About The times. (Gainesville, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 2018)
LOCATSOUTHEAST The Times, Gainesville, Georgia | gainesvilletimes.com Saturday, December 1,2018 9A Ga. extends absentee ballot deadline BY KATE BRUMBACK Associated Press Georgia’s secretary of state agreed Friday to extend the deadline for accepting absentee ballots for the runoff election after the state Democratic Party filed a lawsuit saying some county election officials waited too long to send out the ballots. Results of the Nov. 6 general election were certified on Nov. 17, but at least 65 of the state’s 159 counties didn’t send out absentee ballots for the Dec. 4 runoff until this week, accord ing to the federal lawsuit filed Thursday. Since absentee bal lots generally must be received by the time polls close on Elec tion Day, that left some would-be absentee voters with less than a week to get their ballots back to election officials. In a court filing agreeing to the extended deadline sought by the Democrats, interim Secre tary of State Robyn Crittenden maintains there was no wrong doing by state or county election officials. The proposed consent order submitted to the court Fri day says absentee ballots post marked by Dec. 4 and received by Dec. 7 will be counted. There are two state races on the runoff ballot — secretary of state and a seat on the Public Service Commission. In the secretary of state race, Brad Raffensberger, a little-known Republican state lawmaker, received about 49.1 percent of the nearly 3.9 million votes tallied, while Democrat John Barrow, a moderate for mer congressman, got 48.7 per cent. Libertarian Smythe Duval took about 2.2 percent. Republican Chuck Eaton faces Democrat Lindy Miller in the PSC runoff. The lawsuit was filed against Crittenden in her official capac ity as the state’s top elections official. A statement from spokeswoman Candice Broce says Crittenden and her staff worked as quickly as they could, but some counties took longer because they lack the capacity to print their own ballots. “All parties involved — the Secretary of State’s office, the counties, and the vendors — worked as expeditiously as pos sible to prepare absentee ballots for the run-off. The insinua tion that the Democratic Party makes in its complaint that any party involved in this process was not working as quickly as possible is completely false,” she said. The state Democratic Party voter protection hotline received calls from voters seek ing help getting absentee ballots they applied for, the lawsuit says. It was the latest in a series of lawsuits filed before and after the general election raising con cerns about how and whether the state counts certain ballots. Georgia law says county offi cials have to send absentee bal lots to eligible applicants for a runoff election “as soon as pos sible” after the results of the general election are certified. Data from the secretary of state shows five counties began sending out absentee ballots on Nov. 19, the first business day after the general election results were certified, the lawsuit says. Several others sent out absentee ballots on Nov. 20 or 21. But 44 counties didn’t send out absentee ballots until Nov. 26, and 21 more waited until Nov. 27, the lawsuit said. “This has and will result in arbitrary and disparate treat ment of voters who seek to exer cise their respective rights to vote via absentee mail-in ballot, based solely on their county of permanent residence,” the law suit said. The lawsuit noted that 283,839 people requested absentee bal lots in the general election and at least 121,301 people had sub mitted applications for absentee ballots for the runoff election. In a consent order submit ted to U.S. District Judge Amy Totenberg, the two sides agreed that any absentee ballots post marked by Dec. 4 and received by Dec. 7 would be counted if they are otherwise eligible. The secretary of state agreed to send instructions to that effect to county election officials by 6 p.m. Friday. Crittenden also agreed to notify the public by putting out a press release by 6:30 p.m. Fri day and putting a notice on the secretary of state’s website by 10 a.m. Saturday. But the consent order makes clear that the secretary of state doesn’t concede that any county delayed in sending out absentee ballots for the runoff and says all election officials worked as quickly as possible to get the ballots out. The consent order also says the Democratic Party stands by its allegations. Cities cancel events over weather concerns Christmas is going to have to wait for some parts of the Deep South because of a threat of severe weather. Cities from Louisiana to Georgia are postponing or canceling annual parades because forecasters say there’s a possibility of strong storms on Friday and Saturday. The postponements include cities like Sul phur in Louisiana; Opelika in Alabama; and Albany, Georgia. Forecasters say there’s a threat of severe storms from southern