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Letters To The Editor
Couldn’t Get Tree Cut
Dear Editor,
Nerves are frayed and folks were emotional
during the recent many deaths and ice storm.
A bit of humor was Dan Young I heard said,
“I went to Cloudland and a big icicle hit me on my
head when it fell” and Sheritsf Kellett said, “ Oh,
well magbe the next one will miss it”.
And -as the Dog Root was drinking sweet
milk before it completely ruined Uncle Leroy
Brown, 76 sat drinking coffee and said (Root) “I
wish you'd quit smacking.” He was making quite
a smacking noise.
Our power went off on West Tate Rd. at 26
minutes after 8 p.m. Saturday night and it’s
Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. Jan. 26, 2000 and we
still have no North Georgia electric service re
stored.
I have water from County District No. 1 finally
to my home (Nov. '99) and it had been well water
only until this year and it was not really pure wa
ter so the change should be good health wise also.
Chris Caldwell was one who cut down a large
pine tree at the rower and phone lines in my i'ard
near a power pole with transformers on it and lines
ran to my neighbors the Steve Keith home just
Social Security Problems
Dear Editor,
In compliance with a letter you %ot aweek ago
titled, “Social Security Actions. I also have had
some bad problems with Social Security. I would
also like to know why S.S. won't pay more than
$225 for a deceased person’s family. The family
doesn’t even get this unless they qualify for it. If
you get SSI you don't get it.
This $255 will only pay to dig the grave. It
will take another $255 to cover it up. A person can’t
win for losing.
I also have had a lot of problems with S.S. I
gothurtin N.C. in 1986. I was working at the time.
I had been working since I was 15 years old. I am
46 years old now. I was disabled to work anymore.
I went to all kinds of doctors but the govern
ment wouldn’t let me get my Social Security. It took
me nine years to receive anything from them at all
and then it wasn't S.S.
It was SSI, because I was disabled to work. It
came out of Georgia but Geor§ia didn’t owe me
annhini. North Carolina should have to be pay
ing me the money.
I'm thankful that I get what little bit I do get,
but it shouldn’t have taken nine long years.
I have a lot of sickness with me, Eeart trouble,
but I have to prove to them every three years that
I'm still disabled to work. When my heart doctor
disabled me he disabled me for life. He gets mad
at S.S. every time he has to refill the papers out.
He also thinks they need testing.
[ still can’t understand why a teenager that
doesn’t have to keep a house up gets more money
than a grown woman trying to raise two children
and keep a home going. I wish someone would
explain that one to me. I sure can’t understand it.
I don’t get but $409 a month and she gets SSOO a
month.
The people that's working and paying it in, it
Theft Of Firearms
Probed By Sherifft
Chattooga County Sheriff’s
investigators this week are still
trying to discover who broke into
a Farmersville Road home and
stole $1,476 in guns and other
merchandise, incident reports
stated.
Deputy Marty Brown re
ported on Jan. 12 that David G.
Young’s home was burglarized.
Someone broke out a glass win
dow at the back door, Brown
said.
FIREARMS
Listed as missing were:
* A New Englang .243-cali
ber youth rifle with a dark wal
nut stock.
* A Stevenson Savage 16-
gauge shotgun with a cinnamon
colored stock.
* Mossberg 12-gauge pump
shotgun
* A .22-magnum Marlin
loni rifle with a dark walnut
stock.
* A Redfield 3x9 power
scope.
* Marlin .30-.30-caliber le
ver-action rifle with a dark wal
nut stock.
* A Panama City key ring.
* An Eastbrook Higfll School
graduation ring.
* A Coosa Valley Tech
graduation ring.
* A 1928 silver dollar and a
1927 silver dollar.
* An assortment of other
collector’s coins.
* One National Rifle Asso
ciation ring.
2
Governor’s Reform
®
Bill Is Focus Of
o
Tuesday Meeting
Education Panels To Discuss Measure
A meeting is scheduled at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Trion
Recreation Center which will include local education and
governmental panels concerning Governor Roy Barnes’
Education Bill proposed in this year’s session of the Geor
gia Lsagislature. A number of state speakers are on the
agendaa. 4
. Scheduled to attend the meeting at presstime are the
Trion City Council, Trion School Board,ghnnooyCmmty
School Board, Catoosa CoungaSchool Board, Dade
County School Board and Chi mm:fi:oSchool Board.
