VIDEO
LOCAL NEWS
UPDATE: Armed Robbery in Cartersville Leaves Man Hospitalized
Cartersville Police Department officials are searching for a man wanted in connection with an armed robbery which occurred at approximately 11:20 AM Friday at the law offices at 11 East Main Street in downtown Cartersville. Two black male suspects allegedly entered the business wearing masks and beat the victim with a pistol. The victim has been identified by police as business owner John Lewis. Lewis has been treated for non life-threatening injuries at Cartersville Medical Center. According to Cartersville Police Chief Tommy Culpepper, one suspect was captured by police two blocks from the crime scene and has been identified as Raymond Anthony Montgomery, age 22 of Cartersville. The second suspect is believed to be Derrick Christopher Williams, age 22 of Cartersville, who remains at large as police from several law enforcement agencies continue to search for him. Williams is considered armed and dangerous. A vehicle and weapon were recovered at the scene and are believed to belong to the suspects.
Cartersville Man Has Flesh Eating Bacteria
There are reports that a Cartersville man is suffering from a rare flesh eating bacteria. Bobby Vaughan, who is a landscaper, was cut two weeks ago on the job and developed an infection. He is being treated at an Augusta hospital. Unlike a University of West Georgia student who developed the bacteria following a zip line accident, Vaughan has not had any amputations. Though he has had two pounds of tissue removed.
Bartow Teen Claims to be Kidnapping & Assault Victim
Bartow County Sheriff’s deputies were called to a residence at 24 Sherwood Lane in Cartersville late Wednesday morning in reference to an assault report. Police met with the male victim, age 19, who told officers he was kidnapped and beaten by three individuals earlier that day. The victim claimed one of the male suspects entered his room at 5 am and began to beat him, later dragging him out of the house and into a red Chevrolet Blazer with no hood. Once inside the S-U-V, the victim said the other two suspects, a male known only as ‘T-Bang’ and a female named ‘LuLu’, began to hit him. As the victim was being driven to an unknown location he allegedly had a gun held to his head and a knife placed at his throat. He claimed that the suspects tried to make him drink urine and told him they should kill him. The victim claimed he escaped by exiting the vehicle near the Kingston Police Department, after he had been taken to a large white house on Horseshoe Loop Road. Police observed knots and bruises on the victim’s head. Sheriff’s Deputies could not locate the residence in question, and have not yet made any arrests in the case. When asked why the three suspects would kidnap and beat him, the teen victim told police he had been fooling around with one of their girlfriends.
Silver Creek Woman Jailed for Child Cruelty
A Floyd County woman was jailed Wednesday evening on multiple charges including child cruelty. Silvia Aguirre, age 32, of an Old Rockmart Road address in Silver Creek, was arrested after allegedly leaving her two year old male child alone and asleep in a parked vehicle for at least 20 minutes. Aguirre was charged with 1st degree child cruelty as Rome Police Department officers noted that the child was willfully denied water, food and air conditioning, while the temperature outside was an estimated 82 degrees. Aguirre was also denied bond by the court Thursday morning due to her questionable citizenship status. She is being held at this time for Immigration officials. Aguirre was also charged with misdemeanor Reckless Conduct.
Official ribbon cutting for Armuchee Connector
The new Armuchee Connector was officially opened Thursday morning following a ribbon cutting ceremony. Community business leaders and government officials were on hand to dedicate the route, which will provide an alternate route to the Armuchee area via a new bridge over the Oostanaula River. Floyd County Manager Blaine Williams says the new crossing is significant for the northern section of the county. The 2.1 mile connector was completed under budget at a cost of $12 million and was fully funded by the 2006 voter approved SPLOST.
Black Bear keeps Rome authorities busy
A large black bear remains is reportedly back in the country after making a couple of appearances in downtown Rome Thursday morning. The first sighting came in just after 6am. Peggy Evans, an employee of the Floyd County Sheriff’s Office who spotted the bear while on her way to work at the courthouse. The bear then went into the woods behind the joint law enforcement center and followed the river to the library. It was seen near the Georgia Power Substation on Riverside Parkway near Turner McCall Boulevard before crossing Turner McCall in the area of the duck pond. Witnesses reported seeing the bear in the Shannon area later in the afternoon. It is estimated that the bear weighs anywhere from 350 to 500 pounds.
Job Numbers Improve In April
Good news today all around from the Georgia Department of Labor today. Georgia’s unemployment rate drops below 9-percent for the first time in three years and first time claims for unemployment insurance were down across Northwest Georgia over the year. There were 782 initial claims filed in Floyd County last month, compared to 1-thousand 373 in April of 2011. Polk County saw a sharp drop from 572 in April of last year to 281 in April of this year. Initial claims in Gordon County fell from 691 to 588 over the same time period, and Bartow’s first-time claims fell from 624 in April of 2011 to 546 last month.
Suspect Wanted in Multiple Burglaries Arrested in Bartow
A Bartow County man has been arrested in connection with multiple burglaries that have taken place in Cartersville in recent months. Cartersville Police Chief Tommy Culpepper announced through a prepared statement Wednesday afternoon that Russell Carr, age 28 of Cartersville, had been taken into custody. Carr is charged with theft of two vehicles in separate incidents March 18th and theft of a 7x20 foot cargo trailer on April 14th. Carr is also accused of stealing a utility vehicle, two pistols and a generator in a burglary that took place April 4th. The most recent crime Carr is alleged to have committed was on May 3rd, when police say he burglarized Specialty Auto Solutions on West Avenue in Cartersville, stealing two trucks and a flat screen TV.
Noble Cannon To Be Fired Thursday
Area residents can take a step back in time Thursday as an authentic Noble Cannon produced in Rome will be fired four times up on Jackson Hill. The firings will take place at 9:30am, 12:30pm, 5:30pm, and 7:00pm at the Rome - Floyd Visitor Center. Following the 7:00pm firing, a mini concert will be performed by the 8th Regiment Band, a reenactment band wearing period dress and playing authentic Confederate instruments and music under the direction of John Carruth.
Floyd County School Board Approves 2012-2013 Calendar
The Floyd County School Board held a special called meeting Tuesday afternoon to make their annual evaluation of the Superintendent, but prior to making a motion to enter Executive Session, the Board allowed a single agenda item in order to discuss the 2012-2013 school calendar and then voted unanimously to approve it. Due to budget issues, Superintendent Lynn Plunkett recommended the calendar be approved with eight reduced work days built into it. After a period of debate, the vote was unanimous in favor of the proposed calendar. The first five reduced work days, or days without pay for teachers and staff, will be at the very beginning of the school year; Wednesday July 25th through Friday July 27th, as well as Monday July 30th and Tuesday July 31st. Instead of children returning to school on the original date of August 1st, they will now return one week later on August 8th. The dates for the other three reduced work days for teachers and staff will be decided upon at the school level by each principal. Plunkett will take 10 days without pay. Following Executive Session, Board Vice-Chairman David Johnson stated that Plunkett was given a satisfactory review and was commended for her accomplishments in the previous year. Her salary and benefits were not adjusted by the Board. Plunkett is set to retire December 1st.
