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VOLUME XCVIII -} o% ER XVI
Vot irs Approve Jail Bonds, State Court
By JAMES BUDD
News Editor
Chattooga County voters
gave overwhelming approval
to the jailhouse bond referen
dum and the creation of a
state court in Tuesday's
special election.
Only 12 ?ercent of the
county’s almost 9,000
registered voters participated
in the special election, called
statewicfe to fill a vacancy on
the Georgia Supreme Court.
Statewide, Hardy Gregory
defeated Jack Dorsey and
Paul Weiner for the Supreme
Court seat, which has been the
subject of an ongoing court
dispute since 1980.
County voters, however,
Eave Dorsey, a former DeKalb
ounty plumber. 485 votes to
Gregory's 390 votes. Weiner,
a 60-year-old Clayton County
attorney, received 152 votes
in Chattooga County.
As of noon Wednesday,
United Press International in
Parolee Gets 10 Years;
VWill Face Holdup Charges
By JAMES BUDD
News Editor
A 20-year-old Armuchee
man, charged with armed rob
bery and aggravated assault
for the beating of a Gore mer
chant in February, was
sentenced to serve 10 years in
prison for violating the condi
tions of his parole, stemming
from a 1981 burglary convic
tion.
James ‘‘Pee Wee” Kirby,
of Route 2, Armuchee, was
sentenced Monday in Chat
tooga County Superior Court
by Judge Joseph E. Loggins
for violating the conditions of
his parole after he was given
three years probation by the
court in 1981 under the First
Offenders Act for burglary.
Kirby and two other
suspects in the February
beating and robbery, 20-year
old Diane Covington and
Wa})]'ne “Fruity’’ Williams,
both of Summerville, have not
been brought to trial on the
charges.
’l‘ie trio is accused of robb
ing A.D. Pledger's General
Merchandise Store on U. S. 27
last Feb. 8 and beating Addie
Lou Pledger. Mrs. Ple(fger has
since recovered from the
beating.
Summerville attorney Al
Palmour said he will most like
ly apgeal Judge Loggins’ deci
sion based on a ‘‘novel ques
Chamber Forum Spotlight
County Business Issues
By PAM PURCELL
Staff Writer
The third Chattooga Coun
ty Leadership Forum in two
years was conducted Tuesday,
covering dozens of topics of
special interest to the develop
ment of the county.
Amonfi the topics discuss
ed were the widening of U. S.
27, expansion of the county’s
industrial base and the
development of an industrial
park.
Twenty people were pre
sent for the 7 p.m. meeting
held in the Georgia Power
Building Tuesday on the Boll
ing Road. The city and county
governments, business and
retail, financial, professional
and industrial segments of the
county were represented at
the forum. Several local of
ficials were unable to attend
the forum because they were
attending a meeting in
Calhoun on the new Job Train
ing Partnership Act.
“I thought we had an ex
cellent forum,”’ said Mrs. Rita
Duke, executive director of
the Chattooga County
Chamber of Commerce. “It
was obvious that the commit
tees had been working on the
issues that came out of last
year’s forum. We are continu
ing to work with the commit
tees on the various issues, as
many of them are long range
goals. We felt we had a good
crowd despite the fact that
many were unable to attend
due to other commitments.”’
The group was welcomed
to the meeting by Chamber of
Commerce President Eula
Amos, followed by Grant
Duke of the Coosa Valley
Area Planning und Develop
ment Commission (CV APDé).
Duke spoke briefly to the
crowd on behalf of C.D.
Rampleg of CVAPDC, who
was in Calhoun.
The Summeruille News
Atlanta reported unofficially
that Grefiory received 58 per
cent of the statewide vote to
Dorsey’'s 31.7 percent and
Weiner's 10.3 percent,
Only 5.5 ?ercent of the
state's 2.3 million registered
voters garticipated in the elec
tion. The election will cost $1
million, $900,000 of which will
be the cost of Georgia's 159
counties. This year’s General
Assembly ‘appropriated
SIOO,OOO as the state’s total
cost of the Special Election.
