About The Banks County news. (Homer, Banks County, Ga.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (April 23, 2008)
School: 8B Sports: IB Leopards begin region tournament Friday BCHS holds military ball April 23,2008 The Banks County News 504^ Homer, Banks County, Georgia 30547 • A Publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. • mainstreetnews.com • 26 Pages, 3 Sections Plus Supplements • Vol. 39 No. 37 a n= Jones gets 180-day sentence Madison gives up law license BY ANGELA GARY Linn Jones, wife of former District Attorney Tim Madison, was sentenced in Banks County Superior Court Friday to 180 days in a wom en’s detention cencer on chef, charges. She was also fined $500 and will have to perform 250 hours of community service. Meanwhile, Madison has surren dered his Georgia Law License. The Georgia Supreme Court approved the voluntary surrender Monday. Madison moved to give up his license in February. Jones’ sentencing last week effec tively ends an extraordinary state investigation into the Piedmont Judicial Circuit DA’s office. Madison was sentenced earlier this year to six years in jail on theft charges and former ADA Brett Williams was fined on misdemeanor charges. Jones was charged with having conspired to defraud the county government by submitting payroll hours for times when she didn’t work. Jones was on both the Jackson County and Banks County DA pay rolls at the same time. According to documents present ed in court last week, Jones claimed that she was working at the same time evidence proved she was out of state. Jones’ attorney said she “accepts full responsibility for her actions” and is “sorry for what she did.” In her only comment to the court, Jones said, “I would like to tell the court I’m sorry, sir.” The scandal surrounding the DA’s office was uncovered by MainStreet Newspapers in early 2007. A series of investigative stories were pub lished in March 2007 question ing Madison’s handling of various government funds. Madison sub sequently resigned as DA in June 2007 and was indicted in August 2007. News - 2-3A •Conservation program details to be given Thurs. — page 3A •Spring festivals planned in Alto, Lula — page 3A Op/Ed • ‘Yardwork a sign spring has arrived’ — page 4A Other news •Social News — page 6-7B •School News — page 10A •Public Safety — page 5A • Legals — pages 8-9A • Church — page 7A • Obituaries — page 6A Shoplifting suspect flees, crashes APPLE VALLEY WRECK This is the scene of a wreck on Hwy. 11 in Apple Valley, Jackson County, last Wednesday after a shoplifting suspect fled from Tanger Outlets. Melinda Renee Thomas, 30, of Athens, fled from Banks County officers and wrecked, injuring four passengers. Thomas faces a number of charges from Banks County and the Georgia State Patrol. Photo by Justin Poole BY CHRIS BRIDGES A shoplifting suspect led a Banks County Sheriff’s Office deputy on a pursuit from Tanger Outlet through Commerce and into the Jackson County community of Apple Valley last Wednesday before eventually crashing her vehicle and injuring four other passengers. The driver, later identified as Melinda Renee Thomas, 30, of Athens, is facing a slew of charges from Banks County and Georgia State Patrol officials. Sheriff Charles Chapman said Monday morning charges have been filed and war rants issued for Thomas for fleeing and attempting to elude, reckless driving, removing a license plate in an attempt to conceal the identity of a vehicle, failure to signal when changing lanes, failure to signal when turning, driving too fast for conditions, failure to yield and three counts of cruelty to children in the first degree. Additional felony charges of shop lifting are also pending, Chapman said. The GSP is also charging Thomas with failure to maintain lane, reck less driving and safety restraint vio lation. Thomas was already on parole involving previous shoplifting charges. She was taken to an area hospital following the chase but was not seriously injured. The incident began last Wednesday at approximately 1:30 p.m. when a call was received by Banks County dispatch concerning a shoplifting at J. Crew at Tanger Outlet. A Banks County patrolman on I-85 located the vehicle and began pursuit. Thomas began fleeing at a high rate of speed toward Commerce. The pursuit continued through Commerce toward Jefferson on Hwy. 11. The Jefferson Police Department was notified and was on standby if needed. No Commerce police officers were involved in the Wednesday chase, Chief John Gaissert said. The chase came down old U.S. 441, through the Hardee’s/CVS intersection and out toward Apple Valley, but by the time the Commerce Police Department was notified, the chase was out of town and there was no potential to catch up. The Commerce police did assist with traffic control around the wreck, the chief