Houston Times-Journal
Volume 124 No. 34
Elko man charged with child molestation
By BRIGETTE LOUDERMILK
Editor
An Elko resident is being held in
the Perry jail without bond after be
ing charged with aggravated sodomy
and four counts of child molestation
Saturday, April 23.
According to Perry Police Captain
Steve Heaton, witnesses have stated
that William Foy, 49, of 2624
Elko Road forced a three year old
2 Sections, 16 Pages
Inside
Today
Calendar 5A
Classifieds 8A
Editorials 4A
Legal Ads 3B
Lifestyles IB
Sports 7A
Qualifying for
county elections
well under way
BY BRENDA THOMPSON
Staff Writer
Although qualifying is well un
der way, final results of who’s run
ning for five county offices won’t
be available until Friday afternoon
when the qualifying session offi
cially ends.
Both the Democratic and Repub
lican parties are expected to post re
sults at the Houston County
Courthouse about an hour after the
noon-time deadline.
County races which began seek
ing qualifiers Monday at 9 a.m. in
clude:
•Houston County Commission,
Post 1: This is the full-time posi
tion of county commission chair
man.
As of late Tuesday afternoon,
incumbent Sherrill Stafford was the
only one to have qualified on the
Democratic ticket
Information from the county’s
Republican Party committee on
this or any of the open county
Please see QUALIFYING, page 5A
Post office and
other fed offices
will close today
BY BRENDA THOMPSON
Staff Writer
By order of U.S. President Bill
Clinton, all federal offices—
including that of the United States
Post Office—will be closed
Wednesday, April 27, as people
throughout the country mourn the
death of former President Richard
,M. Nixon.
Nixon, the country’s 37th
president, died last Friday, April 22,
the victim of a massive stroke.
His body was flown to Califor
nia earlier this week on a presiden
tial jet and was to lie in state at the
Nixon Library and Birthplace in
Yorba Linda, Calif, for the public
to view during a 20 hour period
starting at 3 p.m. PDT Tuesday.
A private funeral service is
scheduled for sometime Wednesday
afternoon with burial following at a
site near the house where he was
bom. He will be buried next to his
wife of 53 years, Pat. The Rev.
Billy Graham is to officiate.
Local city, county and state gov
ernmental offices will remain open
on Wednesday and federal offices
will resume normal operating hours
on Thursday.
Page 3B
female to "commit sodomy". Three
other young girls, the oldest being
eight years old, witnessed the act
and one told her mother.
The alleged molestation occurred
at an Elkin Street residence between
4:30-4:55 p.m. According to
Heaton, the girls were playing out
doors when Foy, who visits the
area often, approached the girls and
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The Pink Ladles, a volunteer group that provides services section at the celebration. Five were honored for 25 years
to the patients of the hospital, were seated In a reserved of service at the hospital.
Perry Hospital enjoys a
'Happy Birthday!' with
community celebration
By PAULINE LEWIS
Staff Writer
The atmosphere around Perry
Hospital Saturday, April 23, was
one of excitement-music, food
and drinks, bright-colored
balloons, tents, decorations and
music-all lent a festive air.
The Pink Ladies sat in reserved
seats; five of them, Pat Hutson,
Lorraine Funk, Nancy Golder,
Pansy Gordon and Nina Harper
had served 25 years.
Four employees who had also
served 25 years were recognized:
Susie Hickey, Eloise Mathis,
Wilma Newberry and Barbara
Tyson.
Hospital Administrator Jim Peak
served as master of ceremonies,
welcomed everyone and introduced
the first patient, Mary Jo
Offenberg, and her son, Warren
Offenberg. the first baby bom in
the new hospital.
Hal Cotton, Chairman of the
Hospital Authority, said that the
work done for and by the Hospital
staff required "eye care, ears care,
heart care, wisdom, courage and
help from all to make the
hospital to be the best each and
every day." As Chairman, he
believes the authority must be
good stewards. He paid tribute to
the first physicians on staff, Drs.
Gallemore, Hendrick and Amall.
He said that public money ought
to be touched. He quoted Lillian
Gish as saying, "What you get is
a living - what you give is a life."
Official Organ For Houston County, City of Perry & State of Georgia
"...although Heaton could not guess what
sentence a judge would hand down in the case,
he said "We'll do everything we can to make
sure he gets the maximum sentence."
then committed the crimes.
Although there is only one count
of aggravated sodomy "that we
Celebrating 25 years//
He concluded by wishing that the
next 25 years would be as produc
tive as the past 25 years.
