State Senator Jeff Mullis – R Chickamauga, has filed legislation in the Georgia Senate urging the Secretary of the Treasury and the IRS to remove the tax exempt status of ACORN.  (Association of Community Organizatoins for Reform Now).  Mullis along with many Republicans have charged that the organization used fraudulent methods in voter registration.  

ACORN focus is to register poor and minority voters.  Many Republicans were charging during the Presidential campaign that President-elect Obama would benefit from the voter registration drives sponsored by ACORN.  

Senator Mullis was an ardent supporter of Senator John McCain of Arizona in the last presidential election.   

Michael Pegg, age 22 of Summerville,  Superior Court Sentencing

Matthew Ammons, age 42 of Summerville, State Court Probation Violation

Jeffery Hughes, age 46 of Trion, Grand Jury Special Presentment(entering Auto/ Theft by taking)

Jason Horton, age 33 of Summerville, SUspended License

Charles Wright, age 53 of Summerville, State Court Probation Violation

Martha Bryant, age 24 of Summerville, State Court Probation Violation

John Roger, age 35 of Trion, Hold for Cobb County

Scottie Sullins, age 39 of Rome, Suspended License, No Insurance, Suspended Registration, Open Container

A Cherokee circuit court judge dropped the second indictment in the election fraud case against suspended Chattooga County State Judge Carlton Vines on Monday.

Vines is charged with illegal possession of ballots, conspiracy to commit election fraud and false swearing in connection with the November 2006 general election.

The grand jury first indicted Vines on the same charges in September 2008, then again in October and for a third time in January.

Judge G. Carey Nelson, who is presiding over the case after all the Chattooga Superior court judges were recused, dismissed the initial indictment in October 2008 and dropped the second indictment Monday at the request of the prosecution.

Nelson heard oral arguments on motions filed for the first and second indictments — many of which will be included for the third.

“Most of all the issues, or many of the issues, appear to be the same,” he said.

The defense has filed a number of motions seeking to have charges against Vines dismissed, even challenging portions of Georgia law.

Vines’ attorney, Bobby Lee Cook, stated O.C.G.A 21-2-574 is unconstitutionally vague or at least being misinterpreted.

Georgia law stipulates that it is a felony for anyone other than an election official, or appointee, to be in possession of “official ballots” outside of a polling place.

Defense attorney Jeffery O. Bramlett argued that absentee ballots do not qualify as “official ballots” and used the analogy of 17 deployed servicemen who wish to vote to argue his point.

He asked whether a serviceman who put the absentee ballots for his 16 comrades in the mail would be guilty of a felony.

Prosecuting attorney Gary Bergman said that is the case.

“Absentee ballots are official ballots,” Bergman said, and it is unlawful to possess another person’s absentee ballot.

Vines’ attorneys declined to have the judge decide on the constitutionality of the indictment Monday putting it off until Feb. 9.

Defense attorneys have until Jan. 27 to file additional motions, and the prosecution has until Feb. 6 to respond.

Oral arguments for motions submitted and carried into the new indictment will be heard in Bartow County Superior Court on Feb. 9 in Courtroom C.

Nelson said he expects the trial to begin in late March to early April — with a tentative date set for the week of March 23.

The case centers around a close race for State Court judge in the 2006 election, which was eventually decided by absentee ballots. Vines beat incumbent Sam Finster by 125 votes. Finster won the ballot box by 2,119 votes to 1,943 but lost the absentee vote 336 to 637.

ROME NEWS TRIBUNE

Prebul Ford in Ringgold has closed it’s doors.  The closing of the dealership is part of Ford Motor Company’s restructuring project.  Ford Motor Company purchased the dealership for an undisclosed amount of money for the purpose of closing the dealership.

In the past two years Northwest Georgia has seen the closing of Ford Dealerships in Summerville, LaFayette and now Ringgold.   Ford Dealerships in Chattanooga will not be affected by the restructuring.

Mrs. Ila King, principal of Summerville Elementary School spoke with AM 1180 Chattooga County Radio about her upcoming retirement and her service at Summerville Elementary School as that school’s administrator.

Ms. King told AM 1180 Chattooga County Radio that she had enjoyed her 30 years of teaching and school administration.  Ms. King has taught school in Georgia and Indiana and has served as Principal at Summerville Elementary School for the past six years.

Ms. King will be retiring at the end of this semester.

At last night’s Chattooga County Board of Education meeting the board members and Superintendent Dwight Pullen heard about expansion projects at two local schools.

The Summerville Middle School is going to see a 12,000 square foot expansion.  The added space will house a Life Center, Ag Center and Multi-purpose area along with an expansion of the school’s cafeteria.

The Menlo Elementary School expansion will be providing 11,000 square feet of added floor space.  The additional room will provide Menlo Students with and additional 9 rooms including a new music room and 7 new class rooms along with a Science Lab.  Also planned in the addition are new rest rooms for the students and faculty along with a music storage and book storage area.

The Summerville City Council met in their monthly work session and regular monthly meeting yesterday afternoon at Summerville City Hall.

The mayor and council heard from Janice Galloway from the Water Treatment Plant.  Galloway told the council that rehab continues on Filter #4.  Also she reported that Summerville received 12.6 inches of rain in December and so far this month Summerville has received 6 inches of rainfall.

In the recreation report the council was notified of a $5,000 grant from the Tillaston Foundation which will provide money for the Dewey Hoskin Gym.

In the police report, the police chief told the council that city officers had patroled 7,548 miles in December and had collected $7,482 in fines.  There were a total of 42 calls for Summerville City Police in the month of December.

The City Council also reminds the public that they will be closed on Monday December 19th for Dr. Martin Luther King Day.

The Veteran’s Memorial Park Committee was at the City Council meeting in Summerville yesterday afternoon requesting more land for expansion of the Veteran’s Memorial Park at Dowdy Park in Summerville.

Sewell Cash, spokesman for the group addressed the city council presenting the request to the mayor and council.  According to Cash, phase 1 of the Veteran’s Memorial Park has been completed and the committee would like to expand the Veteran’s Memorial all the way to the creek.

In order for the expansion to happen the way the Veteran’s Memorial Park Committee would like it, the Gazebo at Dowdy Park would have to be moved.

Mayor Norton said that he and the city council members would meet with members of the Veteran’s Memorial Park Committee at the park to look at the possible expansion.

Issued by The National Weather Service
Atlanta, GA
4:35 am EST, Tue., Jan. 13, 2009

… LIGHT SNOW POSSIBLE ACROSS FAR NORTH GEORGIA TODAY AND TONIGHT…

A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL PUSH THROUGH NORTH GEORGIA THIS AFTERNOON… USHERING IN MUCH COLDER AIR IN TO THE STATE. THIS FRONT HAS LITTLE MOISTURE ASSOCIATED WITH IT… BUT IT MAY HAVE ENOUGH TO PRODUCE SOME LIGHT RAIN OR SNOW SHOWERS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING OVER FAR NORTH GEORGIA… PARTICULARLY OVER THE NORTH GEORGIA MOUNTAINS. FLURRIES ARE POSSIBLE AFTER SUNSET FAR NORTH GEORGIA … BUT ANY SNOW SHOULD COME TO AN END BY MIDNIGHT. ANY SNOW THAT FALLS SHOULD BE CONFINED TO AREAS NORTH OF A ROME TO GAINESVILLE LINE. TEMPERATURES DURING THE DAY SHOULD REMAIN ABOVE FREEZING UNTIL THIS EVENING WHEN ONLY FLURRIES ARE ANTICIPATED. THEREFORE… NO ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.