Newspaper Page Text
Downtown
Live
This
Saturday
Page 7 A
Thursday, May 11, 2023 | Volume 136
Number 4 | Jasper, Georgia | 24 pages, 2 sections | Published Weekly
Investigation continues into scam
that took $150K from Jasper City Hall
By Angela Reinhardt
Staff Writer
areinhardt@pickensprogress.com
A recent email and wire transfer scam that cost
the city of Jasper $150,000 remains under inves
tigation, with city leaders deferring comments and
saying they will not release additional information
until the investigation is complete.
On March 31, an email sent from Jasper to the
Cherokee Water & Sewer Authority (CCSWSA)
was intercepted by a third party, who then re
sponded via email and advised that the CCWSA
no longer took checks as payments. They emailed
a routing and account number and asked the city
to wire their payment there.
The city wired the $150,000 payment to a bank
with a Seventh Avenue, New York, NY address.
Within a few days after the $150,000 was wired,
the Jasper police report states someone with
CCWSA contacted the city because they had not
received their payment.
After initial coverage of the fraud in last
week’s edition, the public responded with harsh
criticism of the city’s protocols, checks and bal
ances, and oversights with large transactions. In
her initial responses to the Progress, Jasper Assis
tant City Manager Kim Goldener said it was not
common for them to make wire transfers, but that
they have done them occasionally. The city is now
working with their insurance company to hammer
out wire-transfer specific protocols.
Last Friday, May 5, the Progress filed a second
open records request for the fraudulent email the
city received, and also for the city’s response to
that email. Jasper leaders consulted with their at
torney David Syfan, and in their emailed response
said they cannot release emails because the case
is under investigation.
“As you are aware, the fraudulent email re
sulted in a theft by deception incurred by the City
of Jasper. We have turned the theft by deception
over to law enforcement, and there is currently a
pending criminal investigation regarding the theft.
In that the emails are a part of the current pending
criminal investigation, and the city does not know
what information or documents are critical to the
investigative process, the city will be unable to
produce the emails to you pursuant to O.C.G.A.
Section 50-18-72(a)(4), which provides an excep
tion for records involved in a pending criminal in
vestigation.”
The Progress contacted the mayor and three of
the council members for comment. Of those we
were able to reach before press time, they said
they will defer comment until the investigation is
complete.
“As long as this is under active investigation,
I just don’t feel comfortable making a comment
at this . _
See Scam on 11A
Foothills
IGA enters
into sell
agreement
Press Release
Foothills IGA Market has
entered into a non-binding
agreement with Lowes
Foods, LLC, a Carolinas
based grocer, to sell Foothills
IGA Market located at 70
Foothills Parkway, Marble
Hill, Georgia.
According to Jeff Down
ing, “This potential transac
tion will provide continued
employment for the IGA as
sociates with a great com
pany that has around 15,000
employees. Further, Lowes
Foods operates outstanding
grocery stores which will
serve the Foothills commu
nity in an exemplary manner
for many years to come.”
“We’re excited about the
possibility of adding another
great store location to our
company,” Tim Lowe, presi
dent, Lowes Foods said. “We
will have more news to share
soon. In the meantime, the
store will continue to operate
See Foothills on 11A
Which
roads get
the new
asphalt?
• Commissioners
finalize paving
schedule
• Roper Park
walking trail
upgrade coming soon
By Dan Pool
Editor
dpool@pickensprogress.com
“This was an exciting
night. We spent a lot of
money. There is a lot of good
stuff happening and it all
came from SPLOST (sales
tax revenue),” said Commis
sioner Josh Tippens at the
end of Thursday’s commis
sioners’ meeting.
The exciting things Tip-
pens referenced was the ap
proval of the county’s yearly
paving schedule and a con
tract for a full renovation and
expansion of the walking
track at Roper Park.
