This editorial column by Dr. Bob Hayden was published in the previous print edition of The GRIP.

I just realized how alliterative that title is. I assure you that was accidental, but, notice that I left it as is.

Early this morning, a potential patient approached me for a consultation. This lady has a form of cancer with which she has been coping for several months. A more recent development has been hip pain that radiated down to the knee.

If you have cancer, any new pain can be very frightening for the implications alone. This particular pain was worse at night, and anything that awakens you with pain in the middle of the night can be imagined to be something awful. It is easy to see why she was worried.

I am often asked whether chiropractors treat people with cancer. There was a time when cancer was considered a contraindication for chiropractic care. That is a false notion.

One of the most visible and respected cancer institutions is the Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA). I was present at the groundbreaking for the hospital in Newnan a few years ago. These hospitals have chiropractic departments to serve the needs of patients who have musculoskeletal pain and who happen to also have cancer.

Some cancer patients experience joint pain and stiffness, muscle pain, tendonitis or ligament issues that can decrease mobility. Sometimes these problems are related to the cancer, but sometimes they are related to the cancer treatment itself. These patients are in a vulnerable position because we do not want to drug them unnecessarily. Their systems are under siege enough without added problems of narcotics, heavy anti-inflammatories and muscle relaxers.

That is where the non-drug, non-surgical, holistic approach of the chiropractor comes into play.

Back and neck pain, extremity pain, peripheral neuropathy, stiffness, sciatic pain and fatigue are all issues common to the cancer experience, and are all issues treatable with conservative chiropractic care.

The care of a cancer patient begins with a careful history, physical exam, imaging when needed and a close look at the diagnostic workup from the cancer specialist and other members of the health care team. This helps me understand the current source of pain as well as the nature of the cancer, its location, the extent of skeletal involvement (if any) and how the patient is responding to cancer care.

When the skeleton is not involved, I have a fuller range of options for adjustment techniques. If the skeleton is involved, I still may feel comfortable with some form of decompression manipulation.

But the chiropractic adjustment is only one arrow in our quiver. We also have ultrasound, cryotherapy, lasers, infrared therapy, a wide range of electrotherapies, nutritional intervention, traction, therapeutic exercises, stretching, bracing, athletic taping and other modalities at our disposal. My goal is to look through the cancer to see a person with a need that I can help, and to render that help safely and effectively.

Communication with other members of the health care team is important, but only with the authorization of the patient, as all patients have the right to control who knows what about their care. I have not had a patient decline my communications with other attending doctors, however, because I explain that it is always a good idea for the right hand to know what the left hand is doing. Additionally, when we work as partners in a cohesive, coordinated effort, patients are the winners.

Back to the lady who came to see me: we looked together at the scans she brought, as no one had shown them to her. We discussed the implications of what we saw and decided, based on my exam and the records before me, to adjust her hip. Immediate results were that she felt looser and steadier walking, but since her pain is worse at night, we will have to see how she does tonight.

Meanwhile, we discussed her sleeping posture. I advised her to get a body pillow and sleep on her side, hugging the pillow with her upper knee and upper arm supported to keep her spine aligned. We will see her next week to find out how she is doing and alter our course if needed.

So, what does chiropractic offer the cancer patient? Like with any other patient, I will work to offer her a degree of relief, hope and support with safe, effective, evidence-based care.

Hugs are also offered as needed.

This and other columns by Dr. Bob Hayden can be found at http://www.iriscitychiro.com.

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

I grew up in a middle class conservative Christian family. Because of this, I have had many advantages; however, it would be remiss of me to fail to mention the disadvantages as well.

First, let me say that I attended a high school that was racially diverse. I interacted with different races and cultures, as well. I developed my own thoughts and ideas, or so I thought, of how things really were. You see, I was taught to accept that slavery and discrimination were real – these two things were real and caused massive amounts of pain and suffering in the “earlier” days of our nation.

I was also taught that those effects were long lasting, even into the 60s and 70s. I never realized that the effects are still occurring in 2018. In fact, my thought process has primarily focused on the fact that racism of this magnitude cannot possibly still exist, not all these years later. I mean, schools are integrated. Workplaces are integrated. Racism just cannot exist anymore. But I was wrong, and that was my true disadvantage.

My constitutional law professor required us to choose a book from her list so that we would be more familiar with the process of equal protection litigation. I happened to choose “The Color of Law” by Richard Rothstein. This book has been incredibly eye-opening, and I highly recommend that you read it if you truly want to understand the way our government has systematically kept the African-American race held back. The book is not subjective, but objective and factual.

The author details specific events to provide an inside look at various aspects of our history, starting with the way our government declared slaves to be non-citizens and the property of another, so they could not sue for their own freedom or maltreatment. He then moved on to how our government intentionally segregated citizens by creating regulations that refused to back loans for mortgages sought by black people, and how black people were not allowed to live in white neighborhoods at all. The book details how our police forces during that same time stood idly by while homes were blown up, broken into and vandalized with no arrests.

This book includes stories of black men who succeeded, but not without significant difficulties. There is a theme to the book, and that is the overreaching effect of this de facto segregation that continues to this day.

The economic boom that brought much needed relief in the form of wages back to the people did not include black workers. While white people were steadily increasing in wealth, black people were working for pennies to the dollar made by white people.

Legislation aimed to protect and regulate labor specifically excluded African-Americans and the fields that were primarily worked by black people.

When black people tried to integrate into white neighborhoods for better opportunities for their children, white people were there to burn crosses in their yards and threaten the safety of their homes. We drove black people back to neighborhoods that were poverty stricken, where the income was lower and opportunities scarce. It isn’t that these families were not getting wages. On the contrary, black people made up a huge portion of our work force at that time, but they were paid lower wages and taxed at higher rates intentionally, because our government wanted to ensure they could not afford to move out of those neighborhoods.

Our history books do not even tell the true story of how housing was denied to black families, resulting in the creation of these low income neighborhoods in the first place. The history books may briefly mention the pay gap between white and black workers, but the books fail to mention how the economic disadvantages of parents traditionally move to children, as if economics were truly genetic. The history books will not teach our children that black people were denied even minor loans to build homes on property they already owned.

With books that lack these basic details, it is no wonder we are raising kids to believe everyone in America was afforded the same opportunities, and that black people could do better if only they wanted to.

I believe this contributes to the racial disparity we see today. These types of beliefs contribute to the rioting that comes when a police officer is not indicted for shooting or killing a black person, because in the age of the Ku Klux Klan, states adamantly refused to arrest anybody who killed a black person or who vandalized and blew up a home.

Instead, if you really go back and research, states perpetually arrested black families for inciting riots simply because they dared to attempt to live in a primarily white neighborhood. So, now when an officer shoots a black person – whether it is justified or not – and is not indicted or even arrested, there will be rioting. Because white people do not understand (or maybe even care to understand) the long-lasting effects of de facto segregation, and black people cannot see past it. And why would they? Because our government – state and federal – has always made it clear that the citizens who matter are white.

I’m sure many of you are shaking your heads now but do the research. Legitimately, do the research if you truly want to understand, and if you don’t truly want to understand, you’ll chalk me up as another snowflake and continue to believe that the constitution made everybody equal and so POOF! Inequality and racism and discrimination no longer exist.

And look, this is not to say all of America is racist. This is not to say that white people are all racist or that all conservatives are racist. (Remember, I am a conservative.) This is to say that those who genuinely wish to provoke change will seek out a way to understand where the differences lay, and they will seek to bridge the gap. We can continue to live in willful blindness to what our nation has done to this race, or we can choose to educate ourselves to the plight of African-Americans and then seek to institute real change. We can try to understand that we intentionally and then unintentionally caused pain and suffering to people who were not white.

