C o n t i n u i n g To P r o u d l y S e r v e C a r r o l l C o u n t y S i n c e 1 8 3 1 $1.00
Thursday, March 21, 2019
freepressstandard.com
FPS Photo / Nancy Schaar
The new Next Gen Dispatch system is up and running. Carroll County Sheriff Dale Williams (from left), 911 & Communications Director Captain Cheryl Keyser, and deputy dispatcher Kelsie Ketchum are all smiles in the new 911 dispatch system with Commissioner Robert Wirkner.
Tornado siren, emergency alert system to be tested 9:50 a.m. March 20
Carroll County is fourth in state to achieve Next Gen status By NANCY SCHAAR FPS Correspondent Carroll County has worked for more than four years to make the Next Gen connection happen. The cost was more than $500,000, but all agree the thousands of hours involved is well worth it. The state had many requirements in order for the county to reach Next Gen status, but Commissioner Robert Wirkner said it is worth every penny if it saves lives. The county’s PSAP (Public Safety Answering Point) had to become compliant for Next Gen or face losing the county’s emergency operators. The state could have closed down the county dispatch center and calls would have been answered from a neighboring county such as Columbiana. Under the old 911 system, dispatchers would answer the calls but would have to use separate radio systems to call the
emergency services that were needed, whether they were fire departments, ambulances, sheriff or police officers. Wirkner said this is cutting edge technology and could have been done in various stages as other counties have chosen. But Wirkner said they were going to do it once, and do it right. Captain Cheryl Keyser, 911 and communications administrator for the sheriff’s dispatch center said that final step was very exciting. “It will offer so much better service for county residents than what we had,” said Keyser. “When a call comes in to the dispatch center, it only takes a millisecond for it to go to the 911 call center in Columbus and back to our PSAP. The system is compatible with cell phones as well as landlines and determines the exact location of the caller in the county,” said Keyser. The new computer system has the information at the dispatcher’s fingertips literally before you can blink, according to Sheriff Dale Williams. The former 911 system could only
handle calls from landlines. This new system is geared for cell phones as well as landlines. It can also answer TDD calls for the hearing impaired. The dispatcher can communicate immediately with the call through the messaging system. Williams said one thing they need people to do is to stay on the line. Do not hang up. Williams continued to say that many people will call for help, tell what the problem is, give the address, but then hang up. Dispatchers are now specially trained emergency medical dispatchers. They will keep the caller on the line and give specific instructions to the person on the phone telling them step by step what to do to take care of the sick or injured until help arrives. Those emergency services have already been called out and are on their way. Wirkner said that when the new system was introduced by the state, the
See NEXT GEN, PG. 3
FPS Photo / Kimberly Lewis
Multiple accidents tie up roads near Mechanicstown
A water tanker truck flipped on its side Thursday, March 14, on state Route 39 after it drove off the north side of the road. Fox Township firefighters responded to this crash and another on state Route 524 Thursday afternoon. More information can be found on Page 4.
Residents protest lenient charges in public indecency case By NANCY SCHAAR FPS Correspondent
A long line of protestors met outside the county prosecutor’s office Friday. Members of the community have been upset since Prosecutor Steven Barnett charged a man with second degree misdemeanors after he allegedly confessed to frequently exposing himself to young children on a school bus. Harrison Township resident, Gary Dean Lee, Jr. is being held in the Carroll County jail on a $100,000 cash or surety bond on misdemeanor charges of public indecency. Carroll County Sheriff Dale Williams said that information was provided to school resource officers and Carrollton school officials regarding a complaint of Lee exposing himself to small children when they got off the school bus at their homes on Jasmine Road. Williams directed a plain clothed deputy to ride the school bus Friday, March 8. The school bus was also followed by two additional deputies in an unmarked vehicle. Lee was observed by deputies pulling down his pajama pants and al-
See CASE, PG. 3 more inside
FPS Photo / Nancy Schaar
About 40 people gathered on the square in downtown Carrollton Friday to protest the charges filed by the county prosecutor against a man who allegedly admitted to sheriff deputies that he had repeatedly exposed himself to a little girl. Some of the signs read, ‘Give a Hoot – Prosecute’ and ‘Sheriff & Police Do Their Job, Y Not U’.
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accent pg. 10
opinion pg. 5
Prosecutor responds to criticism Carroll County Prosecuting Attorney Steven D. Barnett issued the following statement March 15: “Much has been discussed on social media regarding the case against Gary D. Lee, Jr. First and foremost, we sympathize with the victim and her family. Our victim-witness assistance office has been engaged to offer whatever assistance that is available. As a prosecutor, I am limited in the remarks I can make in response due to ethical rules as well as the presumption of innocence. Suffice it to say, prosecutors are duty-bound to enforce the laws as they are written and this controversy sheds light on the inadequacy of the public indecency law, which should have more teeth for circumstances such as these. We hope that legislators take note. Prosecutors ethically and professionally cannot prosecute cases beyond the scope of the law or expand the evidence to support something that is not attainable under the law. We will review any evidence in an investigation to determine whether or not that evidence supports the filing and the pursuing charges consistent with meeting our burden of proof under the law “
sports pg. 8