SHEILA A. MATHEWS :::

The GRIP has confirmed that personnel of the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office and Spalding County Coroner Sonny Foster are on the scene of the drowning of a four-year-old child.

Responding to a phone call seeking information, SCSO Capt. Dwayne Jones stated, “Investigators are on the scene of a drowning involving a child in the 2300 block of Birdie Road.”

Before being located deceased, the young child had been reported missing to Spalding E911. The body was located subsequent to a search for their whereabouts.

The GRIP will continue to follow this breaking news and report additional information as it becomes available.

Daniel George, a former employee of Championship Martial Arts, has been arrested by the Griffin Police Department and charged with child molestation and enticing a child for indecent purposes. Booking photo courtesy of the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office

SHEILA A. MATHEWS :::

A local karate instructor has been arrested by the Griffin Police Department and charged with child molestation and enticing a child for indecent purposes.

According to Griffin Police Department Chief Mike Yates, Daniel George has been arrested and charged in connection to a complaint filed by a parent.

Filed by former GPD Officer Matthew Boynton, the report states that the sex abuse allegation was submitted directly to the Police Department.

The report states that during a conversation that same date about the importance of honesty, a seven-year-old girl told her mother “that she guessed it was okay to tell (mother) that Mr. Dan (her karate instructor) had touched her private area.”

The report states the mother asked her daughter how she was touched and the child said, “Mr. Dan put his hand on her stomach and then went inside her pants.”

The mother reported her daughter attended summer camp at Championship Martial Arts, and described Daniel George as the lead instructor.

The mother alleged her daughter said she “was told by Mr. Dan that she was not allowed to tell her mom or anything about him touching her and he made her promise. (The girl) also said that when Mr. Dan asked her to promise that she had her fingers crossed behind her back, so she felt it was okay to tell her mom what she said.”

The mother also alleged her daughter reported that while other children were eating a snack at the karate studio, George would take her in the girls’ locker room where he “tries to fix her pants because they are too tight,” and that she has a “secret room in the studio where she goes and plays on a computer that only she has access to with Mr. Dan’s permission.”

The GRIP contacted the owner of Championship Martial Arts, who said he is cooperating fully with the investigation, and confirmed that Daniel George is no longer an employee of the karate studio.

Yates said the investigation is ongoing, but was unable to confirm if any other suspected victims have been identified.

STAFF REPORT :::

The Spalding County Sheriff’s Office now has areas designated as “Internet Purchase

Exchange Locations”.

“We have had several inquiries about a designated location at the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office for internet purchase exchanges, and use as child custody exchange sites. Within the last few days we have upgraded our video system to cover more of the Spalding County Law Enforcement Complex, including the main parking lot,” said Sheriff Darrell Dix. “Based on the areas now covered we believe that the locations would be ideal for the exchanges, making it less likely for an incident to occur. The signs posted in the parking lot were provided free of charge through Offer Up.”

Offer Up is described as “the largest and fastest growing mobile marketplace for local buyers in the U.S.,” offering IOS and Android apps for selling from mobile devices.

“Our meet up spots program helps serve the much-needed purpose of providing an easy and free way to establish a community location that is public, surveilled, well-lit and monitored,” said Offer Up Vice President of Community Natalie Angelillo.

According to a press release issued by the SCSO, “Offer Up is a privately held company is based in Bellevue Washington, and is backed by top investors including Andreessen Horowitz, Warburg Pincas, GGV Capital, Altimeter Capital and Allen and Company. Offer Up is proud to partner with the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office to support our commitment to building trust in communities throughout the country. For more information consumers can go to offerup.com. Offer Up is proud to partner with the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office to support our commitment to building trust in communities throughout the country.”

“Consumers and parents will use the areas at their own risk and assume all liability, but we believe that the designated areas will be safer than an anonymous meeting in a grocery store parking lot or unfamiliar location,” Dix said. “The Spalding County Sheriff’s Office parking lot has a great deal of traffic all hours of the day and night including deputies, Investigators, other employees and civilians conducting business. This is another way we are reaching out to the public and making our facility available to them.”

SHEILA A. MATHEWS :::

The Spalding County pickleball facility will soon be in service again for a tournament, and is nearing completion for public use.

Although construction has not yet been finalized, the Doc Holliday Shootout – a tournament sponsored by the Spalding County Pickleball Association – will take place Saturday, Aug. 12.

Officials also say the facility is nearing completion.

“What we actually have gotten to is substantial completion. We went through the punch list last Thursday with Hadley Construction and there were a couple of minor things that we felt needed to be addressed – a few minor things – but I’d say it’s 99 percent is completed,” said Spalding County Assistant County Manager Eric Mosley.

Following the facility’s tournament debut – the Georgia Games, which were held the weekend of June 24 – some residents expressed concern that the courts would not generally be available for public use.

Leisure Services Manager Kelly Leger, of Spalding County Parks, Public Grounds & Leisure Services, said the pickleball facility will not be reserved for special use, nor will it require a member of the Spalding County Pickleball Association to be present for courts to be unlocked.

“It hasn’t been turned over to the county for opening yet. It’s locked up now because the courts have to cure and it’s still a construction site,” Leger said. “They paused construction and secured things so that the Georgia Games tournament could be hosted, but as soon as the last game was played, it became a construction site again.”

Leger said once construction is completed, a traditional ribbon cutting ceremony will be held.

“It’s going to be awesome. The guests who came (for the Georgia Games) were just blown away. They were very impressed by the facility,” she said. “We have people calling daily asking when it’s going to be open.”

Leger again stressed that the pickleball facility will be open to the community for public use.

“When it’s open, it will be open, so I hope folks are starting to shop for their paddles and their balls,” she said. “The Pickleball Association will be sponsoring clinics to teach people how to play and keep score. People are going to be so proud to have this facility in our community.”

Mosley said reservations may already been made for court use.