Stfinepefintendentsofthoseschoolswill be on hand at
meeting.
for the event will be Gary Ashley and Don
Rookssi’mceorgm School Boards Association and Terry
.&znnldns of the Georgia School Superintendents Associa-
before the ice storm or I'm almost sure all the
g%wer and phone lines would have been pulled
m our homes. We had called in a work report
for T.V.A. to cut down the tree twice to the local
North Georgia Electric Office in Trion and theK
never did res}gond and do it although the wor
order was in Nov. '99.
So I got very upset and called the Caldwells
todoit for I knew the dam?e and danéer it could
cause and cancelled the order to cut it down from
T.V.A. for I felt after two months it was useless to
try to get them to.
Jan. 2000 it was cut down b{ Chris.
People in the com}c'iy have a lot of problems
and Februar{is Heart Month. I have lost a lot of
relatives on the Smith-Bowman side of my family
with stroke and heart attacks. My brother, Jimmy
Wes Smith died Dec. 27.
I, too, have heart disease and stroke problems
plus other medical problems -
I juess the Heart Association and those con
nected will be busy in February.
Mary Childers 3
Summerville
comes out of their pay each week. The government
doesn’t mind taking it then but when it comes to
the time to get it back for yourself, you have to
fight the government a lot of years for your own
mon%.
e government does think it's theirs. But it’s
not.
The government is taking our own money and
there’s not one thing that we (the public) can do
about it.
Whatever they say goes, whether it’s right or
wrong.
I've still got problems with the Social Secu
rity about my daughter. I have been fighting with
them for seven years because my cfaughter is
handicapped. She has a lot of problems I can’t
mention here. The doctors say she’s handicapped
but the Social Security people won't believe me or
the doctors.
I agree, the doctors know what they are do
ing and what they are talking about.
I have got a lawyer ielping to get my
daughter’s SSI but it’s not doin§ any good. She
gets $179 from her daddy. She will be out of school
in April. I don't know what she will do then. Her
checi will stop, so will her Medicaid card. She can’t
work tg' herself. I'm having to do everything for
her and I only get $409 a month.
I think the Social Security people need to be
tested because I don't think they know what thei'
are even doing. If they had to live like a lot of sic
people live they might have lot more compassion
for geople. But maybe not. They might have al
ready hardened their hearts for op%e.
Sometimes I wonder what tgfs world is com
ing to. I know The End.
Heaven Help Us All Then.
Martha Hunter
Trion
* A Murray County sheriff’s
badge featuring the name Smith.
INCIDENTS
In other reports, deputies
said:
* Randy Miller, 2654 Ga.
48, Menlo, said someone re
moved a battery from an Ameri
can Glove Mill van while it was
parked behind the business.
* William Shane Lowrance,
2383 Old U.S. 27, Trion, said
Monday that someone entered
his 1993 Toyota pickup truck
through the back sliding glass
window and took the faceplate
off his Pioneer compact disc
player valued at S2OO.
* Mark Thomas, 539 Coun
try Crossing Drive, Summerville,
said someone entered his resi
dence and stole two garage
lights, a ceiling fan, light bulbs,
two doorcase openings, a six
foot stepladder, an 18,000 BTU
propane heater, lumber and
various other supplies.
ARRESTED
Among those arrested dur
ing the past week were:
* Gene Mosely, 19, (no ad
dress given by the sheriff’s of
fice), for underage consumption
of alcohol.
* Shavarus Stamper, 17, (no
address given by shenff’s office),
for underage consumption of al
cohol.
* Tara Taylor, 18, (no ad
dress given by the sheriff’s of
fice), for underage consumption
of alcohol.
. Jimma' Bailey, 32, of 76
Brewer Road, Summerville, for
theft by deception.
* Christopher Bowman, 25,
of 34 Agnew Road, Menlo, for
theft of services.
