Henssler 15
From the Ingles Studio this is The Northwest Georgia News Podcast from the Rome News Tribune, Calhoun Times, Catoosa Walker News, and Polk County Standard
Today is Saturday, July 15th, and happy 67th birthday to guitarist Joe Satriani
***Satriani***
I’m Brian Giffin and here the stories Northwest Georgia is talking about presented by Drake Realty
Rome man sentenced to serve 15 years in prison for significant abuse of twin babies
Man dies after falling into manhole at Armuchee High School
And Rome's legal expenses continue rising as Cochran ethics case heads to court in August
Plus, Leah McGrath from Ingles Markets is here to talk with Bruce Jenkins about cutting back on soda
of the US dept. of Agriculture on that same topic
These stories and more are coming up in today’s edition of the Northwest Georgia News podcast
Commercial : Drake
STORY 1: 15 years
Robert Terrell Dubose Jr. pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and cruelty to children for inflicting severe trauma on his twin baby girls. Dubose aggressively handled the infants, jerking them around and using pillows to stifle their cries. The babies, only two months old, suffered extensive injuries, including head trauma, retinal bleeding, a neck fracture, and bone separation. Doctors discovered evidence of prior abuse through healing rib fractures, concluding that the children were incapable of causing such harm themselves. A video was presented as evidence, showing Dubose mistreating a doll to illustrate his actions. The doctor testified that abused children are at higher risk of psychological and physiological issues, including anxiety, depression, and long-term conditions like heart disease and diabetes. One of the children already experiences seizures due to the abuse. Dubose was sentenced to 20 years, serving 15 in prison, and is prohibited from contact with the children or being alone with minors under 18.…….get more info at northwestgeorgianews.com
STORY 2: manhole
Tragically, 34-year-old Robert Wallace Hall from Rome died after falling into a manhole at Armuchee High School. Emergency services received a report about the incident and arrived to find that Hall had fallen at least 20 feet into the manhole. Despite efforts by first responders and the arrival of an Erlanger life flight, Hall passed away before he could be rescued. The Floyd County Coroner's office was notified, and Hall's body was identified by Deputy Coroner John Hamilton. Advent Health EMS transported the body to the GBI Crime lab for an autopsy. Hall, a plumber working at the school, was involved in the accident while on the job.
STORY 3: legal
The city of Rome has incurred over $48,000 in attorney's fees related to an ethics investigation involving City Commissioner Mark Cochran. The Balch Law Group, headed by Chris Balch, submitted an itemized invoice of $30,254 for their services between April 4 and May 28. The city had previously hired attorney David Archer, who billed nearly $18,000 for an independent investigation. With additional meetings and a scheduled court hearing in August, the city's legal costs are expected to exceed $60,000. Balch's hourly rate is $300, with associate attorneys charging $200 per hour and paralegal assistance at $150 per hour. The invoice detailed 99.9 hours of work. During a recent City Commission caucus, a disagreement among commissioners over meeting privately with Balch led to a heated argument along party and racial lines. Settlement talks with Cochran's attorney were opposed in a statement read by several commissioners, favoring a resumption of the ethics committee's review. The next step in the case is an upcoming superior court hearing on August 21.
Back in a moment
Commercial: Omni – ESOG
Angel Rejoiner
STORY 4: covid
A resident of Bartow County has become the first COVID-19 fatality reported in the region in two months. The Georgia Department of Public Health confirmed the death, marking the 426th COVID-related death in Bartow County and the 1,466th in Northwest Georgia since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020. During the same week, Floyd County recorded 17 new virus cases, while Bartow, Polk, and Chattooga reported five, six, and two new cases, respectively. Gordon County revised its total reports by subtracting two cases. Statewide, Georgia reported 14 COVID-19 deaths, an increase from the previous week, along with 991 new cases.