“Rec One is our reservation system, and you can go on there and make a reservation in two-hour blocks. Go to the Parks and Rec website and then go to rental and use, and pickleball is on there,” he explained, adding that information regarding dates of upcoming special events during which the courts will not be open for public use is also listed.

Leger said excitement is growing for the facility’s opening.

“We’ll be hosting national competitions and other events. We’re going to be known all over the nation. We already are,” she said. “People will find they’re going to really, really enjoy it.”

This is an editorial column written by Dusty Takle that previously appeared in the print edition of The GRIP.

The church I attend and serve has focused the entire year around the banquet table. Our initial scripture that inspired the theme was from Luke 14:23, So his master said, ‘Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full.

This is the story of Jesus inviting and welcoming all people, no matter where they are from, to commune with him at the table.

You find more on the table in Song of Solomon 2:4, Let him lead me to the banquet hall, and let his banner over me be love.

As we have unpacked “the table” and all that it is, it has come to mean everything to me. The table is where we are nourished and healed. It’s where we share our lives with the people we love. It’s where we invite those we may not know to sit at the table with us and, perhaps, feed them something that nourishes their soul.

A few months ago, our city hosted its first dinner on the 6th Street Bridge. Tables lined the bridge of our small hometown. They were filled with people, with food, with music and with a mutual desire to just be together and enjoy a moment of pause.

Everywhere I turn the table keeps presenting itself, and the more I discover its meaning, the more I realize that it is what life is truly all about.

My dad’s best friend Mike – and really a dear friend to so many – is suffering from bone cancer. My parents are his caretakers, allowing my kids and me to watch his journey firsthand. It’s also allowed us to be present with him and soak in all his goodness.

His attitude is amazing. His ability to be in the moment with you and soak in YOUR goodness is astounding, and his presence makes you aware of how important the table truly is. With our town recently losing a beautiful soul and friend, Julie McClean Smith, and with the ever-present reminder with Mike that life is but a vapor, I penned this in my journal.

“I don’t have time to be angry with you. I don’t have time to be offended by you. I don’t have time to judge the way you live your life. I don’t have time to explain myself or listen to you explain your own whys. I don’t have time to walk in unforgiveness. I don’t have time to get stressed over interruptions. I don’t have time to let insignificant things become significant. I don’t have time to let fear determine my decisions. I don’t have time to carry a grudge, hold you responsible, or form an opinion about you that isn’t founded on mercy.

I only have time to be patient with you. To overlook any wrongs or mistakes. I only have time to enjoy you. I only have time to let interruptions become my pause in life. I only have time treasure everything that’s good and raise high everything that’s right. I only have time to trust in the One who says I work every single thing for your good. I only have time to let faith determine my decisions. To be saturated with peace. I only have time to forgive, to let go of anything that doesn’t strengthen me, to sit in the mercy seat at table with you. I only have time to soak in the moments. To be thankful for relationships. I only have time to pause. To laugh with you. To cry with you. To celebrate with you. I only have time to love and be loved. I have time for nothing else. I only have time for the table. To sit at it, enjoy it, and become it. Because, at its very center is love.” DT – Tuesday, July 25, 2017

There are so many things we think we have time for. We can fill our time with things that deplete us and rob from us, or we can fill it with the things that really matter. The things that nourish us and give us life. WE determine what that time looks like. We get to decide how we spend it. For me, I’m spending it at the table.

This editorial column written by Maria McCoy previously appeared in the print edition of The GRIP.

In the days prior to my Dad’s unexpected death, he spent five days in ICU at a hospital in Florida. You see, my dad had a heart attack on Monday, June 26. It was allegedly a “minor” heart attack. He spent the next five days in ICU and then was released to home on Friday afternoon, June 30, directly from ICU, with no step-down unit.

He died the following morning. A little more than twelve hours after being released. The hospital knew he lived alone and knew he could not afford his medications. He was only 64.

My dad worked his entire life, up until March 2017. He was a truck driver and he loved it. LOVED it. At the end of February, he had a heart attack and was told he only had around 40 percent heart function and that he would need a heart transplant to fix the issues.

Because of this, they pulled his medical card for his CDL and he suddenly became unemployed. Medicine could help him, of course. If he quit smoking and started eating healthier, he wouldn’t need a transplant. Supposedly. And so that’s what he did.

He was a relatively clean eater in the first place – he didn’t eat a whole lot of red meats, and he drank nothing but water and black coffee, but he adjusted his diet, and he tried very hard to quit smoking.

He had been smoking for fifty years. That’s a long time to quit cold turkey, so he did the best he could. To my knowledge, he was down to maybe two cigarettes per day and some days not at all. That’s a huge improvement from three to four packs a day.

He was unable to drive a truck at that point and the doctor told him he couldn’t work at all. Not fast food, not Walmart. Nothing. My dad decided to apply for disability and for Florida Medicaid. He was turned down for Medicaid because Florida did not expand their Medicaid program under Obamacare (and neither did Georgia). He had no income, was fully disabled and had worked his entire life, but could not qualify for help.

My dad’s savings ran out in May and he began to work on lawn mowers and mow lawns so that he could afford to buy his medication. Mowing lawns in the Florida heat and humidity, no less.

The stress of that caused his next heart attack, the one I mentioned occurred on June 26. The hospital released him without a step-down unit because he had no insurance to pay for the lodging.

Make no mistake about it – while my dad’s smoking largely contributed to his initial heart condition and heart attack, working in the Florida sun with poor heart function to pay for his bills and medication caused his second heart attack. The stress of not being able to pay for what he needed caused his second heart attack.

One side of our government argues that everyone should be able to afford basic health insurance. I am not saying he didn’t have some culpability because he did, but he also grew up in a time when smoking wasn’t researched well enough to know the inherent dangers until it was too late. I’m proud that he could reduce his nicotine to such a large extent.

