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VOLUME XCVIII — NUMBI
%
Chattooga County Rates A ‘6’
The county rating is finally out in this week’s issue of
The Summerville News. Chattoogans rated the overall
guality of life in the county a ‘6"’ on a scale of 1 to 10.
ixty-nine county residents participated in the survey
and most included remarks on the 16 categories. For
the total rating of each category and the comments,
see this week’s Second Front.
Corpsewood Manor
Gutted During Fire
The saga of Corpsewood
continued this week as the
roof and second floor of the
manor of the late Dr. Charles
S((i:udder and Joey Odom burn
ed.
Chattooga County
residents began hearing
rumors of the fire on Saturday
as people continue to visit the
40-acre estate near Trion. The
estate is the scene of the
brutally Dec. 12 murder of the
two men and their two watch
dogs.
The roof of the brick house,
‘Murder At Corpsewood’
To Be Printed Again
The magazine, Murder At
Corpsewood, sold out within
three days this week and
plans are underway for a se
cond printing of the magazine.
The second run of -the
52-page work should be in
area stores by tomorrow, or
Monday at the latest.
Murder At Corpsewood
has drawn statewide publicity
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Accident Claims Life
A 1980 Buick (top photo) veered off South Commerce
Street last Friday after its driver, William White of
Cloudland, apparently suffered from cardiac arrest.
Hospital personnel (bottom Ighot,o) worked with the
victim for quite some time. He was later pronounced
dead at the Chattooga County Hospital.
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The Summeruille News
the second floor and an
ugstairs walkway to the t? of
the §azebo were destroyed by
the fire over the weekend. An
interior upstairs wall leading
to Scudder’s bedroom fell. Ex
terior walls of the house have
cracked and two of the three
heavy metal doors have been
torn off their hinges. The
cause of the fire is not known.
Vandalism has plagued the
estate since the bizarre
murders occurred. A chicken
coop located near the house
burned Jan. 5.
and back orders of the
magazine have been received
from all over the U. S.
County retailers began
selling the magazine Monday
morning and many stores
were completely sold out by
the afternoon. One merchant
reported selling almost 100
copies within a one-hour
period.
SUMMERVILLE, CHATTOOGA COUNTY, GEORGIA 30747 — THURSDAY, APRIL 14, 1983
Auditor Gives Favorable
Report On City Finances
By JAMES BUDD
News Editor
Auditor Earl Williamson
Jr. gave a favorable review of
Summerville’s finances in a
regular council meeting Mon
day evening at City Hall.
Williamson, whose firm
Noble, Williams and Franklin
of Cartersville, was hired last
summer for city auditing, told
the council a decline in the ci
ty gas system losses was in
strumental in boosting the
overall outlook for the city.
‘““Your gas department
deserves a lot of credit,”
Williamson said. Gas leakage
was reduced from 9.3 percent
in 1981 to 5.8 percent in 1982.
The auditor reported Sum
merville’s total assets increas
ed from $7.66 million in 1981
to $7.83 million in 1982 for the
city’s combined enterprise
funds, including gas and
water.
Total revenues for the gas
department in 1982 were
$2.34 million compared to
$1.98 million in 1981. Net in
come for the department,
however, decreased from
$165,335 in 1981 to $160,847
last year because of increased
transfers from the gas fund to
the ’lgeneral fund.
he water department
showed total revenues of
$751,434 in 1981 to $826,335
in 1982.
“The City of Summerville
is in fine economic shape,”
said Williamson. ‘I think you
all are in real good shape.”
The auditor told the coun
cil Summerville is one of only
eight cities in the state
qualified to have an authoriz
ed “seal of approval’ for
financial soundness.
The council also discussed
with Williamson a proposal to
Rep. Crawford Discusses
Highway Widening Plans
Rep. John Crawford ad
dressed the Chattooga County
Chamber of Commerce Board
of Directors meeting Friday.
Crawford told tfie gather
ing the widening of U.S.
Hwy. 27 would be done in two
construction phases. The
bridge work an(f the highway
widening would take two
years to complete.
Crawford acknowledged
that some businesses in the
area were opposed to the pro
{'lect. The local representative
as said several times that the
state is serious about the
widening project and it will
happen.
In other action, Will Hair,
chairman of Town Lift Pro
ject, spoke to the group con
cerning the town lift proFram,
giving a summary of the
meeting March 30.
The chamber approved for
a committee of four to work
Year’s First Auto
Fatality Recorded
A ChattooFa County resi
dent lost his life in a one-car
accident Friday afternoon
west of Summerville, becom
ing the county’s first traffic
fatality victim of 1983.
