The Northeast Georgian 75 cents JANUARY 27, 2012 Weekend Meth lab bust near Alto nets eight arrests By JONATHAN ARENA Eight people were ar- rested when the Mountain Judicial Circuit Narcotics Criminal Investigation and Suppression team served a search warrant at a residence off Yonah Post Road early Wednesday morning, fi nding compo- FRANKUM GOOLSBY LAMBERT nents for cooking metham- phetamines. “We’ve had information on these suspects, and we sort of spent a good bit of time piecing it all togeth- er,” said Herman “Ros- coe” Cronic, deputy com- mander for the Mountain NCIS team. “It resulted in a search warrant be- ing issued, and we served MEDLOCK B. REECE J. REECE the search warrant prob- ably about 2 o’clock in the around the morning.” house and “We’ve been looking at inside the [this residence] for a while, house,” he said. He probably the last two or JONATHAN ARENA/Staff three weeks,” said Kyle added the Bryant, commander of the team found The Mountain Judicial Circuit NCIS team raided this residence on Pless Road, just north of the Hall County NCIS team. “everything line, early Wednesday morning and found components for cooking methamphetamines. The NCIS team removed Cronic said his team you need to the meth components, displayed on plastic outside the house, and cooking equipment from the residence for found a substantial amount make meth- of components for mak- amphet- J. REESE THOMAS cleanup and disposal. Eight people were taken into custody from the residence. ing methamphetamines amines. And were arrest- Those arrested included Kristi Michelle Medlock, Thomas, 24, of Cornelia. at the residence on Pless of course we found some ed at the residence, several Rebecca Ann Frankum, 25, of Lavonia; Billy Mi- All eight individuals Road, just north of the Hall fi nished product, so there’s of whom had prior crimi- 20, of Turnerville; Har- chael Reece, 40, of Alto; are charged with criminal County line. really no doubt what’s go- nal records and at least rison Matthew Goolsby, James Michael Reece, 20, conspiracy to manufacture “We’ve got components ing on here.” three of whom lived at the 31, of Alto; Elias Becerra of Alto; Joyce Dale Reese, pretty much everywhere Cronic said eight people residence. Lambert, 28, of Eatonton; 39, of Alto; and Jesse Kyle See METH, Page 2A Brock pleads guilty in beating death By DONALD FRASER Brock was arrested in Jack- “If he [Norris] had sur- son County. vived, he would be facing Accused murderer Cody Matthew Brock’s guilty plea came felony [exploitation of a child Brock, 22, of Gainesville, pleaded during a Jan. 26 Superior and/or molestation] charg- guilty Thursday to voluntary man- Court arraignment presided es,” Staples told the court. slaughter and agreed to accept a 20- over by Judge Chan Caudell. The physical relationship year maximum sentence. Assistant District At- also included an encounter Initial aggravated assault charg- torney Eddie Staples, while the day Norris was blud- es were upgraded to murder after presenting facts of the case, geoned, Staples said. Brock’s victim, Wade Norris of termed it “a rather gruesome Prosecutors take into con- Demorest, died. Brock hit Norris scene,” when Habersham BROCK sideration the mental state six to eight times on the head with County Sheriff’s Offi ce depu- of all victims of sexual abuse a roofi ng hammer Nov. 10, 2011. He ties arrived. when they evaluate cases, Staples died a month later, Dec. 12, at Atlan- Other facts provided by Staples said. In the Brock case, Staples said, ta Medical Center. included Brock and Norris had had there was potential post traumatic Brock’s brother turned him in to a long-time physical relationship, JONATHAN ARENA/Staff police after he heard of the incident. including when Brock was a minor. See GUILTY, Page 2A Albert Walton, assistant chief at Baldwin Fire Department, inspects a truck that collided with another big rig on Crane Mill Road Jan. 25. The driver, Philip Lee Church of Clarkesville, suf- fered a broken leg and other injuries. Fairview Elementary rallies for Austin Sprayberry By CHRISTINA SANTEE we’ve never had a hometown hero, he [Sprayberry] was diagnosed, we One injured Jan. 25 when but we still collected money for that decided we wanted to recognize him Imagine your typical teenage [chosen] organization. This year it boy. was a no-brainer. In October, when See SPRAYBERRY, Page 2A What comes to mind? Is two tractor-trailers collide he an athlete? An aspiring musician? A video-game fanatic? How would you de- By JONATHAN ARENA him to Habersham Medical scribe him? Is he carefree, Center, where he was treat- lively…rebellious? A Clarkesville man was ed and later released with Chances are “cancer pa- injured Wednesday when a broken left leg and other tient” isn’t on your list. his tractor-trailer hit a