BEST WEEKLY
THE MADISONIAN
GEORGIA PRESS ASSOCIATION
‘Better Newspaper Contest.’
75 Cents
vol. 14, no. 36
serving morgan county since 1842
september 9, 2010
MMH CEO was asked to resign
Inside Today’s Edition
BY JAMES FAUCETT STAFF WRITER
Jackie Price was only 65 years old when she was killed, found dead on the kitchen floor of a Bell Circle home on the afternoon of June 15 by teenagers looking to use a computer. She was shot twice in the head, officials said. By the break of the next day, her estranged husband, George Price, confessed to being the one responsible for her death. He is currently incarcerated and, denied bond by county Magistrate Court Judge Connie Holt, is awaiting a September appearance in Morgan County Superior Court on a murder charge.
Former Morgan Memorial Hospital (MMH) CEO O.J. Booker said he was asked to resign by the Morgan County Hospital Authority. Previously, Booker had declined to comment on whether he had been given the option of resigning or chose to leave. Booker, the hospital's fourth WHY CAN T THE CEO in less HOSPITAL KEEP than two years, submitted his A CEO resignation to — Andy Chase the Authority Aug. 30. Attendee, Sept. 7 The next day, BOC meeting when asked why, he said, “For personal reasons, that’s all I can say.” In a Letter to the Editor Booker sent to the Citizen last week, he wrote, “I was asked to resign from my post as hospital administrator at Morgan Memorial.” When asked later who had asked him, Booker said, “the Authority,” though he declined to elaborate. “I just want to part on amicable, good terms,” he said. By presstime, Authority Chair Terry Evans had not returned a phone message requesting comment. The Authority, which oversees the hospital, voted Aug. 31 to accept Booker’s resignation. As of presstime, it had apparently not issued an official statement on Booker’s departure. Commissioner Ellen Warren, the county commission's liaison to the hospital, said last week nothing had been done on the county's part to influence the former CEO’s resignation. The county has provided funding for the hospital in the past and committed to another $880,000 for the next year.
See REMEMBERING JACKIE Page 1C
See CEO Page 7A
“
’
?”
Sports The Bulldogs shutout (and
shutdown)
the
Avondale Blue Devils, and
the
Lady
Jackie Price was found dead – shot in the head twice, according to law enforcement officials – on the floor of a Madison home on June 15. Her family and friends, however, don’t want her remembered solely as a “murder victim.” Photo contributed.
Dogs
Remembering Jackie
softball team is on a shutout streak of their own ... Page 1B
Law Enforcement It was a bad week for automobiles: an
auto
parts store is burgled, a $3,700 rifle is stolen from a truck and a man steals $16 in gas ... Page 5A
News & Features Former
MMH
BY KATHRYN SCHILIRO MANAGING EDITOR
a Letter to the Editor ... Page 4A
She loved NASCAR. And Barbra Streisand. Josh Groban, and horror movies. She often spent weekends at yard sales, her friends said, provided she woke up in time. She had a knack for decorating; she adorned the walls, floors, shelves with weekend discoveries. She called it her "stuff." They called it her "fru fru." She collected copper. There were stacks and stacks, her friends said. They pointed to the copper pots and pans hanging in the kitchen. She beautified the outside much as she did the inside, working hard in her garden, grooming her flowers and acquiring stray cats.
Chamber
BOC considers foreclosure registry BY JAMES FAUCETT STAFF WRITER
News & Features of
Commerce is preparing for its biennial Kitchen Tour ... Pages 4C and 5C
News & Features Singer-songwriters take the MMCC stage to pay tribute to Eudora Welty ... Page 8C
She was a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend. A volunteer, hairdresser and church member. Her friends remember her as a "classy lady," humble and caring, never angry. They do not think of her as a victim. Nor do they want her remembered that way.
CEO
addresses community in
The
A look back at a life lost, and background in domestic violence
“ THIS WOULD HELP US
Banks and individuals taking over foreclosed county properties may soon have to register with the county. Commissioners gave the goahead Tuesday for staff to draft a proposal for a foreclosure registry that would require a person or bank responsible for a property to provide their contact information. County Planning Director Chuck Jarrell said staff is having a tough time contacting people responsible for foreclosed properties about safety and maintenance problems. The staff is also getting complaints from nearby property owners.
IDENTIFY AN INDIVIDUAL THAT ’ S RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT PIECE OF PROPERTY.” — Chuck Jarrell County Planning Director “Mainly, we’re getting complaints from the property owners in subdivisions, but we’re starting to see some out in the county, also,” Jarrell said. Neighboring owners are concerned about things like homes in bad condition, trash and vandalism.