Authorities identified the
resident as 75-year-old
William M. “Bill"”” White of
Cloudland. He was pronounc
ed dead a short time later at
Chattooga County Hospital
following the 3:48 p.m. acci-
move some of the city's funds
from Farmers and N(erchants
Bank to First National. The
proposal, first raised several
months ago by Councilman
Clint Agnew, is expected to be
reviewed by the auditor.
“There’s been a lot of
changes in banking laws over
the year,” said Wifiiamson. 1
think we should let them (the
coungy's bankers) talk this
over.” ;
Fag' Hurley, who has been
attending the last few council
meetings and is the husand of
the leading stockholder in
First National Bank, spoke up
and said he would like to see
immediate action on the pro
posal. i
Councilman Agnew told
Hurley it would be best to
take the auditor’s advice and
wait to act on the proposal in
30 days. “We're down at the
goal line now, so let’s not fum
le the ball,” said Agnew.
“I'm just afraid tfi: clock’s
lg’loinF to run out,” responded
urley.
Also present Monday was
First National president Jer
rell McCool.
In other action Monday,
the council heard from Ernest
Conway, a salesman from New
Fuels, Inc., about changin% ci
ty. vehicles over from gasoline
to natural gas power.
Conway toEl the council
natural gas power reduces
wear on the engine and is
more economical than gas.
‘“With natural gas, you
change the oil about every
25,000 miles rather than
5,000, said Conway. ‘‘Spark
plugs can be replaced every
50,000 miles rather than
10,000.”
The salesman said it is not
uncommon for natural gas
with Hair on the project.
Those elected to the commit
tee were: Clint Agnew, Jenny
McWhorter, Anne Krueger
and Van Pullen.
Hair also spoke to the
chamber concerning jobs for
teen-agers this summer. He
explained -that through a job
training program an employer
can get a tax credit of 85 Fer
cent (up to $3,000) on a sala
for a 16-to-17-year-old disa‘l
vantaged teen-ager. In addi
tion, he noted tiat some 90
students will be placed in jobs
in the community this sum
mer through CETA. He said
this will result in excess of
$75,000 being put into the
county.
In other action the board:
* Discussed the unpaid
membership dues.
* Approved Morgan Smith
and Lane Smith as new board
members. Morgan Smith
dent, which occurred on South
Commerce Street (Hwy. 48)
near the Back Berryton Road.
According to a Summer
ville Police Department
report, White was traveling
west on South Commerce
Street in a 1980 Buick
Limited. The report said
White apparently suffered
from cardiac arrest (a heart at
tack), causing his vehicle to
leave the roagway and enter a
ravine. The vehicle came to
rest down an embankment on
the northbound side of the
road. ;
The accident was in
vestigated by Lt. Houston
London of the police depart
ment. /
Funeral services for White
were held Sunday, April 10, at
3 p.m. from the &oudland
Presbyterian Church with the
Rev. Ronald Ragon of
ficiating. Interment was in the
church cemetery.
Survivors include his wife,
Mrs. Pauline McLaughlin
White of Cloudlang; a
daughter and son-in-law,
Superior Court Judge and
Mrs. Kenneth B. Followill of
Columbus; one son, William
Rodney White of Cloudland;
three sisters, Miss Mary
White of Dover, Fla., and Mrs.
John Douglas and Mrs. Edna
Merriman, both of Tampa,
Fla.; one Frand_daughter, Miss
Ann Followill of Columbus;
one grandson, Tom Followill
of Columbus; and several
nieces and nephews.
powered vehicles to go
200,000 miles without an
engine overhaul,
The council aireed to visit
a town near Nashville, Tenn.,
which has natural gas
powered vehicles.
In other action the council:
» Ap{)roved a purchase of
$8,400 for a 1983 Ford LTD
Bolice-package vehicle from
rimp Warren Ford.
* Accepted a low bid of
$7,600 from Hankins and
Hankins Construction for
renovating the Scout Hut.
Other bigs included $7,706
from Delton Dickson, $11,689
from Bill Ramsey, Inc., and
$14,820 from Petitt Construc
tion. A fifth bid was unopened
because it came in after the
advertised deadline.
* Tabled a motion to im
grove the walkways in Dowdf'
ark. The city received a seal
ed bid from Headrick Con
struction for $9,370 to pave
the quarter-mile walkways in
asphalt to a width of eight
feet.
A bid of $9,900 was receiv
ed from a concrete firm to lay
down 1,320 feet of concrete tor
a six-foot width.
