MADISON COUNTY Vol. 55 No. 37 • www.greenepublishing.comCAR • Wednesday,R April 17,I 2019E • 75¢ +R tax Madison County Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Karen Pickles resigns Rick Patrick: Greene Publishing, Inc. Tuesday, April 30. recommendations, and the position In a letter sent to the school of the superintendent is not Citing health and family board and staff, Dr. Pickles stated, considered in actions. The past three concerns, and an ongoing impasse "After pouring my heart and soul and a half months have been wrought with the Madison County School into making effective changes for our with many accusations, an Board, Dr. Karen Pickles has students, the superintendent and intentional micro-management battle resigned as the Madison County board have reached a position where by the board, and an overall intent to Superintendent of Schools. The I personally feel my position is strip the powers and duties statutorily Dr. Karen Pickles effective date for her resignation is ignored, the board makes their own See “Pickles resigns” on page 3 Guilty as charged Local business owner to be John Willoughby:sentenced on April 24 County, Ga., on an Greene Publishing, Inc. outstanding warrant Jeremy Jermaine Ja'Taevious Jacquez Shavaris Banard Irvine Lenard Sims Brown issued out of Madison After months of County, for grand theft in remaining in the Madison the third degree. He was County Jail for two open later released from the cases, a local business Madison County Jail on owner pled guilty as Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2018, charged before the after posting a $5,000 Madison County Court bond on the charges of Rick Patrick: David Lawton DrugGreene Publishing, Inc. warrantsbust at the apartment of Jeremy on Wednesday, April 10. grand theft in the third Jermaine Irvine. Once the apartment Sentencing for David degree and organized Spicer, at the time, Major David Harper of the was secured, Irvine was arrested for Lawton is scheduled to fraud, scheme to defraud, multiple reports were Madison County Sheriff's Office active warrants without further take place on Wednesday, less than $20,000. received and information (MCSO) reports that in response to incident. The apartment was turned April 24, at 9 a.m., at the The Madison Police was compiled by the multiple complaints received from the over to investigators where additional Madison County Department (MPD) had MPD and sent to the public regarding illegal drug activity evidence supporting the arrest and Courthouse. received numerous State Attorney's Office. taking place at the Madison Heights search warrant was located. A short According to court complaints in regards to Greene Publishing, Inc. Apartment Complex, located at 150 time later, Shavaris Banard Brown officials, Lawton pled Lawton, who owns First contacted Jeff SW Bumgardner Drive, the MCSO turned himself in to officers at the guilty to the following Class Wireless, located at Seigmeister, State Drug Task Force (DTF) initiated an Madison County Jail on active arrest four charges: organized 177 SW Horry St., in Attorney of the Third investigation into the sale of illegal warrants relating to the possession and fraud, scheme to defraud, Madison. Multiple Judicial Circuit of narcotics spanning over several weeks sale of illegal narcotics at the housing less than $20,000; grand complainants stated that Florida, who informed at the public housing complex. As a complex. theft third degree; after paying their bill to reporters that the State result, DTF Investigators were able to On Monday, April 15, DTF fraudulent use of a credit Duke Energy through Attorney did in fact issue obtain evidence and probable cause to Investigators located Ja'Taevious card; and exploitation of Lawton's business, their the warrant for Lawton's secure a residential narcotic search Jacquez Lenard Sims and arrested him the elderly, lack of power would later be arrest in reference to the warrant and arrest warrants for on active narcotic arrest warrants consent. turned off, with Duke complaints received by individuals involved in illegal drug obtained during the housing complex On Friday, Oct. 5, Energy informing those MPD. activity at the public housing complex. investigation. The investigation into 2018, Lawton was consumers that their bill While out on bond, During the early hours of Friday, other potential suspects continues and arrested by the Remerton was never paid. Lawton was arrested April 12, the MCSO S.W.A.T. Team more arrests are expected. Police Department According to MPD again in December by the executed a search warrant and arrest See “Drug bust” on page 3 (RPD), in Lowndes Sergeant David See “Sentenced” on page 3 Ashley Hunter: I-10 shootingThe victim had in placed Madison; the vehicle drove past. arreststatements. in Jefferson Greene Publishing, Inc. original call, advising that a JCSO JCSO Investigator Bethea man in a dark colored Deputies Harrison and Sergeant Williams On