Newspaper Page Text
.. The Summerville News, Thursday, December 31, 1987
8-A
School, County Controversies Topped 1987 News
from front page
bulance Service.
* Chattooga Hospital sought waf;s
to halt declining revenues, mainly as the
result of a loss of two doctors from the
community.
* Three Chattooga educators travel
ed to Mun:{y County to review a pro
-s:&m for reducing the school system'’s
ogouts.
A Chattooga man was charged
with murder in the pistol slaying of a
Summerville man.
* Chattooga's Howard Finster
received a computer from LeHigh
University.
* Trion resolved, at least temporari
ly, a controversy over expanding water
and sewer service to several tracts
within the city.
FEBRUARY
* Commissioner Harry Powell
awarded a contract for meals at the
county jail to a Summerville restaurant
that had been serving the meals since
the summer, 1986.
* Sheriff Gary McConnell was nam
ed to the Georgia Board of Public
Safety.
* Gen. Joseph Griffin, Georgia adju
tant general, announced that a new Na
tiona% Guard unit would be located at
Summerville and Cartersville with an ar
mory to be built within a couple of years
at both locations.
* A Fort Payne, Ala, man was
charged in connection with a 25-mile
high-speed chase through Summerville
to Gaylesville, Ala.
* gr. William Hyden, Trion, died at
his home.
* Overcrowding conditions had been
corrected at the county jail, according
to Sheriff McConnell.
* The Chattooga Grand Jury return
ed a large number of true bills.
* Harriet and Henderson Cotton
Mills Inc., Berryton, announced it would
expand in 1987, adding 40 to 50 new
jobs.
* The Chattooga Grand Jury propos
ed an administrator for the county, urg
ed that a budget be adopted eacK year
and said all county funds should be plac
ed in interest-bearing accounts.
* Summerville’s Recreation Board
apgarently reached a concensus on fees
to be charged to non-city residents, ef
fective April 1.
* Law enforcement authorities
recovered an estimated $300,000 worth
of suspected cocaine at a Summerville
residence where they had earlier seized
$73,000 in cash.
* Commissioner Powell named a
Rome doctor as “‘medical advisor” to
the county ambulance service, suc
ceeding Dr. Hugh Goodwin who resign
ed. Powell also named Jimmy Bennett
head of the service, replacing Donnie
Fowler.
* Commissioner Powell announced
that he had paid the county out of debt
for the first time since he assumed of
fice on Jan. 1, 1985.
* The first meeting of top county of
ficials was deemed a success. The
meetings were recommended by the
Chattooga Grand Jury.
* The Chattooga Board of Education
decided to go ahead with its original
glans to locate a new superintendent’s
uilding at Summerville Middle School.
* Funds for a state prison in Chat
tooga were given final approval by the
Georgia legislature.
* Dr. G. H. Little, Trion, died in
Chattooga Hospital.
* Former s%eriff's investigator
Gilleland asked federal court in Rome
not to dismiss his lawsuit against
Sheriff McConnell.
* Commissioner Powell awarded
Lyerly $5,000 in county funds to buy a
new fire truck.
* The News revealed that the coun
ty's child abuse problem was *‘severe.”
* Albert Palmour Jr. was sworn in
as the county’'s new State Court
solicitor, succeeding Bobby Lee Cook
Jr., who resigned in 1986.
* The Chattooga school system
decided to seek a $25,000 grant from the
Appalachian Regional Commission to
develop a program for combating
drogouts in the local schools.
Chattooga Hospital announced
several new services for local residents.
* A Lyerly man was sentenced to 20
years in prison after being convicted of
child mo?estation.
* A mistrial was declared in a drug
case in Chattooga Superior Court.
* The Rev. Jackie Beavers spoke at
the second annual Black History ban
%uet, in Summerville, sponsored by the
. C. Carter Alumni Assn.
MARCH
* Campeonada Foundation and its
executive director were sued in federal
court at Rome by a 15-year-old boy who
said he had been sexually abused at the
camp. The youth and his parents asked
s2l-million in damages.
