Newspaper Page Text
VOLUME 74—NO. 26
Gra d Jury
Judge Ws Charges Jury
To Prb»a School Dilemma
New Grand Jury Named Here Monday;
School Problem High On List For Investigation
Judge John Davis, presiding over the Superior County
Court Monday, charged members of the new grand jury to
investigate the school dilemma in the county after review
ing the functions of schools systems in the State of Geor
gia for the past several years.
Judge Davis related how the
schools were operated in Chat
tooga County under separate dis
tricts several years ago until the
school operations became too
large for each community to
finance. He traced the history of
the school system to its present
stage of operations as the re
sponsibility of the entire county
under a five-man school board
and one superintendent.
The Grand Jury as a routine,
in the past, has recommended its
findings on school matters to
the school board for action.
However, the new Grand Jury is
faced with more than a routine
problem. The present school
board is deadlocked on most of
the issues involving getting the
school system on its feet from
the viewpoint of meeting state
requirments and finances. The
Grand Jury has no authority to
go beyond recommendations.
However, this group is made up
of impartial citizens and their
recommendations are usually the
last word on matters.
Paul Cook, father of Attorney
Political Opponents
fl
Janies "Sloppy” Floyd
Rep. James "Sloppy" Floyd and Leon King arc two of (he
lour candidates now seeking to be elected to the Georgia State
\ssemblv as representatives from Chattooga County. Next
week: City Judge T. J. Espy, Jr. and F. H. "Pete” Boney.
Personal Background
James "Sloppy" Floyd. 38 years
ol age, born February 4. 1920, in
Trion, Georgia.
Floyd graduated from Gram
mar and High Sehools al Trion.
He attended Middle Georgia
Junior College. Cochran. Ga.
He is a member of the First
Baptist Church. Trion. Member
of VFW Post 6688; American Le
gion Post 129: Trion Lodge 160
F&AM. Trmn Chapter No. 19
Hoyal Arch Mason.
He served in US Air Force
during World War 11. for' 4*g
years He is well-known locally
and state-wide in veteran und
political circles having been very
active m these fields since his
discharge from the Air Force in
1946
He is a Past State Commander
of the VFW and has served on
several national committees.
Floyd served as President of
the Sevinth District Legislative
Association which includes all
the 14 eoimt.es In the Seventh
Congressloniil District lie has
nerved lor six years in the Geor
gia Legislature.
in the Inst session of the
Legislature. he served ns Chair
man ol the House Defense and
Veterans Affairs Committee,
served ns a member of Hie pow
erful State of Republic Com
mittee and industrial Relations
Committee of the House of Rep
resentatives Members of the
Home tire only appointed Io
three eoniiuiHers
Rep Floyd maki. Ids home in
Irion with his wife. Doris Small
wood Floyd, und his three chil
dren. Nancy Jim, i» years of
age, Susan. 4 years of age. and
James H. Jr. 17 months of nge.
He is the son of Mrs lassie
Parris Floyd, of Trion, and the
lute Julumy Floyd.
The Summerville N
Bobby Lee Cook, was named
foreman of the new grand jury.
W. K. Cash was named bailiff.
Other members of the panel are
Corban Whitfield, Robert Bag
gett, L. P. Shropshire, J. C. Bark
ley, Ralph Holt, Leo Lanier, Sr.,
Wallace Lanier, Tom Green, W.
A. Goebel, E. L. Gray, L. A. Miller.
J. L. Salmon, James H. Brimer,
Mrs. Frances M. Harris, Claude
H. Ratliff, John L. Webster.
Homer Simmons, Dennis Cox.
Lewis P. Scarboro, Henderson F.
Ponder, Billy Locklear and Roy
L. Williams.
CITY GETS $5,000 LOAN
PENDINGTAX REVENUE
The Board of Mayor and City
Council authorized a $5,000 loan
from the Farmers and Mer
chants Bank to be placed in the
general fund for the city’s oper
ations until the new tax reve
nue is received at city hall.
ik 1
Leon King
Leon King is a newcomer in
local politics. However, he said
he entered the race after he was 1
encouraged to run by friends
from every precinct in the
county:
He is 38 years old. Born and
reared In Cherokee County. Cen
tre. Ala. King came to Chat
tooga County in 1935 and has
been a resident since that time.
King was educated in the schools
til Centre
He is married to the former
Mary Orval Bagley of Chattooga
County. They have one married
daughter, Mrs. Randall Graham.
King is a past Master of the
Blue Lodge. Masons, past high
priest Royal Arch and at present
lie is the commander of the
Knights ol Temple He is also a
.Shriner He Is a member ol the
Odd Fellows. Elks and a member
of the First Baptist Church nt
Trion.
