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VOLUME C — NUMBER IV
State Board OKs Prison Land Purchase
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Summerville attorney Bobby Lee Cook
told the State Properties éommisaion
Friday that the 191-acre Pennville prison
site was too close to a ‘‘beautiful”
residential C.Th:. Cook, who was askodthto
t ttoogans opposed to the
mlon. said he has never opposed the
prison in Chattooga County, but the
New Development Authority
Has Goal To Get Industry
Members of the newly-|
formed Summerville Develop
ment Authority and several
diflm from throughout
the region braved a thick, chil
‘lK fog atop Lookout Mountain |
y night to meet at a
Cloudland restaurant for the |
first meeting of the authority.
thrty. eently. apponie
au ty,
gy the Summervi City’
ouncil, is expected to|
enhance the city's comipeti-s
tion with other municipalities |
in nocm‘ilme industry at the}
Summerville industrial rrk. i
Local banking officials |
from Farmers and Merchants |
and First National explained |
how the authority is em- |
mwercd to issue low-interest |
ns for development of the '
park. :
Authority members
Richard Sturdivant, Eula
Amos, Eddy Ellenburg, Tim
Evans, Fay Hurley, James
“Bud” Jackson and James
Richie listened ltwntivelr as
a variety of experts from |
throughout the region ex-!
plained techniques to enhance 1
the city's prospects for lan- |
City Trying To Obtain
Clear Title To Property
The Summerville City
Council decided in a closed
session Thursday mornu.xg to
allow Mayor Sewell Cash to
authorize a sales contract fora
120-acre industrial site on
Bolling Road for $151,000.
The city has proposed buy
ing the site from Gary lt
McGee and James F. Beatson,
Summerville City Manager
Grady McCalmon said the
contract will be signed once
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Summerville Development Authority
Members of the newly-formed Summer
ville Development Authority attended a
kickoff dinner Tuesday night for the
authority and listened as a variety of ex
perts from the area explained the techni
ques of enhancing the chances of landing
The %um;q:mille News
Cook Against Prison Site
din&ln industry.
rant Duh:‘opdirxwr of
Economic Development with
flufloa, said the competition
is fierce, but Chattooga Coun
ty's chnnce&:n better than
most _counties since ''sever
out of 10 industries mv%
locate in North Goarl."
“It's a very competitive
business,” said Duke, “the
more traffic (industrial pro
ts) we can create in nor
tgwest Georgia the more
chance we have of landing an
mdu::tz
F Henry, chairman of
the LaFayette Development
Authority, said a local option
sales tax and a freeport ex
emption for inventories are
necessary to attract in
dustries, He noted that
Walker County has both in
centives, which in effect
reduce property taxes for in
dustries by lgmding the tax
burden more broadly.
Arch Farrar Jr., ltm
for the Development A -
ty of Chattooga County and
former county attorney, noted
the city can obtain a clear title
to the property. McCalmon
said the :feement will likely
be delayed indefinitely until
the title problems are cleared
up.
McCalmon said the city
must have the title in order to
make the propcr;{ attractive
to industry. “No industry
would want to locate there
unless there was a clear title,”
he said.
issue is not the prison itself, he said,
rather it is a “‘bad location.” Cook ap
parently did little to persuade the com
mission not to buy the site from W. O.
Underwood. The l{'opartiu Commission
voted unanimously to accept the
$345,000 purchase price.
that voters defealed the 1 per
cent local option twice in
Chattooga County b‘y a 21
margin and the Freeport
amendment has been defeated
once by local voters.
Banker Ron Hill explained
how the authority 1s em
mna‘b issue low-interest
s due to the tax-free
status of the interest on in
dustrial development loans.
In most cases, Hill said the
banks are able to loan money
for about 70 rercent of the
prime rate. A SIO,OOO loan at
the going rate of 14 percent
annually would '{ield interest
of $1,400. The IRS takes S7OO
of the total if the business is in
the 50 percent bracket,
?elding a total net of S7OO.
he development loans,
however, are tax free, mean
ing the bank could lend the
SIO,OOO out nn“l‘:eroent in
terest and still e S7OO.
'Ne-dfi.'; meat.ing, which
was pres over e{ Sum
merville Mayor Sewell Cash
and City Manager Grady Mc-
Calmon, drew other
dignitaries includil:’g Sue
Spivey, executive director
with the Chattooga Counm
Chamber of Commerce, Wi
Hair, president of the
chamber, city attorney Ben
Ballenger, Councilmen Clint
mww. Phil Cavin, Ronnie
her, banker Jerrell Mc-
Cool, the former gmident of
the chamber; and secretary,
Mrs. Keitha Shamblin.
