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About The Commerce news. (Commerce, Ga.) 1???-current | View Entire Issue (March 2, 2016)
PAGE 10A THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS • THE COMMERCE NEWS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2016 Commerce Police Department incidents Same man is a suspect in two thefts Officers of the Commerce Police Department respond ed to four theft-related cases last week, two of them involv ing the same suspect. Police went to Doug’s Car Wash, South Elm Street, on Thursday, Feb. 25, where the owner told them that an employee stole $5 from a customer’s vehicle. The owner of the business said he had seen the money in the vehicle earlier and want ed to see if it would be miss ing when the suspect was done washing the vehicle. According to the police report, the suspect was searched, but the money was not recovered, and the suspect denied stealing it. The owner of the vehicle said he did not wish to press charges. The suspect’s employer said that there had been other incidents in which the suspect took things, including a necklace valued at $600. He asked that the suspect be barred from the property, and police issued a criminal trespass warning banning the man from the property. Two days later, police responded to a Piedmont Street residence where a woman said she found an extension cord plugged into her residence and mnning to a residence next door, where the power meter had been removed. The victim said she had noticed her power bills seemed higher. Police went to that resi dence and knocked on the door, which was answered by the man suspected in the car wash theft. The suspect said his friend might have made the connection, but he (the suspect) “did not question where help comes from.” However, according to the incident report, the suspect also said he knew the extension cord was hooked up and that he had asked the complainant for permission to plug the cord to her house a week ago, and she had said it was okay. The officers returned to the complainant, who said she had not given the sus pect permission and that he was a liar. Other Incidents Other incidents to which police responded during the past week include: • a burglary at a Rice Street residence where a man said he came home at 9:30 p.m. to find the back door open. He said he found footprints going around the residence and that this was the second time he’d returned home to find his doors open. The only thing reported missing was a key to the residence. • theft by taking at Northridge Medical Cen ter, Medical Center Drive, where a woman reported that someone took her wal let from her purse while she was at work. The purse was hanging in the break room area. It contained a driver’s license, two $50 gift cards, a credit card, a debit card, three store credit cards and $10 in cash. •battery and cruelty to children reported on Laura Lane where a woman said her boyfriend found a vodka bottle she claimed was two years old in a recycling bin, but her boyfriend accused her of having a sexual rela tionship with someone else because of the bottle. She said he grabbed her by the arms while she was hold ing their 5-month-old child. Banks County Grand Jury indicts 33 A Banks County Grand Jury indicted 33 people last week, including the following: •Carl Christopher Adkins, possession of a controlled sub stance with intent to distribute, possession of a controlled sub stance, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, posses sion of marijuana, possession of a controlled substance, driv ing with a suspended driver’s license and failure to maintain a lane. •Artavian Edward Gilliam, possession of a controlled sub stance with intent to distribute, possession of a controlled sub stance, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, posses sion of marijuana, possession of a controlled substance, driv ing with a suspended driver’s license and failure to maintain a lane. • Joel Gregory Phelps, sec ond-degree burglary and three counts of theft by taking. •Ricky Lee Angel, sec ond-degree burglary and three counts of theft by taking. • Brianna Shanice Gholston, second degree bur glary and three counts of theft by taking. •Massiah Sekou Ayinde, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of marijuana, possession of a firearm during the commis sion of a crime, failure to main tain a lane and possession of a drug-related object. • Tabitha Nicole Batson, making a false statement and false report of a crime. •Teresa Lynn Black, two counts of possession of meth- amphetamine and DUI. • Lucinda Reed Bless, pos session of methamphetamine. • Cameron Andrew Crowe, possession of methamphet amine. • Donald Ray Dawson, possession of a controlled substance and two counts of possession of marijuana. •Anthony Castanho, pos session of a controlled sub stance and two counts of pos session of marijuana. • Stephen Henry Dale, child molestation, sexual bat tery against a child under age 16, false imprisonment, battery and criminal trespass. •Tiffany Anne Wheeler, fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, posses sion of methamphetamine, possession of a controlled substance, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, possession of marijuana, reckless driving, driving with a suspended driver’s license and failure to stop at stop sign. • Amanda Susan Gar- mond, fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, pos session of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of methamphet amine, possession of a con trolled substance, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, possession of marijua na, reckless driving, driving with a suspended driver’s license and failure to stop at stop sign. • Robert Lee Gossitt, possession of methamphet amine, DUI and possession of a drug-related object. •Billy Joe Gragg, posses sion of methamphetamine. • Larry Steven Grogran, criminal damage to property battery, simple battery and obstruction of an officer. •Paul Dylan Gross, bur glary theft by taking, theft by receiving stolen property and possession of methamphet amine. •David McCulley Jenkins, cruelty to children and two counts of simple battery. •Julio Baltazar Juan, false imprisonment and rape. • Tomas Pasqual Juan, false imprisonment and rape. •Martin Francisco Martin, false imprisonment and rape. •Andrew Wayne