* Approved a $3,900 bid
from Bifi Ramsey, Inc. to in
stall four steel poles for two
U.S. 27 crosswalks in
downtown Summerville. The
walks will cross the highway
at the Post Office and at
Super D.
* Approved lease agree
ment with Downtown Cinema
to lease two parking lots for
81 for off-street é)ublic park
infi. Councilman Clint Agnew.
who is part owner of the
cinema, abstained from the
voting.
* Approved installing
see AUDITOR, page 7-A
replaces Richard Eason and
Lane Smith replaces Charles
Eichelberger.
* Discussed a possible spr
ing promotion for area
businesses to be held in May.
Chattooga Jobless
Rate Shows Decline
Spokesmen for State
Labor Commissioner Sam
Caldwell said this week that
Chattooga County’s
unemployment rate declined
from a revised 12.9 percent in
January to a preliminary 11.8
in February, the latest month
that figures are available from
the state.
Officials of the Georgia
Department of Labor said
8,133 residents of Chattooga
County were employed this
past February, while 1,090
others were still jobless.
The previous month
(January) a total of 8,054
Chattooga County residents
were workinfi, but 1,196
others were still seeking jobs.
At this same time last year
(February of 1982) when the
county's jobless rate was 16.7
percent, a total of 7,993
residents of the county were
on jobs, but 1,605 others were
not. '
State Labor Department
officials said Georgia's total
civilian labor force increased
Sheriff McConnell
Named To Board
The Georgia Peace Officer
Standards and Training Coun
cil announced that Chattooga
County Sheriff Gary McCon
nell has been named to a
newly-created task force that
will seek resolutions to the
problems of law enforcement
related stress.
According to Derrell R.
Carnes, Executive Director of
the P.O.S.T. Council, Sheriff
McConnell was chosen to
serve on the Task Force
‘‘because of his continued ex
pressions of concern for
upgrading the job of law en
forcement in Georgia and
because of specific interest in
the area of law enforcement
stress management.”’
The Tasfi( Force is an
outgrowth of Governor Joe
iy o s ’;‘:}f '« '3 ,;’-.‘
M p G es
F {£o A A ‘M .
B A )
f *
Warren County, Miss. District Attorney
Frank Campbell (right) was in Chattooga
County last week to discuss the Samuel
Tony West murder case with
Chattooga’s Assistant District Attorney
.Ralph Van Pelt (left). Campbell said West
Mississippi Makes Plans
For West, Brock Trials
By PAM PURCELL
Staff Writer
Provided there are no
delays in extradition, Samuel
Tony West will be tried in
Warren County, Miss., during
their June term of court.
Warren County District
Attorney Frank Campbell
told THE NEWS last week
that the 30-year-old West will
be tried for the murder of
Navy Lt. Kirby Key Phelps.
West allegedly killed the
26-Kear-old Phelps in a
Vicksburg, Miss., rest st,oli)
early Dec. 14 following a kill
ing spree in Chattooga Coun
ty. ”
Also charged with the
murder of Phelps is 17-year
old Kenneth Avery Brock,
who was also involved in the
Chattooga County killings.
Campb'efi said he is not sure
when Brock will be tried for
the Mississippi murder.
The two are scheduled to
be extradited to Mississippi
the first part of May in order
by 25,807 in a month’s time,
rising from 2,623,517 in
January to 2,649,324 in
February.
“We simply had more peo
ple in the work force in
February — both employed
and unemployed — and this
tended to force the jobless
rate upward,”” one Labor
Department spokesman said.
“Some of these people
were able to find jobs,” the
spokesman said, “g)ut others
were not. They may have been
students who did not return to
school, or they may have been
housewives trying to find
jobs, or discouraged workers
who decided to try to find
work again.”
Employment in Georfiia
rose by 17,588 in a month's
time — from 2,406,289 in
January to 2,423,877 the next
month. But at the same time,
joblessness was also up — by
8,219 — from 217,228 to
225,447. The total civilian
labor force is the number of
persons both employed and
unemployed.
Frank Harris’ commitment to
address this issue. In an Ex
ecutive Order dated March 25,
Governor Harris directed the
POST Council to conduct a
study of job related stress
among peace officers in this
state, to develog a program to
assist law enforcement ex
ecutives, and to make recom
mendations to the Governor’s
office concerning any roles
that the State could play in
implementing the Task Force
recommendations.
