Sherri BrownStaff Writer

While America calls Mitt Romney the Republican nominee for president, the new direc-tor of the LaGrange Art Museum calls him family.

For Karen Briggs, it’s all part of a long family tradition in politics.

B r i g g s , w h o s e f a t h e r ’ s name is Romney, is a member of the large and exten-sive Romney clan which makes her close kin and cousins to both the late M i c h i g a n Gov. George Romney, and his son, cur-rent presi-dential can-didate Mitt Romney. She was raised to have strong opinions and express them, but to also respect the opinions of others.

“My mother came to the dinner table with ‘Emily Post’ and my father came with ‘Robert’s Rules of Order.’ My dad picked the topic of the day and

the kids were assigned a debate position, pro or con. We all had to give our opinions,” Briggs said. “When I watch Mitt debate, it takes me right back to the kitchen table.”

While most all of the Romney clan maintain houses in Utah, many of Briggs’ Romney relatives

grew up in D.C.

“ T h e r e w e r e n ’ t m a n y M o r m o n s in D.C., so we were all in one tiny ( c h u r c h ) parish. I went to S u n d a y School with M o r m o n p o l i t i c o s and indus-try titans i n c l u d i n g Marr iotts , U d a l l s , Washington Post colum-

nist Jack Anderson and a lot of Romneys,” she said.

Briggs grew up hear-ing the stories of her ancestors, especially Junius Romney, who was 26 years old when he was appointed by the

Calvin WoodwardAssociated Press

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Democrats open their national convention Tuesday in defense of a president who carries both the power and the burden of incumbency, offering President Barack Obama as the best choice to revive the ragged U.S. economy and ask-ing Americans to be patient with incomplete results so far.

Michelle Obama’s evening speech will be an early highlight of a three-day schedule that has drawn thousands of delegates to a state Obama narrowly carried in 2008. Although Obama no longer is the fresh-faced newbie who leveraged a short Senate career into an audacious run for the nation’s high-est office, he still can excite partisans, and Democrats were counting on massive num-bers to pack a stadium for his speech later in the week.

The Democrats dispatched U.S. Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren, who hopes to unseat Republican Scott Brown in Massachusetts, to make the case for Obama on morning talk shows, and she acknowl-edged that “it’s tough out there” for many

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Tuesday, September 4, 2012

NatioNThirty-five years after leaving Earth, Voyager 1 is reach-ing for the stars ...... 4

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$10 debt leads to LaGrange man’s stabbing deathJennifer ShraderStaff Writer

An argument over a $10 debt has led to the stabbing death of a LaGrange man Saturday, police said.

Police were called to a house in the 100 block of Belk Street about 10 p.m. Saturday to a stabbing in progress, reports said. Officers found Tony Gillam, 29, of Hamilton Road, leaning against a lounge chair with multiple stab wounds to the chest. Gillam was not breathing and didn’t have a pulse. Officers began CPR until paramedics arrived to take Gillam to West

Georgia Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

A witness said he was in the house with Gillam and the suspect, Coranzo Sterling, 34, of Coldwater Creek, when the two men got in an argument. The witness told police Sterling got a large knife and stabbed Gillam in the chest multiple times. The witness feared for his life and fled the scene. Another witness who also left the building for fear of her life said Sterling claimed the victim owed him $10.

Police recovered a Winchester knife with a wooden handle and blade more than 12 inches long in 100

block of Gallant Street, about 140 feet from the house where the stabbing occurred.

About 2 a.m. on Sunday, police got word that Sterling was back at the Belk Street house. A K-9 officer was able to track Sterling down in the woods nearby and he was arrested and charged with murder. He was taken to Troup County jail.

Anyone with additional information on this incident is asked to call LaGrange police at 706-883-2603 , Troup County Crimestoppers at 706-812-1000 or con-tact police at www.lagrangega.org or www.facebook.com/lagrange.police.

Rain or shine Highland Marina was busy this Labor Day weekend

Marbara Henigin | Daily NewsMadalynn Johnson with her selection of the perfect worm at West Point Lake Saturday.

Tawana Hamby and Mary Wasson use the lake and frosty ones to help cool them off in Saturday’s heat.

Marbara Henigin | Daily News

Marbara Henigin | Daily NewsWasson’s Old English Sheep dog, Paddy, tries a clay facial to help her cool down.

LAM director is cousin of presidential candidate

SubmittedKaren Briggs is the cousin of Republican Presidential candi-date Mitt Romney.

1 injured in Tuesday morning wreck

At approximately 8 a.m. today, there was a wreck between a silver Toyota Camry and a Dark blue Dodge Durango, at the intersection of LaGrange Avenue and Hill Street. The accident resulted in the driver of the Toyota having to be transported for medical attention.

At press time, an official police report was not available.

Dems open convention playing defense of Obama

Olivier Douliery | Abaca Press | MCTFirst lady Michelle Obama takes a tour of the stage on Monday, September 3, 2012, at Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina, where she will speak to delegates on Tuesday, the opening night.

Mormon Church to be pres-ident of the Mormon colo-nies in Mexico.

“When Pancho Villa came through Colonial Juarez during the Mexican revo-lution, Junius Romney led over 4,000 Mormons out of Mexico and back into the U.S. to safety. So they didn’t have to dissolve the families,” Briggs said. “He loaded them all into train cars and headed for the US border. We grew up hearing those stories about people leaving dinner on the stove and running from their homes.”

It was that kind of leader-ship that was held in high esteem during her child-hood.

“Romneys have always been leaders. We were raised to be what we were,

not who we are. Romneys are a dynasty and we don’t forget that,” she said.

They’re not all like-mind-ed, though, she said. Some even lean to the left.

“We’re opinionated and stubborn and we even have some left-wing Romneys. In fact, my mother is a Republican, but my dad is a Democrat,” she said.

If Mitt Romney becomes president of the United States, it will require a bit of an attitude shift for Briggs.

“It’s humbling. There is a respect and awe and responsibility someone has to have in that position,” she said. “You can make fun of your cousin, but not the president.”

A woman in the 400 block of South Greenwood Street said she was home asleep when a man she didn’t know came in and demanded money from her.

When the victim didn’t give the man money, he searched her apartment, then choked her. She then gave him a wallet from which he took $900 and left the house.

Anyone with information regarding this incident or any other burglaries is asked to call LaGrange police at 706-883-2603 , Troup County Crimestoppers at 706-812-1000 or contact police at www.lagrangega.org or www.facebook.com/lagrange.police.

Juveniles wreck golf cartTwo juveniles were charged with criminal

damage to property after allegedly wrecking a golf cart into the side of a building at Recan Technologies at 1402 Austin St., causing $1,500 in damage. The youths also activated fire extinguishers and broke windows at the business and the youths set a small fire with gasoline inside.

Homeless man damages bulbsThe management of Burger King at 801

New Franklin Road wants to press charges against a local homeless man who solicits money from customers on a regular basis. On Monday, after the man had been seen solicit-ing, store staff heard a breaking noise in the parking lot and found two broken bulbs on the drive-through sign.

‘Jesus walker’ bothering customersPolice were called to the Pure Food Mart

at 1708 Hamilton Road on Sunday to a suspi-cious woman harassing customers.

The woman told police that she was a mem-ber of the Secret Jesus Walkers and had been walking the last 14 weeks on a search to find people who were willing to provide people with a place to stay, as is outlined in the story of Joseph and Mary in the Bible. The woman said that by next year, there would be 1,536 Secret Jesus Walkers in the United States who would report to her with information on cities that didn’t provide shelter to those in need.

The woman said she was being called to Pine Mountain or West Point on Monday and only needed a room for the night.

Burglaries• A man in the 300 block of Whitesville

Street said he forgot to lock the back door of his house Saturday and someone got him and took a 42-inch flat screen television. Other items in the house were untouched.

• Three women in the first block of Whiting Street said someone ransacked the

house while they were out running an errand. The only thing missing from the house was a partial pack of Newport cigarettes.

• Someone broke into the former Milliken Kex plant at 815 Leeman Street and attempt-ed to get in a Coca Cola machine. Two large windows also were broken and an $800 laptop computer and $1,800 in cordless drills also were taken.

• About $900 in clothing was taken from a house in the 200 block of Bailey’s Way.

• Two gold serpentine bracelets worth a total of $100 and $300 in cash were taken from a house in the 300 block of North Sanford Avenue.

Thefts• A man said he was throwing a football

with a friend outside his house in the 1000 block of Baldwin Street when a man rode up on a bicycle and took his key ring that was sitting on the stoop. The victim said the man on the bike was part of a local bicycle gang.

• A woman in the 100 block of Alton Drive said someone took $1,000 from the center console of her 2002 Toyota Sequoia.

• A Garmin navigation unit and electronic key were taken from an unsecured Nissa Maxima in the 400 block of Bridgewood Drive.

• A $50 barbecue grill was taken from the back yard of a house in the 800 block of Greenville Street.

• A $110 bicycle was taken from the porch of a house in the 900 block of Murphy Avenue.

• A purse with credit and identification cards was taken from inside a 1999 Infiniti in the 1000 block of Whitesville Street.

• A car battery, face to a Kenwood car stereo, rear view mirror and both side mirrors were taken from an unlocked 1998 Honda Accord at valley Ridge Apartments, 966 Mooty Bridge Road.

An $800 Napa pro power washer was taken from underneath a car port in the first block of Barnard Avenue.

• A total of $450 in items were taken from the bed and cab of a pick up truck in the 400 block of Sanford Avenue, including a Black and Decker skill saw and a tool box with tools inside.

• A man in the 400 block of Lake View Way said someone got into his truck and took a skill saw, took bag, chainsaw, deer video camera, Garmin bow and 30 arrows and two digital cameras. The total value of the items was unknown.

Bernice Smallwood

Mrs. Bernice Smallwood, 95, of LaGrange died Saturday, September 1, 2012 at Florence Hand Home with her niece, Susan Bassett, in attendance.