King stated that lie has
pledged himself to serve the pro
pie of Chalooga County, im lud
Ing stale, county und city oftl
; cialn. "I am not obligated to
any individual or faction 1 be
lieve in the democratic way of
life and feel thul everyone
should have a voice In the gov
ernment."
King made the following
statement regarding his candi
daney: "I um seeking the seal in
the House of Representatives
presently held by James
'Sloppy) Floyd. Before milking
my amimmrrmeiit I had come to
the vnmlu.lim fhal one of the
most important problems facing
us lo d.iv m ( huttoogu County Is
out ■ irnol system In the event
1 am elected ns one of your rep
resentatives. I believe the School
Board should be elected by the
people instead of being ap
pointed a- u now Un case.
Investigating School Situation Here
LOW-RENT HOUSING AVAILABLE SOON
.Jam''
. $ 'SOB.
'.gKJMK3L). \ vT * '’X • * ** ’
.* ...^•. " ,40!
iff
- iWßiiir- — &
Summerville's low-rent housing project is scheduled to be completed sometime in August and will
be available for rent at that time. The four projects here for white and Negro families were con
structed at a cost of approximately 5766,195.00. Bryant and Bishop are the contractors. The units
are located in four sections of the Summerville area. The largest of the four, pictured above, is
located on Oak Street. This project will house 42 tenants. The project located on .Marvin Street
will accommodate 22 tenants, The two smaller units, one for while and one lor Negro fam
ilies, will house eight tenants each. The units i'or white families is located on I nion Street while
the units for Negro families is located on Seventh Street. The lower picture shows a brick duplex
which will accommodate two large families. Each apartment contains four bedrooms, etc.
Staff Photo—Bill Espy
School Board Still Stymied
On Consolidating Schools
No Action Token on Subligna School After
Trion Refuses Students; Lyerly Allowed
$3,600 Credit on Laboratory For School
By SHEENY WHITE
Chattooga County’s school system is still hopelessly
entangled in a cob-web of circumstances that may prevent
the opening of the schools in September due to the fact
tnat the local school board has failed to produce a solu
tion to meet State requirements . . . plus the fact that
there is no money available for next year’s operations.
The local board met again in
an emergency meeting last week
and again failed to find the an
swer to the present dilemma In
fact, the board seemed ready to
“throw' in the towel” and admit
the problem was too big for it to
handle.
GHANI) JI KY MEETS
One school official said he felt
sure the new grand jury, which
was sworn in Monday, would in
vestigate the school matter "1
don’t know how far they 11 go,’
he said, "but 1 imagine they will
go pretty deep once they get
started.” he added
The board held two meetings
last Friday, one a called meeting
which was held Friday mon
and later recessed in favor of an
afternoon meeting when the
board member. i.ulcd to .
on taking a vote on a couple of
motions. Discussions reached a
point where the board recessed
without voting to do so
WHITE ABSENT
During the morning meeting it
appeared the board might come
up with a solution to its prob
loins . . but one board member.
R L. Whin. "i tic :,übhgmi
cmnmuiiity. was md pn > nt . . .
and the objective died In a sen
of words uttered by board mem
bers and spectators alike Had
Ho.nd Mcmlx i While be. n pn
ent the board may have been
able to swing n plan whereby
Subligna High School would be
consolidated with Summerville
High and Menlo and Lyerly High
would be allowed to operate as
separate schools, as they have In
the past M C. Hartline, who
hud previously said he would
favor consolidation before he
would allow the schools to close
said he would favor such plan
as outlined Ibns.v.i 111 did not
get the opportunity to vote on
the matter. Bill Farrar said he
could not go along with the Idea
because White was not present to
represent his district, it was
understood that Hub Dagley
SUMMERVILLE, CHATTOOGA COUNTY, GA., THURSDAY, JULY 17, 1958
would join Hartline in this move,
With Farrar opposing it. which
would have resulted in a tie
vote, thus giving Chairman O L.
Cleekler a vote. Since Clcckler
.suggested the plan there is no
reason to think he would have
voted against it. Clcckler, as
chairman of the board, can vote
only when there is a tic on an
issue.
However, the plan did not
work out this way and Farrar
made a counter attack with a
motion tor the board to adopt
the entire plan as recommended
by the survey team which culled
lor consolidation of all of the
high schools with Summerville
High His motion was given a
second by Bagley. Chairman
Cleekler refused to put the mo
tion to a vote ' because Mr
White Is not present ” Farrar
called for Cleekler to put his
motion to a vote or resign
Cleekler refused to do cither.