We can stop saying things like, “Well, Obama is black, so obviously black people have the same opportunities,” and, “Look at Oprah and Jesse Jackson! They’re rich,” because you know as well as I do that those people are all the exception, and the unspoken rule that our government has ruled by is that black people do not deserve and will not ever have the same equality white people have.

If you do not believe me, look around your town. Look around areas that are primarily black neighborhoods. Look at several of the schools that are primarily black because zoning requirements were created and institutionalized to keep schools as segregated as neighborhoods. Do you see the difference?

And yes, there are great stories of successful black people. I am not discounting that at all, and I really, truly hope that none of my readers will think I am. I am merely saying that statistically, the struggle of a black person to overcome the prejudices of our nation is much greater than the struggle of a white person. Racial segregation deserves – and requires – a more heightened scrutiny to promote change. Yes, obviously there are poor people on both sides, but look, really look, at the differences in poor white neighborhoods and poor black neighborhoods. Take your rose-colored glasses off. Look into your heart and see the truth. We shouldn’t even have sides to choose from. We are all one nation.

If you are a person who has gone through a similar epiphany, I’m proud of you for being able to step outside of the box you were taught to stay inside. The bottom line is this – a nation that routinely fails to acknowledge our own part in the separation of races will never truly progress. A nation that continues to allow segregation via zoning regulations will never progress. A nation that fails to rezone school districts to truly integrate schools, will not progress. We will be stagnant, just like we are right this minute.

This editorial column by Dusty Takle was published in the previous print edition of The GRIP.

What Is Mastering Your Life?

We are created in the image and likeness of God.

This is your inherent DNA. It’s mine. There is no getting away from it. There is no getting out of it. There is nothing you can do or not do to change it. Being created in His image means you have been of and from God from the very beginning, and the more you become aware of this truth and the more you become aware of who He is, the more you evolve into His likeness.

The more you know God, the more you know yourself. This is your authentic self. The real you. All that God is, we also are. One of the names of God is Adonai. This comes from the Hebrew word meaning “Lord, master or owner.”

All that He is – His goodness, mercy, light, love, kindness, higher thinking, fearlessness, confidence, peace – should master our lives. As we realize those very attributes of God are within us and are us, we can flow in mastering our own lives with those attributes.

I was sharing this with a friend the other day. We talked about how something is always mastering your life. Always. I shared with her a recent conversation with my husband when we made a commitment to each other to always talk about what we do have and avoid talking about what we don’t have…..especially around our children. By doing this, we would also be intentional about what is mastering us.

She later texted me and said she realized that lack has been the master of her life, and with this realization she said, “I am finally on the road to a breakthrough……I am ready to set myself free and live in a land of abundance.”

You see, when you focus on what you do have, you allow abundance to master you.

When you focus on what you don’t have, lack becomes your master. I don’t think I can ever say this enough: whatever you give energy to is what will grow. That is what will manifest, and ultimately, whatever you give energy to is what will master your life.

If you feed complaining, then unhappiness will be your master.

If you feed insecurity, then fear will be your master.

If you feed comparison, then discontentment will be your master.

But, when you feed higher thinking, when you feed the real you, the higher you, then the Adonai inside you will be your master.

If you feed a right perspective, then happiness will be your master.

If you feed your intuition, then peace will be your master.

Be intentional about what you are feeding and giving energy to. If it’s negative, stop feeding it.

You are ultimately the master of your own life. Not circumstances, not other people. Take control of your thoughts and your words. Master your life with the awareness of who you really are: a divine being filled with His goodness, mercy, light, love, kindness, higher thinking, fearlessness, confidence, peace.

Give energy to that, and I promise you will change your world and master your life well.

SHEILA A. MATHEWS :::

Too often, children are inundated by negative influences and standards that are impossible to attain, but Jackson Road Elementary School third-grade students now have a daily reminder of how incredible they are, and motivation to strive to accomplish their goals.

The “Who Are We?” initiative, which was brought to JRES by Amy Brown, a third grade teacher, challenged students to thoughtfully consider how they want to define themselves.

“This project began when we visited Ron Clark Academy at the end of last school year. They have a wall of portraits that feature their eighth-grade students. Each portrait features the student’s character word and has a goal and a quote. We were so impressed with the positivity that the wall displayed that we knew we wanted to make this happen at Jackson Road,” Brown said. “Laura Jordan used to be our principal, and her phrase was ‘Make it Happen.’ Now, when we see something wonderful, we want to make it happen.”

Brown said a Partners in Education grant provided important funding that helped make this initiative happen.

“If we didn’t have the PIE grant, we could have still done the project, but it wouldn’t look like it does now. We would have done it, but it would have been laminated pictures hanging on the wall. It wouldn’t have been as impactful as it is. We never would have been able to afford the materials we used to put it up, so we greatly appreciate the PIE committee for doing these grants each year,” she said.

Brown said at the Ron Clark Academy, the initiative is reserved for eighth-grade students, who look forward to being featured on the wall, and she would like to see that happen at JRES.

“We’re hoping this becomes a lasting tradition at Jackson Road and other schools in the county,” she said. “They were very excited for the project when it was first introduced to them. It’s such a personal project for them to work on. We were actually studying character traits at the time, so we related their personal character traits to their project.”

Taylor Nichols, also a JRES third grade teacher, said her students enjoyed working on this initiative.

“They love seeing their picture every morning, and everyone else’s. It’s increased their confidence, and it reminds them of their goals every single day since they’re seeing it all the time. They have a sense of pride because the backdrop is their house color, and the quotes they came up with are unique to them,” she said. “Some of their goals are academic, but some have said they want to be in the NFL when they grow up, so some of them have big dreams.”

Tyler Barfield, a student of Nichols, said his goal is, “To stay more calm, because sometimes I can’t control how I am. It makes me think how sometimes I can stay calm instead of being crazy.”

He said it also helps him maintain a positive outlook and believe he can accomplish his goal.

“My favorite part is how I could actually be inspired by one person to learn,” he said. “Earlier today when we were doing our fact fluency, I felt like I couldn’t do it, but then I thought about my picture and how intelligent I am, and I decided I could do it.”

Elijah Favors, a student in Brown’s class, said having his photo on the wall makes him feel great and encourages him to work harder. His quote, “Be the role model you needed when you were little,” is personal to him.

“It’s because I want to show kids that are smaller than me better stuff – not to do bad stuff and get in trouble you can’t get out of,” Elijah said.

Favors, who is quite adorable, indeed, said his favorite part of his photo is “my smile and my beautiful face.”

Trinity Clay, Favor’s classmate, said it makes her feel awesome to see her photo on the wall. Her character trait is “leadership,” which she said she chose because of something once said to her.

“When I was a little girl, my grandma said that I could grow up to be a leader,” she said. “It reminds me of how important it is and that I want to be an encourager to people.”

“Play hard” is Jason Wilson’s quote, one he chose because of his love of baseball. With a character trait of “talented,” his photo reminds him of his love of sports.

Braiden Holcomb said he chose his quote, “Be kind to unkind people,” because of the need to encourage others.

“I try to help people when they’re sad. When they’re mad, I also try to help them. By being nice and kind to people, you should treat people how you want them to treat you. I think that may help others to be nice themselves,” he said.

Trinity Singleton chose the character trait “respectful.”

“I chose this because if you want people to think that you’re nice, you have to prove it to them, so they’ll know you’re nice,” she said.

Brown said her students have responded well to this initiative.

“While working on their character trait words, I could see them thinking deeply about their own personalities and how they can display themselves in a positive way,” she said. “It required them to focus on positive traits of their personality.”

Jacobi Lawrence’s demonstrated that depth and positivity, with the trait of “brilliant” as a reminder of his accomplishments as well as the goals he is striving to reach.

