Mrs. Louise W. Williams, age 76 of Cornelia, Georgia went home to be with the Lord on Saturday, July 6, 2019.
Mrs. Williams was born on July 30, 1942 to the late Boysie Williams Sr. and Gussie Williams of Mt. Airy, Georgia. She was retired from Fieldale Farms in Cornelia, Georgia. She joined Ebenezer Baptist Church at an early age, where she served as the clerk of the church, on the hospitality team and was a member of the choir.
In addition to her parents, she preceded in death by her daughter, Pamela Elaine; and a sister, Margaret Williams.
She leaves behind to mourn her passing, husband of 58 years, Lee Roy Williams; sons, Kenneth (Peggy) of the home, Victor (Wendy) of Bards-Town, Kentucky, Roy Lee (Sherry) of Toccoa, Georgia; one brother, Earlie Williams of Cornelia, Georgia; two sisters, Elizabeth Young of Cornelia, Georgia and Ethel Rogers of Dillard, Georgia; nine grandchildren; nieces; nephews; cousins and a host of other relatives and friends.
Going home services are scheduled for Wednesday, July 10, 2019 at Ebenezer Baptist Church with Reverend, Pastor Dr. Oliver Dorsey, officiating.
The family will receive friends at the church from 12:00 noon until the service hour.
Interment will follow in the East View Cemetery, Mt. Airy, Georgia.
Funeral services for Dr. Wayne Wesley Schroyer, age 88 of Clarkesville, will be held at 2:00 PM, Tuesday, July 9, 2019, at Hollywood Baptist Church. Dr. Don Samples and Rev. Chuck Johnson will officiate with interment to follow the service in Hollywood Baptist Church Cemetery. The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Tuesday prior to the service from 11:30 AM until 1:30 PM.
Dr. Schroyer passed away Sunday, July 7, 2019, after an extended illness.
Patrick Mayfield served as a school resource officer. His kind heart and friendly ways made him popular among parents, students, and staff. (Daniel Purcell/Now Habersham)
The Habersham County Sheriff’s Office says funeral services for Deputy Patrick Mayfield will be held Saturday, July 13 at 2 p.m. at Moss Stoval Neal Funeral Home in Toccoa.
The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 12 noon-2 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. on Friday, July 12. The funeral home is located at 55 South Alexander Street in Toccoa.
Mayfield was a school resource officer (SRO) at several Habersham County schools. He was a fixture around athletic events and coached youth sports. His sudden death both shocked and saddened the community.
The 52-year-old Mayfield, who lived in Toccoa, passed away on the Fourth of July in Asheville, North Carolina, according to his obituary.
The Georgia Association of School Resource Officers (GASRO) Conference in Young Harris is taking on special meaning this week. It’s being held just days after the untimely death of one of Habersham County’s own SROs, Patrick Mayfield. And, in a sad twist of fate, this year’s conference is being hosted by Mayfield’s fellow officers.
Habersham County Sheriff Joey Terrell announced back in May that he and the county’s school resource officers were asked to host the state-wide event. GASRO president Ted Thomas at the time praised Terrell and Habersham’s SROs for the “incredible strides (they) have made in connecting with the school community and in enhancing school safety through technology.”
SRO Patrick Mayfield was part of that. The online tributes that continue to flow days after his death are evidence of how well he connected with the community he served. He was known. He was respected. He was appreciated. He was loved.
Now, he is missed.
In his memory, Mayfield’s fellow officers set up a missing man table at the GASRO Conference that started July 7 at Brasstown Valley Resort. It’s an outward display of the loss many are feeling.
While it’s hard to imagine how difficult it must be for the sheriff and SROs to host such a prestigious event during a time of such sorrow, it is perhaps the greatest tribute they could pay to their fallen brother. Forging ahead in their grief as law officers often do, they’re sharing the lessons and techniques they have learned to help keep school children safe.
That’s what SRO Mayfield dedicated his life to doing and it’s one of the reasons he will long be remembered.
Of the 24 traffic fatalities the Georgia State Patrol reported as of 6 p.m. Sunday, seven were from a wrong-way crash in Franklin County. (photo courtesy CNN)
It was a deadly holiday weekend on Georgia’s roads. As of 6 p.m. Sunday, July 7, the state patrol reported 24 people were killed in traffic-related accidents. Seven of those deaths occurred in a five-vehicle accident on Interstate 85 in Franklin County.
