SHEILA A. MATHEWS :::

The Tuesday morning evacuation and subsequent searches of Rehoboth Road Middle School and Spalding High School returned “negative results” related to an alleged threat reported earlier that morning.

According to Capt. Dwayne Jones, of the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office, the threats were reported by the Griffin-Spalding County School System.

“Evidently they had received some type of threat via social media about both schools,” Jones said. “The protocol, obviously we responded and searched both schools with negative results. Students and staff are safe and have been returned to class.”

WellStar Spalding Regional Hospital Emergency Medical Services did respond to Spalding High School. Officials report it was unrelated to the search.

“It was due to a student. That student has been treated, but I don’t know the status beyond that, but EMS was called,” Jones said.

Jones described the Sheriff’s Office’s response as swift and thorough.

“We responded as many people as we could obviously and we called for bomb detecting dogs – K9s to come assist. The Fire Department responded, which is normal protocol. School resource officers were already on the scene. Command Staff – Sheriff Dix was there, Chief Thomason was there along with as many patrol officers as we could make available,” Jones said. “We had a very good response. I don’t have the exact number, but we had a very adequate response. We had a more than adequate response.”

Jones also expressed gratitude to local school officials.

“We appreciate the assistance the Griffin-Spalding County school officials provided us. They were very helpful in providing us with the assistance we needed,” he said. “With their assistance, they made the evacuation and search flow extremely well with minimal disruption.”

Griffin-Spalding County School System Executive Director of Communications and Partnerships Kimberly Willis Green did not have specific information, but said her office was notified of the alleged threat early Tuesday morning.

“This information was reported to a school administrator and then we notified the Sheriff’s Department,” Green said.

She did not know who reported this information to the administrator.

“Our office learned of it after 9 a.m. and that’s when we were told administrators had notified the Sheriff’s Department,” Green said. “Part of our protocol is that whenever we receive a threat of that nature, we evacuate the students from their classrooms. They were evacuated to their designated evacuation sites away from the school building.”
Once the searches concluded, students and faculty returned to class and both schools resumed normal operations, she said.

Jones said additional information will be released when it becomes available.

“We’re still in the preliminary stage of the investigation. It has been assigned to investigators with our Criminal Investigation Division,” he said. “We do have people working on it.”

SHEILA A. MATHEWS :::

Multiple Griffin-Spalding County schools have been placed on a Level 1 lock down following threats made online.

According to Capt. Dwayne Jones, of the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office, the schools include Rehoboth Road Middle School, Kennedy Road Middle School, Cowan Road Middle School, Griffin High School, Spalding High School and Griffin Christian Academy.

The threat made Monday morning was posted to the same social media account as a threat that resulted in the full evacuations of Rehoboth Road Middle School and Spalding High School on March 12.

Authorities reiterated that Sheriff’s Office is actively investigating to identify and locate the person or persons responsible for these threats.

The schools under Level 1 lock down have not been evacuated, but deputies are present at each.

Parents should not go to these schools at this time as they will not be permitted entrance.

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

SHEILA A. MATHEWS :::

A Griffin man – Courtney Montez Thomas, age 35 – has been charged with animal cruelty as the Griffin Police Department (GPD) is investigating the circumstances that resulted in one dog being euthanized and the placement of three others in the custody of Spalding County Animal Control.

The investigation began Saturday, March 16, when Maddie Jacobs reported her concerns regarding dogs at her neighbor’s house located at 508 Melton St.

“She (Jacobs) could see into the back yard of this location and seen multiple dogs, possibly four or five, in pens in the yard. One of the dogs had half of it’s muzzle missing exposing its teeth and gums,” reported GPD Officer Brittany Mullins. “Another dog, a puppy, looked malnourished with ribs, hip bones, and bones in feet showing. Maddie also had photographs of these animals on her cellphone and photographs of ropes hanging from a tree that appeared could be used for training dogs in fighting ( all).”

After speaking with Jacobs, officers requested the assistance of Animal Control to investigate the allegation of dog fighting.

Animal Control Officer White and GPD officers attempted to contact Thomas at his residence, but there was no response. Mullins reported that neighbors were told officers would return throughout the night, and they were asked to call back if they noticed the dog’s owner had returned home.

