Plunging in to 2015 – feet first – LU is back.

[Photo from 2015 Polar Plunge at the Blue Hole inside Pigeon Mountain WMA.]   

County and city emergency crews responded to a series of three accidents last night, all on Highway 27 between LaFayette and Rock Spring.

The first, described as a “bad accident” at the intersection of Wheeler Rd and 27, involved an entrapment; additional details for the 3-4 PM wreck are still thin.   

The second wreck occurred less that three miles away, at 27 and Bell Rd near Noble Fellowship Church. That one, around 8 PM, involved a motorcycle. Traffic was blocked and rerouted for a time in both directions as LifeForce landed to assist. The victim’s name and condition have not been released as this is being typed.

[Photo provided by JD Watters.]     

The THIRD Sunday wreck happened in front of Days In around 9:00 when a minivan slammed into the back of a lumber truck parked on the shoulder. Reports say the semi ran out of fuel and the driver failed to see it; everyone involved in that accident is apparently OK.   

Stay safe out there.

Sunday night week-ago, Jerry Lee “Bud” Nestor, age 24, led police on a “high-speed chase” through the Walmart parking lot. Nestor bailed after driving through the Murphy station, fell in the old Blockbuster lot, and was arrested near Big John’s.

WQCH Radio, 12/30/14: “NESTER [sic] HAD A BAG OF MARIJUANA ON HIS PERSON, POLICE SAY. HE WAS CHARGED WITH THE PAROLE VIOLATION, FLEEING, OBSTRUCTION, DRIVING WHILE LICENSE WAS SUSPENDED AND POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA.”

Suspect originally had a parole violation, now the least of his legal troubles.   

Please note, this will be the final Update of 2014. LU is taking the remainder of the year off, both on the blog and (minus anything major) on social media. The Underground will return January 5.

On Friday volunteers from Empty Stocking Fund distributed groceries to needy families around the county. All told bags of food plus frozen chickens were handed out to about 630 Walker County families.

Another good Holiday deed yet to be done: For the third year running, Twins Pizza will offer a free meal to the community – no strings attached – on Christmas day.

Meal will be served from 11 to 2.

Owner Key Koukos does this annually in memory of his son who died in 2008.

The library will have a “Pajama Day” today featuring various movies and TV shows for kids, and adults, from 10 AM well into the afternoon.

More Christmas news for city garbage customers: Tuesday trash pickup will be held normally this week. Thursday trash pickup on Christmas day will be moved to Friday the 26th so you can get all that wrapping, food, and packaging trash out of your house.

Merry Christmas!         

Saturday, 12/20, was Walker County property tax day, but the office was closed. Good news though: The county generously extended the deadline to Monday without penalty – at least beyond the penalty of paying the tax to begin with. (Some who attempted to pay online Monday say late fees were still charged anyway.)

Bebe could really use your money, so be sure she gets it in a timely manner; Shrimp and steak aint free you know. Gotta keep the buffet flowing.   

A wreck around 7 PM Saturday night claimed the life of 66-year-old Daniel Ellis Jeter of Ringgold. The accident occurred at the notorious intersection of highway 27 and GA 151 near the Walker/Chattooga line.

GSP investigators say the deadly wreck was caused by a LaFayette woman, Ashley Romans, who ran the stop sign on 151 and t-boned Jeter’s car. Jeter’s vehicle also hit another car, but its occupants were relatively unharmed.

Romans is expected to face charges from the accident.         

More stupid kids stealing from their families:

WQCH Radio, 12/13/14: “ANOTHER CASE OF THEFT FROM A RELATIVE NETTED AN ARREST THIS WEEK. POLICE CHARGED 17 YEAR OLD TIMOTHY LEVI BRUMNLOW [sic] WITH THEFT BY TAKING IN THE CASE.