* A Lyerly woman became Chat
tooga County's second traffic fatality
when the car in which she was a
passenger slammed into a utility pole on
Lyerl Hifihwa in Summerville.
» g’leat er B‘;ock and Judson Sim
mons were named STAR (Student
Teacher Achievement Recognition)
students for the Trion and Chattooga
school systems, respectively. Their
STAR teachers were Carolyn Mayo,
Trion, and Donna Herring,
Summerville.
* Former Menlo Mayor Lonnie Ward
died in late February.
* Paul Ervin, chairman of the
Seventh District Democratic Party,
spoke to the annual Jefferson-Jackson
Day dinner of the Chattooga
Democratic Committee.
* A mistrial was declared in the child
molestation case of a Chattooga Coun
ty minister.
* Sheriff McConnell continued to
seek a summary judgment in his favor
in the federal court lawsuit filed against
him by his former chief investigator,
Tony Gilleland.
* Gen. Joseph Griffin, Georgia adju
tant general, told the Chattooga
Chamber of Commerce March booster
breakfast that Company H, 121st Infan
try, will be an elite unit. It will be bas
edy in Summerville and Cartersville, star
ting Oct. 1.
* Summerville's Mayor and Council
awarded a contract on t[‘l,e second phase
of providing utility service to a state
prison site at Pennville.
* Chattooga Rep. Johnny Crawford
revealed that éhattooga‘s top county of
ficials would receive a pay increase
under state legislation aqsroved by the
Georgia General Assembly.
" %‘lhe News and the Syummerville-
Trion Rotary and Optimist Clubs
distributed copies of a ‘‘Reader’s
Digest'’ reprint, *'Go to the Head of the
Class,” to the Trion and Chattooga
school systems. Enough reprints were
ordered for each student in both
systems.
* Confusion about the county
budget was the topic of discussion at
the second meeting of the county’s top
officials at the MEM Cafeteria.
* “Deputy Dawg" presented a pro
gram on drug abuse to a number of
schools in Chattooga County. He was
Dep. Frank Sumner of the Dougherty
County Sheriff's Office.
¥ (finattooga County decided to buy
a computerized voting system at a cost
of $78,000. The Chattooga Democratic
Committee contributed $2,377 toward
the purchase of 17 machines.
* Commissioner Powell said he
would relocate the county’s ambulance
service from its North Commerce Street
site to the county public works camp.
A restaurant was scheduled to be
located at the first site.
* A state financial expert said Chat
tooga was violating state law by not
adopting a balanced budget and might
lose state funds in the future as a result.
Commissioner Powell exploded in anger
when asked about a proposed budget
given him by the expert and the coun
ty's auditor.
* A new Summerville resident
volunteered to repair the county cour
thouse clock free of charge if he could
obtain donations of materials.
* ““Youth in Government and
Business'’ day was observed.
* * A surprise light snowfall hit the
county, leaving about an inch on trees
and grass but melting as it hit streets
and roads. '
* Open house was held at Chattooga
Hospital.
* A wind storm caused all customers
in the county to be without power for
less than an hour. :
* The Summerville Recreation
Board decided not to impose recreation
fees on non-city residents, saying it felt
Commissioner Powell would provide
county funds to the department in 1987.
* The recreation board also announc
ed it ‘hoped to renovate the Fairway
softball-baseball field. ¢
* The new Chattooga Suicide Life-
Line began operation, based at Chat
tooga Hospital.
* The Chattooga Hospital Authori
ty planned a review of the facility's
debt-collection dprocess, noting that
$147,000 in bad debts had been regorted
for the 1986-87 fiscal year as of the end
of February.
* A survey by The News revealed
that ambulance service costs in Chat
tooga had skyrocketed since it was
taken over by Commissioner Powell on
Jan. 1, 1986.
* A letter to the editor complaining
about meals at the county jail resulted
in a Summerville restaurant halting its
service and Commissioner Powell awar
ding it to another restaurant.