The local issue to create a
state court in Chattooga
County received 75 percent
approval from 1,080 voters
}l)‘articg)ating on the question.
he Pennville District and
Teloga were the only precincts
in the county that opposed the
creation of the court.
The $925,000 bond issue to
repair the county jail received
67 percent approval by county
voters. The Seminole and
Teloga precincts were the only
tion.”
The court was unable to
produce a transcritpt of
Kirby's 1981 First Offender
Eroceedings for burglary. Kir
y pled ‘no contest’’ to the
burglary charges.
In Monday’'s hearing,
court reporter Don Towns
went to his office in Rossville
to search for the transcript,
but was unable to locate it.
“It’s incredible to me that
a felony plea was taken
without a court reporter pre
sent,”’ said Palmour.
Palmour said District At
torney David Lomenick told
him earlier that he would pro
vide a transcript of Kirby's
Elea, “but when I got up there
e told there wasn't one.”” .
Palmour said his client is
mentally retarded and said
the transcript would assure
that Kirby's rights were ad
ministerex properly in 1981.
Palmour said he would
seek a jury trial for the 1981
bur’%lary charges.
he court was able to pro
duce a three-page certified
cogy of Kirby's 1981 plea
before Superior Court Judge
Paul Painter.
In Monday’'s hearing,
A. D. Pledger, the husband of
the beating victim, said he
returned to the store at 2:20
p.m. after cutting firewood
and ‘‘found the place ransack
A variety of topics were
discussed by the group during
the forum. Eight committees
formed at the second forum in
April of 1982 reported on their
activities during the past year
and three new topics were
brought before the group.
After each report was
Eresented. a discussion was
eld by the group on how the
topic had developed or chang
ed since last year. They also
discussed ways of making im
provements in each topic.
The first speaker of the
evening was Bill Farrar,
former president of the
chamber, who gave an outline
of the forum and its respon
sibilities. Farrar said he felt
the forum was the most im
gortant meeting of the year
ecause it is where the leaders
of the county set goals and
g{riorities for the coming year.
e added that the forum helps
set what directions, long and
short, the county needs to %o
in. Farrar said he sees the
needs of the county as three
projects: (1) locating and
developing an industrial park;
(2) retaining a city manager
for Summerville; and (3)
eliminating the bottleneck
between Summerville and
Trion by widening U.S.
Highway 27. He then asked to
hear other views on the coun
ty ‘s needs from the audience.
Will Hair, Town Lift Com
mittee chairman, spoke to the
%roup next on the Town Lift
rogram and how it affects
the county. Hair explained
that a steering committee con
sisting of Clinton Agnew, Van
Pullen, Anne Krueger and
Jenny McWhorter has been
established to assist him with
the project. He noted that the
downtown area included in the
program runs from First
Street to Union Street to Mar
tin Street then behind the
SUMMERVILLE, CHATTOOGA COUNTY, GEORGIA 30747 — THURSDAY, MAY 5, 1983 »
two that opposed the issue.
Chatto%a County Com
missioner Wayne Denson said
Wednesday he was pleased
with the approval of the bond
referendum.
The bonding firm of Kinfi
and Spalding in Atlanta ‘wi
handle the bond arrangements
for the 10-year cycle.
The commissioner said
construction bids will most
likel{ be let ‘‘within 60 days"’
for the renovation of the coun
ty jail. The architectural firm,
Kirkman and Associates of
Dalton, should comglebe plans
for the project shortly, he
said. :
County voters overwhelm
ingly supported the creation
of a state court in Chattooga.
Voters abolished the court in
1972 after a referendum was
put before voters in legislation
drawn up by former Rep.
James H. “Sloppc\:" Floyd.
Rep. John Crawford, a
ed’’ and his wife on the floor.
Sheriff’'s Investigator
Tony Gilleland said Mrs.
Pledger sustained ‘‘several
wounds, gashes and lacera
tions to the head and face.”