“I know my multiplication, my addition and my subtraction. On multiplication, I’m on my nines. I’m great at sliding and great at working,” he said, adding that he also enjoys drawing and playing with his friends. “My goal is to get better at multiplication. My photo makes me feel confident and proud, because I believe in myself, and I always want others to be brilliant, too. My goal is to pass the Milestones test to be in the fourth grade. I want my Mom and Dad to be proud of me, and my little brother and my whole family. I just want them to believe in me.”

Brown said this initiative gives students something they may not recieve regularly.

“They don’t always hear positivity in their lives, so they may not think of themselves that way,” she said. “Now, they’re on display, and they see it every day. They’re constantly encouraged by that.”

SHEILA A. MATHEWS :::

Authorities continue to seek the public’s assistance in identifying the driver involved in a Tuesday evening fatal hit and run.

A Griffin man, 37-year-old Shawn Wright, was struck and killed while riding his bicycle.

“The bicyclist was traveling northbound on Old Atlanta Road, and he was north of Vineyard Road. At some point, an unknown vehicle struck him, and he died at the scene as a result of the injuries he sustained in the collision,” he said.

According to Mims, the incident was reported by a nearby resident.

“It happened in front of those trailers right there in the curve. Someone heard it, and he looked out the window. He saw a bicycle laying off the roadway, so he got out and looked a little more. It was dark, so he was out with his flashlight when he saw him (Wright) laying off the roadway. He immediately called 911,” Mims said.

Deputies of the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office along with GSP personnel responded to the scene, where evidence was collected. This has enabled investigators assigned to the GSP Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team (SCRT) to identify the vehicle believed to have caused Wright’s death.

“At the scene, we collected vehicle parts and paint. We’ve got a confirmation on what kind of vehicle it is,” Mims, an SCRT investigator, said. “It’s possibly a 2001 to 2007 Dodge Caravan or Chrysler Town and Country. It’s red in color – a dark red pearl. It has damage to the right headlight area and possibly the hood.”

As of late Wednesday, no arrest had been made.

“We still have an active search going on now looking for it. We’re still actively looking. We’re getting a lot of calls from people – we’ve been running from call to call as we’re getting a lot of help from the public – but we haven’t found that van yet,” Mims said.

Anyone with information in this case is asked to contact the Georgia State Patrol at 770.229.3410, the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office at 770.467.4282 or 911.

NORMA RICHARDSON :::

What do you get when you combine a bit of Victorian melodrama, a bit of “Wuthering Heights,” a bit of Alfred Hitchcock’s “Rebecca,” a bit of penny dreadful horror and a whole lot of laughs? You get “The Mystery of Irma Vep,” the third production of Main Street Players’ 2017-2018 season.

The tale begins within the confines of Mandacrest Manor in rural England, where Lady Enid Hillcrest attempts to settle into life with Lord Edgar, her new husband. Alas, life in the manor can be a little unsettling. The peg-legged butler, Nicodemus and the scheming housekeeper, Jane, have lots of troubling stories about the manor’s dark history… and Edgar’s dead wife, Irma Vep.

Thus begins a gleefully satirical mystery that will leave you doubling over with laughter. Before the show concludes, you’ll be treated to a whirlwind trip to an Egyptian tomb and appearances by vampires, mummies and werewolves.

“The Mystery of Irma Vep” was written American playwright Charles Ludlam, and first premiered off-Broadway in 1984. Ludlam wrote many different works over the course of his career but reached a new level of success with Irma Vep. By 1991, it had become the most-produced play in the United States. Tragically, Ludlam would not live long enough to see the show reach the height of its popularity; he passed away at the age of 44 in the spring of 1987. However, The Mystery of Irma Vep remains a beloved comedy, and has received numerous successful revivals in the United States and abroad.

All the roles in Main Street’s production of “The Mystery of Irma Vep” are played by two actors – Curtis Brown and Walker Davis, two versatile, talented men who will be faced with the challenge of leaping in and out of different characters at a delightfully frantic pace. The play is directed by Norma Richardson, who is also Main Street’s artistic director. The set is designed by B.J. Hughes, while costumes are provided by Creative Costumes.

“The Mystery of Irma Vep” opens Wednesday, Feb. 21 and runs through Sunday, March 4. Wednesday-Saturday performances are at 7:30 p.m., while Sunday matinee performances are at 3 p.m.. Tickets for this show are expected to sell quickly, so make your reservations today by calling the box office at 770.229-.9916. Remaining tickets will be available at the box office the evening of the performance. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for seniors and $10 for students.

Don’t miss this inventive, hilarious show!

STAFF REPORT :::

A Rehoboth Road Middle School student is in custody and being held at the Regional Youth Detention Center for allegedly threatening to “shoot up the school.”

According to a press release issued by Spalding County Sheriff Darrell Dix, investigators responded to the school Tuesday after a letter was located in a classroom.

Officials report the letter stated, “I am going to shoot up the school in the 8^th grade hall at 8:45.”

School officials reported the letter to law enforcement and sent a letter home with students alerting parents to the incident.

That letter read in part, “Rehoboth administrators notified the Spalding County Sheriff’s Department, and they are currently investigating this threat. Rehoboth Road Middle School is taking proactive measures by working with the Sheriff’s Department by adding increased school resource officer presence on campus tomorrow morning.”

Authorities say investigators later determined the source of the threatening letter and identified a suspect. The student has been charged with terroristic threats and disorderly conduct.

“This is not a joke and any student caught participating in this behavior will detained, arrested, prosecuted and hopefully not just suspended, but expelled,” Dix said. “This is another call for parents to monitor their kids and their activities. Take their phones and go through all their social media. This was a note found at the school but more often than not it is via social media.”

Dix said Spalding deputies will continue to partner with Griffin-Spalding Schools and will work hand in hand with officials to prevent any future occurrences.

STAFF REPORT :::

For the second consecutive days, a Rehoboth Road Middle School student has been arrested for allegedly threatening to shoot up the school.

According to a press release issued by Spalding County Sheriff Darrell Dix, the student was taken into custody after a teacher reportedly overheard the threat being made in a classroom.

“The teacher immediately notified the School Resource Officer (SRO) who took the student into custody and escorted him to the Principal’s Office. Administrators from the Griffin Spalding County School System, Investigators from the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office, and the student’s legal guardian responded and began an investigation into the incident. It was determined that the student did make the statement and he was arrested,” Dix said. “He was taken immediately in front of Juvenile Court Judge Ben Miller where he was placed on an ankle monitor, ordered to stay in direct contact with his guardian at all times, and restricted from the use of any electronic devices or social media until his court date. As a part of his release, Judge Miller ordered that all firearms in the household of the guardian were to be removed from the residence. The student was also suspended from Rehoboth Road Middle School until he can face a school tribunal. The staff of RRMS acted fast in stopping this before it got out of hand. They also plan to alert parents about what occurred today via phone this afternoon.”

A student arrested Tuesday also appeared today in Juvenile Court.

“The student taken in to custody yesterday was in court this morning to face Judge Ben Miller after spending the night at an RYDC facility. He was also released to his parents this morning, placed on an ankle monitor, and given the same restrictions and penalties as the student taken in to custody today,” Dix said.

Officials are urging parents to be proactive with their children to reduce the potential of future similar incidents.

“Once again I am calling on parents to intervene in this issue. Get their passwords and scan all their social media on a regular basis. Talk to your children about the consequences of their actions and how they not only affect them but their families as well. The restrictions placed on these students and the orders from Judge Miller that are directed at the parents should act as strong warnings that should be heeded. The school system and criminal justice system from the judges on down are showing that these incidents will be dealt with severely and swiftly,” Dix said. “In light of recent events I don’t believe that anyone is shrugging these things off as child’s play or idle words. It’s not funny, it’s not a joke, and it will be dealt with accordingly. To parents, we understand that you and your children are frightened by these events. Principal Larry Jones, SRO Ladamium Raines, and Lt. Frank Clark made their way to nearly every classroom this morning and this afternoon to speak to students about these events. They gave the students an opportunity to ask questions about their concerns if they desired and discuss how these events affect everyone in the school and their families. The students were pretty vocal in their belief that these threats were uncalled for and should stop. Staff and SROs will remain available if anything else or any more questions arise.”