The new authority elected
James Richie, chairman; Eula
Amos, vice chairman; and
James B. Jackson was elected
secretary-treasurer.
Chairman Richie called a
Feb. 18 meeting at city hall
starting at 7 J;.m.
First National Bank and
Farmers and Merchants pick
d\gmubforthedim-
meeting.
an industry in Summerville. The
members, above, left to right, are James
“Bud’’ Jackson, secretag'-treasurer: Ed
-2{ Ellenburg; Richard Sturdivant; Fay
urley; James Richie, chairman; Tim
Evans; and Eula Amos, vice chairman.
SUMMERVILLE, CHATTOOGA COUNTY, GEORGIA 30747 — THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1985
By JAMES BUDD
News Editor
Construction of a state
prison in Chattooga County
%m‘;e onehstep l:losoer to reality
riday when the uqufu»
ties Commission voted
unanimously to accept the
$345,000 purchase grice on
191 acres in Pennville for the
750-inmate caplcitz' facility.
The land, which is owned
by W. O. Underwood, was con:
sidered the prime ‘:':nfi for the
omaod rison, ng out
':{ st B?EM other sites in
Chattooga County,
A small delegation of those
opposed to the griaon headed
by attorney Bobby Lee Cook
could do little to persuade the
commission to halt purchase
of the land. A larger dolofl
tion of Chnuooflma. includ nfi
Summerville ?'or Sewe
Cash, Chamber of Commerce
Executive Director Sue
Spivey and Rep. John
Crawford, spoke out in favor
of the prisorln).’ 1 08
Gcor‘él rtment o -
fender ehlb?l.iuuon Com
missioner Dave Evans said he
realized there was opposition
to the prison, but he said “we
intend to be a good citizen."
Evans said the prison will
:uvo ullo’y cel_’ll6 and :o“ldbxlxmfi
e 176 workers, but
txn ::??oud facility stretches
to its 750 maximum capacity
more than 200 workers would
be emplmd. The annual
ryroll of fncili‘x would be
2'%“&&%‘ id the
¢ told t
g::tnioo commission thoum
two elections for his
House seat since the prison
was first discussed (1982,
1984')113:1 in tl‘u first ;mhctlm
“eac our op,
were for ?tw Crawford, who
won the 1982 election over
Gn.r;v Gordon went on to win
.{b(n in 1984 against Edwgfiqu
R
pa almost solely against
the prison, Cruwfon{ tofd the
commission.
Auornoi y Cook, whof\v‘u‘a
resenting opponents of the
Er?mn. unfi gte had never
eard of pnyinfi such a high
price for ‘'farmland.”
The Underwood property
will sell for lrproximat.ely
$1,806 an acre. "'l'm not an ex
pert on farmland, but I've
never heard of paying that
kind of price for a piece of
farmland especially when 40
acres is in the flood plain,”
Cook said.
DOR revealed at Cook's
questioning that the ap
praisals on the Ugder;wood
roperty range rom
':IQKOOO to t 281500.
“As for myself,” Cook
said, I h&\: never (&posed a
prison in ttooga County —
that is not the issue —the
issue is it is a bad location."”
Mrs. Srivey said the
Chamber of Commerce still
endorses construction of a
prison in Chattooga County,
especiallfi' in view of the coun
ty's high jobless rate, which
was the second-highest in the
state in November,
Lt. Gov. Zell Miller, also a
board member, asked Mrs.
49 True Bills Returned
By County Grand Jury
The Chattooga County
Grand Jury has returned 49
:‘ret:ibflhn;d-f‘:noli)flhin
ngs so far ing its ses
;i.on. which may ;y by Fri
y.
The true bills are: James
K. Anderson, violation of the
Georgia Controlled Substance
Act 7VGCSA): Gary Baker,
two counts VGCSA; Donnie
Ray Fowler, conspiracy to
commit arson; Phillip Luttrell,
conspiracy to commit arson;
Li.nd‘: Orr, alias Mnr* Linda
Maynor, VGCSA; Thomas
Rowland, burglary; Dewey
Lee Smith, bu(r}dlry; Steve
Sullinw, VGCSA; and
Homer Williams, conspiracy
to commit arson.
