TUESDAY January 29, 2019 BARTOW COUNTY’S ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER 75 cents Warehouse gets last-second reprieve Schools, colleges close Tuesday in light Nearly of forecasted snow 50-year-old BY DONNA HARRIS [email protected] building — for It’s that time of year again. Due to a forecast calling for snow in north Georgia from Win- the time being ter Storm Jayden, educational institutions in Bartow County will be closed Tuesday. The Bartow County and Cartersville City school systems as well — staves off as Georgia Highlands College and Chattahoochee Technical Col- lege will give students and staff the day off to enjoy whatever winter condemnation weather there is. “Out of an abundance of caution, we decided to close school Tues- BY JAMES SWIFT day, Jan. 29,” Bartow County Superintendent Dr. Phillip Page said. [email protected] “Nothing is more important than the safety of our students, families and employees. There were too many risks associated with this po- A warehouse that’s stood at 441 South Er- tential weather event. We will continue to monitor the forecast along- win St. for almost half a century will stand side the National Weather Service and Georgia Emergency Manage- for a little bit longer pending a last-second — ment Agency and bring our school system updates as they become technically, last half-hour — phone call to the available this week.” City of Cartersville on Monday afternoon. All after-school activities also are canceled. “We received a telephone call from the Cartersville City Schools Superintendent Dr. Marc Feuerbach wait- property owner, who is in California,” said ed until late Monday afternoon before deciding to close the schools Cartersville Assistant City Attorney Keith to all staff and students Tuesday. Lovell. “My offi ce told me he called at like, JAMES SWIFT/THE DAILY TRIBUNE NEWS “In an effort to use the most up-to-date weather information, we 2:30 p.m. … he said he wanted to talk to me The nearly 50-year-old warehouse at waited to make our determination about closing until after the 4 p.m. to discuss the process to either get the property 441 South Erwin Street in Cartersville, webinar held by National Weather Service and GEMA,” spokeswom- rehabilitated or torn down sometime in Feb- although deemed not fi t for human hab- an Cheree Dye said. “Following the webinar, we felt confi dent the ruary.” itation last year, has not been offi cially safest decision was to cancel school for Tuesday.” condemned by the city. A decision on The former mill rests on a roughly 2.8-acre whether or not the longstanding ware- The school system’s Facebook page said district offi cials will con- parcel, which for tax purposes, is classifi ed as house will be condemned will not be tinue to monitor conditions on Tuesday “to determine if further ac- C4-commercial. Directly behind the property made until at least next month. tion is needed.” is the Lenox Park subdivision. To its right is a “Decisions about any makeup days will be made and communicat- gas station and convenience store. ed no later than the end of the day on Thursday,” the post said. On Aug. 16, City of Cartersville Senior Georgia Highlands closed all fi ve of its campuses “in an abun- Code Enforcement Offi cer Donna L. Fritz de- A fi nal hearing was slated before City Mu- The owners of the warehouse — Bazargan dance of caution” due to the predicted weather conditions across the clared the property “sub-standard, unsanitary nicipal Court Judge Harry. B White at 3 p.m. Family Trust, based out of Laguna Beach, Cal- area, according to a press release. and unsafe to occupy” following an inspection Monday. However, that aforementioned phone ifornia — also own about 1.82 acres to the left Students can check highlands.edu for updates. of the premises. A complaint for condemna- call 30 minutes earlier momentarily put the of the facility on Erwin Street, which remains All eight of Chattahoochee Tech’s campuses will be closed Tues- tion was fi led with the city’s municipal court brakes on any discussions of formally con- day, and all day and evening classes are canceled, the college’s web- on Oct. 3. demning the property. SEE WAREHOUSE, PAGE 8A site said. Man wanted in slaying of Puffer, Whitaker win awards from CTC BY DONNA HARRIS four arrested in Indiana [email protected] THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Federal authorities have arrested a man wanted in the slayings of Chattahoochee Technical College’s top four people and injuring of a man in a pair of shootings in Georgia. instructor and adult education student both The Georgia Bureau of Inves- have ties to Bartow County. tigation said 27-year-old Daylon