Just prior to 8 p.m., the GPD was notified that lights were on at the residence, but upon their return, the owner did not appear to be home.

However, Mullins reported that at that time, White advised he believed the dogs needed to be seized without delay.

As officers awaited the issuance of a search warrant, the residents of 108 Melton St. returned home.

“While standing by for the search warrant the residents of 108 Melton arrived and I made contact. I made contact with Courtney Thomas, the dog owner, who advised he did not fight his dogs and was trying to nurse the puppy back to health,” Mullins stated. “Courtney advised the dog with the face injury was from an altercation between his dog and another one of his dogs over food. He stated he did not take the dog to the veterinarian out of fear that they would try to stay he fought his dogs. Courtney stated the puppy in the back he had just picked up from a friend’s house that had been arrested. The puppy had been left outside on a chain and he went and got it to nurse it back to health (sic all).”

According to Mullins, the search of the residence did not support an allegation of dog fighting.

“During our search, we did not find any indication of dog fighting. We did observe a total of five dogs in the backyard. One dog was on a chain, one was on a chain in a pen, and the others were in pens,” Mullins stated. “All the dogs were kept separate. There appeared to be proper housing for all the dogs except one. This dog simply had a barrel to sleep in, not a dog house. There were bowls for water and food for each dog. There was no food in any of the bowls, but I did observe two large bags of dog food in the kitchen of the residence. There was water in all the bowls except the puppy’s bowl. The water was not clean water, but they had water to drink. I observed the ropes that the neighbor had shown pictures of. There were not what they appeared in the pictures. There was also a treadmill in the backyard, but it was broken (sic all).”

Mullins reported that due to the condition of the injury to one dog’s muzzle, Thomas was arrested.

A warrant was obtained Sunday charging him with cruelty to animals.

Spalding County Animal Control Director Brent Foster on Monday described the condition of the four seized dogs.

“Originally four were picked up and one, because of his condition, was put to sleep. Three are still in our custody…They are being evaluated right now. They aren’t skin and bones on the brink of dying or anything like that,” he said. “We volunteered our services to bring the animals to a vet and have them evaluated by a vet since the city of Griffin had not done that, so that’s what’s being done now.”

Of the dog that was euthanized, Foster said his injuries were extensive.

“Horrific,” Foster said. “He was missing half his face. From my understanding – I was not there when the animal was taken to the vet over the weekend – but from my understanding those wounds were three weeks old or older.”

Foster said the three remaining dogs will remain at the Animal Shelter for the immediate future.

“The plan at this point is for us to maintain custody until the city of Griffin does their charges and it goes to court,” he said. “That is the plan as of now that I’m aware of.”

Publisher’s note – In an effort to obtain the most recent information available, The GRIP made multiple attempts to contact Griffin Police Department Public Information Officer Sgt. Chris Wilson, including phone calls, email and text messaging, but he did not respond.

STAFF REPORT :::

A 13-year-old Griffin youth was arrested Tuesday after police say he fled from officers.

According to a press release issued by the Griffin Police Department, as officers of the C.A.G.E. and Special Investigation units approached the boy at 118 Tinsley St., he allegedly discarded a bag of narcotics and attempted to flee on foot.

The discarded bag was found to contain 19 suspected ecstasy pills, authorities say.
He was soon apprehended without further incident.

Officials say he was unable to escape due to a self-inflicted gunshot wound sustained approximately two weeks ago.

The juvenile was transported to the Martha Glaze Youth Detention Center, and the drug case was turned over to the juvenile justice system.

STAFF REPORT :::

An investigation conducted by the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office Special Operations and C.A.G.E. units resulted in the arrest of Dustin Darville, 37-years-old, of Thomaston.

According to a press release issued by Sheriff Darrell Dix, the investigation, which included surveillance following Darville’s movements, concluded March 19, when he entered Spalding County and Investigator Cameron Arnold conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle he was driving.

Darville declined to give consent to search the vehicle, at which time Investigator Sheldon Mayfield deployed his K9, Ludo.

Officials say Ludo alerted on the vehicle, and the subsequent search resulted in the discovery of a substance believed to be methamphetamine that was found in the back seat in a soccer ball that had had been cut in half.

