Newspaper Page Text
WEEKEND
April 29, 200$
VOLUME 136, NUMBER 84
OUR
FRONT
PORCH
INSIDE
Sports out in force
■ You want sports? We've got
sports! There's Houston County girls
state playoff soccer, Warner Robins
girls and boys soccer and Northside
girls playoff soccer.
There’s Demons, Eagles and
Bears baseball and there’s some
state tournament tennis. Add in some
Region 3-AAAA track and field, some
horseshoe tournament winners and
of course pics of the little ones at
play and you've got the complete
package.
- Page 1B
Summertime, summertime
■ Try out
these cool
summer
time salads:
Caesar
Shrimp and
Picnic Pasta
- among
others.
- Page 5B
S 8
& , w
Sanders, Tawse, Gann and
Tolleson breeze back in
■ Houston County Commission
Chairman Ned Sanders will not be
challenged in his bid for another
term.
Also unopposed in both the pri
mary and general election contest
are Carolyn “Sissy" Gann, clerk of
the state court. Get the full rundown
inside.
- Page 3A
IN BRIEF
Perdue to kick off campaign
■ The barbecue kick-off campaign
of Gov. Sonny Perdue will be held
at 519 Landings Drive in Warner
Robins May 6 from 5-7 p.m.
The cost is $lO, with children
admitted free. RSVP to (770) 220-
0210 or e-mail at rsvp@newga.com.
BIRTHDAYS
Saturday
■ Kate Stripling
Kevin Long
Sunday
■ Kelly Stephens
■ Charlie Barber
■ Bobbie Newton
■ Ray Garcia
Monday
Ed Doerr
Estelle Hunt
Kaden Vilay Vong
Having a birthday or anniversa
ry? Call Charlotte Perkins at 987-
1823, ext. 234, or e-mail her at
cperkins<§>evansnewspapers. com.
DEATHS
■ None reported
INDEX
LOCAL 2 A
WEATHER 3 A
OPINION 4 A
FOOD 5 B
SPORTS 1 B
COMICS 4 B
CLASSIFIEDS .... 6 B
PERIODICAL
Award-Winning
Newspaper
2004
Better Newspaper
Contest
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LEGAL ORGAN FOR HOUSTON COUNTY,
city of Perry, city of Warner Robins and city of Centerville
Drug dealer gets 10 years for trafficking
By RAY LIGHTNER
HHJ Staff Writer
Corey Hopper, 27, of 139
Edna Place, Warner Robins,
pleaded guilty Thursday in
Houston Superior Court to
one count of trafficking in
more than 28 grams of meth
amphetamine and one count
of possession of marijuana
with intent to distribute.
Hopper was sentenced
to 25 years and ordered to
serve 10 of those years in
prison by Houston Superior
Court Chief Judge George E
Nunn, Jr.
‘Crossing Delancey’
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ENI/Gary Harmon
The Warner Robins Little Theatre began performing the romantic comedy “Crossing Delancey” Friday and will
continue through May 7. Tickets are sl2 for adults or $8 for seniors (Sunday only), as well as $8 for students.
Pictured: Leslie Morales, right, as “Izzy” and Dawn Bonser as “Bubbie” (the grandmother) talk about life during a
dress rehearsal Wednesday. For reservations, call 929-4579.
Slappy joes
State trooper shares joy of cooking
By MIKE GEORGE
HHJ Staff Writer
Although reports are
unconfirmed, Georgia State
Trooper Elbert Slappy
serves up the best barbe
cued chicken in Middle
Georgia.
At least that’s the opinion
shared by troopers at Post
15 in Perry.
Senior Trooper Slappy,
44, is gearing up for the
post’s open house and bar
becue fund-raiser May 6.
Troopers are hoping to raise
money for cancer research
through Relay for Life, the
American Cancer Society’s
annual fundraising drive.
Slappy said he lost an older
sister to cancer in 1999, and
knows firsthand how the
disease can scar a family.
“She* kept fighting for
eight years,” he said. “It
really took something out of
my parents.”
Slappy is planning to
grill more than 450 pieces
of chicken that morning,
and plans to start cooking
by 6 a.m. Around the post,
he’s known for his secret
seasoning, a special blend
he developed after years of
experimenting in the kitch
en.
