The Anniston Star from Anniston, Alabama • Page 12

Aug. 3, 1990 Page 13A Newsletter accuses. Ghee of deception By Robin DeMonia Star Staff Writer Ghee faces four other Democrats in a special Democratic primary Aug. 14 for the state Senate seat. Ghee was certified as the winner after the party's original June primary, but Secretary of State Perry Hand withdrew certification after determining that Ghee had filed a campaign report late.

The Democratic winner faces Republican James in November. Among the issues raised and accusations made in the newsletter: Under a heading. "Inflated Reporting," Brunson notes that some contributors to Ghee's campaign also received payments from the campaign. Williamson, the principal developer of the Williamson Commerce Center, gave $4,000, and his Auto Laundry Car Wash business got $9,875 back for rent payments and telephone banks, according to Ghee's financial reports. See Newsletter 16A nian tactics and called the newsletter "an idiotic piece of literature." Ghee described it as a "smear sheet" and said it is "full of lies and innuendo." "I hate to see a small element of the Republican Party sink so low as to try to smear some people's good names," Ghee said.

.1 would call on Mike James to repudiate this type of campaigning." James said he is not a member of the Young Republicans and played no part in the newsletter, which he said was mailed to his home. While he might have written it differently, James said he found nothing offensive in Brunson's article. "The part I read did not question (Ghee's) personality," said James, who has criticized negative campaigning. I didn't see anything of a smear to it." On the other hand, James said the article's slant was natural. "This is not a public newspaper he said.

"It's not The Anniston Star or The Birmingham News. It is a political newsletter." The campaign manager for state Senate candidate Mike James has written and mailed a newsletter this week accusing a Democratic opponent, Doug Ghee, of extensive deception in his campaign. The Young Republican Outlook article, which went to about 1,000 households, is headed "Ghee's Bodyguard of Lies." It raises further questions about Ghee's campaign filings and other activities in the race. Tim Brunson, James' campaign manager and chairman of the county Young Republicans, said the publication is not a personal attack on Ghee and that the article is not connected to James' campaign. "If bringing the facts out and asking those questions is scandalous, then I'm sorry," Brunson said.

Williamson, a Ghee supporter mentioned in the newsletter, accused Republicans of reverting to "Nixo- A Mike James Doug Ghee ir Drug suspects crowd Talladega County jail Walker: Race isn't a factor By Jena Heath Star Staff Writer By Jenny Labalme Star Staff Writer fi 1 1 v'l Cliff Walker, the Republican party's first black statewide candidate, his experience, not his color, is what qualifies him for the Public Service Commission. 1 ft 0 "I'm not running because I'm black," he said as he accompanied Republican U.S. Senate candidate Bill Cabaniss in Anniston on Thursday. "I hnvA a crrwf KniW 4 SUX I 1 Hi at 'fa 1 All 1 fry Undercover agents have only found the drug in the Childersburg and Sylacauga areas. Ms.

Grace said it is unclear where Darby and other dealers are obtain-ingthe heavily restricted medication. Of the 99 indictments handed down for possession and intent to distribute an illegal substance, 57 were initiated by the work of four Alabama Beverage Control undercover drug agents, said ABC Supervisor Barry Cravey. The drug task force, made up of police from the county's five cities and sheriff's department personnel, was also assisted by Alabama Bureau of Investigation narcotics agents, U.S. Department of Treasury investigators, the Auburn police and the St. Clair County sheriff's department.

Here is a list of those arrested: Luther Averette, 29, 105B Drew Court, Sylacauga; Joyce Russell Babbs, 33. 506B Talladega Downs Talladega; Willie Beavers, 38. Rt. 5 Box 716, Talladega; Byron D. Braxton, 22, address unavailable; Joseph Tyrone Buchanan, 23, 1019 W.

Battle Talladega; Larry Cochran, 44, Rt. 8 Box 304, Talladega. John Albert Coleman, 41, Rt. 1 Box 530, Childersburg; Robert Henry Compton, 19, Rt 1 Box D-27, Sylacauga; Chris Cotton, 18, Rt. 2 Box 290B, East-aboga; Freddie Lee Darby, 43, Rt.

