173rd year No. 362 Two sections
75¢
TUESDAY, December 27, 2016 RN-T.com
Property up for sale: Businesses not moving
Weather: Chance of storms. High near 68. Low around 43. B6
After a foreclosure, the bank is listing the building on Martha Berry Highway.
Rome man arrested after chase in Gordon County
Quinn’s message coming into focus for Falcons
Detectives describe the damage at Gordon County’s Transportation Department building as extensive.
With coach Dan Quinn, the Falcons will make their first postseason appearance in four years.
Page A2
REGION ROUNDUP, page A3
SPORTS, page B1
Robbery suspects still at large z Police are still searching for perpetrators in a Kroger mugging and Morelos robbery.
On Thursday, a man described as a small-framed white man reportedly robbed Morelos Supermarket on Shorter Avenue at gunpoint. According to Rome police reports, the man entered the supermarket at By John Bailey 2:50 p.m. and pointed a gun at an employee and then waved the gun at cusOnline Editor tomers. The employee gave him money JBailey@RN-T.com and he ran out of the back door. Surveillance video shows a man outPolice are still searching for suspects and more information about two rob- side the store before the robbery. He beries that took place at local super- was described as approximately 20-35 and was wearing a red hoodie, blue markets.
age of the two suspects walking around the pharmacy drive-through at the supermarket. According to the Rome poRead this story online to see previous lice report, witnesses saw the encounreports about the incidents. ter and chased the two men through the parking lot. They fled and disappeared into the wooded area behind the store. jeans and a gray backpack with green Her black, white and green purse contained a matching wallet and her celltrim. On Dec. 18, two men described as phone with a bamboo cover were stoblack men wearing jeans and black len. hoodies beat up and robbed a 62-yearAnyone with information about the old woman in the Kroger parking lot. incidents can call the Rome Police DeRome police posted surveillance foot- partment at 706-238-5111.
RN-T.com
Retailers not slowing down after Christmas
Bagwell proud of tight budget
Shoppers using gift cards, making exchanges
z The Floyd County commissioner, who ends his term Saturday, says he’s looking forward to spending more time on his farm.
By Kristina Wilder Staff Writer KWilder@RN-T.com
Even with Christmas presents bought and opened, life doesn’t slow down for retailers. Retailers now have to restock their stores, prepare for the onslaught of spring clothing and help customers who want to do everything from make exchanges to spend Christmas money and gift cards. And shoppers are still busy, too. “We are out trying to catch the after-Christmas sales,” explained Detra Eaves, who was shopping at Buckle at Mount Berry Mall on Monday with Chloe Barge and Mindi Wilson. “We fueled up at breakfast this morning and we’re ready to shop,” Eaves said. Buckle manager Brittany Lynch said while the store had been busy most of the morning, the staff is still trying to make sure the store was in top shape. “We are updating displays, filling in and we just changed the signs in the store for the coming spring collection,” she said. “This is the day we start moving all of the fall and winter items to the front and making room for new items, as well as getting the sales marked.” Lynch said the store staff was expecting to see a lot of gift cards.
TODAY’S YOUNG ARTIST
Today’s artwork is by Harold Vicente, a first-grader at Elm Street Elementary.
INDEX Bridge Classified Comics Dear Abby Editorial Lottery Obituaries Police Reports Puzzles Sports Television Weather
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© 2016, Times-Journal Inc.
This newspaper is printed in part on recycled paper and is recyclable.
By Diane Wagner Staff Writer DWagner@RN-T.com
ABOVE: Jennifer Dempsey (left) and Marsha Dempsey watch as Cooper (center) and Maddox Dempsey play on the train table at Barnes & Noble. LEFT: Mindi Wilson (from left), Detra Eaves and Chloe Barge shop together in Buckle at Mount Berry Mall. BELOW: Grace Wood (left) and Chase Wood make time for a drink and a cookie as they accompany their mom, Jessica Wood, as she shops at Mount Berry Mall. Photos by Kristina Wilder, Rome News-Tribune
“It will be gift cards and Christmas money,” she said. “We also get exchanges a lot on the first day after Christmas.” Buckle floor leader Tyler Hammond said the season “has been wild.” “This is my first year in retail and while tax free weekend was wild, then there was Black Friday
and Christmas weekend was like 100 times that,” he said. “We’ve been busy this morning, too, but that is good.” Maurices manager Frankie Ford said the holiday season has been busy, especially since the beginning of December. Please see SHOP A3
Play, movie and symposium to take a look at race relations z Rome Little Theatre, the MLK Commission and 100 Black Men are sponsoring “Clybourne Park” and “A Raisin in the Sun” From staff reports Rome Little Theatre will join with the MLK Commission of Northwest Georgia and 100 Black Men in January to present a Pulitzer Prize, To n y - Aw a r d - w i n n i n g play on race and real estate titled “Clybourne Park,” the movie “A Raisin in the Sun” and a symposium on race. The events will launch MLK weekend. A special
RN-T.com Read this story online for links to Rome Little Theatre and 100 Black Men websites.
human inability to talk to one another honestly about race, and the inability to face racial prejudice head on. Tickets are available at romelittletheatre.org or Contributed photo by calling 706-295-7171. Cast members rehearse for “Clybourne Park,” which will be Ticket prices are $14 for students and seniors and presented Jan. 13 at 6 p.m. at the DeSoto Theatre. $16 for adults including performance of “Cly- play immediately follows all fees. The play will be shown bourne Park” will be pre- the closing scene of “A again Jan. 20-21 at 8 p.m. sented at the historic Raisin in the Sun.” DeSoto Theatre on Jan. “Clybourne Park,” set and Jan. 22 at 2:30 p.m. 13 at 6 p.m. in the same house in 1959 The first scene of the and 2006, explores the Please see ‘CLYBOURNE’ A2
Floyd County Commissioner Irwin Bagwell was first elected in 2008, just as the Great Recession was ramping up. He said he’ll close out his two terms in office Saturday proud of leaving the county’s finances on an even keel. “The past eight years have been the worst economy we’ve ever been through,” Bagwell Irwin Bagwell said. “We’ve managed the county government through some of the worst times, and we also gave several employee pay raises.” He said he is most pleased to have rooted out embedded inefficiencies, such as the practice of buying cars and big-ticket equipment via lease-purchase contracts each year. “We were paying $400,000 to $500,000 on the debt,” Bagwell said. “Now we just buy them out of the county budget. That’s a huge payment we don’t have to make anymore.” The public safety raises that took priority once the financial freefall stabilized helped the county retain its trained officers, he said. And a balance of more than $4 million in the employee health benefits fund shows it was the right decision to self-insure. “We haven’t had to have a premium increase since then, and that’s just huge for our employees,” he said. While the county has been drawing on its fund balance each year to cover its operating expenses, Bagwell said that’s what the money is for. He and Commission Chairman Larry Maxey failed in 2015 to halt a property tax increase of 0.833 mills — the first hike since 2008 — projected to raise about $2.1 million a year. Commissioners Garry Fricks, Rhonda Wallace and Scotty Hancock voted in favor. Please see COUNTY A2
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