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TUESDAY July 19, 2005 Volume 135, Number 397 Award-Winning Belter Newspaper Wi* jjfa/ Contest N^>a»gy Inside TODAY : hkL jag&sjf &&&&■?' Perry crowns its summer champs Friday night was the Night of Champions for Perry’s football players. All summer they’ve been giving up their time to work and prepare for the upcoming football season. Sports, page 9A Happy BIRTHDAY! Judy Golden Dr. Craig Patterson Lane Garrett Smith (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 Dorothy T. Connell Charles David Harrison Patricia Kennedy Litowitz Henry Claybon Taylor Obits, page 2A INDEX BUSINESS 6A CLASSIFIED 10A CLUB NEWS 5A COMICS 9A CROSSWORD ... .9A OBITUARIES 2A OPINION 4A POLICE BEAT ... .5A SCHOOL NEWS .. .8A TV LISTINGS 9A WEATHER 2A PERIODICAL 5 Georyte Newspaper Project Mam Library UNIV OF GEORGIA ATHENS GA 30602-0002 ALL FOR ADC 301 xxx xx. 2005 Serving Houston County Since 1870 :H mi stint Mimtelf (Hhe " LEGAL ORGAN FOR HOUSTON COUNTY , city of Perry, city of Warner Robins and city of Centerville Wilson, Bocephus to play at fair Country Gold Tour 2005 also to appear; fourth concert to be announced By TERESA D. SOUTHERN HHJ Staff Writer Each year the Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter hosts the Georgia National Fair, and entertains the local area with mid Attorney: Video poker scheme not client's fault WR firm that leased machines defends itself against DA’s civil lawsuit By MIKE GEORGE HHJ Staff Writer An Atlanta attorney who repre sents a Warner Robins company embroiled in a civil lawsuit with the state over video poker said Monday that his client is not responsible for how the company’s machines were used at a Perry convenience store. The Perry Police Department seized five gaming machines in an afternoon raid at the OM Food Mart on Sunset Avenue June 10. Attorney Mark Spix, who represents Greater Georgia Amusements LLC, wants the Houston Circuit District Attorney’s Office to return the five machines, saying that the company did not encourage the store’s owner, Prakash Patel, to use the machines to run an illegal gambling establish ment. By state law, video poker is illegal, but store owners and companies like Greater Georgia Amusements can avoid prosecution if they offer pay outs in merchandise or prize tickets, instead of cash. Police found SBO in two cash regis ters at the store, but found the majority of the money seized in the store in the machines and rolled in cash bags rolled under the counter. Houston Circuit Assistant District Attorney James Balli said detectives found SBOO hidden under the count er and the remainder of the money in the machines. The police also found five S2O Wal-Mart gift cards See POKER, page 5A mm HH.J Timothy Graham At Monday’s announcement of the new Chinook contract at Boeing Macon were, from left, Chair of the Bibb County Board of Commissioners Charles Bishop, Executive Director of the Macon-Bibb County Industrial Authority Kathy Bowden, Macon Economic Development Commission Senior Vice President Pat Topping, IWA Program Management Director Reed Morren, and Georgia Department of Economic Development Senior Project Manager Deborah Lohnes. www.hhjnews.com way rides and everything else a fall fair brings. The annual fair also brings con certs to Reaves Arena, which this year will include Gretchen Wilson at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8. Best of Show seats for the rising : ; $l ,/ -*<A ; <r Scottie Neal smiles about the winning bid she made for a two-piece Brighton luggage set donated by Barbara Shaheen. Museum raises over SI6OK 1,200 attend 20th annual auction, raffle to support museum foundation Article and photos by Teresa D. Southern Over $160,000 was raised Saturday night at the 20th annual Museum of Aviation Foundation Auction and Raffle, according to Bob Dubiel, vice president of communications and annual giving at the museum. This also included $30,000 in in-kind dona tions. Pat Bartness, president of the Museum of Aviation Foundation, said the annual event has grown in its two decades. What began as a small event at the Officers Club at Robins Air Force Base now attracts over 1,200 people each year, he said. ‘lt’s amazing,” Bartness said Saturday, looking at the crowd. June Lowe, executive vice president of the See MUSEUM, page 14A country star will be SSO, and blue ribbon seats will cost $35. On Thursday, Oct. 13, The Country Gold Tour 2005 will make a stop in Perry. The event is headlined by Leroy Van Dyke and the Auctioneers. Also >? j* m Elida Trawick models a white fox fur coat donated by Barnes House of Macon. Boeing secures Chinook contract Middle Georgia plant to build component for military helicopters By TIMOTHY GRAHAM HHJ Staff Writer Boeing Macon has received a contract to build the aft fuselage assembly for the Army’s workhorse heli copter, the Chinook CH-47. The new deal means that Boeing will be investing $2.6 million in the Macon plant. The project will lead to the retention of 11 jobs at the South Macon facility along with the creation of 20 new ones. Part of the deal involved a SIOO,OOO grant from the Georgia Department of ONE SECTION • 14 PAGES appearing will be Jim Ed Brown, Helen Cornelius, Bobby Bare, David Frizzell and Rex Allen Jr. Concerts for Friday, Oct. 14 and Saturday, Oct. 15 are listed as “to be announced.” See CONCERTS, page SA Economic Development (GDEcD) to the plant. The money will be used to pur chase equipment needed to manufacture the parts for the helicopter. The Macon site currently provides sub-assemblies for the C-17 Globemaster air plane and the Apache AH-64 helicopter, including flight control surfaces, doors, large and small skin panels and avionic surfaces. Reed Morren, director of IWA Program Management, said that work on the project See BOEING, page 5A an Evans Family Newspaper 50c iminii