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M. Gage Ochsner Jr. remembered for living large, saving lives

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Dr. M. Gage Ochsner Jr. operated on close to 10,000 patients while working as a trauma surgeon at Memorial University Medical Center, said Dr. Carl Boyd, who recruited Ochsner to the hospital in 1994.

“It didn’t matter if you were the bank president or a bank robber, he treated you all the same,” Boyd said.

Ochsner, the chief of trauma and surgical critical care at Memorial University Medical Center, died of lung cancer Friday. He was 59.

The son of a urologist and grandson of one of the founders of New Orleans’ famed Ochsner Clinic, he came to Savannah from Washington Hospital Center where he was an attending surgeon and associate professor of surgery.

His passion for mentoring won him the devotion of legions of students and residents.

At a packed memorial service at the hospital Monday, Boyd shared that a former resident wrote recently of Ochsner: “I will always remember with pride every stitch we threw together, every drop of sweat. I remember, too, the shameful feeling when we didn’t meet his expectation and the swelling of pride with a simple ‘Atta boy.’ It’s painful to know I will only hear his ‘whoa’ in my mind from now on.”

Ochsner’s many former students in attendance, some who had flown in from out of state, laughed knowingly. Then Boyd finished the resident’s thought: “But I hear his words of guidance in my mind in the operating room every day.”

Ochsner’s widow, Judy Rochelle Ochsner, said in tending to him at home over the last four months the surgeon made clear that his successes — which included 50 published journal articles, eleven book chapters in medical text books, numerous leadership roles at surgical organizations, and honors such as the Georgia Medical Society Hero Award — wouldn’t have been possible without his colleagues at Memorial. And not just other doctors.

“From his physician and nurse colleagues to the patient care techs, respiratory therapy techs, X-ray techs, lab techs, hospital administrators, his office staff and secretary, the residents, the students, even the person who had to mop up the floor after a particularly bad trauma protocol, every one of you were part of a team,” she said. “His accomplishments and accolades belong to you. He could never have begun to achieve what he did without all of you.”

Ochsner was an avid hunter, fisherman and gardener who lived life large, said friend and colleague Dr. Lorraine Pare, a pathologist at Memorial.

“Gage wouldn’t sit at the beach,” she said at the memorial service. “He wouldn’t just read a book. If you’re at the beach you had to be playing bocci and turn around and play horseshoes at the same time and usually he was carrying somebody’s child. My niece nicknamed him ‘Dr. Cage’ and we decided that was probably what he needed.”

He wouldn’t just sit at a movie, either, she recalled from one especially memorable action film.

“The entire time when anyone was injured Gage would yell out their Glasgow trauma coma score and he would comment ‘Oh God, that guy’s gonna need a DPL’ (diagnostic peritoneal lavage, to determine internal bleeding) and ‘Oh my God, I bet he ruptured his spleen.’ ”

Among Ochsner’s lasting legacies at Memorial is the M. Gage Ochsner M.D. Institute for Injury Research and Prevention at Memorial’s trauma center. First announced in November, the institute aims to reduce injury and violence through research, education and outreach. Data collected at Memorial will be analyzed to detect patterns of preventable injury affecting the community.

“It’s what top trauma centers aspire to do and be,” said Memorial President and CEO Maggie Gill.

More than a half-million dollars has been earmarked for the institute, enough to get it up and running, Gill said.

Ochsner is survived by his wife of 27 years, Judy Rochelle Ochsner, his daughter, Julia Katherine Ochsner of Chicago, and his two sons, Mims G. Ochsner, III (Trey) and Matthew Cousins Ochsner, both of Savannah. He is also survived by his mother, Paddy Cousins Ochsner, his sisters, Laura Ochsner and Corrine Ochsner Dalby, all of Tulsa, Okla., and a sister, in Lecco, Italy, Alexandra Ochsner Dubini.

Visitation was Monday night; funeral services will be private.

The family has requested that in lieu of flowers, remembrances be directed to Memorial Health Foundation, Ochsner Injury Institute, P.O. Box 23089-3089, Savannah, GA, 31403 or St. Thomas Episcopal Church, 2 St. Thomas Ave. Savannah, GA 31406.


Suspect in March slaying turns himself in

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Public safety summary

 

A Savannah man arrested in the investigation of a March 20 homicide has not been charged with murder as originally announced, said Savannah-Chatham police spokesman Julian Miller on Monday night. Murder warrants have been sworn against two others, one of whom is now in custody.

Terrell Akeem Nelson, 18, turned himself in to police Monday on murder charges in the shooting death of Achmed Kiwaan Williams on the 1100 block of East 54th Street.

Police continue to seek Germaine Remond Grant, 23, on a murder charge for Williams’ death.

Ashley Maurice Hudson, 31, was arrested on April 10 at the house where the shooting took place on unrelated charges. Police spokesman Julian Miller said Hudson has not been charged in the homicide.

Grant is described as a black male standing 5 feet 7 inches tall who weighs about 120 pounds. Police ask anyone with information on the case or Grant’s location to call CrimeStoppers at 912-234-2020 or text CRIMES (274637). Tipsters remain anonymous and may qualify for a cash reward.

A confidential tip line is also open directly to investigators at 912-525-3124.

 

Police investigate double shooting

Savannah-Chatham police violent crimes detectives are sorting out the details of a Sunday night altercation in front of a nightclub on West Bay Street that left two men with gunshot wounds.

Jeremy Kenneth Hardin, 25, who is stationed at Fort Stewart, was taken to Memorial University Medical Center with non-life-threatening wounds when Downtown Precinct patrol officers found him at West Bay and Whitaker streets about 3 a.m., said police spokesman Julian Miller.

Nathaniel Jackson, 24, of an Abercorn Street address on the southside, called police about an hour later from Candler Hospital, where he had sought treatment of a less serious wound.

The shooting was reported at West Bay and Bull streets outside Club Rain when two groups of men became involved in an altercation and shots were fired, Miller said. Authorities said friends helped Hardin flee a block east to Whitaker, where they flagged down officers responding to the shooting.

The investigation into the shootings is continuing. Police ask anyone with information to call CrimeStoppers at 912-234-2020 or text CRIMES (274637). Tipsters remain anonymous and may qualify for a cash reward.

A confidential tip line also is open directly to investigators at 912-525-3124.

 

Two men charged in domestic dispute

A Savannah man who was shot in a domestic dispute April 23 has been released from a hospital and charged with domestic violence.

Savannah-Chatham police violent crimes detectives determined Adrian Gardner, 41, was shot by Jahkeem Bryant, 19, who had tried to intervene between his mother and Gardner, who were involved in a physical altercation.

Police spokesman Julian Miller said Bryant was pushed away and fired at Gardner, hitting him in the leg.

Bryant was charged with aggravated assault.

Gardner was arrested Sunday as he was released from a hospital, where he was transported for treatment after the shooting at a Stiles Avenue residence where all the participants lived.

 

3 people displaced, 2 dogs dead after mobile home fire

Three people were displaced and two dogs died in a midmorning fire Monday that destroyed a mobile home near Bloomingdale.

The large mobile home at 206 Old Highway 204 was in flames when firefighters arrived, said Hugh Futrell, Southside Fire/EMS assistant chief of operations.