log- minor injuries, according to High school junior Aus- ging truck on Crane Mill Johnson. tin Sprayberry, diagnosed Road. He was later released The other driver, Antho- Oct. 7, 2011, with acute lym- from the hospital with non- ny Mark Hill, 39, of Royston, phoblastic leukemia (ALL) life-threatening injuries. will be charged with failure at the age of 16, has never let According to Sgt. Chad to yield as a result of the inci- the disease defi ne him. Johnson of the Georgia State dent. Hill was unhurt in the Even in the midst of weak- Patrol, Philip Lee Church, collision; his 2006 Freight- ness, Sprayberry continues 65, was hauling a load of liner logging truck, owned to live life with the support scrap metal for Bobby’s by D&S Logging out of Com- and prayers of his family, Recycling in his 1989 Ken- merce, sustained some dam- friends and community. worth truck at about 10 a.m. age to the trailer. This was proven true Jan. 25, when another truck Johnson said the angle of Wednesday afternoon when pulled out in front of him in the logging truck as it pulled the Habersham Central High a curve on Crane Mill Road. out into the road meant the School Band of Blue, Fair- “The logging truck en- impact ended up less severe view Elementary School stu- tered on Crane Mill Road than a straight 90-degree T- dent body, teaching staff and and traveled east, but failed bone collision would have family members gathered in to yield to the oncoming ve- been. “The logging truck the FES gym for a pep rally hicle driven by Mr. Church,” had already angled when it in honor of the now 17-year- Johnson said. “Mr. Church’s came out, so when they im- old HCHS student. vehicle struck the right side pacted it wasn’t a 90-degree “We have always partici- CHRISTINA SANTEE/Staff of the logging truck.” angle,” Johnson said. pated with Pennies for Pa- At a Wednesday afternoon pep rally at Fairview Elementary School held in honor of Austin The impact severely dam- The accident occurred in tients for years and every aged the front of Church’s a downhill, left-hand curve; year our student council de- Sprayberry, a Habersham Central High School junior who was diagnosed with leukemia in October truck and trapped him in- skid marks indicate Church cides on a charity that they 2011, Sprayberry, shown with his family, is given a T-shirt and after, a new baton. Sprayberry hopes side the cab. Rescue per- applied brakes but was un- want to donate the money to return to HCHS for his senior year as well as to the band as head drum major. Shown, from left, sonnel extracted him from able to stop his vehicle in to,” Holly McShane, counsel- the vehicle and transported time, Johnson said. or at FES, said. “In the past are Lexie Sprayberry, sister; Greg Sprayberry, father; Austin; and Lisa Sprayberry, mother. Contact us DEATHS, 8A INDEX Volume 120, No. 65 706-778-4215 Fax • Jewell Anderson, 88 • Ruby E. Wiley, 75 Classifi eds 6-8B 706-778-4114 • Edna Mae Elrod, 84 • Thomas L. Walls, 81 Calendar 11A • Eula Nix, 65 thenortheastgeorgian.com Opinion 4A Sports 1-4B Two sections, 20 pages TV 7B -IDWAY$RIVE 3UITE# 4HE#LAYTON4RIBUNE How? 8K #ORNELIA '! 'OTO(EAD&OR4HE$EALSCOM 4HE$AHLONEGA.UGGET r for 3IMPLYADDASMANYDEALCERTIlCATESASYOU $80 vouche $AWSON!DVERTISERCOM rthday 2ESTRICTIONS WOULDLIKETOYOURCART ldren’s bi 6ALIDUNTILMONTHSAFTERPURCHASEDATE 4HE.ORTHEAST'EORGIAN chi #ERTIlCATEISGOODFORANCHILDPARTY (ITTHEh!DDTO#ARTvBUTTON for $40 EACHADDITIONALCHILD 7HITE#OUNTY.EWSNET party 2 hours) -USTBEREDEEMEDINSINGLEVISIT #HECKOUTWITHACREDITCARDANDPRINTYOUR 02%3%.43 kids for .O#ASHBACKFORUNUSEDPORTION CERTIlCATE (8 .OTVALIDWITHANYOTHERPROMOTION 4AXANDGRATUITYNOTINCLUDED %NJOYYOURSAVINGS W .OREFUNDS!LLSALESARElNAL FF-NEG-NEG AA.indd.indd 1 11/26/12/26/12 44:31:38:31:38 PPMM 2A The Northeast Georgian Friday, January 27, 2012 Meth Guilty Political From Page 1A From Page 1A methamphetamines, with stress disorder stemming other charges pending, ac- from his being sexually forum set cording to the Habersham abused as a minor. County Sheriff’s Offi ce Re- Brock told Caudell he cords Department. had received mental health Feb. 28 for A Georgia Bureau of treatment previously at Investigation-certifi ed lab Valdosta State Prison and technician helped with the Georgia State Prison. He disassembly and removal was also currently on medi- mayor’s race cation, but it did not impair of the highly volatile meth- The Cornelia Hospitali- his decision-making pro- cooking components. ty & Tourism Board, along cesses, Brock told Caudell. The cooking process with the Cornelia Down- In answering questions produces very toxic by- town Development Author- related to his guilty plea, products which must be ity, will host a political Brock told Caudell he has handled carefully and can forum at the Community “real bad fl ashbacks.