At an awards ceremony at the North Delon Gamble was arrested Sun- Metro campus last Friday, the college an- day in Indiana by the U.S. Mar- nounced Stephanie Puffer as the winner of shal’s Service. Gamble, who was the 2019 Rick Perkins Instructor of the Year wanted on four charges of murder award while Derrick Whitaker of Carters- in the shootings Thursday night in ville won the 2019 Exceptional Adult Geor- Rockmart, about 45 miles north- gian in Literacy Education award. west of Atlanta, was taken into cus- The Rick Perkins Award for Excellence tody without incident, according to in Technical Instruction honors the Tech- GBI news release posted on their nical College System of Georgia’s most Facebook page . outstanding instructors who make signif- No additional information was Gamble icant contributions to technical education available. through innovation and leadership in their Authorities said 48-year-old Hel- fi elds. SPECIAL en Rose Mitchell and 19-year-old Jaequnn Davis died at one home, Puffer, who directs the physical therapist Participating in Chattahoochee Technical College’s 2019 awards ceremony were, from left, CTC President Dr. Ron Newcomb, GOAL winner Sue Nguyen, Rick Per- and 24-year-old Arkeyla Perry and 26-year-old Dadrian Cummings assistant program on the North Metro cam- kins Award winner Stephanie Puffer and Chattahoochee Tech Foundation Board of died at another home. pus, was honored to be chosen for the award Trustees Chairman Jason Anavitarte. The GBI says 24-year-old Peerless Brown was injured at the home and will compete as CTC’s representative at where Mitchell and Davis were killed. the regional — and possibly, state — level. dates for faculty that what we do can change Puffer said this award “ranks pretty high.” “We have an amazing faculty here at lives, and we want to share that good news.” “Second only to the pride I feel when my CTC, and I am honored to have been chosen “Our students are smart and motivated students accomplish their hard-won goals,” to represent them,” she said. “As a part of to make a difference in their lives and the she said. “I have received letters from pa- Cartersville man arrested our health sciences faculty, I can tell you we lives of others,” she said. “I want to show tients that express their gratitude to our are highly invested in student success and our students and community that technical program because of the positive impact our proudly send graduates out into the world to education is not a second choice. It is an op- graduates have had on their lives – that feels after GSP chase, crash improve the quality of life of individuals in portunity to earn a quality, affordable, ter- pretty great.” STAFF REPORT tempting to elude a police offi cer, our community.” minal degree that can give them a reward- As the winner, Puffer received a $1,000 A 29-year-old Cartersville aggressive driving, two counts of The Marietta resident, who has taught at ing career for a lifetime.” man was arrested and charged reckless driving, driving on the CTC almost 10 years, said the award “vali- In terms of her professional achievements, SEE CTC, PAGE 3A with multiple crimes after al- wrong side of the road, failure to legedly leading authorities on a obey a stop sign, driving while li- chase in Bartow County that in- cense suspended, improper stop- cluded a patrol vehicle crashing ping on the roadway, improper Acworth woman arrested into his truck around midnight lane change, seat belt violation, BEST DRESSED Friday. and probation violation after a Michael Kinsey Hayes was for homicide by vehicle charged with felony fl eeing or at- SEE CHASE, PAGE 8A STAFF REPORT An Acworth woman was ar- rested Friday afternoon and charged with driving under the RANDY PARKER/DTN influence of multiple substanc- After leading es and first-degree homicide by authorities on a vehicle after hitting a dog and chase through swerving off the road, which north Bartow resulted in an accident that County Friday killed the passenger of the car. night, a pickup Darla Ann Smith, 22, also truck driven by Michael Kinsey was charged with improper lane change and reckless driv- Hayes ended up Smith on its side after ing. wrecking into a The accident occurred on ditch on High- Glade Road, near Apache Johnson, 24, of Marietta, was way 293 about Drive, on Sept. 21, 2018. The entrapped in the car when it a quarter-mile Georgia State Patrol said Smith caught on fire. Bystanders on RANDY PARKER/THE DAILY TRIBUNE NEWS north of Fire swerved off the right side of the the scene attempted to rescue Tower Road. More than 600 attendees and more than 50 vendors were road after hitting the dog. The Johnson but were unsuccessful.