The mobile home was in a non-hydrant area. Two tankers responded to the fire, and firefighters were able to pump water from a pond near the structure.

A 12-year-old boy sustained minor injuries from smoke inhalation, and his mother sustained radiant heat burns on one of her arms, Futrell said. The mother and child were treated by paramedics and released.

Two dogs that were inside the structure died in the fire, Futrell said.

Futrell said it wasn’t immediately clear how the fire began, but the boy had seen fire coming from behind the washer and dryer.

“It was a really big fire,” he said. “It’s a shame. Those folks lost everything they had.”

Red Cross volunteers also responded to help the two adults and one child who were displaced. All three were provided with food, clothing and medication, said Robin Wingate, executive director of the American Red Cross Southeast Georgia Chapters.

Those displaced are staying with family, but once they find a new place to live, Red Cross will help them with the first month’s rent and deposit, Wingate said.

 

Woman seriously injured in Monday wreck

A 70-year-old Savannah woman was in serious but stable condition Monday night after her car struck two trees off Abercorn Street in Ardsley Park.

Ruth A. Vanderhorst of an Inglesby Court address was taken to Memorial University Medical Center after the 5 p.m. wreck at Abercorn and East 48th streets.

Vanderhorst was driving a 2011 silver Toyota Corolla northbound on Abercorn Street in the right lane when she drifted to the right side of the street, said Julian Miller, Savannah-Chatham police spokesman.

The car struck the bottom portion of an oak tree before crashing head-on into another tree, he said.

Vanderhorst was extricated from her vehicle by Savannah Fire & Emergency Services.

The northbound lanes of Abercorn Street between 48th and 49th streets were closed to traffic for about two hours while the police department’s Major Accident Investigation Team was on scene. Miller said the investigation into the wreck is ongoing.

 

Reward fund rises in Foley homicide

A cash reward of as much as $12,500 is now available anonymously for information leading to the arrest of Rebecca Foley’s killer. The 21-year-old Savannah State University student was shot to death Jan. 21 at a southside apartment complex.

Foley’s family donated $10,000 to the CrimeStoppers reward fund to be used specifically in the case, said CrimeStoppers spokeswoman Catherine Neal.

Foley was shot to death about 7 p.m. Jan. 21 in a parking lot at Colonial Village at Marsh Cove on White Bluff Road. She had just driven her Volkswagen Beetle back to the apartments when she was shot.

Savannah-Chatham police have yet to release information about suspects or motives in the case, and investigators have asked the public to call with information.

All information provided to CrimeStoppers is anonymous and can be reported 24/7. Tipsters can call CrimeStoppers at 912-234-2020.

 

Agencies collect 144 pounds of prescription drugs

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration on Sunday, along with the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office and Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team, collected 144 pounds of pills and prescription drugs.

The unwanted and expired drugs were taken to the DEA’s Savannah office where they were weighed and will be incinerated, said Cpl. Rhonda Bryant-Elleby, sheriff’s office spokeswoman.

“I am pleased with the great support we have every year for the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day,” Sheriff Al St Lawrence said in a statement. “I look forward to the day we have enough permanent prescription drug drop boxes in place for the community to conduct this vital program without having designated days.”

The sheriff’s office has one permanent drop box in the front lobby of the Chatham County Courthouse, 133 Montgomery St. The drop box is open to the public from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

The sheriff’s office provided this breakdown from each collection:

• SouthCoast Medical Group on Eisenhower Drive: 80 pounds

• O’Reilly Auto Parts on U.S. 17: 16 pounds

• Home Depot on Victory Drive: 18 pounds

• Ace Hardware on Johnny Mercer Boulevard: 30 pounds

Savannah-Chatham police on Saturday collected 125 pounds of prescription and over-the-counter drugs for the DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day event.

A permanent drop box is open 24/7 in the lobby of police headquarters at 201 Habersham St.

 

Animal Control vaccinates 1,000+ dogs, cats at clinic

The Savannah-Chatham police department’s Animal Control division vaccinated more than 1,000 dogs and cats Saturday at a vaccination clinic.

Hundreds of people attended the clinic at the Animal Control facility on Sallie Mood Drive and were able to get their pets vaccinated at a reduced cost, said Michelle Gavin, the department’s community relations administrator.

The police department provided this breakdown of the services provided and vaccinations given:

• 577 rabies vaccinations

• 100 heartworm tests

•75 microchips implanted

• 80 dogs received nail trims

• 300 dog combination vaccines

• 200 Bordetella vaccines

• 100 feline combination vaccines

Pound Pups In Need was also on site doing adoptions with extended hours. Three dogs and three cats from the Animal Control shelter were able to find homes, Gavin said, adding that owners were also able to register their pets and purchase licenses.

Animal Control plans to schedule another all-inclusive vaccination clinic this summer.

 

Poker Run raises nearly $24K

About 275 motorcyclists participated in the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office’s 13th annual Poker Run on Sunday.

The Poker Run raised nearly $24,000 for the Georgia Sheriff’s Association Youth Homes, said Cpl. Rhonda Bryant-Elleby, sheriff’s office spokeswoman. These homes provide longtime, sometimes permanent care to children who have been abandoned, abused or whose parents are unfit to raise them.

The riders began the event at Napa Auto Parts on Eisenhower Drive, then went on a two-hour ride throughout Chatham and Effingham counties and finished at the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office Training Facility off Ogeechee Road.

So far, the sheriff’s office has raised more than $300,000 for the children living in the Georgia Sheriff’s Youth Homes and provided them with back-to-school items, camping equipment, a summer vacation trip, Christmas gifts and much more, Bryant-Elleby said.

 

Compiled by Dash Coleman and Marcus E. Howard.

 

CHATHAM COUNTY BOOKED

To see pictures and details for individuals serving their initial incarceration in Chatham County, as reported by the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office, go to ChathamCountyBooked.com.

Coastal Empire Cycle Fest cruises through Tybee

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Leaning over the railing that separated spectators from the narrow racecourse on the southern side of Tybrisa Street, Rindi Wood captured about a dozen racers on her cellphone’s video camera as they whizzed by.

Once they’d passed, she trotted farther down the course, choosing a new spot to watch the next lap of the men’s amateur heat during the inaugural Coastal Empire Cycle Fest Tuesday evening on Tybee Island.

“I came to watch my boyfriend (race), we decided to drive down and check this one out,” said Wood, of Pawleys Island, S.C. “I try to get to as many as I can; they’re really a lot of fun to watch.”

Among several dozen spectators spread out in clumps along the about 1 kilometer criterium racecourse — a closed course similar to a NASCAR track — Wood cheered as the field went by in one of the several amateur heats that led to the men’s and women’s professional races toward the end of the evening.

The event was part of Seed Week, a seven-stop mini-tour of criterium races throughout the southeast.

While Tuesday’s race didn’t draw nearly as many spectators as more established races — like Athens’ Twilight that kicked off Speed Week on Saturday evening and typically draws crowds in the tens of thousands — the fledgling Tybee event drew about what organizer Anne Bolyea expected.

“It’s a good start. We’re looking forward to next year to getting more people involved, and it will be a bigger and better deal with more spectators,” Bolyea said. “You have to start with baby steps.”

