Top Stories - Topics from February, 2009
Mistrial declared in Sikes trial; case to be retried March 23
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 ...
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Wreck kills EJCHS student on Hwy. 129 in Redstone
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 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.
Maysville home destroyed in fire
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.
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.
Fire heavily damages Lanier Pallet
Thousands of pallets burned up and a storage shed was destroyed Wednesday afternoon in a fire at Lanier Pallet Recycling, located on Hwy. 334 just south of Commerce. The cause of the blaze was not immediately known, but a spark from the business' incinerator is considered likely, a company spokesperson said. Strong winds quickly spread the fire ...
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Yearwood, Garrison defend departed leaders
It was a tense week politically in Barrow County over the last seven days. The county's top administrator resigned on Monday, then the City of Winder announced the layoff of 30 employees due to the impact of the economy on city revenues, then the county's second-ranked administrator resigned on Thursday. By Friday, county leaders were ...
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Winder lays off 30, reshuffles government
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, ...
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New Jackson jail opening delayed
The opening of the new Jackson County Jail will be delayed until next year in an effort to save money. The jail had been slated to open this summer, but that has been moved back to early 2010. Postponing the opening of the jail until next year will mean a $663,400 savings in personnel costs. The county had planned to hire 57 additional staff ...
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Schools could serve breakfast in classrooms
Milk and muffins in the classroom every morning? That’s a possibility under one proposal being considered by the Jackson County School System for the 2009-2010 school year. The district is looking at ways to revamp its transportation system — and one of its goals during the process is to find a way to add more instructional time to the ...
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Fire heavily damages Lanier Pallet
Thousands of pallets burned up and a storage shed was destroyed Wednesday afternoon in a fire at Lanier Pallet Recycling, located on Hwy. 334 just south of Commerce.
The cause of the blaze was not immediately known, but a spark from the business' incinerator is considered likely, a company spokesperson said. Strong winds quickly spread the fire across the company's lot.
Fire departments from all over the county responded, with tanker trucks shuttling between the fire and fire hydrants — and to a pond at Huber Engineered Woods — to bring water to the scene.
"We lost 25,000 pallets, two buildings, a tractor, a trailer, several pieces of equipment, but no lives," commented Michelle Lewis, who with her husband owns the business, which employs 17. She said local fire personnel "did an excellent job" in bringing the fire under control and limiting damage.
The Department of Transportation closed Hwy. 334 and detoured traffic around the scene.
"Units from all fire departments in Jackson Count, Jackson County Rescue, Jackson County EMS, Banks County Fire and Madison County Fire responded," wrote Steve Nichols, director of the county's Department of Emergency Services, in a memo to county manager Darrell Hampton. "Approximately 30 units responded with approximately 100 persons on the scene for assistance."
The fire started at about 12:15 and was brought under control at about 4 p.m., according to Nichols. The blaze rekindled early Thursday morning and fire crews were sent back. The flare-up damaged the back of one of the two remaining buildings, Mrs. Lewis said.
The fire also knocked out power for some 363 Jackson EMC customers. Crews worked into the night to restore power.
The cause of the blaze was not immediately known, but a spark from the business' incinerator is considered likely, a company spokesperson said. Strong winds quickly spread the fire across the company's lot.
Fire departments from all over the county responded, with tanker trucks shuttling between the fire and fire hydrants — and to a pond at Huber Engineered Woods — to bring water to the scene.
"We lost 25,000 pallets, two buildings, a tractor, a trailer, several pieces of equipment, but no lives," commented Michelle Lewis, who with her husband owns the business, which employs 17. She said local fire personnel "did an excellent job" in bringing the fire under control and limiting damage.
The Department of Transportation closed Hwy. 334 and detoured traffic around the scene.
"Units from all fire departments in Jackson Count, Jackson County Rescue, Jackson County EMS, Banks County Fire and Madison County Fire responded," wrote Steve Nichols, director of the county's Department of Emergency Services, in a memo to county manager Darrell Hampton. "Approximately 30 units responded with approximately 100 persons on the scene for assistance."
The fire started at about 12:15 and was brought under control at about 4 p.m., according to Nichols. The blaze rekindled early Thursday morning and fire crews were sent back. The flare-up damaged the back of one of the two remaining buildings, Mrs. Lewis said.
The fire also knocked out power for some 363 Jackson EMC customers. Crews worked into the night to restore power.
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