While I am a registered republican, I tend to agree because people are literally out here dying and our government is still playing politics. The other side of the government argues that if you want health insurance, you should “get a job and pay for it.”

So, please tell me, what exactly could my dad have done to afford health insurance after he was disabled? He worked for almost 50 years, paying into a system he would never be approved to utilize when, and if, he ever needed it.

After my dad’s death, I received a call from his disability attorney. It seems that my dad was denied for disability because he was disabled in March 2017 and they do not pay retroactive benefits for the first five months you are disabled. That means that the government expects someone to be disabled with little to no income for five months before they can access benefits. In the states that did not expand under Obamacare, these same people have no insurance during that time. No way to cover medications.

Charities also denied my dad because he was a single male with no dependents. There are so many people needing help that even charities must regulate who they can help, and a single male with no dependents did not qualify.  My dad, the man that paid over $54,000 into Medicare and Medicaid, died within the five-month period that disability requires before paying benefits.

Why is this happening? Why can’t our government work together, both sides, to recognize that people out here in the real world are hurting? People are losing health insurance because they can’t afford it.

States cannot afford to expand their Medicaid programs because while Obamacare initially provided subsidies for states that did expand, those subsidies had an expiration date. After that date, the funding falls back on the states, and the Medicaid system will collapse.

Obamacare did not work and this new Trumpcare will not either, because it’s almost the same exact plan, just dressed up a little fancier. Politicians are patting each other on the backs to have healthcare plans, but where is the actual healthcare reform?

We need real help. Real change. The only way we will get either is if both sides work together to come up with a solution – a solution where people like my dad don’t fall through the cracks. A solution where middle class doesn’t bear the burden alone.

Our government needs to work for us the way our forefathers intended them to. Keep this in mind when you go to vote. Maybe both sides need a wakeup call. I wonder if either side would be so quick to push their health care plans through if they had to experience what my family just went through.

The week my dad was in ICU he said to me, “I’ll die before the state helps me get any type of benefits.”

Unfortunately, he was right.

This editorial column written by Dr. Bob Hayden previously appeared in the print edition of The GRIP.

You may have heard the expression, “Choose your doctors young, and your lawyers older.” I think that means that medical knowledge was (hopefully) continuously advancing, so doctors less distant from graduation would be more in tune with the latest thinking. Law, on the other hand, would (hopefully) be more stable, so a wizened and wily barrister would be just fine, and maybe preferable if you are a defendant.

That may still be good advice, but now more difficult to achieve. The Journal of the American Medical Association Surgery (JAMA-Surgery) this week reports that the number of physicians practicing in the United States since 1975 who are over 65 years of age has risen 374 percent. That may sound like there are more physicians than there were in 1975, but what it really means is that the ones still here are much older.

In fact, this study tells us that 23 percent of practicing physicians now are over 65 years of age.

Many folks assume that age 65 is the beginning of the golden age of retirement. Baron von Bismark established the age of 70 for the Social Security system in Germany in 1881 to woo the working class away from the rising socialist party and Karl Marx. However, our Social Security Administration says the retirement age here in the States was not based on the German model, but on actuarial studies indicating that by using age 65 as the starting point, a manageable, self-sustaining system could be built with “modest” taxation.   However you look at it, the age 65 seems arbitrary for retirement.

Returning to the JAMA-Surgery article for a moment, we can find a more unsettling reminder of some basic facts of biology. Between the ages 40 to 75, mean cognitive ability declines by about 20 percent. I thought doctors were exempt from all that. Personally, I find the prospect that my doctor (or I) could have forgotten something horrifying.

Here is one of those “facts” that I assume applies to someone else. I won’t mention names here, but you can call me.

Mental deceleration with maturity is the rationale for many professional groups self-imposing retirement for the sake of the public, such as pilots, air traffic controllers, judges, firefighters, etc. This seems wise to me because I am not a pilot, air traffic controller, judge, firefighter, etc. Besides, I want those folks to be at their physical and mental peak when I need them.

There is a doctor I know who was told by his group that he could not do surgery any more because he was 65. Yes, he was 65-years-old…and a marathon runner. He felt great and was still in his prime, so he broke off from the group and practices independently near his former colleagues now.

Gray hair looks good on him. He reads The GRIP, so he is laughing now.

Hospitals are reluctant to impose mandatory retirement on physicians for a number of reasons.

First, many physicians are financially vested in the hospitals. Many sit on boards of directors. Practically speaking for a moment, if you are a hospital, how do you gracefully ask your boss or owner to retire? And there is a shortage of physicians. In small towns, there may be difficulty recruiting.

The “Affordable Care Act,” which was not truthfully named, provides disincentive for people to borrow a half-million dollars to go to school. As long as it appears that the private sector is endangered by socialized medicine, why would anyone choose medicine for a career? The horizon does not look hospitable (pardon the pun) for replacing aging doctors when there are strong prospects that new practitioners will be government employees.

I do not offer advice here about your physician or your choice of caretaker based on this article. It is disturbing to me, in part because what’s left of my hair is graying. My age is drawing dangerously close to that arbitrary line where some see a professional guillotine waiting for them. My plan is not to retire anytime soon. I like the late Paul Harvey’s quip, “He who rests – rots!”

What I do offer is an observation and a query. The observation is that we are short of physicians, particularly primary care physicians, everywhere, including Griffin. The cause is multifactorial, but it is likely to worsen before it gets better. When Obamacare takes its last gasp, perhaps some of our bright, well-motivated students will take the long, cold plunge into academia if there is promise of paying their bills on the far end.

The query I offer is this: Given the decline in physician numbers and the aging population we now have, what will Griffin do when 23 percent of our existing physicians retire?

STAFF REPORT :::

The Spalding County Fire Department has issued a cease and desist letter to Country Inn and Suites located at 1900 North Expressway, shutting down the local hotel.

According to a press release issued by Spalding County, this action resulted from a failure to correct “numerous violations.”