Mrs. Smallwood was born September 2, 1916 in Butler, GA, daughter of the late Walter S. Greathouse and Bessie Lee Carrington Greathouse. She was a mem-ber of Crossroads Fellowship Church and was retired from H&R Block. Mrs. Smallwood was a member of the West Georgia Walkers Club and enjoyed fishing, walking, gar-dening, and canning. In addi-tion to her parents, she was preceded in death by her hus-band, Kennis C. Smallwood, four sisters and four brothers.

Survivors include two sisters, Viola Johnson of Decatur, AL and Elizabeth Farrar of Five Points, AL; one brother, Mack Greathouse of Conyers, GA; two sisters-in-law, Audrey Robbins and Betty Smallwood, both of Columbus, GA; and numer-ous nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be held 2:00 P.M. today at Striffler-Hamby Mortuary Chapel with Reverend Charles Greathouse officiating. Burial will fol-low in Oakwood Cemetery, Lanett, AL.

Arrangements are by Striffler-Hamby Mortuary, 1010 Mooty Bridge Road, LaGrange, GA 30240 (706) 884-8636 www.shlagrange.com

Howard H. Hunt

Mr. Howard H. Hunt, 78, of LaGrange died Saturday, September 1, 2012 at Sparta Health and Rehab, Sparta, GA.

Mr. Hunt was born August 9, 1934 in Hogansville, GA, son of the late John Wesley Hunt and Ada Belle Wilkins Hunt. He was a member of Faith Baptist Church and was retired from Siemen’s Company as a machinist. In additional to his parents, Mr. Hunt was preceded in death by his wife, Joyce Barbara Still Hunt. He was a U.S. Army veteran.

Survivors include one daughter and son-in-law, Debbie and Jimmy McNair of LaGrange; two sons, Mike Puckett of Oakwood, GA and Randy Hunt of LaGrange; six grandchil-dren, Britney McNair, Josh McNair, Brandon Puckett, Bryan Puckett, Jordan Hunt, and Savannah Hunt; one great grandchild, Callie Puckett; and one brother, Ponder Hunt of Atlanta, GA.

Graveside funeral ser-vices will be held 2:00 P.M. Wednesday, September 5, 2012 in Restlawn Memory Gardens.

The family will receive friends at the funeral home Tuesday evening from 6:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M.

Arrangements are by Striffler-Hamby Mortuary, 1010 Mooty Bridge Road, LaGrange, GA 30240 (706) 884-8636 www.shlagrange.com

Larry Lamar Ward

Larry Lamar Ward, 51, of Jonesboro passed away Friday.

Mr. Ward, a native of LaGrange, was born April 4, 1961 and was the son of the late Eddie B. and Iola Ward. Larry was a graduate of LaGrange High School and was a warehouse clerk for United Parcel Service. He was also a long-time employee of K-Mart Inc. in Atlanta. Larry was baptized at a young age at Arbor Grove Baptist Church. Later, he united with Faith Temple Church of Deliverance where he was a member of the choir. After relocating, he united with the Woods Memorial Baptist Church where he was a member of the Male Choir. In addition, Larry was a member of the Inter-denominational Youth Choir (IYC) and the Ward Family.

Survivors include his devot-ed wife of twenty-one years, Emma Ward, Jonesboro, Ga.; son, Onree Boykin, Riverdale, Ga.; grandchildren: Isaiah Karrem Ward-Boykin, Onree E. Ward Boykin, Travis Horten, Ari Johnson, Joshua Ward Boykin, all of Riverdale; brothers: Eddie (Virginia) Ward, Dayton, Ohio; Donald (Sandra) Ward, Dayton, Ohio; Kenneth (Pamela) Ward, Newnan, Ga.; sisters: Louise Leverett, Brenda Ward, both of LaGrange; Lisa (Eric) Livsey, Acworth, Ga.; mother and father-in-law: Rev. Bobby and Camilla Gunn; sisters-in-law: Cynthia Garrett, Tammy Hurston, LaGrange; Renee (Steve) Smith, Riverdale, Ga.; special friends, Class of 1979 and co-workers; one uncle: John Downer; many nieces, nephews, cousins, family and friends.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sister, Barbara Jean Ward Bruce and daughter-in-law, Deidra Hall Boykin.

The funeral service will be Wednesday, September 5, 2012 at 2:00PM at the Faith Temple Church of Deliverance on Edgewood Avenue. Apostle C. M. Chivers will officiate. Burial will be in Shadowlawn Cemetery.

The family will be at the home of his mother and father-in-law, Camilla and Rev. Bobby Gunn at 906 Murphy Avenue and at the home of his sister, Louise Leverett at 123 Old Airport Road, Apt. 1001.

Condolences may be expressed by visiting www.lakesdunsonrobertson.com.

Lakes-Dunson-Robertson Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.

Susie Cox Lopez

Mrs. Susie Mae Cox Lopez of LaGrange passed away Sunday at West Georgia Health.

The family will be at their home at 928 Utah Street.

Arrangements will be announced by the Lakes-Dunson-Robertson Funeral Home.

Tony Gilliam Jr.Tony Gilliam Jr. of

LaGrange passed away Saturday.

The family will be at the home of his mother, Bertha Mae Williams at 1413 Hamilton Road.

Arrangements will be announced by the Lakes-Dunson-Robertson Funeral Home.

Virginia Knight Kercheval

Mrs. Virginia Knight Kercheval, 91, of LaGrange passed away Monday, September 3, 2012, at Hospice LaGrange. Mrs. Kercheval was born March 15, 1921 in Tallapoosa, daughter of the late Earl David and Clara Jane Brown Knight. She was a member of Unity Baptist

Church, and was retired from Callaway Mills and Milliken and Company.

She is survived by a daughter, Sheryl Kercheval of LaGrange; sister, Bernice Prescott; sisters-in-law, Kathryn Knight and Wayner Knight, and several nieces and nephews. She was pre-ceded in death by her hus-band, Thomas E. Kercheval; sisters and brothers, Minnie Laster, Harold Knight, Willie Headley, Rev. Jay Knight and Lemuel Knight.

Funeral services will be at 2:00 Wednesday at Hunter-Allen-Myhand Chapel with Rev Bobby Robinson offici-ating. Interment will be in Shadowlawn Cemetery. The family will receive friends at the funeral from 1:00 until 2:00 before the service. Flowers will be accepted, or contributions may be made in memory of Mrs. Kercheval to Hospice LaGrange, 1510 Vernon Road, LaGrange, GA 30240.

Condolences may be expressed or memories shared at www.hunterallen-myhand.com

Jane StrainMrs. Jane Mattox Strain,

age 97, of Hogansville, died Monday, September 3, 2012, at Florence Hand Home in LaGrange.

Born on June 12, 1915 in Palatka, Florida, Mrs. Strain was the daughter of the late Goss and Johnny Mae Mattox. She was a graduate of Hogansville High School and the University of Georgia. She taught at Hogansville High School for many years and retired from Troup County High School. Mrs. Strain was recognized as a talented artist, an avid reader and she authored a book, “The History of Hogansville.” She was a loyal member of the First Methodist Church in Hogansville, Georgia.

After retiring from the school system, Mrs. Strain did research for National Historic Preservation and helped put many homes in Troup County on the National Register of Historic Homes. She was a past member of the Advisory Board for City-County Hospital, which is now West Georgia Medical Center. She was also very active in the Democratic Party, having been a Georgia Delegate to the 1976 Democratic National Convention and performing volunteer work for Troup County Voter Registration.

She is survived by her sons and daughters in-law, Edward and Barbara Strain, John and Becky Strain, Nathan and Kristine Strain, and Clifford Strain; grandchildren, Jane Strain-Fink, John Strain, Sara Strain Midwood, Jon Strain, Cora Strain Proctor, Ben Strain, Fielder Strain, Helen Strain, and Katherine Strain; great-grandchildren, Jackson Fink, Ethan Fink, Harrison Strain, and Mattox Midwood; and numerous nieces and nephews. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Edward E Strain, Jr., her brother, Kendrick W. Mattox, and her sister, Bettie Mattox Smith.

The family would like to express appreciation to the Caregivers who have given their time and love to Jane over the last few years.

The family will host a memorial service at the First United Methodist Church of Hogansville on Wednesday, September 5, at 2:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the First United Methodist Church of Hogansville in Mrs. Strain’s name.

Larry Ward

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n ObituariesLocal2 - Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Local weatherTuesday ThursdayWednesday

High 84Low 7060 percent chance of rain.

High 91Low 6830 percent chance of rain.

High 86Low 7040 percent chance of rain.

Rainfall ExtremesIn downtown LaGrange

Weekend 0.3Month 0.3Year to date 34.10

Yesterday at LaGrange-Callaway Airport

High 81Low 72

West Point Lake Levels7 a.m. yesterday

627.28 ft.24-hour change

0

Information for obituaries is written and provided by funeral homes and family members of the deceased. Woman home

during burglary

Americans. But she insisted that Obama offers the better vision going forward.

“Republicans are not helping us get back,” she said.

Warren was up against GOP vice presi-dential candidate Paul Ryan, the Wisconsin congressman, who held out the millions of people who are struggling to find work as an indictment of the president’s first term.

“Four years into a presidency and it’s incom-plete?” he asked in a round of morning televi-sion interviews. “The president is asking people just to be patient with him?”

GOP nominee Mitt Romney’s campaign

reinforced that message with a new web video answering Obama’s statement that “There are always going to be bumps on the road to recovery.” The new video showcases a series of ordinary Americans who’ve lost their jobs saying, “I’m an American, not a bump in the road.”

Romney, his convention behind him, planned to spend the day in Vermont prepar-ing for the fall debates with Obama.

If the economy is Obama’s burden, he dem-onstrated the power of the presidency with a convention-eve visit to hurricane-stricken lands in Louisiana, offering aid and empathy.

Annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s

The third annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s starts at 9 a.m. Sept. 22 at Vernon Woods Retirement Community. To learn more or form a team, go to www.alz.org/walk, or call 706-327-6838.

