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Black History Banquet
--See Page 1-B
VOLUME CII — NUMI © "1
The Quiet Tragedy .. .
.« « Chattooga County’s Child Abuse Problem Rated As ‘Severe’
THE INCIDENCE of child
abuse fell dramatically in Chat
tooga County during 1986
compared with the previous
two years but it was still much
higher than the state average.
The number of cases during
the last three years has been
high enough to categorize the
county as having a ‘‘severe”
problem.
Contrary to popular belief,
the overwhelming majority of
reported abuse cases invo{ves
neglect, rather than physical or
sexual abuse.
But for the first time, the
Fercentage of children sexual
y abused in Chattooga Coun
ty was greater in 1985 than the
percentage physically abused,
said David Tidmore, senior
casework supervisor for the
Chattooga County Department
of Famfiy and Chil(fren Ser
vices (DFCS). The number of
reported cases of sexual abuse
dipped below the physical
abuse level again last yeér.
ACCORDING TO Chat
tooga DFCS records, 155 child
abuse referrals were in
vestigated by the department
last year. That was lower than
STATE PLAYOFFS FRIDAY
Lady Indians Face
Gwinnett At Cobb
By BUDDY ROBERTS
After garnering their first
ever Region 7-AAA champion
s}u;ix, the Chatto:]%a High Lad
Indians will take on SoutK
Gwinnett High in the state
playoffs Friday in Marietta.
The Lady Indians will take
on South Gwinnett, the Region
8-AAA runnerup, at 4 p.m. Fri
day at the Cobb County Civic
Center, Marietta.
If Chattooga wins, they will
play again at 8:30 p.m. Satur
day in Marietta against the
winner of the Marist-Fulton
game.
CROWN
Chattooga slipped past the
Dalton Lady Catamounts last
Palmour Sworn
As Solicitor
Albert Palmour Jr.,
Cloudland, was sworn in last
Thursday by Gov. Joe Frank
% \ ¢ N :
ALBERT PALMOUR
Che Summeruille News
the 185 cases reported in 1985
or the 181 cases reported in
1984.
Of the reported cases in
1986, Tidmore said, 120 involv
ed neglect, 19 were for physical
Special Report
CHILD ABUSE
abuse and 16 concerned sexual
abuse.
In 1985, 144 of the cases
were for neglect, 22 were for
sexual abuse and 19 involved
physical abuse.
The 1984 figures don't
match up with totals for the
county compiled by resear
Saturday at Cedartown, 66-60,
to garner the region crown. A
report last week that the team
had won the title going into the
Dalton game was the result of
an editing error.
Chattooga had defeated
Ringgold last Thursday to put
the Lady Indians in the region
final against Dalton flst
weekend.
The Lady Indians sport a
21-3 record going into the game
Friday afternoon.
CLOSE GAME
The Dalton game was a
close one throughout, although
the Lady Indians had the up
per hand for most of the
contest.
Chattooga had a one-goint
lead over the Lady Cata
mounts at the end of the first
Harris as the new solicitor for
Chattooga County State Court.
He had been named earlier this
;I"ear b}%' State Court Judge
.J. Espy as the interim
replacement for Bobby Lee
Cook Jr., who resigned the post
last year.
Palmour was born May 2,
1956, in Chattanooga, Tenn.
He received his A. B. degree
from the University' of Georgia
in 1978 and his J. D. degree
from the Walter F. George
School of Law in 1981.
He has been in I{)rivat,e prac
tice in Summerville since that
time.
He is married and has two
daughters.
Under legislation introduc
ed in the Ggelorgia legislature
this year by Chattooga Rep.
Johnny Crawford, the
solicitor’s office will receive
funding for a fulltime secretary
to help keep up with State
Court matters.
SUMMERVILLE, CHATTOOGA COUNTY, GEORGIA — THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1987
By TOMMY TOLES
Editor
chers for the Georgia
Cooperative Extension Service.
They listed only 113 cases for
fiscal year 1983-84. However,
the Chattooga DFCS figures
are for calemfar year 1984, Tid-
more was not familiar with the
Extension Service's statistic
gathering process.
* * *
HOWEVER, THE Exten
sion report also listed child
abuse rates per 1,000 popula—
tion in each county in fiscal
1983-84. Using the Extension
quarter, 18-17. Trace{ Perry
scored eiiglht points to lead the
Lady Indians; Mimi Crenshaw
dropped in six points for
Dalton.
The Lady Indians held on
to their lead in the second
period, expanding it to three
points at the half. They
outscored Dalton 16-14 in that
Eeriod, creating the 34-31
alftime score.
OUTSCORED
The third quarter was the
only one in which Dalton
outscored Chattooga, 14-9.