* Tina Burrage, 28, of 131
Raymond St., Summerville, for
obstruction of an officer and dis
orderly conduct.
* John Jones, 43, of 222
Reece St., Menlo, for aggravated
assault.
* Steve Lyons, 19, (no ad
dress given by the sheriff’s of
fice), for second damage to prop
erty.
* Billy Medley, 24, of 106
Melba Drive, Trion, for simple
battery under the Family Vio
lence Act.
GFC Offers
Information
On Tree Loss
The Georgia Forestry Com
mission (GFC) has offered infor
mation and recommendations on
insurance and casualty loss
claims resulting from the recent
ice storm.
VARIATIONS
GFC officials said that al
though there might be variations
with different companies, one
insurance company provided the
followin§ information concern
ing tree amafge and liability.
If a tree falls on insurance
covered property (house, car,
fence, etcy, the tree and property
covered are subject to golicy de
ductible and limits. For sever
damage, such as a tree falling on
a house, the insurance company
would make alternative living
arrantiements and work directly
with the policyholder.
Tree-related casual?' loss
tax deduction questions also in
crease following severe weather
damage. As a general rule, losses
that are uncomJ)ensated for by
insurance are deductible from
income in the year of damage. To
be allowed as a casualty deduc
tion, the loss must be physical in
nature - caused by natural or
other external factors.
DEDUCTIONS
Deductions are limited to
the property’s adjusted value.
With regard to tree mortality, the
basis would be the value assigned
to the tree at the time the owner
purchased the property — which
should be adjusted as the tree
grew and increased in value un
til the time of mortality.
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Staff Photos By Jason Espy
TRUCK LEAVES ROADWAY ON MARVIN ST.
Driver Arrested Walking Away From Scene
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POLICEMAN HOLDS BAG OF MARIJUANA
Confiscated From Man After Traffic Mishap
Truck Driver Facing
Drug, Drunk Counts
The discovery of a wrecked
truck on Marvin Street has led to
the arrest of a man walking down
Scoggins Street.
Jackie Baggett, 47, of 4567
Hair Lake Road, Summerville
drove off the side of the road late
last week and wrecked his 1970
Chevrolet pickup truck in a dee
ditch next to the McGinnis Higg
Rise Apartments, an accident
report stated.
Baggett then left the truck in
the ditgci and began walking
down the street. Summerville
police officers were notified of
the wreck by 911. One officer
spotted Baggett walking on
Scoggins Street and began ques
tioning him.
Officer Chris Harris said he
found a large baggie of mari
juana in Baggett's possession.
The key to the truck was also dis
covered by the officer, the report
stated.
Baggett was arrested for be
ing a pedestrian under the influ
ence of intoxicants, driving with
a suspended or revoked license,
possession of more than an
ounce of mar}iuana and driving
without proof of insurance, ac
cording to jail reports.
INCIDENTS
In other incidents, officers
reported:
* Catharine Stephenson, 174
Kirby St., said on Jan. 19 that a
West Virginia man agreed to
’ °
The News’ Subscribers
®
In Trion Requested
To Update Addresses
The deadline is approaching when Trion residents
must use their new 911-designated addresses instead of
route numbers or their current street numbers.
Summerville, Menlo and Lyerly have already gone to
the new 911 addresses.
The Summerville News urges its Trion subscribers who
haven't changed their addresses to the 911-designated ad
dresses to do so immediately to avoid interruption in the
delivery of their issue of The Summerville News each week.
If the address label on today’s edition of newspaper is
not your new 911-designated address, please complete the
form below now. Mail it to The Summerville News at P.O.
Box 310, Summerville, Ga. 30747, or bring it by the
newspaper’s office on U.S. 27 at the Chattooga River.
If you alrea:;dj' have your new 911-designated address
o}? your label today, there is no need for you to do any
thing.
Those with Trion P.O. boxes also don’t need to do any
thing since the boxes aren’t affected by the 911-address sys
tem.
OLD ADDRESS
Name
Street
Number
City, State,
7P
NEW ADDRESS
Name
Street
Number
City, State,
ZE : e
pave her driveway. After advanc
ing the money, the crew put
down a tarry substance on fier
driveway and left. It never re
turned to complete the paving.