All occupants of the establishment will be required to vacate the premises by 6 p.m. Aug. 19.

“Beginning June 19, 2017, inspectors from the Spalding County Fire Department made the owner aware of several issues found during an annual fire inspection, and began the process of advisement so that the business could be brought up to the current standards of state and national fire codes,” the press release stated. “During a follow-up and subsequent inspections it was discovered that only a small number of the issues had been addressed. This resulted in a total of 17 citations being issued to the owner, listing infractions that ranged from minor issues to others that were deemed as having the potential to place the public at great risk when visiting the premises. After the owner failed to appear for a scheduled court date to address the citations, it was determined that the business would be shut down until further notice.”

Fire Chief Kenny West said the decision to issue a cease and desist was not made lightly.

“While we strive to maintain a positive and productive relationship with all the businesses of Spalding County, offering assistance whenever we can, we must also keep in mind that the core mission of the Spalding County Fire Department is the protection of the lives and property of our citizens,” West said. “The fire codes are a set of rules prescribing the minimum requirements to prevent fire, explosion and other hazards from arising due to unacceptable conditions. In this particular instance, based on the violations found, we feel justified in taking the necessary steps to ensure that the danger to potential guests as well as the staff of Country Inn and Suites is properly addressed.”

STAFF REPORT :::

The Griffin Area Concert Association has announced its lineup of performers for the 2017-18 concert season.

The upcoming season will consist of four concerts featuring internationally acclaimed performers in a variety of genres. All concerts will be held at the Griffin Auditorium located at 234 E. Taylor Street.

Back by popular demand and leading off the season will be the dynamic “Greek God of the Guitar,” Pavlo. “Pavlo’s initial performance in 2008 was so outstanding that many of our patrons have asked us to bring Pavlo and his group back to Griffin”, said Art Hammond, president of GACA.

A true world artist, Pavlo brings audiences to their feet with his unique style and Mediterranean flavor. Joined on Greek bouzouki, bass and percussion, Pavlo blends Greek, flamenco, Latin and Balkan flavors. A true international guitar sensation. Pavlo takes the stage at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 10.

The 96-piece all wind symphonic orchestra Tara Winds takes the stage on Sunday, Nov. 12, for a special Sunday matinee at 4 p.m.

Recognized nationwide as one of the finest adult ensembles of its kind, Tara Winds has performed at prestigious venues and festivals throughout the U.S. Composed of musicians from throughout Georgia, Tara Winds provides a concert experience for the whole family.

On Jan. 23, 2018, the dynamic bluegrass group Monroe Crossing will return to the Griffin stage. This bluegrass supergroup dazzles audiences with its electrifying blend of classic bluegrass, bluegrass gospel and heartfelt originals.

Their airtight harmonies, razor sharp arrangements and on-stage rapport make them audience favorites across the United States and Canada. The Monroe Crossing concert begins at 7:30 p.m.

Closing out the season at 7:30 p.m. April 19, 2018, will be Broadway and TV superstar Kevin Spirtas.

This 30-year veteran of performing is celebrated as one of the true, rare, tour-de-force performers in entertainment who has trilled audiences in every medium. Most recognized around the world for his portrayal of Dr. Craig Wesley for 7 years on NBC’s daytime drama Days of Our Lives, Spirtas has appeared around the world in film, television and on stage.

“Performing familiar Broadway songs, Kevin’s high-energy performance and dazzling personality will capture the hearts of the audience,” Hammond said.

Season tickets for all four concerts are just $50 if purchased by Sept. 1, 2017, and $60 after that date. Individual concert prices remain just $20, and all children under the age of 18 are admitted free with a paid adult. In addition, GACA offers several levels of sponsorships, each accompanied by tickets dependent on the donation.

For full ticket and sponsorship information, and to see videos of each performer, please visit the GACA website at http://www.griffinconcerts.org or call 770-228-3229.

The Griffin Area Concert Association has announced its lineup of performers for the 2017-18 concert season.

The upcoming season will consist of four concerts featuring internationally acclaimed performers in a variety of genres. All concerts will be held at the Griffin Auditorium located at 234 E. Taylor Street.

Back by popular demand and leading off the season will be the dynamic “Greek God of the Guitar,” Pavlo. “Pavlo’s initial performance in 2008 was so outstanding that many of our patrons have asked us to bring Pavlo and his group back to Griffin”, said Art Hammond, president of GACA.

A true world artist, Pavlo brings audiences to their feet with his unique style and Mediterranean flavor. Joined on Greek bouzouki, bass and percussion, Pavlo blends Greek, flamenco, Latin and Balkan flavors. A true international guitar sensation. Pavlo takes the stage at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 10.

The 96-piece all wind symphonic orchestra Tara Winds takes the stage on Sunday, Nov. 12, for a special Sunday matinee at 4 p.m.

Recognized nationwide as one of the finest adult ensembles of its kind, Tara Winds has performed at prestigious venues and festivals throughout the U.S. Composed of musicians from throughout Georgia, Tara Winds provides a concert experience for the whole family.

On Jan. 23, 2018, the dynamic bluegrass group Monroe Crossing will return to the Griffin stage. This bluegrass supergroup dazzles audiences with its electrifying blend of classic bluegrass, bluegrass gospel and heartfelt originals.

Their airtight harmonies, razor sharp arrangements and on-stage rapport make them audience favorites across the United States and Canada. The Monroe Crossing concert begins at 7:30 p.m.

Closing out the season at 7:30 p.m. April 19, 2018, will be Broadway and TV superstar Kevin Spirtas.

This 30-year veteran of performing is celebrated as one of the true, rare, tour-de-force performers in entertainment who has trilled audiences in every medium. Most recognized around the world for his portrayal of Dr. Craig Wesley for 7 years on NBC’s daytime drama Days of Our Lives, Spirtas has appeared around the world in film, television and on stage.