Darville was charged with possession of methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, trafficking methamphetamine and possession of marijuana less than one ounce.

He is being held in the Spalding County Jail.

The SCSO expressed appreciation to the Upson County Drug Task Force for its assistance during this investigation.

STAFF REPORT :::

A sixth-grade student of Rehoboth Road Middle School has been charged in connection with recent online threats against local schools.

According to a press release issued by Sheriff Darrell Dix, the male student has been charged with 12 counts of terroristic threats and acts and eight counts of disorderly conduct for allegedly making bomb threats against Rehoboth Road Middle School and Spalding High School on March 12, and against Spalding High School, Griffin High School, Rehoboth Road Middle School, Kennedy Road Middle School, Cowan Road Middle School and Griffin Christian Academy on March 18.

Officials say the juvenile offender used a cellphone and accessed Instagram through the Rehoboth Road Middle School’s WIFI system to distribute the threats, and explained that when investigators attempted to track the IP address of the cellphone, it returned to the Rehoboth Road Middle School WIFI system since the student was using that means to access the internet and the Instagram account.

Investigators allege in order to make the threats to the schools and a selected group of individual students, the offender highjacked another student’s Instagram account and changed the password so that the original student could not access the account. He also included his own real Instagram account name in the thread where the threats were being generated so as he was sending the threats he was also receiving the threats under his real name to make it appear that he was also a victim.

The student whose account was highjacked was questioned and he and his cellphone were with school system and law enforcement officials when other posts were made using his screen name. He does know the student that was charged but does not know how his Instagram account was taken over. There is no indication he had any involvement in the threats, and he is also considered a victim.

The student that charged in these incidents is cared for by his grandmother and she has been completely cooperative with Rehoboth Road Middle School staff and Spalding County Sheriff’s Office investigators.

The Sheriff’s Office says it will be difficult to hold the grandmother accountable for the child’s actions or to seek restitution from her since she had no knowledge that her grandson had a phone and did not know he was accessing social media.

The charged student’s parents cannot be held accountable for restitution, either, due to their current status in the child’s life, officials said.

Authorities describe this student’s life “the perfect storm for bad behavior to manifest itself,” and say he will be held accountable while also receiving other forms of help.
The student has been suspended from the school system, and a tribunal is pending as well as a Juvenile Court hearing.

The Sheriff’s Office said the success of this ongoing investigation resulted from the cooperative efforts of the Griffin-Spalding County School System – specifically various school administrators and their staff members, the superintendent’s office and staff and the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office. Appreciation was also expressed for the assistance provided by the Griffin Police Department Crime Scene Unit.

“We believe that this incident once again shows that the Griffin-Spalding County School System and the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office have taken a zero-tolerance stance when it comes to the investigation and prosecution of anyone that makes threats involving our schools or threatens the safety of our students and staffs,” Dix said. “This incident, along with past incidents involving threats via social media should not reflect negatively on the overall safety of our GSCS schools. These incidents have been random acts by a limited number of individuals. They have been taken seriously, acted on immediately, and brought to a conclusion.”

STAFF REPORT :::

Kareem Reid has been named Griffin High School Bears football head coach.

According to a press release issued by the Griffin-Spalding County School System, the Board of Education on Monday afternoon voted 4-0 to approve the recommendation of Reid as head coach.

Board of Education Member R. Syntel Brown was not present at the meeting.

Reid is currently the head football coach at Westlake High School in Atlanta. He is also Westlake’s physical education teacher.

During his tenure at Westlake, Reid led the team to win three consecutive GHSA Region 2-7A championships and three state playoffs in 2016, 2017 and 2018), was named Region 2-7A Coach of the Year in 2016 and 2018 and named the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Metro Atlanta/Fulton County Coach of the Year in 2016.

Since taking over Westlake’s football program in 2016, Reid’s football team included 25 magnet students, with team averaging a 2.8 GPA each semester. Additionally, Reid helped secure college scholarships for 41 student-athletes and he established a partnership with a local church for his team to participate in the annual Thanksgiving Basket Project.

Prior to Westlake High School, Reid served as a physical education teacher, head coach and assistant athletic director for Coconut Creek High School in Broward County Schools, where he elevated a winless football program to national recognition in three years.

