Cats take to field for spring Longest race of the year Sunday practice at Lowe’s Motor Speedway Page 1B Page 5B THE DAILY CITIZEN Friday,May 22, 2009 •Dalton, Georgia • www.daltondailycitizen.com • 50 Cents THINGS Curry could face death penalty TO BY MARK MILLICAN der,feticide and aggravated employed there for 10 years and case” status, but was never really CHECK [email protected] assault. was suspended on Wednesday shelved, said Police Chief Ricky OUT Curry,51, of “pending an administrative review” Boren, who worked the case origi- Even though it’s been almost 25 Old Dixie following his arrest, said director nally. ON THE years since Dalton resident Highway,was of human resources Craig Harper. “We’ve always had this case 3 INSIDE Michael Lee Curry allegedly killed arrested at the He added that Curry has been assigned to an investigator,” he said his pregnant wife, daughter and Dalton Public subjected to verifications, hiring during a press conference on son with a bush ax in Columbus, he Schools system processes and background checks. Thursday. Slater said during the could face the death penalty in maintenance Harper did not immediately return press conference that police inves- building at 412 a phone call Thursday in regard to tigators have been collecting evi- American Legion posts in Muscogee County where he now sits in jail, district Attorney Julia S. Hamilton St. what the verifications and checks dence for years, but only recently Dalton, Chatsworth plan earlyCurry entailed. did she feel she had enough to go Memorial Day ceremonies. Slater said Thursday. Curry,aformer resident of Wednesday The Columbus Ledger-Enquirer morning where he worked as an newspaper reported Thursday the See page 5A Columbus (the county seat of ➣ Muscogee), is charged with mur- electronics technician. He has been case was recently assigned “cold Please see SUSPECT,5A Dawnville Elementary is set to put on a production of “Peter Pan” tonight and MEMORIAL DAYOBSERVANCES Saturday. Georgia See page 9A jobless rate Don’t-touch-me cats can be reformed, if you have patience. at 9.3% See Pet Connection, Page 1C FROM STAFF REPORTS FROM TODAY’S The state unemployment rate showed signs of stabilizing in April, but Metro Dalton continued to shed jobs. FORUM Metro Dalton (Murray and Whitfield counties) lost 7,300 jobs from April “How does Charlie 2008 to April 2009, with the number Bethel figure those of jobs decreasing from 75,300 to seveN hens will lay any 68,000, according to the Georgia eggs without a rooster?” Department of Labor. The state’s “Copperheads do live in seasonally adjust- and around water.The ed unemployment copperheads have more &"!' ($#%) rate was 9.3 per- to fear from the kids cent in April, up than the kids have to slightly from a fear from the copper- revised 9.2 percent in March and heads.” February. Jobless rates for the state’s metropolitan areas and counties will MATT HAMILTON/The Daily Citizen See page 2A be released later this month. Sgt. Derrick Hobbs speaks with kindergarten students at Northwest Elementary School “The state unemployment rate has Wednesday. The Army chaplain is home on leave until June 3. remained virtually unchanged during the past three months,”said state labor commissioner Michael Army chaplain visits school WEATHER Thurmond, “and, during the same period, the number of Georgians fil- Forecast: Possible ing initial unemployment insurance Home on leave from Iraq by Tollis Bond’s kindergarten showers claims has shown smaller increases class. When she learned Hobbs Today’s High: 81 than in previous months. This sug- would be in town briefly for his teachers, administrators and Tonight’s Low: 65 gests that Georgia’s labor market BY MARK MILLICAN brother Steven’s wedding, an [email protected] guests. assembly at the school’s outdoor Details, Page 10A This time, his response was amphitheater was quickly organ- ➣ In a typical day,Sgt. Derrick muted. ized. INSIDE Please see JOBLESS, 2A Hobbs might look fellow soldiers “I didn’t expect any of this,” “The class has prayed for him Classified..............2C in the eye and try to answer their Hobbs said as Northwest during our moment of silence spiritual questions before they Elementary children rose to their every morning,” Bond said. Comics..................7B venture into the neighborhoods of feet during his leave from Iraq. “We’ve also written him letters Crossword..............6B Chase on eastern Baghdad. But on “I’m kind of speechless — I don’t Dear Abby...................7B Wednesday in Murray County, know what to say.” Horoscope.............6B the assistant chaplain faced hun- The 1996 graduate of Murray ➣ dreds of cheering schoolchildren, County High has been “adopted” Please see HOBBS, 5A Lottery..................2A I-75 