“Performing familiar Broadway songs, Kevin’s high-energy performance and dazzling personality will capture the hearts of the audience,” Hammond said.

Season tickets for all four concerts are just $50 if purchased by Sept. 1, 2017, and $60 after that date. Individual concert prices remain just $20, and all children under the age of 18 are admitted free with a paid adult. In addition, GACA offers several levels of sponsorships, each accompanied by tickets dependent on the donation.

For full ticket and sponsorship information, and to see videos of each performer, please visit the GACA website at http://www.griffinconcerts.org or call 770-228-3229.

STAFF REPORT :::

Chief Judge Christopher C. Edwards, of the Griffin Judicial Circuit, has been designated to serve in place of Justice Britt C. Grant in the appeal of McConnell et al. v. Ga. Dept. Labor (S16G1786).

The Supreme Court of Georgia will hear arguments in the case during its 10 a.m. Aug. 28 session.

In this Cobb County case, a man is appealing the dismissal of his class action lawsuit against the Department of Labor for inadvertently releasing the personal identifying information of more than 4,500 people. In addition to hearing arguments, Edwards will participate in the Court’s decision.

Chief Judge Edwards, age 61, was elected a Superior Court judge in August 1998 and began his first four-year term on Jan. 1, 1999. He has been reelected four times without opposition.

Prior to being elected to the bench, Edwards served as an assistant district attorney in the Griffin Judicial Circuit, which includes Fayette, Pike, Spalding and Upson counties. He was also an assistant district attorney in the Brunswick Judicial Circuit, which includes Appling, Camden, Glynn, Jeff Davis and Wayne counties. He served as a Long County public defender and then was on the Griffin Judicial Circuit indigent defense panel program. He subsequently worked in private practice with the firm of Christopher Charles Edwards P.C. from 1986 until his election to the Superior Court.

Chief Judge Edwards received his bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University and his law degree from Nova Southeastern Law School. He has served on five committees of the Council of Superior Court Judges and received an Outstanding Service Award from the Fayette County Bar Association. He is the recipient of the Robert Benham Award from the State Bar of Georgia and another award from the Fayette County Bar Association “For Tireless Efforts to Improve and Strengthen the Bar Association and Community.”

A frequent speaker in schools, he has spoken to over 58,000 students.

Edwards has two daughters.

Designated judges are appointed when a justice must recuse himself or herself from a particular case. The Supreme Court of Georgia maintains a list of select judges from around the state and when the need arises, the Court appoints the next judge on the list.

SHEILA A. MATHEWS :::

The GRIP has confirmed the Griffin Police Department is actively investigating a murder.

GPD Chief Mike Yates was contacted after The GRIP received information that the murder had occurred during the commission of a home invasion.

Yates confirmed the homicide and said “home invasion likely.”

The GRIP is actively following this case and will report additional information as it becomes available.

SHEILA A. MATHEWS :::

The Griffin Police Department is reporting an apparent home invasion has resulted in the death of a Griffin man.

Authorities are not yet releasing the victim’s identity pending notification of his next of kin.

“We’re having some difficulty with that,” Yates said.

According to GPD Chief Mike Yates, the incident occurred at 815 W. Slaton Avenue.

“It appears to be drug-related,” he said.

The male victim’s cause of death was gunshot wound, but Yates said investigators are not yet releasing how many gunshot wounds the victim sustained.

The GRIP will continue to cover this breaking news and report additional information as it becomes available.

SHEILA A. MATHEWS :::

The Griffin Police Department has identified the victim in an early Thursday murder as 36-year-old Quentin D. Poole.

According to GPD Chief Mike Yates, Poole sustained multiple gunshot wounds during what appears to be a home invasion at 815 Slaton Avenue.

The incident was reported to authorities at approximately 1 a.m. Thursday.

A second victim was injured and transported to the emergency room of WellStar Spalding Regional Hospital. That victim was treated and released.

Officials say the incident was perpetrated by three or four black males with bandanas over their faces.

“We’re actively running down leads,” Yates said, describing the investigation as active and fluid.

Yates said the incident appears to be drug-related.

Anyone with information pertaining to this incident is asked to call the Griffin Police Department at 770.229.6450.

SHEILA A. MATHEWS :::

The Country Inn and Suites located at 1900 North Expressway remains closed after officials allege numerous safety violations were not resolved. Furthermore, the owner, Hibbet Thacker, has been arrested on 17 outstanding warrants.

The action to close the local hotel followed an annual fire inspection conducted by the Spalding County Fire Department.

“This is the first time that the Spalding County Fire Department has ever done this,” said Spalding County Assistant County Manager Eric Mosley, who added that the hotel is owned under Thacker’s corporation, Neptune LLC. “They are headquartered out of Gwinnett County. He owns hotels here in Griffin, one in Conyers and one in Myrtle Beach. Most of his hotels are Holiday Inn Expresses, but this is Country Inn and Suites.”

Many of the 17 violations alleged by Spalding County Fire Marshal Harold Williams are safety-related.

“A lot of them were around the sprinkler system throughout the hotel being inoperable, the smoke detectors being inoperable. When you have a fire and the sprinkler system is turned on, if they move the furniture over time, they’re able to hook up to the sprinkler system to continue providing pressure to that system, so that also was inoperable. A lot of the emergency lighting was inoperable,” Mosley said. “All in all, there were 17 violations written up by the county fire marshal. The state actually came here Wednesday…and he wrote him up for 36 violations.”

The 17 arrests warrants were in correlation to the violations Williams cited.

When the citations were issued, Thacker was notified of his court date, officials say. According to Mosley, Thacker was a no-show before Spalding County Chief Magistrate Judge Rita Cavanaugh, who issued the 17 arrest warrants for failure to appear.

“That’s the problem. He had a court date and he was a no-show. Any time that happens in Magistrate Court, Judge Cavanaugh issues a bench warrant for arrest,” Mosley said.