SHEILA A. MATHEWS :::

Spalding County Sheriff Darrell Dix has weighed in on a proffer agreement that was part of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation of David Gibson.

The GBI refused to release those specific records, but The GRIP obtained the proffer through the email account of former Griffin Judicial Circuit District Attorney Scott Ballard. Larkin Lee, Gibson’s criminal defense attorney, said the proffer was solicited by the state, referred to “possible illegal activity in the Narcotics Division of the Sheriff’s Department, including unlawful seizure of property and misuse of seized property by individual agents; possible evidence tampering and manipulation of evidence by individuals in the Criminal Investigation Division of the Sheriff’s Department; possible accounting and financial irregularities within the Sheriff’s Department; and possible violations in regard to GCIC certifications, procedures and/or misuse.”

Subsequent emails between Ballard and GBI Special Agent Jared Coleman raised questions about possible criminal activity at the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office.

When Ballard asked Coleman if his investigation had led him to independently suspect the crimes contained within the proffer, the GBI agent stated, “Nothing in this investigation has led to any of that. The closest thing that I personally have knowledge of is a rumor that the Narcotics unit had placed a tracker on a vehicle without an order to do so, but that was from a personal contact and happened 4-plus years ago if I recall correctly. The only other criminal activity we’ve found is possible malfeasance in office on part of Sheriff Beam by not doing anything after multiple confirmed reports on Gibson’s activity. Other than that, anything he (Gibson) would have to offer would simply be his word at this point.”

Current Spalding County Sheriff Darrell Dix was interviewed to get his take on whether the tracker operation referenced by Coleman – on which The GRIP published a series of investigative articles in late 2015, and the conduct of former Sheriff Wendell Beam, were potentially criminal in nature.

Asked if he would perceive Coleman’s email statement to mean the tracker operation was potentially illegal, Dix replied, “When he says other, the word other appears to mean that the action before that word was possibly criminal in nature is what it sounds like, is the way that I kind of interpret it.”

Dix said he recalls the series of articles on the tracker operation, and remember discrepancies regarding whether Special Operations Unit agents had the owner’s permission to place the tracker on the vehicle or whether it was placed covertly.

“But it seems to me like if – and I’m not playing Monday morning quarterback here – but it seems to me like something as important as that, if it was (that) permission to do that was given, it seems like there would have been a consent to place the tracker on the vehicle, because if there was something criminal that came out of it, then I think one of the defenses would be – for the person that was arrested would be that the tracker was illegally placed on the vehicle. And without an order signed by a judge to do so, it seems like you would have to have a consent form signed to negate that part of the defense. It just seems like that would be common sense,” Dix said. “I mean, you can give me verbal consent to search your car. If it’s recorded on video, recorded on audio, that’s fine – you can hear it and you can see it – but without those things, then I’ll probably going to have you sign a consent form, because your claim is going to be that you were coerced, or you didn’t give consent. Now, I hope I’m not reading too much into that, but it seems like if they didn’t have an order, there should have at least been a consent signed.”

He said questions still remain regarding that operation.

“One of the questions that I would ask – again, thinking of the defense – can you even put a tracker on a car without the person in actual physical control of the car even knowing about it?” he said. “There’s a lot of interesting questions – search and seizure wise, Fourth Amendment wise – that come up.”

At the time those investigative articles were being published, The GRIP submitted a separate Open Record request to identify the SCSO personnel responsible for the previous untruthful Open Record responses provided on this matter.

The answer given was Agent John Corley and Agent Howie Spitzer, both of whom continue to be employed by the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office.

The GRIP told Dix, “The stories kept changing, but only after I kept calling out the responses provided previously. Beam did not investigate this. Instead, he opted to request a GBI investigation to identify my CI. I know that Howie Spitzer and John Corley are still employed by you…Do you believe that this is a non-issue? You said that it does raise some questions.”

Dix responded, “It does. I think that if the person who is the District Attorney made the decision not to do anything with it back then, then he probably had more information on it than I have, at least I would hope he had more information.”

He said that hope coupled with his belief that some SCSO employees were “being directed to do things; were afraid for their jobs; they were pressured,” means “that a lot of this stuff here is questionable.”

Dix said he also takes into consideration Corley and Spitzer’s job performance since he took office, and discussed how such a situation would be handled under his administration.

“I think a lot of it is people talking about things without investigating things. I think that a lot of is the right hand not knowing what the left hand was doing, and not being involved in it. As for Spitzer and Corley right now, based on the findings of the District Attorney and based on their job performance since I came into office, I have no reason to doubt their credibility now. I can’t speak for what they were going through, what they were told to do under the leadership then, but I can tell you now that if an issue like this came up, the GBI would be called in immediately, the officers involved would be placed on administrative leave, an investigation would be done and it would be done swiftly – completely open, completely transparent, no hiding,” Dix said. “I had a former chief of mine made the comment one time that no matter how ugly it is, tell the truth because you can work a miracle with the truth, but you can’t do anything with a lie. Lies just get worse and worse and worse.”

As for the possibility that Beam’s failure to respond to repeated reports of Gibson’s civil and criminal wrongdoing, Dix acknowledged many problems were evident under the former SCSO administration.

“I think that there was some misdirection. I think that there was some – I’m trying to think of a way to say it without being really blunt – but I think that what we have found over the past eleven months is a pattern of that type of behavior that was accepted in this agency. I think, again, that there was a lot of the left hand not knowing what the right had was doing, and a lack of oversight in a lot of areas,” he said.

However, he believes the overall culture of the Sheriff’s Office has been revamped in a positive direction.

“I am confident so much in what we’re doing now that we have opened up our doors here to the GBI to come and go any time they want to. They work closely with our narcotics unit now. They actually work some out of our building some now. That’s how confident I am in the fact that we have moved past the stuff,” he said. “And the thing with Mr. Gibson making these allegations, prior to me coming into office – we’re not talking about my folks; we’re talking about prior to that – if he knew about those things and he failed to act on those things, those are more counts of him being in violation of his oath of office. Those are not bargaining chips. It’s the difference between right and wrong, and if you know these things are wrong while you’re here and you fail to act on it, you’re in violation of your oath of office.”

Dix also reflected on what he perceived as a shift in The GRIP’s reporting of Gibson and the Sheriff’s Office.

“At one point, the story got away from David Gibson and it got into being about lies or misdirections. I think that may be where we’re at now and trying to turn the corner, because as you know, there were things we found here when we came in that were very questionable – trash bags full of shredded documents, stuff like off computers. A lot of that was stuff that we had to go back and find documentation of and bring it back, and made the decision – and it was my decision – that with what this agency had been through in the past two years, and the way it was not allowed to heal because things kept coming and kept coming, I made the decision that we’d document those things – make mental notes of it – and that we were going to not go forward with any investigation or prosecution,” he said. “We wanted this agency to heal. We wanted to start with a clean slate. And see, that’s kind of a misnomer – a clean slate – because you can’t start over with a clean slate. Once you write on a slate board with chalk, you never get it clean. There’s always dust in the corners, and that’s what we were finding here – dust in the corners. So, I made the decision that we would just move on with it. There were things we found here that were absolutely wrong. You’ve seen the condition of the jail – the way that’s run down – things that we had to fix, that we had to go through and start a lot from ground zero and move up…..I think it was a pattern and I think that it was a practice. Whether a lot of it was intentional or not – I know the shredding of documents and all that stuff was intentional – but a lot of it, I don’t know if it was intentional or if it was shrugging your shoulders and turning your head. I think we’ve come a long way from where we were and we’re going to keep heading on that path and move away from the past and into the future.”