Other business acted on by the
board Included u move by Hart
line to rescind his motion to send
a delegation composed ol board
members, including T J Espy,
iJr., attorney tor the board,
which had been scheduled to ap
pear before the State School
I Board in Atlanta lust Monday
“MO Multi MOM 1
Chairman Cleekler called on
Attorney E py, In his capacity us
board attorney, to advise the
board on certain legal matters
as to a hut the board could and
could not d<> in connection with
matching hinds with Menlo and
Lyerlv to purchase InlKiratory
rqmpniriil in bum: those Iwo
schools up l<> stale require
mviits Judge Espv laid the
board he could not personally
tell the board what to do but he
did explain that the board is
now in a position where it can
। not borrow any more money plus
the fact they cannot exceed cer-
< UonUuutd uu Fugs 4 •
OLD TIMERS WILL
PLAY DALL AGAIN
An old -timers exhibition
baseball game will be staged
here Sunday afternoon before
the big Coosa Valley League
All-Star game between Sum
merville and a hand-picked
team composed of players
from seven other loop teams.
The old timers will take the
field about 2 p m. and should
be well worn out in time for
the regular game slated for 3
p.m.
Listed below are some of the
old timers who will take part
in the exhibition game. Sher
iff Fred Stewart, Shorty Cash.
David Espy. Jim Mosley. Jim
Tedder, John Groce. Rabbit
and Clabo Jackson. Buck Rich.
Shorty Lawson and several
others, from Berryton will be
John Cox, David Koonce.
Carlton strange. Tob Morri
son, Tick Frady, Hot Eye New
som and others.
NEW MEMBERS OF CHATTOOGA COUNTY GRAND JURY
A' _
* < i i M { LJI
lTw fin
r< M 1
lli i. in the im iiibi f • ol the m>» I li.uiiint.i < limit' Grand Jury
which was seated and begun accepting evidence shortly after
i by fudge Jolin i» "o tn Hup-rior Court last Mon
day morning. Pictured left In right, front row: Homer Simmons.
Mrs. I'rances Harris. Wales Goebel. clerk; Henderson F. Ponder.
Key W tUuun.. Dcmu. Lu. UiatUburu Lash. batML and Paul
SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS CALLED TO
TESTIFY IN PROBE FOR ANSWERS
PONDER NABBED
BY FBI AGENTS
N. B. Johnson, special agent
in charge of the Atlanta FBI of
fice, announced early Wednes
day morning the arrest of Rob
ert Dean Ponder, age 30, on un
lawful flight to avoid prosecu
tion charges filed in Kansas
City, Mo
Ponder was arrested at 11:32
Tuesday night at the Twenty-
Seven Drive-In, Crystal Springs,
Ga., by FBI agents, GBI agent
James P. Hillin and Chief of
Police Von Brock, of the Floyd
County Police Department.
Sheriff Fred Stewart and
Deputy Sheriff Paul White gave
the Federal officers valuable as
sistance in bringing about the
arrest of Ponder. The two local
officers worked close in hand
with the FBI in securing infor
mation regarding the move
ments of Ponder.
A federal complaint was filed
in Kansas City by an FBI agent
on Monday. July 14. charging
Ponder with a violation of Fed
eral unlawful flight statute in
that on or about July 10, 1958. at
Brumley. Mo., Ponder willfully
fled from the state of Missouri
to avoid prosecution on a charge
of armed robbery.
The Federal complaint was
based on a state armed robbery
warrant obtained by the Mis
souri highway patrol on Sunday,
July 13.
Ponder is confined at the
Floyd County jail at Rome, Ga
and was arrained before the U.S
Commissioner there Wednesday.
MANHUNT
Two Prisoners
Escape County
Work Camp Here
Two Public Work Camp pris
oners escaped here Tuesday
morning and became the object
of a three-state manhunt, ac
cording to Sheriff Fred Stewart.
Sheriff Stewart was advised
of the break by Warden Harry
Powi 11 and Stewart alarmed po
lice authorities in neighboring
Alabama and Tennessee to be
on the lookout for the pair. The
prisoners were listed as Carl
Overdear, 24. and Robert Raines,
26 They were dressed in prison
garb when they made their bid
for freedom.
Overdear was arrested and
sentenced recently for striking
Deputy Sheriff Paul White while
the officer was arresting an
other man on Sand Mountain.
Overdear is from that section of
Alabama.
Raines was serving time on
assault and battery charges.
Sheriff Stewart said Raines was
picked up here on a liquor
charge at the request of Dalton
authorities.
Sheriff Stewart radioed Dal
ton to bring in bloodhounds in
an effort to captMM the <>-
caped convicts. However, after
two hours of waiting Dalton
authorities advised the sheriff
tile dogs were needed in tHnt
county und could not be* brought
to Summerville immediately
ews
SUBSCRIPTION RATE $2.00 PER YEAH
By SHEENY WHITE
The new Chattooga County Grand Jury is expected
to probe deep into the county school problems while in
closed-door session here this week. All members of the
local school board, including Supt. Lowell Hix, have been
seen entering the portals of the grand jury room.
