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BANKS COUNTY NEWS
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2023
Public Safety
Man arrested after vehicle
stopped on Highway 365
An arrest was made after
a vehicle was stopped on
Highway 365.
Early on the morning of
December 21, Officer Da
kota Foster with the Bald
win Police Department was
traveling south on Georgia
State Route 385.
Returning from Haber
sham County Jail, Officer
Foster observed a silver pas
senger car traveling on the
incorrect side of the road
way. Following the vehicle
and paying attention to the
driver’s mannerisms, Offi
cer Foster noted the activity
to be consistent with an im
paired driver.
Officer Foster contacted
dispatch, asking for the per
mission of Demorest Police
Department to conduct a
traffic stop on the vehicle
as they were located with
in the city’s limits. Officer
Collins with Demorest Po
lice Department affirmed
Officer Foster’s request.
Officer Foster then conduct
ed the traffic stop, with the
vehicle pulling into Whit
field Funeral Home North
Chapel. Officer Foster made
contact with the driver, and
obtained their license. Of
ficer Foster performed the
routine check of the infor
mation given. Officer Foster
was returning to the driver,
identified as James Edward
Whitlock, age 52 of Demor
est, for a field sobreity eval
uation when the driver fled
the stop.
Officer Foster pursued the
vehicle south on Georgia
State Route 385 as he no
tified dispatch. Habersham
County deputies attempted
to take the lead in the pur
suit. but due to the already
high speeds, Officer Fos
ter was to remain the lead.
Whitlock began heading
north on Georgia Highway
365.
Whitlock reached speeds
exceeding 100 mph driving
reportedly in a reckless and
erratic manner. Whitlock
began to wave his hands and
swerve toward Officer Fos
ter’s vehicle. Officer Foster
asked permission to perform
at Precision Immobilization
Technique (PIT) manuver.
Upon being advised yes by
Officer Collins, Officer Fos
ter performed the maneuver
on Highway 365 near Hazel
Creek Road.
The vehicle rotated, strik
ing the cable barrier in the
grass median. Habersham
County deputies and Officer
Foster boxed the vehicle in
before Whitlock’s vehicle
rolled and struck Officer
Foster’s patrol vehicle be
fore coming to a rest.
Whitlock was removed
from the vehicle by Haber
sham County deputies and
taken into custody. Whit
lock was then released to
Habersham County EMS.
Whitlock was taken to
Northeast Georgia Medi
cal Center — Habersham
for medical evaluation. All
charges will be taken by Of
ficer Collins with Demorest
Police Department.
Whitlock will be charged
with felony fleeing and
eluding, driving under the
influence, reckless driving
and failure to maintain lane.
HUDSON HAWGS COOKING TEAM
The Hudson Lodge #294 F& AM cooking team committee, the Hudson Hawgs, are shown being recognized for their dedicated
volunteer fundraising efforts to assist numerous worthwhile causes throughout the year including several school programs,
special needs children, medical treatments, benefit events, crime victim assistance, etc. “The team was humbled to be able to
raise over $61,000 during 2023 for charitable causes thanks to the support of our community,” Lodge leaders said. Pictured
are: (L-R) Joe MciLvaine DDGM 9E, Hawg Committee Chairman Wor. Bro Cameron D. Boswell, Wor. Bro Ben Wurtz, Wor.
Bro. Brandon Marcus, and 2024 Hudson Lodge #294 Worshipful Master Will Dubois.
2023: No state elections but
plenty of politics across the state
By Dave Williams
Capitol Beat News Service
BURNETTE
NAMED DEPUTY
OF THE YEAR
Officers and members
of Hudson Lodge #294
F&AM of Commerce host
ed the Annual Saints’
John Observance and Pub
lic Awards Night held on
Saturday, Dec. 16. Cpl.
Z. Burnette of the Banks
County Sheriff’s Office was
presented with the Deputy
of the Year award in recog
nition of his dedicated ser
vice to the citizens of Banks
County as well as numerous
K9 assists of other local law
enforcement agencies and
communities.
While 2023 wasn’t an
election year in Georgia,
politics was front and cen
ter throughout the last 12
months.
From January street pro
tests of the proposed Atlan
ta Police Training Center
derided by critics as “Cop
City” to the General As
sembly redrawing Georgia’s
congressional and legis
lative maps in December
under a federal court order,
various forms of politics
were playing out during the
year.
Here’s a look at the top
Georgia stories of 2023:
Jan. 9 - The Georgia Bull
dogs trounce Texas Chris
tian University 65-7 to win
their second consecutive
college football national
championship.
Jan. 18 - Activist Manu
el Esteban Paez Teran, 26,
is shot and killed by police
during a “clearing opera
tion” at the wooded area
that is the site of the pro
posed Atlanta Police Train
ing Center. A Georgia State
Patrol officer is shot and
seriously wounded in the
same incident.