Dix also believes many of the problems related to the prior administration were resolved by the resignations of some former personnel.

“There were things that were found here, let me put it to you this way – there were some people that resigned from here that once when we came into office, it became evident why they resigned – because they knew what we were going to find when we came into this building. One of them even moved out of state to get away,” he said. “It was a time to heal. It’s a time to start again and I think if we would have went after some of those things, some of them may have been criminal, some of it was bad management. Some of the decisions that were made, I don’t want to say they were unethical, but they were not very well thought out or planned, and some of it was just almost childish. I’ve never spoken about that because I wanted to give the previous administration an opportunity to move on without digging up bones. I think you got lied to by people who are no longer here. I think that you were misdirected by people who are no longer here. I think that’s one of the reasons why, when I came into office, I saw 50 something industrial sized trash bags filled with shredded documents and computers that had been scrubbed.”

SHEILA A. MATHEWS :::

During its 2015 investigation of David Gibson, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, interviewed Wendell Beam, the former Spalding County Sheriff, in part seeking to determine if Gibson was blackmailing Beam using sexual infidelity as leverage.

In records maintained by GBI Special Agent Jared Coleman, he wrote, “Agent Coleman asked Sheriff Beam if Gibson had been blackmailing him and was receiving protection from Sheriff Beam.”

In response, Beam reportedly denied that Gibson was “holding anything over his head.”
According to Coleman’s interview summary, Beam was questioned regarding “information discovered during the course of this investigation.”

The GRIP reported extensively on the David Gibson case as it was unfolding. During that time, numerous confidential sources alleged Beam was protecting Gibson because Gibson was using sensitive and potentially damaging information as leverage against him. This was not reported at the time due to the inability to independently verify those allegations.

In his interview, Beam addressed those allegations in detail.

“Beam denied that Gibson knew about any extramarital affair between Sheriff Beam and his secretary, Ruby King, or an unknown female who had worked at the Spalding County Courthouse.”

Whether Beam was aware of Gibson’s criminal conduct and other alleged offenses is at the heart of a $12 million federal civil rights law suit.

Beam has maintained he had no knowledge of any allegation of sexual impropriety prior to the completion of the 2015 Internal Affairs investigation conducted by Lt. Ronald Brainard, of the Houston County Sheriff’s Office.

Beam admitted having received reports of other allegations against Gibson for which Gibson received no disciplinary action.

During his questioning of Beam, Coleman sought information regarding another former SCSO employee.

“Agent Coleman asked Sheriff Beam about why he had threatened to fire former Spalding County Sheriff’s Office Captain Novin Darsey. Sheriff Beam stated that Darsey was spending a lot of time at the Spalding County Courthouse and that this action was interfering with his duty as a deputy. He noted that Darsey later resigned on his own accord after Sheriff Beam informed that he needed to stop his conduct or that Sheriff Beam would be forced to fire him. He noted that no ultimatum had been given to Gibson.”

The summary of Coleman’s interview with Darsey states in part, “During previous investigative acts, Agent Coleman had learned that Sheriff Beam had received information that then-Captain Darsey was involved in some type of off-duty conduct unrelated to his position as a deputy sheriff. Sheriff Beam informed Darsey that if he did not stop the activity, he would be fired. Darsey later resigned without being asked to by Beam.”

In an email to former Griffin Judicial Circuit District Attorney Scott Ballard, Coleman described Beam’s conduct as potentially criminal – malfeasance in office. Ballard chose not to investigate Beam’s actions.

STAFF REPORT :::

Parents or guardians of prospective Griffin-Spalding County School System (GSCS) Pre-Kindergarten students are invited to attend a parent meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 13, in the Griffin Auditorium located at 233 E. Taylor St.

During the information session, families will learn about the Pre-K program, the registration process and will receive the complete registration packet.

Georgia’s Pre-K Program is a state lottery funded educational program for all age eligible four-year-old children in Georgia, with the goal of preparing children for success in kindergarten and later school years.

The GSCS Pre-K program operates on the regular school system calendar for the length of a typical school day.

The 2018-19 Pre-K registration is open from March 29 through April 6 at the Parent Service Center located at 234 E. Taylor St. Registration hours are from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
To be eligible for this year’s Pre-K program, students must be four-years-old on or before Sept. 1, 2018.

After March 13, Pre-K registration documents will be posted on the GSCS website at http://www.spalding.k12.ga.us. Parents or guardians must complete the Pre-K online registration either prior to or at the time of registration at http://tinyurl.com/gscsregsitration.

“Attending this meeting is very beneficial for Pre-K parents or guardians because they will get the registration packet early allowing them time to complete the paperwork, gather required documents and make necessary appointments prior to the registration window opening,” said GSCS Pre-K Coordinator Dr. Chris Bearden.

GSCS has a total of 21 Pre-K classes holding a maximum of 22 students per class.
All GSCS elementary schools have at least one Pre-K class.

For students to be included in the lottery drawing, the online registration and all required documents included in the Pre-K registration packet must be completed and turned in during the registration period. Packets turned in after April 6 will be placed on a waiting list.

“This is an exciting time for parents as their students begin their educational journey. The GSCS Pre-K staff looks forward to meeting with you on March 13and answering any questions regarding the GSCS Pre-K program,” added Bearden.

STAFF REPORT :::

Griffin Choral Arts (GCA) will present Handel’s “Messiah,” Parts 2 and 3 on 7:30 p.m. March 15.

Sixty area artists will perform this work.

Handel’s oratorio “Messiah” stands as a pillar of the choral-orchestral repertoire. GCA will present the second and third parts, which illuminate the suffering, death and resurrection of Christ, and point to the second coming and the vision of the Lamb of God seated on the eternal throne.

Expressive recitatives, dramatic airs, remarkable choruses, including the brilliant “Hallelujah,” radiate the splendor of the one who reigns forever and ever.

The concert is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. March 15, at First Baptist Church. Tickets are $15 and are available at the door.

The community is invited to prepare for the Easter season with this classic work of art presented under the leadership of GCA Artistic Director Steve Mulder.

City of Griffin Watershed Protection Specialist Alexa Robinson, center left, has been selected as the Georgia Adopt-a-Stream Trainer of the Year. In 2017, Robinson trained 149 citizens to act as scientists to assist in monitoring local waterways. Photo courtesy of Alexa Robinson

SHEILA A. MATHEWS :::

City of Griffin Watershed Protection Specialist Alexa Robinson has been selected as the 2017 Adopt-a-Stream Trainer of the Year. The Adopt-a-Stream program is the environmental education arm of the Georgia Environmental Protection Division, and the award represents Robinson’s efforts to teach classes, certify volunteers and monitor and participate in the crucial water quality program.

Robinson describes the program as one that develops scientists of citizens.

“This program is a water quality monitoring program that involves citizens. It gets them to be citizen scientists,” she said. “We train them – we give them the training, the tools, the knowledge and the courage to go and do water quality monitoring in their communities, and then all of their information that they collect is uploaded to a central database, collecting all of the water quality data that we could not.”

She said this volunteer base provides essential information that otherwise would be absent.

“As municipalities, we’re limited in how many people we have and how much time, and so this helps us because these people go through a workshop, they take a test and they have to follow strict protocol, so the water quality data they collect, we can trust it. It’s really great because they provide us information all across Georgia on bodies of water we’re not able to touch as often as we’d like,” Robinson said.

