District Attorney Buzz Franklin has offered sentencing deals to three of the four teens involved in stealing and destroying this Nissan XTerra back in June. According to someone close to the case, the 19-year-old gets 8-years probation because he was “only a child,” one of the minors gets one year probation, and the other juvenile gets a year in YDC. No word yet about the fourth suspect involved. Is this a fair deal or too lenient?

In other crime news, Walker Co Sheriff’s Office has declared a 1979 homicide case “closed” after the DA’s office said there was “sufficient evidence to prosecute” a suspect who died last year. (Meanwhile, how many homicide have they actually cleared since 2000?)

They can decide there’s sufficient evidence to prosecute a dead man for something that happened 33 years ago, but not enough to prosecute a deputy who had sexual contact with a girl weeks earlier, or prosecute Clara Marsh even though she had dead bodies in her back yard. Good job DA’s office and Walker County SO, keep closing those cases nobody remembers.

An anonymous Facebook page/group supporting Bebe Heiskell has begun making suggestions of violent threats against write-in candidate Ales Campbell. There are several groups pushing lies and violence, and Heiskell has endorsed several of them. Residents should call her office [ 706 638 1437 ] and ask if she condones this behavior.

If any Campbell supporters suggested a similar song for Bebe, they’d get a visit from law enforcement.

A single-vehicle accident yesterday on GA 341 between Camp Rd. and Pond Spring claimed the life of a 25-year-old Kensington man. The sole individual involved was ejected from the vehicle and killed; he was reportedly late for work and speeding when the vehicle went out of control. Residents in the area say there are accidents there often, they blame a lack of guardrails and no law enforcement presence watching for speeders.

Thoughts and prayers go out to his family today.

Another serious accident occurred around the same time on Hwy. 27 near the Chickamauga Huddle House. No word on the condition of persons involved in that incident.

LPD has arrested two men, Ricky Sweet and Julian Uvalle, for breaking into six cars, stealing offering money from the Church of Christ last week, and swiping cameras from Second Baptist after the free dental clinic. Couple of real nice fellows.

One of the cars burglarized belonged to a firefighter, and they stole his radio and “turn out gear” which would be essentially worthless unless you work for a fire department.

Another burglary where a home on Warthen St. was set on fire after jewelry was stolen is now also being linked to the two arrested men, Sweet and possibly Uvalle.

Fiscal 2013 begins in five days, but LaFayette still doesn’t have a budget. The biggest issue being contested seems to be the golf course. It loses money hand over fist, as we’ve been screaming about here for three years. Should they keep raising fees in hopes of losing less money, or lower fees and add “family” packages to bring more people into the community? Or maybe advertise the thing sometime.

Lowering rates or even giving away games does nothing if people don’t know the LaFayette Golf Course exists, know what the rates are, and know how to find it. (Whoever decided to put the entrance off Foster Mill Drive instead of South Main St. had no interest in helping the city’s economy, regardless of what they say now.) So if the city plans to do anything with the golf course (besides sell it), advertising it to the outside world is a must.

But citizens must ask: what it would bring at auction? Sell the golf course to the highest bidder to a company that could operate it profitably and advertise it. The city would make money from selling it and be off the hook for future losses, and there would still be a golf course in town. Call or e-mail your councilor.

The Heiskell campaign and its press release factory (a/k/a McEntrye at the Messenger) on efforts to bring in business and develop the Swanson farm in Noble. Article fails to mention how the county is paying $10,000 a year just for the right to keep someone else from buying the Swanson farm first.

According to the article, Heiskell didn’t buy the land outright from Swanson so he can keep paying property taxes on the land – but this “option” costs the county about $2,000 a year MORE than his overall property tax bill. All this arrangement does is discourage businesses from buying the tracts outright at a lower price than the county will pay.

LU first discussed the Swanson property way back in June 2010.

Opponents of write-in commissioner candidate Ales Campbell have brought to our attention that she -or rather her husband’s business- had an overdue county property tax bill (for office equipment) amounting to some $300 and change. When notified of the problem, Campbell immediately paid the bill. They’re grasping at straws and coming up with nothing compared to the outstanding corruption, nepotism, and leadership issues facing Commissioner Heiskell.

People opposed to Campbell also point out that she hasn’t filed a campaign finance report. That’s also true, but she hasn’t been required to file one yet since she wasn’t a candidate during the first six months of 2012. A report for July-September is required once September ends, and once one is prepared it’ll be shared here along with Heiskell’s.

Campbell’s opponents have also resorted to name-calling, profanity, racial slurs, and outright fabricated lies. It seems to be a sign of desperation where they lack anything substantial to say about her. Commissioner Heiskell is surely aware of the attacks, since many originate from her own Facebook page and circle of friends – but she so far has done nothing to discourage the behavior.

Friday morning students and staff from LaFayette Middle School contacted astronauts onboard the International Space Station using ham radio. It was a big moment for the community and inspiring for the students present. Astronauts were asked (and attempted to answer) student-submitted questions for about ten minutes before the station moved beyond local radio range.

Update on the One-Eleven break-in. Store was closed Wednesday and Thursday, costing them 2 days of sales (plus staff two days pay.) The suspect, Casey Darling, allegedly stole about $27 of change plus $100 from donation buckets, plus a cash register – and did about $20,000 in damage. Suspect was found through “an anonymous tip” which is usually how LPD finds people.

One news report initially said the owner, Mike Lovelady, saw two burglars on the security video but the statement was later scrubbed from articles and Mr. Lovelady hasn’t verified if he said that or not. The Messenger piece says “Authorities looked at the video further and authenticated that only one person broke into the restaurant.” Officers did admit talking to another suspect who could not be connected or pushed into confessing.

Casey Darling, the one suspect ID’d, has been charged with Burglary, Financial Transaction Card Theft, and Theft of Lost or Mislaid Property. Apparently the $27 in change plus donation bucket funds (which ranged from $15 to $100 depending on who you ask) wasn’t his main target if he also swiped store credit cards or credit information belonging to customers.

Reports earlier in the week said Mr. Darling lives at the Morgan Motel where he was arrested, but the Walker Co Jail booking report gives Mr. Darling’s address as the 2nd Street home of City Manager Frank Etheridge. Darling lived with the Etheridges for a time since Darling and the City Manager’s son are (or were) reportedly friends. There’s no indication that anyone suspects the younger Mr. Etheridge of being involved.

In possibly related burglary news…

WQCH Radio, 09/20/2012: “BURGLARS BROKE IN TO THE LAFAYETTE CHURCH OF CHRIST AFTER WEDNESDAY NIGHT SERVICES, ACCORDING TO THE MINISTER THERE. AARON POPE SAID TELEVISIONS AND COMPUTERS WERE ALL LEFT IN PLACE AND 40 TO 50-DOLLARS IN CASH WAS THE ONLY THING MISSING.

“THE MINISTER SAID POLICE TOLD HIM THEY HAVE HAD SEVERAL SIMILAR INCIDENTS, WITH ONLY SMALL AMOUNTS OF CASH MISSING IN BREAK-INS. THE CHURCH BUILDING IS AT THE CORNER OF WEST MAIN AND CHEROKEE STREETS.”

Seems to be very similar to the One Eleven robbery, but Mr. Darling was in jail Wednesday night.