* Commissioner Powell indicated he
might construct new health department
and Head Start School buildings.
* Summerville’s City Councll, in a
rare Saturday meeting, postponed the
closing of Hix Street. The panel had
earlier voted to close the street on April
I
* Over 60 people participated in the
annual Chattooga Special Blympics.
* Four Atlanta canoeists narrowly
escaped serious injury or death when
they heard a ‘“roaring sound’’ ahead of
them and pulled to the side of the Chat
tooga River just before they got to the
dam at Trion.
* A deadly virus began endangering
Chattooga dogs.
* Some 800 students participated in
career day, sponsored by the
Summerville-Trion Optimist Club.
APRIL
* Commissioner Powell bought two
new patrol cars and “‘jailed” them at the
county works camp rather than turning
them over to Sheriff McConnell. The
storage cost for a repaired patrol car
also hit $1,225. Powell had refused to
pay SBO4 for the repair and the body
shop owner refused to release the car.
* The News also revealed that
Powell was incorrect when he said the
1984 cost of the ambulance service was
$366,000. The actual cost was $209,000.
* Trion decided in late March
against passing a natural gas price
reduction along to its customers during
the summer o% 1987. The city was ex
pected to receive an extra $12,000 from
the decision.
* A Chattooga County woman was
killed in a car-truck wreck in Cherokee
County, Ga.
* A frigid blast of air struck Chat
tooga in early April, dumping from two
to four inches of snow on the ground.
* Rhonda Hughes was named Miss
Chattooga County, Amber Rains was
named Junior Miss and Mrs. Myrtle
Wilson was named Ms. Oak View Nur
sing Home in separate events.
* Chattooga physicians were
honored with a light breakfast on ‘*Doc
tor's Day'’ at Chattooga Hospital.
* Gov. Joe Frank Harris announced
that the City of Menlo would receive a
$266,200 Community Development
Block Grant (CDBG) to help finance its
planned sewerage system.
* Governor Harris also announced
that the City of Summerville would
receive a $378,050 CDBG to help finish
the second phase of its sewerage expan
sion project.
* q‘he Trion Board of Education
CHATTOOGA COUNTY NEWS IN REVIEW
voted to accept the low bid of $128,552
for six new elementary school
Elassrooms from Ramsey Construction
0.
* The Chattooga County Board of
Education awarded a contract for con
struction of the new central office
building to Harold Bishop Inc., Sum
merville, for a low bid of $117,5657.
* A spokesman for C. W. Matthews
Contracting Co. said the firm was ahead
of schedule on widening U. S. 27 bet
ween Summerville and %‘rion.
* Commissioner Harry Powell again
blasted The News, this time for a news
report about his failure to sign the
necessarfi papers for the county to
receive the rest of a state grant on the
county jail.
* The News also requested informa
tion from Powell about the purchase of
an ambulance for the county.
* The Georgia Department of Cor
rections said bids would be let in mid
summer on the $23-million prison at
Pennville.
* The Appalachian Regional Com
mission approved a $25,000 grant to the
Chattooga School System to set up a
stay-in-school program.
* Commissioner Powell signed the
necessary papers for the county to
receive the rest of a state jail grant.
* The News filed a lawsuit against
Powell seeking access to public records
on a variety of matters, including the
county's purchase of a new ambulance.
* A Summerville policeman was
suspended after an inciggnt involving a
handgun and alleged violent incident
during the officer’s off-duty hours.
" sommissioner Powell stopped pay
ment to Wesson's Body Shop on a coun
ty check designed to pay Wesson for
work on a sheriff's patrol car.
* The foreman of the February term
Chattooga Grand Jury hinted that the
panel might take action in July if the
county failed to abide by the county’s
budget law.
* Oak View Nursing Home's applica
tion for $1.4-million in funds was sub
mitted to the Farmers Home Ad
ministration (FmHA).
* Larry Wesson filed a suit in
Magistrate’s Court against Commis
sioner Powell, seeking payment for work
done on a county sheriff's vehicle.