Family Connection budget cut 4 percent BY JAMES FAUCETT STAFF WRITER
News & Features Part-time
Morgan
Countian Janice Connelly speaks about her time in Ethiopia ... Page 1D
A local agency designed to help families and children will have to operate with 4 percent less this year, and more cuts could be coming, its coordinator said. “We’re hoping there are not, but you just never know,” said Karen Robertson, coordinator of the Morgan County Family Connection. The agency, run locally but organized under the Georgia Family Connection
Abandoned or unfinished houses can be unsafe and abandoned subdivisions can create problems like erosion. Often banks in other states or across the country take over the properties and staff has no contact information, Jarrell said. Usually, the banks aren’t even aware yet that they have the property. A tree fell through a foreclosed home in Madison recently and it took a couple of days to find out who to contact and another couple for someone to respond, he said. “This would help us identify an individual that’s responsible for that piece of property,” he said. Commission Chair Mack Bohlen said he had mixed emotions on the
proposal, but if the economy doesn’t improve there will be more foreclosed properties that will go downhill unless banks spend the money to maintain them. “I think we need to come up with something where we can have a contact person and at least make them maintain the yards, because there are other people that are paying good money to keep their places up and these places are just going to pot,” he said. “I think it’s a good idea,” Commissioner Ellen Warren said, though she added that she would like to see how much any fees or fines would be.
See REGISTRY Page 7A
TOGETHER IN VICTORY
Partnership, works to coordinate local resources to support kids and families. It has worked with the health department and school system to provide programs on teen pregnancy, for example. The recent cuts, made by the state legislature, will mostly come out of Robertson’s salary, curbing her efforts in collaborating local resources and finding funding for different needs, she said.
See BUDGET Page 7A
Students join players Antwon Carter (left) and Bailey Ross in celebration of the team’s 55-0 win Friday night. Photo by A. Bellebuono.
Lifestyles in Morgan County
LOCAL COLOR T H U R S D A Y
C SECTION
,
S E P T E M B E R
10, 2009
THE MORGAN COUNTY CITIZEN
STORY BY KATHRYN SCHILIRO
Her daughter remembers
Jackie Price's youngest daughter, Brittany Wilson, penned a letter that she asked to run with this story. irst and foremost, I wanted to say thank you for everyone's condolences regarding my mother's death. I knew she was loved by many people, but I didn't know the magnitude until I saw the numbers in attendance at her memorial. Seeing people present from all aspects of her life, from childhood friends from Brookhaven to her great-grandchildren, there gave me a small piece of mind. I'm glad she touched so many people. The real reason why I'm writing this is actually quite simple. I want you to know my mother for the beautiful and wonderful woman she was. I don't want her name only to be associated with the words "murder victim." Trust me when I tell you, there is much more to her than that. Mom and I had a unique bond that extended beyond mother and daughter. Many chalk it up to me being the "baby" of her three children, but the one thing I knew from the time I was a small child was she was absolutely my best friend. My aunt would joke and ask her if she would ever cut the umbilical cord because we were so attached. We had some tough times but we always had each other. I remember on a few occasions her questioning herself on if she was a good mother because she was unable to give me much growing up. The thing I don't think she ever realized was I didn't need much. She made sure I had a roof over my head and food in the fridge but most important, she loved me unconditionally. I didn't get into much trouble as a teen, but the times I did, she would hug me, smile and say, "You know you're grounded for two weeks, right?" She also taught me early on about selfless generosity. Early in my teens, she would bring me to the nursing home where she styled hair at and had me volunteer my time. Every Wednesday I was either painting fingernails or reading to some of the residents. Mostly though, I was fascinated with watching her interact with them. She had this magical way of initiating the most tender relationships with these people. This was something I watched throughout her life. Somehow, she would have the most hardened person eating out of her hands. Something else she cherished was her circle of best friends. She told me many times, with a smile I might add, of her first meeting with Becky and Henry Sims. She was still relatively new to Madison and decided to grab dinner at a popular pizza place downtown. I guess she didn't realize with it being a Friday night that there would be limited seating available.
F
Jackie Price (left) is pictured with her daughter, Brittany. Photo contributed.
