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THURSDAY. JANUARY 26. 2023 PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS PAGE 11A
Map/Georgia Department of Transportation
GDOT is in the process ofpurchasing right-of-way acquisitions for a project that has
been on the state agency’s radar since at least 1992, a signal that after so many years it
could finally see the light of day.
Road
Work
Roble Mexican Restaurant/
Marco’s Pizza), where the
project splits into two one
way pairs, each proposed as
two 11-foot lanes with urban
shoulders. The one-way pairs
continue eastward, with the
westbound segment follow
ing the SR 53 BU alignment
and the eastbound segment
on a combination of new lo
cation and existing align
ments of Industrial
Boulevard and Spring Street.
The one-way pairs merge at
the intersection of East
Spring Street and Burnt
Mountain Road, which is the
eastern terminus of the proj
ect.
Construction duration is
estimated to be 30 months, as
recommended at the 2018
Preliminary Field Plan Re
view (PFPR). An offsite de
tour is not proposed for the
project.”
GDOT records show the
following cost estimates: pre
liminary engineering, $5.26
million; right-of-way acqui
sition; $8.21 million; utilities,
$600,311; construction,
$24.02 million. (Construc
tion and utilities estimates
were performed in July
2022.)
The Progress has added
a new Pickens Poll feature
to our Instagram page.
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Find out what’s happening on your street,
in the schools, and all across Pickens County.
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Continued From 1A
Child Deaths
Child Cruelty, and $1,500 for
one count of Battery - Fam
ily Violence. No charges
have been brought against
the mother at this time, Davis
said.
Mathews is scheduled to
appear in court this week for
motions and a preliminary
hearing, with one of those
motions an attempt to have
bond reduced.
No charges
anticipated in death
of child at homeless
shelter
In a separate incident of a
child death that occurred at
the Refuge in Jesus homeless
shelter on Saturday, Jan. 7,
Jasper Asst. Chief Davis said
no criminal charges are ex
pected.
“It was a really sad situa
tion,” Davis said, who noted
that they are awaiting au
topsy results which could
take a few months.
According to Jasper Fire
reports, responders were dis
patched to a full-arrest emer
gency call to South East
Street at approximately 5:20
p.m. The four-month-old
child was in a back room of
the homeless shelter. Jasper
Police were already on scene
and performing CPR on the
child, whose skin was blue
and splotchy, and who had no
pulse and was not breathing
upon Jasper Fire’s arrival at
approximately 5:23 p.m.
The child was taken to an
ambulance where CPR was
continued, and transported to
the hospital. The child was
later pronounced dead.
The GBI investigation is
still underway, but Davis
does not anticipate any
charges will be brought
against the child’s mother or
step-father who were living
at the shelter at the time of
the baby’s death. The step-fa
ther’s mother is a leader at
the homeless shelter and
manages day-to-day opera
tions.
A second Jasper police of
ficer told the Progress it was
a tragic death with no evi
dence of any wrongdoing.
Continued From 1A
Snakes
ized early into the investiga
tion that the black market for
venomous reptiles was ro
bust, and subjects identified
in the operation were dealing
reptiles frequently and in
high numbers, often to or
from unpermitted individu
als.
Violations charged during
this operation do not take into
account that many of these
snakes were probably
sourced illegally from their
home country of origin. A
well-established tactic for
black market dealers is to
launder illegally procured
snakes through a properly
permitted facility, so they
may be sold without di
vulging their true origin.
Timothy James Gould,
age 38, of Central City, PA
was taken into custody in
Georgia on numerous felony
and misdemeanor arrest war
rants. The other seven sus
pects were arrested in
Florida.
Gould is a well-estab
lished wildlife transporter
and is unpermitted in the
state of Georgia and Florida
for any captive wildlife, let
alone venomous reptiles. He
advertises his illegal trans
port services on a popular on
line marketplace for wildlife
dealers. When arrested,
Gould had 27 exotic ven
omous snakes in his posses
sion illegally.
Wildlife trafficking ranks
fourth behind, drugs,
weapons, and humans in
global activity, and is often a
nexus for other illegal activ-
An Inland Taipan seized
in the investigation.
ity. There are many different
estimates of the value of il
licit wildlife trafficking
worldwide. According to the
Wildlife Conservation Soci
ety, illicit wildlife trafficking
is estimated to be between
$7.8 billion and $10 billion
per year.
Continued From 1A
County meeting
Employee Recognitions - Lt. Chris Leake with the sheriff’s office was recognized for
20 years of service by Pickens County last week. Not pictured, Sgt. David Key was recog
nized for 10 years of service.
Leake is shown with Commissioner Josh Tippens, left, and Commission Chair Kris
Stancil. Commissioner Josh Tatum participated in the meeting Thursday by phone/speaker.
problems filling open posi
tions.
In later comments, Stancil
said it has mainly been the flu
that thinned ranks in county
offices. “Every time we get
one back, it seems like we
lose one or two,” he said,
adding this wasn’t uncom
mon at this time of the year.
With hiring challenges,
Stancil said the animal shel
ter was “critically” short of
manpower and both fire de
partments and 911 were run
ning shorthanded.
“It’s the same story in all
of north Georgia,” he said
with everyone struggling to
get employees.
Both planning and devel
opment and recycling said
they were seeing a slowdown
in general operations.
• The county is projecting
a 10-month installation and
training period with a new
software system to replace
the software used in several
departments and allow the
departments to connect eas
ier. “It will be worth the
challenge [of the installation
process],” Stancil said.
• The rec. department is
wrapping up basketball and
preparing to start
baseball/softball/tee ball, as
well as soccer. See ad on the
sports page for dates and
deadlines.
• The county will cut
COVID leave to five days
max a year, down from the
two weeks last year.
• The county is getting set
for a state grant to reimburse
the recycling center for ac
cepting scrap tires from citi
zens with the state paying for
the disposal.
• Public Safety reported
grants from both Northside
and Piedmont hospitals for
automatic CPR machines for
ambulances. See story’ on
new equipment next week.
• Shane Fendley was ap
pointed to another five years
on the board of assessors.
Stancil said he had done a
fantastic job in his last term.
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