Saint Peter’s annual yard sale

Saint Peter’s Catholic Church hosts its annual yard sale Sept. 15 with proceeds to benefit local charities, programs and organizations, including Camp Viola, Clothing Center, Interfaith Food Pantry, Saint Vincent de Paul, Wounded Warriors Project and more. To arrange pickup of donated items, except adult cloth-ing, call 706-957-0577.

Drivers needed for disabled veterans

The Disabled American Veterans van needs volun-teer drivers to take veterans about once a month to VA medical centers. The van goes to Atlanta, East Point and Newnan each Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, and to Central Alabama Medical Center in Tuskegee

on Tuesdays and Fridays. Volunteer drivers must be at least 19 years old, have a three-year clean driving record and pass a complete physical exam, which is provided free by the VA hospital. To volunteer as a driver or schedule a ride-along, call Dave Lyons at 706-882-7825.

Foster children baby needsThe Children’s Attic needs donated play pens, high

chairs, portable cribs, diapers and other baby items. The items are given to foster parents to use with their foster children. Donations are tax deductible and can be dropped off weekdays during business hours at AFSAN, 321 Greenville St.

Submit items to Matthew Strother at mstrother@lagrangenews.com, at our office at 105 Ashton St. or by fax to 706-884-8712.

Exhibits

UpcomingJill Philips: Student, Teacher and

Painter with the Visual Artists Alliance of LaGrange and Donna Jackson, iron works artist, runs from Sept. 7 until Sept. 29 at LaGrange Art Museum. The exhibit com-bines the giant garden insects of metal worker Jackson with the out-of-door art-istry of Philips, and showcases local talent from the VAAL. Works are available to purchase with proceeds benefitting LAM. Admission is free. Opening reception is Sept. 7 from 7 to 9 p.m with a private VIP curator’s circle reception at 6 p.m.

Events

WednesdayPreschool story time at LaGrange

Memorial Library is at 10:30 a.m. and includes stories, fingerplays, songs and a craft time. 706-882-7784

ThursdayTai Chi for Health for beginners is

12:30 p.m. at the Active Life, 140 Ragland St. Tai chi is a slow-moving martial art improving balance, coordination and relaxation. Call Holly at 706-883-1618 to register.

The Interfaith Food Closet at 416 Pierce St. in LaGrange is open from 1 to 2:45 p.m. to help people in need of food. 706-882-9291

Beginner ballroom dance lessons for all ages are given from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Active Life center on Ragland Street. 706-884-5857

MeetingsTodayLaGrange Serenity Groups and Al-Anon

meet at 6 p.m. at Self Help Harbor, 909 Stonewall St.

The Troup High School Band Boosters meet at 6 p.m. in the band room.

Hogansville’s Community Watch com-mittee meets at 6 p.m. at the city police department at 117 Lincoln St.

Xi Epsilon Gamma meets at 7 p.m. at a member’s house.

The Union Lodge No. 28 F&AM meets at 7 p.m. at the lodge hall on Hogansville Road.

Grief Share, a support group for peo-ple grieving the loss of someone close, meets at 7 p.m. at Cedarcrest Community Church at 2380 Roanoke Road. 706-882-6327

The LaGrange Shufflers meet at the Active Life center at 140 Ragland St. for regular square dance from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. 706-812-8840

The Five Star Social Club meets from 8 to 9 p.m. at a member’s house.

WednesdayA bereavement support group meets 11

a.m. at Hospice LaGrange.The Lunch Bunch and Al-Anon meet at

noon at Self Help Harbor, 909 Stonewall

St.ThursdayWest Point City Council meets for a

work session at 8:15 a.m.The executive board of the LaGrange

Woman’s Club meets at 10 a.m. at Bellevue.The Kiwanis Club of LaGrange meets at

noon at Highland Country Club.Older Americans Sharing in Service,

the senior adult group of Rosemont Baptist Church, meets at noon in the church fellowship hall.

The Thursday Lunch Club meets at noon in the fellowship hall of First United Methodist Church.

Crime Stoppers meets at 6 p.m. in the LaGrange Police Department training room.

Rehearsals for the LaGrange Civic Chorale are from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Troup High School chorus room. choral-society@charter.net, 706-882-2734

LaGrange Serenity Groups and Al-Anon meet at 7 p.m. at Self Help Harbor, 909 Stonewall St.

Community Action For Improvement meets at 7 p.m. in the CAFI central office.

The Sons of LaGrange Lodge No. 537, a Prince Hall affiliate, meets at 7:30 p.m. at the corner of Brown and Watson streets.

ChurchesWednesdayTrinity SDA Church Prayer and Bible

Study Center at 710 Jenkins St. holds

community prayer and Bible study at 7 p.m. Pastor Walter Gordon, 706-812-0760

Hogansville Church of Christ, 4885 Mountville Road, holds a study on the book of Revelation at 7 p.m. with speaker J. Robert Brooks. 706-637-6476

St. Paul CME Church, 250 Lower Glass Bridge Road, hosts Bible study at 7 p.m.

Wednesday–Sept. 11Mount Pleasant C.M.E. Church hosts

a homecoming revival. The Rev. Eddie L. Copeland brings the message.

ThursdayCelebrate Recovery, a faith-based recov-

ery program, meets at 6 p.m. with a fel-lowship meal and worship at the welcome center of First Baptist Church on Church Street. 706-884-5631

Immanuel Ministries and Worship Center at 75 Patillo Road holds Bible study at 6:30 p.m.

True Life Christian Ministries, 500 S. Lee St., hosts Bible study at 7:30 p.m. for adults and youth.

To submit an item, email it to mstroth-er@lagrangenews.com, fax it to 706-884-8712 or drop it by our office at 105 Ashton St. For more information, call 706-884-7311, Ext. 229.

Listings for ‘In our community’ are presented for events happening in the next three-day period, space permitting. To submit an item, email it to mstrother@lagrangenews.com, fax it to 706-884-8712 or drop it by our office at 105 Ashton St. For more information, call 706-884-7311, Ext. 229. A weeklong listing appears in the weekend edition.

Dear Annie: My hus-band and I are trying to raise our three children in a traditional, conservative environment, but my in-laws undermine our val-ues.

We recently went on a cruise with them, along with my husband’s brother and niece and her live-in boyfriend. At one point, my oldest daughter didn’t feel well, so I took her back to the cabin for a couple of

hours.When we found the rest

of the family, they were having a drinkfest right in front of our 14-year-old daughter and 12-year-old son. Not only that, but they were buying alcohol for the niece and her boy-friend, both of whom are under 21.

From the looks of the empties on the table, this had been going on for the entire two hours. Most of them were drunk. Mind you, my husband was tak-ing part, as well, which infuriated me. But I was even angrier with my mother-in-law, because I feel that women should be protectors of their children and grandchildren, instead of enablers.

My mother-in-law even made a point to tell our daughters that the niece

had been living with her boyfriend for more than a year, which seemed to put her stamp of approval on the arrangement. My kids didn’t know this, nor did they need to. They don’t live near their cousin.

My mother-in-law is well aware of the values we teach, but if I say anything, she says I’m judging her and being disrespectful.

We spent very little time with the family for the rest of the trip because they wanted to party and we wanted a more whole-some environment. How do we handle this type of situation when it comes up again? — Kids First

Dear Kids: Please understand that you can-not control what other people do, only how you respond. You also cannot control every environment,

so use these situations as learning experiences. Talk to your kids calmly about what’s going on and how you feel about it. Don’t vil-ify your in-laws, but be pre-pared for their continued inappropriate behavior.

Your kids undoubtedly will encounter other such situations when you are not around, and the hope is that they will remember the good judgment and val-ues you have taught them. And please stop blaming your mother-in-law. Your husband should have been the protector of his own children.

Dear Annie: My wife’s uncle had a laryngecto-my a few years ago. He now breathes through the stoma in his throat and also discharges phlegm through it. He doesn’t

cover the opening with mesh.

I hate to sound uncar-ing, but he constantly coughs into a tissue that he then lays on our coun-tertops, dining room table or wherever else. This is not only unsanitary, but gross. When he leaves, we have to use antibacte-rial wipes on everything he touched.

If we were to say any-thing to him about this, he would be upset and probably not speak to us again. We are running out of excuses to avoid his visits and hope he reads your column and makes the connection. — Germ Concerned

Dear Germ: Someone who uses a tissue to expel anything should not leave it around, especially on a surface where food is

served or where others have to dispose of it. This is simple courtesy. The next time your uncle vis-its, discreetly place a small wastebasket near him “for his convenience.”

Dear Annie: This is in response to “Disappointed in Ohio,” whose girls’ group was resentful when one of the women began to bring along her new husband.

I once belonged to such a group of retired women, which we named the “Silver Belles.” The time came when the husbands also retired, and some-times, one of us would ask to bring our husband along. Instead of resenting it, we welcomed them and began to call our group the “Silver Belles and Beaus.” — Chatsworth, Calif.

n In Our Community

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Community Tuesday, September 4, 2012 - 3

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Traditional, conservative seeking same in in-laws

Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar are longtime editors of the Ann Landers column.

Garden Club prepares for show

Pine Needle Garden Club members Betty Lester, left, and Martha Thom, discuss ideas for the upcoming Redbud District Yellow Daisy 41st Standard Flower Show, which runs Friday to Sunday in Stone Mountain Park’s memorial hall. Several members of local garden clubs will be exhibiting designs, like flower arrangements, and horticulture, like plants and flow-ers grown by the exhibitor. The 2012 show is entitled “Daisy Presents the Greatest Show on Earth.” Designs will be based on a circus theme. Some local students also will be entering. Show hours are 4 to p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. The flower show is part of the annual Stone Mountain Yellow Daisy Festival, which also includes a large arts and crafts show. The flower show and festival are free with a $10 park entry fee.

JOLIET, Ill. (AP) — Attorneys deliver clos-ing arguments at Drew Peterson’s trial Tuesday, after which jurors will begin deliberations on whether the state proved the former Illinois police officer murdered his third wife.