Aside from the criminal aspect, Mosley said authorities are hopeful the alleged problems can be resolved.

“In the long term, we hope that he will be willing to upgrade his facility to be able to meet both the county and the state fire codes,” he said. “Spalding County is sad to lose a hotel for sure, because we definitely need a fine hotel in our community.”

Following the state fire marshal’s involvement in Spalding County, additional inspections at Thacker’s other business properties are possible.

“The state fire marshal is I believe at this time also checking into his other establishments. With this one as bad as it is, it might be prudent for them to look elsewhere,” Mosley said.

Local officials say no associated complaints had been filed against Thacker or the Country Inn and Suites.

SHEILA A. MATHEWS :::

The Griffin Police Department is now offering a $1,500 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the Thursday morning murder of 36-year-old Quentin D. Poole.

Poole sustained multiple gunshot wounds in what authorities are describing as a “likely” home invasion that occurred at approximately 1 a.m. at 815 W. Slaton Avenue.

GPD Chief Mike Yates has said this incident appears to be drug-related.

A second victim was also shot in this incident. The second victim was transported to the emergency room of WellStar Spalding Regional Hospital, where they were treated and released.

Officials say the incident was perpetrated by three or four black males with bandanas over their faces.

Anyone with information pertaining to this incident is encouraged to call Lt. Karen Yancy 678.233.4001 or GPD headquarters 770.229.6450 extension 537.

SHEILA A. MATHEWS :::

Jake the Dog is now a smiling frisky pup, but most importantly, he is safe and fighting his way to good health.

Jake was discovered and rescued by the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office when deputies attempted to serve an arrest warrant.

He was located in the back yard of a residence with a chain bound so tightly to his neck that it had deeply penetrated his skin.

Animal Control was notified and Jake was transported to North Griffin Animal Hospital, where he is now recovering from his significant injuries and multiple illnesses.

“He’s doing extremely well. He has his sutures out and everything is holding, so he’s not going to have to have any additional surgery at this point,” said Kimberly Blanton, of North Griffin Animal Hospital (NGAH). “He’s done so well. He’s such a fighter. We’re very pleased.”

Jake’s injuries and illnesses were critical, with some still posing significant risks to his life.

“Just like when he came in, he had a raging infection and his temperature was 105 degrees – sky high. The collar was so tight it had broken the skin barrier,” Blanton said.

She compared the injury to his first layer of skin to skinning your knee. Then, there’s a deeper level of skin that’s maybe a quarter of an inch thick. The third layer of Jake’s injury is about another inch deep on him, and it was approximately three inches wide.

In addition, the wound had damaged much tissue that had started dying off. Overall, Jake’s wound was approximately seven by four inches. Fortunately, Jake had enough skin to construct the necessary repairs, but Jake required both internal and external sutures.

“The initial work opened, so we went back in, stapled and sutured it again,” Blanton said. “He ended up with 58 sutures and 12 staples when it was all said and done. He was also thin and very parasitic with three main parasites. More than anything, it was the infection. He is also heartworm positive. That’s how he arrived to us.”

When presented with Jake, Blanton said the previous owners acknowledged his injuries.

“The owner started telling us basically what he had done. He said they saw the police there, became frightened and began trying to remove the chain with pliers,” Blanton said. “The dog was signed over to me for care, and that relieved them of any financial responsibility at that point. At that time, all we wanted them to do was sign him over so we could treat him and take care of him.”

While the NGAH staff sees animal abuse on a regular basis, Blanton said it is both a “blessing and a curse.”

“I look at it – this is my passion – and we started this hospital because I wanted a hospital that was different. Animal hospitals across this county and the United States and world, they do this on a daily basis. It’s just a lot of times, finances do come into play because they are a business. I tell my husband all the time that we have been blessed. It seems like where there’s a will, there’s a way, and God has always provided,” she said. “We have just been very blessed with every case. Sometimes we don’t know how we’re going to pay for it, but we’ve always been on the receiving end of when you reap, you sow. People come through. There’s cases where people – and even the police – have been great. We see the bad side so often. This restores our faith in humanity.”

Spalding County Sheriff Darrell Dix reiterated that sentiment.

“It shows that the people in this county care. They took it upon themselves to donate. There were already staff members at the S.O. who were talking about doing this before I even put the press release out. Even before we put the story out, people were wanting to step up to the plate and help,” Dix said.

As for Jake, despite such cruelty, he is now thriving.

“From day one until now, he wags his tail, he jumps up and licks our faces. No matter what he’s been through, he still has love to give and wants to be affectionate. Not many humans are like that. His demeanor, he was cowered in the back of the truck, but he was wagging his tail. You could tell he wanted affection and attention,” Blanton said. “In fact, before we did his surgery, I sat down in the floor with him. He crawled over, rested his head in my lap and sighed like, I’m okay. Nobody is hurting me. For the first time in probably a long time, he felt safe.”

They did neuter him while he was under for the original surgery on his neck.

Once he’s completely healed, hopefully we can start interviewing for adoptees.

If we can save them, that’s what we do.

At the end of the day, I have to live with what we’ve done and he just had too much life still left in him.

The officer was choked up about it, too.

That’s what we see. We see that side of the animal, not what these monsters had done.

SHEILA A. MATHEWS :::

The Griffin Board of Commissioners has approved changes to the city’s yard waste collection service that includes a price increase to $8.75 per month, while also now providing a measure of consumer protection.

The service will continue to be provided by Dependable Waste out of Pike County.

“We’re basically just amending the current contract, but they wanted a new contract, so we took the old contract and rather than amending it, we just updated it, so it is the same company. We just updated the current contract,” said Griffin City Manager Kenny Smith.

The contract does include some changes that officials believe will help resolve ongoing problems with the city’s yard waste collection service, but Smith said the troubling issues generally arose due to the prior lack of enforcement of the city’s code.