Paving set for summer
Commission Chair Kris
Stancil said both Cove and
Jerusalem Church roads will
be repaved, along with a
handful of other routes. Cove
and Jerusalem Church are
each eight miles long and
rank behind only Henderson
Mountain Road as the
See Paving on 11A
Drive-thru gone, public bathrooms on tap
photo/Dan Pool
After years discussing downtown public bathrooms, the actual work of demolishing the former bank drive-thru
was handled in less than a day. The city of Jasper has narrowed their bathroom plans down to two layouts.
By Dan Pool
Editor
dpool@pickensprogress.com
Contractor Tim Stancil and his crew from T. Stanco
made quick work of the demolition of the old bank drive-
thru on the north end of Main Street last Wednesday
night, having the small building knocked down with
most debris loaded in dumpsters and removed by Thurs
day morning.
Kim Goldener, assistant city manager, put in an e-mail
that they discovered a “huge concrete anchor” below the
sign, likely to hold it down in strong winds. The anchor
was near enough gas and water lines that they delayed re
moving the sign but will be back for it later.
Goldener said both T Stanco and the city public works
employees who came in to add gravel and make the lot
safe for the time being See public Bathrooms on 11A
PHS top scholars credit families, classes
An interview with PHS senior class
Valedictorian Brandon Bell
By Eli Galligan
Intern Reporter
Along with being valedictorian,
Bell’s other notable academic achieve
ments include STAR Student, and a
significant involvement with Beta
Club, Mock Trial, and Automotive
Club.
Bell comments on the importance of
a healthy academic perfectionism and
constantly-improving attitude.
“If you’re shooting for an A, you're
not shooting high enough if your goal
is to be valedictorian,” Bell said.
Although the hard work of high-
achieving students is not always recog
nized, Bell offers valuable insight into
the mind and strategy it takes to be
valedictorian.
“The mindset you have to have to be
valedictorian is that you can’t be satis
fied. You always have to say, I can im
prove. With that, you’ll naturally get
higher and higher As,” Bell said
In addition, he also credits the role
of his parents and teachers in his suc
cess.
“Having good teachers that cared
about me, that was a big contributor in
my mindset going into high school.
And of course, my parents. They al
ways pushed me to do better,” Bell
comments.
See Brandon Bell on 11A
photos from Kyle Frantz/Jasper Optimists
Pickens High Valedictorian
Brandon Bell
An interview with PHS senior class
Salutatorian Grant Hooker
By Eli Galligan
Intern Reporter
Other than salutatorian, Grant
Hooker has also won the National
Rural and Small Town Recognition
Award, been named a STAR Student
Finalist, and won the AP Scholar with
Distinction Award. Through his suc
cess, Grant speaks of the importance of
staying organized and motivated.
"I really had to remain motivated
and organized, and that was achieved
through the support of my parents
along with planners. I wouldn’t be able
to survive without it," Hooker said.
Hooker’s parents are Clint and Julie
Hooker.
Hooker highlights the important role
of extracurriculars and creative outlets
in student success.
"Just having an outlet to go away
from your school and collect yourself
and then come back with a clearer mind
has been really helpful," Hooker added.
Hooker credits his parents for creat
ing a safe, pressure-free environment
that allowed him to succeed to his
fullest potential.
"They just made sure that I did my
best, and they were happy with that.
That really took the stress off," he said.
When asked if he had any advice to
give to current and upcoming high
school students who wish to excel aca-
See Grant Hooker on 11A
Pickens High Salutatorian
Grant Hooker
Photos from
the Pickens
High Prom
Pages 11-12B
Home
Well water
tasting funny?
Tests
can help
Page 2A
Historic swap
Marble
museum on
its way back
to Chamber
building
Page 7A
Obituaries 10A
• Cecelia Wheeler
• Margie Lohman
• Peggy Ray
Contact Us
94 North Main Street
Jasper, Ga. 30143
706-253-2457
pickensprogress.com
$1.00 per copy
||||llllllllll||llllllllll||||
8 I) 4 8 7 9 0 8 1 6 3 ® o