“It’s a good turnout for a first year event. It’s sort of hard to compare it to Athens’ Twilight at this point, because (Twilight’s) been going on there for 34 years.”

Those along the route who’d seen a criterium race before said they were excited for the sport to come to the Savannah-area.

“I hadn’t even heard about it, but my son who lives up in Boston said he’d heard about, so we came over to check it out,” said Andi Gunn, who owns a home on Tybee. “I’m really glad he told me. It’s great.”

And it offers a unique course for the racers.

“I’ve been to a lot of races like this, but the beach is a very different setting,” Gunn said. “It’s fabulous, and the weather couldn’t be better. I think it could really be a great event for Tybee.”

That, Bolyea said, is what she envisions in the future.

“It’s very unique because we don’t have a lot of professional beach criteriums,” she said. “We have one out in California, and all the racers seem to really like it. It’s exciting for them, and it’s almost like a mini vacation.

“We’re really excited for this, and we think it’s going to grow and be a great benefit to Tybee and the community here.”

Schreck named new rector at Cathedral of St. John the Baptist

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A Catholic priest with strong roots at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist will return next month as its new rector.

The Rev. J. Gerard “Gerry” Schreck, pastor at St. Anne Parish in Columbus, will succeed Monsignor William O’Neill, who will retire June 15 after 17 years as rector at the cathedral.

“I’m delighted to be going to the cathedral,” Schreck, 56, said. “I think the cathedral is a real jewel for Savannah and the Diocese of Savannah.”

Schreck was appointed by Bishop Gregory J. Hartmayer along with a list of new posts for priests in Savannah and throughout the 90-county south Georgia diocese announced last Sunday during Masses.

He will begin his new duties on June 12.

The bishop said O’Neill’s pending retirement “basically started a domino effect” through the 79 parishes and missions in the diocese with almost 25 percent of the diocesan priests being reassigned as part of the annual housekeeping.

Spring cleaning

Priests generally move every 12 years, unless there are special circumstances such as church construction projects in progress or the priest nearing retirement age, Hartmayer said.

He likened his actions to a baseball team manager who every spring picks a new lineup, meeting with a personnel committee and taking recommendations. He then meets with the priests to discuss their concerns.

“I was very pleased that all of the priests graciously agreed with the moves,” Hartmayer said. “The moves are difficult for parishes, they are difficult for the priests who have built relationships among the parish community, but the moves are necessary to ensure our priests’ talents and gifts are used diocesan wide.”

For example, the Rev. Jeremiah McCarthy, pastor at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church since he succeeded O’Neill in 1996, will move to pastor at St. Anne Church in Columbus, replacing Schreck.

O’Neill, addressing Mass Sunday, said he was “just overwhelmed with all of this,” referring to his impending retirement and Schreck’s appointment.

“It means my time is up,” O’Neill told the congregation. “It means an old man going to a junk yard.”

But O’Neill said he had nothing to do with the selection of Schreck, urging the congregation to “support him in any way you can.”

He pledged to remain active in a new ministry, adding, “I want to have a peaceful, quiet life in my retirement.”

He will remain in Savannah in retirement and continue to live at the cathedral.

Deep local roots

Schreck, whose mother is Patricia “Patty” Barragan Schreck who retired in August after 66 years as organist at the Cathedral, grew up on Henry Street in Gordonston.

He was baptized at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church but said he attended the cathedral “probably before I was born.” He was an altar boy from the second grade along with Pat Rossiter, Danny Brown, Michael Brown and others.

It runs in the family. Schreck’s brother, Monsignor Christopher Schreck, also a diocesan priest, is rector of a seminary in Columbus, Ohio; their sister, Nancy Schreck, is a life-long member at the cathedral.

Schreck attended Cathedral Day School through eighth grade, then Benedictine Military School for his freshman year before transferring to St. John Vianney Minor Seminary in Richmond, Va.

Schreck is a graduate of the College of William and Mary and Notre Dame University and has a doctorate in canon law from the Gregorian University in Rome.

He was ordained a priest for the Savannah Diocese in 1983.

His first assignment was at Blessed Sacrament from 1983-1986, then three years of graduate studies before going to Columbus in 1989 as assistant pastor to the Rev. J. Kevin Boland at St. Anne.

When Boland was named bishop in 1995, Schreck was appointed pastor of the church.

Schreck said his 24 years in Columbus was a “great, great assignment” but sensed a change was in the offing.

The cathedral is considered the bishop’s church for the entire diocese, but Schreck said he did not lobby for the post.

“This was the bishop’s idea,” he said with a chuckle as he called the move “just the way the assignments worked out.”

Schreck said he has known O’Neill “since, I guess, I was ordained” and praised his stewardship of the cathedral.

He also said working for the bishop will not be a new experience since all of the priests in the diocese work for Hartmayer.

“The cathedral is a parish just like any parish, but it is the place the bishop celebrates Mass and where many important diocesan liturgies take place, and that makes it different,” Schreck said.

NEW ROLES

Other priest assignments announced by Hartmayer include:

• The Rev. Daniel Firmin, to vicar general and moderator of the curia for the diocese for five years while continuing as chancellor.

• The Rev. Mariusz Fuks, judicial vicar (assistant) to the bishop with residence at St. James Catholic Church

• The Rev. Gabriel Cummings, pastor at St. Francis Cabrini Catholic Church

• The Rev. Brett Brannen, pastor at Most Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church

• The Rev. Richard Young, parochial administrator at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Port Wentworth

• The Rev. Douglas Clark, pastor of St, Matthew Catholic Church in Statesboro

• The Rev. Luis Fonseca, parochial vicar of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church

• Also retiring includes Monsignor Francis Nelson with residence at St. James

Students learn life lessons at expo

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Chatham County wrapped up National County Government Month on Tuesday with the “Smart Justice Expo” at Live Oak Public Libraries’ Southwest Chatham branch.

In collaboration with the Youth Futures Authority and the Savannah-Chatham County Board of Education, the county sought to raise awareness about community outreach programs available to citizens.

Freshman students from New Hampstead and Windsor Forest high schools were given the opportunity to tour Chatham Emergency Management Agency’s mobile operations center and get a look at the helicopter used by Mosquito Control and Savannah-Chatham police. There were also various displays from county departments related to public safety.

Students also participated in a drunk driving simulation. While wearing goggles that distorted his perception, New Hampstead freshman Ryan Fields drove the golf cart into a number of cones along the course set up in the parking lot of the Savannah Mall.

“I’m better with dirt bikes,” Fields said.

Students also learned from juvenile court judges and attorneys about the consequences of driving under the influence, as well as texting and driving.

Haley Emory, a New Hampstead ninth grader, said she was placed on “probation” and made to wear a simulated ankle bracelet and pick up litter. Still, it was not as bad as a similar expo last year, when she had to take on the role of a teen mother.

“I’m too young to have a baby,” Emory, 15, said.

Public safety summary

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At least 35 law enforcement officers and family members of officers killed in the line of duty will bike their way through Savannah on Wednesday.

Each rider will be honoring an officer killed in the line of duty.

