FRIDAY December 21, 2018 BARTOW COUNTY’S ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER 75 CENTS GSP prepares for high-visibility patrols during holidays BY DONNA HARRIS eye out for motorists breaking state traffic travel period, GSP investigated 554 be part of their holiday celebrations or to [email protected] laws and exercising bad driving habits that crashes that resulted in 283 injuries and 11 call a taxi, rideshare, friend or family could potentially cause a fatal crash,” said fatalities. Troopers also issued 7,461 cita- member if no designated driver is avail- The Georgia State Patrol will be on the Col. Mark W. McDonough, commissioner tions and 12,432 warnings, and 198 people able. lookout for drivers who are impaired or of the Georgia Department of Public were arrested for driving impaired. “This is a festive time of the year, and just not paying attention to the road during Safety, in a press release. Last New Year’s, troopers worked 370 we want everyone to enjoy the holiday the two upcoming holiday weekends. The 126-hour Christmas travel period wrecks that resulted in 205 injuries and season, but we also want everyone to be State troopers will be on high-visibility begins today at 6 p.m. and ends Wednes- five fatalities during the 78-hour travel pe- safe out on our roads,” McDonough said. patrols on interstates and state roads dur- day at 11:59 p.m. riod. In addition, they also issued 6,542 ci- During the holiday period, an updated Wilcox ing the Christmas and New Year’s holiday The New Year’s holiday travel period, tations and 10,680 warnings and arrested traffic fatality count will be published on travel periods in hopes of preventing which lasts 102 hours, will begin next Fri- 234 people for driving under the influence. the Department of Public Safety’s Twitter crashes and encouraging motorists to prac- day at 6 p.m. and end Tuesday, Jan. 1, at The state patrol, which has a post in page at http://www.twitter.com/ga_dps. $100K tice safe driving habits. 11:59 p.m. Cartersville, is cautioning drivers to have “State troopers will be keeping a close During last year’s 102-hour Christmas a designated driver in place if drinking will SEE GSP, PAGE 7A bond set for Adairsville stepfather IN SAFE HANDS accused of rape, child molestation BY JAMES SWIFT [email protected] Bond was set at $100,000 in Bartow Superior Court Tuesday for an Adairsville man accused earlier this year of committing rape and child molestation. Matthew Merritt Wilcox, 44, was booked into the Bartow County Jail on Oct. 3. “Mr. Wilcox’s former step- daughter disclosed about five years ago when she was 7 that she had been raped by her then-stepfa- ther,” said public defender Jen- nifer Block. “She was taken for a forensic interview where she began to disclose the situation, and judge, just based on the testimony from that preliminary hearing and some evidence I’ve been able to obtain in the meantime, I have some serious questions about this case and feel that this case needs a trial, and it needs a trial soon.” Block asked Cherokee Judicial Circuit Judge David K. Smith to set bond at $20,000. “I understand these allegations are very serious, we are fine with any conditions that the court wants ... ankle mon- itor, no contact with the victim, obviously,” she said. Block recounted Wilcox’s crim- inal history. “Most of his record is basically bad checks, forgery and credit card fraud, things like that,” she said. “He did have an aggravated harassment, I believe, and menac- ing from 2000 in New York.” Cherokee Judicial Circuit Assis- tant District Attorney Elizabeth RANDY PARKER/THE DAILY TRIBUNE NEWS York said that since coming to NOTS Logistics, LLC Assistant General Manager Nick Barnett presents Dwayne Jamison, right, and Craig Millsap of the Bartow County Fire Department with a $5,000 check Thursday evening. The donation, Barnett said, will go toward continuing education for BCFD personnel. SEE BOND, PAGE 7A Possession of family album gets Etowah Indian Mounds, Red Top Acworth man three months in jail join First Day Hikes initiative BY MARIE NESMITH nature. Guests also earn a pin, sticker or walking BY JAMES SWIFT creating, accessing or controlling [email protected] stick badge to commemorate their participation [email protected] “any type of photograph, video, in the hike. People have responded well to our rendering or digital imagery of Helping patrons step into the new year on a past First Day Hikes, even coming out in bitter A registered sex offender was any minor.” healthy note, Georgia State Parks will take part cold