The Georgia State Patrol says a Ford Excursion SUV traveling north crossed the median and crashed into a southbound Chevrolet van around 1:40 p.m. Saturday. That set off a chain reaction accident in the southbound lanes. The van struck a Ford E350 van and two other vehicles received minor damage from debris.
Three people in the Ford Excursion died, according to WSB-TV. Authorities identified them on Sunday as 33-year-old Chris Years, 34-year-old Ashley Years, and 3-year-old Luna Years, all of Paulding County. Three more people in the Excursion were taken to the hospital. One of them is in critical condition.
All four people in the Chevrolet van were killed. They’ve been identified as 53-year-old Alejandro Agis Perez, 39-year-old Noe Gutierrez Cerna, 25-year-old Oswaldo F. Hi Navarrete, and 36-year-old Eugenio Santoyo Serna, all of Hall County.
The Georgia State Patrol’s collision reconstruction team is investigating the accident.
Last year, the July Fourth holiday travel period was only 30 hours long. During that time, five people died on Georgia’s roads. This year’s holiday travel period was 102-hours long. It ended at midnight on Sunday.
Here’s the latest arrest report from the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office.
DISCLAIMER
The arrest records available through this website are public information. Any indication of an arrest does not mean the individual identified has been convicted of a crime. All persons arrested are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
The shooting happened late Sunday in the area of Jesse Jewell Parkway and Highland Avenue in Gainesville. (HCSO)
The Manhunt continues for the remaining suspects in last night’s deadly shooting of a Hall County Sheriff’s deputy.
The officer was shot while pursuing the suspects as they fled on foot after wrecking a stolen vehicle. Deputies had earlier attempted to stop the vehicle because it was believed to have been used in several vehicle break-ins and burglaries over the weekend.
“There was an exchange of gunfire in the area of Jesse Jewell Parkway and Highland Avenue between 11 and 11:15 p.m.,” says Hall County Sheriff’s spokesman Derreck Booth. “One of the deputies was struck by gunfire and was transported to Northeast Georgia Medical Center where he died.”
One of the suspects, believed to be the shooter, was also shot and taken to the medical center for treatment. As of early Monday, Booth said his condition was unknown.
Authorities have not released any names.
Multiple law enforcement agencies are actively searching for the remaining suspects. Booth says they are considered armed and dangerous. He says no descriptions of the suspects are available at this time.
Investigators are interviewing people Booth describes as “persons of interest.” The sheriff’s office encourages anyone with information to call the Hall County Sheriff’s Office tip line at (770) 533-7693.
Officers from the Gainesville and Gwinnett County Police departments and the Georgia State Patrol are assisting in the search for the suspects.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is also on the scene investigating, which is standard procedure in officer-involved shootings.
Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch plans to hold a news conference later today in Gainesville to update the public on the search and investigation.
Authorities have charged a Habersham County man with murder in the July 4th shooting death of a Stephens County man. 53-year-old Jerry Nathaniel Wall allegedly shot and killed 56-year-old Roger Dale Littleton during an argument.
A 911 caller alerted authorities to the shooting. Habersham County deputies were dispatched to 3848 Antioch Church Road around 10:45 on the night of the fourth in reference to a possible aggravated assault. When they arrived they found a man, later identified as Littleton, on the ground outside the residence.
Investigators process the scene off Antioch Church Road where a man was found shot to death. (Daniel Purcell/Now Habersham)
First responders were staged nearby until law enforcement secured the area. “Once that was completed our personnel went in and located a subject deceased on scene,” says Habersham County Emergency Services Director Chad Black.
Habersham County Sheriff’s Capt. Floyd Canup says Wall surrendered without incident. He says the two men knew each other. A joint statement from the coroner and sheriff’s office states that Littleton and Wall were involved in an argument that “escalated and resulted in Littleton being shot.”
A neighbor reported hearing a loud noise in the area around 10:25 that evening. Antioch Church Road between Highway 17 and Mt. Bethel Church Road was closed for approximately three hours as investigators processed the crime scene. A car was towed away from the area and the road reopened around 2 a.m. Friday.
Littleton’s body was sent to the GBI Crime Lab in Decatur for further examination. Wall was initially charged with one count of aggravated assault. Deputies later charged him with murder.