Sgt. Robert “Bobby” Crapse Sr. of the Bryan County Sheriff’s Office, killed in a head-on crash on Interstate 95 on June 15, will be honored by one of the riders.

The goal is to raise $250,000 for the Officer Down Memorial Page and Concerns of Police Survivors.

Riders will begin at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Brunswick and be joined along the route with some 350 riders who will pedal into Washington on May 12.

The first leg of the Law Enforcement United, referred to as the FLETC Long Ride, should arrive in Savannah about 11 a.m. Wednesday, as more than 35 bicyclists begin the trek from Brunswick.

Savannah-Chatham police will escort the procession through Chatham County, with a stop for lunch at the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge on Grove Point Road.

 

Crews respond to sewage spill

City of Savannah crews on Monday responded to what was described as a minor sewage spill from an overflowing manhole at the unopened Avalon Drive right-of-way east of Truman Parkway.

The city said the spill was the result of sewage stoppage in an 8-inch gravity sewer main caused by grease and rags. About 950 gallons were discharged in a residential area, officials said.

The city reported that water and sewer crews were notified at 2:07 p.m. and corrected the problem by 3:42 p.m. They plan to install a high level wireless alarm to notify of future surcharges to further eliminate or minimize subsequent overflows.

The affected storm system was contained and staff implemented efforts to recover the contaminated water, according to the city.

 

Police to conduct badge pinning for new officers

The Savannah-Chatham police department will conduct a badge pinning ceremony for 21 of its newest officers on Thursday.

Police Chief Willie Lovett will mark their official induction into the police force at 3 p.m. at the Savannah Civic Center ballroom.

The 20 men and one woman have just completed 11 weeks of state-mandated training at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center in Garden City, followed by an additional six weeks of patrol school at the Savannah-Chatham police training center.

Local summary

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Health Department to close for three days

The Chatham County Health Department and Chatham County Environmental Health Division will temporarily suspend services on Thursday, Friday and Monday to move into the new Martha B. Fay Public Health Center/Chatham County Health Department located between the current health department and the Savannah-Chatham Humane Society.

The new facility at 1395 Eisenhower Drive will also contain the Environmental Health Division, currently located at 420 Mall Blvd. It will officially open on May 7.

During the relocation process, the Chatham County Health Department midtown location at 1602 Drayton St. will remain open.

Massie School marker to be relocated today

The Massie Common School’s historical marker will be unveiled in a new location in a 9 a.m. ceremony today.

The marker, originally installed across from the school in Calhoun Square in the 1970s, has been moved to the tree lawn in front of the school long Gordon Street. The relocation was recommended by the city of Savannah Historic Site and Monument Commission and is a collaborative effort between the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and the Massie Heritage Center.

Man reoved from three boards in face of felony charges

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A member of three city boards/commissions has been “removed” after pending felony charges from 2011 surfaced.

Savannah Mayor Edna Jackson, in an April 18 letter, rejected Carl Anthony Miller’s April 9 letters of resignation and informed him he had been removed from Housing Authority of Savannah, Cultural Affairs Commission and Keep Savannah Beautiful boards “you have been appointed to serve on.”

“It had been brought to our attention that there are some legal matters pending in the courts against you,” Jackson’s letter said.

Those legal matters included a Sept. 14, 2011, two-count indictment against Miller, 28, on charges of sexual assault against a patient and sexual battery.

The indictment charges that Miller, while employed as a mental health assistant at a private mental health hospital had sexual contact with a patient on Aug. 29, 2010, and that he “did intentionally make physical contact” with the patient that same date.

Chatham County jail records show Miller was booked on Sept. 28, 2011, and was released the next day on a $5,700 bond. He remains free on bond.

The case is pending before Chatham County Superior Court Judge Louisa Abbot with a trial likely by June or July if no plea is entered.

Earlene Wesley Davis, executive director of the housing authority, said she received a mailed copy of Miller’s arrest information in March and informed her board chairman, Malik Watkins.

After Miller, who was appointed a commissioner in January, did not comply with two chances to voluntarily resign despite agreeing to do so, Davis said she informed Jackson of the problem.

Because the city had appointed Miller to the boards, only they could remove him, Davis said.


Savannah-Chatham Public Schools superintendent proposes millage increase

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Savannah-Chatham Public Schools Superintendent Thomas Lockamy wants his 2014 budget to include cost of living and step increases for all district employees, but that may require the school board to cut costs in other places or raise the millage rate used to calculate property taxes.

Wednesday, district officials fleshed out ideas for a balanced budget that boosts employee morale and supports quality instruction, despite anticipated cuts in state and federal funding. For months they have had a dreary financial outlook, projecting that they’d face a deficit of more than $16 million because of increased costs from new start up schools and multimillion dollar reductions in state and federal funding.

Lockamy said an anticipated $20 million in state education cuts this year will occur because legislators are taking money off the top of the public schools budget to fund special education vouchers and the new state charter school commission.

“They’re getting two to three more dollars per child than I am for my babies and I’m mad about that,” Lockamy said. “The legislators are forcing local boards to tax the people.”

But Lockamy’s staff presented a budget framework using projected revenue that they say will allow them to raise employee pay for the first time in five years, invest more in school maintenance, expand athletics at new high schools, replace outdated campus police cars and fund the four locally approved charter schools. All they’ll have to do to make it happen is raise the millage rate used to calculate property taxes by 1 percent to about 16.131 mills, Lockamy said.

“I feel obligated. I don’t want to be remembered as the superintendent who provided no pay raises or even an increase of cost of living,” he said. “This would just be a point of saying we appreciate you. I feel now it is the time to recognize the great service our people are giving to the district.”

Based on their projections, district administrators they believe the 1 percent millage rate increase and $1.8 million from their rainy day coffers will leave them with a balanced budget for 2014.

But not every board member seemed so eager to raise property taxes, or to fund all of the new expenses Lockamy is proposing for 2014.

Board Member Julie Wade wanted to know what created more savings, furlough days or a millage increase and she suggested they should look for alternatives to millage increases, like hiring in-house legal counsel, eliminating free school bus transportation to students attending specialty high schools and by scaling back plans for athletics at Woodville and New Hampstead high schools.

“Right now it looks as if we just arbitrarily throw out the idea of raising millage rates,” Wade said.

Board member Shawn Kachmar suggested that they cut transportation costs and merge school populations to reduce waste associated with underutilized facilities.

“I’m not in favor of increasing millage when we have a dismal facilities usage rate and such high transportation costs,” he said.

But board member Connie Hall said the proposed percent millage rate increase would generate $21.1 million dollars and require most home owners to pay just $84 a year in property taxes. She encouraged her fellow board members and the community to think about the potential return on that investment.

“To me, $84 is a pittance to achieve our goals for local education,” she said.

Board will host a public hearing on their proposed 2014 budget at 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 29 at the Whitney Administrative Complex, 2 Laura Avenue.

To view the proposal presented Wednesday,go to http://www.boarddocs.com/ga/sccs/Board.nsf/files/973J6D4B9E05/$file/FY%202014%20Budget%20Workshop%20III%20-%20May%201.pdf

In other business

Classical Academy Charter School was granted permission to move into the old Scott Learning Center facility on Market Street while their permanent facility at the old St. Pius Family Resource Center is renovated.