Mayor Authorized To
Execute Agreement
Mayor Martin H. Copeland has
been authorized by the City
Council to execute an agreement
with Southern Natural Gas Com
pany in connection with the
company's expansion program
which will ultimately bring more
natural gas to Summerville and
other customers of the company.
City Clerk Sam Sitton. Jr., said
the city will ask Southern Na
tural for additional gas for this
winter's operations. Some 800-
1000 applications for natural gas
are now on file at the city hall
and it is hoped most of these can
be filled as the result of the
agreement between the gas com
pany and the city officials.
The agreement with Summer
ville. along with a like ?'range -
ment with other customers, will
allow Southern Natural to get
a certificate from the Federal
Power Commission to expand its
facilities which will make pos
sible additional gas for the com
pany's customers in the very
near future.
Order Placed For 100
New Street Markers
The City of Summerville is
■ slated to place an order for ap
proximately 100 street markers
which will be erected for the
purpose of identifying the streets
I and avenues here which have
long been unmarked.
The street signs will be erected
first in those sections where it
will help the post office depart
ment to expidite mail delivery.
Plans call for erecting the mark
ers on the main streets and
roads leading in and out of the
city. Other markers will be added
until the entire street system is
marked.
TRION REJECTS
SUBLIGNA'S BID
TO CONSOLIDATE
Proposal Fails I'or Lack of a
Motion; Local School Board
Advised of Action By Letter
The proposed move by the
Chattooga County School Board
to consolidate Subligna High
School with Trion High School
has been turned down by Trion
school and city officials.
The following letter was re
ceived by Supt. Lowell Hix after
the proposal was made to con
solidate the two schools. At a
meeting of the Trion School
Board of Education and the City
Council, held concerning admit
ting the high school students
from Subhgna was discussed
"At the call for a motion to ac
cept these students, no motion
was made Therefore, we will not
be able to take them." The let
ter was signed by A. J Strick
land. superintendent of the
Trion Schools.
Cook. foreman. Sack row: Billy Locklear, Robert Baggett. Jame
H. Brimrr. Lewis P Kcarboru, John L. Webster. E. L. Grey, l^o
Lanier. Hr. J. I. Salmon, L. P. Shropshire, ('urban Whitfield.
Claude 11. Ratcliff. Wallace Lanier. Tom Greer and L. A. Miller.
Staff Photo—bheauv UUila
There is every reason to be
lieve the Grand Jury will stage
an extensive investigation in the
recent $300,000 School Bond Issue
election. It is understood that
two election officers from the
Lyerly precinct was called to
testify before the group. Indica
tions are, from the length of time
each witness is questioned, the
Jury intends to conduct a full
investigation into the election
and will attempt to shed some
light on why the official results
of the election showed the Bond
Issue was approved but later de
clared to be void when the votes
were recounted after the election
was contested by a number of
Lyerly citizens.
The Grand Jury usually fin
ishes up its business in a two-day
period However, a near record
number of witnesses were called
to give the Jury evidence on the
school matter in addition to the
routine cases brought before
them.
All members of the Chattooga
County School Board, at one
time or another, were observed
waiting outside the Grand Jury
room for their turn to testifv.
Supt. Lowell Hix was one of the
first school officials called to
appear before the new Jury. O.
L Clcckler, chairman of the
School Board was a witness
Wednesday afternoon M. C.
Hartline. Bob Bagley, Bill Farrar
and R L. White were other
S'hool Board members s^cn at
different times waiting outside
the jury room to appear before
the Grand Jury
The number one problem now
faced by the Grand Jury is the
problem of being sure Chattooga
County's 12-school system will
open in September. Unless the
Grand Jury comes up with a so
lution favorable to all of the
Board members there is a defi
nite possibility the schools will
not open because the State
Board of Education has stated
state funds in the amount of
some $600,000 will be withheld
from Chattooga County until the
School Board complies with new
State school requirements re
cently set out by the State De
partment of Education.
The School Board for the past
several weeks has been dead
locked on the question of consol
idation. At the last meeting of
the Board the county school of
ficials became hopelessly dead
locked on this question and ad
journed without setting a future
meeting date
As late as Wednesday noon
some witnesses were excused for
the day and were told to return
to the Courthouse today, which
indicated the Grand Jury may
be in session the remainder of
the week.
EIGHT STREET LIGHTS
AUTHORIZED BY CITY
The City Council last Monday
night authorized the erection of
eight street lights hi the city to
provide better lighting in the
following areas: one on Oak
street, two in the Maxey Sub
division and one on North Scog
gins street.