The sides make their final pitches after five weeks of testimony about the 2004 death of Kathleen Savio, whose body was found in a dry bathtub of her suburban home outside Chicago with a gash on the back of her head.

The 40-year-old’s death was initially ruled to have been an accident. Only after Peterson’s fourth wife, 23-year-old Stacy Peterson, went missing in 2007 was Savio’s body exhumed and her death reclassified as a homicide.

Prosecutors will argue circumstantial evidence points to just one plausi-ble explanation for Savio’s death: that Peterson killed her. The defense will say not only is there no evi-dence tying Peterson to Savio’s death, the state hasn’t even proven that her death was murder.

Chris Koch delivers the state’s closing, and Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow will do the rebuttal — essentially the last word to jurors.

The normally stone-faced Glasgow has shown flash-es of anger at the trial, arguably the biggest of his career.

Closing for the defense is Joe Lopez, known for his brightly colored ties

and aggressive, blunt courtroom style.

Peterson, 58, has plead-ed not guilty to first-degree murder. If convict-ed, he faces a maximum 60-year prison sentence.

Prosecutors have been

barred from telling jurors Stacy Peterson is pre-sumed dead or that her husband is the lone sus-pect in her disappearance during testimony — and they can’t allude to it dur-ing closings.

State/Nation4 - Tuesday, September 4, 2012

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35 years later, Voyager 1 is heading for the stars

Alicia ChangAssociated Press

PASADENA, Calif. — Thirty-five years after leaving Earth, Voyager 1 is reaching for the stars.

Sooner or later, the workhorse spacecraft will bid adieu to the solar system and enter a new realm of space — the first time a manmade object will have escaped to the other side.

Perhaps no one on Earth will rel-ish the moment more than 76-year-old Ed Stone, who has toiled on the project from the start.

“We’re anxious to get outside and find what’s out there,” he said.

When NASA’s Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 first rocketed out of Earth’s grip in 1977, no one knew how long they would live. Now, they are the longest-operating spacecraft in history and the most distant, at billions of miles from Earth but in different directions.

Wednesday marks the 35th anni-versary of Voyager 1’s launch to Jupiter and Saturn. It is now flitting around the fringes of the solar sys-tem, which is enveloped in a giant plasma bubble. This hot and turbu-lent area is created by a stream of charged particles from the sun.

Outside the bubble is a new frontier in the Milky Way — the space between stars. Once it plows through, scientists expect a calmer environment by comparison.

When that would happen is any-one’s guess. Voyager 1 is in unchart-ed celestial territory. One thing is clear: The boundary that separates the solar system and interstellar space is near, but it could take days, months or years to cross that milestone.

Voyager 1 is currently more than

11 billion miles from the sun. Twin Voyager 2, which celebrated its launch anniversary two weeks ago, trails behind at 9 billion miles from the sun.

They’re still ticking despite being relics of the early Space Age.

Each only has 68 kilobytes of computer memory. To put that in perspective, the smallest iPod — an 8-gigabyte iPod Nano — is 100,000 times more powerful. Each also has an eight-track tape recorder. Today’s spacecraft use digital memory.

The Voyagers’ original goal was to tour Jupiter and Saturn, and they sent back postcards of Jupiter’s big red spot and Saturn’s glittery rings. They also beamed home a torrent of discoveries: erupting vol-canoes on the Jupiter moon Io; hints of an ocean below the icy surface of Europa, another Jupiter moon; signs of methane rain on the Saturn moon Titan.

Voyager 2 then journeyed to Uranus and Neptune. It remains the only spacecraft to fly by these two outer planets. Voyager 1 used Saturn as a gravitational slingshot to catapult itself toward the edge of the solar system.

“Time after time, Voyager revealed unexpected — kind of counterintuitive — results, which means we have a lot to learn,” said Stone, Voyager’s chief scientist and a professor of physics at the California Institute of Technology.

These days, a handful of engi-neers diligently listen for the Voyagers from a satellite campus not far from the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which built the space-craft.

The control room, with its cubi-cles and carpeting, could be mis-taken for an insurance office if not

for a blue sign overhead that reads “Mission Controller” and a warn-ing on a computer: “Voyager mis-sion critical hardware. Please do not touch!”

There are no full-time scientists left on the mission, but 20 part-timers analyze the data streamed back. Since the spacecraft are so far out, it takes 17 hours for a radio signal from Voyager 1 to travel to Earth. For Voyager 2, it takes about 13 hours.

Cameras aboard the Voyagers were turned off long ago. The nucle-ar-powered spacecraft, about the size of a subcompact car, still have five instruments to study magnetic fields, cosmic rays and charged par-ticles from the sun known as solar wind. They also carry gold-plated discs containing multilingual greet-ings, music and pictures — in the off chance that intelligent species come across them.

Since 2004, Voyager 1 has been exploring a region in the bubble at the solar system’s edge where the solar wind dramatically slows and heats up. Over the last several months, scientists have seen chang-es that suggest Voyager 1 is on the verge of crossing over.

When it does, it will be the first spacecraft to explore between the stars. Space observatories such as the Hubble and Spitzer space tele-scopes have long peered past the solar system, but they tend to focus on far-away galaxies.

As ambitious as the Voyager mis-sion is, it was scaled down from a plan to send a quartet of spacecraft to Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto in what was billed as the “grand tour” of the solar system. But the plan was nixed, and scientists settled for the Voyager mission.

Al Seib | Los Angeles Times | MCTEd Stone, 75, the longtime lead scientist for the Voyager Mission, is photographed at a replica of the original at the Jet Propulsion Lab in La Canada on February 10, 2011, in Pasadena, California.

Closing arguments set to start in Peterson trial

Days after HurricaneIsaac, thousands still left in the dark

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Tens of thou-sands of customers remained in the dark Monday in Louisiana and Mississippi, nearly a week after Isaac inundated the Gulf Coast with a deluge that still has some low-lying areas under water.

Most of those were in Louisiana, where utili-ties reported more than 100,000 people without power. Thousands also were without power in Mississippi and Arkansas.

President Barack Obama visited Monday, a day ahead of the Democratic National Convention, and walked around storm damage in St. John the Baptist Parish, where subdi-visions were soaked in water from Isaac.

“I know it’s a mess,” Obama said as he approached a resident in the Ridgewood neighbor-hood. “But we’re here to help.”

Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney visited the state Friday.

In St. John the Baptist Parish, residents spent Labor Day dragging waterlogged carpet and furniture to the curb and using bleach and water to clean hopefully to prevent mold.

LaPlace resident Barbara Melton swept mud and debris from her home, which was at one point under 2 feet of water. The garbage, debris and standing water — combined with

heat reaching the 90s — created a terrible stench.

“It’s hot, it stinks, but I’m trying to get all this mud and stuff out of my house,” she said.

Melton was grateful for the president’s visit.

“I think it’s awesome to have a president that cares and wants to come out and see what he can do,” Melton, 60, said.

A few houses away, Ed Powell said Isaac was enough to make him question whether to stay.

“I know Louisiana’s a gambling state, but we don’t want to gamble in this method because when you lose this way, you lose a lot.”

Powell said even if Obama comes up with a plan or solution to the flooding problem in his area, time is not on the residents’ side.

“Even if they narrow down what the problem is and begin to resolve the problem, it usually takes years. And between now and whenever, a lot of things can happen,” Powell said.

More than 2,800 peo-ple were at shelters in Louisiana, down from around 4,000. State officials were uncertain how many people would eventually need longer-term temporary housing. Kevin Davis, head of the state’s emergency office, said housing would likely include hotels at first, then rental homes as close as possible to their damaged property.

Actor Michael Clarke Duncan dead at 54

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Michael Clarke Duncan, the hulking, prolific character actor whose dozens of films included an Oscar-nominated performance as a death row inmate in “The Green Mile” and such other box office hits as “Armageddon,” ”Planet of the Apes” and “Kung Fu Panda,” is dead at age 54.

Duncan died Monday morning at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, where he was being treated for a heart attack, said his fiancée, reality TV personality Rev. Omarosa Manigault, in a statement released by publicist Joy Fehily.

The muscular, 6-foot-4 Duncan, a former bodyguard who turned to acting in his 30s, “suffered a myocar-dial infarction on July 13 and never fully recovered,” the statement said. “Manigault is grateful for all of your prayers and asks for privacy at this time. Celebrations of his life, both private and public, will be announced at a later date.”

Hollywood’s reaction to Duncan’s passing was heart-felt, including from “Green Mile” co-star Tom Hanks: “I am terribly saddened at the loss of Big Mike. He was the treasure we all discovered on the set of ‘The Green Mile.’ He was magic. He was a big love of man and his passing leaves us stunned.”

In the spring of 2012, Duncan had appeared in a video for PETA, the animal rights organization, in which he spoke of how much better he felt since becoming a veg-etarian three years earlier.

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Southeast Asian states must present a unit-ed front to the Chinese in dealing with territorial dis-putes in the South China Sea to “literally calm the waters,” U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Tuesday.

And she urged all involved to make “mean-ingful progress” on a pro-cess for ending conflicts “without coercion, with-out intimidation and cer-tainly without the use of force” by November.

In Indonesia’s capital before heading to China, Clinton offered strong U.S. support for a regionally endorsed six-point plan to ease rising tensions

by implementing a code of conduct for all claim-ants to disputed islands. Jakarta is the headquar-ters of the Association of South East Asian Nations, and Clinton pressed the group to insist that China agree to a formal multilat-eral mechanism to reduce short-term risks of con-flict and ultimately come to final settlements over sovereignty.

The stance puts the U.S. squarely at odds with China, which has become increasingly assertive in pressing its territorial claims with its smaller neighbors and wants the disputes to be resolved individually with each country, giving it greater

leverage than dealing with a bloc.

Clinton made the case in Tuesday meet-ings with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and ASEAN secretary general Surin Pitsuwan, a day after she delivered the same message to Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa.