“We had minor changes, but the problem is we really hadn’t been enforcing what the code said. We just picked up pretty much any yard that was out there, so we’ve got to more strictly enforce the current code, but we did change the pile size. We did change the fact you now have to bag grass clippings. You have to bag grass clippings, but leaves are optional. If you bag leaves, they are not considered in the pile size. If you do not bag leaves – if you just rake them to the curb – they are considered in the pile size, but clippings do have to be bagged because that was what was tearing up people’s yards. Trying to get the little fine grass clippings – trying to get those up was tearing up people’s yards, so we felt it better that they be bagged so they can just pick them a bag and throw it on the truck,” Smith said.

This service will continue to be provided on a biweekly basis.

Complaints about this service from Griffin residents has become commonplace, with the most frequent being the requirement to pay for service that was undependable due to yard debris not being picked up for prolonged periods of time.

The new contract does contain language that will provide a measure of consumer protection against that practice.

“It will be picked up on your pickup date. If for some reason it’s not picked up or they get behind, they have 24 hours to get it picked up,” Smith said. “If yard waste is not picked up within that 24-hour window that they have if they miss it, then they will credit us for that week – in other words, a half a month pick up – and we’ll in turn credit the customer.”

Smith then stated his views on the challenges presented by providing this service that has led to complaints.

“When we were doing it with a city service with our own employees, we couldn’t do it on schedule and efficient, either, because the task is just that giant of a task because you never know how much yard waste is going to be there. Certain times of the year – certain seasons – everybody almost had something out. Certain seasons, nobody hardly had anything out, so it’s not a predictable service that you can schedule manpower, schedule equipment because you never know what you’re going to be faced with until you get out there that day, so we couldn’t do it efficiently,” he said. “The company (Dependable Waste) said that they could at X amount of dollars, and through the course of the last two years, three years, whatever it’s been since we contracted that out, they found out they couldn’t do it either at that price, that you’ve got to have more manpower and more equipment in order to pick it up and pick it up on schedule. So, that was the dilemma that we were in, so we said what is it going to take because people were complaining saying it wasn’t getting picked up, it wasn’t getting picked up on time, so we went back to the company and said what changes do we need to make in order for you to be successful, and this is what we negotiated to come up with – changing the pile size, enforcing the ordinance and this is what it’s going to cost for us to put the manpower and equipment that we need out there to get the job done and get it done on time.”

In order for Dependable Waste to purchase the necessary equipment and provide the additional manpower, the city approved a rate increase of $2 per household.

“I think they’re going to add at least one more truck and crew. That would be a question for the company. I don’t really care what they purchase or how many people they have to have as long as the job gets done,” Smith said.

Asked if he believes this, along with the refund of fees if yard debris is not picked up as the contract now mandates, will alleviate customer complaints, Smith said, “We hope so.”

He added that city officials are also working to provide residents with information pertaining to their responsibilities as defined in city code.

“We’re doing a pretty encompassing educational blitz to make sure people understand what the code requires because we see everything out there. We see furniture mixed in with yard waste. We see leaves and limbs mixed in together. We see rocks and bricks mixed in with yard waste. We see commodes sit by the side of the road. We see everything, so the point I would like to get across is that people need to pay attention to the information that we are putting out, and if their yard waste is not put out in accordance with the rules, it won’t get picked up,” Smith said. “They will not get a credit if it’s not picked up unless it’s in accordance strictly with the code. That’s the only way we can make this work.”

SHEILA A. MATHEWS :::

The Griffin Police Department Special Response Team (SRT) on Sunday was activated in response to a standoff following multiple calls reporting shots fired.

According to a police report filed by GPD Officer Tyler Farrell, the incident occurred at 738 S. 9^th St., after Spalding E911 reported receiving three calls referring to a man firing a shotgun in the street.

Farrell reported that upon his arrival, he spoke with Fredda Freeman, who reported hearing gunfire from her residence down the street.

“When Fredda walked near 738 S. 9^th St., she saw a guy named Tim standing on his front porch of 738 S. 9^th St., hold something long and black in his hands. Fredda asked neighbors that were standing by what he was holding and they could not see what it was exactly. Fredda stated Tim then went back into the house,” Farrell reported.

Farrell stated that during this time, a male opened the front door of the residence at 738 S. 9^th St., and was asked to come out so officers could speak to him.

“Tim then closed the door at which point I ran to the rear of the house to make sure he did not run out the back door,” Farrell reported.

Farrell then spoke with two additional neighbors, Robert Jenkins and Maxine Freeman.

“Maxine stated, ‘We were trying to calm him down.’ I asked who was shooting and Maxine replied by saying, ‘Tim,’” the report read.

Farrell stated Freeman reported Tim – later identified as Timmy James Peoples – was firing a weapon in the air.

When asked if it was “an actual gun or a BB gun, Freeman allegedly stated, “It didn’t sound like no BB gun, sounded like a rifle.”

Farrell reported that Freeman answered affirmatively when asked if she had witnessed Peoples firing the weapon outside his residence.

“I asked if it was just in the middle of the street, in his yard, or what and Maxine stated he was standing on his porch,” Farrell reported.

This resulted in the activation of the SRT and a hostage negotiator.

According to a press release issued by the GPD, several attempts to make contact with the suspect were made using a public-address system, but all failed.

A “throw-phone” was also deployed into the residence to facilitate contact between Peoples and the police negotiator, but the suspect refused to comply with instructions and failed to respond to multiple attempts at resolution.

“After several hours of negotiation, to prevent harm to the suspect and bystanders, the decision was made to deploy C.N. and O.C.C.N. (tear gas and pepper gas) into the residence. The Special Response Team soon deployed the gas with others units standing by with additional less-lethal weapons. A few moments later the suspect came outside onto his front porch and essentially surrendered,” the press release stated.