Kansas to coastal Mississippi on Friday. The possibility of bad weather moves eastward on Saturday to include much of the southern portions of Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia, plus the western Florida Panhandle. The Storm Prediction Center says storms are possible as far as the Great Lakes. CHEROKEE Neighbors rescue woman as explosion, fire destroy house Officials in Cherokee County are investi gating an explosion and fire at a house in the northeast part of the county. Neighbors reported hearing an explosion about 12:30 p.m. in the 200 block of Trenton Lane, fire department spokesman Eddie Robinson said. When firefighters arrived, the house was already fully engulfed, he said. Two neighbors got the house’s only occu pant out, and she was taken to a hospital in fair condition. Her identity was not released. “I thought it was a bomb that had gone off,” Jim Whitehead, a neighbor, told Chan nel 2 Action News. After he ran toward the house, Whitehead said he couldn’t get in the front door, so he ran toward the back. He and another man pulled the woman out. “She was in the kitchen. I heard her. I was yelling, trying to get anybody’s attention who may have been inside,” Whitehead said. “And I heard her screaming for help.” The house was a total loss, Robinson said. The cause is under investigation. Associated Press AT\BAMA Man convicted in mall shooting to return for charges Associated Press A man suspected in an Alabama mall shooting that resulted in police killing another black man on Thanksgiving agreed to return home from Georgia to face charges. Handcuffed and wearing a blue jail uni form, Erron Martez Dequan Brown, 20, appeared emotionless during a brief hear ing. He appeared to glance back at someone in the courtroom audience. Brown, of Bessemer in Birmingham, told Magis trate Judge Lillian Caudle he would voluntarily return to Alabama, where authori ties now have 15 days to remove him from the Ful ton County jail. Alabama officials did not indicate when Brown might arrive at the jail in Birmingham. Federal marshals arrested Brown on an attempted murder charge Thursday near Atlanta. He is charged with attempted mur der in the shooting of a teenager who was wounded at the Riverchase Galleria in Hoover, just south of Birmingham. Authorities say an officer responding to the scene at the mall fatally shot another armed black man, Emantic “EJ” Bradford Jr., who was initially believed to be the shooter. Bradford’s killing prompted demon strations by protesters who say he was shot because he was black. Bradford’s family has retained a patholo gist to perform an independent autopsy, the family’s attorney said Friday. A statement issued Friday by family attor ney Ben Crump says the autopsy will “deter mine whether he was shot multiple times and if he was shot from the front or the back.” The statement said the autopsy results will be released to the media after they become available to the Bradford family. Protests will continue over the police kill ing of Bradford, 21, organizers have said. Bradford’s funeral is set for Saturday at Birmingham’s municipal auditorium. The Rev. Jesse Jackson will give the eulogy. OBITUARIES Loney Jim Gravitt Died Nov. 30, 2018 Mr. Loney Jim Gravitt, age 70, of Cleveland, passed away Friday, Nov. 30,2018. Mr. Gravitt was born to the late Luther and Fannie Mae William son Gravitt. He was preceded in death by parents, brother, David Gravitt, and sister, Linda Gravitt. Mr. Gravitt was a line engineer for ATandT and a member of County Line Baptist Church. Survivors include wife of 49 years, Glenda Gravitt, Cleveland; son and daughter-in-law, Jeffery Gravitt and Elizabeth Almond, Sandy Springs; daughter and son- in-law, Rhonda and Chris Roden, Cleveland; son, Rodney Gravitt, Cleveland; grandchildren, Har ley Gravitt, Luke Gravitt, Olivia Gravitt, and Craig and Heather Roden; sister-in-law, Peggy Ander son; and numerous nieces and nephews. Funeral services are sched uled for 4:30 PM Sunday, Dec. 2, 2018, from the Chapel of Barrett Funeral Home. The Rev. Steve Williamson will officiate. Inter ment will follow in Mossy Creek Baptist Church Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 1-3 PM Saturday, Dec. 1, 2018, and 3:30-4:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 2, 2018. To share a memory or leave a condolence with the family, visit barrettfh.com. Barrett Funeral Home, Cleveland Sign the online guest book at gainesvilletimes.com. The Times, Gainesville, Ga. Dec. 1,2018 Lilly Hood Died Nov. 21,2018 Lilly Hood of St. Albans, Queens, left us on Nov. 21, 2018, at the age of 100. She is formerly of the Bronx and Atlanta, Georgia. Til her retirement she had been employed in the hair salon in a Rich’s in Atlanta. She has joined her parents, sib lings and her hus band Coloquitt. There was a viewing at the J. Foster Phillips funeral home in NYC on 11/28/18. Her burial is planned for Dec. 3, 2018, in Atlanta, Georgia J. Foster Phillips