“I just enjoy grilling out,”
Slappy said. “I’ve grilled
www.hhjnews.com
In addi
tion to the
prison time,
Hopper was
ordered
to pay a
$200,000
fine plus
num e r -
ous addi
tional fees,
bringing
jJUUUU
HOPPER
the total fines and fees to
approximately $400,000,
said George H. Hartwig 111,
Senior Assistant District
Attorney. Trafficking
a weekly series by
Mike George
here at the post, and people
just really enjoyed the sea
soning.
“It’s the type of thing
you develop over time, but
you have to be willing to
try new things, experiment
with flavors.”
The chicken itself has
been donated by Perdue
Farms, and Slappy said that
donations have made the
fund-raiser a reality.
“I don’t think this would
be possible if we didn’t have
a lot of help,” he said.
Slappy’s love of cooking
has grown over the years,
but the trooper actually
enjoys his wife’s recipes
more than his own.
“With cooking, you have
to take your time,” Slappy
said. “You want to give
yourself enough time to
experiment, and at the very
least, you don’t want to end
up overcooking or under
cooking your food.”
J
Shown is the 329 grams of crystal methamphetamine and
approximately a pound and a half of marijuana, which
were found during a July 28, 2005, raid of 139 Edna Place
in Warner Robins.
Methamphetamine over 28
grams carries a mandatory
minimum sentence of 10
HHJ/Mike George
Georgia State Trooper Elbert Slappy has worked at Post
15 in Perry for roughly 14 years, but he’s grown famous
among state troopers for his recipes. He’ll be barbecu
ing more than 450 pieces of chicken May 6 for a fund
raiser benefiting cancer research.
A life in law enforcement
Slappy has patrolled
Georgia’s highways for 15
years, and has spent 14
years of his career in Perry.
Houston County Sheriffs Office
years in prison and a man
datory $ 200,000 fine.
Hartwig said Hopper,
Born in Cochran and
raised in Jeffersonville,
Slappy grew up dream
ing of a career in law
See TROOPER, page 8A
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TWO SECTIONS • 16 PAGES
who had no prior felony
convictions, had approxi
mately 329 grams of crys
tal methamphetamine and
approximately a pound and
a half of marijuana in his
residence when Houston
County Sheriffs deputies
executed a search warrant
at 139 Edna Place, Warner
Robins, on July 28, 2005,
and found the large quan
tities of crystal metham
phetamine and marijuana
inside.
“Hopper was a major
See DEALER, page 8A
Meson hopes
re-electioi Is
just Icing on
the coke
By MIKE GEORGE
HHJ Staff Writer
Surrounded by family,
friends, and political allies,
Sen. Ross Tolleson, R-Perry,
killed two birds with one
stone Thursday night, cel
ebrating his 50th birthday
and launching his bid for
re-election.
Organizers say a crowd
of roughly 300 supporters
gathered inside the Miller-
Murphy-Howard Building
at the Georgia National
Fairgrounds & Agricenter
in Perry for a $25 a plate
barbecue fund-raiser for the
senator’s upcoming re-elec
tion campaign.
But Tolleson, who turned
50 this Wednesday, faced no
opposition in his bid for re
election to the District 20
Senate seat by press time
Friday. Tolleson was first
elected in 2002 to fill the seat
vacated by Sonny Perdue in
his bid for governor.
Rep. Larry O’Neal, R-
Warner Robins, and Sen.
Brian Kemp, R-Athens,
both took time to joke with
Tolleson over his age, but
quickly moved to show their
support for his re-election.
“He works early and stays
late,” Kemp said. “But every
time he gets back in, he
checks in with his family.”
Kemp has launched his
own bid to unseat Georgia
Commissioner of Agriculture
Tommy Irwin.
After unveiling a number
of gag gifts, O’Neal said that
encouraging Tolleson to run
for office was one of the
proudest accomplishments
of his life. The two legisla
tors have become fast friends
in their time together at the
statehouse, and lived togeth
er in Atlanta during one leg
islative session.
After taking the stage,
Tolleson commented on
the career of outgoing Rep.
Robert Ray, D-Fort Valley,
who is stepping down after a
decades-long career in state
politics. Tolleson called Ray
a mentor and a “tireless”
campaigner.
Tolleson went on to rec
ognize his parents for
their role in building his
See ICING, page 8A
'He works early
and stays late. But
every time he gets
back in, he checks
in with his family/
- Sen. Brian Kemp, on Sen. Ross
Tolleson