Reid’s 2015 team was nationally ranked 56th in pre-season and eighth in Florida 5A Poll, and featured five All-County selections, four All-State selections and an unprecedented three U.S. Army All-American Bowl participants.

Reid was also selected as the 2015 Broward County Athletic Association All-Star Game head coach.

He also held defensive coordinator and teaching positions at Pebblebrook High School in the Cobb County School District and Cedar Grove High School in the DeKalb County School System.

A native of North Miami, Reid began his career in education and coaching as a social studies teacher and defensive coordinator/defensive line coach at F.P. Westwood High School in Fort Pierce, Fla.

He holds a bachelor of arts in criminal justice from the University of Central Florida and is currently a candidate for the master of arts in teaching health and physical education at Georgia State University.

“We are very excited about Coach Reid joining the Griffin High School Football Program,” said Griffin High School Principal Dr. Darrell Evans. “He will bring a strong offensive and defensive football philosophy with a focus on structure and academics.”

Antonio Andrews resigned as head football coach at Griffin High School last month to accept the head football coach position at Woodland High School in the Henry County School District.

STAFF REPORT :::

An arrest has been made in an alleged kidnapping and assault in Griffin’s City Park that left one woman badly injured.

According to a press release issued by the Griffin Police Department, Terene White on March 20 sought treatment at WellStar Spalding Regional Hospital for extensive injuries including a fractured nose, other injuries to her face and multiple injuries to her body.

White reported to investigators that a friend dropped her off at City Park to pick up her vehicle. She said her ex-boyfriend, 27-year-old Marcus Waller, appeared and confronted her in the park.

She alleged that Waller assaulted her both as she was standing and on the ground.

Waller allegedly dragged her by her hair across the pavement, forced her into his truck and continued to beat her once inside the vehicle.

White said Waller told her he would take her to the hospital for treatment of her injuries if she agreed not to tell anyone what happened.

Authorities say Waller then dropped off the victim at the hospital, which is adjacent to City Park.

Investigators located Waller’s truck in City Park but could not locate the suspect.

His truck was impounded, and officials say items inside Waller’s vehicle corroborated White’s report.

Arrest warrants for Waller were obtained, and officials say Waller on March 25 communicated through his attorney his intention to turn himself in.

Waller turned himself in to the Spalding County Jail the following day, where he is being held on charges of kidnapping, aggravated battery, damage to property, false imprisonment, battery, simple battery and disorderly conduct.

STAFF REPORT :::

A cooperative investigation of the Sheriff’s Offices of Spalding and Fayette counties has resulted in the arrest of two men related to a series of ATV thefts.

According to a press release issued by Sheriff Darrell Dix, the thefts occurred in western Spalding County and Fayette County.

Arrested were Michael Edward Roberts, of Griffin, and Eric O’Conner, of Forest Park.

Each have been charged with theft by taking.

O’Conner posted a $23,000 bond and was released from the Spalding County Jail.

Roberts is being held without bond in the Fayette County Jail.

Officials say several ATVs were recovered and returned as a result of this investigation, which is ongoing, and additional arrests are anticipated.

Anyone who has recently purchased online a four-wheeler, motorcycle or ATV-type vehicle is encouraged to contact law enforcement to ensure the legitimacy of the purchase.

Purchasers are also encouraged to have sellers contact them at the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office so that the validity of the item for sale can be verified.

SHEILA A. MATHEWS :::

Online reports that a dead body was located in the Hillandale subdivision are false.

Spalding County Coroner Sonny Foster confirmed statements to that effect are “totally erroneous.”

The GRIP has placed a phone call to Griffin Police Department Public Information Officer Sgt. Chris Wilson requesting a return call. Additional information on the nature of this morning’s law enforcement activity in that area will be reported as it is received.

STAFF REPORT :::

A two-hour standoff Friday afternoon ended with the arrest of 23-year-old Reginald Collier, who was wanted in connection with a March 27 robbery of the Dollar General store located at 21 Bicycle Road.

According to a press release issued by Sheriff Darrell Dix, personnel of the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office’s Criminal Investigations Division, Special Operations Unit, CAGE Unit and Fugitive Apprehension Unit at approximately 4 p.m. took Collier into custody.