True bills were also handed
down against: Jessie
Nathaniel Adams, habitual
violator; Melvin Richard
Bailey, habitual violator;
Mark Dewitt Battles, habitual
violator; Arnold Frank
Chetney alias James Edward
Ozment, theft by shoplifting;
Sherry Lynn Clark, bu'ri]lary:
Teresa Dover, theft by taking;
Tony Lee Evans, two counts
bnrghr{; Jesus Holquin,
habitual violator; Gregory
William Koonce, three counts
habitual violator; Darrell
Allen McGuire, habitual
violator; Eugene Harvey Mit
chell, habitual violator; Mike
Morgan, burglary; Grady
Spivey what the chamber's
Rlltion has been since the
nnville site was announced.
Mrs, g‘sivev replied she had
received only one letter from a
Pennville area member de
nouncing the Krison.
Summerville Mayor Sewell
Cash said the council in 1982
endorsed the prison and the
new council, which includes
three new members since
1982, has endorsed the
prwious council’s position,
‘lt would be a plus for the
county,”’ said Cash. The
mayor estimated that increas
ed sewer and water use would
boost revenues approximately
lGQ&OO annually.
sh said he expects the
rriwn's anticipated increase
n sewer treatment needs to
boost the cit.{(‘a chances of
securing block grants and
mltchinfi funds that would
benefit all citizens.
Attorney Cook, who refer
red to himself as a "countrK
vg’er." %uestioned if DO
looked at other sites in
he county.
. "1 wouldn't want to get in
a debate ulr.lth you — I'm :%!'3
: ywer,” respo
Muioner Evans. The
commissioner produced a
notebook and map containing
at least ei‘fiht other sites that
were considered for the prison,
The other sites presented
included:
* A site 2 miles east of
Trion, which included a
50-acre tract and another ad
joining parcel of 30 acres. It
‘was rejected because of no
utilities and it was rocky.
* A gite three miles east of
Trion near Mountain View
th‘:t inclu‘d‘g' :“ 40-|‘csre tract
s an n acres.
g’hfi site mnju&ed because
it would be very close to
g g ey g PORRORET 0
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DAVE EVANS ‘
Dave Evans, commissioner of
the Georg'a Derartmem of
Offender Rehabilitation, said
a total of nine sites for a pro
wd correctional facility in
ttooga County were in
vestigated, but the Pennville
prison site was without ques
tion the best. The State Pro
perties Commission voted
unanimously Friday at the
Capitol to lcocgst a {Jurchase
rrfieof $345,000 for 191 acres
n Pennville owned by W. 00,
Underwood.
Rollins, habitual violator;
Tony Raj' StaehFlJy. habitual
violator; ohnng .Steghenl'
Jr., armed rol be?; laude
Stoker aggravate assault;
and Lewis Lee Timmons,
habitual violator.
Also true billed were: Billy
Ra‘y; Watkins, habitual
violator; John B. Williams,
two counts VGCSA; Douglas
Lamar Brock, habitual
violator; Robert H. Clifton,
VGCSA; Clayton Earl Log
g‘inl, habitual violator;
agnust Ludy 111, two
counts burglary, two counts
robbery, one count of criminal
attempt to commit burglary;
Scott M. Noel, two counts
theft by taking; Carolyn
see 49 TRUE BILLS. page 6-A
Prison Foes To
Meet Tonight
There will be a meeting of
Chattooga County residents
opposed to the construction of
a state prison at 7:30 p.m. in
32; county courthouse Thurs-
The meeting, which will be
conducted in the upstairs
courtroom, will feature at
torney Bobby Lee Cook, ac
cording to opposition leader
Richard Greeson.
several roads.
* A 58-acre site near Trion
that was rejected because it
was divided by gas transmis
sion lines. The pm&erty had
another 30 acres that could
have been purchased. The site
had poor access to utilities.
* A site of undisclosed
acreage three miles north of
Summerville that was re
jected because of right-of-way
difficulties.
* A site southeast of Sum
merville near U.S. 27 that
was rejected because of a
steep, hilly terrain, The site
had a transmission line
throufil it, but it was two
miles from utilities,
* A 140-acre site four miles
south of Lyerly. Site would
have na:gpd a treatment
facility and was “highly visi
ble"” from Hwy. 114,
* A site two miles south of
Lyer(lf' that the owner later
withdrew from sale.
* A 200-acre site on Teloga
Road which DOR never in
vestigated on site because it
was two miles from the
nearest utilities and would
have needed a well for water,
Attorney Cook asked the
commission to stop the pur
chase until there was a formal
resolution between DOR and
the CitK of Summerville
stating the city would provide
see STATE BOARD, page 6-A
Bizarre Note Discovered
At Rep. Crawford Home
ChnttooFa County
Sheriff's officials rushed to
the home of State Re'p John
Crawford Tuesday afternoon
shortly after the represen
tative's wi I
tiree iots SvolSetl pleed
on the porch of the home by
opponents of the state prison
in Chattooga County.