Although Robinson has been employed by the city of Griffin for less than a year and a half, she has been involved in the Adopt-a-Stream water quality program for ten years, and previously worked for the UGA Extension Service in Spalding County. Her work with the city of Griffin now provides her with greater means to increase the network of information on local water quality.

“In 2017, I trained 149 people, but my job is not just to train,” she said. “It’s also to reach out to people and create partnerships between them and the local government, so they’ll feel comfortable bringing their water quality issues to the local government.”

The effects of her work in Griffin reach well beyond the city limits. By training and equipping volunteers to conduct these important functions, Robinson is directly impacting water quality for literally many millions of people. This importance of this reach is something Robinson stresses.

“We all live in a watershed and everything we do effects our watershed and directly effects our water quality, and because of the way that our water systems are designed by nature, all the little streams and tributaries, they all lead to a greater body of water. That’s wonderful because it takes this little trickling stream – it starts out as a tiny little trickle – and eventually, when they all combine together, it creates this beautiful rushing river. Well, the issue with that is it also means that every single pollutant that enters each little tiny stream is going to end up joining together and combining into that beautiful river,” Robinson said. “So, for example, if we have the Flint River, which has a lot of issues, you have all of these pollutants entering this river through its little tributaries, and of course directly through runoff, so it’s very difficult to keep track of that. It takes a lot of hours and money and manpower, and as much as I would love to monitor streams every single day, I can’t, so these people, they’re our eyes on the ground. They’re our boots on the ground. They’re the ones who go out to these streams and they monitor, and they check the water quality and they help us keep a little better in touch with some of the smaller bodies of water that might be overlooked.”

Georgia EPD initiated the Adopt-a-Stream program 25 years ago. The importance of the data collected over those years is immense.

“That means that there is 25 years of data that people have been collecting on these water bodies, so that means if we’re going to start doing changes – if we’re going to start building things, if we want to design a new mall or want to build another part of the airport, when we have this water quality data, we can look at it and tell if we’ve impacted negatively or positively the water quality around us, so it gives us some really central information about how we’ve impacted our water,” Robinson said.

While she clearly is passionate about the importance of her work, Robinson also immensely enjoys it.

“To be able to have a job where I can be outside and work in the rain and crawl through bushes and find myself in yet another stream? I love that,” she said.

SHEILA A. MATHEWS :::

Reports circulating on social media alleging Spalding High School students who participated in today’s school walk out are being arrested are false.

According to Spalding County Sheriff Darrell Dix, his agency has made no associated arrests.

“No, nobody has been arrested. No arrests have been made. There was a protest over there. They all walked out. Nobody has been charged with anything. The majority of students went back into the classroom,” Dix said. “There were six that chose not to go back into class. Three of them eventually went back into class and the other three, their parents came to pick them up, and not a single one has been charged with anything.”

This photo of Terry Belvin, right, and Spalding County Sheriff Darrell Dix was released on social media by the SCSO upon Belvin’s swearing in as a deputy. Belvin has now resigned his post.

SHEILA A. MATHEWS :::

Terry Belvin, whose employment with the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office was met with strong criticism from some in the community, has resigned from his position as a deputy assigned to the Uniform Patrol Division.

“Belvin is no longer an employee out here,” said Sheriff Darrell Dix. “He knew what was coming and he resigned. I met with him and talked with him, and he decided to resign.”

Dix said this action was based on his discovery of problems with Belvin’s background investigation.

“After being contacted and responding to some of the social media issues that came out – some of the things that were brought up on social media – I went back and got his (Belvin’s) file and reviewed it,” Dix said. “I found out that there were some things not related to the automobile accident when two gentlemen died, or the (off duty) pursuit, but there were other issues that were left out of his background investigation. I verified those things and based on that, I met with Belvin and he decided to resign.”

Dix elaborated on Belvin’s initial background check by saying it constituted a failure.

“We failed on the background on him There were things in there that I was not made aware of,” he said, later adding, “There were incidents that I became aware of over the course of the investigation. Some of it, though various sources, I was able to verify.”

When asked if this failure included prior arrests including one for driving under the influence, Dix said, “Because of the confidentiality of criminal and driver history information, I can’t elaborate on it anymore.”He did say one piece of information not provided to him in the background investigation was a suspension from a prior law enforcement agency.“In 2014 when he was with the Barnesville PD, he was written up for being involved in a pursuit, and he violated policy in that pursuit,” he said.

Also, in 2014, on May 16, Belvin, while on duty, struck and killed two pedestrians – 21-year-old Quenton Byrd and 25-year-old Justen Shenard Sullivan. The two men were crossing Georgia Highway 3 when they were killed. Although a Lamar County grand jury declined to indict Belvin in that incident, he did voluntarily relinquish his law enforcement certification.

“As a result of those things not being in the background investigation, I transferred Todd Smith, who was my background investigator, back to the road as a road sergeant,” Dix said.

When asked if Smith had knowledge of the information Dix said would have excluded Belvin from employment, the Sheriff said, “Did he have knowledge of them? He should have, yes. That was one of the reasons that he was transferred from where he was back to the road.”

Dix also said, “Some of it was already in his file, but it wasn’t in the summary. I had to go back and find it, and there were other things I had to go back and review, as well, so it was a breakdown in the background process, but that’s been rectified.”

To ensure this failure is not repeated, Dix has changed the SCSO procedure for background investigations.

“What I’ve done to rectify that situation is after the background investigation is done on all applicants – once they get through the psychological and the background investigation – from this point forward, every applicant that goes through that process, before they’re hired, their packet is on my desk and I review every single page of them. Before, it was my background investigator saying, ‘Yes, they passed everything. They’re good to go,’ or looking at me and saying, ‘Yeah, we really need to take a pass on this one,’ but that’s not going to happen anymore. I’ll approve every person that we hire here,” Dix said. “Some people may say, ‘Well, you should have been doing that in the first place.’ There are few people who do that. They depend on their people who do their backgrounds, whether it’s in the private sector or in public sector. You know, the Atlanta PD has what, 3,000 or 4,000 officers up there, and I doubt very seriously that every single job applicant passes across the Chief’s desk, but now here – after this – every single one of them will cross through my hands before they’re hired.”

Dix stressed that while pertinent information was withheld from him, he accepts full responsibility for hiring Belvin.

“The responsibility ultimately lies with me because I’m the one that answers to the taxpayers,” he said. “Like I said, he’s (Belvin) gone, Todd Smith has been transferred out of that position and we have a thing in place now where all applicants will come across my desk for final approval. To me, it’s over and it’s done. It’s been dealt with and dealt with pretty harshly.”

SHEILA A. MATHEWS :::

With the revocation of its certificate of occupancy, 55 residents of the Roseview Apartments, located 519 McKneely St., have been displaced.

City of Griffin Chief of Staff Jessica O’Connor said the deadline for residents to move out was 4 p.m. Friday, but the legal saga leading up to that outcome was months in the making.

“They have been serious issues, primarily law enforcement and Code Enforcement issues, over the past three to four years,” she said. “It finally came to a head last year. The property was sold to an out-of-town landlord – he lives in Maryland. He paid $860,000 for these properties.”

That change of ownership occurred in February 2017, and city officials have been working with the current owner – Taurus Bracket – to resolve what has been described as potentially-life threatening safety concerns for more than half that time.

“We had already been working on property maintenance with the previous owner, and we did not know how bad it was. We were getting complaints from tenants was how we got involved,” O’Connor said. “So, we finally – when the property was sold and we talked to this guy who bought them – I talked to him back in August of last year and told him he had a lot of work to do. He seemed very sincere, he said that he was going to get it done. He said he didn’t know how bad they were until he started getting our property maintenance letters, so we waited until September. When he didn’t complete three of the tenant complaints, we wrote him Code Enforcement citations, brought him to court Nov. 9 and told him the repairs had to be done.”

