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JUNE 22, 2017
Madison County Journal
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Merged with The Comer News and The Danielsville Monitor, 2006
MadisonJoumaITODAY.com
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Vol. 34 No. 22 • Publication No. 1074-987 • Danielsville, Madison County, Georgia 30633 • A Publication of MainStreet Newspapers Inc. • 24 Pages, 2 Sections Plus Supplements
CRIME
SAMUEL
FRANCISCO
FUENTES,
Nicholson man
charged with
molestation,
rape of child
A Nicholson man was
arrested last week on mul
tiple charges involving
alleged child molestation of
a family acquaintance under
the age of 16.
Samuel Francisco Fuentes,
39, was charged with child
molestation, two counts of
rape, two counts of enticing
a child for indecent purpos
es and two counts of statuto
ry rape (felony).
He remains in jail as of
press time awaiting a bond
hearing.
According to Captain
Jimmy Patton of the
Madison County Sheriff's
Office, investigators began
looking into the case May
2016 after a family member
of the victim reported it.
The case went before the
Grand Jury, which handed
down an indictment. Patton
said it took some time to
find Fuentes, who had
moved several times since
the investigation began. He
said the incident involved
providing alcohol to the vic
tim as well as sexual con
tact.
INSIDE
Index:
News — 1-3A
Opinions — 4-5A
Crime — 6A
Socials — 7-9A, 12A
Obituaries — 10-11A
Sports — 1-2B
Schools — 3B
Churches — 4B
Classifieds — 8-9B
Legals — 10-11B
Contact:
Phone: 800-795-2581
Mail: P.O. Box 658,
Danielsville, Ga. 30633
Web:
MadisonJournalTODAY.
com
Mailing
Label Below
14 14 4
Cowboys and
Angels wrap
up third season
Sheriff s office
investigating
possible rape
— Page 12A
— Page 6A
ROADS
CRIME
T-SPLOST talks
Region leaders discuss possible referendum
By Zach Mitcham
zach@mainstreetnews.com
Leaders from 12 area counties
were scheduled to gather in Athens
Wednesday to discuss a possible
one-cent shared transportation tax.
Madison County commissioners
recently voted to include a refer
endum on a November ballot for
a one-cent region transportation
special purpose local option sale
tax (T-SPLOST). But local voters
won’t get a vote on that tax unless
leaders in seven of 12 area counties
decide to put it on a ballot.
“We’re at the point of fish or cut
bait,” said Madison County BOC
chairman John Scarborough, noting
that the deadline for getting a ref
erendum on a November ballot is
approaching.
Madison County is included
in a region with Athens-Clarke,
Barrow, Elbert, Greene, Jackson,
Jasper, Morgan, Newton, Oconee,
Oglethorpe and Walton coun
ties. Leaders from these counties
were scheduled to meet at the
— See “T-SPLOST” on 2A
ENVIRONMENT
Tire Amnesty Event ahead
A ‘Tire Amnesty Event” will be
held June 22-23 and June 28-30 at
the Madison County Transfer Station
from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day.
“Take advantage of this great
opportunity funded by a state of
Georgia grant through Keep Madison
County Beautiful,” said organizers.
Madison County citizens will be
allowed to bring up to six tires for
recycling at no charge. Fees apply for
more than six tires.
Here are the rules: no retail/whole
sale vendors allowed; tires must be
secured to vehicle; no solid rubber
tires (ex. Bobcat) or rubber tracks;
farm tractor tires must be less than
four feet tall and less than 18 inch
es wide; citizens are responsible for
unloading tires; a vehicle tag number
will be required.
For more information, call 706-
795-5151 or see the scale house
attendant.
FESTIVITIES
Colbert prepares for annual July 4 th celebration
The City of Colbert will
hold its 48 th annual July
4 th Celebration Tuesday,
July 4.
This year’s theme is
“Back the Red, White
and Blue.” Rickey Smith
will serve as Master of
Ceremonies for the
parade, which begins
at 9 a.m. and features
marching bands, antique
cars, tractors, floats
and many other exhib
its at no charge. Tripp
Strickland will deliver
the National Anthem: The
Star-Spangled Banner.
The Madison County
Rotary Club and Ramp
Builders will serve as
Grand Marshals. The
“Citizen of the Year” is
Bobbie Rooker, director
of Madison County Food
Bank.
Danny Anthony will
perform and host the live
entertainment from the
grandstand throughout
the day.
Entertainers include:
•The Voltures, a local
high school group made
up of Blaze Mason, (hum
mer; Grace Kanavage,
vocalist; Jake Pence, bass
guitar; and Alex Redman,
guitar
•Enuff-O-That. made up
of Victor Proveaux, gui
tar; Chris Dixon, banjo;
Ricky Payne, banjo; Bill
— See “Fourth” on 2A
Man
attacked by
pit bulls in
Colbert
By Margie Richards
margie@mainstreetnews.com
A man was attacked
by two intact male blue
pit bulldogs Friday in
Colbert.
Animal control officer
Erin Gray was dispatched
along with animal control
officer Ken Vaughn.
Gray said the man had
the tip of a finger bitten
off and that he also had
bite wounds on his arm
and leg. He was taken
by Madison County
EMS to Piedmont Athens
Regional Medical Center
for his injuries.
Officer Gray said
from what she was told
of the situation, the vic
tim was a friend of a
woman who used to live
at the Madison Avenue
residence and had gone
with her to get some of
her belongings from the
home. The pair report
edly entered the home
where the dogs were and
they attacked the man.
The dogs got outside
where they were able to
ran loose and were very
aggressive, Gray said.
Animal control officers
tried for hours to cap
ture the dogs, setting
traps, using food and
even attempting to comer
them on the porch off the
home.
“The dogs were
extremely aggres
sive and continued to
charge at us,” Gray said.
Eventually, Gray was
able to “dispatch” one
of the dogs (according to
the 9-1-1 report), who she
— See “Dogs” on 2A
THEFT
Comer woman, daughter charged
with exploitation, theft of elderly relative
By Margie Richards
margie@mainstreetnews.com
A Comer woman and
her daughter were arrested
recently on felony charges
for allegedly defrauding
the woman's brother, who
lost his Medicare benefits
as a result of their emp
tying his bank account,
according to the Comer
Police Department.
Joanne Bolmon Weaver,
66. and Stacie Plyler, 45,
both of Comer, are each
charged with exploitation
of an elderly person and
with theft by deception.
JOANNE BOLMON
WEAVER
The defrauding charges
came to light on May
30 when Comer Police
Chief Kyle Roberts met
with a Comer Health
STACIE
PLYLER
and Rehabilitation offi
cial about a 65-year old
patient who had been
denied Medicare benefits
after it was discovered that
approximately $16,500
had been taken from his
bank account on April 20.
The healthcare official
alerted the victim about
the matter and he told her
and Roberts that he was
placed in the rehab center
on April 20 after being
hospitalized at Piedmont
Athens Regional Medical
Center. He said while at
the hospital, he was shown
a Financial Power of
Attorney agreement that
he stated he did not sign,
but believed that his sister
(Weaver) and her daugh
ter (Plyler) are responsible
for “forged” paperwork
(signed on April 19) and
for taking the money from
his account.
The rehab official stat
ed she had contacted the
women and told them the
facility needed bank state
ments so that the victim
could continue to receive
Medicare benefits, but
they had yet to bring them.
Roberts then went to
Plyler's residence on
Arnold Park Drive to
question her. According
to the report, Plyler told
— See “Theft” on 2A