Ledger-Enquirer from Columbus, Georgia • 25

1Ym Chitwood with disaster "TIT' ere it not for AX breakaway mailbox supports I might not be here to write about 'The ones I hit broke away nicely when I accidentally slung the side of a ord Galaxie 500 across them at about 60 mph right after I got my license been teased about that ever since So as I write about the highway replacing heavily posted mailboxes with lighter breakaway mailbox supports I can just imagine the comments: taking out mailboxes huh? They should hire you for 'But? you wreck a car every time you take out a mailbox or your high Plus kind of dangerous Statistics show hitting roadside obstacles add up to about a third of highway fatalities and usually one vehicle accidents Such fatalities made up 25 percent of the total back in the mid when I cleared those mailboxes off the right of way but since then jumped So transportation safety experts spend a lot of time and money figuring out how to keep people from killing themselves driving off the road One way to do that is toclearly mark where the pavement ends and lay down grumble there to warn on the edge Another way is to reduce roadside hazards so people who rumble on off have so much to hit: And yet another way is to lighten the hazards that have to be there so people who rumble on offand hit them anyway kill themselves So sign posts and light poles sand mailbox supports are being designed to break away when a car hits them because a whole lot cheaper to fix 'the obstacle than to repair or bury the driver i As big rural highway projects the state checksmailboxes on the route and asks owners to replace those deemed dangerous If the owners change them the state will why some residents along Alabama Highway 165 recently got letters from the state Department of Transportation telling them to replace their mailbox supports in 30 days or the state would do it for them The state says a wood post under a mailbox should be no more than a 4 by 4 and any decorative design should ihclui6 no heavy object that might crash through a windshield and kill someone Along rural mail routes this puts a lot of once popular mailbox fashions out of style: the brick column the plow the rigid chain something to remember if moving out to the country: Investing in a heavy mailbox design might not be a good idea now But not the only obstacle to consider Parking a car or boat on the right of way with a sign on it might not be smart either because some fool could come flying off the road and crash into it And instead of his Aijec I Bl insurance replacing your car or boat it might sue you for his medical expenses So keep that in mind you never know going to come spinning off the highway Some of these kids around here drive worth a dang Contact Tim Chitwood at (706) 571 8508 or tchitwoodledger enquirercom Alabama news C12 i Business is' C8 'Death notices C2 'Georgia news C5 rt' RIDAY SEPTEMBER 5 2 0 03 Local 1 ge i i yj' SECTION WYNNTON BIRTHDAY Wynnton Elementary marks its i 160th birthday with a celebration in song and dance Wednesday and Thursday in the Wynnton school auditorium Show times are 7 pm both days Tickets are" $10 for adults and $5 for children 12 and udder Proceeds benefit Wynnton Auditorium Restoration Lj Lj I i 1 4 HOUSE HEROES House of Heroes a non profit organization recognizing and honoring military and public safety veterans and their spouses will work with volunteers from businesses and organizations Sept 12 25 repairing the homes of these heroes' Call 494 1111 IN BUSINESS HOUSING MIX New home permits in Harris County' drop while value increases: 'j TH PAQEC8 C' still: burning Zippo celebrates 400 millionth lighter PAGE C8 Residents support what matters 3 United Way campaign kicks off with increased donations luncheon 1 i enouRn money io meet our corns The bad he added is that in your In a more serious tone this campaign chairman delivered the best news that $1432354 or 23 percent of this goal of $6325000 has alreadv been pledged' $110000 more than last year at this time with the bad economy I think this community is ready to said Hill CEO of Evergreen Medical Group think the amount already to United Way were not just helping others helping ourselves We all benefit from one 'of the 2 1 agencies By Larry Gierer Staff Writer Mike Hill told the more than 1000 people gathered for the United Way kickoff luncheon Thursday that he had some good news for them and some bad The good he said is that have pledged sends that message When we See UNITED WAY Page C3 give to United Way not just helping others we re helping our selves We all benefit from one of the 21agencies United Way Among those agencies are Stewart Community Home Second Harvest ood Bank Columbus Alliance for Battered Women Goodwill Industries and Onen Door Communitv House Attending the affair the first in the i United Way Columbus Convention Trade Cen new ballroom were business Mike Hill CEO Evergreen Medical Group A Ready for some football MIKE HAS KEY Ledger Enquirer 8 i I 3 I a jjft 8 8 air Jimmy Jackson carefully marks a 30 yard line on the football field at Garrett Stadium in Phenix City on Thursday afternoon Jackson along with Jim Byrd and Eddie Lunsford of the Phenix City Recreation maintenance crew began marking the field Thursday in preparation for Tootball game between Central High School of Phenix City and Smiths Station High School Jury acquits 19 year old of felony charges Man to serve 12 months for theft by taking a misdemeanor By Meg Pirnie Staff Writer A 19 year old Columbus man shot by a store owner during an armed'robbery last year was acquitted Thursday of all felony charges but convicted of misdemeanor theft by taking Dantrell Williams must serve 12 months in prison after he serves eight years for an unrelated case He could have faced life in prison if con victed of the felony charges by the Muscogee Superior Court jtfry Assistant District Attorney Tina Ziegenhain presented evidence that Williams and Carlos Vangue 20 went to the Plaza Grocery about 7 pm Nov 12 2002 They wandered in and out of the store then lurked in the parking lot until all customers left The men walked back into the store after a few minutes Ziegenhain said As they approached the counter Vangue pointed a Colt 357 caliber Magnum revolver at owner Robert Ezekiel and store clerk Anice ields Williams snatched a few dollars out of the register pulled a phone cord See VERDICT Page C3 Talbot to consider hunting camp rules Regulations range from annual fees to registering with 911 By Harry ranklin State Editor A Monday public meeting is sched uled on proposed requirements for hunting camps operating in Talbot County 1 The proposed requirements are designed to give me county some Control over what has become big business during the hunting seasons county officials said But some land owners and hunters warn it might drive hunters who help local landowners pay their property taxes by leasing the hunting righty rag of the county Mark Woodall whose family owns some 5000 acres of timberland in the county said it would cost the family $10000 tor each of the 10 hunting camps to take care of all the proposed requirements double our county population during the hunting Woodall said warning that imposing the requirements could off the who help support the county State hunting seasons begin in Sep tember with dove hunting and extend into the spring turkey hunting See RULES Page C2 IN THE LOOP Golf pro Barnes gets breakfast mulligan By Mick WalshStaff Writer Golf pro Lanny Barnes was in a rush But first breakfast called He figured pull into the Waffle House on Macon Road in Columbus order a bite to eat and still have time to make Woodland Hills Phenix City in time to give a lesson He gobbled down his ham and cheese omelet was and reached into his back pocket for his wallet Oops In his haste to get to work left his money behind when Eugene Scott owner of Bather Shop and a Waffle House regular came to the rescue Noticing that Barnes was stomach full and pocket empty he told the waitress to put tab on his own what sup posed to Scott said take care of your fellow man when he needs Barnes thank Scott enough was a perfect stranger Yet he came to my aid without being asked It restores my faith in Scott who has run on 19th Street since 1982 says he was just happy to help out Strunk the Being a former Page One Award winner president of her sorority and a 40 student in international business at Auburn University just enough for Kristin Strunk Now part of EA NCAA 2004 college football video game Strunk 21 is one of several AU students shown during the early moments of the video game in what amounts to a commercial for the university Now just because you own such a game mean see Strunk and her fel low Tiger fans each time you i See LOOP Page C3 4.