Newspaper Page Text
WEDNESDAY
July 21, 2004
Volume 135, Number 143
Award-Winning
Newspaper
2004
Better Newspaper
Contest
Inside TODAY
Brannen eyes
Nextel Cup Series
Walt Brannen is put
ting his best “feet” for
ward. One he’s using to
press the gas pedal en
route to Victory Lane.
The other is currently
lodged like an anvil in the
door to the Nextel Cup
Series.
Sports, page 1B
Train station headed
to WR's First Street
Warner Robins will
move an old, tum-of-the
century train station and
a mid-1800s country store
to First Street and
Watson Boulevard next to
the Convention and
Visitors Center caboose.
See page 7A
Happy BIRTHDAY!
Scott Brown
Homer N. Childs
Betty Dawkins
Billy Franklin
Marcus Anthony Privette
James M. (Jim) Rosser
Ned Sanders
Maxine Stephens
Sandra Tolleson
Area DEATHS
Teena Sandefur Davis
Bill Hunter Etheridge
Rex B. Ivie
Obits, page 24
INDEX
CLASSIFIED 5B
COMICS 4B
CROSSWORD ... .4B
LIFESTYLE 8A
OBITUARIES 2A
OPINION 4A
SCHOOL NEWS .. .5A
TV LISTINGS 4B
WEATHER 2A
PERIODICAL
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LEGAL ORGAN FOR HOUSTON COUNTY \
city of Perry, city of Warner Robins and city of Centerville
McMichael, Hill, Galpin lead
Kushinka, Kluge likely face run-off for tax commissioner
From staff reports
PERRY - With 22 of 30 precincts
reporting at press time Tuesday
night, it was clear how some of the
races would shape up across the
county after a day of primary and
Peppy
makes
chief
choice
City to offer
fire chief job to
Waycross man
By Jon Suggs
HHJ Staff Writer
PERRY - The City
Council members made
their choice Tuesday night
for the chief they hope will
lead the Perry Fire
Department into the future.
Following a brief execu
tive session affeenwe regular
meeting, the council voted
to offer the position to
Freddy Howell, who is
presently interim fire chief
in Waycross.
Financial terms were not
disclosed in the offer. City
Manager Lee Gilmour said
the chiefs salary would be
negotiated
if Howell
accepts the
job.
The
search for a
new chief
began
when, at its
May 4 meet
ing, the
council
HOWELL
accepted the resignation of
Gary Hamlin, who had
served in the post since
1980.
The council outlined its
criteria, saying the city
needs a “visionary” chief
who can lead the depart
ment as it expands to pro
tect a rapidly growing city.
Emphasis was placed on
finding a leader with a
strong training background
and experience in a growing
department.
The city received 18
See HOWELL, page 3A
—
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ma
HHJ/Jon Suggs
Perry Police Chief George Potter (left) shakes Sgt Chris Sutcliff’s
hand Tuesday night after presenting him with the police depart
ment's Purple Heart award.
www.hhjnews.com
non-partisan voting.
In Houston County races, incum
bent Tom McMichael was enjoying a
landslide in the race for Houston
County Board of Commissioners,
with 4,158 votes or 75.4 percent of
' TVMi
o% : Jpj
HHJ/Rex Gambill
Capt. Ricky Harlowe (right) watches as Haylee Wilson (left) gets started on her new emergency dispatching con
sole.
800-meg system goes online
Emergency dispatchers
move into stated
the-art control room
By Rex Gambill
HHJ Managing Editor
WARNER ROBINS - Houston
County threw the proverbial switch
Tuesday morning on its 800-megahertz
emergency communications system, as
911 dispatchers settled into their new
consoles.
“This communications system is
going to be vastly improved,” said
Sheriff Cullen Talton as the system
was going online. “This is going to
eliminate all our problems.”
Talton watched Tuesday as represen
tatives from Motorola, Bell South, Plant
Equipment and others worked to ease
the transition from the old system to
the new. The dispatchers themselves
were lugging computers and other
office equipment from the old part of
the building to the new room.
Also watching calmly was Mike
McGannon, a wireless systems manag
er for Engineering Associates Inc., a
firm that has been working in a con
sulting capacity for the county on this
See SYSTEM, page 3A
the vote, against challenger Karen
Mertens, who had 1,358 votes or
24.6 percent.
Charles M. “Toby” Hill seemed
assured of election to Houston
County Board of Education Post 7,
HHJ/Rex Gambill
James Adams and Mikki Folds get one of the new consoles started
Tuesday at the Emergency Communications Center.
Sutcliff awarded
Purple Heart
Three other Perry lawmen honored for actions
By Jon Suggs
HHJ Staff Writer
PERRY - As the City Council’s regu
lar meeting opened Tuesday evening,
the lawmakers yielded the floor to
Police Chief George Potter, who was
present to honor the finest of Perry’s
finest.
Before a room packed with family,
friends and coworkers of the honored
officers, Potter presented the city’s
Purple Heart award to Sgt. Chris
TWO SECTIONS • 16 PAGES
Houston votes by the
numbers, page 6A
with 5,254 votes (68.5 percentO to
Burl Jimmerson’s 2,402 (31.3 per
cent).
See ELECTION, page 6 A
Sutcliff, who was shot in the line of duty
following a high-speed car chase April
26.
Sutcliff, who returned to light duty
last week, is only the second officer in
the department’s history to receive the
award.
Potter also honored Detective Brian
Emmons, Cpl. Jack Johnson and Cpl.
Neal Wyatt.
Each received the department’s
See PERRY, page 10A
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