said. Thomas ran off the road, however, near the Apple Valley community in Jackson County before reach ing Jefferson. Three juveniles and one other adult female were in the vehicle with Thomas. Sheriff Stan Evans said the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office also was not involved in the chase. Deputies were at the scene assisting with the wreck and traffic control after the accident occurred. The GSP was called in to work the accident scene and the passengers in the vehicle were transported to vari ous hospitals. Two people, including a 12-year-old, were airlifted from the accident scene. Several large bags of clothes from J. Crew were recovered at the acci dent scene. No one else who was in the vehi cle with Thomas faces charges at this time although Chapman said the investigation continues. MEASURING HEIGHT Nancy Baymiller measures the official height of a Banks County Middle School student while he received his physical to partici pate in athletics for the following school year. The Banks County Health Department helped coordinate the event, which was held at BCMS. Photo by Chris Bridges Sheriff's office prepares for NHRA Southern Nationals BY CHRIS BRIDGES Thousands of spectators will descend upon the Banks Crossing area this weekend for the annual NHRA Southern Nationals. The enormous crowd is some thing Banks County sheriff Charles Chapman and his depart ment has been busy planning for. In fact, the event, as in years past, is expected to draw on over flow crowd to Atlanta Dragway. Chapman said all BCSO deputies will be working this weekend. “No one takes time off dur ing this event,” the sheriff said earlier this week as he enjoyed the calm before the storm. “The Southern Nationals always draws a big crowd.” Chapman and his deputies will receive assistance from 60 Georgia State Patrol officers from the across the state. The GSP Qualifying will begin at 9 a.m. on Monday for the July General Primary Election. Qualifying will be held through noon on Friday, May 2. Probate judge Betty Thomas said qualifying for all candidates will be in the probate court in the Banks County courthouse. Offices which can be contested in the primary election and the qualify ing fee for each is as follows: •sheriff, $1,616.40 •tax commissioner, $1,392.24 •clerk of superior court, $1,392.24 •coroner, $72 •county chairman, $1,080 officers will handle traffic to and from the event. BCSO deputies will answer all calls which arise from the area. “Things have gone well over the past few years,” Chapman said. “We hope it will continue.” Fans will begin arriving before Friday although the sheriff expects the large crowds to be in the area Friday through Sunday. “Last year on Saturday it was as large of a turnout as I’ve seen,” Chapman said. Atlanta Dragway has been busy in recent months adding addi tional parking areas for fans, but traffic is going to be a concern this weekend, Chapman said. “I would encourage local citi zens not to travel in the area unless they have urgent business,” he said. “It will be best not to go through the area.” •county surveyor, $25 •board of education, post 1, $64.50 •board of education, post 2, $60 •board of education, post 4, $60. Qualifying for magistrate judge and probate judge will be held the last week of June since these offices are non-partisan. The fee to run for both of these offices is $1,392.24. The qualifying fee for each office is based on three percent of that office’s base salary. For additional information about qualifying, contact the Banks County Probate Court at 706-677-6250. Alto, Baldwin plan clean up day Saturday The arrival of spring means it’s time for some spring cleaning. Clean up days have been planned in Alto and Baldwin. Clean up day will be held in Alto on April 26 from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Volunteers are needed to tidy up the streets inside the city limits. All sup plies will be furnished. Free lunch and T-shirts will be provided for partici pants. “Contact City Hall to sign up or just show up,” leaders state. Baldwin is also seeking volunteers to meet at Fellowship Church at 9 a.m. on April 26 to help clean up the streets in town. Supplies will be furnished. Biscuits will be provided on a first- come, first-served basis. Fellowship Church will be cooking lunch for the volunteers. T-shirts will be provided to the participants in the clean up. Fellowship Church is located in the Industrial Park in Baldwin. Garrison egg hunt featured in Reader's Digest The annual Garrison egg hunt held in Homer was featured in the May issue of Reader’s Digest. The egg hunt was included in a feature on the “Best of America.” It was listed as “best good eggs.” The 49-year-old tradition was described as “a truly eggs-cellent adventure.” Qualifying to get under way Mon.
