges for those Arrested:
9 individuals were booked into the Adult Detention
Center on charges from the Pickens Sheriff’s Office.
Out of these, the following charges were taken by
PSO deputies (note: some individuals have multiple
charges):
Probation Violation (Felony) - 3
Driving with license suspended/revoked - 2
Disorderly Conduct - 2
Possession of convicted felon or felony
first offender -1
Aggravated Assault -1
Cruelty to Children - 3rd degree - 1
Driving w/o license on person -1
DUI- 1
GRISHAM, POOLE
& CARLILE, PC
Criminal Defense I Family Law
"You can't go back and change the beginning,
but you can start where you are and change
the ending." ~ C.S. Lewis
21 COURT STREET
JASPER, GEORGIA
678.880.9360
Experienced. Established. Effective.