Newspaper Page Text
SUNDAY
November 14, 2004
Volume 135, Number 224
Award-Winning
Newspaper
2004
Better Newspaper
Contest
Inside TODAY
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Toy soldiers
for the season
Perry Pilot Club is sell
ing clay pot soldiers made
from terracotta pots, and
painted with weather
proof acrylics.
Lifestyle, 1C
Happy BIRTHDAY!
Julie Harrell
Nov. 14
Alaine Farmer
Nov. 15
Pat Buice
Ruby Garland
Brandi Hodges
Melanie Lowery
Heather Moore
Ryan Mullins
Debbie Taylor
(Surprise your friends! Let us
know when their birthday or
anniversary is, and we'll put their
names in the paper that day. Just
send the name and date at least
a week in advance, and we’ll do
the rest. E-mail to
hhj@evansnewspapers.com, or
mail them to us at the address
inside. No phone calls, please.
Many happy returns!)
Area DEATHS
Constance “Connie” H.
Crumley
Haley Marie Grubbs
Sara Dyer Garrett Halley
Bessie Mae Johnson
Charlie Nobles Jr.
Maxine Smith
James William Thomas Sr.
Obits, page 5A
INDEX
CLASSIFIED 1D
CELEBRATIONS . .2C,
COMICS 6C
CROSSWORD 6C
LIFESTYLE 1C
OBITUARIES 5A
OPINION 4A
POLICE BEAT 6A
SCHOOL MENUS . .5B
SCHOOL NEWS . .9A,
7C
SPORTS 1B
TV LISTINGS 6C
WEATHER 2A
PERIODICAL
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Serving Houston County Since 1870
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city of Perry, city of Warner Robins and city of Centerville
The end of an era approaches
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A Houston hero
Perdue honors
sheriff’s deputy
for heroism
By RAY UGHTNER
HHJ Staff Writer
FORSYTH Houston County
Sheriffs Cpl. Eric Barnett was one of
14 public safety professionals from
across Georgia honored Friday for
their acts of heroism and outstanding
contributions to their profession.
Barnett was honored for an April 26
shootout after a police chase. After a
Perry police officer had been shot,
Barnett returned fire on the suspects,
wounding some and keeping them at
bay until their ammunition was
exhausted.
The close-range exchange of gunfire
was across and under the suspect’s
pickup, with Barnett reloading
behind a phone pole and continuing
to fire.
Thanks to his selfless acts of hero
ism, Gov. Sonny Perdue said, the four
were arrested and no civilians were
injured.
Perdue cited the state Constitution,
Article 1, Section 1: “’Protection to
person and property is the paramount
duty of government.’ The people here
today do just that. We are truly in
good hands.”
Perdue said the award is to honor
those who protect the public every
See HERO, page 3A
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KRISTINA SIMMS
LARRY WALKER
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Houston County Sheriff’s Cpl. Eric Barnett was presented the Governor’s
Public Safety Award for Acts of Heroism by Gov. Sonny Perdue on Friday,
at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center in Forsyth.
Can she do it?
Perry woman aims to throw football and win big money
By TERESA D. SOUTHERN
HHJ Staff Writer
PERRY - “Something amaz
ing just happened,” Kristina
Simms started off an e-mail to
her friends.
The amazing something she
was referring to was the win
ning of tickets to the Georgia vs.
Georgia Tech game - and the
chance to win $25,000.
This was part of a contest at
Kroger stores that Simms had
no idea she entered.
Using her Kroger shopping
card, which offers discounts for
purchased grocery items, she
made a single purchase of a
pack of batteries for her digital
camera and was automatically
entered into the contest.
Veteran lawmaker Larry Walker looks
back on three decades of public service
Editor’s note: This is the first part of a two
part series about the life and times of Rep.
Larry Walker.
By ED BANIA
HHJ Staff Writer
WARNER ROBINS - State and local gov
ernment officials say the Georgia legislature
will never be the same after Jan. 10.
Rep. Larry Walker (D-Perry) is retiring,
and officially leaves the House that day.
“I watched him articulate the needs of
Middle Georgia and the state, not just
Houston County,” said Gov. Sonny Perdue.
“Not just Houston, but Bibb, Macon,
Pulaski and other counties.”
Perdue said other legislators sought
Walker out for his counsel, because he could
read legislation and had wisdom.
“That enabled him to understand what
benefits people,” Perdue said.
“Larry is a person who kept a balance
between rural Georgia and Atlanta,” said
Rep. Dußose Porter, Speaker Pro Tempore
(D-Dublin).
Porter said Walker was able to walk across
party lines.
At the Nov. 27 Georgia vs.
Georgia Tech game, Simms
must throw a football through a
hole in a target 10 yards away.
The hole is just two feet in
diameter and three feet off the
ground.
“If I do hit the target, I win
25,000, and if I can’t I’ll win a
SSOO consolation prize,” Simms
said.
Simms has purchased a foot
ball with the hope of learning
how to throw the pigskin in the
winning spot Thanksgiving
weekend.
Simms will begin her workout
with her cousin, a former foot
ball player, this weekend.
“I haven’t thrown a football,
ever, I haven’t attended many
FOUR SECTIONS • 30 PAGES
“He knew it was important to have equal
growth throughout the state,” the fellow
Democrat said.
Dist. 26 Sen. Robert Brown (D-Macon)
said Walker had a vision for the state.
“He will certainly be missed as a legisla
tor,” Brown said. “There will be a void for
Middle Georgia.”
Sen. George Hooks (D-Americus) echoed
Brown’s statement. He said Walker’s depar
ture would be a great loss to the state.
“We have a very big void,” Hooks said.
Houston County Commissioner Tom
McMichael said Walker is a typical example
of a public servant, putting the county and
state above his personal feelings.
“I think we will realize the value that
Larry has meant to the county after he
leaves,” McMichael said.
Rep. Robert Ray (D-Fort Valley) said
Walker had input in everything that went
on in the state legislature during his
decades of service.
“Larry will be missed, although he proba
bly would not like to be here at this time
with all the changes,” Ray said. “It will be
See WALKER, page 8A
Changes
coming
toGNIft
Fairgrounds
to have two
new entrances
By TERESA D. SOUTHERN
HHJ Staff Writer
PERRY - Plans are under
way for the 16th Georgia
National Fair to be even bet
ter than this year’s.
Cunningham and
Company of Macon present
ed plans to the Georgia
Agricultural Exposition
Authority for drainage and
roadway expansion for the
Georgia National
Fairgrounds and Agricenter,
during a recent meeting of
the authority.
The authority approved
about SBO,OOO in construc
tion to relieve congestion at
the fairgrounds.
The roadway expansion is
to provide improved traffic
flow by establishing two
additional entrances into
the fairgrounds.
See FAIRGROUNDS, page 3A
football games and I don’t
understand it, but I’m a good
sport,” she said.
Simms will be accompanied
by her son-in-law and her two
grandchildren ages 6 and 8, to
the game in Athens.
A retired educator, Simms is a
volunteer with the Houston
County Democratic Party and
NAMI (National Alliance for
the Mentally 111). She also
writes poetry, and last year pub
lished a book, “A Year At The
Lake.”
Simms said if she wins the
grand prize she would make a
nice donation to NAMI, which is
trying to purchase a van, and
pay off some personal debts.
See SIMMS, page 3A
an Evans Family Newspaper
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