‘“We call on our law en
forcement officers daily to
shoulder the burdens of deal
ing with our society’s pro
blems. It is only right that we
take a look at how we can help
them deal with theirs,” Gov.
Harris said.
DAs Discuss West Case
to give them time to have at
torneys appointed and give
their attorneys time to
prepare for the case. At the
present time the Warren
County District Attorney'’s of
fice is seeking the death penal
ty in both cases, said &fmp
bell. Mississippi does not have
a life without parole sentence.
Campbell said he feels it
will take a day to a day and a
half to select a jury for West's
trial. He said Le expects the
trial to take about a week to
be completed. Campbell said a
number of Chattooga County
authorities will testify in the
case as the only coniessions
concerning the case were
Opposition Growing
To Forest Sales
Approximately 60 persons
from a four-county region met
Friday evening at the Ar
muchee Sadgle Club to
discuss the proposed sale of
northwest (feorgia's 61,000
acres of U.S. Forest Service
lands.
Those in attendance, who
came from Chattooga, Gor
don, Bartow and Floyd coun
ties, opposed the sale and plan
to start a grassroots cam
paign to fight the proposal.
The opposition is led by
Dr. Philip Greer, chairman of
Shorter College’'s biology
department. :
Though legislation in Con
gress has not been introduced
yet, Greer said the best time
to “puncture the balloon” is
before it gets off the ground.
““The primary method of
fighting the proposal is
through education,” said
Greer. ‘‘By education I mean a
poster campaign, petitions
and letter writing.”
The professor said a large
rally is planned in May, and
hopefully, Gov. Joe Frank
Harris will be the keynote
speaker. Gov. Harris has come
out against the sale of
Georgia’s U. S. Forest Service
land, he said.
Under the proposal by
President Reagan, almost 13
percent of Georgia's national
forest lands would be [i)ut on.
the auction block, including
No Special Postal
Hours Planned For
Friday Tax Deadline
The deadline for filing
federal and state income tax
returns is tomorrow at mid
night.
In most larger cities, a
midnight rush occurs April 15
at the U. S. Postal Offices, but
Chattooga Countians must
get their returns in the mail
y 5 p.m. tomorrow or face
penalties.
Summerville Postmaster
Glenn Martin said his office
will not take any extra
measures for tax return pro
crastinators. ‘‘They've gad
three months (to file),”’ said
Martin.
Martin said all of the coun
and Kenneth Avery Brock will both be
extradited in May to stand trial in June
for the murder of 26-year-old Navy Lt.
Kirby Key Phel[ils, who was killed Dec.
14 following a killing spree by West and
Brock in Chattooga County.
made to local authorities.
The Warren County trial is
not expected to receive the na
tional attention that the Chat
tooga Counfi' killings did,
said Campbell, due to the cir
cumstances surrounding the
killing and the fact that
Phelps was not a Warren
County resident. He was en
route to Oklahoma to visit his
mother during the Christmas
holidays. ?
Camfl)bell said he expects
to highlight the Georgia kill
ings during West's trial. He
plans to try and enter
photogr:ghs of the murder
scene and photographs of the
see MISSISSIPPI, page 7-A
the entire Armuchee District
of northwest Georgia. The
same proposal calls for selling
off more than six million acres
nationally.
Most of the lands for the
proposal are in the Eastern
1. g.. which make it even
more important to keep the
land under federal ownership,
according to Greer. ‘‘That
makes it even more valuable
to greserve these islands of
wilderness,’’ said Greer.
Although most authorities
say the proposal will never
pass Congress, Greer is taking
no chances. “My gut feelings
are it won't happen, but it’s
best to fight it gefore it even
gets started.”
Chattooga County has
almost 18,000 acres in the
U.S. Forest Service. Last
year, the county received
sll,llß from the sales of
timber on the acreage, a figure
Greer said would most liilély
be more than the amount
received from taxes on the
land if it were under private
ownership.
Most of the lands for sale
would be in the Eastern U. S.
because those lands are not
contiguous, as are the lands in
the West. Ohio stands to lose
36 Sercent of its federal land,
while states like Idaho in the
West would lose less than 3
percent.
ty's post offices will close at 5
p.m.
Returns must be brought
in by closing time to receive
an April 15 postmark.
Returns filed after the
deadline will receive an. April
16 postmark.
iocal residents who miss
the deadline may take their
returns to the Rome Post Of
fice at the corner of East First
and Sixth Streets until 11
g.m.. according to Postmaster
. T. Howard.
The Rome office will have
drive-up service, where per
sons can hand over tE:ir
returns to a postal worker.
PRICE 20c