A “tragic situation”
Littleton’s family has set up a Go Fund Me account to help with his funeral expenses. “Dale had no life insurance and was taken way too soon from this world,” a post on the account states. “He was so loved by all his family and friends and will be dearly missed.” He’ll be buried Monday, July 8, in Toccoa.
Calling it a “tragic situation”, Habersham County Coroner Kasey McEntire says “Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of everyone involved.”
Deputies with the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office and personnel from Habersham County Emergency Services were called to the scene around 10:45 p.m. on July 4th. (Daniel Purcell/Now Habersham)A heavy police presence was evident at the scene along Antioch Church Road. (Daniel Purcell/Now Habersham)Officers shut down Antioch Church Road between Mt. Bethel Church Road and Highway 17 after the shooting. The road was closed for approximately three hours. (Daniel Purcell/Now Habersham)
This article has been updated to include the murder charge and to reflect that Dale Littleton was from Stephens County, not Habersham as authorities previously reported.
DEMOREST – Piedmont College Head Athletic Trainer Matt McKinney has announced the hiring of three new athletic trainers beginning their time with the Lions in the 2019-20 season.
“It is always hard to replace three staff members that have experience with your program, but I am excited to be able to bring on new staff members with the knowledge and experience that this new group has,” McKinney said. “I think that our staff will be as strong as ever and will be able to continue to provide exemplary care for the student-athletes here at Piedmont College.”
Kassie Corsi will serve as the new Associate Head Athletic Trainer after almost two years as Assistant Athletic Trainer at Long Island University.
During her time at Long Island, Corsi primarily covered football, men’s basketball, and softball while also working with student athletes in men’s and women’s lacrosse, women’s swimming, field hockey, and indoor track.
Prior to her time at Long Island, Corsi spent over two years as Assistant Athletic Trainer at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio where she covered men’s soccer, men’s and women’s swimming and diving and men’s and women’s tennis.
“I’m very excited to start this next chapter in my career as a Lion at Piedmont College,” Corsi said. “I can’t wait to start working with the student-athletes and coaches. I want to send a special thank you to Jim Peeples, Matt McKinney and the rest of the search committee for giving me this opportunity.”
Corsi graduated from Alfred University in 2013 with a bachelor of science in athletic training and a minor in exercise science. In 2015, she earned her master’s from the University of Akron in education with a focus in exercise physiology and adult fitness.
Courtney Ziemba will serve as one of two new Assistant Athletic Trainers at Piedmont beginning with the 2019-20 academic year.
Ziemba arrives in Demorest after two seasons as a graduate assistant at Texas Lutheran while earning her degree from Texas State. While working with Texas Lutheran, Ziemba served as the primary athletic trainer for women’s volleyball and softball while assisting with the healthcare of student athletes from the rest of the athletic department.
As an undergraduate student at Michigan State, Ziemba gained experience by assisting with the coverage of football, men’s soccer and gymnastics. While with the Spartans, Ziemba gained learning opportunities related to injury evaluation, rehabilitation, event coverage, and emergency medicine.
“I am very excited to work with the athletic training staff and athletes at Piedmont,” Ziemba said. “Thank you to everyone who has supported me through this journey. I look forward to helping these student-athletes and to be able to give them the best college athlete experience possible.”
Ziemba graduated from Michigan State in May 2017 with a Bachelor of Science in athletic training and kinesiology before earning her master’s in athletic training in May 2019 at Texas State.
Stephanie Smart will serve as an Assistant Athletic Trainer during the upcoming season at Piedmont College. Smart earned her master’s degree in athletic training in May 2018 from Marshall after completing her undergraduate work at Louisiana Tech in 2016.
She arrives at Piedmont having completed this past season as an athletic training intern at Louisiana College. While at Louisiana, Smart covered men’s soccer, women’s basketball, men’s golf, and softball.
“I am excited to be taking the next step in my athletic training career at Piedmont. After meeting a handful of coaches, faculty, and staff, I truly look forward to becoming a part of the ‘family’ and contributing my skills to help benefit Lions athletics,” Smart said. “I would like to thank Matt McKinney and Mario Dalesandro for taking the time to welcome me to the staff. I look forward to working alongside them. I’d also like to thank my family, friends and support system in the athletic training world who have helped get me to where I am today.”
The three additions to the athletic training staff complete the staff led by Head Athletic Trainer Matt McKinney with Mario Dalesandro entering his second season as an Assistant Athletic Trainer with the Lions.
