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FRIDAY May 27, 2005 Volume 135, Number 359 Award-Winning Newspaper 2004 Better Newspaper Contest Inside TODAY * ~ • W&sf9£ 4 Ts '’’ ' m 8jR,..." Fingles views soccer Irom every angle WARNER ROBINS - It isn’t enough for Jennifer Fingles that she plays soccer, but the 14- year-old rising sophomore at Warner Robins also officiates the sport. Sports, page 11A Happy BIRTHDAY! Dan Bellamy Chuck Ramsdale John Kenneth Rich 111 (Trey) (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 DEATH Mattie Pearl Lowe Obit, page 2A INDEX CLASSIFIED 10A COMICS 8A CROSSWORD ... .8A FAMILY&FAITH . .14A HEALTH 9A OBITUARY 2A OPINION 4A SCHOOL NEWS .. ,7A SPORTS 11A TV LISTINGS 8A WEATHER 2A PERIODICAL iiiHiflimliiilliitMlillliiilliiill f illipif f 5* 3eo»G»a Protect Man Library JNIV OF GEORGIA ATHENS GA 306(32-0002 3-OfGfT 306 Serving Houston County Since 1870 (Line dlmmt&l LEGAL ORGAN FOR HOUSTON COUNTY, city of Perry, city of Warner Robins and city of Centerville Vision 2020 passes animal control proposal Measure headed to local governments for approval; includes provisions for variances By TIMOTHY GRAHAM HHJ Staff Writer WARNER ROBINS - The pro posed animal control ordinance was passed by Vision 2020 on Wednesday with more of a whimper than a bang. The issue, which has virtually held the committee hostage for the w * { top .'BflU * . i» Jjm 1 Mm to rSf m I \ Bk m / * o m . \ . *Wk ffm f * \ Jiiki to * fLgg ' Jml 1L itofc | Jto jfc. HHJ'Tereaa D. Southern (From left) Master Sgt Michael Stanton, Master Sgt. Kim Harper, and Master Sgt. Robert Tavalero stand at atten tion after receiving Bronze Star Medals for exceptionally meritorious service in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Three receive Bronze Star 78th Logistics Readiness Squadron members honored for support to Army By TERESA D. SOUTHERN HHJ Staff Writer ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE - Gen. Gregory S. Martin, commander of Headquarters Air Force Material Command presented Bronze Star medals to three members of the 78th Logistics Readiness Squadron. Gladue gets 10 years Collings must approve sentence before it becomes final By RAY UCHTNER HHJ Staff Writer MACON - As part of his plea agreement, defense and prosecution agreed Staff Sgt. Matthew Wray Gladue would get 10 years in prison - and that is what he received late Wednesday at the close of his court martial trial. In closing arguments, defense attorney Robert Bergman asked that Gladue receive a sentence of 2-3 years - possibly in a psychi atric hospital - with credit for time served. Bergman School system explains SPLOST need Administrators: Exploding growth creates demand for new schools, additions By TERESA D. SOUTHERN HHJ Staff Writer WARNER ROBINS - Houston County School Superintendent Danny Carpenter and staff want Houston County voters to know just how important the Sept. 20 referen dum for a Special Purpose Local www.hhjnews.com past six months, was taken care of in about two minutes, with no dis cussion allowed from the floor. “It is the feeling of everyone here that we have had the input we need from all sources and we need to go ahead and make a decision,” said Vision 2020 Chair (and Perry Mayor) Jim Worrall. Master Sgt. Michael S. Stanton, Master Sgt. Kim Harper and Master Sgt. Robert Tavalero - who were assigned to Detachment 1058, 732nd Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron - received the honor for exceptionally meritorious service in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. blamed Gladue’s 2-3 weeks in Iraq and subsequent post traumatic stress disorder for the “unfortunate series of events that occurred,” to which his client pleaded guilty. The “unfortunate series of events” included threaten ing his supervisors, bring a gun on base and while in jail on these charges, plotting to kill the witness in the first case, and hiring a hit man to do it. Bergman asked, “would he even have been given the opportunity to do that if he Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) will be. The board is asking for “a contin uation” of its current SPLOST, which will end in 2007. The pro posed SPLOST would begin in 2007 and last until 2012. Carpenter, along with Dave McMahan, director of facilities and County Commission Chair Ned Sanders agreed. “We have listened to all the con cerns expressed at all of the various meetings, and revisions have been made to address those issues.” The proposed ordinance was passed unanimously. The ordinance will now go to the “These men have distinguished themselves,” Martin said. “As airmen, they have gone beyond the duty of their jobs and were in harm’s way, but doing missions and tasks of the Army. They found themselves heavily engaged and doing it to assist another See STAR, page 3A was in a psychiatric hospi tal?” Bergman pointed to Gladue’s service record and the sanity board hearings, Bergman noted the diagno sis of post-traumatic stress disorder and recommenda tion for hospitalization. Defense witnesses includ ed Karen Gladue, mother of accused, who said her son had changed; and Darrell Jordan, a licensed social worker, who interviewed the accused for about three hours and diagnosed him See GLADUE, page 3A Stephen Thublin, assistant superin tendent of finance and business operations, stressed how much and how far the one-cent sales tax can take and has already taken educa tion facilities in the county. Carpenter said he is spreading the word by showing the community nSs, jiAi' ‘ ■ aJ* i £ ll ' " r * t % ... ~ ' l •"' * '‘■•of I Hi HHJ;Ray Lightner Maj. LaChandra Richardson explains what happens next in the Gladue trial following his court martial Wednesday at the U.S. Courthouse in Macon. Richardson is legal counsel to Warner Robins Air Logistics Command. an Evans Family Newspaper 50 c ONE SECTION • 16 PAGES Houston County Board of Commissioners and the city councils of Perry, Centerville and Warner Robins for approval. The proposed ordinance still con tains the limit of three cats and three dogs, which has angered so many pet lovers. See CONTROL, page 3A Church building to be razed Contractor to demolish Central Baptist By TIMOTHY GRAHAM HHJ Staff Writer WARNER ROBINS - The Hospital Authority of Houston County approved a bid to demolish the Central Baptist Church building adjacent to the Houston Medical Center on Watson Boulevard. In Wednesday’s meeting, the authority awarded the demolition bid to National Environmental Audit Services Inc. of Atlanta, which submitted a low bid of $248,027 to do the job. The companies bidding for the job had to have experience in the removal of hazardous materials since traces of asbestos were discovered in the church building. Houston Medical Center Administrator Art Christie See CHURCH, page 5A data that predicts tremendous growth in the county. Such growth creates the need for new school facil ities, and the renovation of existing ones. The Houston County School sys tem needs two new elementary See BOE, page 5A