* Stephanie Dal{:}s, 510
Highland Ave., said someone
sto%e several speakers from her
home last Thursday, Jan. 27. A
rear door was opened with a Case
knife.
* Charlotte Ware, 234 Sev
enth St., said Saturday someone
stole a Kenwood compact disc
player from her 1985 Cadillac.
. * An employee at the Golden
Gallon, U.S. 27, said someone
stole $8 worth of kerosene.
DISPUTE
* Summerville police said
they broke up a domestic dispute
Sunday at the Golden Gallon on
Ga. 114.
* Stephanie Dodd, 970 West
Washington St., Summerville,
said two males threw a log at her
car. The windshield was shat
tered.
* A Papa John's Pizza man
ager told police last Wednesday,
Jan. 26, that someone cut his
way through the roof and got in
side the store. Once insi(i;e, the
thief stole $1,300 from a safe.
* Police said they also broke
up a fight at 90 Crowe St., Sum
mervil%e, last Friday. One man’s
shoulder and arm was hurt dur
ing the altercation.
Investigators Trying
To Locate Crime Site
from front page
have occurred.
Bissell, now housed in a
mental hospital in Tuscaloosa,
Ala., said the slayi‘nioccurred in
Chattoolga County, both sheriffs
acknowledged.
The Discount Food security
camera also captured Bissell and
the 4'10” 105-pound Ms. Booher
on videotape at about Zflp.m. on
Sunday, Jan. 23, Sheriff Kellett
said.
TRION STORE
Two store clerks said they
also saw Bissell’s blue and silver
1988 Lincoln Town car sitting in
front of the store on Jan. 23. It
was closed for most of the day
because an ice storm terminated
power to the store, officials said.
Power was restored to the
store around 1:15 p.m. and the
clerks began making prepara
tions to reogen. When the store
was opened, both Bissell and
Booher came inside, investiga
tors said.
“I'm not sure if any custom
ers saw them,” Sheriff Kellett
said. “But we've had some re
poninf from ’Feople in the Sum
n}:ervil e and Trion area who saw
them.”
CAR MOVED
Neither Bissell nor Ms.
Booher bought anything in the
store, reports indicated. Sheriff
Kellett said he susl;;ected that
Bisscii and Ms. Booher used the
store’s restroom and left. An un
determined time later, Bissell
moved the Lincoln from the front
of the store to the graveled park
ing lot next to the store. It was
approximately then when Chief
Latta, who was not in uniform,
and another officer said they
walked 1n the store for coffee.
“He (Bissell) was there prior
to them (the store clerks) com
ing in,” Sheriff Kellett said. “They
don’t know what time they saw
him, but he was there for an ex
tended period of time. They just
remembered that car. First it was
sitting up near the store and then
he moved it over to the gravel lot
40- or 50-foot past the parking
lot of the store.
PARALLEL
“He parked parallel to the
highway,” the sheriff said, “but
they don't recall when they didn’t
see him, because they were very
busy that day.”
Other people also reported
seeing Bissell and Ms. Booher in
Chattooga County.
One of the earliest reports
came Sunday morning, Jan. 23.
Kellett said an Orchar(f Hill Road
resident stopped on the roadwaf'
about 10:30 a.m. to see if Bissell
had car trouble and needed help.
CRYING
Ms. Booher was in the pas
senger seat with her face par
tially covered, the motorist told
authorities. Sheriff Kellett said
the resident reported that Ms.
Booher’s face was red and she
was crying.
Others saw the two driving
around the county, the sheritf
said.
Kellett noted that everyone
who saw Bissell driving around
Chattoo%ta County after the
couple left the Trion store said
Bissell appeared to be alone.
Kellett sans it would be sgecula
tion to guess where Ms. Booher
was durinfi those times.
Bissell, the chief suspect in
Ms. Booher’s death, and Ms.
Booher were reportedly traveling
from Norwalk to visit his parents
in Winter Haven Fla. It flas not
been determined why they were
in Chattooga County, officers in
dicated.
