Credit card theft leadsto discovery of meth lab

Special to the Times-Courieralsummers@timescourier.com

District attorney Joe Hen-dricks has announced hisbid for re-election. Afterserving as DA for theAppalachian Judicial Cir-cuit, which includes Fannin,Gilmer and Pickens coun-ties, Hendricks said he isproud of his record andtough stance on drug activi-ty in the circuit.“Our circuit was plagued

with meth labs, meth deal-ers and meth related vio-lence when I took office,”said Hendricks. “I believe

that a tough stance againstthe drug dealers who were

Joe Hendricksseeking re-electionas district attorney

by Whitney Crouchwcrouch@timescourier.com

Amidst much fanfareand applause the seniorclass of 2012 graduatedfrom Gilmer High Schoolat 10 a.m., Saturday, May19. Senior class president

Rebecca Hood welcomedthe large crowd of familymembers, friends, teach-ers and graduates thatfilled the GHS gymnasi-um for the celebration. Asshe looked out over herpeers, she stated, “I see asuccessful group of adults

that will make a differ-ence in this community.”She went on to encouragethem to dream big and tomaintain their Bobcatspirit and to be powerful,fearless and courageous.Hood also sang “I Am

Not Gonna Cry” by CorySmith, while Linsey Guf-fey, senior class secretary,read Robert Frost’s inspi-rational poem “The RoadNot Taken.” Shelby Gray, senior

class vice president, pre-sented the class history.She shared that of the215 graduating seniors,

125 have already madeplans to continue theireducation at a college oruniversity, 41 will attenda vocational or technicalschool, 14 plan to join themilitary and 14 are enter-ing directly into the workforce. Senior class treasurer

Jessica Hagin announcedthat in recognition oftheir time at GHS, mem-bers of the senior classhave given a monetarygift to the school for usein improving and main-taining the patio and pic-nic area beside the cafete-ria. “This day marks the

end of one phase of lifeand the beginning ofanother,” observed salu-tatorian Thomas Spiveyduring his address. Hewent on to challenge hisfellow graduates to havefaith and to be mindful ofwho they represent. Valedictorian Savan-

nah Summers thankedthe gathered familymembers, teachers,administrators, coaches

and members of the com-munity for supportingthe class of 2012 through-out their education. Shealso encouraged herpeers to “embrace thechange and look to thesepast years for guidance …[and] make your journey

Gilmer High School holds graduation ceremony

Photo by Whitney Crouch

Members of the Gilmer High School class of 2012 toss their hats in celebrationat the close of Saturday’s commencement service.

by Al Summersalsummers@timescourier.com

Law enforcement offi-cers never know whatthey might find wheninvestigating a case. Inthe process of investigat-ing a case of credit cardtheft, Gilmer CountySheriff ’s deputies uncov-ered links to a number ofcar break-ins, identityfraud and two metham-phetamine labs.Robert Larry McFar-

land, 26, of Ellijay wasarrested and faces anumber of felonycharges including manu-facturing methampheta-mine, entering automo-biles, identity theft andtheft by receiving stolenproperty. Gilmer CountySheriff Stacy Nicholsonsaid, “The investigation

is ongoing and morearrests can be expectedat a later date.”According to Nichol-

son, sheriff ’s detectivesbegan an investigationregarding a stolen creditcard being used at localautomatic tellermachine (ATM). Thecard, along with the vic-

tim’s purse, had beentaken out of her vehicleparked on PenlandStreet. In a press release, the

sheriff told the Times-Courier, “During theinvestigation, detectivesScott Camp and DustinDover identified McFar-land as one of the perpe-trators using the card atthe ATM. The detectivesobtained a search war-rant and conducted asearch of the vehicleMcFarland was occupy-ing at the time of thetransaction, whichbelonged to his girl-friend. “While conducting the

search, officers foundnumerous other itemsrelating to the identity

In this issue...National/State Roundup .........2A

Editorial...................................3A

Church News/People......6–7,12A

The Upside of Downsizing......10A

Obituaries..............................11A

Lions Club News ....................13A

Gilmer Living ...........................1B

Legals..................................3–8B

Sports..................................1–2C

Focus on Education .............3–5C

Health & Fitness .................6–8B

TV Guide ..................................9C

Arrests...................................10C

Bike Festival ..........................11C

Car Couple ............................12C

Around Town ............................1D

Calendar/Puzzles/Movies.......2D

Classifieds...........................4–8D

Joe Hendricks

Robert McFarland

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See Graduation page 4A

See Hendricks page 9A

See Theft page 4A

Contributed photo

Col. George Pletcher dedicates the Memorial Day wreath and the Missing InAction wreath at the 2011 Memorial Day event at the Veteran’s Memorial Areaand Bridge on South Main Street. This year’s festivities will get underway justbefore 11 a.m. Monday, May 28, and will feature patriotic music, recognition ofScouts, speeches and a 21-gun salute. Everyone is invited to attend.

