The Macon Telegraph from Macon, Georgia • 12

2B Wednesday May 1 2 1999 The Macon Telegraph 744 4493 a yw 5M cl Wk Unification: I think the sheriff and the chief of police both should quit Then merge the city and county and get new leadership The next time I see (Sheriff) Robbie Johnson somebody remind me to bow and kiss his ring While I am bent over some body kick me What happened to all these things they say when 1 running for public office about the good they want to do for the community? It is nothing but turf protection Speed kills: The person with bad luck who ran over two rabbits a squirrel and two birds missed the point which is is to slow down and let live Sure there are times when it is unavoidable It is my belief that human beings are smart enough to know that anything alive beside the road might dart out into the street all of a sudden If you have slowed down in all probability you can stop before running over something Phew: Macon stinks and it often shares its stink with its neighbors Coverage: Why The Macon Telegraph cover any Windsor Academy sporting events? Why you cover the region championship game against Stratford? you real ize that the people in south Bibb County buy the Macon paper also? This is a big disappointment to all of us in south Bibb County Bring breakfast I would like to see a franchise doughnut shop at the Kroger Plantation Centre on Zebulon Road It would be very helpful in the morning Kosovo aid: I am calling about the concert peace rally etc suggested for Kosovo Please respond in Straight Talk as to what is going on and where I can participate Kudos: There was an excellent letter on the editorial page riday by Carolyn Jones I think that if everybody thought that way the world would be a better place I just read the column in by Hilary Hilliard a 17 year old She is wise beyond her years I wish she could spread what she knows to all teen agers You go girl Cameras: I think that they should take the cameras out of the school and off the buses That is an invasion of our privacy Authorities tell teen agers not to break the law Yet in return they break the law by invading our privacy with cameras in the school and on the buses Sink it: I do not think that the film should be shown at school There was a lot of bad language in it and the chil dren should not be exposed to it I know that some children hear name taken in vain every day but our schools should not condone it The history of the Titanic can be read in books Turn lane needed: I work out here on Mercer Univer sity Drive at a motorcycle place I witness one wreck eveiy week We need a turn lane Who is the screwball that put one in only about a tenth of a mile long? We need it on the whole street Drugs: It would be inter esting to know how many of the students doing shootings are on psychiatric drugs Immigrants: I would like to know why immigrants can come to the United States and work tax free yet draw welfare and have a place to live? Not put out: To the per son who asked how a wife can her quadriplegic husband what if your husband had no legs no arms wore a diaper and depended on you for every thing and you are in your 70s with no one else to help Put ting him in a nursing home is not him It is helping both of you Unions: or labor unions to send money to the Republican party is like the galley slaves chip ping in to help buy the captain a whip Give credit: Why the Telegraph put Jesse name in the headline Sunday instead of in a subheading? Why not say Jesse Jackson got the peo ple released which is what he did? Bans: Instead of banning the guns as is happening in Den yer you should ban the neglec tive parents who are not taking responsibilityor their children VIENNA Tornado aid tops $14 million State and federal agencies have handed out more than $14 million to residents of Dooly and Candler counties in an effort to rebuild after tornadoes ripped through the region April 15 The aid was distributed in the form of grants temporary housing assistance and US Small Business Administration loans So far the Georgia Emergency Manage ment Agency and the ederal Emergency Management Agency have paid $215930 for temporary rental assistance and minor home repairs Storm victims received $541078 for essential needs not covered by insurance The SBA has distributed $629000 in per sonal property loans $16400 for business repair loans and $20100 to businesses for lost revenues due to the storm Despite the $14 million in cash dis bursements federal officials estimated the tornadoes caused more than $6 million damage to the area Those who registered for EMA assis tance can check on their applications by calling 1 800 525 0321 Thomas Krause Storm victims warned of scams Tornado victims in the area are encour aged to attend a seminar on how to protect themselves from possible fraud as they begin to rebuild their homes and business es The seminar will be at 7 tonight at the Dooly County High School cafeteria and will be hosted by the Secretary of Office the Office of Consumer Affairs and the Georgia Emergency Man agement Agency too often unqualified and unli censed scam artists target storm damaged areas in the hope of making a quick and illegal said Secretary of State Cathy Cox goal at seminar will be to arm consumers with the information they need to make intelligent choices before they hire individuals to rebuild or repair their State investigators have already been in touch with local law enforcement offi cials about the potential for fraud Dozens of homes in Vienna and Dooly County were damaged by tornados in April Nancy liailatxher JASPER COUNTY Monticello baby killed in accident An infant is dead and a 21 year old man is hanging