April 28 - The first dis
pensaries for selling low-
THC cannabis oil to eligi
ble patients open in Macon
and Marietta, one day after
the agency in charge of
Georgia’s medical canna
bis program grants the first
dispensing licenses to two
companies that already have
been awarded manufactur
ing licenses.
July 1 - Georgia Path
ways, Republican Gov.
Brian Kemp’s limited Med
icaid expansion initiative,
begins covering residents
between the ages of 19 and
64 with household incomes
up to 100% of the Federal
Poverty Level.
The program is plagued
initially by low enrollment
as Democrats continue to
call for a full expansion of
Medicaid coverage in Geor
gia.
July 31 - The first of two
new nuclear reactors be
ing built at Georgia Pow
er’s Plant Vogtle goes into
commercial operation. The
second of the new reactors
is due to begin operating by
the end of March.
Aug. 14 - Former Pres
ident Donald Trump is in
dicted in Fulton County on
racketeering charges accus
ing the Republican of trying
to overturn the 2020 presi
dential election in Georgia
that saw Joe Biden become
the first Democrat to carry
the Peach State since 1992.
Aug. 30 - Hurricane Ida-
lia strikes South Georgia as
a Category 1 storm, down
ing trees and powerlines
and flooding local roads and
highways. One fatality is re
ported when a tree falls on a
vehicle in Lowndes County,
one of the hardest-hit areas.
Nov. 16 - Atlanta is
awarded the 2025 Major
League Baseball All-Star
Game, two years after the
city loses the game in pro
test of the General Assem
bly’s passage of an election
law adding new restrictions
critics attacked as voter sup
pression.
Nov. 19 - Former First
Lady Rosalynn Carter dies
at age 96 at her home in
Plains two days after enter
ing hospice care. She was
married to former President
Jimmy Carter for 77 years.
Dec. 7 - The General As
sembly adopts a new con
gressional map for Georgia,
two days after approving
new legislative maps. Kemp
ordered the special session
after a federal judge ruled
maps the legislature’s Re
publican majorities had ap
proved in 2021 violate the
Voting Rights Act.
Early deadline for next week’s
issue:
Noon Friday
Email submissions to
angela@mainstreetnews.com
In Memory
Dec. 27,1932-May 7,1954
Killed by a
drunk driver
HAZEL
Photo by Rob Moore
The occupants of a Ford pickup truck face numerous charges
after a chase in the Baldwin area Tuesday night, Dec. 19.
Two face charges
after brief pursuit
in Baldwin area
Two people were arrested
following a brief chase that
began in Baldwin Tuesday
night, Dec. 19.
A Habersham County
deputy sheriff on patrol
attempted to stop a Ford
F-150 pickup truck just be
fore 8:45 p.m. on Ga. 365
northbound at Hayes Auto
motive.
The truck pulled over then
continued northbound on
Ga. 365 with the deputy in
pursuit. The deputy pursued
the truck northbound as the
occupants threw reportedly
suspected drugs out the pas
senger window of the truck.
The deputy initiated a
PIT Maneuver, bringing
the truck to a stop against a
bank on the shoulder of Ga.
365 northbound near Kudzu
Hill Drive.
The truck’s two occupants
were arrested and face a va
riety of charges.
Ronald Lindsey Bafile,
42, of Columbia, is charged
with trafficking metham-
phetamine, fleeing or at
tempting to elude police
officer, possession of meth-
amphetamine with intent
to distribute, possession of
Xanax, possession of a fire
arm by a convicted felon,
possession of drug-related
objects, tampering with ev
idence, and littering from a
motor vehicle, Habersham
County Detention Center
records show.
Megan Nichoel Bafile,
31, of Dahlonega is charged
with trafficking metham-
RONALD LINDSEY
BAFILE
MEGAN NICHOEL
BAFILE
phetamine, possession of
methamphetamine with
intent to distribute, posses
sion of Xanax, possession
of drug-related objects,
tampering with evidence,
littering from a motor vehi
cle, obstructing or hindering
law enforcement officers,
possession of a firearm by a
convicted felon, and posses
sion of marijuana with in
tent to distribute, detention
center records show.
Incidents reported
to sheriffs office
Incidents reported recently to the Banks County Sher
iff’s Office include the following:
•damage to property at a Highway 59, Commerce, ad
dress.
•shoplifting at a Banks Crossing business.
•battery under the family violence act at a Wofford Creek
Trail, Baldwin, location.
•shoplifting at a Banks Crossing address.
•shoplifting at a Banks Crossing location.
•possession of methamphetamine at a Banks Crossing
address.
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