“There was a large quanti
ty of blood all over the floor
and the store was in a state of
general disarray,’’ said
Gilleland.
Gilleland told the court
that Kirby told him in a Feb. 9
interview that he and the
female suspect remained in
the car while Williams beat
and robbed Mrs. Pledger.
In his confession, Kirby
told the investigator he did
not know what Williams was
going to do when he got to the
~store. ..
According to initial
sheriff’s reports, the trio stop
ped at the store for gas and
Mrs. Pledger filled the tank.
Williams left the car and went
inside, where he robbed the
register, reports said.
Mrs. Pf:adger caught the
outh stealing cash and he hit
fier in the head with a soft
drink bottle, reports said.
Kirby told Gilleland he
“%anicked because I knew
what trouble I'd be in with the
probation officer.”
Prior to Monday, Kirby
had remained out of jaii on a
$76,000 bond.
Chattooga County Library to
Walnut Street across to the
railroad tracks and back to
First Street. He noted that ap
plication for the downtown
area to be considered as a
Town Lift project was made in
October of 1982 and approved
by TVA in January of this
year.
Hair said a meeting of the
steering committee will be
held May 19 in the library
beginning at 7:30 p.m. During
this meeting the committee
will discuss various topics
with all the property owners
and merchants in the
downtown area. The Town
Lift program is designed to
improve the looks and ac
tivities of the downtown area,
said Hair. Looking into the
future as to what can be done
with the program, Hair said
that he sees trees and flowers
in town, all the stores filled
up, more attractive store
fronts, and activities going on
to bring more people into the
downtown area to shop.
Followini Hair's speech,
Stan Stokely of TVA
presented a 20-minute slide
show to the group on the
Town Lift Program. The slide
show demonstrated how Town
Lift has worked in other com
munities.
Bill Farrar spoke to the
group again, this time concer
ning establishing a founda
tion. He noteg that the
chamber takes care of items
that are not tax exempted. He
said a foundation woqu do on
ly tax exempt things. Farrar
said money obtained through
a foundation could be used to
build a building for the
chamber and other civic
forums. He said the founda
tion by-laws will be brought
before the chamber directors
May 10 for a vote and then
see CHAMBER, page 4-A
Lyerly Democrat, introduced
and passed local leFislation in
this year's Genera! Assembly
allowing for a referendum by
county voters on the issue.
Rep. Crawford ’said
Wednesday he was surfirised
by the large margin both local
issues received. ‘I thought it
m
- MAY 3 SPECIAL ELECTION RESULTS —————
$ 1l d |l7 1% $ L
ggégsaggg j| i
2.8 A 2 5121818 |8 & é < §
Dorsey 15 11 35 1 35 18 210 69 485
Gwoy e[ [ e[ elw || o 7 w6l a
Wew |l 4l s a|w| alw| el ss@l s/ @ol w 0
e T e
Court No 17 7 7 5 11 1 24 5 12 84 39 3 262
Jail Yes 55 23 17 21 | 7 10 54 24 9| 18 331 8 | 108 5 740 '
Bond No 17 21 7 4 25 2 35 21 |ll T 132 32 |46 5 365
$600,000 Apartment Project Underway
A $600,000 apartment con
struction project is underway
in Summerville with the ex
pected completion of the
40-unit venture by the end of
summer.
According to Christian
Brakke, vice president of
Olympia Diversified Con
struction, Inc., headquartered
in Albertville, A%a., the
40-unit apartment complex
located on Lake Wanda Reita
Road, will feature 26 two
bedroom units, eight one
bedroom and six three
bedroom apartments.
The apartments, called
Lake Wanda Reita Apart
ments, will contain from 700
to 1.100-s?uare feet of living
sYace and feature balconies. A
playground for children is also
planned.
Five buildings containing
Man’s Death Ruled
Apparent Suicide
A young county man was
found dead at his residence
Monday evening from an ap
parent self-inflicted gunshot
wound.