Charter School officials say finalizing the deal for the temporary school site will allow them to recruit hundreds more students to attend their unique classical education charter school next year.

The board approved several moves to right size facilities and make way for Classical Academy to seek temporary shelter at Scott.

Next year the Early College program will be moved from its current home at the Groves High Annex and placed at Savannah High School, which is woefully underutilized.

The Corporate Academy and Woodville-Tompkins automotive and firefighter courses will be moved to the annex to make room for Woodville’s growing full-time high school program, which is being phased in one grade level at a time.

Despite protests from Early College parents and Woodville-Tompkins alumni, the moves were approved in a 7 to 2 vote. Irene Hines and Ruby Jones were the sole dissenters.

The board also approved a plan to move Godley Station 8th graders to New Hampstead High next year to reduce serious overcrowding issues at Godley Station K-8.

Administrators proposed that Godley’s eighth-graders be housed at New Hampstead, which is their zoned high school, for three years until the new Port Wentworth K-8 is built. However board members were sympathetic to the Godley Station parent who came to the meeting to protest.

They agreed to limit the move to New Hampstead to one year, offered administrative transfers to any other district middle school or K-8 with space and agreed to provide transportation.

Although Godley students were the only group to be guaranteed that offer in a board resolution, Lockamy said he would provide the same to Woodville and Early College students who are unhappy about being moved.

Savannah Fire marks 50 years of integration

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When Purdy Bowers and Lewis Oliver decided to join the Savannah Fire Department 50 years ago, history was the last thing on their minds.

At the time, both men said, they were young adults — both former Savannah State College students — looking, quite simply, for gainful employment.

“The truth is I went to apply for some other job, and when I was there they told me I could put in an application for the fire department as well, so that’s what I did,” Bowers said Wednesday afternoon at Savannah Fire & Emergency Services’ downtown headquarters where officials recognized the 50th anniversary of the men’s hiring. “I went for a different job and ended up as a firefighter.”

And not just any firefighter, one of the city’s first six black firefighters of modern times. Bowers and Oliver are the only living members off the initial class of black firefighters who began working for the city on May 1, 1963.

Today, Savannah City Council will recognize their accomplishments with a an official resolution.

Once hired, the two men — along with Theodore Rivers, Porter Screen, Cordell Heath and Warnell Robinson — were assigned to Station 4, where the city had built them their own, segregated quarters.

They became close friends, Bowers remembered, but their skills as firefighters were questioned. That was until they quickly proved themselves.

“I recall the biggest fire we’d gone to at that point,” said Bowers, who spent eight years with the department before being drafted into the U.S. Army. “People for some reason assumed we were not going to fight that fire. I was thinking, ‘What do you expect? It’s my job.’ But that’s the thing, that’s the way it was at the time.”

It didn’t take long for the black firefighters to be accepted, Oliver said. In 20 years with the department he worked side-by-side with people of all races, attaining the rank of battalion chief.

He recalled his first day after being transferred from Station 4 to the department’s headquarters.

“I came over here into headquarters, I didn’t know what to expect; a (white) guy — he’d been on a while — and he said, ‘Let me tell you something, Oliver, anything I can help you with you let me know. And we stayed pals until forever.’”

Current Savannah Fire Chief Charles Middleton said he was honored to help the men mark the milestone, because it helped pave the way for his own opportunity to become the city’s fire chief.

“This is a really big deal for us, for the city, generally, but for the fire department, specifically. Fire services has a history of being very resistant to change, very traditionalist,” said Middleton, who is the city’s second black fire chief. “It doesn’t take much to realize that if it weren’t for what they went through, someone like me wouldn’t be here right now. So, certainly, there’s a huge appreciation for what these men did.”

Neither Bowers nor Oliver, really considered what their hiring meant at the time; on Wednesday both men said they’re glad they played a small role in moving society forward.

“Everything has changed,” Bowers said. “Here things have changed, you’ve got a black chief. A lot of society has changed, too. Look, you’ve got a black president. We were put in a station house where they built an extra (living quarters) in the back for us because we were black.”

Kingston to make Senate race official

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U.S. Rep. Jack Kingston is scheduled to make an announcement late this morning at the Waving Girl statue in Morrell Park along the Savannah River.

The setting should be an apt one, because the betting is heavy throughout Georgia political circles that the Savannah Republican will be waving hello to a run for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Saxby Chambliss.

If, as expected, Kingston formally announces for the race that will culminate in the 2014 election, he will become the third Republican to enter the fray, joining two Republican contemporaries from the Georgia delegation, U.S. Reps. Paul Broun and Phil Gingrey.

Kingston, who recently turned 58, has served as the congressman from Georgia’s 1st Congressional District since 1993. He is scheduled to make similar announcements today in other parts of the state.

Kingston was mentioned early on as a potential candidate for Chambliss’ seat but remained non-committal as Bourn and Gingrey entered the race. As recently as two weeks ago, Kingston said he was about a month away from deciding whether to run.

Kingston’s actions, however, pointed to a formal candidacy. He spent the last two months traversing Georgia to test the level of interest in his candidacy and to lock up support.

He also raised money as a man aspiring to greater office, particularly in an off-election year for his House seat.

The most recent Federal Election Commission report showed Kingston raised $842,580 in the first quarter of the year, leaving him with $1,754,012 cash on hand.

Kingston also hired Republican pollster John McLaughlin of McLaughlin & Associates, a firm used in the past by Gov. Nathan Deal. And he hired a consultant for the first time in his political career, bringing on veteran Jeff Roe.

Beyond bringing the Senate race into clearer focus, Kingston’s announcement of a formal candidacy would serve as a figurative starting gun for other local politicians looking to move up the political food chain.

State Sen. Buddy Carter, R-Pooler, the dean of the Chatham County delegation in the Georgia General Assembly, confirmed Wednesday that, if Kingston enters the Senate race, he will seek Kingston’s seat in the U.S. House.

“We really want to be respectful to Jack and allow him this time in the spotlight,” Carter said. “But we’re going to announce Monday.”

Carter already has filed a statement of organization with the Federal Elections Commission, naming Savannah accountant Carlton H. Hodges as the treasurer for Buddy Carter for Congress. He also has hired veteran Savannah political consultant David Simons and already put one poll in the field.

Others are eyeing the Kingston seat, as well.

Savannah resident David Schwarz, a former Kingston staffer and now the managing partner of the lobbying and economic development consulting firm of Pier Strategies, said Wednesday he has formed an exploratory committee to help him decide whether to run.

Jeff Chapman, the current state representative from Brunswick who resigned from the state Senate in 2010 to mount a failed bid for governor, also has been mentioned.

Darwin Carter, an Alma native who failed in bids for state agriculture commissioner in 2010 and the state House of Representatives in 2012, has announced he will run for Kingston’s seat. To date, neither Chapman nor Darwin Carter has filed with the FEC.

Simons said the initial poll by the Budddy Carter organization, unverified by any objective polling, shows the state senator with a double-digit lead over the rest of the field of prospective candidates.

Buddy Carter’s pursuit of Kingston’s congressional seat would open up his state senate seat, and state Rep. Ben Watson confirmed Wednesday he will run for the state’s upper chamber if the Pooler Republican vacates the seat.

