Staff Reports

    The Madison Police Department has issued an arrest warrant for a 17–year–old male in connection with a shooting in the parking lot of Waffle House on July 18.
    According to Det. Wes Thompson, City of Madison Police Department, an arrest warrant has been issued for Sirderreius Hodnett, Madison.
    Police are alleging that Hodnett fired two shots into a 22–year–old Madison man during a 4 a.m. fight in the parking lot. Incident reports state that the victim and Hodnett began to fight after Hodnett allegedly took a cell phone from a female customer at the store. When officers arrived, reports state, the parking lot was filled with fighting customers.
    A bloody shoe was found in the parking lot, reports state.
    Hodnett is being charged with aggravated assault.

By Kathryn McBroom
Staff Writer

It’s never to early to start planning for the holiday season, especially if you’re the creators of Hand in Hand Ministries, a local non-profit group that works to prepare special needs adults for “post high school life.”

For the third year in a row, Hand in Hand Ministries will host its Festival of Trees, on December 3, 4, and 5.  This year’s festival will take place at Morgan County High School.

2010’s Festival of Trees will be held in memory of Morgan County native Scott Mason, a young man who was well known through out the community and had been heavily involved with Hand in Hand Ministries.

During the Festival local individuals and organizations are asked to donate pre-decorated Christmas trees that will be put up for a silent auction. Any donations made could be tax deductible.

To contribute, log on to handinhandministries.com and click on the Christmas tree icon. Those wishing to donate are asked to complete the online form by August 5, 2010.
For more information call 706 474-0247.

By Kathryn McBroom
Staff Writer

Morgan Memorial Hospital and Morgan County Family Connection will host its annual Health Fair and Back to School Rally this Saturday, Aug. 7.

Beginning at 8 a.m. and going until noon, the fair and rally will be held on the front lawn of Morgan Memorial Hospital.
Included in the day’s events will be free health screenings for glucose, bone density, blood pressure and hearing. People of all ages are invited to come and participate.

Inspections for car seat installation will also be available.

Attendees will have the chance to win school supplies, door prizes. A number of healthcare professionals will also be on hand to answer any questions.

For more information, call Morgan County Family Connection’s Karen Robertson at 706 343-5813.

By James Faucett
Staff Writer 

    A consulting firm will study whether it would be wiser for the City of Madison to spend money updating its aged water plant on North Second Street or diverting the plant’s water source to the newer Lake Oconee plant. The city council on Monday authorized City Manager David Nunn to hire Jordan, Jones & Goulding (JJG), of Norcross, to determine which would be the better option. 
    Based on a list of state-identified deficiencies and long-term projects, the old plant needs $1 million worth of rehabilitative construction over five years, said Wayne Haynie, senior vice president of JJG.  “Before you invest $1 million of construction dollars, we ought to take a look at (whether that is) a wise expenditure of that money on a facility that’s well past its prime,” Haynie said.  JJG’s one-month study will compare the cost of upgrading the old plant versus piping raw water from Hard Labor Creek, the plant’s water source, about five miles out to the Lake Oconee plant. 
    The Lake Oconee plant, located on Greensboro Highway, gets its raw water from the Apalachee River. Water treatment could be consolidated at the newer plant, with the two water sources blended into its reservoir. 
    Haynie said he expects “fairly significant expenditures” at the old plant in the next 10 to 15 years. Structurally, the concrete is beginning to wear out in places, meaning the plant will need more repairs over time. 
    Those expenditures will be weighed against piping the water to Lake Oconee and associated costs like the electricity needed each year to pump it.  

By Matt Rogers
Staff Writer 

    Pat and Natalie Reams are the new owners of The Oak House mansion, previously owned by former Madison Mayor Tom DuPree, at 617 Dixie Avenue. The Reams declined to comment on cost or future plans for the old Governor's mansion.
    As far as costs go, there was a $3 million loan on the house, according to a legal advertisement that ran in the Morgan County Citizen in May 2010; however, its current value is $2,600,100, according to information found on morgan.binarybus.com – a site, through the Morgan County Tax Assessors site at morganga.org, that allows access to property information.
    In December 2006, an auction for the mansion was canceled because DuPree didn't have bidders willing to pay as much as he wanted, according to an article, "Oak House auction canceled," that ran on Page 1A of the Dec. 21, 2006 edition of the Morgan County Citizen.
    The house has been in foreclosure since February. The house was built in 1892 and underwent massive improvements and additions in the early '90s.

By Patrick Yost
Editor

    A convicted child molester was arrested last Thursday on felony bestiality charges after he allegedly was observed having sex with a foal.
    Richard Lawson Moss, 60, was arrested Thursday morning after the owner of a horse stable notified the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office that Moss had been observed by a veterinarian with the horse.
    According to Sgt. Kevin Berisko, the veterinarian walked through the stables on Wednesday during  an unannounced visit. After allegedly observing the act, the veterinarian alerted the stable owner, who had left the area to run errands.
    Berisko said Moss has confessed to the crime and that he remains incarcerated at the Morgan County Detention Center.
    According to the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office website, Moss was convicted of child molestation charges in November, 1997. Berisko said Moss was currently on probation for the child molestation charges. Berisko said Moss had been employed at the stable for approximately one year.