Funeral Home, New York City, N.Y. Sign the online guest book at gainesvilletimes.com. The Times, Gainesville, Ga. Dec. 1,2018 Russell “Russ” Richard Lamp Jan. 12, 1943-Nov. 17, 2018 Mr. Russell “Russ” Richard Lamp, age 75, of Flowery Branch passed away Saturday, Nov. 17, 2018, surrounded by his family after a long, difficult battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Memorial Services will be 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8 in the Chapel of Memorial Park South Funeral Home. The family will receive friends on Saturday, Dec. 8, prior to the service from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. The Rev. Jeffrey Wright will officiate. Mr. Lamp was born Jan. 12, 1943, to his beloved parents the late Donald G. and Marjorie Knop Lamp in Omaha, Nebraska. He retired from Haas Automa tion, where he finished a lifelong career as a leader in the salesman ship of advanced technology. Russ was larger than life, with a laugh and a joke for all who crossed his path. He loved adventures, boat ing, catching up with friends and family over a good meal, and cheering on the Nebraska Corn- huskers. He was entirely devoted to his family, especially his bride of 52 years. Mr. Lamp is survived by his wife, Cheri Lamp of Flowery Branch; sons and daughters-in- law, Dr. Jeff and Cheryl Lamp of Flowery Branch and Chris and Danielle Lamp of Ball Ground, daughter and son-in-law, Dr. Eliza beth and Robert Slade of Camden, South Carolina; 11 grandchildren; brother and sister-in-law, Dr. Bill and Jo Lamp of Columbia, Maryland; sisters and brothers-in- law, JoAnn and Dwayne Glass of Kansas City, Missouri and Ginni and Justice Clarence Thomas of Fairfax, Virginia; brother-in-law Chuck Dodgen and his wife Marla Keith of Flowery Branch, sister- in-law Amanda Dodgen of Atlanta and several nieces and nephews. He is pre-deceased by his parents, Donald and Marjorie Lamp and brother-in-law Ron Elliott. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Memory Center of Atlanta, in memory of Mr. Russell “Russ” Lamp 12050 Findley Rd. Duluth, GA, 30097. Memorial Park South Funeral Home, Flowery Branch Sign the online guest book at gainesvilletimes.com. The Times, Gainesville, Ga. Dec. 1,2018 Robert “Bob” Dempsey Milledge Oct. 10, 1933-Nov. 13, 2018 Dr. Robert Dempsey Milledge, “Bob” to family, friends, and col leagues, passed away on Nov. 13, 2018, at the age of 85. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Deanna Swindle Milledge (Dee), his children Robert and John Milledge of Birmingham, AL, and Lisa Milledge and Lucy Katz of Atlanta, GA, his brother Lewis DeBlois (Brother) Milledge of Coral Gables, FL, seven grand children, and three great-grand children, as well as his fondly held in-laws and cats. He was born on Oct. 10, 1933, to Lewis DeBlois and Lucile Dempsey Milledge of Coral Gables, FL. He was a man of sci ence and faith, attending Emory University and Emory School of Medicine (1957), and a perpetual student of varied interests: from astronomy and natural history to religious studies, Renaissance art, and Italian language. He was a proper bibliophile, an incessant reader across genres and fields, of history, politics, theology, of high and low fiction (with special heart for his own generation of writers, Updike favored among them), poetry, and of “how-to” manuals of just about every practical con cern: from fixing a dishwasher to navigating the oceans. A wryly funny and committed contrarian, he became a doc tor out of a family of lawyers, a fan of Trollope over Dickens, a cheekily sparring viewpoint to the local paper’s editorial page, and a trusty spokesperson for tra ditions and institutions, lest they be forgotten, misremembered or meddled with. He was also an inquiring and adventurous traveler (encouraged and accompanied by Dee), a capa ble electronics tinkerer, a ham radio builder and operator, and an avid collector of tools, machines, clocks and stray cats. Among other leisure pursuits he was a tentative sailor. After retirement he was an inveterate apprentice of woodworking and boat making, whose yearly idyll was a trip to the Wooden Boat School in Brooklin, Maine, where he proudly joined the all-volunteer alumni work crews that opened the summer session, with a week or two of boat-building courses following. Bob is remembered as an eager trombone player, an aficionado of Mozart (especially the Magic Flute) and the poems of A.E. Housman and Tennyson, and as an ever-ready spout of a few cher ished, good-naturedly sacrilegious Italian exclamations. At work, he was treasured as a conduit for a seemingly oceanic current of good to bad jokes that coursed through the operating rooms of his medical career as an interventional radiologist, a career which began in Little Rock, passed through Lexington, KY, involuntarily detoured during the Vietnam War to Walter Reed Hos pital in D.C., and ended at Atlan ta’s Crawford Long Hospital. He will be sorely missed and lovingly