Angeliqilxe Finle}' contributed
four of the Lady Indians’ total,
and Rachel Johnson and Cindy
Powell each scored four for the
Lady Catamounts. The score at
the end of the third period was
in Dalton's favor, 45-43.
A close game went down to
the wire in the final quarter of
the game, with Chattooga trail
ing by two points. Tie two
teams constantly battled for
control of the lead until late in
that period. Chattooga was up
’lfill two points, and Ellen
ompson scored a basket on
a breafl-away play at half-court
that put the Lady Indians
ahead for good. They outscored
Dalton, 23-15. The final score,
after a close match, was 66-60.
KEPT HEADS
“We kept our heads
together,” commented Chat
tooga coach Lamar Turner. ‘lt
was a close game, and we
haven’'t had too many close
ones this year. It was a big
game for us, especially it being
a region championship.”
Tracey was Chattooga’s
high scorer, chalking up 25
points. Ellen followed, scoring
19. '
RINGGOLD
The Lady Indians defeated
the Ringgol)(li Lady Tigers the
Thursday before, a victory that
ave them a spot in the region
%inals. Like the Dalton game,
Chattooga's win over Ringgold
was also close.
The Lady Indians were
holding on to a 20-19 lead at
the close of the first quarter.
Tracey scored 10 g‘oints to lead
Chattooga. Kelli Test dropped
see LADY INDIANS, page 14-A
Dropout Funding Asked
ke --See Page 3-A
© Copyright 1987 By Espy Publishing Co., Inc.
Service's methodology and the
DFCS's figures, Chattooga had
an abuse rate of 8.28 per 1,000
people in 1984, rising to 8.46 in
1985 and falling to 7.09 last
year.
The rates are among the
highest in Georgia's 159
counties.
The Extension Service
listed rates of 5.32 to 9.44 as
“severe.”” By that definition,
Chattooga County has a severe
child abuse problem. The state
average for fiscal 1983-84 was
3.87.
The Chattooga figures
reflect a nationwitfe trend but
social workers and prosecutors
still aren’t sure whether higher
figures in recent years reflect a
greater incidence of abuse, oc
currences which may have ex
isted but gone unreported in
the past, or a combination of
both.
NATIONWIDE, there was
a 35 percent increase in
reported abuse from 1983 to
1984. There were only 25,000
reported cases of sexual abuse
in the entire nation in 1980, ac
cording to a report issued last
year by the National College of
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Foretaste Of Spring
Ten-month-old Joseph Strickland has an original ap
proach to savoring the delights of spring. Above, he
puzzles over the best use for a jonquil during a quiet
moment of discovery. He is the son of Sammy and Terri
Strickland, Trion. (Staff Photo by Kay Abbott).
Fee Hearing Slated
A public hearing on a pro
posal that recreation fees be
charged local citizens who
don’t pallfi/ City of Summerville
taxes will be held at 7 p.m. next
Tuesday by the city’s Recrea
tion Board. The meeting
originally had been set at 6
p.m.
The session will be held at
the Recreation Center on Boll
ing Road in Summerville.
The proposal started out
last year as one that would
charge non-city residents fees
for participating in city recrea
tion programs or using city
facilities.
NON-TAXPAYERS
However, at the board’s
January meeting, Councilman
Guinn Hankins, a member of
the recreation panel, urged that
fees be charged to all residents
District Attorneys. The figure
had skyrocketed to 123,000
reported cases in 1985,
Because of differing repor
ting methods, it's diflgicult to
determine the exact accuracy
of such figures but they in
dicate that the problem is
either increasing or more
reports are being %iled than in
the past.
The most publicly visible
cases usually involve sexual or
physical abuse, especially when
criminal charges are filed. But
they involve a minority of the
child abuse reports, totaling 22
percent in Chattooga in both
1985 and in 1986. Law enforce
ment officials and prosecutors
doubt that all physical and sex
ual abuse cases are being
reported by victims.
THE CHATTOOGA DFCS
had an average of 27.5 ongoing
Child Protective Services (CPS)
cases each month of last year.
It received an average of 12.9
abuse (neglect, sexual,
physical) referrals every month
of 1986.
Statewide statistics for the
1983-84 fiscal year indicate
see THE QUIET, page 6-A
— city and county — who don’t
pay taxes to the City of Sum
merville. The panel seemed to
have reached a concensus on
Hankins' fee proposal at its
meeting earlier this month but
action on the measure was
gostponed until after the public
earing next week.