on to life after a Saturday afternoon wreck on Ga 16 in Jasper County Mirakle Ammons was killed Saturday and Ellis Ammons seriously injured when the driver of the car they were traveling in lost control of the vehicle hit another car overturned and crashed against a tele phone pole according to Georgia State Patrol Cpl JC oskey Tameka Pennamon 22 and 2 year old Tahj Ammons were also in the vehicle but were not as seriously injured The acci dent is still under investigation by the state patrol oskey said the driver of the car that hit the telephone pole was at fault in the wreck however it was still unclear Tues day whether Pennamon or Ellis Ammons was driving the vehicle All four of the passengers in that car lived at the same Monticello address but oskey was uncertain of their relation ship The driver of the second car Sherry Strickland of lovilla was charged with driving under the influence but she was not at fault in the wreck oskey said RobPeecher MACON Two indicted on robbery charges Two men suspected of tying up a Bibb County family with duct tape while they Romdup NEWS ROM MIDDLE GEORGIA COMMUNITIES 9 Jtiiyjuuiouui ilUji mi I JUi I i i jl ft MW? Danny Gilleland The Macon Telegraph Sally Thrower left and Sam Chester visit on the roof of the Robins ederal Credit Union overlooking Watson Boulevard Thrower is the director for the Miracle Network He takes to the roof for charity By Drew Brown The Macon Telegraph WARNER ROBINS When Robins ederal Credit Union began planning this fund raiser for the Chil Miracle Network marketing vice president Sam Chesser never believed he would literally end up on the roof But what happened Tuesday when Chesser climbed to the top of the main building vowing to eat work and sleep there until he and 250 co workers raise $20000 for the charity The money will go to build a Ronald McDonald house at the Chil Hospital at The Medical Center of Middle Georgia just happened to be in a meeting and they asked me if I would do said Chesser a 31 year old olkston native who has worked at Robins ed eral for the last three years for a good cause and see how long it will last Hopefully it will be just a few days not a few But until that magic number is reached home will consist of a pup tent a lawn chair and a folding table outfitted with a laptop computer robbed the home were indicted Tuesday by a Bibb grand jury Paul Mclntrye of Bonaire and Billy Mashburn of Warner Robins were charged with two counts of armed robbery and one count each of false imprisonment and aggravated assault Police said the men both 17 wore ski masks when they invaded the Pineworth Road home on March 17 The men armed with a shotgun allegedly threatened to kill the family They are suspected of binding occupants with duct tape before grabbing guns jewelry a video camera and a laptop computer No one was hurt Officials said McIntyre and Mashburn evaded police for two weeks before they were arrested by Warner Robins police and Houston County deputies Investigators said McIntyre knew one of the family members Matthew I Pinzur WGXA TV to be sold GOCOM the company that owns WGXA TV the ox affiliate on channel 24 in Macon has agreed to sell the station and nine others to Grapevine and telephone A 10 foot square canopy will shade him from the sun His only respite from the elements will consist of short breaks for the rest room Only an hour into his stay the reality of his ordeal appeared to be sinking in now OK but a little worried to be Chesser said is a big number but I have confidence that the people of Middle Georgia will come through and get me About $5000 has been raised so far Last year money went to fund a neona tal and pediatric ambulance at the Hospital think this is said Sally Thrower director of the Medical Cen ter oundation for the Mira cle Network is our first roof event to support our hospital and gotten a lot of support from the credit union I think reach his goal in a couple of This is the second year that Robins ederal has supported the charity When planning for the event the com 250 employees pretty much decided we wanted to do some thing in a big way this said Kim Elkins director of market development Communications for $185 million Grapevine operates TV stations from Anchorage Alaska to Savannah With the acquisition of GOCOM Grapevine will more than double its total network to 17 stations All of the stations are in medium to small markets GOCOM acquisition will give us better geographic and network diversity as well as improved access to quality pro said Grapevine chairman Wendell Reilly all the moving parts in TV these days very happy to buy into brand of local GOCOM CEO Ric Gorman will be CEO of the new consolidated group once the sale is approved by the CC RobKitchel Campus police chief has TV date Bibb campus police force has gotten a lot of media attention in the three weeks since the shooting at Columbine High School in Littleton Colo The national spotlight will shine on the force again soon a reporter and camera crew from Morning 771 A ih will be in Macon today to inter view Chief Mike Dorn and see some of his nationally acclaimed techniques for preventing school violence A book by Dorn on Bibb safety techniques is expected to be released this summer Dorn has given dozens of interviews since the April 20 shooting at Columbine High School talking to The Associated Press The Atlanta Journal Constitution radio talk shows around the country and even Home Journal magazine Michael Cass Roads committee to meet The technical advisory committee of the Macon Bibb County Road Improve ment Program will meet at 10 am Thurs day to discuss various road designs The committee meets twice monthly at the