Newspaper Page Text
The Houston Home Journal
VOL. 105 NO. 22 PERRY, HOUSTON COUNTY, GEORGIA, THURSDAY, MAY 29, 1975
Council Action Urged
Mayor Wants
.Investigator
i
Mayor James 0. McKinley
, said this week he is in favor of
i hiring a new investigator for
3 the Perry police dept, as soon
as possible. McKinley’s
B statement comes on the heels
1 of the announcement last
♦ week that former city
detective and investigator
s
j Warrant Taken
o
In Murder Case
.3
m
e Houston County Sheriff
Cullen Talton reported
Tuesday morning that his
office has taken out a murder
3 warrant and armed robbery
warrant for Johnny Mason, 21,
d, of Fort Valley in connection
a, with the February 12 slaying
ir of Hayneville resident Mrs.
Zellie Mae Hamsley, Mason is
re presently in a Clermont
t e County, Ohio, jail, being held
on two armed robberies in
Ohio
E Talton also said, “Within
the next few days, we expect
to apprehend another suspect
in the case.” He said he was
“not certain when and if
)N Mason might be returned to
Houston County” from Ohio.
IX * rgeant Harry Enckler and
Corporal Jerry Stewart last
« Main St.
n,
£ Changed
n,
o The city re-opened Main
,0 Street at the intersection of
Highway 41 South (Carroll
of Blvd.) to two-way traffic this
in week. The section of Main
3 |e between 41 and the State
)n Jaycee Building has been one
h* way for about two years. The
,4 traffic flow went through the
ns, Jaycee parking lot.
w* Mayor James McKinley
c * s sara he opened the street back
to two-way traffic so that the
pel Jaycees could utilize the
ip, parking lot when they have
of state meetings here and also
in '° because the one-way traffic
me was creating traffic jams at
)us certain times during the day.
Mayor McKinley said, “We
will keep the street two-way
unless the State Dept, of
Transportation makes us
> |A change it back the way it
was.”
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S HHJ Camera Views Eclipse
100
Jn case you missed the eclipse of the moon at 1:33 Sunday morning, Home
( Journal Sports Editor Phil Byrd stayed up and shot these time exposure
photos. The sequence of photos shown here outline the almost total eclipse.
Byrd said he did not see much of a crowd up to watch the eclipse.
Published Every Thursday At Perry Georgia’s Real Welcome Center
Eddie Findley was dismissed
from the department by a vote
of the city council.
Findley, who has been with
the department here for 8
years, was relieved of duties
by what the council termed
“financial problems” and
“insubordination”. Findley
week went to Ohio and spent
four days there questioning
Mason, Talton said he sub
sequently issued a murder and
armed robbery warrant on
Mason. He declined to give
details of evidence.
Mason escaped from
Central State Hospital in
Milledgeville on January 1 of
this year. He was arrested in
Ohio on April 25. According to
Talton, a youth fitting Mason’s
description was seen in the
Hayneville area the day of
the slaying.
In other events, Sheriff
Talton said his department
had charged John Gray of a
Lake Joy Road address with
“operating a disorderly
house”. The charges were
filed over the weekend after a
raid on Gray’s premises.
Captain Willie Talton, head
of the Sheriff’s department
Investigative division, said
that two weekend shootings
had placed three persons in
Perry-Houston County
Hospital. Nan Elizabeth
Brown of Route 1, Hawkin
sville, was listed in fair
condition after allegedly being
shot in the back with a ,38
caliber pistol. Her alleged
assailant was Jerry Means,
30, of Route Two, Pinehurst.
The shooting allegedly took
place Friday night during an
argument.
Another reported weekend
altercation put two Henderson
area residents in the hospital.
Jessie McGhee of Route Two,
Perry, allegedly shot Jane
Anderson of Route Two,
Perry, during a “tussle”,
according to Captain Talton.
Miss Anderson was reportedly
shot between the eyes with a
.32 caliber pistol, and is in fair
condition at the hospital.
McGhee reportedly suffered
“lacerations”. Both were still
in the hospital Monday.
appealed council’s decision in
a hearing on May 17, but the
council voted to uphold the
decision to relieve him of his
duties and Findley is now no
longer employed by the city.
Mayor McKinley said, “I
strongly feel we need to fill
this post as soon as possible
with a professional in
vestigator. In my opinion, it is
imperative we have someone
on the staff of our police
department who can follow up
on crimes and devote full time
to investigation work.”
McKinley further stated,
“Perry is of the size now that a
full time investigator trained
in his field is a must. Not only
does an investigator follow up
■on crimes but he also helps in
the preparation and ground
work for court cases after the
apprehension of criminals.”
The Mayor said the city gets
full cooperation from Sheriff
Cullen Talton’s investigators
and the Georgea Bureau of
Investigation but that he does
not feel some other depart
ment can or should do all the
criminal investigation work in
the city.
McKinley said he has heard
from several people about the
job but that any decision
would have to come from the
police committee and city
council. The council’s police
committee consists of
Councilwoman Barbara
Calhoun and Councilmen
Alton Hardy and Gordon
Scarborough, Jr.
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Kellwood Wins "Big E" Award
The Kellwood Company, Georgia Decor Division in Perry,
received the coveted “Seqrs Award for Excellence” at
ceremonies in the plant here last Wednesday. From left,
David Chapman, plant manager; Mrs. Audrey Holder
field, a Kellwood employee who accepted the award
Tree Lighting For Entire County
Mayor Plans To Establish Old
Fashioned Christmas Ceremony
Mayor James 0. McKinley
announced this week plans for
the first annual “Houston
County Christmas Tree
Lighting” to be held on the
courthouse square in Perry on
the first Saturday in
December.