“If the dominos do fall, I will run for state senate,’ Watson said. “If Buddy doesn’t decide to run, I’ll be happy to stay in the House where I am, where I’m very comfortable.”

There will be no shortage of candidates for Watson’s seat if he tries to move up, according to Simons, who said he already has signed up to lend his services to Skidaway Island native Jesse Petrea.

It's official: Kingston's running

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Insisting on Thursday morning that the next battleground for America’s future will shift to the U.S. Senate, Savannah Congressman Jack Kingston formally entered the race that next year will decide the successor to retiring U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss.

“The United States Senate has not passed a credible budget in four years,” Kingston said while standing near the Waving Girl statue in Savannah’s Morrell Park on the banks of the Savannah River. “In the past four years, it has only passed nine out of 48 appropriation bills.

“It has killed any attempts to rein in entitlements, reform out-of-control spending or reduce government interference in our lives. If we are going to turn America around, we have to start with the United States Senate.”

Kingston, widely presumed during the past two months to be a candidate-in-waiting, made his candidacy official in front of about 150 people, including family members, supporters and local politicians, under increasingly gray skies and the threat of rain.

In doing so, the 11-term congressman joined U.S. Reps. Paul Broun of Athens and Phil Gingrey of Marietta as the three Georgia congressional Republicans to enter the race since Chambliss announced in late January he would not seek a third term.

Kingston largely avoided offering specific policy proposals or individual solutions to the economic, social and foreign policy issues facing America in his approximately 15-minute speech, as well as in the session with the media following his announcement.

Instead, the 58-year-old lawmaker concentrated on asserting his conservative credentials that are expected to be the mother’s milk in next year’s Republican primary.

“If I were in the Senate today, I’d be among the top 10 percent of the conservatives in the Senate,” Kingston said of his voting record.

He trumpeted his support of the military and his devotion to national security as well as his votes against President Barack Obama’s tax increases and the president’s health care initiative.

But Kingston also proclaimed his adherence to principles of conservatism over party policy.

“As a conservative, I also voted no on President (George W.) Bush’s Wall Street bailout and President Bush’s stimulus program and President Bush’s bailout of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac because, again, conservative principles are more important than party.”

Kingston highlighted his personal frugality and his budget-slicing skills as chairman of the House Agriculture Committee.

“No one is going to get to the right of me on saving money,” he said. “I’ve returned over $1 million in unused office expenses by being a tightwad.”

He also struck something of a red-clay populist stance when he said he would work to end “crony-capitalism” that leaves most Main Street Americans on the outside looking in when it comes to wealth formation.

Kingston said he is not daunted by the popular perception that it is more than difficult for a candidate from south Georgia to get elected to a statewide office such as a U.S. Senate seat.

“Georgia always has had a tradition somewhat of a metro Atlanta and a south Georgia senator,” Kingston said. “More importantly, what I’ve found is people in north Georgia have the same concerns as the ones in south Georgia — jobs, balancing the budget (and) national security. These are things I’ve fought for and I think that will resonate in north Georgia.”

The closest he came to specific positions were when asked whether the United States should assume a larger role in the ongoing civil war in Syria and how far the federal government should go in surveillance aimed at preventing or solving terrorist attacks.

On Syria:

“Unlike Iraq and Afghanistan, the situation in Syria is a civil war, and I don’t think America wants to plunge into someone else’s civil war. At this point, I don’t think we should jump into it.”

On increased surveillance of public areas and personal communications:

“I do not like the idea of the government watching us without cause. Random cameras across the board, I do not support it.”

Kingston’s Savannah announcement was followed Thursday with a similar afternoon announcement in Brunswick. Kingston has scheduled events today in Albany, Macon and Augusta before returning to Savannah in the evening for a private fundraiser at the Mulberry Inn. His lone Saturday event is in his hometown of Athens.

Salvation Army's Platt to leave for Tampa next month

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Capt. Marion Platt III, who has headed the Salvation Army in Savannah since 2010, will leave next month for a new assignment in Tampa.

He and his wife, Salvation Army Capt. Everette Platt, are taking a headquarters assignment and will oversee all of the organization’s youth ministries in Florida, Platt said Thursday.

They will report on June 16.

“It wasn’t something I anticipated,” Platt, 35, said but conceded it is a promotion.

Platt has served in the Salvation Army since 2002 and called the reassignment one that “basically depends on the needs of the organization.”

The Charleston native called his stay in Savannah “a rather short tenure” within the army.

Among his unfinished business here is a feasibility study to determine where a planned capital campaign can be done in the fall.

“We’re talking about ramping it up,” he said of the organization’s presence here. “The work will continue. Families who come to us in their hour of need will be treated with compassion, dignity and sensitivity.”

Platt’s work here with nonprofits and anti-poverty groups earned high praise.

Daniel Dodd-Ramirez, executive director of Step Up Savannah, called Platt’s impending departure “a serious loss for the community.”

“For low-income families and children he was a really tireless advocate,” Dodd said.

He called Platt “a rising star in the Salvation Army” and praised him as “young, charismatic and an extraordinary manager, executive director and leader” who leaves the Salvation Army here stronger than when he came.

“He’s left a lot,” Dodd said, adding Platt’s impact on the community was felt across any number of nonprofits here.

The Salvation Army is a collaborative member of Step Up and its efforts to fight poverty in Savannah.

Larry Lee, board chairman at the Chatham-Savannah Authority for the Homeless, said Platt will be greatly missed.

“He’s got a calm hand and is a steady performer,” Lee said of his board member. “He’s got a good heart, too.”

Platt, he said, has been a “steady influence” at the homeless authority especially during some of the recent issues involving governance there.

“It breaks my heart,” said Gregg Schroeder, president and CEO at the United Way of the Coastal Empire. “He’s one of the finest leaders we’ve had an opportunity to work with in the nonprofit community.”

He called the move a “tremendous loss for Savannah ... and a huge gain for Tampa. I will personally and professionally really miss the positive relationship with Capt. Platt and his family.”

Savannah council terminates pharmacy renovation contract

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The Savannah City Council voted on Thursday to terminate a design contract to renovate a historic structure that once housed a black-owned pharmacy for at least a century before closing in 2007.

The building at 916 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. was found to be structurally unsound and additional expertise will now be required for the city to move forward with the project, said City Manager Stephanie Cutter. The discovery was made when a bulldozer accidently swiped the building while demolishing an adjacent structure and revealed that the concrete blocks were not properly reinforced, Cutter said.

As a result, city officials and the architect, Wubbena Architects and Designers, agreed the contract should be ended since the additional design work would be outside the contract’s scope.

The total fee approved for the project was $60,200. With the remaining portions of the contract eliminated, there will be a reduction of $21,000.

City spokesman Bret Bell said the $40,000 in plans the city has already paid for will still be able to be used.

Savannah bought the property in 2009 for $371,000 to locate the city’s economic development department there and help rehabilitate the commercial corridor.

The city now plans on sending out a request for proposals with the expanded scope. The additional work could add $500,000 to the cost of the project, which was originally budgeted at about $2 million, Cutter said.