Merritt, possession of marijuana and possession of methamphet amine. • Jennifer Robin Lord, possession of marijuana and possession of methamphet amine. • Katrina Spurgeon Mahan, possession of a controlled sub stance with intent to distribute and possession of a controlled substance. •Timothy Lewis Sr., pos session of marijuana. • Tina Marie Miller, posses sion of methamphetamine and a tag light violation. • Sheila Peyton Neave, aggravated assault, pointing a gun at another person and discharge of a gun near a high way or street. •Thomas Eugene Roper, false imprisonment, battery, simple battery hindering an emergency telephone call, criminal trespass and disor derly conduct. •Matthew Theodore Sam ples, kidnapping, battery and simple battery. •Jackson Lewis Sanders, home invasion, aggravated assault and burglary. • Zanetta Louise Yearby, vehicular homicide, DUI, obstruction of an officer, aggra vated assault on a police offi cer, aggravated battery failure to maintain a lane, reckless driving and no proof of insur ance. CASES DISMISSED Two cases were dismissed by the Grand Jury. They are: • Stanley Ezra Levigne, aggravated assault and two counts of cruelty to children. • Catherine Marie Tate, pos session of a controlled sub stance. PUBLIC NOTICE Banks County is receiving applications for the following public service opportunities. If you feel you may be qualified and are willing to serve in this position, please call (706)677-6800 to request an application and a description of the position or go to www.bankscountvga.org/volunteer and download the application. Please return the completed form to the Commissioners' office located at 150 Hudson Ridge, Suite 1, Homer, GA by March 5, 2016 or you may email the completed application to jgailev(5>co. banks, ga. us. Board Term/years Development Authority 4 Community Services Board 3 Planning Commission 4 Police found a wall decora tion that had been shattered, an overturned kitchen chair and a broken glass decora tion. The victim said the man threw a number of things and that he was “on drugs.” The suspect told police that the vodka bottle looked new to him, and he asked the victim about it. Following an argument, he said he walked back to the garage, and she came in the garage acting as if she was going to hit him, and she butted him in the mouth with her head. He said when he’d left the residence, the chair was in its normal position and there were no broken items. The suspect, the report noted “did have an odor of burnt marijuana coming from his person, but his manifesta tions strongly suggested he was under the influence of a stimulant.” The two separat ed on their own will. • a dispute between adja cent property owners on North Broad Street. A cou ple summoned police after noticing cameras on the neighboring business they said pointed at their resi dence. They asked the offi cer to talk to the business owner, which the officer agreed to do. When the offi cer talked to the man, the man said the cameras were for security purposes and none faced the complain ants’ property. Five minutes after the officer left, he was summoned back to the busi ness where the owner said he wanted to file a report that the complainant’s dog had been on his front porch and that when it was let out of its cage, it would approach the victim’s dog. • terroristic threats and acts at a Heritage Hills apart ment where a woman told police she and her sister were arguing online and her sister sent her a text message saying she “would cut her (the complainant’s) baby out of her stomach and feed it to a rabid dog.” The victim wanted the other woman prosecuted for the threat. •a dispute at a Hillcrest Street residence where a juvenile male threatened to kill his stepfather as police responded to the location. The stepfather said the boy punched him in the mouth and grabbed his testicles, went into the kitchen to get a knife and threatened to kill him. His mother got the knife away, but the boy produced a hammer, threatening to harm his mother, stepfather and the police. The boy’s mother took the hammer away and when an officer went in the house, the boy surrendered. The woman said the boy came home under the influence of drugs and “flipped out.” The cou ple did not want to press charges, and police took the boy to Northridge Medical Center where he calmed down. He told police that he was getting ready to go to bed when his stepfather entered his room, pushed him to the floor and started elbowing him in the head. • criminal damage to prop erty at a North Broad Street residence where someone drove off the road and across a yard. • damage to property at a Walnut Street location where a woman and her ex-boy friend had separated. The man said he tried to use his key in the door and it did not work, so he knocked on the front door in an attempt to awaken his girlfriend. The glass in the front door shat tered. After the officer spoke to both parties, they agreed that the damage to the win dow was accidental and that there had been no physical or verbal dispute during the incident. Banks County Water Quality Report-2015 I-ast year the Banks County Water Works conducted over 55,508 laboratory tests for more than 80 drinking water parameters. We arc proud to inform you that The Banks County water system did not have any violations of water quality parameters during 2015. Included in this report is information about where your water comes from, what it contains, and how it compares to standards set by regulatory agencies. Your water department is committed to providing our Community with clean, safe and reliable drinking water for all of us. For more information about your water or this report please call Steve Recce at (706) 677-6889. Your water comes from a 55-acre reservoir located between I Iwy 441 and Apple Pie Ridge Road. This source provides ample volumes of water to our community. This reservoir is protected from activities, which could potentially cause contamination of this water source. The water gravity flows to the treatment plant where treatment chemicals arc added to remove impurities from the water, then filtered and finally chlorinated to disinfect the water. Your Board of Commissioners meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at the courthouse boardroom. Your participation or comments arc welcome at these meetings. Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants docs not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the HPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800) 426-4791. Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immuno-compromiscd persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly, and infants can be particularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. F.PA/CDC guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800) 426-4791. Be Water Wise! Everyone wants to help conserve our valuable resources. Water is one of our most valuable resources. We could not live without it! Our distribution system continues to grow. Over 313.9 miles of water lines have been installed since our inception. Banks County Water Works is currently researching several options to supplement our current water sources to ensure safe and reliable sources in the future. The sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground. It dissolves naturally occurring minerals and, in some cases, radioactive material, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity. Contaminants that may be present in source water before we treat it include * Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife. * Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals which can be naturally occurring or result from urban storm runolT: industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production. Mining or farming. * Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban storm water nrnolT and residential uses. *Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations, urban storm water runoff, and septic systems. 'Rodioactiw canlamirxmts, which can he naturally occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities. * Ixad contaminants If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. Ixad in drinking water is primarily from materials associated with service lines and home plumbing. Hanks County Water is responsible for providing. I Iigh quality dnnking water, but cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components. When your water has been sitting for several hours, you can nunuiu/c the potential for lead exposure by flashing your tap for 30 seconds lo 2 minutes before using water for drinking or cooking. If you are concerned about lead in your water, you may wish to have your water tested Information on lead in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from the Safe Drinking Water I lot line or at hlti>://MH'.en<i/eo\safe*ati‘r/lead In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, MPA prescribes regulations that limit die amount of ecrlain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. Food and Drug Administration regulations establish limits for contaminants in bonk'd water, which must provide the same protection for public health WATER QUALITY DATA Die table below lists all the drinking w r atcr contaminants that we detected during the 20IS calendar year, The presence of these contaminants in the water docs not necessarily indicate tluit tlic water poses a health risk. Unless otherwise noted, the data presented in this table is from testing done January 1 -December 31,2015. EPD requires us to monitor for certain contaminants less than once per year because the concentrations of these contaminants arc not expected to vary significantly from year to year. Some of the data, though representative of the water quality, is more than one year old. Terms & Abbreviations used below: Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG): the level of a contaminant in drinking w r atcr below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCI .(is allow for a margin of safety. Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL): the highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs arc set as close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology. Action Level (AL): the concentration of a contaminant which, when exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow. N/A - not applicable. ND - not detectable at testing limit, ppb - parts per billion or micrograms per liter, ppm - parts per million or milligrams per liter. NTU- Nephelometric Turbity Units — measure of clarity of water, TT - Treatment Technique a required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water. Inorganic Contaminant Table Parameter MCL MCLG Hanks Co. Range of Sample Violation Typical Source Water Syst Detection Date Ycs/No Nome 1°° 10.0 .21 .27 2015 No Runoff from fertilizer use: teaching from (Hta) septic tanks, erosion of natural deposits Nitrile 10 .21 .27 2015 No RunolT from fertilizer use; leaching from (PHI)) septic tanks, erosion of natural deposits Fluoride 4.0 (PPm) 4.0 1.1 0.84— 1.2 2015 No Erosion of natural deposits; water additive which promotes strong teeth Organic Contaminant Table Parameter MCL MCLG Banks Co. Range of Sample Violation Typical Source Water Svst. Detection Date Yes/No TTHMs [Total Stage 80 N/A 70.6 16.5-54 2015 No By-product of drinking water 2Triha)omcthancs chlorination 1 laloacctic Acids 60 N/A 33.7 0-41 2015 No By-product of drinking water Stage 2(11 A AS) disinfection Disinfectants and Disinfection By-products Table Parameter MCL MCLG Result Range Sample Date Violation Typical Source Chlorine 4.0 4.0 2.0 2.0-2.5 2015 no Disinfectant (PPM) Drinking water Sample Date Violation Typical Source Turbidity Tabic NO Soil runoff and Parameter MCL MCLG Result Range Errosion Turbidity TT=5 NTU 0 .22 TT = Percentage of samples <0.3 100% N/A About Nitrate: Nitrate in drinking water at levels above 10 ppm is a health risk for infants of less than six months of age. High nitrate levels in drinking water can cause blue baby syndrome. Nitrate levels may rise quickly for short periods of time because of rainfall or agricultural activity. If you arc caring for an infant you should ask for advice from your health care prov ider. Is our water system meeting other rules that govern our operations? EPD and EPA require us to test our water on a regular basis to ensure quality and safety. We here at the Banks County Water System are working hard to make sure that you will have an uninterrupted supply of clean safe drinking water for now and in the future. I certify that the above information is correct to the best of my knowledge Date 02/12/2016 Signature Andrew Strickland