“The United States has a national interest, as every country does, in the maintenance of peace and stability, respect for international law, free-dom of navigation, unim-peded lawful commerce in the South China Sea,” Clinton told reporters at a news conference with

Natalegawa.“The United States does

not take a position on com-peting territorial claims … but we believe the nations of the region should work collaboratively to resolve disputes without coercion, without intimidation and certainly without the use of force,” she said. “That is why we encourage ASEAN and China to make mean-

ingful progress toward finalizing a comprehensive code of conduct in order to establish rules of the road and clear procedures for peacefully addressing disagreements.”

Indonesia has played a leading role in putting the six-point plan together after ASEAN was unable to reach consensus on the matter in July. Clinton

said the U.S. is “encour-aged” by the plan but wants it acted on — par-ticularly implementation and enforcement of the code of conduct, which has languished since a pre-liminary framework for it was first agreed upon in 2002. Clinton said the U.S. wants to see the disputes resolved between China and ASEAN.

Hyun-Ah KimAssociated Press

GAPYEONG, South Korea — Unification Church patriarch Sun Myung Moon leaves behind children who have been groomed to lead a religious move-ment famous for its mass weddings and business interests — if family feuds don’t bring down the empire.

Moon, the charismatic and controver-sial founder of the church, died Monday at age 92 at a church-owned hospital near his home in Gapyeong County, northeast of Seoul, two weeks after being hospitalized with pneumonia, church officials said.

Flags flew at half-staff at a Unification Church in Seoul as followers trickled in, some wiping away tears as they won-dered what would happen to a move-ment defined for decades by the man who founded it in 1954.

The Rev. Moon and wife Hak Ja Han have 10 surviving children and in recent years, the aging Moon had been handing power on the church’s religious, chari-table and business entities to them.

But there have been reports of fam-ily rifts. One son sued his mother’s missionary group in 2011, demanding the return of more than $22 million he claimed was sent without his consent from a company he runs to her charity. His mother’s group eventually returned the money after court mediation.

Church officials said the son, known as Preston, is no longer in charge of any church operations.

Moon’s death could expose fur-ther rifts within the church, said Kim Heung-soo, who teaches the history of Christianity at Mokwon University in the central city of Daejeon.

“There is a high possibility that inter-nal discord will deepen,” Kim said.

The church has amassed dozens of businesses in the United States, South Korea and even North Korea, includ-ing hotels, a ski resort, sports teams, schools, universities and hospitals.

One expert said the church’s busi-ness prospects appear brighter than its religious future. Tark Ji-il, a profes-sor of religion at Busan Presbyterian University, described the church not as a religious organization but as a corpo-ration made up of people with similar religious beliefs.

The church won’t give details about how much its businesses are worth, other than to describe them as part of a “multibillion-dollar” empire.

Many new religious movements col-lapse after their founders die, but Tark said the Unification Church would likely survive. But its success as a religious entity will depend on how it smoothly it resolves any family feuds and how well Moon’s offspring rise to fill their father’s charismatic role, he said.

Moon himself served 13 months at a U.S. federal prison in the mid-1980s after a New York City jury convicted him of filing false tax returns.

And there has been tragedy in the family. One son committed suicide in 1999, jumping from the 17th floor of a Reno, Nevada, hotel, officials said. Two other sons reportedly also died early, one in a train wreck and another in a car accident.

Key to the church’s religious future is the Rev. Hyung-jin Moon, the U.S.-born 33-year-old who was tapped to succeed his father several years ago to serve as head of the church.

Known as “Sean” back at Harvard, where he studied, he is more fluent in English than Korean and has signs of his father’s charisma but with an American

sensibility. His sermons, delivered in English, are designed to appeal to the next generation of “Unificationists,” the name followers prefer over the moniker “Moonies.”

He told The Associated Press in 2009 that he questioned Christianity when he was younger. But his father stood by him throughout the phase, and asked follow-ers not to criticize him when he turned to Buddhism briefly after his brother’s death in Nevada.

An older brother, Kook-jin Moon, a 42-year-old also known as Justin, runs the Tongil Group, the church’s business arm.

The church has amassed dozens of business ventures over the years, includ-ing the New Yorker Hotel, a midtown Manhattan art deco landmark and the Yongpyong ski resort in South Korea. It gave the University of Bridgeport $110 million over more than a decade to keep the Connecticut school operating. Moon also founded the Washington Times newspaper in 1982.

The church also owns a profession-al soccer team, schools and hospitals. It also operates the Potonggang Hotel in Pyongyang and jointly operates the Pyeonghwa Motors automaker in North Korea.

“Unification of South Korea and North Korea was a long-cherished ambition of the Rev. Sun Myung Moon,” church official Kim Kab-yong said in Seoul. “He invested a lot in this. We are so heart-broken that he could not accomplish this.”

Sun Myung Moon, who was born in a rural part of what is now North Korea, founded the movement after migrating south during the Korean War. He wrote in his autobiography that he received a personal calling from Jesus Christ to carry out his work on Earth.

The church’s doctrine is a mixture of Christian, Confucian and traditional Korean values, emphasizing the impor-tance of the family unit but also encour-aging multicultural unions.

International Tuesday, September 4, 2012 - 5

Feuds a concern as children inherit Moon’s empire

Washington Times via Zuma Press | MCTRev. Sun Myung Moon, seen in this April 27, 2002 file photo, has died. He was 92.

Syria says no dialogue before it crushes rebelsBassem MroueAssociated Press

BEIRUT — The Syrian regime said Monday there will be no dialogue with the opposition before the army crushes the rebels, the latest sign that President Bashar Assad is determined to solve the crisis on the battlefield even if many more of his people have to pay with their lives.

The statement comes a day after activists reported that August was the bloodiest month since the uprising began in March 2011.

“There will be no dialogue with the opposition prior to the Syrian army’s imposition of security and stability in all parts of the country,” Information Minister Omran al-Zoebi told reporters at a news conference in Damascus.

The opposition has long rejected any talks with the regime until Assad is removed from power.

Muhieddine Lathkani, an opposition figure based in Britain, responded to the minister’s comments by saying “the key to any dialogue will be the departure of Assad and dismantling of the regime’s security agencies that committed all these crimes.”

Lathkani told The Associated Press by telephone that after that happens, there could be a dialogue.

Earlier in the day, the new U.N. envoy to Syria acknowledged that brokering an end to the civil war will be a “very, very difficult” task.

Activists on Sunday said some 5,000 people were killed in August, the highest toll in the 17-month-old uprising and more than three times the monthly average. At the same time, the U.N. children’s fund, UNICEF, said 1,600 were killed last week alone, also the highest figure for the entire revolt.

The two major activists groups raised their total death toll for the entire revolt to at least 23,000 and as high as

26,000.The civil war witnessed a major turning point in

August when Assad’s forces began widely using air power for the first time to try to put down the revolt. The fighting also reached Syria’s largest city, Aleppo, which had been relatively quiet for most of the uprising.

Last week, Assad said in an interview that his armed forces will need time to defeat the rebels, an acknowl-edgement that his regime is struggling to defeat the tenacious rebels and another indication that the civil war will be even more drawn out and bloody.

In the latest violence on Monday, activists said more than 100 people were killed — many of them in two air raids that knocked out large parts of buildings in the northern province of Aleppo. Government warplanes bombed the town of Al-Bab killing at least 19 people and the Aleppo neighborhood of Myasar where 10 people, including four children, were killed.

Red Bull heir arrested in Thai hit-and-runBANGKOK (AP) — A grandson of

the creator of the Red Bull energy drink has been arrested for driving a Ferrari that struck a police officer and dragged his dead body down a Bangkok street in an early-morning hit-and-run, police said Monday.

Police took Vorayuth Yoovidhya, 27, for questioning after tracing oil streaks for several blocks to his family’s gated estate in a wealthy neighborhood of the Thai capital.

He was facing charges of causing death by reckless driving and escaping an arrest by police but was released on a 500,000 baht ($15,900) bail.

Vorayuth admitted he drove the char-coal gray sports car but said the police officer’s motorcycle abruptly cut in front of his vehicle, said police Maj. Gen. Anuchai Lekbamroong, the lead investi-gator in the case.

Bangkok’s top police official, Lt. Gen. Comronwit Toopgrajank, said he took charge of the investigation after a lower-ranking policeman initially tried to cover

up the crime by turning in a bogus sus-pect. Comronwit himself led a team of officers to search the compound of late Red Bull founder Chaleo Yoovidhya, one of Thailand’s wealthiest men before he passed away this year, and confiscated a Ferrari with a badly damaged front bum-per and broken windshield.

The victim, Sgt. Maj. Wichean Glanprasert, 47, was killed during a motorcycle patrol before dawn. Thai media reported that the car dragged the officer and his motorcycle for several dozen meters (feet) as it sped through the residential neighborhood.

Comronwit said he suspended the police officer who attempted to subvert the investigation.

“A policeman is dead. I can’t let this stand. If I let this case get away, I’d rather quit,” he told reporters. “I don’t care how powerful they are. If I can’t get the actual man in this case, I will resign.”

Vorayuth did not speak to the media but the family lawyer said the family will be take responsibility for the damages.

Clinton urges ASEAN unity on South China Sea

So did you have a good Labor Day weekend? I find myself ambivalent toward Labor Day. I hate that it signals the end of summer, the noticeable short-ening of days, and the onset of a seemingly inexhaustible supply of brown leaves which must be raked and carted away. On the other hand, after a sum-mer as hot as this one, I am ready for the cooler weather of autumn, and am more than normally ready for football sea-son to start again. By the way, have you ever had to work on Labor Day, and if so, do you not find it one of life’s great ironies?

With regret, this will be my last Tuesday column in the Daily News. It has been a lot of fun being able to chat with you every week, and now its time to make room for a new writer with fresh thoughts and ideas. I’ve enjoyed my association with the Daily News, and hope that they will continue to be

successful in providing a rich blend of broad social issues and local community interest.