7 Box 499, Sylacauga; Willie James Davis, 29, 901 Cruiksnank, Talladega; Franklin Edwards, 34, address unavailable. Henry Elston, 38, Rt. 6 Box 208, Talladega; Dexter Embry, 26, Lock 4 Road, Lincoln; Walter Fomby, 21, 519 Davis Road, Talladega; Ricky Joe Gaffney, 40, Johnson's Bottom, Sylacauga; Willie Hall, 36, Rt. 6 Box 208B, Talladega. Bonnie Heath, 36, 3 Virginia Sylacauga; Tammy Jacks, 25, address unavailable; Anthony Earl Kelly, 33, 32 Westgate Talladega; Lyndon Lauderdale, 21, address unavailable; James McKenzie, 19, 80B White Road, Talladega.

See Drugs1 5A ST rfV TALLADEGA Drug suspects have been sleeping on the floor of the already overcrowded Talladega County jail since police rounded them up during a countywide raid Tuesday morning. "They've been sleeping in the hallway, so it's been tough," said Lt. Charles Bonner of the Talladega sheriff's department. "Some of them are sleeping in the bullpen." Twenty-four of the 51 people arrested by late Tuesday afternoon remained in jail this morning. The rest have posted bail.

Arraignment is set for Aug. 13. The raid was the first public roundup by the reorganized Talladega County Unified Narcotics Operation, headed by Jamie Grace, a former Talladega police investigator. The force is seeking to rebound from the drug conviction last spring of its previous leader, Talladega police Lt. Mike "Bubbles" Martin." He's serving a 46-month term for possession with intent to distribute and is not eligible for parole.

Suspects were arrested for selling crack, cocaine, marijuana and Mepergan Fortis, a Demerol-like prescription pain pill users grind up and shoot intravenously, Ms. Grace said. About half the suspects are white men, Ms. Grace said. The rest are almost all black men.

Five women-were arrestetl. One suspect may find it easier than most to adjust to his surroundings. Talladega County jail trusty, Donald Lee Reaves, 30, who lists his address as the county jail, was caught selling drugs while awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to a drug charge in Calhoun County, Ms. Grace said. Police also arrested Freddie Darby, 43, of Syl-acauga, who Ms.

Grace described as the county's major dealer of Mepergan Fortis. aVaY Walker ground in banking, real estate and the insurance industry, and these are what give me a broad base of knowledge." In his first bid for public office, 48-year-old Walker says his candidacy for the Place 2 seat on the PSC also shows blacks are making inroads and that the Republican party has broadened. If he defeats incumbent Demo cratic PSC candidate Charles Martin in the November general lea Market These two dummies seem like they're sneaking up on 4-year-old Mandy Harry at Harry's Flea Market in Talladega. Mandy, the daughter of Becky and Robert E. Lee Harry of Munford, was taking a rest as she visited Harry's on Thursday.

Environmentalists hope program can benefit all Rep. Slaughter, who accused the Hunt administration of By Frederick Burger Star Political Writer involves deciding what kinds of lands to buy and proposing ways to fund the purchases. Environmentalists attending the meeting, however, are pushing for more representation on the committee. "I'd be more optimistic if a wider range of environmental groups were represented," said W. Peter Conroy, president of the Alabama Conservancy.

I don't feel the commission is as well rounded as it could be." Conroy, the curator of Anniston Museum of Natural History, asked Conservation Department Commissioner Jim Martin to urge Hunt to expand the committee and include representatives of the Alabama Conservancy and the Sierra Club. Martin indicated that he would. I want to get a bill we can all be happy with," said Kathy Cooley, executive director of the Nature Conservancy, who is -already on the committee. Representatives of the Sierra Club and the two conservancy groups strongly pushed legislation earlier this year that would have established a land-acquisition program. Sponsored by Rep.

Bill Slaughter, R-Birmingham, the proposal failed because of strong opposition from the Hunt administration, which opposed its funding plan, and from hunters, who thought the proposal ignored their interests. The fight drew comments of anger and frustration from ignoring a critical need that other states addressed long ago. When Slaughter's proposal was introduced in the House, the Hunt administration said it preferred to study the idea and issue its own proposal after this year's gubernatorial election. Commissioner Martin said the Hunt administration first discussed such a program in 1987, shortly after the governor took office. He said a study committee was agreed to last October, but the committee was not appointed until this past Jan.

26. Thursday was the group's first meeting. Rep. Slaughter initially proposed using oil-and-gas revenues to fund his proposal. But the Hunt administration objected, saying those moneys should continue to go into the Alabama Trust Fund, which generates interest income for the beleaguered General Fund.

