483888 SALE & No Interest NATIONAL % with Equal 40OFF & 24 Monthly Payments CLEARANCE ALL FURNITURE MONTHS See Store for Details LaGrange, GA Expires 1/23/12 LaGrange Daily News STATE TOMORROW’S WEATHER SPORTS Cartoonist utilizes Today’s artist: Gracie Ingram, fifth grade, LaGrange College his art to reach Rosemont Elementary School Panthers earn big many ......... 4 High: 45, Low: 20; Sunny, windy ............ 2 home win......... 9 Vol. 169 • No. 10 • 12 pages THURSDAY, JANUARY 12, 2012 50 cents daily/ $1.25 weekend Cause of sanctuaryfire undetermined From staff reports have said that the ignition week. collapsed shortly after 10 point was high up in the An official from the state a.m. The exact cause of a fire building, but they could fire marshal’s office this No one was injured in that destroyed a sanctuary not determine the source morning said that the the blaze, and more than at Teaver Road Baptist of the fire,” said Aaron investigation is ongoing. 50 firefighters worked to Church was undetermined McCollough, director of The fire started about 7 save the family life building according to state fire mar- the Troup Baptist a.m. Sunday and was and the original building at shal and federal ATF offi- Association. “It’s been reported by a passerby the church. cials, but arson was not ruled to be of undeter- traveling past the building Church members and suspected. mined origin, but it was at 215 Teaver Road. other residents gathered in There was no evidence not arson.” Firefighters were still support as the flames were to suspect arson as the ATF and fire marshal putting water on the fire extinguished. Deacons and Sherri Brown | Daily News cause of the fire. officials conducted inter- two hours later and contin- others were scheduled to Firefighters work to put out the blaze that “I talked with chair of views and inspected the ued to extinguish hot spots gather at the church at 8:30 destroyed the Teaver Road Baptist Church the deacons and the sher- area of the fire during their throughout the day. a.m. Sunday for a fellow- Sanctuary on Sunday. Officials announced that investigation earlier this A wall of the building ship meeting. iff’s investigators and they the cause of the fire is undetermined. Police, man in Special Olympics scarves standoff for more than 11 hours From staff reports Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints at 115 Police arrested a man Clark St. with fire and EMS after more than 11 hours in units. Negotiators spoke a standoff Wednesday. with Johnson through a Police responded to a call throw phone, but he still of a man entering a resi- refused to leave the resi- dence on Everette Street dence. and acting in a threatening About 8:30 a.m., police manner to the resident deployed gas into the house about 1:15 a.m. Deon in an attempt to draw the Johnson, whose age and suspect out. address were unknown, Two robots were used to allegedly knocked out win- determine Johnson’s loca- dows and tried to take the tion in the house, and at resident, who was his ex- 1:14 p.m. tactical units and girlfriend, and her children police K9 units entered the into a room. The woman house and took him into and children fled, and custody. Johnson refused to leave the The standoff is the house when police arrived. longest LaGrange police Johnson barricaded him- have seen, said Capt. Mike self inside the house and Pheil. told police he was going to Johnson later was trans- kill them and himself, police ported to West Georgia said. He also held up a small Medical Center for treat- handgun and threatened ment after receiving a bite Sherri Brown | Daily News officers. from a K9 unit. He was From left, Alexis Clift, Tyler McCoy, Vicky Cornejo and Meghan Evans, members of the Cheer Police called in a negotia- charged with making terror- Alliance Wildcats, a special needs cheerleading team, model handmade scarves made for tor and its emergency serv- istic threats and acts, crimi- Special Olympics teams. The scarves were knitted or crocheted, and donated for all the Troup ices unit, which set up in nal damage to property and County students that will participate in the Special Olympics Winter Games and the Red and the parking lot of the obstruction of officers. Black Day at LaGrange College later this month. About 70 scarves have been donated and 30 more are needed. The deadline is Jan. 21. For details, see the website lagrangeyarn- cafe.blogspot.com. Commission chair questioned on lake, litter Sherri Brown least to upstream, we are still updated – for the first time Staff writer