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By Charlotte Lee Williamson

My name is Charlotte “Lee” Williamson. I am your candidate to serve in the Georgia House of Representatives, for District 11, challenging incumbent Rick Jasperse on the Republican ballot. District 11 incorporates all of Pickens County, Eastern Gordon, and Eastern Murray counties.

Angela Reinhardt / Photo

Cheryl Sams, right, was one of four people who spoke vehemently against the board’s decision to remove Dr. Carlton Wilson. Dozens of others attended to show their disappointment in three board members’ move.   

A heated crowd turned out for the first board of education meeting of the year, where the public slammed three board members for forcing former Superintendent Dr. Carlton Wilson to resign.

Public speakers at the meeting, who are just a few of the throngs of Pickens residents who have come out in support of Wilson, accused  board members Tucker Green, Joeta Youngblood, and Donna Enis of not acting in line with the desires of their constituents, of being unclear about their reasons for letting Wilson go, for being non-transparent, and for costing taxpayers thousands of dollars. 

The tension ramped up right out of the gate, when interim superintendent Dr. Charles Webb called for nominations for chairperson. Tucker Green was re- elected with board members Enis and Youngblood voting in favor of his appointment. One member of the public was heard saying “sickening” after he was re-elected to the position. Enis was elected vice chair. 

See full story in this week's print or online editions. 

Jasper Discount Grocery is one of a few businesses/developments on the horizon. Check out this week's print or online editions to learn more about Jasper Discount Grocery and a few other economic development happenings in Jasper. 

SUMMARIES OF OPINIONS

Published Monday, January 13, 2020

Please note: Opinion summaries are prepared by the Public Information Office for the general public and news media. Summaries are not prepared for every opinion released by the Court, but only for those cases considered of great public interest. Opinion summaries are not to be considered as official opinions of the Court. The full opinions are available on the Supreme Court website at www.gasupreme.us .

WHITE V. THE STATE (S19A1004)

            The Supreme Court of Georgia has upheld the life-without-parole prison sentence given to a young man who was 17 years old when he and another young man murdered a friend to “see how it feels to kill someone.”

In appealing his convictions and prison sentence to the state’s highest court, attorneys for Dakota Lamar White argued that the trial court erred in allowing in as evidence his confession to law enforcement officials and in sentencing him to life without parole. His attorneys argued that the State should have had to prove “beyond a reasonable doubt” that the juvenile offender was “irreparably corrupt” and therefore eligible for the extreme sentence. Instead, the trial court found the youth was “irreparably corrupt” based upon a “preponderance of the evidence,” which is a lighter standard of proof.