Newspaper Page Text
July 6, 2016
'•Reporter
PAGE 7C
Public defender review board
lauds Smith’s performance
RICHARD DUMAS
forsyth@mymcr. net
Towaliga Circuit public
defender Doug Smith
received praise from a
local review board that
evaluates the public
defender’s office.
The Towaliga Circuit
Public Defender
Supervisory panel
held its annual review
meeting on June 17 to
discuss Smiths per
formance. The panel,
which includes Forsyth
attorney Michael Dillon
and Barnesville attorney
Eric Hearn, met with
Smith behind closed
doors for more than
an hour before unani
mously approving to
send an evaluation let
ter to the Georgia Public
Defenders Council for its
review.
The Reporter then
received a copy of the
letter through the
Georgia Open Records
Act. In the letter dated
June 20, Dillon wrote:
“Once again Mr. Smith
and his staff have
done and are doing
an excellent job. The
Supervisory Panel is
very pleased.”
On an evaluation form
included along with the
letter, Hearn and Dillon
checked the box “E” for
exceeds expectations in
regard to Smith’s overall
performance.
At the conclusion of
the June 17 meeting,
Hearn also motioned
for the panel to get new
officers after Hearn and
Dillon’s term expires
on July 1. Dillon plans
to move to France next
month while Hearn said
he too intends to step
down from the panel.
Georgia Gov. Nathan
Deal was supposed to
appoint a third mem
ber of the panel to fill a
vacancy, but he is not
believed to have ever
done so. Now, the panel
will have three vacan
cies for Deal to fill.
Smith has served
as the circuit public
defender since 2013.
County approves judicial budget
BY RICHARD DUMAS
forsyth@mymcr. net
Monroe County commission
ers unanimously approved on
June 21 a 2016 Towaliga Judicial
Circuit budget that represents
a $2,318 reduction in cost from
2015.
Monroe County approved fund
ing $676,201 as its portion of the
budget, down from $678,519 in
2015.
The total 2016 Towaliga Circuit
budget, which is also funded
by Butts and Lamar counties,
equates to just under $1.5 mil
lion. Of that total, $242,873 is the
judges’ budget, $508,517 is the
DA’s budget, $96,434 is the juve
nile budget, and $647,712 is the
public defender’s budget.
County administrator Anita
Cauthen said Monroe County
assistant district attorney Paul
Hemmann, whose salary is paid
by Monroe County and works
exclusively on Monroe County
cases, has taken a state-paid
assistant DA position within
the circuit. Commissioners
unanimously approved continu
ing to fund the position when
Hemmann’s replacement is
found.
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Submit info for Vietnam Veterans
Pinning recognition by July 20
On Saturday, August 6
Servant Task Force will
host a Vietnam Veterans
Pinning Ceremony to
thank and honor the
men and women who
served our country dur
ing the Vietnam War
era. The commemora
tion ceremony will be
in the Century of Flight
Hangar at the Museum
of Aviation, Robins
Air Force Base. Doors
open at 4 p.m, and cer
emony will begin at 5
p.m. Every veteran who
served on active duty
between Nov. 1, 1955
and May 15, 1975 is
invited, regardless of
where they were sta
tioned.
Each member that
served honorably will
receive a Certificate
and DOD special lapel
pin for those who were
stationed in country,
in-theater, or elsewhere
during the 20-year
war. The certificate
is presented either
by the Governor or
the Commissioner of
Veterans Services of
Georgia and the DOD
lapel pin is presented by
a Congressman, Senator,
State Representative, or
high ranking military
member. This program
also pays tribute to
those who served the
home front with or in
support of our Armed
Forces. This event is to
recognize, honor, and
pay respects to those
who work on and around
Robins AFB and the
Middle Georgia area.
Decorated war hero
Tommy Clack, President
and Chairman of the
Board for the Walk of
Heroes/Veterans War
Memorial Wall, will
serve as the keynote
speaker.
In order to be rec
ognized during the
program, veterans are
required to submit
their information to
the Office of Veterans
Services for verification
on or before July 20.
Information required
includes dates of ser
vice, name as they wish
it to appear on their
certificates, rank, and
branch of service. Steve
Rodgers, President/CEO
of Servant Task Force,
is the local point of con
tact for veteran registra
tion. He can be reached
at (478) 960-5838 or
hotrod31014@hotmail.
com. For more informa
tion on this event or
eligibility, visit www.
vietnamwar50th.com.
paying Xobatj'i
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Listen tor local pastor devotions:
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INCIDENTS (CONTINUED
FROM PAGE 6C)
Tracy’s Wrecker
Service reports
theft of Pontiac
Grand Prix
At about 10:09 a.m.
on June 24, Cpl. Daniel
Ahlstrom went to
Tracy’s Wrecker Service
on Hwy. 83 North where
a male employee said
a black 2003 Pontiac
Grand Prix had been
stolen. The employee
said the car had been
in the shop’s posses
sion for several weeks
after being towed as
abandoned from Bunn’s
Tire Shop. The employee
then showed Ahlstrom
the car’s abandonment
papers that were filed
at the Monroe County
Tag Office on June 17.
The employee said the
car’s registered male
owner and his wife came
to the shop on June 18
to remove some belong
ings from the car. The
employee said he gave
the couple a ride to
Walmart. He said he
then saw the couple
later that day under the
bridge at the Exit 187
overpass. The employee
said he was then noti
fied on June 21 that
someone had seen the
shop’s storage yard gate
open. The employee said
when he went to the
storage yard on June
24, he found the chain
had been cut and the car
was missing. Ahlstrom
then entered the car as
stolen.
Couple charged
with obstruction
after incident at
Estes Road home
A 35-year-old white
Juliette man and a
27-year-old white
Forsyth woman were
each arrested and
charged with obstruc
tion after an incident at
an Estes Road home on
June 25. At about 9:04
a.m., Sgt. Todd Haskins
went to an Estes Road
home where the male
resident said two white
males were in his yard
close to his barn when
he confronted them. The
resident said one of the
men was not wearing a
shirt and had numerous
tattoos while the other
one was dressed in cam
ouflage. The resident
said the men appeared
to be methamphetamine
users. Haskins recog
nized one of the men
and asked him what he
was doing. The man told
Haskins he was look
ing for his Jack Russell
terrier that had gone
missing. When the man
said he lived on Hwy.
87, Haskins then asked
how the dog ended up
missing on Estes Road.
The man said he and
his girlfriend were rid
ing around when the
dog escaped. Haskins
then asked the man the
identity of the other
man, and the man said
he only knew the other
man’s first name. The
man then gave Haskins
his girlfriend’s number,
so he could get her to
come pick him up. The
girlfriend told Haskins
she was in Forsyth and
seemed surprised when
he mentioned them
being on Estes Road.
When Haskins asked
her what kind of dog
they were looking for,
the girlfriend hung up
on him. Haskins then
went to a Dames Ferry
Road home where the
girlfriend also said they
were on Estes Road
looking for a dog. When
Haskins again asked
what type of dog, the
girlfriend pointed to a
pitbull across the street
and said he had been
found. Haskins had
seen the same dog she
pointed to earlier when
he took the man home.
He then asked how the
dog made it all the way
home from Estes Road
on foot before they made
it home in a vehicle. The
man and his girlfriend
were then taken to the
Monroe County Jail.
Get Yours Before
They’re History!
A Pictorial History of
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