show for required by law to release since the lake was built in it,” Wolfe 5,000 cubic feet per second the 1960s. Troup County commis- s a i d . into the Apalachicola reser- “I am highly criticized sioner Ricky Wolfe gave “ W e s t voir.” about the lake,” Wolfe said. Rotarians an opportunity P o i n t This year is a critical “We’re working hard, but Matthew Strother | Daily News to ask him about any issue Lake is year for the lake as the gov- really don’t have a lot to Police surround a home on Everette Street on they liked at Wednesday’s owned by ernors of Georgia, Alabama show. It’s a federal body of Wednesday morning as they try to get an armed meeting. The lake and litter the feder- and Florida continue their water and needs a federal man barricaded inside to come out. It took were at the top of the list. al govern- closed-door talks about solution.” almost 12 hours before police were able to arrest “In five years in office, m e n t . Wolfe water issues. It’s also the As for litter and environ- I’ve spent more time on The biggest issue is that no year that the lake control Deon Johnson, who allegedly terrorized his ex- water issues and have the matter what happens manual is scheduled to be See COMMISSION | 2 girlfriend and children in the home before the standoff. Driver seeks volunteers for DAV van trips to hospitals Sherri Brown the DAV van. “If they’re retired, I play to Staff writer “I drive to both Atlanta and their sense of obligation, especial- DAV van driver Tuskegee. I’m scheduled once a ly if they’ve been in the military,” Allen Smith Allen Smith isn’t opposed to month, but I can do it more often he said. “It’s one day a month and using a little guilt to convince oth- hopes others will if they need me,” Smith said. you get a free meal and a baseball ers to volunteer for one of his Smith is, himself, a Vietnam cap. What more could you want?” be inspired as he favorite groups. veteran who was wounded. No other area of the state that was to help dis- After retiring from Milliken in “Life’s been good to me,” he provides the transportation serv- abled veterans 2004, Smith read a story about said. “You’ve got to give back to ice provides five-day-a-week serv- by driving a van the Disabled American Veteran’s these guys. For many of them, ice and enough volunteers to keep to Atlanta, East van that provides free transporta- this is the only health care they the schedule at once a month. Point, Newnan tion from Troup County to have and, because of physical or “I talk to some of the other guys Atlanta and Tuskegee, Ala., veter- and Tuskegee, financial issues, we’re the only when I’m waiting at the hospital. ans’ hospitals. transportation for them.” Some guys drive three or four Ala., for medical Volunteer drivers take turns at Smith not only drives the van, times a month,” Smith said. visits. A Vietnam the wheel. When he heard DAV but he promotes the volunteer “Dave does a great job keeping veteran, Smith van coordinator Dave Lyons opportunity to other service the schedule.” has spent the speak about the need for drivers organizations. Currently, the driver pool is a last seven years at a Lion’s Club meeting, he vol- He’s spoken to the Lion’s, little low, needing four more regu- volunteering at unteered. Kiwanis and Rotary clubs about lar drivers to be able to keep the For the last seven years, he’s least once a volunteering. He also promotes it been a once-a-month driver for among his retired friends. See DRIVER | 2 month to drive. SherriBrown | Daily News Local LaGrange Daily News 2 - Thursday, Jan. 12, 2012 I Obituaries State wants delay in Good for you Information for obituaries is writ- ten and provided by funeral career path program Ethel Kight homes and family members of Magnet School stu- the deceased. school, the students would dents collected Law to require high take at least some courses canned goods for the annual Salvation Lakes-Dunson school students to geared toward their career Lakes- Robertson interests. Army can drive. Dunson- Funeral Home This project was led Robertson 201 Hamilton Street select job field Educators want more LaGrange, Georgia 30240 time to make sure the pro- by the EKMS 706 882-6411 ATLANTA (AP) – gram is set up correctly Student Council. Georgia Department of and responsive to business Assisting with the Education officials are ask- and industry needs, said donations were, ing state lawmakers to Mike Buck, chief academic from left, Rose agree to a one-year delay officer for the state Chappell, Zykeria of a program stemming Department of Education.