MainStreetNews

A mistrial was declared Thursday in the trial of former Arcade Mayor Joe Sikes after a jury deliberated for approximately 10 hours. Sikes was on trial on charges that he made terroristic threats against Arcade officials in 2005. After the hearing, prosecutor Ashley Wright of Augusta said she would retry the case. Presiding Judge John Ott of the ... [Full Story »] 

A student from East Jackson Comprehensive High School was killed and two other people, including another teen, were injured Tuesday afternoon when a truck hit a car broadside on Hwy. 129 in the South Jackson community of Redstone.

The wreck happened at the intersection of Hwy. 129 and New Kings Bridge Road around 4:20 p.m. The driver of the car — Kason Dubose, 17, Commerce — was pronounced dead at the scene.

The second teen — Brandon Garrett, 17 — and the driver of the truck — Kenneth Owens, 45, Comer — were transported to Athens Regional Medical Center. Garrett was said to be in "critical" condition while the truck driver had non-life threatening injuries.

Units from South Jackson Fire and Rescue, Jackson County EMS and the Jackson County Sheriff's Office responded to the scene. Hwy. 129 was closed on the southbound side for around 30 minutes.

BRASELTON WRECK
Also Tuesday afternoon, a Winder woman who taught school in Hall County was killed in a wreck on New Cut Road in Braselton.

The Georgia State Patrol said Maria Cabel, 54, was driving along New Cut Road when she crossed the centerline and tried over-correcting her Toyota Corolla.

Cabel later crossed over Hwy. 53 and drove into a ditch, where her vehicle was overturned, according to the state patrol.

Cabel was ejected from the passenger side window, troopers said. Reports from the scene said the vehicle landed on the driver and she was pulled from underneath by bystanders.

Cabel was taken by helicopter to Grady Memorial Hospital.

Hwy. 53 was closed temporarily during the accident.

The State Fire Marshall’s Office is investigating a fire that destroyed a home early Monday morning in Maysville. The double-wide mobile home owned by Tony Smith was totally destroyed in the blaze.

Smith was out of town at the time of the fire and no injuries were reported.

Units from the Maysville, Commerce and Jackson County Correctional Institute fire departments responded to the call at 844 West Freeman Street around 6:30 a.m.
Jackson County Emergency Services Director Steve Nichols said the house was fully involved when firefighters arrived on the scene.

Several of Smith’s neighbors reported hearing explosions at the time of the Monday morning blaze.

Smith and his home were in the news in August 2008 after he caught a man in the act of burglarizing his home. After three consecutive burglaries at his home, Smith was waiting for the burglar, who he “knew” was a neighbor.

James Welch, 28, West Freeman Street, allegedly jimmied the front door of Smith’s residence with a plastic card, entered the house where Smith confronted him with a pistol. Welch lives two doors down from Smith. Smith held Welch at gunpoint until police arrived.

The City of Winder government reorganized its government and laid-off 30 full-time employees Wednesday due to a financial condition that has “significantly worsened.” A press release issued Wednesday afternoon did not list the names or titles of the affected employees. However, the cuts apparently affect some supervisors, utility workers, ... [Full Story »]