Memorial Day celebrationset for Monday, May 28

Holiday closings, Times-Courier scheduleWith Monday, May 28, being Memorial Day, all

Gilmer County offices will be closed, along with thecity halls in Ellijay and East Ellijay, the Gilmer Coun-ty Library, chamber of commerce, the post offices andall banks.The Times-Courier will be closed Monday and

reopen at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, May 29. The deadline foradvertising and submissions will be Friday, May 25,at 5 p.m. Those wishing to submit items for the May31 edition of the Times-Courier are encouraged tobring their items in either Thursday, May 24 or Fri-day, May 25.Have a safe and happy Memorial Day from the pub-

lishers and staff of the Times-Courier.

Gilmer Fire ropes rescuedrillSee Gilmer Living 1B

Lowery will playat Brewton-ParkerSee Sports 1C

Bookmobile joins2012 SeamlessSummerSee Around Town 1D

Your Hometown Newspaper Devoted To The Progress Of Gilmer County

VOL. 137 • NO. 21 • U.S.P.S. NO. 630-280 May 24, 2012 EST. 1875 • CONSOLIDATED 1916 • 50 CENTS

by Al Summersalsummers@timescourier.com

Members of the EllijayCity Council zippedthrough the four items ontheir agenda before retir-ing to an executive ses-sion to discuss a person-nel issue Mondayevening, May 21.Prior to the business

portion of the meeting,Boy Scout DerrickDrullinger led the Pledgeof Allegiance to the Flagas part of a merit badgerequirement.Council members made

appointments to localboards, including a reap-pointment of Dr. Craig

Ajmo to the Kids KottageCommission and RobertLique to the Ellijay Hous-ing Authority. Anappointment to the city’sHistoric PreservationCommittee went unfilled.According to Ellijay

City Clerk Sharon Spivey,after council membersreturned from executivesession, council membersvoted to do away with theBetter Hometown pro-gram board and put thatprogram under therecently created EllijayDowntown DevelopmentAuthority.A request by Logan

Lane residents for aspeed breaker died due to

the lack of a second to amotion made by mayorpro tem David Westmore-land to place the speedbreaker on Logan Street.However, Mayor Al Hoyleappointed a committee ofcouncil members CharlesBarclay and Al Fuller toinvestigate the need for aspeed breaker on thatstreet.During the staff report

portion of the meeting,Better Hometown Direc-tor Mona Lowe said theSaturday Market willbegin this Saturday, May26.Ellijay Police Chief

Larry Callahan reportedofficers in his departmentanswered 412 calls inApril which resulted in108 citations and 331warnings. The GeorgiaState Patrol (GSP) issued15 citations in connection

with city cases. Officersworked 10 accidents andresponded to 49 mutualaid calls. The GSPworked nine city acci-dents. Ellijay Fire Chief Sam

West reported city fire-fighters responded to 10motor vehicle accidents,two automatic aid calls,29 calls to assist emer-gency medical services,three brush fires, twomutual aid calls, two gasleaks, three illegal burns,two smoke investigations,one fire alarm, one vehi-cle fire and six landingzones for the month ofApril. This totaled 61calls for the month.Hoyle presided over the

meeting which wasattended by mayor protems Westmoreland andRuth Caudell, councilmembers Fuller and Bar-clay and city clerk Spivey.The Ellijay City Coun-

cil meets on the thirdMonday of every monthat 6 p.m. in the councilchamber of Ellijay CityHall.The next monthly

meeting is scheduled forMonday, June 18.

Last Sat-u r d a ymorning, Ijoined thel a r g ecrowd thatwas gath-ered in theG i l m e rH i g hS c h o o lgymnasi-um to cele-brate an auspicious occa-sion — graduation. The excitement was pal-

pable as the members ofthe high school’s seniorclass filed into the room intheir flowing, purple robesand marked the culmina-tion of a dozen years ofhard work and lessonslearned. As I watched the pro-

gram unfold, I wasreminded of when Iwalked down the sameaisle to the chords of“Pomp and Circumstance,”crossed the stage toreceive my diploma andcelebrated the ending ofmy high school career with

the turning of a tassel. Earlier this month, I

also enjoyed a similaropportunity to visit memo-ry lane when I returned tomy other alma mater,Berry College, for severalfriends’ undergraduategraduation ceremony. Theevent was held on abright, grassy lawn out-side the humanities build-ing, and as I sat beneath aspreading oak tree, whichhad probably been plantedby the school’s foundermany years before, Ienjoyed watching thegathered family membersand friends as theyapplauded the accom-plishments of their lovedones. The featured speaker for

the celebratory occasionwas Berry College alum-nus and Board of Trusteesmember Bert Clark. Hebegan his talk by delight-ing the audience with ananecdote about an epicprank, involving theadministrative building’sclock tower and a Mickey

Mouse cutout, which heand his friends performedprior to his own collegegraduation. From there, he offered a

few words of wisdom tothe graduates as they pre-pared to move into thenext chapter of their lives,“Think about the bright-ness that you can bringinto the world … be brave.You should never be afraidto dream big for yourself… be bold. It’s reallyimportant that you createa bold road map for yourown future.”Usually I think of grad-

uation speeches as beingprimarily aimed at theactual graduates, but as Ilistened to this charge tothe robed seniors, I real-ized that his words con-tained an important chal-lenge for me as well. Even though I am facing

different milestones thangraduation in my life, I tooneeded to be remindedthat “it’s not illegal tres-passing to go beyond yourown expectations.”