* Commissioner Powell indicated his
opposition to open meetings of the coun
ty’s top elected officials.
* A Chamber of Commerce
sponsored Leadership Forum was held
in Chattooga.
* Chattooga County's Library Board
approved a tentative budget of $109,704
for the 1987-88 fiscal year.
* Abuse of the county’s dumpsters
angered Commissioner Powell.
MAY
* Joanne Baggett was named
postmaster at Menlo.
* David Tidmore, foreman of the
February term Grand Jury, was named
recipient of the Liberty Bell award by
the local Legal Secretaries Assn.
* Menlo approved a budget of
$55,130 for the 1987-88 fiscal year.
* Some 150 people attended the
dedication of the new Menlo City Hall.
Rep. George *‘Buddy’’ Darden defivered
the main address.
* The News won a lawsuit against
Commissioner Powell, gaining the right
to review public records. The commis
sioner, however, ripped into the
newspaper verbally during an inspec
tion of those records.
* A federal court judge ruled against
arequest by Sheriff Gary McConnell for
a summary judgment in a suit filed
against McConnell by Tony Gilleland,
the sheriff's former chief investigator.
* Dr. Alan Johnson was named
Rotarian of the Year by the
Summerville-Trion Rotary Club.
* Summerville said it would continue
its planned expansion of the city
wastewater treatment plant and to plug
infiltration lE)oint;s in its sewer lines.
* The Chattooga Ccunty Hospital
Authority ap rove% a 1987-88 budget of
some $3-milfion in revenues and ex
penses of $2.5-million.
* The News sought to have Commis
sioner Powell personally pay the cost of
a lawsuit filed to gain access to public
records of the county. The action was
» ultimately unsuccessful; the commis
sioner paid the costs out of county
funds.
* Campeonada denied the sex abuse
claims contained in a federal lawsuit fil
ed by a 15-year-old youngster.
* A cutting horse show was held
near Summervfile. featuring some of the
nation’s best horses.
JUNE
* The Summerville Recreation
Board began consideration of a propos
ed $495,000 for 1987-88.
* The Chattooga Board of Education
approved several school improvement
rojects and later okayed a tentative
gudget of over $lO-million for 1987-88.
* A long-awaited county promo
tional magazine was unveiled gy the
Chattooga Chamber of Commerce.
*A ghrine telethon received over
$52,000 in pledges.
* Commissioner Powell countersued
Larry Wesson, claiming that the Teloga
body shop owner had coverted county
property to his own use.
* Twelve people were hurt in two
traffic accidents near Menlo on the same
night. None was hurt seriously.
* The Chattooga Sheriff's Office ar
rested several people on burglary
charges.
* The Chattooga Library board in
late May sought a new branch library
from the Trion City Council.
*Dr. Bridget Hopkins, 7 a
veterinarian, located her office in
Summerville.
* The Department of Transportation
gave its approval to road and bridge
work in the Chattooga area.
* Hal Rives, new Georgia Depart
ment of Transportation commissioner,
told Summerville Mayor Sewell Cash
that the city could forget a multi-lane
highway into the town.
* The Chattooga Board of Education
approved a $10.9-million budget, an in
crease of $1.2-million over the previous
year's budget.
* Two top countf' educators outlin
ed a “‘stay in school” plan to teachers
in the system at a end-of-year meeting.
* Chattooga Commissioner Harry
Powell said a raise was doubtful in 1988
for county employees.
* Summerville's City Council tabled
action on a proposal to join the
Municipal Gas Authority of Georgia.
* Menlo said it would consider a re
quest that it increase funding to the
countfi' library.
* Lyerly's City Council approved
raising the town's contribution to the
coun%\" library.
* The News won third place in the
Freedom of Information contest spon
sored by the Georgia Press Assn. The
award was for The News' coverage of
coun?' government in 1986.
* Trion's Board of Education ap
proved a budget of $3-million for fiscal
year 1987.