“Investigators were quickly able to identify Collier as a suspect and have been working to locate him. at approximately 2:00 today Investigators went to 829 North Hill Street apartment 205 where they learned he had been residing,” Dix said. “As they entered the apartment Collier, who was in another room retreated to a closet. While in the closet he accessed the attic of the apartment and refused to come out.”

Dix said this led to the decision to call out additional resources, including the agency’s SWAT Team.

“Due to his actions we responded our SWAT Team and one of our K-9’s. We set up a perimeter around the building an (sic) obtained a search warrant for the residence,” Dix said. “When the team made entry, they called to him and he did not respond. He did not respond when he was told the K-9 would be placed in the attic and he would be bitten. At that point we decided to announce the intention of deploying OC spray into the attic. OC was deployed in the attic, and Collier decided to call out to us that he was surrendering. He came to the Swat Team as commanded and was taken in to custody without further incident ending the 2-hour stand-off. He was immediately transported to Spalding County Criminal Investigations where he is being questioned.”

Dix said Collier may be a suspect in additional local crimes.

“There is a strong possibility that he is one of the suspects the Griffin Police Department is seeking for additional charges relating to robberies that have occurred inside the city limits. They have been contacted and responded investigators to the scene,” he said.

As of Friday evening, Collier has been charged with one count of robbery and obstruction of officers, with other charges pending.

Also arrested was 18-year-old Caleb Barkley, who has been charged with obstruction of a law enforcement officer and hindering the apprehension of a fugitive.

Both men are being held in the Spalding County Jail.

STAFF REPORT :::

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is investigating the death of a Spalding County Jail inmate.

According to a press release issued by Sheriff Darrell Dix, the man’s death occurred Friday afternoon.

Authorities say deputies were notified at approximately 2 p.m. today that the inmate was in distress, and jail medical personnel and deputies responded immediately, administering aid until the arrival of emergency medical services personnel.

The Spalding County Fire Department and EMS took over treatment upon arrival, and the inmate was transported to the emergency room of WellStar Spalding Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The Sheriff’s Office reported the GBI was immediately notified and was on site at the jail Friday afternoon.

“Misinformation has been posted on social media regarding the time that the first inmate called for help to the deputies’ response,” Dix said. “The deputies’ response time was less than one minute. This has been verified by video.”

The GBI is investigating at the request of Dix.

STAFF REPORT :::

The Spalding County Jail inmate who died Friday has been identified as 44-year-old Denver Charles Perkins, who was in custody awaiting trial on charges of child molestation and aggravated sexual battery.

Sheriff Darrell Dix reported jail staff was alerted to an inmate in distress at approximately 2 p.m. Friday, and said they responded in less than one minute and rendered aid until the arrival of the Spalding County Fire Department and Emergency Medical Services.

Perkins was transported to the emergency room of WellStar Spalding Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

At the request of Dix, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation is investigating Perkins’ death.

SHEILA A. MATHEWS :::

Spalding County Coroner Sonny Foster is seeking the public’s assistance in locating relatives or friends of a homeless man who died after being struck by a vehicle.

The collision occurred in the early morning hours of March 24, when 70-year-old Thomas Earl Cummings reportedly entered the roadway in the area of North Expressway and Ellis Road.

Critically injured, Cummings was transported to the Trauma Unit of Grady Memorial Hospital. Cummings sustained multiple fractures and eventually succumbed to his injuries Wednesday, April 10.

“He never regained consciousness. He stayed in a coma the entire time,” Foster said.

“According to the hospital, he never had any visitors and has no identified next of kin,” Foster explained. “So, he’s basically homeless and unclaimed. We brought him back to Griffin and right now, he’s over at Haisten-McCullough Funeral Home.”

Having been unable to identify any relatives, Foster is asking for the community’s help.

“If anyone knows him, knows of any next of kin or anybody who might be concerned or anything whatsoever, they can certainly call me or they can call you at the newspaper,” he said. “It’s just a tragic situation and someone out there might know him. If we can find any next of kin or close friends who might know of anybody. If we can just find out something about him.”

Trooper Logan Pryor, of the Georgia State Patrol-Griffin Post, is also seeking Cummings’ next of kin.

“His ID is not from Griffin; it’s from Powder Springs,” Pryor said.