Authorities identified the
man as 28-year-old Steve
Lamar Brown, a resident of
the Hamp Brewer Road just
off the Lyerly Highway, south
of Summerville. He was pro
nounced dead at the scene by
County Coroner Earle Rain
water. g
Sheriff Gary McConnell
said his department received a
call to the Brown residence
around 8:45 p.m. A neighbor
had heard a gunshot and
phoned the sheriff's depart
ment. 1 o
McConnell said Brown
died from a single gunshot
wound to the heag. There was
no one at the Brown home at
the time of the incident, said
McConnell. Brown’s wife was
reportedly visiting at a
neighbor’s when the incident
occurred. McConnell said per-
Trade Certification
Forms Are Available
ApFlications for certified
state licenses in the fields of
plumbing, electrician and air
conditioning are available at
Echols Appliance on East
Washington Street in Sum
merville.
Each of the trades have
journeyman and masters
UNCLE NED'S
NOTES
would be a lot closer,’” he said.
“When you have just a few
fieople who turn out, they
now what the issues are and
how to vote,” said Crawford.
Under the state court
legislation, Gov. Joe Frank
Harris will appoint the state
court judge and a solicitor.
eight units are planned for the
complex. :
Brakke said a marketin
study by his firm. indicat,eg
there was a need in the Sum
merville area for apartments.
“We have people who are re
tained by our company and
they found a need ?or apart
ments in Summerville,” said
Brakke.
The firm recently com
pleted an apartment project in
Calhoun and is currently con
structing another complex in
Ringgols.
Accordindg to project
superintendent James
singleton, there has been “‘an
unbelievable’’ number of local
persons seeking employment
at the site, and he added,
several area contractors sub
mitted low bids for several
subcontracting phases of the
job.
sonal problems were believed
to be tfie cause of the incident.
Assisting McConnell in the
investigation were Jerry
Davenport, Ron Turner and
Aubrey Smith.
Funeral services for Brown
were held Wednesday, Mas 4,
at 2 p.m. from the chapel of
Lane Funeral Home with the
Rev. Sanford Deßerry of
ficiating. Interment was in
Johnson Cemetery.
Survivors include his wife,
Mrs. Becky Brown of Route 1,
Summerville; one son, Jason
Chadwick Brown of Route 1,
Summerville; mother, Mrs.
Virginia Puckett of Chan
nelview, Texas; father, Clif
ford Brown of Route 1, Sum
merville; one sister, Mrs. Deb
bie Harrellson of Buffalo
Valley, Tenn.; two brothers,
Charl}t;s Timothy Brown and
Chris Brown, both of Summer
ville; and maternal grand
mother, Mrs. Lucy Pierce of
Route 1, Summerville.
designations.
To comply with the licens
ing agreements, authorized by
this year's General Assembly,
a tradesman must show he
has performed at least three
jobs in the last two years prior
to Sept. 1, 1983.
Dear Mr. Editor:
Well. anuther elecshun has
come and gone. Voters in
Chattooga County have once
ag:;n cast there ballits fer their
choise win or lose. After the
elecshun this week, our conun
ty has a state court and jail
bonds have been approved: to
renervate the jail. With these
issues having sech an effect on
all of us, I was dissappointed
at the turn out of voters.
Seems like we just dont take
the time fer sech an important
freedom we take fer granite.
Yores Truly,
UNCLE NBED
Crawford said it would be
“‘at least 30 days’’ before Har
ris makes his appointment.
“If anyone has a recommenda
tion they should write the
%overnor at the State
apitol,”’ he said.
The bill requires that the
judge be at least 28 years old,
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oA xfi S e i ~ o
A $600,000 apartment construction pro
ject is underway on Lake Wanda Reita
Road in Summerville. Richard Ballew,
left, a contractor, discusses plans with
Trion Council Approves
Sale Of Propane Gas
The Trion Town Council
voted Thursday to sell
116,000 gallons of propane
gas to Enterprise Petroleum,
Inc. at 48 cents a gallon.