Dr. Larry Dan Stewart,
Chairman of the Medical Staff,
named the group of doctors that
serve Perry Hospital and said, "I
am proud to be a member of the
Board and Staff. I came to Perry
eight years ago and am proud to
be a part of this community."
Mayor Jim Worrall told how it
used to be before Perry had a
hospital. People would look in
The Macon Telegraph or The
Macon News to see which
Perryans were in hospitals.
"Now, we have pre-natal,
nutrition, health fairs, the latest in
diagnostic equipment and the
finest physical therapy department
in the state."
As mayor, he welcomed each
person, and thanked "Jim Peak,
Pink Ladies, Staff, Hospital
Authority, doctors and those with
the dream and who saw it
through."
Archie Thompson, Chairman of
the Houston County Board of
Commissioners, extended thanks
to all and mentioned the efforts by
the board, and their role in
appointing authority members,
providing indigent care,
ambulance service, E9ll
Communications Center and back
ing bonds. He too, thanked the
staff, Pink Ladies and physicians,
saying, "it is comforting to know
Sports
Page 7A
Wednesday, April 27, 1994
- - -
know of so far" Heaton said, due to
the fact that the witnesses were all
juveniles, Foy has been charged
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Hospital Authority Chairman and Parry raaldant Hal Cotton
was ona of tha many apaakars who applaudad tha dadlcatad
staff of Parry Hospital.
that we have a capable staff, espe
cially when you have small chil
dren."
Rep. Larry Walker gave the fa
mous quote from Churchill’s
1940 speech to the House of
Commons - "Never in history has
so much been owed by so many
with four counts of child molesta
tion.
Heaton said that since the perpe
trator is someone other than a fam
ily member and is an adult, the lo
cal police department is the lead
agency handling the case although
juvenile and family services offi
cials have also been contacted.
As far as legal punishment,
although Heaton could not guess
to so few."
Walker continued by mentioning
Marion Brown as one of the early
supporters for the hospital and
said the hospital was a good
economic investment for this city.
He continued, "Few persisted in
see CELEBRATION, page 5A
Classified
Page 8A
what sentence a judge would hand
down in the case, he said "We’ll do
everything we can to make sure he
gets the maximum sentence."
On the count of aggravated
sodomy, Foy could be facing a life
sentence, and must serve no less
than one year in prison and could
serve up to 20 years.
On the four counts of child mo-
Please see CHARGED, page 2A
School site
selections
questioned
By BRIGETTE LOUDERMILK
Editor
Continuing their efforts to per
suade the county school board to
build a new middle school south of
Highway 96, a group of concerned
citizens have added two allies to
their side-an attorney from Macon
and (the majority of) Perry City
Council.
According to a member of the
group, Macon attorney Hale
Almand met with leaders of the
concerned group Monday, April 25.
From that meeting new develop
ments have reportedly "come to
light”. A press conference is ex
pected,to be called sometime later
this week to inform the public of
these new developments in the
group's case.
Also adding to their support.
Mayor James E. Worrall and five
Peny City Council members signed
a resolution on April 12 which
supports the "actions of the
group...who are demanding infor
mation in order to evaluate a deci
sion" of the school board.
Council further stated in the reso
lution that the school board should
"set aside its approval of the sites
selected" for two new middle
schools in the north end of the
county and to "conduct a valid, ob
jective site selection process which
focuses on the needs of all middle
school students in Houston County
and provides serious consideration
to appropriate sites located south of
the SR 96 area."
Councilmen signing the procla
mation were Mayor Pro-Tern
Charles Lewis, Ralph Gentry,
Bobby Glover, Buddy Roper and
James Moore.
Councilman Hervia Ingram stated
this week that he did not "mean
anything against the council per
sonally” but that he refused to sign
the resolution because he feels both
political bodies should work to
gether to solve the problem.
"We should be building bridges
together-through communication
by solving the problem together.
"We should not bum bridges (with
the school board) by acting in an
abrasive manner," Ingram said,
adding that he wants to continue the
, good working relationship that cur
rently exists between Perry City
Council and the Houston County
Board of Education.
Mayor Worrall said he felt the
council was supporting the efforts
of the citizen group but not neces
sarily the means.
"We’re not supporting a confronta
tion," he said. "We felt obligated to
support the citizens of this com
munity, citizens who live in Peny
who feel a new middle school is
needed here."
Worrall also said council under
stands the new school sites would
alleviate some of the over crowding
at Perry Middle School but that
building a school closer to Perry
would be a wiser decision.
Worrall said he personally feels
that schools should be built in
communities where services-such
as police, fire and health-are readily
available.