Both aldermen Tony Thomas and Tom Bordeaux expressed concerns about the mounting costs. Bordeaux said that before the city spends more money on the plan, a workshop should be held outlining the costs and historical significance of the building.

When such concerns were raised during the pre-meeting, Mayor Edna Jackson said she wants the pharmacy preserved. A lot of black-owned businesses were lost along the corridor due to urban renewal, Jackson said.

“This was one of the first Savannah businesses that an African-American family built,” Jackson said.

Council grills chief about reserve officer program

The council was generally supportive of a proposal to supplement the Savannah-Chatham police department using unpaid reserve officers during a morning workshop. They did have some concerns about the proposal that came up after more than an hour of questioning Chief Willie Lovett and other proponents of the plan.

Lovett said the plan would increase human resources for the city at a minimal cost. The expense would come from equipping the officers, expected to amount to about $6,800 per individual, Lovett said.

Initially, Lovett expects to employ 30 to 35 reserve officers and eventually increase the number to 50, he said.

Alderman John Hall was concerned after learning the officers would only be used in the city, which would be funding the program.

Cutter said the program would still benefit residents outside city limits because the reserve officers could cover large events downtown instead of having to shift those full-time officers from the unincorporated area of the county. The reserve officers will also have the ability to make arrests outside city limits if they do witness a crime, Lovett said.

Thomas was concerned the reserve officers would take away off-duty security work from full-time officers. One of the benefits for signing up to the reserve force is the ability to work such jobs.

Lovett said officers can only work off-duty jobs 20 hours a week and that there is currently not enough supply to meet demand. He said he would look into the possibility of requiring that full-time officers get priority when it comes to off-duty work.

New officers welcomed to the Savannah-Chatham police force

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Before they were officially pinned as Savannah-Chatham police officers, the department’s 21 newest recruits took to Savannah’s downtown streets to honor a fallen state trooper.

The quarterly Run to Remember honored Georgia State Trooper First Class Ronald E. O’Neal, who was killed in a crash on Interstate 95 in Liberty County during a high-speed pursuit in January 1984. O’Neal was 39 years old and had served 13 years with the Georgia State Patrol when he was killed.

“This run to remember gives the future members of this department a chance to get to know these officers on a more personal level and gain a better understanding for the person they were, the family they left behind and the dangers associated with the job,” said Savannah-Chatham Police Chief Willie Lovett.

A few hours after the run, the recruits gathered at the Savannah Civic Center where they were awarded their badges.

Before graduating, the cadets — members of metro’s Patrol School classes 265 and 266 — completed 11 weeks of training at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center in Garden City and an additional six weeks of patrol school.

Graduates pinned during Thursday’s school were: Jon L. Champion, Marcus E. Crider, Cody D. Ensanian, Brian P. Espinoza, Ariel D. Gonzalez, Michael Gonzales Jr., John Patrick Holden, Joshua S. Holz, Cameron McClure, Robert Micheli, Justin Miller, Nader Mirtolooi, John Morris III, Ronald Neslein Jr., Dyllan O’Neil, Kasey Owens, Nicholas Reno, Matthew Rich, Brian S. Smith, Clayton Smith and Jared S. Steen.


Georgia Historical Society prepares for expansion

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The Georgia Historical Society expects to dedicate its $3.9 million expansion project around this time next year.

W. Todd Groce, president and CEO, reported Thursday at GHS’s 174th annual meeting at Congregation Mickve Israel that its new facility will provide needed office space for a growing staff and create added room at its headquarters, known as Hodgson Hall.

In 2011, GHS acquired neighboring downtown property at 104 W. Gaston St. for $2.9 million to be renovated. The new Jepson House Education Center — a three-story, 7,000-square-foot antebellum house — includes a courtyard, gardens and a carriage house.

Groce also reported that GHS had met all of its fundraising goals in the last fiscal year, leaving $13.5 million in total assets and an endowment of more than $7 million.

In 2012, nearly 50,000 researchers around the world were served by GHS, said Groce.

“Not only is this making the Georgia Historical Society a major research center,” said Groce, “but because we’re headquartered in this city, we’re making the city of Savannah, very quickly, a center for national historical research.”

Savannah educator Paul Pressly, director of the Ossabaw Island Education Alliance, delivered the meeting’s keynote address, in which he traced Savannah’s emergence as a colonial backwater, whose economy mirrored the Caribbean sugar plantation model, to an important seaport.

Pressly, a retired headmaster at Savannah Country Day School, is the author of the new book, “On the Rim of the Caribbean: Colonial Georgia and the British Atlantic World,” published by University of Georgia Press.

He told Thursday’s audience of about 200 GHS members and members of the public that Georgia was comprised mainly of African slaves, planters from the Carolinas and merchants of Scottish descent who looked not north, but south and east for trade.

“My argument is that Georgia was slow to embrace the revolution,” he said. “It took the American Revolution to nationalize the Georgia low country.”

GHS also presented awards to three individuals for their service.

The John Macpherson Berrien Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Kenneth Thomas Jr., a longtime historian at the Historic Preservation Division of the state Department of Natural Resources.

The Sarah Nichols Pinckney Volunteer Award recognized Ellen B. Bolch for her many years of service and work as a member of the Georgia History Festival Committee.

Tom Barton, editorial page editor of the Savannah Morning News, received the History in the Media Award for his coverage and involvement in the Georgia History Festival.

Public safety summary

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A Savannah man who escaped from a transitional center and tried to elude capture in a canoe without a paddle was arrested at Wormsloe Historic Site on Thursday afternoon.

Frederick Neil Rushing, 36, was apprehended by Savannah-Chatham police Marine Patrol officers and officers from the department’s helicopter, Eagle One, aided by Islands Precinct crime suppression and patrol officers, Georgia Department of Natural Resources officers and members of the U.S. Marshals Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force.

Rushing had tried to escape from officers investigating a theft from the visitor’s center of Wormsloe by paddling away in a plastic canoe using only his hands about 4:15 p.m., said Julian Miller, Savannah-Chatham police spokesman. His broken paddle was found in a camp he had set up on the state-owned plantation property, Miller said.

Isle of Hope residents had alerted Islands Precinct officers of a man living in the woods before Thursday’s reports, Miller said. Police already had identified him as the runaway from the Georgia Coastal Transitional Center before the helicopter pilot led Marine Patrol officers to the canoe at another camp about 6 p.m.

Police found him hiding under the canoe on Long Island, between Wormsloe and Skidaway Island, Miller said.

A warrant charging him with escape had been issued April 8. Islands Precinct detectives are investigating thefts and burglaries in the area in an attempt to determine if a connection could exist, Miller said.

Jail inmate collapses, dies

Ladon Tyson, a male inmate at the Chatham County jail, collapsed on the recreation yard while playing basketball at the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office about 7:55 a.m. Thursday, said Cpl. Rhonda Bryant-Elleby of the sheriff’s office.

He received medical attention and was transported to Memorial University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

The circumstances surrounding the cause of death remain under investigation by the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office Internal Affairs Unit and Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

Chatham County Jail inmate collapses in recreation yard, dies

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Chatham County jail inmate collapses in recreation yard, dies

Ladon Tyson, a male inmate at the Chatham County jail, collapsed on the recreation yard while playing basketball at the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office about 7:55 a.m. Thursday, said Cpl. Rhonda Bryant-Elleby of the sheriff’s office.

