Newspaper Page Text
Commerce News
APRIL 23,2008 • Page 7
Tip Leads To Arrest Of Fugitive
Wanted By Four Police Agencies
A tip from a “concerned citizen"
led police to apprehend a local
man wanted by at least four law
enforcement agencies on a host
of felony charges.
According to a Commerce Police
Department report, a citizen told
an officer that Phillip Anthony
Cowan, 35, of 197 Cedar Drive,
Commerce, was at a Homer Road
barber shop and had a number of
outstanding warrants.
After confirming that Cowan was
wanted, three police approached
the business. According to the
report, Cowan fled on foot, but
an officer caught up with him and
made the arrest.
According to the report, Cowan
has three felony warrants from
Clarke County, all for forgery;
three from Banks County for
theft by taking and forgery; two
warrants from Jackson County,
one for theft by taking and one
for child neglect; and a number
of unspecified warrants from
the Jefferson Police Department,
from whom he had successfully
fled earlier.
The officer noted that Cowan
had successfully fled from a
number of close encounters with
police, sometimes by vehicle and
sometimes on foot.
The report also said Cowan
was taken to BJC Medical Center
after telling police he’d taken pain
medications and crack cocaine
just prior to his arrest.
Other arrests and citations
reported during the past week
include:
•Steven Corrine David, 31, 394
Cedar Drive, Commerce, posses
sion of cocaine, possession of
cocaine within 1,000 feet of a
school and a headlight violation.
It was the latter violation that
caught the attention of police,
but, according to the report, the
officer who pulled David over
knew of his “long criminal record"
of selling drugs. A search of the
vehicle allegedly yielded trace
amounts of cocaine, leaving the
officer to speculate that David
had either swallowed or thrown
out the cocaine prior to the traf
fic stop, which took place on
Lakeview Drive. Police also con
fiscated $970 in cash.
•James Michael Brewer, 34, 151
Pine Street, Commerce, loiter
ing, criminal trespass and disor
derly conduct after he allegedly
knocked on numerous doors in
the Ridgeway Road-Hospital Road
area asking people for money.
The report indicated that Brewer
has faced similar charges in the
past.
•Joshua Wayne Sharp, 28, 76
Elizabeth Street, Commerce, on
a Gwinnett County warrant for
forgery.
•Phillip Casey Carruthers, 26,
8293 Maysville Road, Maysville,
arrested at a traffic stop on a
Hall County warrant for failure
to appear.
•David Pineda, 22, 180 Mike
Drive, Salisbury, NC, driving
without a license.
•David Wayne Brown, 44, 101
Charwood Drive, Abingdon, VA,
possession of less than an ounce
of marijuana.
•Traymeski Anton Johnson, 20,
5090 Smoky Road, Athens, on
a failure to appear warrant from
Commerce.
•Troy David Wilder, 46, 935
Homer Road, Lot 66, Commerce,
no insurance.
•a male juvenile, simple bat
tery and possession of alcohol
on school grounds. The arrest
took place at Commerce Middle
School where the student alleg
edly struck another in the mouth.
There was no explanation in the
report of the alcohol charge.
• Malcolm Joe Poole, 42,83 Pine
Avenue, Commerce, arrested on
DA Says He's
By Angela Gary
District Attorney Rick
Bridgeman has filed more than
2,000 indictments or accusations
since he took office in September,
clearing up most of the back-
logged cases.
Bridgeman issued an update last
week on the status of the cases.
“The great news is that we have
reviewed and made appropri
ate charging decisions on virtu
ally all of the backlogged cases
that I inherited in September
2007," Bridgeman said. “Since
September, our office has filed
over 2,400 indictments or accusa
tions and most cases with suf
ficient evidence to prosecute are
now being presented to a grand
jury or accused within 90 days of
arrest."
Bridgeman said the only old
cases remaining are those await
ing investigation by law enforce
ment agencies or forensics testing
by the Georgia Crime Lab.
“Each of those cases is being
individually tracked and moni
tored to ensure timely handling,"
Bridgeman said.
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Clearing Out Case Backlog
Other first quarter highlights
included:
•In the Jackson County office,
one attorney has been designated
to handle felony sexual assault
cases involving both child and
adult victims and one attorney
to handle domestic violence and
child physical abuse cases.
•Two attorneys completed spe
cialized drug prosecutor training.
•implementing several sugges
tions of local law enforcement
agencies, including the creation
of a method to identify cases
in which evidence is being held
by law enforcement agencies and
notifying them upon disposition
of the case so that contraband can
be destroyed and other property
returned to the rightful owner.
•Several staff members have
been added, including: Mary Beth
Wolff, senior assistant district
attorney; Linda Phillips, legal sec
retary; Jonni Barnett, victim ser-
vices/TPO coordinator; and Amy
Carter, assistant district attorney.
Bridgeman has also set up meet
ings in all three counties in the
circuit to answer questions from
citizens. The Jackson County
meeting is set for 8 a.m. to 9
a.m. Saturday, May 17, at Jefferson
House Restaurant, 682 Athens
Street, Jefferson.