After a lengthy discussion
by the board, Hankins propos
ed an annual fee of $lO per per
son per organized event, such
as baseball, softball, basketball
or football. The charge would
apparently be sls per event for
each household if a family has
two or more children par
ticipating. In addition,
Hankins' plan called for a S2O
per person annual fee to be
charged for use of recreation
facilities in unorganized ac
tivities, such as the basketball
see FEE HEARING, page 10-A
AT T T R
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olestation nviction
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Staff Photo by Tommy Toles
YOUNGSTERS FACED WITH TERRIBLE DILEMMA
Chattooga’s Child Abuse Problem “Severe”
OAK VIEW FINANCING
Fund Plan Pushed
An income and expense pro
jection for Oak View Nursing
Home during the next several
years is being prepared before
an application for funds to
finance an expansion of the
facility is submitted to the
federal Farmers Home Ad
ministration (FmHA), the
Chattooga County Hospital
learned Monday night.
In other gusiness. the
Authority:
— In(ficated a special call
ed meeting may be held
sometime this week or next
week to consider hlfiher room
rates at the hospital.
— Decided to invite a
Calhoun physician to discuss
further a proposal for manning
the hospital's emergency room
and operating a clinic at the
facility.
— Listened to a somber
recitation of the hospital's
money problems.
— Received a report about
new services bein% offered by
the hospital (see related story).
— Ordered 25 more Lifeline
emergency re:gonse units.
- ApErov installation of
a suicide lifeline at the hospital,
to be manned by volunteers.
— Decided to meet at The
Round Table restaurant for the
Authority’s March meeting.
PROJECTION
Billy Gilbert, a member of
the Authority, told other
members that Douglas
Faircloth, the hospital's
auditor, was preparing a pro
jection of anticipated revenues
and expenses for Oak View
Nursing Home for the next
several years.
The projection will give a
better idea of the facility’s cash
flow and a clearer indication of
the amount of funds expected
to be available to pay back an
anticipated FmHA loan for the
QOak View expansion, he said.
The Authority briefly
discussed the feasibility of a
revenue bond issue to finance
the expansion but ~most
members seemed to favor the
FmHA approach.
Authority member Sherry
Bishop said she was told by a
private broker that it would
take two to three months for
the hospital to obtain money
from a revenue bond issue and
that it would have to be
guaranteed by the county
government.
Once the information is
received from Faircloth,
Gilbert said, it and the FmHA
aplplication will be hand
delivered to the FmHA.
The Authority had hoped
that the application woulcf) be
submitted earlier.
EXTENSION
Betty Wollstein, executive
director of the hospital and
nursing home, said she was
told by State Health Planning
Agency officials that if the
Authority desires an extension
of its one-year permit for the
expansion, it needs to submit
arequest at least three months
before the current permit ex
pires in October.
Rome architect M. G.
Turner has almost completed a
revision of the expansion plans,
she reported.
The Authority plans to add
63 beds to the current facility
at a cost of around $1.3-million.
The nursing home would have
a net of 153 beds when the ex
pansion is completed.
Harry Powell, Chattooga
commissioner, met with tlgme
Authority ‘‘informally’” on
Feb. 16 to review the Oak View
plans.
Subscription
Deadline Near
Only a couple of days remain in The Summerville News'
big subscrifption drive before prices increase. =
Orders for subscriptions or renewals will be received at
The News office on Highway 27 south of Summerville to
day and Friday. The office will be closed Snt%
However, subscriptions postmarked by Saturday will be
accepted at the current, lower rates. L
Due to increased costs, The News will increase its mail
subscription rates effective Sunday. The single copy newss
(tjand R;'ice }\:/fll go from 20 to 25 cents, plus tax, next Thurs-
The current Chattooga County subscription rate is
$6.83, including tax. The one-year rate eM$
be $8.9é3 including tsx. Rates foz;3 other mailing fifin I
go up by corresponding amounts, as shown in an adver
tisement in this week’s edition of The News. However, the
military rate will rise only sljfihfly, o R
Subscriptions or renewals for up to five years will be
accepted today and Friday at The Ngws office and through
theCmail if pos{.m;gkedbgy Saxtnm't:lny.s6 g
ounty mail subscribers will save $6.17 per year under
the new newsstand price if they renew mm
\ G R
{PRICE 20c
ROOM RATES
In other matters, Dr. Jack
Meacham, an Authority
member, said he and Shirle
McCrickard, assistant a:i
ministrator, would review the
hospital’s existing room rates
and those of other hospitals
and ask for a special meeting of
the panel within about a week
to present a proposal for
possibly raising rates.
Current rates are $136 per
day for a semi-private room
and $l4O for a private room.
The Authority voted last
summer . against raising the
hosgital's room rates.
ince that time, however,
revenues have dropped
dramatically, apparently due
mainly to the loss of two physi
cians from the county.
The Authority also decided
to invite Dr. Larry Rosser,
Calhoun, to meet with the
Authority to discuss his pro-
Eosal for operating the
ospital’s nursing home and
setting up a clinic in the coun
ty. Mrs. Wollstein said Dr.
Rosser and two more physi
cians would provide the ser
vice, much the way it is being
see FUND PLAN, page 8-A