Entries from September 2011
Wildcats notch first win of season
Apalachee High School became the first Barrow County team to win a game this season on Friday when the Wildcats pounded Madison County High School 45-9. “It’s just a struggle,” said AHS coach Shane Davis. “We’re in a position we haven’t been in a long time. But what I’ll tell the kids is that we’re in a position we haven’t ...
[Full Story »]
Bulldoggs fall to Habersham Central
The Winder-Barrow High School football team trailed by 18 points as the second half against Habersham Central began Friday night. However, the Bulldogg offense put together an impressive drive moving its own 36-yard line to the Raider 9. Suddenly, a fumble was recovered by Habersham Central and the possession — and seemingly the game itself ...
[Full Story »]
Friday Night Lights: Sept. 30
Find out all of the local scores from your favorite teams as the 2011 football season continues tonight. Check back each week after the games for the final scores from Apalachee, Banks County, Commerce, East Jackson, Jackson County, Jefferson, Madison County and Winder-Barrow. Scroll to bottom for the scoreboard. Apalachee vs. Madison ...
[Full Story »]
Winder backs up on voter list; to start the process over again
Winder city officials have decided to scrap their 3,000-name list of voters with challenged voter registrations, according to the interim elections superintendent for Barrow County Elections and Registration.
Monica Franklin told the Barrow Journal on Friday morning that Winder officials had decided not to use the list developed over the past two months at Winder City Hall. Instead, Winder officials apparently are starting over, a move that might end up with a much shorter list of names.
Franklin said she would provide the current voter list on Oct. 10 to Winder municipal elections superintendent Sabrina Wall, who will review the names and by Oct. 14 submit to the county a new list of challenged registrations.
That deadline is three days after the Oct. 11 voter registration deadline that Franklin previously said voters with challenged registrations would have to meet by re-registering to vote. Anyone mistakenly put on the new list will apparently have to vote a provisional paper ballot in both the Winder and county elections on Nov. 8. However, the new list likely will have fewer names than the massive 40 percent of voters that had been given to the county by Winder officials during September.
Winder officials in mid September initiated the process that would have challenged up to 40 percent of the registrations of the city's registered voters. Some 2,100 of those names were published in the Sept. 28 issue of the Barrow Journal. Franklin noted Friday that the published list wasn't the final list, although she had earlier encouraged Winder officials to hurry their purging process. On Sept. 23, Franklin sent an email to Wall saying she needed the names quickly in order to get letters out to the voters on the city's list.
“Any clue when (the city receptionist) will be done?" Franklin asked. "We are on a very short time frame. These letters need to go out ASAP!! Our plan was to have the letters in the mail today or Monday. Is it possible to have (the receptionist) sent me the list periodically; say after every 250 she reviews. That way we are making progress and not just waiting on the whole list. If not, that’s okay too. That may cause more confusion. Just let me know!”
Monica Franklin told the Barrow Journal on Friday morning that Winder officials had decided not to use the list developed over the past two months at Winder City Hall. Instead, Winder officials apparently are starting over, a move that might end up with a much shorter list of names.
Franklin said she would provide the current voter list on Oct. 10 to Winder municipal elections superintendent Sabrina Wall, who will review the names and by Oct. 14 submit to the county a new list of challenged registrations.
That deadline is three days after the Oct. 11 voter registration deadline that Franklin previously said voters with challenged registrations would have to meet by re-registering to vote. Anyone mistakenly put on the new list will apparently have to vote a provisional paper ballot in both the Winder and county elections on Nov. 8. However, the new list likely will have fewer names than the massive 40 percent of voters that had been given to the county by Winder officials during September.
Winder officials in mid September initiated the process that would have challenged up to 40 percent of the registrations of the city's registered voters. Some 2,100 of those names were published in the Sept. 28 issue of the Barrow Journal. Franklin noted Friday that the published list wasn't the final list, although she had earlier encouraged Winder officials to hurry their purging process. On Sept. 23, Franklin sent an email to Wall saying she needed the names quickly in order to get letters out to the voters on the city's list.
“Any clue when (the city receptionist) will be done?" Franklin asked. "We are on a very short time frame. These letters need to go out ASAP!! Our plan was to have the letters in the mail today or Monday. Is it possible to have (the receptionist) sent me the list periodically; say after every 250 she reviews. That way we are making progress and not just waiting on the whole list. If not, that’s okay too. That may cause more confusion. Just let me know!”
Did violent man deserve to die like a dog?
On the night of Feb. 5, 2010, a Barrow County man was stabbed during an altercation. In the ensuing hours, he bled to death on the floor of a house as others slept. Earlier this month, the District Attorney’s office decided to not pursue charges against the man arrested for that stabbing, saying he had acted in self-defense and that there was little evidence to prosecute.