Hunt still opposes using the principle from the trust fund. And he said any land acquisition program should be funded through interest income. With the General Fund always desperate for more revenues to maintain existing programs, and federally mandated programs coming bn line, it is not clear where the state will find any significant extra money to fund a land-acquisition plan. MONTGOMERY Environmentalists are hopeful that a state land-acquisition program can be fashioned to serve hunters as well as protect endangered, environmentally sensitive lands in Alabama. Their optimism stemmed from the organizational meeting Thursday of the Governor's Forever Wild Committee, which Gov.

Guy Hunt has charged with developing legislation that will initiate a land acquisition program in the state. Many other southern states have developed and funded such programs in recent years. Talk of implementing a similar program here has gone on since before Hunt entered office'. Alabama, however, is still groping to implement its own plan to buy and protect lands for future generations to enjoy. Some environmentalists have been at odds with hunting interests over what kinds of lands to buy, but the talk at Thursday's meeting indicated that members of the 33-member committee recognize a broad range of needs that would include but not exclusively involve the purchase of hunting preserves for public use.

The committee hopes to draw legislation to present to next year's Legislature, which convenes in April. Their work election. Walker would become the second black to hold a statewide office. The first is Associate Supreme Court Justice Oscar Adams. Walker said reexamining a number of items that come before the PSC would be a top priority if elected.

The three-member PSC sets rates for electricity, gas, telephone and train and truck transportation. "When I get to the PSC, everything is on the table," he said. Among the areas he would look at are why some of the state's utilities rates are among the highest in the nation. In addition, he wants to see if the current rate stabilization and equalization program a formula the PSC uses to adjust utility rates is working properly. Affordable rates for low-income residents would also be a top issue, but Walker said he would not propose a plan until he is in office.

To increase the agency's exposure. Walker said he would work to reinstitue pubic PSC hearings, which were scrapped eight years ago. While Walker said he hasn't talked with Martin, he said that running against an incumbent is not a disadvantage. "Most people I talk to don't even know who Charles Martin is; his name recognition is about as high as mine," he said. "So we're really starting at the same spot." Walker was most recently community services director with the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs.

He has quit that job to campaign full-time. The Greene County native is a former branch manager and assistant vice -president with AmSouth Bank. The Republican Executive Committee chose Walker to run for the PSC about three weeks ago. The original nominee, Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board Lt. Troy Woodall, was killed in a helicopter crash May 30.

Kid Play arrested for 'extra gyrations' AUGUSTA, Ga. Rap singers Christopher Martin, 28, and Christopher Reid, 26, paid fines of $550 and were freed after being arrested at the Augusta-Richmond County Civic Center. The two, known as "Kid 'n Play," were arrested Thursday night for "simulating sex" during their show, police reported. "We were just doing the show," said Martin. "A little extra gyration stuff nothing offensive, we thought," said Reid.

Cabaniss' takes the offensive Chalk Line attracts investor r' jt 'i 'a By Robert Woodrurn Star Staff Writer OXFORD Mountain Brook Re-" publican Bill Cabaniss sharpened his attacks Thursday against U.S. Sen. Howell Heflin, calling the incumbent Democrat "the epitome of politics in the past of Alabama" at a lunch for Calhoun County Re-publicans. Cabaniss, who spoke to about 40 people at Western Sizzlin', said Heflin's votes against the nominations of Robert Bork to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1987 and U.S.

-Attorney Jeff Sessions to a federal judgeship in South Alabama in 1986 proved he was out of step with the average Alabamian. "He's like so many people who have gone to Washington and want to retire there," Cabaniss saidf After the luncheon, Cabaniss said See Cabaniss15A By Mike Stedham Star Business Writer A $2 million investment by a Tennessee-based equity partnership will allow Chalk Line Inc. of Anniston to expand its product line, officials of the apparel company announced Thursday "The equity provided by Bradford Capital Partners will be used primarily to support the current rapid growth of our business and the extension of our product line through the addition of said Chalk Line President Chuck Kunz. "Chalk Line is a perfect example of what we are looking for in a company," said Tom Prichard, principal with BCP. "They are an outstanding company with a strong management, team and terrific growth potential.

They heeded equi- See Chalk15A Car-train crash One person lost his life when a freight train been several wrecks along this stretch which crashed into his car outside of Vance. There have runs from Birmingham to Tuscaloosa..