Bibb County office 760 Third St Road projects included on Thurs agenda are Jeffersonville Road or est Hill Road Western Sardis Church Road and others The meetings are open to the public Christopher Schwarzen MILLEDGEVILLE official: Main Street is excellent The Milledgeville Main Street program has been recognized for excellence in the field of downtown revitalization by the Georgia Main Street Program and the National Trust for Historic Preservation is a nice commentary on Milled geville a very nice form of recognition that we are on said Milledgeville Main Street director Paula Bryan Main Street program joins 225 other programs and 16 other Georgia cities in being recognized for out standing performance according to Kennedy Smith director of the National Trust for Historic Preservation Among the criteria for the recognition are broad based public support an ethic for historic preservation an active board of directors adequate funding a paid pro fessional manager and reporting of eco nomic progress by providing statistical information Bryan believes efforts by Milledgeville Main Street to rejuvenate its private mem bership and a rewriting of its vision and mission statement helped gain the recognition 1 take it tor what it worth just a very nice comment on the work been Bryan said RobPeecher ATLANTA Stroke awareness promoted A group calling itself Georgia Strike Out Stroke Committee Inc is using Stroke Awareness Month to promote early detec tion and new drug treatments At a Capitol news conference state Rep Barbara Mobley Decatur said Tuesday that early response to stroke symptoms is critical to combatting the disease which led to 4200 deaths in Georgia in 1992 Dr Richard Slevinski chairman of the lorida Stroke MedicalSurgical Guide lines Committee said new medicines can prevent a stroke from being fatal or even debilitating The committee is promoting public awareness of the warning signs: numbness or weakness in the face arm leg or one side of the body trouble talking or understanding what others are saying sudden and severe headaches and unex plained dizziness especially in combina tion with the other symptoms Nancy Badertscher Clinton shows business chiefs around inner city market in Atlanta Houston murder trial begins Continued from 1B Jones at a roundtable discussion visit was intended to highlight his markets ini of proposed tax incen tives and loan guarantees designed to attract venture capi tal to areas in need of economic stimulus is very good at creat ing he said But he said there are problems with that have been down for a long time and getting that economic opportunity there and bringing people into the circle of if we do it now when the he said never get around to doing The market operating since 1923 fell on hard times earlier this diyjde In 1992 Atlanta city officials began a $49 million res toration and today the market boasts 24 businesses eight of which receive direct federal empowerment zone assistance In turn businesses within the market have begun hiring nearby residents and they receive tax credits for creating those jobs At least $83 million in federal money has gone into the market since it was refurbished Still vendors said times are hard say definitely going to said Sandy Song 29 whose family has sold produce since 1976 now struggling to She said business was better when there was a food stamp office in the market could be said flower merchant Dwight Myary Continued from 1B Burke said she come back because Tommy Bell intercepted her on her way to meet some friends July 16 her 39th birthday She had stopped home after having her hair styled and was on her way to a celebration Her husband of 19 years Burke said was not included in her plans Vivian Bell wanted her husband to keep his distance and that request was not honored was the one last seen with her the one she dreaded the one she wanted out of her life and the one that drove her away and killed Burke said But defense attorney Steve Hollomon painted a different picture for the seven man five woman jury warning them that there were inconsistencies in the story are disturbing irreg Hollomon said dur ing his eight minute opening statement Hollomon said Vivian Bell welcomed her husband a paint ing contractor who sought work in Atlanta into her and her apartment And although police had been called to settle the past disputes Tommy Bell was a devoted husband and father Hollomon said He said Bell vis ited his wife on her birthday because he loved her not because he wanted her dead returned to spend time with his wife and Hol lomon said Burke argued that Bell returned for something else something propelled by fury is a crime of Burke said rage that was apparent in the way (Vivian) Elaine Bell was Her body and car were found near the edge of farmland off Gunn Road just west of Center ville in Houston County A passerby noticed the Toy ota parked on the private prop erty and called police July 8 two days after Vivian Bell was reported missing When police got to the car they found untouched purse in the passenger seat and her half naked body slumped in a brier patch She had been stabbed repeatedly in the shoulders and throat Burke said Tommy Bell was charged with his murder on July 21 the day two women told police they had seen Bell near Gunn Road the day of his death The women knew him and picked him up to drive him back to Vivian apartment Burke said the women described Tommy Bell as shoe less sockless and Burke said Bell looked that way because he had just killed is not a robbery gone Burke said is domestic The trial resumes at 9 am today and is expected to con tinue through the week NEWS ROM MIDDLE GEORGIA COMMUNITIES J1 1.