Remembering Jackie
A LOOK BACK AT A LIFE LOST, AND BACKGROUND IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE "A Classy Lady" Becky Sims met Jackie Price over dinner at Amici. The restaurant was crowded that night and they – though complete strangers, and with significant others in tow – elected to share a table at the Madison eatery. From that booth, a 16-year friendship bloomed. Jenny Blanton met Jackie through Becky. The three became the best of friends, practically inseparable. There were day-trips out-of-town, weekend excursions, family vacations even. Friday nights, Saturdays and Sundays found them, often joined by family and other friends, at each other's homes. Jackie was the kind of friend who always had the ones she loved on her mind, they said. She would send cards during the middle of the week "just because," and would leave gifts on kitchen counters to be discovered later in the day. Her favorite holidays were Christmas, and Halloween. And she made sure birthdays were special. Jackie Price didn't live in Madison her entire life; she grew up in Gainesville, and moved here from Lilburn, with her husband, George – more commonly referred to as "Buzz" – who was in construction and was getting more and more work out in Morgan County. It was also a chance for a new beginning, her friends said. She cut hair for 30 years. She later worked as social worker at Madison Health and Rehab for years. Several months before her death, she returned there, offering to provide residents with service as a beautician. "She was wonderful with the residents," Stacey Lane, business office manager, said. "She babied them; she tended to spoil them." And everyone who met her, liked her, Lane said. "She was never harsh to anyone," Lane said. "I always told her, when I grew up, I wanted to be like her. She was very classy. She was really special." She volunteered at Joseph's Coat on Saturdays. She was a member of Center Pointe Church, and worked on the "Inside Events" committee, giving of her time to decorate the church for events. In the meantime, Buzz was drinking, and the habit got worse, Becky and Jenny recalled. His workload declined, and his reputation as a builder went with it, her friends said. They said she left Buzz three times – the consequences of his drinking seemed to affect her more than
“ MADISON ’ S LOST A VERY CL ASSY L ADY, AND WE ’ VE LOST A BEST FRIEND.”
— Becky Sims
him – but she'd always return to him. She loved him. Becky and Jenny don't think that Jackie ever feared for her safety when it came to living with Buzz. They contend that, despite his habit, he was gentle. "Nobody in a million years thought he would do something like this," Jenny said. The reason behind Jackie Price's murder remains a mystery, the answer of which is known only to Buzz. A request was made to both Buzz and his attorney, Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit Assistant Public Defender Darel C. Mitchell, for an interview; however, they had to "respectfully decline to have any discussion about the case," according to an e-mail from Mitchell. She leaves behind two daughters and one son – Traci, Brittany and Stephen – and five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, who called her "Mimi." She was so proud of her family, her friends said. She also leaves behind Becky and Jenny, and a collection of other friends, co-workers, acquaintances. Becky and Jenny will miss her laugh. "Madison's lost a very classy lady, and we've lost a best friend," Becky said.
See JACKIE Page 3C What follows is a listing of resources for victims of domestic violence. In case of emergencies, it's always best to call 911. Morgan County Sheriff's Office 706 342-1507 Madison Police Department 706 342-1275 Morgan Memorial Hospital 706 342-1667
Ga. Coalition Against Domestic Violence 1 800 33 HAVEN Project Safe, Athens 706 543-3331 (Hotline) Circle of Love, Greensboro 706 453-4017 (Crisis line)
See LETTER Page 2C
“Just say 'Cheese.' Or is it 'Cheetah?'”
“W
hat do you think of this?” I asked my husband showing him a cell phone picture of me wearing a bikini standing in front of the bathroom mirror. “What if I post it on the Internet… for publicity?” He looked at the photo, “Well, I guess it works for a humor columnist.” Did you see the photographs Demi Moore posted on the Internet of herself wearing nothing but sunglasses and a snakeskin bikini standing in front of her bathroom mirror? Then came those Lisa Rinna, of “Dancing with the Stars” and puffy lips fame, Tweeted of herself similarly situated
Jamie Miles
SOUTH MAIN
in support of her idol and fellow 47-year-old wife and mother, Demi Moore. I am 47. I have a bathroom, a cell phone camera
and a Twitter account. I don’t have a spouse 15 years my junior, but who couldn’t use a little pub? So yesterday I made up my mind to get my over-40 abs out there on the World Wide Web. I’m sure Erma would have done the same. Though when Erma Bombeck was 47, the Internet didn’t exist. She probably rolled reprinted pictures of her tan, buff bod around one of her latest columns and had her son stuff them in folks’ mail boxes. With my cougarskin string bikini still at the dry cleaners, this called for some improvisation. A one-piece hung over the shower rod from the last time I swam at the aquatics center – three
months ago. Since royal blue flatters everything from aging women to aging major appliances, all I needed was some scissors and dental floss. Stepping away from the mirror, I lined up my shot. Demi has admitted to plastic surgery. I would never confess to such or at least never reveal any doctor’s name. My pocketbook couldn’t take defending a defamation lawsuit right now. Funny what two adults, three children and a visiting set of grandparents can do to a bathroom. Both Demi and Lisa’s bathrooms look like five-star hotels. Mine looks…well. Did I mention that our entire family uses
the same toilet bowl and sink? I didn’t notice toothpaste splatters on Demi or Lisa’s mirrors. No black dog hair graced the white subway tile floor. Fluffy white robes hung in the corner by Demi’s shower. So I was sure that my fuchsia terry one covered in polka-dots, stains and gaping burnt holes made by an errant lit match graced my shot. The oversized sunglasses came in handy because when I started posing, even my eyes rolled so far back into my head I looked like my 17 year old when asked any question containing the words “girl,” “SAT” or “Should I take a picture of myself in the bathroom mir-
ror a wearing a bikini?” The latter phrase was accompanied by, “That’s gross, Mom.” Looking at my reflection with right hip tilted up one way, stomach skin swinging the other, I thought maybe he’s right. This was gross. The bathroom surely was. What would a 47-year-old Erma have done? Would she rely on scantily clad pictures or just sit down at her typewriter? No doubt, Erma would write. So I did just that – still wearing my bathing suit. Now I wonder what’s the easiest way to hold out the camera to get the best picture?