MUTILATION
Ms. Booher's clothed, muti
lated body was. discovered
strapped by a seat belt in the
front gassenger seat of Bissell’s
car when he was captured near
Hammondyville, Ala. on Monday,
Jan. 24. Hammondville is lo
cated near the foot of Lookout
Mountain below Mentone, be
tween Valley Head and I-59.
Sheriff Kellett said he hoped
the murder scene turns out to be
in Alabama and Bissell remains
in Alabama. The alleged slayer
terrorized Dekalb County diailers
and destroyed toilets and sinks
and other items in his jail cell
before being sent to the state
mental institution at the middle
of this %ast week.
“The DA and I have dis
cussed if there was any way, if he
does have to come here, if we
could take him straé;ht toamen
tal hospital,” Sheriff Kellett said.
ESOPHAGUS
While Bissell was beinfi
booked at the Dekalb County jai
on Mondaz', Jan. 24, jailers said
they found part of Ms. Booher’s
esophagus stuffed in one of
Bissell’s clothingl pockets. The
six-foot Bissell then lunged to
ward the jailers and tried to eat
the esophagus, lawmen said.
Bissell slashed Ms. Booher's
throat and then cut off her right
hand and left L?. lawmen have
already rae,%ort .
Dekalb Sheriff Reed said the
Ohio man then cut out her heart,
liver, esophagus and other or
gans with a large hunting knife.
All her organs except her eyes
have been found, lawmen said.
They had been gouged out and
Bissell probably ate them, law
enforcement reports stated.
The Summerville News, Thursday, February 3, 2000 —
MENTONE WRECK
Around 3:45 a.m. (CST) on
Monday, Jan. 24 on Ala, 17, east
of Mentone, Bissell crashed the
Town Car into the rear of Donald
Pirch’s car, said Sheriff Reed.
Pirch l§ot out of his car to
check on the wreck and Bissell
ran him over, the sheriff said.
Pirch was flung onto the hood
the Lincoln Town Car, the sher
iff added. Pirch fell off Bissell’s
car after beinF driven 100 to 150
feet, law enforcement reports
stated.
Bissell then drove to a home
in Mentone. Resident James
Pumphery heard Bissell pull up
and went outside, reports contin
ued. Without any warning, au
thorities said, Bissell began stab
bing Pumphery in the stomach.
Pumphery’s two Labrador
Retrievers leaped on Bissell as he
attacked the Mentone man.
Bissell stabbed both dogs and
they later bled to death, reports
stated.
SHOT FIRED
Bissell then forced his way
into the Pumphery house,
Dekalb authorities reported.
Pumphrey’s wife was inside. She
had armed herself with a hand
fiun after seeinfi Bissell attack her
usband and their dogs, lawmen
said. She fired one shot and
missed but Bissell ran away, got
back in his car and left the scene,
deputies said.
PumdphreK's wife said late
Wednesday that her husband
was “doing fair” at home. He was
released from a Fort Payne hos
ital this past Monday, she said.
Ele had been in the facility since
the stabbing,. .
Bissell then returned to the
hit-and-run scene and tried un
successfully once more to run
over Pirch while emergency
medical personnel were treating
him, Dellg)afib authorities said.
Pirch, too, was treated at the
Fort Payne hospital and later re
leased, hospital officials said
Wednesda{'.
A Valley Head Holiceman
then followed Bissell's vehicle
and said he was finally able to
stop the Lincoln near
Hammondyville and U.S. 11.
DU File
Five motorists were arrested
in Chattoo§a County during the
past week for driving under the
influence of intoxicants, accord
ing t(_H'lail reports.
ey were:
Jackie Baggett, 47, of 4567
Hair Lake Road, Summerville,
also chal}ed with being a pedes
trian under the influence of in
toxicants, driviné with a sus
pended or revoked license, pos
session of more than an ounce of
marijuana and driving without
proof of insurance; Kenneth
Ivey, 42, of 5 Megginson Drive,
Summerville, also arrested for
failure to maintain a single lane
and violation of the open con
tainer law; Juan Mendez, 25,
P.O. Box 843 Collinsville, Ala.,
also arrested for speeding and
driving without a license; Bruce
Peace, 38, of 18 9th St., Trion, for
drivinfi on a sus(rended or re
voked license and driving with
out insurance and Wyatt
Wilkins, 41, of 5199 Ga. 100,
Summerville, also arrested for
carrying a concealed weapon.