O’Connor stressed that the code violations city officials have been working to resolve are of serious concern and classified as life safety violations.

“Now, these are smoke alarms are not in these apartments; there’s no CO (carbon dioxide) detectors; there’s no central heat, so a lot of these people are using gas space heaters. Some of them are turning on their stove – with no CO detectors and no smoke alarms; they don’t have fire separation in between the units, so there’s no fire retardant. If there’s a fire, which there has been in the past, there’s no fire separation up to the attic, as is required by code. A lot of them are divided without permit, so I think there’s supposed to be like 30 units and now there’s 41.  There have been a lot of appliances installed without permits.”

Authorities say prior to November 2017, the apartment units city officials had inspected involved work that had been improperly done, was not up to code and had been done without the requisite permits.

“When we went to court in November, we did give him an opportunity to fix it. He was found guilty and was told to fix it. If he fixed it, his fine would be cut in half. If he didn’t, he would have to pay the full fine,” O’Connor said. “In March, we still had not had any inspections called in. Well, in February, we filed contempt for not fixing the first three properties because at that point, we’d received eight more tenant complaints, so we’re up to 11 tenant complaints out of 41 units, which we thought was 30 at that time, so almost half at that point.”

Additional court proceedings followed in early March.

“Now, on March 1, he came down from Maryland, and the judge asked us why we had filed for contempt, and we said because none of the repairs had been made. He argued right then, ‘Yes, they have. Y’all just don’t know about it.’ ‘Well, that’s a problem, we said, because type of work has to be permitted and you haven’t pulled any permits,’” she said, before adding the following clarification. “He did pull two permits – Hammond Electric pulled the permits, and they did electric work and plumbing – but they never had it inspected, and it wasn’t the work that needed to be done to bring it up to code. He contested that in court two weeks ago, so we asked for an administrative search warrant to search all of the apartment because at that point, we felt that after having 11 of 30 – at that time, we thought 30 – if 11 of 30 were bad, then we knew more than likely, they were all bad, so we wanted to search all of them.”

Granted an administrative search warrant, numerous officials on March 2 converged on the Roseview Apartment complex, only to discover conditions worse than anticipated, O’Connor said.

“It included the Griffin Housing Authority’s building inspector because we didn’t want it to be the city’s and there to be any bias there since we’d already been dealing with it. So, we brought in the Housing Authority’s building inspector and asked him to do it. He came and wrote a 141-page report on March 2 with all of the violations there, most of which are electrical fire safety issues, that these people cannot live there,” she said. So, we did the inspection on Friday, March 2, which was the Housing Authority inspector, the fire marshal, the Code Enforcement officers, our building inspector and Mr. Brackett, the property owner, were all present at the inspection. They went through all 41 units and checked every single thing that was wrong, so he knew what to expect. And he was there, so he knew it was not going to be a good report.”

O’Connor said until March 2, Griffin officials were unaware of the extent of the danger posed by the apartments’ condition.

“We didn’t know until we got there that all of those issues had occurred and that we were not going to be able to allow anyone to live there. There’s also (an) infestation of rodents so bad that they can’t towel off because their towels are full of feces. They don’t have door knobs on their doors, so they’re using like the innards of the doors to pull them shut at night. They don’t have heat; they don’t have air conditioning. There’s been fires already in the electrical outlets because they aren’t GFI compliant, so they’re already arcing; they’re already causing problems.”

O’Connor said local officials on March 2 made clear how serious these safety issues are and outlined what work must immediately be completed.

“So, when we went on Friday, March 2, we told him he has a huge problem and he needs to begin working immediately. He said he would,” O’Connor said. “So, we sent him an overnight mail last Wednesday that he received last Thursday that said, ‘You have until next Thursday, now being yesterday, to either get enough units up to – not even code, but get those life safety issues corrected – the and we’ll let you move people around as long as the life safety issues are corrected.”

She explained that city officials have been and are continuing to work with Bracket to make every possible effort to rectify the unsafe conditions.

“We know he can’t get all 41 up to code. We know he can’t get all 41 up to life safety code. We were hoping he could do enough to keep there at least those who couldn’t find somewhere else to go. Instead, he came in and painted and did cosmetic stuff that isn’t life safety related,” she said. “When we went back yesterday to do the inspection to decide if we could let some people could stay, he was there. The judge, when we did our search warrant, also required the city to do a cost estimate for what needed to be done and figure out the assessed value of the property.”

In describing the vast extent of life safety code violations, O’Connor outlined the financial details resulting from the judge’s order.

“We did the tax assessor’s appraisal at this point, which the judge said was good enough for him. What he was trying to compare is what it’s worth compared with what it’s going to cost to fix it up, which we do every time in a nuisance abatement proceeding, which we have not filed a nuisance abatement petition. This is just based on the fact that he’s in contempt at this point,” she said. “The cost estimate came back at $656,000.”

O’Connor stressed that $656,000 will only cover bringing the units up to the state minimum. The assessed value stands at $440,000. It would cost an estimated $1.2 million to bring it up to a government-funding level.

“Even going with that, it’s $200,000 more to bring it up to state minimum and over a million to bring it up to any kind of government funded level. So, when we went back yesterday morning (Thursday) and he had not done anything to correct the life safety issues, we asked him to come to court since he was already here,” O’Connor said. “Based on the inspection done yesterday (Thursday), again by the Housing Authority’s building inspector, our building inspector, our fire chief actually went this time, and then our Code Enforcement officers, too, they went through four units and said it was deplorable, and nothing had been done to correct life safety issues. You can tell some work has been done, but it’s all cosmetic work, and we’re not quite sure why. We tried to explain to him in court yesterday, it’s not the cosmetic stuff we’re worried about. They can live there while he does that. He’s got to fix the smoke alarms, the CO detectors, the fire separation, the outlets. We have to cut power to the building because it’s too dangerous.”

Throughout this process, residents were not left in the dark by city officials, as they had been notified of the ongoing legalities and unsafe living conditions.

“The residents also received the letter, I should mention, from last week saying if he didn’t get it corrected, that they would have to move out today at 4, so they knew that last week. Now, I don’t know what he was telling them about getting it fixed and how they were going to be able do that, but they also received the notice this morning saying that he didn’t get it done, so they will have to be out by 4 today,” she said. “We have – the city has – been working with the Housing Authority, with the Red Cross, we’ve called a bunch of the churches around to try and get help, the Salvation Army, as well, so there are some resources for them, but we, as the city, don’t have the ability to relocate them, and because it is a landlord/tenant property, under the federal Relocation Act, the landlord is responsible.”

Meanwhile, city officials were again present at the Roseview Apartments Friday.
The city’s building inspector was working to assist Bracket to determine if temporary electrical power could be restored to some units to enable work to continue.

“Our building inspector went to determine which ones could be left on for temporary power, as long as it was safe, so that he could work on them. That’s sort of where we are,” O’Connor said. “It’s been a long couple of days, a very sad couple of days. This is not one of those where it’s like, oh, you’ve got some wiring that’s done incorrectly, or you have a water heater installed incorrectly, so we’re revoking your CO. No way. We’re not in the business of putting 55 people on the street. We have no desire to do this. We all know how big of a deal this is and we did not want to do this, but we have a two-year-old living in one of these units with open wiring everywhere. Everywhere. It’s been an awful few days.”

There is a bit of confusing circulating, with misinformation abounding on the current status of the complex.

“We have not condemned it. People get that confused all the time because condemnation means we took title to it, because when you condemn, you take title immediately. We did not condemn it. We don’t want to condemn it. We want to work with this guy so that he can get it fixed up, and it can be a great senior living facility or whatever it is he wants it to be. Right now, it’s just in the property maintenance status. We have not even filed a nuisance abatement petition on it. If he doesn’t do it voluntarily – get it fixed up – then we will do that, but we don’t think we’re to that stage yet because I think he wants to fix it up, I’m just not sure he understands. Well, I think he does now, but up until yesterday, I don’t think he understood what all that actually entails,” she said. “He’s been very nice in court. He’s been very understanding, compassionate and polite.”