While I generally don’t believe in telling anyone how they should live, I’ve decided to leave you with some of my guiding rules for life, in the hopes that you might in some small way, benefit from them, and allow me to feel like I’ve contributed something to who you become.

1. There is never a good reason to include the word “hooker” in a eulogy.

2. There are no social ven-ues in which it is appropriate to demonstrate that you know all of the words to Queen’s anthem “Fat Bottomed Girls”.

3. If you are not sure who the sucker is in a poker game, it’s you. If you are in a poker game that involves more than eight wild cards, then fold, and leave. If that is not possible, then fake a heart attack.

4. Remember the old adage

that everything can be fixed with either WD-40 or duct tape. If it doesn’t move, and should, use the WD -40. If it moves, and shouldn’t, use the duct tape.

5. If you notice that your neighbor uses his stash of moon-shine for lawn mower fuel in a pinch, decline any invitations for an after dinner aperi-tif.

6. If the pic-ture of your co-worker’s newborn looks like a cross between a bridge

troll and a Jack Russell ter-rier, never infer that it might not be an attractive baby. Complement it on having a beautiful head shape.

7. God gives you your family; choose your friends wisely.

8. Honesty is the best pol-icy, except when applied to

the questions, “Do these jeans make my butt look big?”, “How do you like my blueberry- haba-nero-tuna fish casserole?” and “What do you think of my new haircut?”

9. If you purchase a home on a lake managed by the Army Corps of Engineers, you should try to develop hobbies like hik-ing and rock collecting in order to enjoy the lake.

10. When an automotive company builds a well-paying assembly plant employing three thousand people, a rea-sonable expectation for the net effect on local development and the economy should be approximately the same as the addition of a new bait and tackle store.

11. If your grandchildren argue that “standing near Grandpa” is a reasonable alter-native to putting on sunscreen, it may be time to go on a diet.

12. If you pick someone up at their house, and they begin

conversation by confessing that they had no idea that you were interested in classic cars, it might be time to trade in your automobile.

13. You can pick your friends, and you can pick your nose, but you can’t pick your friend’s nose.

If you’ve gotten this far, and don’t feel that any of these rules are particularly helpful to you, then try these: You only get one chance at today, so give it everything you’ve got – there are no guarantees about tomorrow. Laugh deeply and often; laughter is to the soul as air is to the lungs. Love unconditionally. You live in a great community, at a great time in history, and the future is exciting.

Thanks again - I appreciate you listening to me ramble for the last year and a half.

Shane Starr is a LaGrange resident and contrib-uting columnist.

Shane StarContributing Columnist

Opinion

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6 - Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Defending the rich when the

govt. is wastefulThe Nat iona l

Taxpayer’s Union has defined the rich in America as those whose assets total more than one million dollars. If that is the case, then only four percent of Americans are wealthy.

It seems that many Americans do not like rich people. This is one reason why millions of American voters will vote against Mitt Romney. They resent the fact that he is worth more than 200 million dollars.

I f Romney becomes president, he will become only the third rich-est president in U.S. his-tory. Washington and Jefferson were richer. Again, wealth consists of one’s total assets.

As I have written, I am now convinced that Mitt Romney will be our next president. If I were a gambling man, I would put it all on Romney. His personal wealth is no concern of mine. No one should vote against him because he is rich.

I emphatically, unequiv-ocally, defend the rich. There are many reasons why I feel this way. The primary reason is that people should be reward-ed for their hard work.

Most rich people are that way because they have worked hard to be successful. My father was well-off financially. Although he never gradu-ated from college, he was able to make and save

money over a period of time. No one ever gave him anything. He made his money by and through hard work. Although he is now deceased, I still have a lot of respect for him.

I respect the rich because they know how to manage money. Let’s

face it, there are millions of people who spend money like a drunken sailor. If you give them money, thy will find a way to waste it.

I am against redistributing the wealth. If a per-son works hard and makes lots of money, it is sinful

for governments- local, state, and national- to take it away. You should be able to keep what you make.

I am convinced that rich Americans are paying too much in taxes. That includes people in Troup County. Yes, I believe the citizens of Troup County are required to pay way too much in taxes. If you disagree, then I invite you to pay some of my school taxes.

I defend the rich because governments- national, state, and local- don’t know how to handle money. All gov-ernments waste money. The National Tax Payer’s Union reports that at least half of our tax money is wasted. That’s a real shame.Larry Summerour of Troup County is a retired pastor who enjoys political commentary.

Some parting thoughts before I go….

Analysis: 4-year progress query puts Obama in box

Charles BabingtonAssociated Press

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It’s a question that aides to any president seeking re-election should be ready to handle: Are Americans better off now than before he took office?

This seemingly simple query, however, flummoxed President Barack Obama’s team over the Labor Day weekend, throwing the campaign on the defensive just as the Democrats are about to open their national convention.

Republican Mitt Romney’s cam-paign pounced. Running mate Paul Ryan, speaking Monday in another North Carolina town, amped-up his party’s long-running efforts to persuade Americans, once and for all, that Obama’s economic record disqualifies him for a second term.

Democrats acknowledged that Obama’s team must get a better handle on the question, an updated version of the Ronald Reagan line that helped sink President Jimmy Carter in 1980.

The Obama aides’ halting responses reflected the dilemma the president faces. If he emphasiz-es the economic crisis he inherited from President George W. Bush, then Obama looks as though he’s shirking responsibility for current problems.

But if Obama claims positives flowing from his policies’ effective-ness — even with endorsements from independent economists — he risks appearing tone-deaf and insensitive to millions of voters’ fears in a climate of 8.3 percent unemployment, sharply lower home values and uncertain futures.

“You can understand the Obama campaign’s ambiguity,” said Ferrel Guillory, an expert on Southern politics at the University of North Carolina. Obama’s stimulus and intervention policies clearly avert-ed bigger problems in banking, auto-making and other sectors, he said, but harping on it “doesn’t satisfy the concerns of people who don’t feel better off.”

Others are less sympathetic.“The Obama team made a signifi-

cant tactical error on Sunday with their stumble over the ‘better off’ question,” said Republican pollster Steve Lombardo. “It is stunning that they were not prepared for this

question.”Even Lombardo, however, con-

ceded “the president is in a box.”Obama’s top advisers struggled

with the question, repeatedly posed on Sunday talk shows.

David Axelrod said: “I think the average American recognizes that it took years to create the crisis that erupted in 2008 and peaked in January of 2009. And it’s going to take some time to work through it.”

Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley was blunter when CBS’s Bob Schieffer asked if he could “hon-estly say that people are better off today than they were four years ago?”

“No,” O’Malley said. “But that’s not the question of this election. Without a doubt, we are not as well off as we were before George Bush brought us the Bush job losses, the Bush recessions, the Bush deficits.”

With Republicans attacking from all sides, the campaign dispatched spokeswoman Stephanie Cutter early Monday with a new mes-sage. Americans are “absolutely” better off, she told NBC, highlight-ing the problems Obama inherited in January 2009.

“In the six months before the president was elected,” Cutter said, “we lost 3.5 million jobs, wages had been going down for a decade,” and the auto industry was “on the brink of failure.”

Republicans vowed not to let Obama off the hook.

“People are not better off than they were four years ago,” Ryan told a crowd in Greenville, N.C., 220 miles east of the convention site. “After another four years of this, who knows what it’ll look like?”

What frustrates Democrats is that, in many ways, the nation’s economy was in distress four years ago. The collapse of Lehman Brothers and other financial giants sent markets into swoons and created a sense of political and economic crisis.

On Sept. 29, 2008, when the U.S. House voted down Bush’s pro-posed $700 billion financial bailout, the Dow Jones industrial average plunged 778 points, its largest one-day point drop ever. Congress later reversed course on that measure, but the near-meltdown was doing deep and continuing damage to Americans’ savings, retirement

funds and confidence.One problem for Obama is that

unemployment — the economic statistic that affects the average American most profoundly — is a “lagging indicator,” taking sev-eral months to reflect a crisis’ full impact.

U.S. unemployment stood at 6.1 percent four years ago, 6.8 percent when Obama was elected, 7.8 per-cent when he took office and 10 percent nine months later.

It never dropped below 9.4 per-cent in 2010, when Republicans won sweeping victories in midterm elections.

Economists say even more jobs would have vanished if Obama had not pushed the automobile bail-out, a separate economic stimulus plan, a banking industry bailout and other measures.

Campaign strategists in both par-ties, however, say few voters will credit a president for what did NOT happen. Equally troubling for Obama, people’s anxieties can determine their votes just as read-ily as economic figures, if not more so.

Vice President Joe Biden tried to shore up the Democrats’ position Monday, linking one of his favor-ite phrases to the suddenly urgent debate.

“You want to know whether we’re better off?” he asked a crowd in Detroit. “I got a little bumper stick-er for you: ‘Osama bin Laden is dead and General Motors is alive.’”

National Republican Party Chairman Reince Priebus accused the Democrats of “desperate dam-age control.” He said they cannot win an argument over “the facts.”

But the rest of his comments to reporters in Charlotte focused on voters’ perceptions and emotions.

That’s the challenge facing Democrats when they kick off their three-day convention here Tuesday.

Obama can point to economists’ analyses that he kept conditions from getting worse. But Americans vote on political convictions, gut feelings, kitchen-table concerns and hopes and fears for their children’s future.

If Romney can convince a major-ity that things just don’t feel right with Obama, he may get his chance to tackle the U.S. economy starting in January.

