A homicide investigation is underway at the state prison in Calhoun. Corrections department officials report the Willie Bernard Jackson age 69 was found dead Monday and the cause of his death is unknown at this time. Jackson was serving life in prison for a 1965 murder and he was charged with escape from Tift County in 1969.
A truck crash shut down traffic on Interstate 75 in Tifton blocking north bound traffic for a while. The trucker involved stated that he swerved his vehicle in order to avoid striking a deer.
Filling open positions in the sectors of the fire and police departments and utility services have become problematic for Moultrie officials. They report that the problem is not just local but nationwide due to low pay. Moultrie leaders plan an upgrade in the required standards as a justification for higher pay grades.
The mourning continues for Michael Johnson age 43 of Valdosta. He lost his life in a tragic vehicular crash on Fender Road near Whitewater Monday.
Dr. Sonya Sanderson of Valdosta State University was recognized by the Georgia Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance at their convention in Savannah recently. Sanderson, a professor at VSU was named the 2016 College/University Physical Education Teacher of the year.
42 year old Jason McClelland and Tony Davis age 38 are charged with multiple burglaries and property thefts. Officials in Colquitt County jailed McClelland while Davis is held in Decatur County. Police are searching for a third suspect identified as Andrea McClelland. A man spotted them on his property acting suspiciously and was able to hold them until sheriff’s deputies arrived.
A Lawrenceville youth pastor has been arrested and charged with several violations including child molestation. 34 year old Nicholas Kelley of the New Bridge Church was allegedly involved with a 14 year old female. He served as a counselor to the girl at the church in 2015 when the sexual contact began.
A class action lawsuit has been filed by residents in East Point, Georgia and they charge that government officials over-billed consumers on their electric bills by as much as 34 million dollars. The former Mayor and 50 other residents are now suing the city. In a response from city leaders they held that it was in fact permitted for the city to profit on electric bills, even though it is not included in the city charter.