MORGAN COUNTY CITIZEN
JACKIE
from Page 1C
Domestic Violence, and the Justice System According to Buzz Price's own admission, his wife's death occurred at his hands. Her friends say he never hurt her before he killed her. According to Detective Wes Thompson, Madison Police Department, Buzz didn't have a criminal history of reported violence or abuse. Oftentimes, there is a cycle of violence – a neverending circle where the relationship (between spouses, boyfriend-girlfriend, life partners) starts off just fine; tension then builds and erupts, manifesting itself as assault that can lead to physical injury; there is an apologetic period of excuses and promises it won't happen again, or even denial of the incident; finally, things return to being OK, and it all starts over – that has to be broken for the abused person to escape the relationship. "If nothing ever changes, then nothing ever changes," Morgan County Assistant District Attorney for the Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit Alison Burleson said. Jackie's case was rare. It seems there was no cycle of violence, no real history, no warning. Nonetheless, it was domestic violence – family violence, specifically – that claimed her life. Georgia law defines family violence as any felony, battery, simple battery, simple assault, assault, stalking, criminal damage to property, unlawful restraint or criminal trespass committed between past or present spouses, parents of the same child, parents and children, stepparents and stepchildren, foster parents and foster children, or people who live or did live in the same household (O.C.G.A. § 1913-1). "It happens in the best of families, even the wealthy, well-to-do," county Magistrate Court Judge Connie Holt said. "A lot of women have nowhere else to go, no job. Ninety percent of them have children." And, according to an Aug. 2009 Violence Against Women Online Resources publication, qualitative research suggests women in rural communities experience higher rates of domestic violence than women in urban communities. "Poverty, lack of public transportation systems, shortages of healthcare providers, minimal insurance or lack of health insurance and decreased access to resources are many barriers faced by women living in rural communities," the report states. Partner violence is more common than violence between parents and children or sibling violence. As such, the abuser typically has something he/she can hold over the abused, like children or financial dependency, or keeps the abused at home, isolated from family and friends, so that the only person they really have contact with is the abuser. According to Athens, Ga.based non-profit Project Safe – an organization that works to end domestic violence through prevention and education, crisis intervention and support services – there are more than just physical tactics that abusers employ to gain power: • Emotional abuse "includes name-calling, put downs, public humiliation, mind games, threats, setting rules and changing them at will, and threats to harm
friends, family members and pets." • Sexual abuse "includes forced sex, rape, demands to perform sexual acts against one's will, treating a partner like a 'sex object,' etc." • Physical abuse "includes hitting, punching, kicking, slapping, shoving, hairpulling, restraining, biting, using weapons, using household objects as weapons, strangling, etc." • Coercive control "includes isolation, making rules for everyday activities, forcing someone to do things they have a right to refuse or preventing someone to do things they have a right to do such as sleeping, bathing, changing clothes or taking medicine." Further, while physical abuse will escalate then decline or stop, coercive control and emotional abuse are typically constants, the Project Safe Web site states. (Above information on domestic violence taken from Project Safe's Web site, project-safe.org.) So, what happens if the abused tries to break the cycle of violence by calling law enforcement? More often than not, in Morgan County, officers sent on a family violence call end up mediating an argument. "[The calls] tend to be very emotional for us," Morgan County Sheriff Robert Markley said. "But we'd much rather they call than it go to blows." In 2009, there were 62,156 family violence incidents in Georgia, the highest number of incidents the state has seen in five years, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation's (GBI) 2009 Uniform Crime Reporting data. Of these incidents, 26 percent involved incidents between present spouses and 22 percent involved incidents between people who do or did live in the same household. Further, most family violence incidents – 54 percent – involved hands or fists used as a weapon; 41 percent of incidents involved other weapons; 4 percent involved a knife; and 1 percent involved a gun, according to the GBI's report. Most of the more than 60,000 incidents – 32 per-
N EWS & F EATURES “ IF
NOTHING EVER CHANGES ,
THEN NOTHING EVER CHANGES .” Alison Burleson Morgan County Assistant District Attorney