Officials are also working closely with residents to assist them in a variety of ways and with multiple concerns.

“We do know that a lot of them were concerned about being able to get all of their stuff out. A lot of them had U-Hauls, and I think help from family. The (police) chief sent out an email this afternoon just saying people can go back and get stuff. Normally, when you revoke a CO, you’re not allowed to be there unless it is strictly to work actually – you can’t be there unless you’re working – so we are trying to make sure we’re being as extremely easy as possible to work with as possible. We’ve asked the PD to make extra stops by there – to be extra compassionate with people – and say what can we help you with? What can we take somewhere?” O’Connor said. “But that doesn’t mean people can be around the area hanging out.”

The city is also taking steps to ensure tenants will not be responsible for utilities during the repair process.

“The power and water were cut today,” she said, adding that tenants’ accounts have been discontinued. Tenants will be allowed to return upon resolution of life safety issues. Upon their return, the utilities will be put back in their names. There will be no reconnection fees or new deposits required.

“If there are any units he (Bracket) wants cut on, he’ll have to pay for them,” O’Connor said. “We’re trying to do every possible thing we can for these tenants because this is not their fault. At all.”

STAFF REPORT :::

The Griffin Police Department on Thursday apprehended four suspects after receiving a report of a home invasion in progress.

According to a press release issued by the GPD, personnel of the Uniform Patrol Division responded at approximately 1:09 p.m., with officers both making contact with the victim and saturating the area.

Officials say officers spotted the suspects fleeing the area of the Powers Court subdivision.

Officers of the Criminal Investigation Division (CID), Special Investigation Unit (SIU), K9 officers of the C.A.G.E. Unit and deputies of the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office all responded to the immediate area to assist in the apprehension of the alleged perpetrators.

The K9s were activated in the area and tracked two suspects in thick brush between area subdivisions.

A third suspect was apprehended by CID investigators while waiting in what has been described as a “getaway vehicle” at the end of Petticoat Lane.

Investigators contacted a fourth suspect late Thursday evening. That suspect agreed to come to GPD headquarters, where they were arrested and charged in this incident.

Kendrell Bryon Joseph,, of Griffin, Ericka Nada Thomas, of McDonough and two juveniles were arrested in connection to this home invasion.

Authorities say the circumstances of the case resulted in the juveniles being charged as adults.

The GPD reports physical evidence, including a stolen handgun allegedly used in the incident, have been recovered.

Additional charges are pending in this ongoing investigation.

STAFF REPORT :::

A month-long investigation into heroin distribution in Griffin-Spalding County resulted in the arrest of William Patrick Flanagan, who authorities say was involved in a multi-jurisdictional narcotics ring.

According to a press release issued by Sheriff Darrell Dix, Flannagan, age 48, was arrested March 14.

“In the past few months Flanagan’s name, along with others, started popping up as we looked in to a rise in the use of heroin. We have had calls from family members and parents of those who have loved ones that have started using it as their drug of choice and they are devastated at the results of the abuse,” Dix said. “As the investigation played out we found out that there were local distributors of heroin, one of which was Flanagan, that were being supplied by a source in Dekalb County. We contacted the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and they took the lead in the out-of-county portion of the investigation that eventually led them to distributors in Villa Rica and Dekalb County.”

The investigation also resulted in arrests and the recovery of allegedly stolen property in Dekalb County.

“On Friday March 16, 2018, the GBI, along with Dekalb County SWAT and agents from the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office, executed a search warrant at a residence in Dekalb County. During their search they located stolen firearms, a stolen motorcycle, from Spalding County, other stolen property, trafficking amounts of heroin and methamphetamine, and made several arrests. Those arrests will be announced via a press release forthcoming from the GBI,” Dix said. “It’s also ironic that the arrest of Ryan Archer on March 15, 2018 for aggravated assault on Spalding County Deputy Marc McIntyre whom he dragged across a parking lot with a vehicle, led to the recovery of a firearm that was linked back to the house in Dekalb County.”

Dix cited the cooperative nature of the investigation as crucial in the outcome of the monthlong investigation.

“The cooperation between the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office, the GBI, Georgia State Patrol, and Dekalb County played a huge role in the success of this investigation. We believe that the arrest of the source in Dekalb County that spun off from our initial investigation will put a big dent in the local distribution of both heroin and methamphetamine,” he said. “It links how thefts fuel the drug trade and clears up some local thefts as well as thefts from other jurisdictions. It further shows our determination to make Spalding County a safer place no matter where we have to go to do it.”

Flanagan has been charged with possession of heroin, possession of heroin with intent to distribute, possession of a Schedule Four controlled substance and possession of drug related objects.

STAFF REPORT :::

As part of a month-long investigation involving the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation West Metro Regional Drug Enforcement Office, four people were on Friday, March 16, arrested in Stone Mountain.

According to a press release issued by the GBI, Jermaine Montrel Johnson, Lindsey Michelle Anderson, Justin Phillip Lee Adams and Crystal Denise Hall were arrested on numerous narcotics and other charges.

Officials say agents developed information that Johnson, age 35, was allegedly distributing methamphetamine and heroin from his residence in Stone Mountain.

Upon the execution of a search warrant, agents reportedly seized marijuana valued at $11,000, powder cocaine valued at $6,000, methamphetamine valued at $28,000, heroin valued at $12,600 and a quantity of Xanax and Oxycodone pills.

Also located was $10,099 in U.S. currency, nine firearms – two of which were confirmed stolen – body armor, high-capacity magazines, what was described as a “large amount of ammunition” and a stolen motorcycle.

Johnson was charged with the sale of methamphetamine and heroin, trafficking of methamphetamine, trafficking of heroin, trafficking of cocaine, possession of marijuana more than one ounce, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of a Schedule II narcotic, possession of a Schedule IV narcotic and nine counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Anderson, Adams and Hall were charged with trafficking of methamphetamine, trafficking of heroin, trafficking of cocaine, possession of marijuana more than one ounce, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of a Schedule II narcotic, possession of a Schedule IV narcotic and nine counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Also assisting in the investigation was the DeKalb County SWAT Team and the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office.

Johnson and Anderson, age 31, are being housed in the DeKalb County Jail.

Adams, age 24, is being housed in Spalding County due to an outstanding warrant.
Hall, age 27, is being housed in Henry County due to an outstanding warrant.

Adams and Hall will later be transported back to DeKalb County for the warrants taken as a result of the search warrant.

Arrested March 14, in connection to this alleged distribution ring of heroin and other narcotics, was William Patrick Flanagan, of Griffin.

Flanagan has been charged with possession of heroin, possession of heroin with intent to distribute, possession of a Schedule IV controlled substance and possession of drug related objects.

STAFF REPORT :::

Spalding County Fire Department Chief Kenny West has retired.

According to a press release issued by Spalding County, West submitted his notice of retirement last week, and Wednesday, March 21, was his last date in service.

County officials say the process of transition will begin in an expeditious manner, and that the initial processes for recruiting a new fire chief have begun.

The position will be advertised in the coming months with the hope of hiring a new chief in the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2019.

In the interim, Deputy Chief Jamie Clark and Deputy Chief Glenn Polk will provide leadership and oversee daily operations of the department “with the full support and confidence of the Board of Commissioners and Spalding County administration,” the press release read.

The press release stated the Spalding County Board of Commissioners and staff expressed thanks to West for his many years of service to the county and its citizens, and for his dedication to the improvement of the Fire Department and its operations. He is wished well in his future endeavors.