[Full Story »]
Bulldoggs try to slow down Habersham
It doesn’t get any easier for the Winder-Barrow High School football team. After facing the defending 8-AAAA champion last Friday, the Bulldoggs venture to Habersham Central this week to try and slow down one of the most explosive players and explosive offenses in the region. Quarterback Kevin Ellison directs the Raider offense and stopping ...
[Full Story »]
Wildcats feel they are close to victory
The Apalachee High School coaching staff has been working overtime this week in an effort to be prepared for Friday’s opponent. The Madison County Red Raiders — probably more so than any team in 8-AAAA — will use a variety of offensive formations, many times changing directions during a game. That causes long hours of film study for ...
[Full Story »]
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: Winder response is misleading
Dear Journal Reader:
The City of Winder today posted on its website a response to our Sept. 28 story that revealed the city is taking action which could remove up to 40 percent of city voters names from the registered voters list, around 3,000 names. In its response, Winder leaders claim the "Barrow Journal is printing misguided information."
We stand by our stories. In reality, it is the City of Winder that is providing misleading information to citizens in their response.
In its online comments, Winder leaders make the following statements:
1. Winder officials claim, "No one is being stricken or removed from the voters list or voting." Really? Then why is the city giving names to county officials that will, unless challenged, be removed from the voters list? While it is true that technically county officials eventually remove those names, the county follows the list each city sends to them. While there are provisions for notifying those affected, in this case there is little time to do that before the Oct. 11 voter registration deadline. County officials told the Journal the following, which was printed in this week's newspaper: "Because the (Winder) list is so late getting to the county, we can't hold hearings and give everyone ample time to update their information before the election; so we will be holding the hearing after the election." Contrast that statement to Winder's online wording which misleads readers into thinking everything would be cleaned up before the election on Nov. 8. In fact, it is our understanding from county officials that those who don't get the matter cleared up before Oct. 11 will have to vote a "provisional" paper ballot on Nov. 8 and the problems would then only be sorted out after the elections are over. That isn't because the Journal wrote an article, it's because Winder is very late in the game in getting the county the names to be purged. Winder officials are working toward removing an extraordinary number of names from its voting rolls; to suggest otherwise is simply false.
2. In its response, Winder officials explain away their use of "volunteers" and others who had access to individuals data by saying that is permitted. The Journal never said doing that was illegal; but we did point out that the incumbent mayor whose name is on the ballot was part of the culling process and that the husband of the city clerk who is not a city employee also had access to data about city utility customers via his volunteer use of city computers. Those things may be legal, but they do raise some legitimate questions citizens should know about.
This week, as a community service, the Barrow Journal devoted two full pages of 2,100 names that Winder officials are seeking to have removed from its voting roster. We plan to publish the other 900 names next week. We are doing this so that those who have wrongly been targeted for removal will have a chance to straighten out the situation before Oct. 11. County officials say it will likely be next week before they will have all the names to mail out notices to those affected.
The Journal is not responsible for this situation nor have we provided "misguided" or "misleading" information. We stand by our stories.
Mike Buffington
Co-Publisher
Barrow Journal
The City of Winder today posted on its website a response to our Sept. 28 story that revealed the city is taking action which could remove up to 40 percent of city voters names from the registered voters list, around 3,000 names. In its response, Winder leaders claim the "Barrow Journal is printing misguided information."
We stand by our stories. In reality, it is the City of Winder that is providing misleading information to citizens in their response.
In its online comments, Winder leaders make the following statements:
1. Winder officials claim, "No one is being stricken or removed from the voters list or voting." Really? Then why is the city giving names to county officials that will, unless challenged, be removed from the voters list? While it is true that technically county officials eventually remove those names, the county follows the list each city sends to them. While there are provisions for notifying those affected, in this case there is little time to do that before the Oct. 11 voter registration deadline. County officials told the Journal the following, which was printed in this week's newspaper: "Because the (Winder) list is so late getting to the county, we can't hold hearings and give everyone ample time to update their information before the election; so we will be holding the hearing after the election." Contrast that statement to Winder's online wording which misleads readers into thinking everything would be cleaned up before the election on Nov. 8. In fact, it is our understanding from county officials that those who don't get the matter cleared up before Oct. 11 will have to vote a "provisional" paper ballot on Nov. 8 and the problems would then only be sorted out after the elections are over. That isn't because the Journal wrote an article, it's because Winder is very late in the game in getting the county the names to be purged. Winder officials are working toward removing an extraordinary number of names from its voting rolls; to suggest otherwise is simply false.