Larry SummerourContributing

Columnist

Leisure Tuesday, September 4, 2012 - 7BLONDIE Dean Young/Denis Lebrun

BEETLE BAILEY Mort Walker

HAGAR THE HORRIBLE Chris Browne

HI & LOIS Brian and Greg Walker

FUNKY WINKERBEAN Tom Batiuk

MUTTS Patrick McDonnell

THE FAMILY CIRCUS Bil Keane

DENNIS THE MENACE Hank Ketchum

Ad goes here

CONCEPTIS SUDOKUby Dave Green

Tuesday, sepTember 4, 2012 ComiCs/EntErtainmEnt

Today’s Answers

HAPPY BIRTHDAY for Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012:

This year you often feel as though you cannot get certain elements of your life under control. You won’t want to leave anything to chance. By learning to detach, you will gain many new insights that could make a big difference in the choices you make. If you are single, the romance you think you are attracting could be very differ-ent in reality. Your ability to grow and transform within a relationship will be tested. Ultimately, that skill is needed in all relationships. If you are attached, you will have control of your finances. You will display considerable talent in that area. Curb a tendency to be pos-sessive around TAURUS.

The Stars Show the Kind of Day You’ll Have: 5-Dynamic; 4-Positive; 3-Average; 2-So-so; 1-Difficult

ARIES (March 21-April 19) HHH You might find it difficult to

move forward in the morning. Perhaps you have pushed yourself beyond your limit. As the day goes on, you’ll become more verbal and upbeat. Your logic appeals to someone. If you work together, you can implement changes. Tonight: A force to be dealt with.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) HHHH You beam, and others

respond. You might not be up for fol-lowing a routine; instead, you could want to indulge in more spontaneity. Once in a while, taking some time off helps re-energize you. News from afar starts you thinking in a different direc-tion. Tonight: Treat yourself well.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) HHHH Your day improves as time

goes on. You know what someone wants because you have the abil-ity to zero in on his or her needs. Unfortunately, your ability to respond often leaves this person thinking he or she has control of you. No such luck. You are your own person. Tonight: Do for you.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) HHH Assume a low-key attitude,

and refuse to push yourself as hard as usual. You are able to change gears and do something differently, if you pull back. Your attitude toward a special friend or loved one might be changing. Tonight: Get some extra R and R.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) HHHH You initially could feel quite

pressured by certain events and by what is going on around you. You naturally will loosen up and open up to new beginnings. Success comes out

of your willingness to head in a new direction. Tonight: With friends.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) HHHH You might want to do

something in a very different manner from how you have done it in the past. Detachment helps you see the big picture. Take in as much as possible. A child or new friend continues to change right in front of your very eyes. Tonight: A must appearance.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) HHHHH Deal with a partner first

thing in the morning. You could be taken aback by what is happening around you. Try not to trigger a reac-tion from anyone, and stay centered. View a key situation from an outside perspective, and trust that you will know what to do. Tonight: Relax.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) HHHHH Spend quality time with

a child or loved one. You could be withdrawn or wondering exactly how to handle a difficult situation. You decide to talk to a key person directly. You know what to do and what to expect. Tonight: Dinner for two!

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) HHHH You might have organized a

very tight schedule, but you will watch it unravel quickly during the day. Do not try to fight city hall. Go with the flow, and you will appreciate the fun and light mood. Tonight: Be aware of your spending habits.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) HHHH You wake up in the mood

to hang out with the one you love, but clearly you have much to do. If you decide to change direction, there could be repercussions in other areas of your life. Be aware of this before taking action. Tonight: Could be late.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) HHHH Getting going could be a

major effort for you, yet one that is worthwhile. Tap into your innate cre-ativity, and you’ll discover solutions to what is seemingly impossible to resolve. Note the costs of taking a new course of action. Tonight: Let your hair down.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) HHH Move on a key matter early in

the day, when you will be most open to communication. Tension builds throughout the day. You might want to clear the air, but perhaps you would be best off staying away for now. Tonight: At home.

Jacqueline Bigar is on the Internetat www.jacquelinebigar.com.

zITS Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

Jacquelene Bigar’s Horoscope

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LaGrange Daily News

BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) – Frank Beamer is fond of apologizing for not remembering some-thing from the past by saying, “that was a lot of fourth quarters ago.”

He hasn’t had many like the one No. 16 Virginia Tech put him through Monday night before beating Georgia Tech 20-17 in overtime.

Cody Journell kicked a 41-yard field goal as time expired to force overtime, then made a 17-yard field goal in the extra period for the vic-tory. The Hokies’ defense set up the victory by nearly burying Georgia

Tech quarterback Tevin Washington under a pass rush that caused him to try to throw the ball away, and he did — right to Hokies cornerback Kyle Fuller.

Even for September, and a season opener, the game could have huge implications in the Atlantic Coast Conference’s Coastal Division.

In the seven years the ACC has held a cham-pionship game, only the Hokies (five times) and Yellow Jackets have ever represented the division.

By Kevin EckleberrySports Editor

If veteran leadership is the key to having a success-ful offensive line, then the LaGrange College Panthers could be in trouble this season.

Of the five men who started against Birmingham-Southern on Saturday, four of them were sophomores, and was a junior.

That youth isn’t expected to be a disadvantage for the Panthers, though.

The players may be short on experience, but they have plenty of ability and size, with the linemen aver-aging more than 280 pounds.

“They’re very talented,” LaGrange College head coach Todd Mooney said. “They are sophomores, but they’re very good. When they play at their capability, it makes life a lot easier.

By Kevin EckleberrySports Editor

The LaGrange Grangers did a lot of things right Friday night, and they nearly walked away with what would have been an epic opening-night win.

The one thing the Grangers couldn’t do, though, was contain Newnan’s Tray Matthews, an explosive, game-changing kind of player who is going to make life miserable for opposing defenses this season.

Matthews only caught five pass-es during Friday’s game, but they went for a total of 145 yards, and three of them were for touchdowns.

There were a lot of reasons Newnan ended up winning 24-21 after falling into a 21-7 hole, but there’s no question Matthews was reason number one.

After making two scoring catches in the first half, Matthews had a 58-yard touchdown reception from Bailey Bryant in the third quarter that gave the

Cougars a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.“He’s committed to Georgia for good

reason,” LaGrange head coach Donnie Branch said. “He’s really good, and he was absolutely the difference in the

game. He just kind of physically took it over and made plays for his team. We had some guys make plays too, but he was above and beyond the call of duty for them.”

Also on Friday, the Troup Tigers were on the road, and they were also unable to come away with a win in their season opener.

Facing Redan in DeKalb County, the Tigers had a chance to win it late, but they were unable to con-vert and ended up on the short

end of a 15-12 decision.At Newnan, despite the big night for

Matthews, it was a game the Grangers could have won.

They had leads of 14-0 and 21-7 in the first half, and even after Matthews’ final touchdown, the Grangers only trailed

See PANTHERS | 12

See LOSSES | 10

See TECH | 12

KevinEckleberrySports Editor

Today

SoccerHuntingdon College women at LaGrange College, 7 p.m.

9 - Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Tough opening losses for local teams

LaGrange High run-ning back Benny Gray is brought down by a pair of Newnan defend-ers. LaGrange lost to Newnan 24-21 in the season opener.Newnan Times Herald

Banged up Troup team hangs in thereBy Kevin EckleberrySports Editor

If there’s a team that needed a few days off, it’s the Troup Lady Tigers.

At full strength, Troup got off to a 6-4 start and appeared poised to put together a strong 2012 season.

And then the injuries came, first to senior pitcher Taylor Morris, and then to a handful of other key players, including third baseman Alex Duncan.

A combination of the missing players and a tough schedule resulted in a five-game losing streak for the Lady Tigers, and they’d lost their first two Region 5-AAAA games heading into last week’s home matchup with Sandy Creek.

The Lady Tigers turned things around in that game, pulling away for a 16-8 victory and getting their first win since Aug. 18, which was also the last day Morris pitched in a game.

After that game on Thursday, head coach Blair Shimandle told the players to enjoy the Labor Day weekend and rest up and get ready for the home stretch of a

regular season that has just three weeks remaining.

“It was really needed,” Shimandle said of the break. “We (the coaches) need it, and they need it with the injuries. Sometimes you need the time off.”

This week, the Lady Tigers will return to action, and Shimandle is hoping some of the injured players will make their way back

into the lineup.Without question the player the

Lady Tigers have missed the most is Morris, the starting pitcher the past few seasons.

Morris went down with a bro-ken hand in the final game of the Callaway Classic against Heard County.

A pair of freshmen, Emily Green

The Callaway Lady Cavaliers bring a 2-1 region record into Wednesday’s game at Rockmart.

The Troup Lady Tigers will try to get a region win when they host Troup Thursday.

See TROUP | 10

Football team stumped in openerStaff reports

Birmingham Southern is the country’s 24th-ranked NCAA Division III team, and it showed why on Saturday afternoon against LaGrange College.

In the season opener for both teams, Birmingham Southern rolled to a 41-14 victory at home.

The Panthers did a solid job on preseason All-American running back Shawn Morris, who was held to 66 yards on the ground, but he also had a 79-yard touchdown catch.

The Panthers got 157 passing yards from quarter-back Ed Russ, who was also the team’s leading rusher with 70 yards.

Kent Gibson scored one of the Panthers’ touchdowns on a 13-yard catch, and he had 55 rushing yards, and Michael Jones added a 7-yard touchdown run.

The Panthers will look to get win number one when they host Millsaps on Saturday at 1 p.m.

SOCCER: The LaGrange College women’s soccer team fought Monmouth (Ill.) to a scoreless tie on Monday.

The Panthers are 1-0-1 on the season after beating Florida College 1-0 in their season opener on Friday.

In Friday’s game, former LaGrange Academy stand-out Mendi Kallam notched a goal in the second half, and that’s all the Panthers needed.

Young line a strength for the Panthers

Kevin Eckleberry | LaGrange Daily NewsLaGrange College’s Matt James protects quarterback Ed Russ dur-ing a game last season.

Tough opening loss for Jackets

Georgia Tech’s Orwin Smith looks for running roomSee OPENER | 12

by three.The LaGrange defense held Newnan

scoreless for the final quarter and a half, but the Granger offense was unable to put any points on the board after Mon Denson’s touchdown run in the second quarter.

Twice in the second half the Grangers found themselves deep in Newnan territo-ry, but one of those possessions ended with a missed field goal, and the final one ended with a failed attempt on fourth down.