The Georgia Bureau of In
vestigation, the Federal
Bureau of Inveuugat.ion and
the Georgia State Patrol were
immediately notified of the
bizarre incident.
The note, which was ac
companied by a sin?lo, long
stemmed rose, was discovered
bz the representative's wife
shortly after 3 eg.m. Tuesday
when she arrived home,
The neatly-typed note
read: ‘Such a shame for the
prettz Crawford girls to have
slit throats from a Chattooga
County prisoner."”
The coué)le‘a two girls,
Emy, 4, and Sarah, 8, were
unharmed and rerortedly
were sta{ing with relatives.
Carolyn Crawford im
mediately called local lawmen
after she discovered the note
on her back porch, Mrs,
Crawford was later seen leav
ing the home in a hysterical
condition, led bg' Sheriff Gary
McConnell and other local
lawmen,
“It's & shame and a
disgrace for the political pro
cess to slip to where you're
threatening the lives of two
girls, one 4, one 8, who have
nothinfi to do with the
prison,” said McConnell.
Vernon Keenan, head of
the northwest Georgia office
of the GBI, rushed to Chat
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Local, state and federal law officials were
notified Tuesday after a bizarre note and
single, long-stemmed rose were found on
the porch of Rep. John Crawford’s home
by his wife who was returning home from
work. The note, which was apparently
placed on the porch by opponents of a
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Crawford, Cash Confer
State Rep. John Crawford and Summerville Mayor
Sewell Cash both spoke out in favor of constructing a
state prison in Chattooga Coun%. The two men told
the State Properties Commission Friday at the Capitol
that the Erison would benefit the county. Crawford
noted he had been elected twice since the prison issue
first arose. Mayor Cash said the prison would bring in
approximately SBO,OOO to the city in sewer and water
revenues alone.
tooga County Tuesday to
start an invnt‘i:gntlon of the
incident, Rad;. rawford, who
was at the General Auemblly
it‘i‘ %clantfi. imml:d::‘tely left
the Capitol upon hearing news
of tha?«l‘dont. g
T ' ro‘freunnt(va
reported Tuesday night that
his wife was apparently
recovering from the scare, I
think they were just trying to
scare us, said Crawford. "I
guess they accomplished what
they wanted.”
Sheriff McConnell said *‘all
effort’” will be made to ap
prehend the person or persons
who left the note. “It's a
DOR, City Confer
About Prison’s Utilities
Summerville city officials
are expected to meet with
Georgia Deg:rtment of Of
fender ehabilitation
enfiineera next week at city
hall to discuss supglylng
water and sewerage to the pro
goued Chattoosa County
tate Correctional Facility in
Pennville,
Summerville Mayor Sewell
Cash said the 750-inmate
capacity prison will likelg' br
ing annual revenues to the ci
ty's sewer and water depart
ments of SBO,OOO.
Cash said last month,
however, the city was unable
to adequately supply the
facility with sewerage due to
the system's limitations, An
expansion at the city's treat-
Bizarre Discovery
state prison in Chattooga County read:
“Such a shame for the pretty Crawford
girls to have slit throats from a Chat
tmfia County prisoner.”” The Crawford
children were unhurt and reportedly were
staying with relatives. /
Now In Our
100th Year
Of Publication
PRICE 20*
shame and disgrace that
anyone in Chntmarl County
would bring it to this low of an
ebb,"” he said.
d Rer C:;:vford secure:flfun
inmatwocn ounty startini
in 1983, when the Genera
Assembly approgrilted
850,000 for initial funds to
study a prison here, In 1984,
an additional $280,000 was
appropriated, This year, the
fovernor recently signed
egislation allowing for $21.5
million for construction
money for the Chattooga
County prison,
gnent plant i:l likely, bolstered
y expected state grants.
DOR Commissioner Dave
Evans indicated Friday that
the state-helped expansion is
llke(l?' at the city plant.
ity Manager Grady Mec-
Calmon said he is unsure if
DOR will want natural gas for
the prison. ““I don't know if
they want natural %as. but
we'd be slad to sell it to
them,” said McCalmon.
McCalmon said he does
not anticipate any political
problems concernini the
prison, “‘lt's my %ueu the city
would want an SBO,OOO-a-year
customer,’’ he said,
The SBO,OOO figure is based
on the ci‘tiy's current rates for
water and sewerage,