Property owners in White County may end up paying a little more next year
(Cleveland)- The White County Board of Commissioners say they want to maintain the current tax millage rate of 10.75, however, since the rollback rate is lower than the current millage rate and in order to maintain the same millage rate – state law requires that the county advertise, announce a potential tax increase, and hold three (3) public hearings.
A news release from the board of commissioners states they work diligently to keep the county’s millage rate as low as possible while providing the necessary services to the ever-growing population.
This tentative increase will result in a millage rate of 10.750 mills, an increase of .204 mills. Without this tentative tax increase, the millage rate will be no more than 10.546mills. The proposed tax increase for a home with a fair market value of $160,000 is approximately $12.65 and the proposed tax increase for non-homestead property with a fair market value of $130,000.00 is approximately $10.61.
All concerned citizens are invited to the public hearings on this tax increase to be held at the County Administration Building, 1235 Helen Hwy. Cleveland on Thursday, July 18, at 8:00 a.m., and again at 6:00 p.m. and Monday, August 5 at 4:30 p.m.
The millage rate will be voted on in a Called Meeting on August 5 at 4:45 p.m.
I love to do crafts. I dabble in lots of different mediums: paint, paper, wood crafts, jewelry, and more! I have enough craft supplies to support a hundreds of projects. When I go into a Michael’s or Hobby Lobby, I’ll go down the aisles looking for something new to try. I’ll even look at material and yarn although I cannot sew or knit. In the world of crafts, there’s always something new to learn.
I love to look through Pinterest, the online idea collective. I’ve spent many happy hours collecting ideas to boards on the site. Before Pinterest, I would cut ideas out of magazines and dream of the magnificent things I’d make or build.
Unfortunately, I’m more of a dreamer and mess maker than a crafter of skill. Nothing I do turns out quite like I anticipated, but I do have a wonderful time playing around. I’m grateful for friends who proudly display my feeble attempts and seem pleased when receiving something handmade.
Mother was a creative soul, too. She liked to paint and burn etchings into wood. At some point after moving to Clarkesville, she took a wood working class at North Georgia Tech and there are several of her cut and stained pieces around the house. She was an amazing seamstress as I’ve written before. Read that article here. In most other crafty endeavors, she was like this daughter – more enthusiastic than talented!
My current infatuation is a paper crafted magnet with a quote of some sort. I’ve been collecting witty comments like “My work here is so top-secret even I don’t know what I’m doing” and similarly inclined thoughts. I’ve been trying to find particular phrases to match with certain friends and I’ve had lots of fun.
Today, quite by accident, I found statements of encouragement. I followed the thread down the rabbit hole and ended up quite moved by some of the thoughts. Although I intend for my crafts to bring a bit of silliness and joy, I think some of these thoughts would bring light and love when posted on the refrigerator or mirror of those who, like me, spend many hours caring for someone. I have no ownership nor do I mean to steal anyone else’s ideas, but perhaps these thoughts will reach out to you today!
“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the things which you think you cannot do.” –Eleanor Roosevelt
“Some days there won’t be a song in your heart. Sing anyway.” – Emory Austin
“God gave burdens; he also gave shoulders.” – Yiddish Proverb
“It is not how much you do, but how much love you put in the doing.” – Mother Theresa
Sometimes we have to speak power and encouragement into our own lives. Get paper and pen and write down your own quotes. If you are feeling crafty, decorate and let your inner artist free!
“If there is an immediate jeopardy [case], that gets a priority,’’ Frank Berry, commissioner of Community Health, said recently.
General complaints can range from a simple maintenance issue at a facility to a patient having a bedsore that hasn’t been addressed.
The agency also said that about 100 nursing homes will not be surveyed for recertification in time this year. “With the number of current vacancies and no funding budgeted for an outside vendor, we are projecting that we will fall short by approximately 100 surveys,” Community Health told GHN.
Other state agencies involved in health care have job vacancies as well.
Berry
The Division of Family and Children Services said recently that it’s seeking about 500 caseworkers and eligibility staff. Such workers help Georgians enroll in programs such as Medicaid and food stamps.
The Department of Public Health told GHN that in fiscal 2018, the agency had 945 RNs, but 150 RN vacancies. The vacancy number has been increasing, an agency spokeswoman said.