Banks-Jackson Risk Reduction
DUI SCHOOL
706-336-6777
DEFENSIVE DRIVING
1728 North Broad Street, Commerce, State Certified 5010 and 2007
Next DUI Class begins on April 26, 2008
Next Defensive Driving Class will be held on May 3,2008
Deputies put crime scene tape around the mobile home that
burned, injuring four members of a Nicholson family.
4 Injured In Fire
Started By Children
DA's Wife Gets
180-Day Sentence
Linn Jones, wife of former
District Attorney Tim Madison,
was sentenced in Banks County
Superior Court Lriday to 180 days
in a women’s detention center on
theft charges. She was also fined
$500 and will have to perform
250 hours of community service.
Meanwhile, Madison has surren
dered his Georgia Law License.
The Georgia Supreme Court
approved the voluntary surrender
Monday. Madison moved to give
up his license in Lebruary.
Jones sentencing last week
effectively ends an extraordi
nary state investigation into the
Piedmont Judicial Circuit DA’s
office. Madison was sentenced
earlier this year to six years in
jail on theft charges and former
ADA Brett Williams was fined on
misdemeanor charges.
Jones was charged with having
conspired to defraud the county
government by submitting pay
roll hours for times when she
didn’t work. Jones was on both
the Jackson County and Banks
County DA payrolls at the same
time.
According to documents pre
sented in court last week, Jones
claimed that she was working at
the same time evidence proved
she was out of state.
Jones’ attorney said she “accepts
full responsibility for her actions"
and is “sorry for what she did."
In her only comment to the
court, Jones said, “I would like to
tell the court I’m sorry, sir."
DID YOU KNOW?
By Preacher Clint
DID YOU KNOW THAT YOU
ARE EITHER SERVING GOD
OR YOU ARE SERVING
SATAN? (Rom. 6:16)
Satan’s desire is that he be
worshiped as GOD. Everytime you
disobey GOD you are serving Satan
and His plan to destroy the work of
GOD. You were created by GOD and
He wants to have fellowship with you,
but just as sin broke that fellowship in
the garden of Eden, (Gen. 3:8) even
now our sins separates us from the
GOD of Heaven. (Isa. 59:2) Satan is a
defeated foe and GOD has prepared a
place of torment for him and all those
who serve him. Hell is real (Rev.
20:10) and it’s inhabitants are real
(Rev. 21:8) But GOD has made a way
of escape and that is through His Son
JESUS CHRIST. You have a choice
HEAVEN OR HELL.
Send comments to
Clinton Sexton
116 Ashland Drive
Commerce, GA 30529
By Angela Gary
Pour people were injured
in a fire Saturday morning in
Nicholson that started when two
young children were playing with
a cigarette lighter.
Seth Southerland, 4, was flown
to Grady Memorial Hospital in
Atlanta with second and third
degree burns on 60 percent of his
body On Monday, he was trans
ferred to the Shriners Hospital
for Children in Cincinnati, Ohio.
His father, Matthew Southerland,
was also flown to Grady. The
father has second and third
degree burns on 20 to 30 percent
of his body. He remains in critical
condition.
Southerland’s wife, Kelly, suf
fered from smoke inhalation and
another 4-year-old had first-degree
burns. They were both taken to
Athens Regional Medical Center,
but have since been released.
The fire reportedly started
when the children were play
ing with a lighter and an aero
sol can in a bedroom of the
mobile home, according to Steve
Nichols, emergency services
director for Jackson County and
assistant chief of the Nicholson
Lire Department.
City of Commerce
POSITION AVAILABLE
The City of Commerce is taking
applications for a Public Works
Maintenance Worker I. Applicants should
possess a valid driver’s license, ability to
read, write and perform basic
mathematical calculations and knowledge
of operating street and grounds
maintenance tools and equipment.
Benefits include paid holidays, health and
dental insurance, vacation and sick leave.
You may apply online or pickup an
application and a job description at City
Hall until 4:30 P.M. on May 2, 2008.
The City of Commerce
is an Equal Opportunity Employer
TO THE CLASS
OF 2008!
ON WEDNESDAY, MAY 21,
The Jackson Herald, The Commerce News and The Banks
County News will dedicate an entire section of our
newspapers to the graduates of our local high schools.
Included will be the graduates of:
• Banks County High School
• Commerce High School wt
• Jackson County Comprehensive High School
• Jefferson High School
• East Jackson High School
This is an annual tradition and from the positive comments in the past, we believe this
section is a unique way for firms and individuals to express appreciation and pride for our
graduates’ accomplishments. It is also an excellent way to make the graduates, their
families and over 16.000 households more aware of your business and the services you
offer. To become a part of this event, check with your ad representative or give us a
call at 706/367-5233 before Monday, May 5.
1/16 Page (2X5) $150.00 1/4 Page (4X11) $390.00
1/8 Page (4X5) $195.00 1/2 Page Full Color (8X11) $850.00
Full Page Full Color (8X21.5) $1,500.00
1/2 Page and Full Page ads will include Free Process Color
based on first come, first serve availability.
HATS OFF.
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