2. In its response, Winder officials explain away their use of "volunteers" and others who had access to individuals data by saying that is permitted. The Journal never said doing that was illegal; but we did point out that the incumbent mayor whose name is on the ballot was part of the culling process and that the husband of the city clerk who is not a city employee also had access to data about city utility customers via his volunteer use of city computers. Those things may be legal, but they do raise some legitimate questions citizens should know about.
This week, as a community service, the Barrow Journal devoted two full pages of 2,100 names that Winder officials are seeking to have removed from its voting roster. We plan to publish the other 900 names next week. We are doing this so that those who have wrongly been targeted for removal will have a chance to straighten out the situation before Oct. 11. County officials say it will likely be next week before they will have all the names to mail out notices to those affected.
The Journal is not responsible for this situation nor have we provided "misguided" or "misleading" information. We stand by our stories.
Mike Buffington
Co-Publisher
Barrow Journal
Myrtle Lyle (9-27-11)
WINDER - Myrtle Lyle, 92, died Tuesday, September 27, 2011. A native of Jackson County, she was the daughter of the late Claude and Lenora Vaughn Clark. She was the widow of Edwin Lyle. Mrs. Lyle was the oldest member of the New Pentecost United Methodist Church. For many years she was the lunchroom manager at Winder-Barrow High School. ...
[Full Story »]
Recent BCSO arrests Sept. 19-25
Three arrests were made last week after a Barrow County Sheriff’s deputy stopped a driver for a traffic violation, and after searching the car, discovered firearms, methamphetamines and tools used for distributing the drugs, located in a backpack in the trunk.
Misty Dawn Milligan, 23, of Statham, April Poore, 21, of Winder, and Eric Rockmore, 31, of Bethlehem, were charged with possession of methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of marijuana less than one ounce, possession of a drug related object and possession of a firearm or knife during commission of or attempt to commit certain felonies. Milligan was also charged with failure to maintain lane.
According to an incident report, BCSO Deputy David Kimball pulled over the driver of a 1998 Chevy Cavalier at the intersection of Manning Gin Road and Tia Drive in Bethlehem at about 12:30 a.m. on Sept. 22 after watching the car weave into oncoming traffic.
After assisting an assisting deputy witnessed Poore try to hide something under her leg, he asked for consent to search the vehicle. Milligan refused and Auburn K9 Police Officer Cpl. Tony Lafreniere assigned with the Barrow County Crime Task Force was called to assist. The deputies detained the occupants until the K9 arrived and gave a positive alert for the vehicle, the report states.
Found inside the trunk inside a black back pack were a 9-mm semi-automatic firearm, two 30 round 9-mm magazines, a box of Winchester 9-mm ammo, a blue bandana, a white ring with several white stones and a multi-function army knife. The backpack also contained a bag of marijuana and more drug-related paraphernalia, including a spoon and a digital scale that had residue on them.
The suspects argued about whom the items in the bag belonged to, wrote Kimball. After arguing about who owned the bag and it’s contents, all three suspects were placed under arrest and taken to the Barrow County Detention Center. [Full Story »]
Misty Dawn Milligan, 23, of Statham, April Poore, 21, of Winder, and Eric Rockmore, 31, of Bethlehem, were charged with possession of methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of marijuana less than one ounce, possession of a drug related object and possession of a firearm or knife during commission of or attempt to commit certain felonies. Milligan was also charged with failure to maintain lane.
According to an incident report, BCSO Deputy David Kimball pulled over the driver of a 1998 Chevy Cavalier at the intersection of Manning Gin Road and Tia Drive in Bethlehem at about 12:30 a.m. on Sept. 22 after watching the car weave into oncoming traffic.
After assisting an assisting deputy witnessed Poore try to hide something under her leg, he asked for consent to search the vehicle. Milligan refused and Auburn K9 Police Officer Cpl. Tony Lafreniere assigned with the Barrow County Crime Task Force was called to assist. The deputies detained the occupants until the K9 arrived and gave a positive alert for the vehicle, the report states.
Found inside the trunk inside a black back pack were a 9-mm semi-automatic firearm, two 30 round 9-mm magazines, a box of Winchester 9-mm ammo, a blue bandana, a white ring with several white stones and a multi-function army knife. The backpack also contained a bag of marijuana and more drug-related paraphernalia, including a spoon and a digital scale that had residue on them.
The suspects argued about whom the items in the bag belonged to, wrote Kimball. After arguing about who owned the bag and it’s contents, all three suspects were placed under arrest and taken to the Barrow County Detention Center. [Full Story »]
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