It is unknown how long Cummings had been in Griffin.

Foster said Cummings’ relatives are being sought for notification purposes only and will not be responsible for paying the expenses associated with his final arrangements.

“The Coroner, along with the funeral home, will take care of everything concerning (the expenses). That is our responsibility and we will take care of it and give him a proper service. I have to do what my heart tells me to do. I have compassion for him. I will not bury anyone without a preacher and a graveside service,” Foster said. “It’s sad that there are people that nobody knows them. Somewhere, this man’s got kin people. It breaks my heart to have to go get somebody and not know what to do with them and have all these question marks. He’s a human being. Somewhere, somebody – this man has kin people that love him. I have compassion for him. He’s a human being, and he deserves dignity.”

Anyone with information pertaining to Cummings family or friends may contact Foster at 678.859.1564 or The GRIP at 770.713.5839.

STAFF REPORT :::

A Spalding County man is in jail tonight on numerous felony narcotics charges after a search warrant conducted by personnel of the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office.

Marty Manley was arrested by members of the SCSO CAGE Unit and SWAT Team after the warrant was executed at his residence located at 553-A Poplar Drive.

According to a press release issued by Sheriff Darrell Dix, Manley has been known for years as a drug distributor in Spalding County, and has been arrested and convicted multiple times on both drug and other charges.

“Being a multi time and possibly armed offender, Spalding County S.W.A.T. conducted the entry after deploying a distraction device outside of the residence,” Dix said. “When entry was made, Manley attempted to retreat to the bathroom and tried flush the methamphetamine down the toilet. S.W.A.T. team members followed him into the restroom. As a result, Manley was taken into custody and his methamphetamine was recovered inside of the toilet, removed from the house’s plumbing, the floor around the toilet where Manley had previously been standing in the bathroom as he met the S.W.A.T. deputies, and elsewhere in the residence.”

Dix went on to describe the stance his office has taken regarding narcotics in Spalding County.

“Marty Manley has been a thorn in the side of the residents on the west side of the county for years. His residence along with several others in that immediate area have been responsible for selling methamphetamine, multiple thefts, and other crimes. The good people who live in that area are tired of the illegal activity and the untouchable attitude and boldness that this trash has brought to their community,” he said. “We have already visited several of the problem houses, made arrests, issued citations, and taken a high visibility approach to deter crime. We have assured these criminals that their life is about to be miserable. We are working with Spalding County Code Enforcement in the area and have had power service pulled from one of the problem houses due to code issues. Just like with anywhere we go, we will use every resource available to stop them, arrest them, run them out, or move them on. The option they choose is on them.”

Manley is being held in the Spalding County Jail on charges of trafficking methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of methamphetamine, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of drug related objects, obstruction of officers and tampering with evidence.

STAFF REPORT :::

The Griffin Police Department is investigating the Monday afternoon shooting of a seven-year-old boy.

According to a press release, personnel of the Uniform Patrol Division, Griffin Fire-Rescue and WellStar Spalding Regional Hospital Emergency Medical Services responded in emergency mode to the call in the Griffin Crossings apartment complex.

Upon arrival, the victim was located with a gunshot wound to the abdomen.

The young boy was transported by ambulance to a landing zone from which he was flown by medical helicopter for medical treatment.

Authorities say the victim and an eight-year-old child were home alone when a .45 caliber handgun was found in the residence.

Investigators say the children were playing with the weapon, and the shooting is believed to have been accidental, resulting from mishandling the firearm.

The Griffin Police Department is working with the Spalding County Department of Family and Children Services regarding some aspects of the case.

The investigation is active and ongoing.

At the time this press release was issued, the young victim was still in surgery and his status was unknown.

Math Night presents families with an opportunity to improve students’ mastery of math skills. Submitted photo

SHEILA A. MATHEWS :::

Parents and their children have an opportunity tonight to learn how to work together to strengthen math achievement.

The Math for Adults Foundation is holding a free Math Night from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. tonight in the Southern Crescent Technical College Event Center located at 501 Varsity Road.

The event is for families of students in kindergarten through eighth grade, and will help parents learn how to assist their children master math achievement.

“Parents are making an effort and we want to encourage that any way we can,” said Executive Director of the Math for Adults Foundation Dr. Andrea Knapp.