“ON NOVEMBER 22nd, A RELATIVE REPORTED THAT THE YOUNG MAN WAS DOING SOME WORK AT HER HOUSE ON MOORE AVENUE. WHEN SHE RETURNED, HER PURSE WAS MISSING.

“SHE TOLD POLICE SHE WENT TO ANOTHER RELATIVE’S RESIDENCE WHERE BRUMNLOW WAS STAYING AND CONFRONTED HIM, BUT HE DENIED STEALING THE PURSE. WHEN HE LEFT THE ROOM, SHE SAID SHE LOOKED IN HIS ROOM AND FOUND HER PURSE UNDER HIS BED. IT CONTAINED PRESCRIPTIONS, CHECKS AND A DEBIT CARD.

“POLICE OBTAINED AN ARREST WARRANT AND PICKED BRUMNLOW UP, ON MONDAY.”   

Christy Sharp, who was in the news recently for stealing a car, got herself arrested again 12/7 for drug possession.

Sharp was commenting on LU Facebook over the weekend, making fun of a Linwood neighbor arrested for.. drugs.   

Tuesday Bi-Lo’s corporate parent gave Stocking Full of Love a check for $2,500 – despite warnings that the Sheriff’s Office-based organization isn’t a legitimate nonprofit and misuses a portion of the funding it receives.

All the honest, legitimate charities in Walker County they could give to, and they pick one that isn’t honest OR legitimate.

Does SFL actually buy toys for kids? Yes, and they gave out quite a few today.

But the organization could help more if its leaders, Sheriff Wilson, Deputy Coker, and others, didn’t take money off the top for their own purposes. They also lie when asked if SFL is a legitimate tax-deductible charity, and Coker has in the past made threats against those who attempted to find out where the money actually goes.

If you can’t give the Sheriff $20 for a kid to get a Christmas present and trust that all $20 goes to the kids, why is he still Sheriff? Talk about having a low standard.

(BUT Bi-Lo is covered now if they decide to open a gambling operation inside any of their Walker County stores.)   

Speaking of law enforcement Christmas charities..

Shop With a Cop shopping, this morning at Walmart.

(For those asking about signing up for Christmas help for their kids now: you’re too late. Christmas tends to come at the same time every year, maybe buy a calendar and mark it for 2015 so you ask ahead of time.)   

Also today: teams from all of Walker County’s elementary and middle schools have met at Saddle Ridge for a day of Lego robot competition.

First annual event started at 8:30 AM and lasts until 4 this afternoon.

Students use Lego robots to learn math and programming; This robotics and programming type stuff, on a much higher level, is what GA School Superintendent-elect Richard Woods is proposing as an alternate to math requirements for high school graduation.   

Two idiots driving around with no brake lights got pulled over last week. LPD found the vehicle’s tag didn’t match the vehicle it was on, and both yahoos allegedly had a ton of drugs on their persons.

Arrested were Rodney Cameron Wyatt Jr., age 17, and LaFayette’s favorite criminal, Chance Ellison.

Ellison is a good boy who’s previously been involved, or allegedly involved, in arson, drugs, burglary, and rape. Mr. Wyatt is apparently new on the adult criminal scene, but will become a pro quickly if he continues to associate with Ellison and the kinds of drugs police say they were caught with.   

Summer: County is broke, we need to raise taxes.
Fall: Taxes go up, bills mailed out.
Next year: County spends millions on new buildings.
Rinse, repeat.

Here’s a quick drive-around of the county’s new office building:

Remember, this will cost Walker County taxpayers $60,000 a year for the next fifteen years. The original stated purpose of this massive facility is to make space for two new tax assessors.

(Can we start referring to those as “bribe-thru windows” now, or should we wait until the building is open?)     

Shortly after 11 Monday night Erlanger LifeForce was called to a field off Lake Howard Rd, responding to an accident involving a pickup truck.

Per those on the scene, a green Ford Ranger with a single occupant ended up on its top. The occupant of the vehicle had to be cut free; family members he was “banged up a little” and is doing fine.