remembered. A memorial service to celebrate his life will be held on Jan. 5,2019, at 2 p.m. at Saint Gabriel’s Episco pal Church in Oakwood, GA. Wages and Sons Funeral Home, Lawrenceville Sign the online guest book at gainesvilletimes.com. The Times, Gainesville, Ga. Dec. 1,2018 John R. Pirhalla Sept. 26, 1930-Nov 27, 2018 Mr. John R. Pirhalla, age 88 of Gainesville, passed away on Nov. 27,2018. A Celebration of life service will be held at 11 a.m. on Satur day, Dec. 8, 2018, in the Chapel of the First Baptist Church. The Rev. Jim Ramsey will be officiating. The family will receive friends after the service at the church. Mr. Pirhalla was born on Sept. 26, 1930, in Wilkesboro, Pennsyl vania to the late John Rudolph Pirhalla and the late Margaret Matusek. He was raised in Jessup, Pennsylvania. Mr. Pirhalla played football for Scranton University, the United States Air Force and the University of Miami. He enjoyed tennis and flying his airplanes. He is survived by his wife Eve lyn Ray Pirhalla; daughter Lisa Cecil; daughter Sherrie Braxton; son John Pirhalla III; daughter Lorilynn Monty; daughter and son-in-law Lisa and Scott Roach; grandchildren Lauren Herring, Jeff Cecil, Harrison Hove, Jordan Jonas, Eli Pirhalla, Katie Holdren, Madison Strong and Mason Roach; great grandchildren Cohen Her ring, Addison Herring and Amelia Jonas. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the music department at the First Baptist Church, 751 Green Street, Gainesville, Georgia 30501. Online condolences can be made at www.memorialparkfuneral- homes.com. Memorial Park North Riverside Chapel, Gainesville Sign the online guest book at gainesvilletimes.com. The Times, Gainesville, Ga. Dec. 1,2018 DEATH NOTICES Mattie Sue Barnes Died Nov. 29, 2018 Mattie Sue Barnes, 86, of Cum- ming died Thursday. Funeral service, 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, funeral home chapel. Ingram Funeral Home and Crematory, Cumming. Michael Duane Bennett Died Nov. 20, 2018 Michael Duane Bennett, 49, of Carrollton died Tuesday, Nov. 20. McDonald and Son Funeral Home and Crematory, Cumming. Flossie Skelton Black May 13, 1918-Nov. 29, 2018 Flossie Skelton Black, 100, of Demorest, died Thursday. Funeral service, 2 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 4, Chattahoochee Baptist Church. Whitfield Funeral Homes and Cre matory, Demorest. Betty Louise Butcher Died Nov. 22, 2018 Betty Louise Butcher, 80, of Clay ton died Thursday, Nov. 22. Memo rial service, 11 a.m. Satuday, Dec. 8, Roswell First Baptist Church. Memorial Park South Funeral Home, Flowery Branch. Paul Chambliss July 10, 1941-Nov 28, 2018 Paul Chambliss, 77, of Cleve land died Wednesday. Memorial service, 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 2, funeral home chapel. Barrett Funeral Home, Cleveland. David Stanley Duncan Died Nov. 30, 2018 David Stanley Duncan, 71, of Cornelia died Friday. Barrett Funeral Home, Cleveland. Leonard Thomas Herring Jr. Died Nov. 29, 2018 Leonard Thomas Herring Jr., 84, of Oakwood died Thursday. Funeral service, 2:30 p.m. Sun day, Dec. 9, funeral home chapel. Memorial Park South Funeral Home, Flowery Branch. Leah Belle Holland Died Nov. 30, 2018 Leah Belle Holland, 95, of Gainesville died Thursday. Memorial Park Funeral Home, Gainesville. Lucius Charles Hood Died Nov. 27, 2018 Lucius Charles Hood, 75, of Cleveland died Tuesday. Barrett Funeral Home, Cleveland. Mary Alice Kapise Died Nov. 30, 2018 Mary Alice Kapise, 70, of Cleve land died Friday. Barrett Funeral Home, Cleveland. Peggy Ruth Allison Marchman March 8, 1948-Nov. 29, 2018 Peggy Ruth Allison Marchman, 70, of Oneida, Tenn. died Thurs day. West-Murley Funeral Home, Oneida, Tenn. Cecil Murphy Died Nov. 29, 2018 Cecil Murphy, 75, of Marietta died Thursday. Memorial Park Funeral Home, Gainesville. Gus George Pappas Died Nov. 28, 2018 Gus George Pappas, 90, of Sugar Hill died Wednesday. Funeral ser vice, 11 a.m. Friday, Dec. 7, Saint Raphael, Nicholas, and Irene Greek Orthodox Church. Ingram Funeral Home and Crematory, Cumming. Benjamin Sims Died Nov. 22, 2018 Benjamin Sims of Gaines ville died Thursday, Nov. 22. Funeral service, 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, Bethel Church of Naza- rene. Wimberly Funeral Home, Gainesville. Obituary information Death notices are printed free as a public service by The Times. More information can be provided in paid obituaries. The rate is $50 per 100 words (or any part thereof). There is an additional mandatory $40 fee for online services, which includes a guest book that allows family and friends to post condolences. Deadline for publication is 6:30 p.m. seven days a week. Death notices and obituaries are accepted only from funeral homes. They should be emailed to obits@gainesvilletimes.com. All submissions will appear in The Times and online at gainesvilletimes.com. For additional information, please call 770-718-3419 or 800-395-5005, extension 3419, between 3 and 6 p.m. weekdays.