I admit that it is easy tosettle for less in life, totake the path of leastresistance and to coastalong without taking anyextra effort. As a result, Ithink it is important thatwe are often reminded ofthe importance of beingintentional about livinglife to the fullest and pur-suing our dreams. And so, I urge you,

whether you are a mem-ber of the class of 2012 ornot, to “be bright, be braveand be bold” in the days tocome. Do not dwell solely on

the past, but look forwardwith confidence andexcitement to the future.Take to heart thereminder that it is impor-tant to take initiative inlife, to take a stand and toshine brightly in our com-munity and world. As youmove into whatever nextchapters are ahead of youin life, aim high with yourdreams and do not beafraid to strive for whatyou hope for.

Celebrating the class of 2012

WhitneyCrouch

wcrouch@timescourier.com

4A THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012 TIMES-COURIER • ELLIJAY, GEORGIA

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News BriefsPolitical qualifying continues

through Friday, May 25, at noonThe qualifying period for those aspiring to run for

public office began Wednesday, May 23, and will runthrough noon Friday, May 25, at the Gilmer CountyProbate Judge’s Office in the Gilmer County Court-house.County positions up for grabs this year are: Gilmer

County Sheriff, Gilmer County Commission Post 1,Gilmer County Tax Commissioner, Gilmer CountyClerk of Superior Court, Gilmer County ProbateJudge, Gilmer County Magistrate Judge, GilmerCounty Coroner, Gilmer County Surveyor andGilmer County School Board Posts 1, 2 and 3.Qualifying fees set by the county governing

authority are as follows:

Sheriff – $1,779.87Commissioner – $195.79Tax Commissioner – $1,491.66Clerk of Superior Court – $1,491.66Probate Judge – $1,491.66Magistrate Judge – $1,491.66Coroner – $135.90Surveyor – $50School Board – $36

A complete list of those who qualified for the vari-ous races will appear in next week’s edition of theTimes-Courier.

McClellan pulls outof race for tax commissionerA week before the official qualifying date for state

and county collections, George McClellan announcedhe would not seek the office of Gilmer County TaxCommissioner. McClellan had announced he wouldseek the office in March of this year.In making his announcement, McClellan said, “I

have been writing a historical biography on a namesake, Robert McClellan, who was born in Pennsylva-nia in 1790, became an Indian Scout for General“Mad” Anthony Wayne in the Ohio Indian Wars; wasa trapper, trader and explorer of the AmericanNorthwest after the Louisiana purchase. That proj-ect is now nearing completion at my publishers andwill soon be available for sale. I cannot afford to pur-sue both objectives.”

of other people, as well asthree credit card process-ing machines,” saidNicholson. “It was at thistime that officers real-ized they were investi-gating a much largercase than that of a singleincident theft,” he added. “Camp and Dover con-

tinued the investigationby comparing their find-ings from the vehiclewith Ellijay Police Dept.investigator Leon Daven-port and Cpl. Alan Hen-son. During their com-parison, they discoveredlinks to at least 10 othercar break-ins in the cityof Ellijay. On that sameevening officers searchedthe residence in which

McFarland was staying,which resulted in the dis-covery of two one-potmethamphetamine labs,”the press release stated.Nicholson added, “The

labs were described to bemobile or portable cook-ing labs that were com-bustible and very danger-ous. Though they maycook less quantity at onetime, the dangers of fireand/or explosions arestill present just as in thelarger, much more com-plex labs.”Two small children

located in the home dur-ing the search.Nicholson said agents

from the The Zell MillerMountain Parkway DrugTask Force were called toinvestigate the lab andassist in the disassemblyof it.

Theftfrom 1A

Ellijay council zipsthrough May meeting

exciting, fun and memo-rable.” Before presenting the

diplomas, GHS PrincipalAdam Hathaway told thegraduates, “Obtaining ahigh school diploma isthe first step towardmeeting your goals.”He went on to challenge

them with a quote fromSarah Ban Breathnach,which appeared in the

2012 GHS yearbook, “Theworld needs dreamersand the world needsdoers. But above all, theworld needs dreamerswho do.”“I challenge all of you to

go out into the world anddo,” urged Hathaway. After these remarks,

the graduates receivedtheir diplomas and tookpart in the traditionalturning of the tassels — ajoyous symbol of the clos-ing of one chapter and thebeginning of another.

For a complete list of2012 GHS graduates, seepage 3C in this issue ofthe Times-Courier.

Graduationfrom 1A