yields Movies.................6B Obituaries.............9A suspect Senior center honors veterans Opinion................4A Sports..................1-4, 8B BY MARK MILLICAN BY CHARLES OLIVER [email protected] [email protected] om A chase on I-75 Wednesday night that begaN north of Dalton and ended It wasn’t a real military above the Georgia-Tennessee line has funeral, but the American resulted in warrants being issued for 7 69847 00001 6 Legion honor guard treated the driver. the demonstration with just as John Patterson has been charged much dignity as it were. And with two counts of aggravated assault tears came to many eyes as by the Dalton Police Department the honor guard folded the after he allegedly shot a woman with American flag and played an AK-47 assault rifle. The Dalton “Taps.” Police Department did not release The demonstration was Patterson’s address or age. The part of a Memorial Day pro- female victim — whose name is gram Thursday at the Dalton- redacted from a Dalton Police report Whitfield Senior Center to — said the trouble begaN in honor veterans who gave their Chattanooga early in the day when lives in military service. Many The Daily Citizen Patterson pulled the rifle on her on of the almost 100 attendees MATT HAMILTON/ Fourth Avenue, and later on I-24 as were veterans or family mem- Lonnie Cochran and Bob Zagby fold the flag while Virginia she was driving. bers of veterans. Simonson watches at the Dalton Whitfield Senior Center. Receive A The woman said Patterson threat- “I’m very thankful to those ened to injure her if she did not provide who have giveN their time, the rest of us to enjoy our daily from the U.S. Army Reserve and a “For Sale By Owner” and many of them their lives, lives,”said Dalton’s Marianna Sign ➣ to protect out freedom here in Arms. ➣ Please see CHASE, 2A the United States and to allow Her husband Walter is retired Please see VETERANS, 5A CHECKERS •SPICY CHICKEN All-AMERICAN SELECTION99 ¢ 99 ¢ •HOT DOG •HAMBURGER lOTTERY WINNING NUMBERS – FOR MAY 21 ATYOUR Georgia: Midday Cash 3: 7-9-2, Cash 4: 9-8-9-5, Evening Cash 3: 9-2-1, PAGE 2 Cash 4: 6-0-2-1, Fantasy 5: 22-29-16-7-2 SERVICE Tennessee: Midday Cash 3: 3-9-8 Lucky Sum: 20; Cash 4: 6-2-4-3, Lucky Sum: 15; Evening Cash 3: 9-7-5, Lucky Sum 21; Cash 4: 3-3-6-6 Lucky Our mailing address: Sum: 18 2A Friday, May 22, 2009 P.O. Box 1167 Dalton, Ga. 30722-1167 Our shipping address: Regular flu shots don’t TODAY’S FORUM 308 S. Thornton Ave. Dalton, Ga. 30720 Editor’s note: Please “We’re all drowning in a protect against H1N1 virus keep your comments as bad economy,eveN those Our Web site: brief as possible. Get to the who think that they are good www.daltondailycitizen.com BY lEE BOWMAN relatively high levels of an anti- why the new H1N1 flu has point! Longer comments swimmers.” should be submitted as let- To visit us: Scripps Howard News body that’s thought to represent infected mostly younger peo- ters to the editor. If you “Why is Providence Our offices are located on the immune resistance to the new ple. Sixty five percent of more flu strain among older adults — than 5,700 confirmed or sus- include a name, please spell going up on their prices? west side of the intersection of While long-ago swine flu it. Call (706) 272-7748 to people in their 60s and older — pected cases are among people Some of their items are Thornton Avenue and Morris shots or exposures may offer reach Today’s Forum. but not among samples from between the ages of 5 and 24 priced almost what you Street in downtowN Dalton. some immune advantage younger people. years old. Only 1 percent of against the new H1N1 flu “It was sure nice to see a would buy it for new.” We’re open 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. There was no difference to new flu cases were found in Monday through Friday. strain, scientists say a regular Georgia State Patrol officer flu shot in the past few years the immune system response patients 65 and older. “How does Charlie Bethel among younger people to the “Normally,the elderly are just north of the Rocky Face How to call us: provides no protection. exit on I-75 pulled over to figure those seveN hens will A study published by the new flu, after they’d gotten one more at risk from seasonal flu lay any eggs without a roos- MaiN number: 706-217- of the seasonal shots. However, than younger people, but thus help a motorist with their car Centers for Disease Control and that was broken down.” ter?” NEWS Prevention used blood samples there were slightly higher levels far the new strain seems to (That’s 706-217-6397) from 79 children and 280 adults of the antibody in some of the mostly have spared seniors,” “Copperheads do live in WheN you’re not sure with whom older patients who had gotten a said Dr.