* An official with Matthews Con
tracting Co., Marietta, said U.S.
Highway 27 from Trion to Summerville
should be opened to traffic by sometime
in August, about three months ahead of
schedule.
* Commissioner Powell and county
AIDS Courses Set
Church leaders and
educators may benefit from
two specialized programs on
AIDS (Acquired meune Defi
ciency Syndrome) sponsored
by the Berry College Office of
Continuing Education.
An informational program
for church leaders, ‘“AIDS: The
Disease and the Societal Con
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. S Sk R : 7% .:‘; .7 .: SANGL v e
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customers should pay two,
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same car repair. That’s why we
offer the free Lifetime Service
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With the Lifetime Service
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repair ever needs to be done
again, we'll do it free. Free
parts, free labor. Our Lifetime
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thousands of covered repairs.
For as long as you own your car
440 North Commerce St.—Summerville 857-3481
employee Billy Willingham denied anf'
blame in connection with a lawsuit fil
ed by a woman who said she was bitten
by a dog at the county works camp in
the s ring. 1986.
" Ban als began hittinf windows
throughout Summerville and Chattooga
Counéy.
* Chattooga County’s 1988 budget
remained in limbo witK Commissioner
Powell failing to take action by the legal
deadline.
* Commissioner Powell announced,
however, on June 22 that he had
adog‘ted a 1987 county budget last April
30. The budget totals $4.1-million in ex
penditures and $4.5-million in revenues.
* A mistrial was declared in the
lawsuit filed against Sheriff Gary
McConnell by fiis former chief in
vestigator, Tony Gilleland. The mistrial
was declared after the six-member
federal jury said it couldn’t agree on a
verdict.
* Peterson Farms began hiring
employees for its new plant on the
Chattooga-Walker County line.
* Commissioner Powellycharged that
a “‘malicious lie” in The News had harm
ed his political career. He was referring
to a typographical error.
* The %rhattooga Hospital Authori
ty approved 24-hour, seven-day-a-week
cern,” will be presented from 9
a.m. until 4 p.m. on Wednes
day, Jan. 27, at Berry College’s
Krannert Center.
Instructors will be the Rev.
Wayne Hopper, a Methodist
minister, ané) Shirley Hopper,
R.N., M.S.N., a clinical
specialist in psychiatric mental
health nursing.
71," Tn’:{;fifi: ;
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Want to learn more? Ask
Quality Care for Quality Cars.
Mrs. Hopper will also con
duct a worksfio designed for
area educators tgom 9 a.m. un
til 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb.
3, at the Griffin Middle School
in Smyrna.
To register or to obtain
more information about the
workshops, phone 236-2270.
emergency room service, probably
beginning in September.
* The Chattooga Department of
Family and Children Service recorded
its highest number of child abuse refer
rals ever in May, the agency reported.
* Trion school students again topped
the state on test results and Chattooga
students generally improved their
scores.
* Probate Judge Jon Payne an
nounced that marriage license fees
would increase from sll to $26 on July
1, due to a new state law.
* Summerville’s Frank Hendrix
received his long-awaited new
lawnmower from the Murray
Lawnmower Corp. in Brentwood, Tenn.
Hendrix presented Murray executives
with his 20-year-old mint condition Mur
ray mower in return.
* Lyerly’s Tamnfi' Keef met with
Alabama (gov. Guy Hunt during Girl's
State in Montgomery, Ala. She was a
student at Gaylesville, Ala. High
School.
* Summerville set its 1987 tax rate
at three mills in a previously unan
nounced meeting. The rate was the same
as in 1986.
£o" %
(Next Week: July through
December, 1987).
Sprayberry
Promeotion
Thomas Sprayberry, son of
Thomas L. Sprayberry, 53
Park Ave., Trion, has been pro
moted in the U. S. Army to the
rank of private first class.
Sprayberry is a motor
transport operator with the
32nd Transportation Company
in West Germany.
He is a 1986 graduate of
goging Springs High School,
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