Peoples was taken into custody without further incident, and treated and released by Emergency Medical Services.

Peoples has been charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, discharge of a firearm near a roadway, reckless conduct and obstruction of a law enforcement officer.

“The Griffin Police Department also wishes to express gratitude to the Spalding County Sheriff’s Department and the Henry County Police Department for their assistance in bringing this dangerous situation to a close without injury or loss of life,” the release stated.

This editorial column written by Maria McCoy was previously published in the print edition of The GRIP.

I have seen post after post on social media regarding the removal of the General Lee statue in Charlottesville. Many people are glossing over the real issue and focusing on the statue removal. If you look to Facebook, you’ll likely see all sorts of memes addressing that issue. I’ll tell you what you won’t see – memes telling protestors that there would be others there to protest them, but everyone that could do it is at work.
You know I’m right, so quit shaking your head. When the Black Lives Matter Movement sends protestors that is what people say. You see multiple comments from various sources implying that the BLM protestors are all unemployed and living off welfare.
Why aren’t we seeing that now with the protests in Charlottesville? Because the protestors are white. That is the very ugly truth of it. As a society, we have told ourselves that racism no longer exists because we had a black president, and yet at the same time, as a society, we have allowed ourselves to believe that black people are less.
That black people live primarily off welfare. The “ghetto” or the “projects” is where black people live. That black people all have weird names. That black people do not have jobs. That black people are not as smart as white people. That black e all gang members. That black people aren’t clean.
And then there are the things you don’t say, but feel. How you feel flabbergasted when a black person drives by in a nice car and your brain tells you it’s because they are all drug dealers. Or when you see a successful black person and you get upset because they are making it and you are barely scraping by. You get irritated and even angry. You do this because you have been conditioned to by a society that would prefer to make you that racism no longer exists.
Stop believing the lies that society is selling you because it makes you feel better about how black people are treated in America. You may not be racist, but society is, and the ideals you have learned from society are as well.
Every time you make one of the above statements, or any other statement regarding any race, you are displaying racism, and it would be remiss of me to forget ANTIFA. Antifa is an alt left group that shows up specifically to incite violence in the name of “protesting oppression.” These people are also hateful, despicable members of our society who show up and counterprotest anything that is considered right wing, assaulting others and leaving thousands of dollars in property damage in their wake. They are not your friends. They are not standing up for the oppressed. They are simply there to stir the pot to bring even more discord throughout our society.
These most recent protests aren’t because the statue is being removed. That’s just the cover story they are using to propagate their agenda. That’s the broad story that people are using to garner support from Trump fans. The narrow version, and the one most people are overlooking, is that these are white supremacists.
They aren’t conservative protestors objecting to liberal agendas. They aren’t Republican protestors. These are white people, wearing hoods and Nazi symbols, using our President and his supporters to spread hate. These are not good people. Not one of them could possibly be good because they have hate in their heart.
We have protestors using the Nazi salute that hailed Hitler. Do you want to sit here and tell me Hitler was good? Do you want to associate with someone who thinks Hitler was a swell guy? Of course not, because you are not racist. Well, your heart isn’t, but your actions are. Your brain is because you have bought into the Kool-Aid society is selling.
So, why are you allowing liberal news media sources like Fox News and CNN to influence how you react in the face of inherent hate? Stop doing this. Stop responding exactly how the media wants you to, just because you feel obligated to do so by the standards and rules society has set for you. Stop believing the lie that racism is from the old days. It’s alive and well, right here in Spalding County. Retrain your brain to think differently. You can change the outcome. In fact, we are the only ones who can change the racism in society and we do that by speaking up every time it is displayed. Speak up and unequivocally denounce it every single time.
Please understand that your silence is just as damning as the ones who are touting their superiority over anyone who isn’t white. Our President didn’t realize his mistake when he got on national television and denounced “both sides” of the aisle, meaning the right and the left. He tried to make up for it later, but the damage was already done.
In one speech, his supporters rallied around him and unknowingly (maybe some knowingly) around the white supremacist group. Our President must also realize that he is now the leader of all groups in America, not just the ones that support him (but that’s another article for a later time). So, I’ll go ahead and say what Trump should have said in the first place – there are two sides to this. One side is full of vile, hateful, ignorant and intolerant racists and the other is everyone else who decides to stand up against them.

Pictured above from left to right are Director of Parks, Public Grounds and Public Works TJ Imburger, committee memember Bonnie Pfrogner, Tourism Committee Chairman Bill Thielemann; Leisure Services Manager Kelly Leger; Griffin-Spalding Chamber of Commerce Interim Director Cindy Jones; and Park Maintenance Director Greg Stansell. Photo courtesy of the Griffin-Spalding Chamber of Commerce

SUBMITTED :::

The Griffin-Spalding Chamber of Commerce Tourism Committee partnered with Spalding Parks, Public Grounds and Leisure Services for improvements at Civil War Camp Stephens.
Improvements include directional signs and information kiosks. The Tourism Committee provided funds for materials with Parks, Grounds and Leisure Services providing the labor for the needed repairs.
Camp Stephens on McIntosh Road, along with Camp Milner at Municipal Park, were the two main mobilization areas for all Georgia soldiers. Camp Stephens was for infantry troops and Camp Milner was the cavalry camp. Fortifications were built at Camp Stephens to defend Griffin which served as a hospital center late in the War.
“This is part of a multi-faceted program to increase tourism in Griffin and Spalding County,” stated Bill Thielemann, Tourism Committee chairman.
It was one of the recommendations included in a report provided by the Georgia Department of Economic Development Tourism Division (GDEcD).
Tourism is already significant in Griffin and Spalding County, generating $87.3 million in direct tourist spending and contributing $2.4 million in local tax revenues according to information provided by GDEcD.
The Tourism Committee partners with the City, County, Historical Society, Arts Alliance and others to develop Griffin and Spalding County as a tourist destination.