McKinley said he has long
wanted to see a community
tree lighting ceremony
established here for everyone
in the county. He said the city
will erect the 30 or 40 foot tree
and string the lights. Houston
County citizens, civic groups
and social clubs will be urged
to make decorations to hang
on the community tree.
Mayor McKinley said, “We
want to make this an old
fashioned type Christmas
ceremony and in order to
make the lighting a success
we need the full support and
enthusiasm of clubs and in
dividuals all over the county. I
want this first annual
ceremony to be something for
the entire family to enjoy and
bring out the true meaning of
the Christmas season.”
He said tentative plans call
for the lighting to take place
between 7 P.M and 8 P.M. on
School Board Here
Sets Open Hearing
David A. Perdue, Superintendent, announced
that the Houston County Board of Education has
scheduled a meeting, open to the public, on
Thursday, June 5, 1975, at 4:00 P.M. to be held at
the former Houston High School in Perry for the
purpose of explaining proposed activities for
which assistance is being sought under Title I of
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of
1965, as amended.
Persons in attendance will be afforded the
opportunity for discussion and comment on the
contents of the proposed application.
the first Saturday in
December. All during the day
citizens and club groups will
bring decorations to the tree
site on the courthouse square
and city firemen will hang the
decorations on the tree. Prior
to the lighting, Christmas
Scouts Hold Court Honor Here
Court of Honor for Troop 96
Scouts and Leaders was held
May 20 at the Perry United
Methodist Church The
opening ceremony was con
ducted by Senior Patrol
Leader John Arnall with in
vocation by Allen Purser.
Introduction of Scout Leaders
and Troop Committee
members was made by
Committee Chairman Nor
man Owens as follows:
Scoutmaster Thomas Griffin,
Assistant Scoutmaster Bobby
Brooks, Institutional
Representative Joe Rogers,
Committee members, Mrs.
Norman Owens, Bobby
Tuggle,. Vemer L. Lasseter
on behalf of the employees; R.E. “Dick” Williams, Sears
national buyer; Jack Barsanti, president of Kellwood;
William Rhodarmer, Kellwood division general manager.
The award was presented to the employees here for ex
cellence in products and service to Scars. Kellwood makes
draperies and bedspreads for the Sears stores.
carols will be sung by a
combined choir of some of the
local churches and the entire
group will also join in singing
carols. Local ministers will be
invited to give an invocation
and benediction during the
and Willis Graham.
Advancements and Awards
earned were presented by
Scoutmaster Griffin to the
following Scouts: First Class -
Ricky Funk, Jeff Lasseter,
Eric Griffin, Allen Purser;
Second Class - Alan Ray, Paul
Smallwood; Tenderfoot,
Perry Stanley and Danny
Ariail; Awards - Cross palms,
Barry Rogers Merit Badges
went to the following Scouts:
Mark Brooks - rifle and
shotgun; Ben Wright - cycling
and reading; Mike Graham -
cycling and wood carving;
Skipper Cliff - hiking, pets,
coin collecting; David
Washington - sports; Perry
Stanley - cycling, wood car
ving, sports, first aid; Danny
Ariail hiking; Boyd Brooks •
rifle and shotgun, Ricky Funk
- cycling, citizen in com
munity, hiking; Eric Griffin -
first aid, citizen in com
munity, camping; Allen
Purser - Citizen in com
munity, reading, wood
carving; Ai Tabor - cycling;
Keith Owens - wood carving.
Skill Awards went to the
following; Skipper Cliff -
camping; Jeff Lasseter -
communications; John Arnall
- camping; Paul Smallwood -
hiking, community living;
Ben Wright - hiking, com
munity living; Ricky Funk -
community living, family
living; David Washington -
ceremonies. McKinley also
noted that Santa Claus will
make an appearance during
the ceremonies for the
children.
The Mayor further stated,
“I know some people may not
get very excited about talking
camping, citizenship, first aid,
family living, hiking; Danny
Perry Councilman Casey
Will Resign City Post
Perry City Councilman
Henry Casey revealed this
week that he will be leaving
Perry at the end of the sum
mer to assume new duties as
district sales manager with
International Minerals and
Chemicals Co. in Americus.
Casey’s present term on
Council ends this December.
Casey said he would either
resign from council in late
August or in Sept. City At
torney Larry Walker said that
a special election will have to
be called even though the
regular election for council is
on the first Tuesday in Dec.
Casey has been in Perry for
the past l7'/2 years. Before
joining the I.MC. Co. 10‘£
years ago he was a teacher
and tennis coach at Perry
High School. He has served on
every committee on council
and is presently on the police
committee.
Casey was recognized as a
strong councilman and most
political observers were of the
opinion he would have been
hard to beat in the upcoming
December elections.
about Christmas in May, but
in order to make this
ceremony what it should be we
must begin planning now and
getting the support of our
clubs, organizations and
citizens from all over Houston
County,”
Phillips - hiking; Perry
Cont. on page 3-A
SpecuJation on candidates for
the special election are run
ning high at this time. Some of
those names mentioned in
clude insurance agent Tommy
Storey and Perry
businessman Jim O’Neal. In
December, Casey’s post will
be open for the regular
election along with Coun
cilmen Alton Hardy and H.H.
Hack worth. It is expected that
both Hackworth and Hardy
will seek re-election.
Henry Casey