cent – ended in arrest. According to Markley, in 2009 the Morgan County Sheriff's Office responded to 245 domestic violencerelated calls, out of 16,170 total calls; that's 1.5 percent. As of July 2010, the sheriff's office had responded to 110 domestic violence-related calls. Physical contact, when it comes to domestic violence, is a game-changer. If there have been visible physical injuries and the abuser is still on-scene, the officer is required to make an arrest. If there are visible injuries but the abuser has left, a warrant and temporary protective order (TPO) are issued, Markley said. Prior to the law being changed years ago, the abused had to face the abuser in court. This led to many of the abused dropping their cases; they knew their abusers would eventually make bond and return home, and they didn't want to make more trouble for themselves. Needless to say, this just permitted the cycle of violence to continue. Now, once an arrest is made and entered into the system, the case becomes the "State of Georgia v. Joe Defender" instead of "Jane Smith v. Joe Defender," according to Burleson. "It cuts out victim influencing," Burleson said. At the county Magistrate Court level, the legal process begins with a bond hearing at which time a "stay away order" is always issued, according to Judge Holt. Then, there is a preliminary hearing, at which the officer testifies. Holt reserves the right to hold a case for six months to a year, "with bond supervision through our probation office," to require the accused to take domestic violence and/or anger management classes, complete drug and alcohol evaluations and take counseling; the stay away order stays in place throughout that time. Provided there is no further violence, the case comes back before Magis-
trate Court and may be dismissed on a first offense, according to Holt. However, "strictly misdemeanor family violence cases...are handled that way." Special to Morgan County, Holt has a system of "Good Behavior Bonds," comparable to a TPO issued in Superior Court. Under this system, the accused can be removed from the residence until the case goes before Magistrate Court. At the pre-warrant hearing, if there is enough evidence to convince Holt that the conduct of the accused is a threat to the "safety of one or more persons in the county or the peace or property of same," a Good Behavior Bond is issued against the accused or the accused and the applicant ordering them to stay clear of that party or each other for up to six months and bond of $500 to $1,000. In addition, domestic violence classes, anger management classes, counseling, treatment for drugs or alcohol and other supervision may be ordered. If violated, one or both parties may be jailed for 10 days and forfeit bond and/or could be charged with the felony of aggravated stalking. "Education, evaluations and treatment is what I am after," Holt writes, in e-mail correspondence. "Because if not treated and help given, it will continue. Sometimes jail time is not what is needed, but treatment would better serve both parties." If probable cause is found at the Magistrate Court level, the case is bound over to Superior Court to go be-
September 9, 2010 Page 3C fore the Grand Jury. If the Grand Jury indicts, the case goes before a Superior Court judge and/or a jury for a trial, according to Holt. Fortunately for residents, Morgan County is paying attention to victim advocacy. Through a federal grant, the county has been able to acquire a victim's advocate, Vicki Lynn, whose job it is to make contact with the abused as early in the legal process as possible. According to Burleson, Lynn is there to walk the abused through the legal process as well as help with TPOs, finding a place to stay, coming up with a safety plan, contacting the Department of Family and Children Services, if applicable, and finding appropriate job services. "Morgan County is definitely leading the pack in our circuit when it comes to victims being properly serviced and batterers held accountable," Burleson said. The grant that is keeping Vicki Lynn employed as a victim's advocate in Morgan
County will run out on Oct. 31. But the Ocmulgee District Attorney's office is working on applying for more grants to keep that position in place, Burleson said. "Even if your situation seems hopeless...all you have to do is pick up the phone and call our office, and we will help you," Burleson said. "They know it doesn't have to be like this... There's another choice than staying in that situation." In addition to law enforcement, Circle of Love in Greensboro and Project Safe are among the local shelters that victims of domestic violence can turn to for help. "Report it. If it happens once, it's going to happen again and it usually gets worse," Thompson said. "Report it. Get some help, [get] intervention," Markley said. "[Victims often feel a] stigma they've done something wrong, that they've done something to deserve it... No one has to live in fear of domestic violence."