The nurse vacancies may be especially difficult to resolve. Georgia, like other states, is again facing a shortage of nurses for hospitals and other health care settings.
The Georgia Health Care Association, a group representing the nursing home industry, said that its facilities, too, face an RN shortage. The availability of nurses to meet the workforce needs of medical providers and the state is inadequate, said Tony Marshall, president and CEO of the organization. “Simply put, we have a supply-and-demand issue.” Nursing homes have a bigger problem in offering good compensation packages because of inadequate reimbursement by Medicaid, he added.
Marshall said that “fortunately, most [nursing home] complaints do not result in findings of adverse resident outcomes or deficient practice.”
It’s not the first time that Community Health has faced a significant backlog of nursing home complaints.
There was a backlog of 180 in early 2017 before the Legislature approved higher starting pay for nurses who investigate nursing home complaints, as well as raises for veteran RNs. Community Health that year also offered extra pay for RNs to do inspections on weekends to address a backlog of immediate jeopardy complaints.
Community Health has 18 RN surveyor vacancies currently, the same as in early 2017.
DCH said it has considered using an outside vendor to assist with the workload.
The federal interval for regulators to recertify nursing homes is 12.9 months on average, with no facilities surveyed beyond 15.9 months
“The concern about some surveys being late is that when surveys are delayed, residents may be subject to deficient practices at the facility for a longer time because the surveyors are not at the facility to identify the deficient practices and require that they be corrected,’’ said Melanie McNeil, the state’s long-term care ombudsman.
If the ombudsman’s representatives receive a complaint, they try to get the facility to resolve the problem. “The ombudsmen representatives are often successful in working things out for the resident,’’ McNeil said. “We also encourage residents and other complainants to try to resolve their issues directly with the facility.’’
But if the nursing home fails to correct the problem, the ombudsman’s representative refers it to Community Health, because the agency has enforcement powers.
“Sometimes our best efforts just are not enough,’’ McNeil said.
People wishing to complain about a nursing home situation can call 866-552-4464 then choose 5 for the ombudsman program. And they can also use the website www.georgiaombudsman.org
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The accident happened around 10:20 a.m. near the Habersham/Hall County line. (Daniel Purcell/Now Habersham)
Traffic was slowed for more than an hour on GA 365 North near the Habersham/Hall County line after a compact SUV rear-ended a logging truck.
The accident happened around 10:20 a.m. just past Mt. Zion Road.
The front of the white Honda CRV was demolished. An official on the scene told Now Habersham that the female driver of the Honda was up, walking around before EMS transported her to the hospital. She was taken to Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville for treatment.
The Georgia State Patrol is investigating the accident.
Eyewitnesses described a ‘horrible’ scene after a Honda CRV rear-ended this logging truck. (Daniel Purcell/Now Habersham)
Now Habersham will continue to update this story as new information becomes available.
Jasper Daniel (J.D.) Hooper, age 84 of Demorest, passed away on Tuesday, July 9, 2019, at Northeast Georgia Medical Center.
Born in Batesville, Georgia on December 4, 1934, to the late Daniel and Hazel Wood Hooper. Mr. Hooper retired after 41 years of service in the textile industry. He was a member of Bethel Temple Congregational Holiness Church where he played the steel guitar for many years. Mr. Hooper loved his family and enjoyed playing his steel guitar and yard work.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a grandson, Jason Mote; infant brother, Don Odell Hooper; brothers, Gerald Hooper and Lamar Hooper; father-in-law and mother-in-law, Talmon & Irene Standridge.
Surviving are his loving wife of 65 years, Rutheleen Standridge Hooper of Demorest; daughters and sons-in-law, Vickie & Rev. Ronald Mote of Demorest, Deborah & Sam Whelchel and Carol & Dale Green all of Clarkesville; 9 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; sisters and brothers-in-law, Iva Lee & S.C. Robinson of Cornelia and Gertrude & Jerry Carroll of the Batesville Community; sisters-in-law, Ruth Hooper and Gaynell Hooper; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Charles & Barbara Standridge; several nieces and nephews.
Funeral services are scheduled for 2 pm, Thursday, July 11, 2019, at Bethel Temple Congregational Holiness Church with Rev. Edward Hood and Geoffrey Dillard officiating. Interment will follow in the church cemetery.
The family will receive friends from 5-8 pm on Wednesday.