Thursday, April 11, Chevrolet pickup truck had and Carey pursued arrived in the area to the Jefferson County Sheriff's shot at his vehicle while the and stopped process the crime Office (JCSO) arrested Mario two parties were traveling the suspect's scene. Verasso after Verasso west on Interstate 10. truck and During the allegedly engaged in shooting Deputies from the JCSO made contact processing of the at another vehicle while responded to Interstate 10 in with Verasso. scene, it was traveling on Interstate 10 order to locate and stop the In a post- discovered that the through Madison two vehicles. Miranda drive-by shooting County. JCSO's Cpl. Ryland interview with took place near the 251- On the spotted the law enforcement officers, mile marker, which is located Mario Anthony Verasso above date, victim's vehicle and Verasso admitted to having within Madison the JCSO made a traffic shot his 1911 .45 County. Verasso was arrested and received a stop caliber At that time, the booked into the 911 around pistol three MCSO was Jefferson County Jail transferred mile times into the contacted in before call from the marker rear of the order to obtain being Madison County 217, just inside victim's their assistance transferred to the Sheriff's Office (MCSO), the Jefferson vehicle. with the Madison County advising that there had been a County line. Deputies on investigation. Jail on charges of possible shooting on While Cpl. scene examined The firearm aggravated assault Interstate 10, with the Ryland spoke with the victim, the victim's vehicle and used in the shooting with a deadly involved persons heading a truck matching the found three bullet holes was discovered in weapon. west into Jefferson County. description of the suspect's that matched Verasso's Verasso's vehicle. INDEX: Viewpoints: 2 • Community: 4-9 • Dispatchers Week: 10-11 • Lineman Day: 12 • Sports: 13 • School: 14-15 • Faith & Family: 16-17 Classifieds & Legals: 18 2 » Wednesday, April 17, 2019 » Madison County Carrier VIEWPOINTS & OPINIONS National Security: Thirty seconds over Tokyo Last week, 103-year-old Air Force veteran determined that 16 aircraft would have enough deck the presence of the carrier, so the decision was Richard Cole died in San Antonio, Texas. Dick space from a Yorktown-class carrier to take off into made to launch the raid early as dawn broke on Cole played a special part in history long ago – he the wind. Doolittle needed 79 other volunteers ‘for April 18, 1942. was the last surviving Doolittle Raider from that a difficult and dangerous mission.' He would With engines at full throttle, the number one famous mission 77 years ago … tomorrow. Let me command the first aircraft with Dick Cole as co- aircraft rolled into the wind with Doolittle in the recount for you what he and pilot. aircraft commander's seated to the left of Cole. His the other 79 Raiders did, lest In the early gung-ho days of the war, Colonel wings bit into the relative wind and he was we forget. Doolittle had no trouble rounding-up volunteers. airborne. Fifteen other Mitchells followed suit. Shortly after the He told them nothing more than they would be Each flew west independently at low level across Japanese attack on Pearl flying from the deck of an aircraft carrier, the first the western Pacific to their individual targets. Harbor, President Roosevelt time operational AAF aircraft had done this. They Navigators plotted their course; bombardiers was insistent that ‘America trained at a remote airfield before moving to Eglin prepared their bomb sights; engineers filled the strike back' in some manor Field in Florida's panhandle, an even more remote tanks with extra fuel. As they reached the Japanese JOE BOYLES in response to Japan's site. Naval aviators trained them in short field mainland, each aircraft popped up to a safe Guest Columnist treachery. The state of our takeoffs while ground crews removed every bombing altitude and dropped their 2000 pound military was in no condition unnecessary pound of weight from the bombers. At bomb load on the target. They had achieved to attack, but a naval aide had an idea: medium Aux Field 1, they could practice their short field surprise and the Japanese defenses were range Army Air Force (AAF) bombers had takeoffs while making 100 foot low level water unprepared. Mission accomplished. sufficient range to take off from an aircraft carrier approaches to Eglin's ranges similar to the actual Now they continued west across the East China close enough to attack Japanese industrial targets mission. Sea to their destination, measuring what was left of and continue flying west to China. Roosevelt liked In late March, the crews flew their Mitchell their precious fuel. They simply didn't have enough. the idea. bombers west from Florida to Alameda Airfield, The early launch had shorted them the necessary The man tasked with putting the plan together California to be loaded aboard the USS Yorktown fuel to finish the mission.