STORY 5: ohio
A 19-year-old woman from Armuchee, identified as Christany Ya'Breshia Aalyric Foster, has been arrested and charged with aiding in the transportation of a murder suspect from Rome, Georgia to Cincinnati, Ohio. According to warrants, Foster allegedly provided transportation for Floydell Quinchard Smith, 33, and subsequently deleted all evidence of their communication and travel since June 30, including location information, texts, and phone calls. The Rome Police Department had alerted other law enforcement agencies about their suspicions of Foster's involvement in transporting Smith. While returning from Ohio, Foster was involved in an accident in Tennessee, where she was apprehended by Tennessee officers who had her vehicle flagged.. Read more at northwestgeorgianews.com
STORY 6: commission
Mark Kenneth Swanson, a former local bank president who was arrested at a Floyd County Commission meeting in January, addressed the commission again, claiming that his arrest was made under an unconstitutional statute. Swanson stated that the law he was arrested under had been deemed unconstitutional by the Georgia Supreme Court in 2006. He mentioned that his attorney filed a request for a speedy trial, and the Floyd County District Attorney's Office offered him a plea deal for a misdemeanor obstruction charge, which Swanson criticized as a plea deal for breaking an unconstitutional law. The commission chair clarified that they did not have him arrested but had asked him to stop speaking. Swanson's time expired, and he was thanked for his participation. Swanson's arrest in January occurred when he refused to leave the podium after exceeding his allotted speaking time. He has been involved in pushing election fraud conspiracies related to the 2020 election and 2021 runoff in Floyd County and has made numerous requests under the Open Records Act.
……….Back in just a moment
Commercial: Ingles 1 – G.O.N. 60
Story 7: east
An East Rome man named John L. Durant Watkins was arrested at a BP gas station on Shorter Avenue. The arrest was made due to Watkins stealing merchandise worth $4.82. Additionally, he was found in possession of gabapentin, a Schedule III substance, but not in its original container. Watkins faces charges of felony possession of a Schedule III substance, misdemeanor drugs not in the original container, possession of drug-related objects, and shoplifting. As of Thursday morning, he remained in jail with a bond set at $5,000.
Story 8: Medicaid
Around 96,000 people here in Georgia lost their Medicaid coverage as part of the Medicaid redetermination process, according to state data released. Out of the nearly 217,000 individuals who underwent the process last month, about 89,000 had their coverage terminated due to a lack of information received by the state, while 20,000 were no longer eligible for various reasons. An additional 57,000 individuals are still going through the redetermination process. Concerns were raised by health care advocates about the high number of procedural denials, the decline in automatic renewals, and the large number of pending cases. The process is putting significant pressure on the under-resourced frontline staff at the state Department of Human Resources.
Story 9: terrell
Justin Terrell, a senior defensive lineman for the Rome Wolves, announced his commitment to play college football at North Carolina State (N.C. State). Terrell made his decision during a commitment ceremony at the Rome College and Career Academy, choosing N.C. State over offers from other Division I schools. Rated as a three-star recruit, Terrell's visit to N.C. State and their track record of developing defensive linemen influenced his decision. Terrell joins the lineage of talented Rome defensive linemen who have received significant attention from college programs. With his commitment settled, Terrell aims to focus on leading Rome to a championship in the upcoming season. The Wolves' preseason scrimmage is scheduled for August 11, and their regular season will begin on August 18. Terrell expressed confidence in his team's ability to achieve success and win a championship.
We’ll have closing comments after this
Henssler 60
Thanks again for listening to today’s Northwest Georgia News podcast. For more on these stories and other great content visit northwestgeorgianews.com. Giving you important information about our community and telling great stories are what we do. Did you know over 50% of Americans listen to podcasts weekly? Make sure you join us for our next episode and be sure to share this podcast on social media with your friends and family. Add us to your Alexa Flash Briefing or your Google Home Briefing and be sure to like, follow, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
www.ingles-markets.com www.henssler.com www.drakerealty.com www.esogrepair.com www.gon.com Omni Wellness Studio
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