He received medical attention and was transported to Memorial University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

The circumstances surrounding the cause of death remain under investigation by the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office Internal Affairs Unit and Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

Chatham County joins in National Day of Prayer

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The 62nd annual National Day of Prayer was observed Thursday around the country as the nation seeks to rebound from major tragedies in recent months.

Locally, more than 100 people attended a prayer service outside the Chatham County Courthouse — held there for the seventh time — on a strip of grass off Montgomery Street as strong winds and dark clouds threatened to dampen the event.

The service had an unapologetically evangelical Christian tone as most of the 14 pastors from local Christian churches asked God to forgive the nation and its leaders for abandoning his teachings.

Terry Johnson, senior minister at Independent Presbyterian Church, pointed to a growing acceptance of what he said are abominations such as homosexuality, abortion and a rate of taxation that has allowed the government to “plunder the poor.”

Questioning coverage of NBA player Jason Collins’ announcement as the first openly gay active player, the Rev. Jesse Pamplona of International Bible Christian Fellowship prayed for God to help the news media return the country to positive and traditional values.

He joked that CNN should stand for “Constant Negative News.”

“We have to pray that God will raise our people in the media that will really uphold godly values,” said Pamplona.

The event’s lead organizer, Gene Roberts, English pastor at Savannah Korean Baptist Church, acknowledged that some of what was said could have been interpreted as politically incorrect, but he also challenged any critics not to find controversy in the Bible.

“There might have been some things to come out that could have been slightly political,” Roberts said.

“But I don’t think that that’s what they meant. It wasn’t a slam against anybody, it was really an emphasis on demonstrating God’s love.”

In President Barack Obama’s proclamation of May 2 as a National Day of Prayer, he called upon the nation to remember in thoughts and prayers all those affected by the Boston Marathon bombings, the fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas, and shootings in Newtown, Conn.

“Let us come together to pray for peace and good will today and in the days ahead as we work to meet the great challenges of our time,” he said.

Prayers at Thursday’s courthouse event were also said for victims of the tragedies.

Ken Philbeck, a pastor at Savannah Christian Church, called for unity among all churches.

“It doesn’t matter where people go to church,” he said. “What matters is that they come into a life-changing connection with (God).”

National Day of Prayer services also were observed at Wesley Monumental United Methodist Church, with a silent meditation and prayer, and Skidaway Island United Methodist Church, with interdenominational clergy from five denominations.

The courthouse prayer service ended with the release of 50 red and blue balloons with prayers attached.

It had been a while since Bill McIlrath Jr. of Savannah attended but this year he returned with his wife, Beth, and 4-year-old daughter, Hannah.

“I just feel like at a fundamental level our country needs absolute truth,” McIlrath said following the event. “We have, in my opinion, redefined right and wrong so that what’s wrong seems right and what’s right seems wrong.”

Police to boost presence downtown following early morning Savannah shooting

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In the wake of an overnight shooting in downtown Savannah that hospitalized two 20-year-olds, Savannah-Chatham police have vowed to increase their presence in areas frequented for entertainment.

Gunfire erupted in the middle of a large crowd gathered near the intersection of Broughton and Jefferson streets just before 3 a.m. Friday, said Julian Miller, police spokesman. A male 20-year-old victim was transported by ambulance to Memorial University Medical Center and taken into emergency surgery. The other victim, a female, was taken to the hospital by private vehicle with non-life threatening wounds.

Police did not release information about possible suspects Friday but urged anyone who was in the crowd — that Miller said may have included more than 100 people — to provide details to investigators.

Savannah-Chatham Police Chief Willie Lovett, speaking at the department’s downtown headquarters Friday afternoon, promised that his officers would do whatever was necessary to keep the area safe after the Friday night shooting that followed another shooting outside a Bay Street club early Sunday morning in which two other people were hospitalized.

“We want to assure the downtown community, and anyone else that wants to come downtown, that the community is safe,” Lovett said. “We realize that we have some special problems that we’re enduring right now, and we’re making steps to correct what I feel are necessary corrections in some of our enforcement efforts.”

Downtown Precinct commander Capt. Mike Wilkins said it was his responsibility to determine the necessary action to keep the downtown areas safe, even as larger groups of — often heavily intoxicated — people gather later into the evenings, often convening at several late-night eateries after bars and clubs close.

Starting Friday, and continuing indefinitely, Wilkins said people will notice a much larger police presence downtown, especially during the late night and early morning hours Thursdays through Sundays.

Although Wilkins was not specific about what tactics will be used or how many additional officers will be deployed, he said he was “very confident” the plans would successfully reduce crime throughout the area.

“The order has already been sent out and will be in effect (Friday night) and into (this) morning,” Wilkins said. “We’re going to make sure that these events do not occur in the future... The officers have been given very specific instructions on how to proceed. They are instructed to work with other city bureaus, and they are instructed to address these issues before they become much more problematic.”

Business owners in the area where Friday morning’s shooting occurred indicated an increased police presence would be a strong step toward curtailing issues along the Broughton corridor and throughout downtown.

The owner of Clipper Trading Co., that recently moved from the 200 block to the 100 block of West Broughton, said she’d recently heard complaints about Savannah from tourists visiting her store.

An increased presence of uniformed officers, Tilly Blanken said, would likely help alleviate some of the issues those tourists cited.

“As a store owner it’s upsetting to hear that people from out of town don’t want to be here,” Blanken said. “There’s a perception — we do have a problem with the homeless people and the hoodlums that have been hanging around, so a little more (police) presence, I think that’s a good thing.”

Another business operator on West Broughton said she’d never feared working or shopping in the area, and said she was confident the Friday morning incident was an isolated event.

“There’s no reason people shouldn’t feel safe downtown,” said Jane Gough, who manages the American Craftsman Galleries in the 200 block of West Broughton Street. “Frankly, it happened at (3 a.m.) when people are out doing things they probably shouldn’t be doing.”

She particularly credited the Savannah-Chatham police who helped secure the store after a stray bullet from the incident shattered the glass panel on its door. A glass panel at the Urban Outfitters next door was also broken.

“The police handled the situation really well,” Gough said. “Going forward, obviously, it cannot hurt for them to have more patrolling officers in the area. Our city runs on tourism, so anything to help us continue to feel as safe as possible, I think, is a really good plan.”

Meanwhile, Lovett said his investigators are continuing to look into the Friday night shooting. The chief said his department would take whatever action was required to stop incidents like the recent downtown shooting from happening.

“We will do whatever it takes,” Lovett said. “If it means we have to spend more (money on) overtime, whatever we have to do we’ll make those adjustments. There is nothing more important than the safety of the people who come downtown or any other place in the city or county that people want to visit. We cannot put a value on that.”

CALL CRIMESTOPPERS

Anyone with information on the Friday night shooting at Broughton and Jefferson streets that hospitalized two 20-year-olds is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 912-234-2020 or text CRIMES (274637). Tipsters remain anonymous and may qualify for a cash reward.

A confidential Tip Line also is open directly to investigators at 912-525-3124.

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