weather to have fun and hike with us.” ordered to spend three months in After being released from cus- in the America’s State Parks’ First Day Hikes ini- At Red Top in Acworth, the Iron Hill History the Bartow County Jail after a tody, public defender Jennifer tiative. In Bartow, Red Top Mountain State Park Hike — First Day Hike will be presented Jan. 1 Cherokee Judicial Circuit judge Block said the defendant was vis- and Etowah Indian Mounds State Historic Site from 1 to 2:30 p.m. determined he had violated the ited by a DCS officer on Nov. 7. both will offer activities related to this nationwide “This hike will take place along our Iron Hill special conditions of his proba- “At that time, they looked at effort. Trail, meeting in the Iron Hill parking lot,” Se- tion. his phone and found an album “Red Top has participated in First Day Hikes vanko said. “Guests will learn about the iron min- “It is alleged that he possessed Kramer with clip art on there. One of the for several years; it is a statewide program that ing history of Red Top Mountain in this an image of a minor on his phone albums was a Pearl Jam album we are excited to participate in,” said Serella Se- ranger-[led] hike. and common areas of the home,” to jail for eight months due to a that contained an image of a vanko, interpretive ranger at Red Top. “We hope “We will tour one of our mines and learn about Judge David K. Smith said in technical probation violation. minor,” she said. “Upon further people enjoy their time outside, and gain a con- the mining process. Guests will get to see part of Bartow Superior Court Tuesday, During a Feb. 13 field visit, a De- search of the house, from what I nection to local history and to the world around an ochre mine, learn about ore-washing and the referring to defendant David partment of Community Supervi- understand his mother had a fam- them on our hike. We love for guests to spend railroad system. In addition, rangers will point Scott Kramer. “It is alleged that sion (DCS) officer said that he ily photo album in a common time outdoors and see the importance of the nat- out plants that iron-mining pioneers would have he has failed to pay on any of his had used a video game console to area … it does contain images of ural world. used as food and medicine.” court-ordered fines and fees and make several Google searches minors in it.” “First Day Hikes aim to start the new year off While Red Top will hold its First Day Hike Jan. that he has failed to enroll in sex and visit several unknown web- Kramer was sentenced to 20 on the right foot by encouraging people to get 1, Etowah Indian Mounds will present a guided offender counseling.” sites without written approval years for two counts of child mo- outdoors. We encourage people to kick off the trek on the first Saturday of 2019. It’s the second time Kramer has from a probation officer or de- lestation in May 2013. He was or- new year with a First Day Hike to increase their “First Day Hikes is a national initiative focused had his probation revoked in signee. dered to serve five years of the time outdoors and find a deeper connection with on trying to get people working on their New 2018. In April, Judge Smith or- Another probation condition the natural world. It is a great chance to meet new dered Kramer, then 50, to return forbids Kramer from possessing, SEE KRAMER, PAGE 7A people and learn new things, all while enjoying SEE HIKES, PAGE 3A INSIDE TODAY Cloudy, Family Living . .3A Blotter . .7A showers VOLUME 72, NO. 196 U.S. & World . .4A Weather . .8A High 47 Entertainment . .5A Sports . .1B www.daily-tribune.com Business . .6A Classifieds . .3B Low 32 2A Friday, December 21, 2018 • www.daily-tribune.com Local The Daily Tribune News ContactUs 3 people on business jet killed in Atlanta crash The Daily Tribune News Address: BY JEFF MARTIN 251 S. Tennessee St. Associated Press Cartersville, GA 30120 Three people aboard a Ten- Mailing Address: 251 S. Tennessee St. nessee-bound business jet were Cartersville, GA 30120 killed when the aircraft plunged into a football field at an Atlanta Phone: 770-382-4545 park, igniting its fuel and sending After 5 p.m.: 770-382-4548 Fax: 770-382-2711 thick smoke over a nearby neigh- borhood Thursday. A home behind the sports field Alan Davis, Publisher was damaged, but no injuries on Jason Greenberg, the ground were reported, Atlanta Managing Editor Fire Rescue Sgt. Cortez Stafford said. Jennifer Moates, The plane’s wreckage was Advertising Director spread out on the field over about a Mindy Salamon, 100-yard area, he said.