Haste Can
Make Waste
The Georgia Forestry Com
mission (GFCI? warns landown
ers that a hasty sale of timber can
often result in substantial loss to
the seller.
“The ogtimum age that gine
timber is harvest and sold in
Georfiia is 30 to 40 years, but the
actual transaction between land
owner and buyer can be con
cluded in 30 minutes or less,”
said Lynn Hooven, GFC Chief of
Forest Management.
Hooven said this message is
conveyed on a regular basis to
Georgia timberland owners urfi
ing them to take their time sell
ing timber and apfiroach the
transaction from a knowledge
able perspective. He pointed out
that many factors must be con
sidered in a transaction that is
fair to both buyer and seller.
Transaction factors include:
thorough knowledge of quality
and luantity of timber on the
tract, logging conditions, method
of harvesting, distance to the
mill, and tax obligation.
Chattooga Printing
76 Hwy. 48
Next to Chattooga County Civic Center
* Copies * Fax Service
* Wedding Invitations
* Rubber Stamps
* Graduation Invitations
Jane Reed — Owner
Ph. 857-4995
CHARGES
Sheriff Reed said he had
charged Bissell with two counts
of attempted murder and at
tempted burglary. Murder
charges on the death of Ms.
Booher will not be filed until au
thorities determine where the
crime took place, he said.
No motive for the killing has
been announced by lawmen.
However, attorney Hoyt
Baugh, who was apl?ointed to
rerresent Bissell in Fort Payne,
related to the news media earlier
that Bissell told him a “secret
source” with the CIA had ordered
him to kill Ms. Booher because
she was a “double agent” and
therefore interfering with
Bissell’s “assignment.”
Neither Bissell nor Ms.
Booher had agg' family or friends
in Dekalb or Chattooga counties,
based on the investigation so far,
Sheriff Reed said.
DATING
The couple had been dating
since Au?ust, 1999, authorities
said they learned from their fam
ily and friends in Norwalk. Ms.
Booher’s family said Bissell was
“controlling” and that he stalked
her at times. Ohio human ser
vices officials said Ms. Booher
had been classified as “mildly re
tarded.”
Norwalk lawmen said Bissell
had threatened to kill another
woman last August after accus
ing her of flattening the tires on
his vehicle.
MEDICINE
Officials at a Norwalk clinic
said Bissell also had been treated
for an undisclosed mental prob
lem and once threatened the
clinic when it would not allow
him to obtain more medication.
Bissell later apologized, reports
stated.
He did not have a criminal
record. .
ADOPTION
OPPORTUNITY
. y
A 4
o R
Aysia, Black, 11, and her
brother, Ameend, 9, were
born 12/87 and 5/90. Aysia
is a loving child who is at a
time in her life where she
desperately needs a family
to call her own. She has
been diagnosed with Ad
justment Disorder with
Anxiety and ADHD. She
takes medication and is in
therapy to help her. Aysia is
in the 6th grade. She enjoys
singing, dancing and read
ing. Ameend is an outgoing
child who loves all sports
and being on the the com
puter. He attends 4th grade
classes for those with emo
tional/behavioral disorders.
Ameend is in therapy and
on medication for ADHD
and Adjustment Disorder
with Anxiety. These chil
dren have a difficult time
getting along. Up until
recently, Ameend got more
attention for his negative
behaviors and Aysia felt
pushed aside. Aysia has
recently begun acting out
behaviors possibly due to
her need for attention and
possibly due to the instabil
ity in her life. Even though
there are problems between
the two, they very much
want to be adopted togeth
er. A two parent family
who can offer each child a
great deal of individual
attention is needed.
IF INTERESTED IN
FOSTER CARE OR
ADOPTION, CALL
CHATTOOGA CO.
DFCS AT 857-0817
2 RTBAAR PR ASR A
Chattooga County Department
of Family and Children Services
5-A