Southern Crescent Technical College students will be assisting with hosting the event, which will include free childcare, pizza and refreshments served for supper and an Easter egg hunt.

For additional information or to register, please email the names and number of children attending to Dr. Knapp at aknapp@mapsfoundation.com or call 309.287.2373. (Preregistration is not required, but this information will help organizers to best prepare for the evening.)

STAFF REPORT :::

The investigation initiated Monday when a seven-year-old boy sustained a gunshot wound to the abdomen continues.

Sgt. Chris Wilson, of the Griffin Police Department, on Tuesday reported the young child remains hospitalized but is expected to recover.

“According to reports given to the lead investigator, surgery went well and the child is expected to make a full recovery,” Wilson stated in an mass press email. “He is expected to be under hospital care for a week or so.”

Wilson said the shooting victim and an eight-year-old who was also present at the time of the incident were left in the care of an adult. It was reported on Monday that the two children were home alone in the Griffin Crossings apartment complex when the child was shot with a .45 caliber handgun.

“The children were left in the care of an adult. There is no charges in relation to the accidental shooting (sic),” Wilson said Tuesday. “There are other aspects of the case that are going to require further investigation.”

Wilson also said that “out of respect and privacy for the family,” the GPD will not identify the medical facility providing the victim’s treatment.

SHEILA A. MATHEWS :::

The GRIP has confirmed through the Griffin Police Department that no adults were present in the apartment Monday afternoon when a seven-year-old boy sustained a .45 caliber gunshot wound to the abdomen this in the Griffin Crossings apartment complex.

A press release from GPD Public Information Officer Sgt. Chris Wilson, a supervising investigator on the case, initially reported the children were home alone.

“It was discovered that the 7 year old victim and an 8 year old child found a .45 caliber handgun at the residence while home alone (sic all),” the Monday evening press release stated.

On Tuesday, Wilson again emailed media, this time providing a conflicting narrative.
“The children were left in the care of an adult,” Wilson said.

A subsequent social media post by the Griffin Police Department later Tuesday night stated, “It was discovered that the 7 year old (sic) was left in the care of another adult. The investigation determined that the children were not left at the complex alone.”

The GRIP on Wednesday sought to clarify these conflicting statements, to which Wilson responded by email, “For clarification for you, the 7 year old (sic) boy was left in the care of another adult. The adult was not present at the time of the accidental shooting.”

Wilson further stated part of the investigation remains to be completed, and that a release will be issued upon its conclusion.

Wilson on Tuesday further stated, “There is (sic) no charges in relation to the accidental shooting.”

The GRIP has placed multiple phone calls this week in an effort to speak with Wilson or GPD Chief Mike Yates regarding this incident, but no return phone calls have been received. 

SHEILA A. MATHEWS :::

The Spalding County Coroner’s Office has not yet been able to locate the next of kin of Thomas Earl Cummings, the 70-year-old homeless man who died April 10 as a result of injuries he sustained when struck by a vehicle March 24.

“We have pretty well exhausted all means to identify next of kin. Everything that we tried didn’t work out,” Coroner Sonny Foster said Wednesday. “I have called all over this country and the only contact I’ve made is a (former) step-son who hasn’t seen him since he was ten-years-old, and he’s in his 30s now.”

Foster said some information has been gleaned from his office’s investigation.

“We do know he’s a veteran. He served in Vietnam for two years, so he is a veteran,” Foster said.

This information will greatly influence how Cummings will be honored.

Foster said at this point, he intends to cremate Cummings and hold a funeral service at a later date. Those arrangements will be forthcoming.

“We’re going to bury him with honors in Veteran’s Cemetery in the Griffin City Cemetery,” he said.

Foster said he still hopes Cummings’ relatives may still come forward.

“We still have hopes that someone may come forward. We’re still trying to do the right thing with what little information we’ve got,” he said. “Somewhere, somebody knows him.”

Meanwhile, Foster knows Cummings will be honored in death as a veteran who served his nation.

“Veterans cannot be buried as a pauper or an indigent person. They are buried in a military cemetery. That is the least we can do. Local military members and veterans always do a good job and others may want to come and pay their respect,” he said. “They’re not forgotten, that’s for sure.”