Flowers are accepted or donations may be made to his church in which he loved, Bethel Temple Congregational Holiness Church, 467 Bethel Temple Road, Demorest, GA 30535.
Another tragic story coming out of Hall County today as officials there investigate the death of an infant that was bitten on the head by a dog.
At approximately 1:56 pm, Hall County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a home on the 2900 block of Gillsville Highway. Their initial investigation revealed the baby was resting in a bedroom inside the house when the dog bit it.
The child was less than a month old. Hall County Fire Services units also responded. An ambulance transported the baby to Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville where the child was later pronounced dead.
Hall County Animal Control and Enforcement also responded and took custody of the dog, which belonged to the family at the residence. Animal Control assistant director David Jones told Now Habersham he could not provide any additional information about the dog stating “the incident remains under investigation.”
Hall County Sheriff’s investigators are conducting a death investigation. The investigation is in its early stages, but there are no charges at this time, according to HCSO spokesperson Derreck Booth.
The name of the child is not currently being released, pending notification of family.
Joe Brown, age 78, of Toccoa, GA, went to his Heavenly Home on Monday, July 8, 2019.
Mr. Brown was born in Toccoa, GA on Dec. 29, 1940, to the late Johnson Brown and Fannie Cleo Dean Brown. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by 3 brothers: Bruce, Jake, and Johnny Brown; 2 sisters: Willie Ruth Shedd and Barbara Jean Brown. Mr. Brown was a member of Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church. He was a U.S. Air Force Veteran. Mr. Brown was a retired Lieutenant Correctional officer with the Lee Arrendale State Prison with 30 years of loyal and dedicated service.
Survivors include his wife, Earnestine Pitts Brown, Toccoa, GA; 2 sons and daughters-in-law: Joey and Tammy Brown, Clarkesville, GA and Jamey and Susan Brown, Jefferson, GA; 3 sisters: Gayle Brown, Covington, GA, Brenda Sprouse, Clyde, NC, and Catherine Collins, Alto, Ga; 4 grandchildren: Seth Brown and wife Brittany, Lindsey Brown, and Connor and Kirsten Brown; 2 great-grandchildren; Pressley Brown and Lakely Brown; several nieces and nephews.
Memorial services will be held at 3:00 pm, Thursday, July 11, 2019, at the Whitfield Funeral Home, North Chapel, Demorest, GA, with the Rev. Roy Bainey officiating.
The family will receive friends on Thursday from 1 pm until 2:45 pm.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to; Camp Toccoa At Currahee, P. O. Box 193, Toccoa, GA 30577.
There will be a special gathering for local veterans at the Habersham County Senior Center later this month. The center will host a Vet to Vet Café. The gathering is billed as a time for veterans “to simply listen, share stories, and enjoy refreshments together.”
It will be held at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, July, 16 at the senior center located at 217 Scoggins Drive in Demorest.
The event is being sponsored in partnership with Northeast Georgia Medical Center Hospice.
It’s been four days since a man’s body was discovered behind the wheel of a wrecked car along a private drive off of Ben Jones Road near Clarkesville. Now, authorities say more tests need to be run to positively identify the body.
Habersham County Deputy Coroner Ken Franklin says while authorities “feel sure we know” who the man is, they’re waiting on additional tests and dental records before publicly releasing the man’s name.
A woman identifying herself as the man’s niece commented about his death on social media and asked people to pray for his family.
A shocking discovery
The man’s body was found on July 6 inside a white 1994 Dodge Shadow. Troopers from Georgia State Patrol Post 7 in Toccoa responded to the scene. Their investigation revealed the car was traveling south along a private drive when it struck a mailbox at the end of the driveway.
“The vehicle then crossed over Ben Jones Road to the address of 1768 Ben Jones Road,” says Sgt. Casey Coffee. He says the vehicle struck a utility pole with its driver’s side mirror, drove through the yard, then crossed back over the road onto the private drive. The vehicle then traveled off the east side of the driveway striking several small trees before stopping.
The car sustained minor damage from the collisions, according to Coffee. He says the exact date and time of the crash are unknown.
Franklin said at the time of the shocking discovery that the man apparently had been dead for a “considerable time” based on the decomposition of his body.
No immediate cause of death was evident. The Deputy Coroner says there was no indication of foul play. The body was sent to the GBI Crime Lab in Decatur for an autopsy.