In a regular council
meeting Thursday at Town
Hall, the council decided it
would be best to reduce the
town's surplus of propane.
Part of the gas belongs to
Riegel Textile and the money
from the sale will be divided
between the town and the
firm.
Town officials said after
the extremely cold winter of
1977, when natural gas shor
tages occurred, the council
was prompted to construct
three storage tanks for pro
pane and to store the gas.
Officials admitteg they
might have acted too hastily
Businessmen Say New Radio
Station Should Air In Fall
Two Chattooga County en
trepreneurs said Wednesday
Chattooga Countf"s newest
radio station should go on the
air next fall in Trion.
Speaking before the Trion
Rotary Club, Terry Adams
and John Abbott, told
members the radio station will
operate at 1180 kilohertz and
will be one of three stations in
the U.S. to feature AM
stereo, rather than mono.
The station, which will be
headquartered at Oak Hill
Road in Trion, will most likely
be called WSAF, if the FCC
Federal Communication’s
Commission approves the let
ters. “‘They usually don't let
you know what your call let
ters will be until about a week
| be a resident of Chattooga
| County for at least two years
and a practicing attorney for
at least five years. The judfie
could not gractioe law while
on the bench and will receive a
| $15,000 annual salary.
| The solicitor’s position
| pays SIO,OOO annually and the
New Construction
Sufierint.endent James Singleton. The
Lake Wanda Reita Apartments will have
40 units, including six three-bedroom
apartments.
in 1977, because no shortage ‘
of natural gas has occurred |
since. ‘‘There was no way we 1
could have known,’ said
Councilman Hoyt Williams.
Trion Mayor Jake Woods
goint,ed out the ‘‘book price”
or propane is 37 cents a
gallon. ‘
In other action, the council |
voted unanimously to tie on |
several residences in the |
Mountain View Community
to natural gas. The town
would make apiroximately
$350 a year on the venture,
assuming five customers in
the area tie on to the system.
In other action, the coun
cil:
* Announced the DOT
would not allow Trion to erect
more signs on U. S. 27 at Cen- |
tral Avenue directing traffic {
before you go on the air,”’ said
Abbott.
The station's coverage
area will include ‘‘almost to
Atlanta’’ to Athens, Tenn.,
and well into Alabama.
Abbott told the club
members the station will
feature four local newscasts a
day and hourly wire service
and network news.
““We chose WSAF because
it will feature good, safe enter
tainment for everyone,”’ said
Abbott. ‘‘There will be
nothing promoting use of
drugs or sex.”
In a sample of the music
format, the pair played ex
cerpts from B.J. Thomas,
John Anderson, Alabama,
Bandana, Tanya Tucker and
PRICE 20c
candidate must be at least a
one-year resident of the coun
ty and a practicing attorney
for three years.
The court will meet once
monthly at the courthouse.
Summerville atbomeK'T. J.
Espg' said Wednesday he is a
candidate for the judgeship.
to the community center.
The state DOT did,
however, agree to let Trion
erect larger signs at the in
tersection.
* Announced that no fur
ther natural gas Jarice in
creases are expected until at
least Oct. 1. An eerdited
hearing of the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission in
Washington recommended no
further increases. ‘‘The next
increase I really expect is Oct.
1,” said Mayor Woods.
* Announced the town will
not replace Elgin Logan’s
position on the County P%ann
ing Commission until the com
mission is reactivated. The
group has not conducted a
meeting since 1979.
Michael Murphy.
The Eair said peogle have
approached them on the street
and inquired about the pro
posed radio station. ‘‘As most
of you know, working with the
government (the FCC) is
slow,”” said Adams.
The pair initially plan a
dawn to dusk ogeration. but
hope to go 24 hours. ‘“This
county really needs a good
24-hour station and we're
looking into that,” said Ab
bott.
According to Adams, the
FCC froze al? additions to the
FM band for five years. “In
five years the FM frequencies
will open up — maybe,” said
Adams.