“We played well defensively in the sec-ond half except for one play, and at times, it only takes one,” Branch said. “We’ve got a chance to be a good football team if we can skate through these first three tough games and learn how to win. You line up up and play (Newnan), the people we play down the road, it’s preparation.”

LaGrange plays Harris County Thursday before welcoming Thomson the following week.

The Grangers couldn’t have asked for a better start Friday night.

After recovering an onsides kick, LaGrange quarterback Zach Giddens threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Dee Smith barely a minute into the game.

Later in the quarter, Smith struck again, this time on a 38-yard scoring run, and Taylor Stanford’s second extra point put the Grangers up 14-0.

After Matthews struck for a 65-yard touchdown catch, Denson answered with a 51-yard touchdown run with 7:28 left in the first half, and the Grangers appeared to be in control at 21-7.

The Cougars responded with a 60-yard kickoff return, though, and a few plays later, Matthews scored on a 15-yard catch.

The Cougars added a field goal, cutting LaGrange’s lead to 21-17 at the half.

Midway through the third quarter, the Cougars grabbed the lead, and they didn’t give it back.

“They did a few things that we hadn’t seen. But we adjusted to it and we kind played well from that point on,” Newnan head coach Mike McDonald said. “It was

a big win. We showed some character and showed some guts.”

LaGrange displayed those same quali-ties.

Facing a stellar Class AAAAA team on its home field, the Grangers were right there until the end.

They lost, and nothing changes that obviously, but the Grangers appear to have made tremendous progress from a year ago when they lost to Newnan 27-6.

Outside of the big plays by Matthews, LaGrange’s defense was terrific.

“The defense played good the last quar-ter and a half,” Branch said. “We caused turnovers, we were physical. We quit giving up big plays, we played the screen. It was just a whole lot better.”

On offense, the Grangers were unable to maintain their early momentum, but they showed the ability to do a lot of damage through the air and on the ground against a big-time defense.

“Give LaGrange credit. They came to play,” McDonald said. “It took us a little while to realize it was a football game. It was your typical hard-hitting Newnan-LaGrange game.”

The Grangers now look forward, and they’ll try to get the season’s first win Thursday when they make their home debut against Harris County, which lost to Houston County 35-23 in its opener.

The Grangers will have one fewer day to prepare for the game than normal.

The players took the weekend off before getting back together on Monday.

“We’ll have three good days of practice and play a really physical, good Harris County team,” Branch said.

Troup, meanwhile, will look to bounce back from a tough loss to Redan.

The Tigers turned momentum in a big way in the fourth quarter and came within a whisker of getting their season under way with a win.

After falling behind 15-6 on a safety, Troup was in desperate straits with the clock ticking in the fourth quarter.

The Tigers got a break on the ensuing

free kick, though, when a Redan player fumbled the ball, and Troup took advantage of a short field and scored on a Lemonta Truitt touchdown run.

The Tigers went for two and failed on the conversion attempt, leaving Redan with a 15-12 lead.

Troup’s offense got another chance after taking over at its own 34-yard line follow-ing a Redan punt.

The Tigers moved down the field, and they made it to the Redan 10-yard line in the closing moments.

With time for one play, the Tigers eschewed the field-goal attempt and went for the win instead.

The pass from quarterback Will Smith was caught, but the receiver was just out of bounds, and Redan had the win.

Smith threw a first-half touchdown pass to Daryl Dunlap, and he looked poised and confident in his first varsity start.

The Tigers showed a lot of fight, and they came so close to snaring the win, but it wasn’t meant to be.

In practice this week, they’ll work on the things that kept them from getting that

win.The Tigers had some issues on special

teams.The lone touchdown Redan score came

in the first quarter when the ball was recov-ered in the end zone after a botched Troup punt attempt.

The safety also came as a result of botched punt.

There were plenty of positives, though.The defense, expected to be the strength

of the team, only allowed a pair of field goals.

The offense, led by Smith, moved the ball well, the Tigers just had some issues in the red zone.

This week, head coach Lynn Kendall and his coaches will be working diligently to get the Tigers ready to roll Friday night against Callaway.

The Callaway Cavaliers, meanwhile, were off Friday after their wild opener the week before against Heard County.

The Cavaliers lost 43-37, and working on tightening things up on defense was no doubt a major point of emphasis for the Cavaliers during their off week.

TroupFrom page 9

LossesFrom page 9

Sports10 - Tuesday, September 4, 2012

TUESDAY EVENING SEPTEMBER 4, 2012 7 PM 7:30 8 PM 8:30 9 PM 9:30 10 PM 10:30 11 PM 11:30

(2) WSB-2 ABC World News

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Fox 5 News at 10 p.m. Fox 5 News Edge

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Changing Seas

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Kevin Eckleberry | LaGrange Daily NewsTroup head coach Lynn Kendall keeps an eye on things during practice. Troup lost a 15-12 heart-breaker to Redan.

and Hanna Lane, have filled in on the mound in Morris’ absence.

“The circumstances aren’t the best, but we couldn’t ask for more out of the two freshmen,” Shimandle said. “They’re both great defensive play-ers.”

Shimandle said both players have done a nice job of playing catchup.

“Since (the injury to Morris), they’ve been out there every day throwing,” Shimandle said. “That’s huge. And it’s going to help them next year, too.”

While the team obvi-ously needs Morris back, Shimandle said she won’t be rushed back to the mound.

“We don’t want to break it again and her be out for her career,” Shimandle said. “Ultimately, we are looking at her future with that because she has the potential to go play in col-lege.”

Troup returns to region play on Thursday when it hosts Columbus, and it will participate in the Shaw Invitational in Columbus this weekend.

Also this week, LaGrange and Callaway will get back at it after their long holiday weekends.

LaGrange (9-3 overall), which has a 4-0 record in region play, will visit region foe Shaw on Wednesday before participating in the Shaw tournament.

Callaway will visit Region 4-AAA Rockmart on Wednesday before trav-eling to Jackson-Atlanta for another region game on Thursday.

Callaway (8-7 overall) brings a 2-1 region record into Wednesday’s game.

Tuesday, September 4, 2012 - 11LaGrange Daily News

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MANUFACTURINGMANAGEMENT CANDIDATEMountville Mills, Inc. is seek-ing a Manufacturing Manage-

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PanthersFrom page 9

Sports12 - Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Select Your Football PicksFOOTBALL CONTEST 2012

CONTEST RULES Each Tuesday through October 30th a selected game will be placed in each participating merchant’s ad within the football picks ad in today’s paper. Indicate which team you think will win by writing the team name beside the sponsor’s name on our offi cial entry blank in today’s paper. Entries may be dropped off at the LaGrange Daily News, 105 Ashton Street, LaGrange or mailed to the LaGrange Daily News, P.O. Box 929, LaGrange, GA 30240. Entries must be received by 12 p.m. on Friday to qualify for that week’s contest. No photo copies. The prize will be awarded weekly on the basis of most games selected correctly. In case of a tie, the tiebreaker (Closest guess to the total points scored in our featured game) will determine the winner. A drawing will be held if there is still a tie. You must be 16 years of age or older to enter. We allow only one entry per person. Participating sponsors, their families, employees of the LaGrange Daily News and their immediate families are not eligible to enter. Mailed entries must be postmarked by Thursday and received in the LaGrange Daily News offi ce by Monday. The paper is not responsible for lost or non-received entries. The decision of the contest judge is fi nal. Please allow up to six (6) weeks for processing of prize money. Check will be mailed directly to the recipient.

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“I’m anxious to see them go. We’re very fortunate I think with this group.”

Two of the linemen started a year ago, junior Matt James, the right tackle, and sophomore left tackle Stephen Stinchcomb.

Joining those two in the starting lineup are sophomore right guard Zach Piorkowski, sophomore center Scottie Connors and sophomore left guard John Harris.

Of the five primary backups, two of them are sophomores, and one’s a freshman.

The only senior listed on the depth chart is senior tackle Matt Hokanson.

James believes this line has come togeth-er quicker than is usually the case.

Although the Panthers lost 41-14 on Saturday, the offense had more than 300 yards.

“It takes an offensive line at least a season to gel together, but John Harris, Scottie Connors and Zach Piorkowski have all come in and really stepped up their abilities and what they can do on the field,” James said.

Stinchcomb said the “chemistry” among the linemen is tremendous.

“Me and Matt coming back, and then

having Scottie and Zach and John com-ing with us, we have such good chemistry now,” Stinchcomb said. “I feel like we con-nect more with this group because we’re all basically the same age. I’m 19 with the other guys.

“We all have basically the same mindset. We’re all working toward that same goal.”

Junior quarterback Ed Russ, who ran for 70 yards and threw for 157 more on Saturday, appreciates having five men lined up in front of him who can make his job a lot easier.

“It starts with our front five,” Russ said. “I don’t get my job done if they don’t do anything for me. I have a lot of confidence in them. I’m excited to have them in front of me.”

James, the old man of the group as a junior, said the sophomores all have ample maturity for their age.

“They’re 19-years-old, and they’re just starting in college football,” James said. “They’re very mature to play that position at such a young age.”

And as good as the group is now, it will only get better.

“This is just the beginning,” James said.

The Panthers dominated the game, outshooting Florida College 19-5, and they had an 11-2 edge in shots on goal.

LaGrange College’s men’s team, meanwhile, is 0-2 after losing to Huntingdon 2-1 on Friday and Talladega 5-3 on Monday.

In the Huntingdon game, Adrien Vakerics got the Panthers on the board with a goal in the 24th minute, but they were unable to hold that lead.

LaGrange College’s women’s team will be at home against Huntingdon today at 7 p.m., and the men will visit Warren Wilson (N.C.) on Saturday.

VOLLEYBALL: LaGrange College dropped all four of its matches in the Huntingdon College Jubilee in Montgomery, Ala. over the weekend.

The Panthers return to the court on Wednesday for a road match against Agnes Scott.

OpenerFrom page 9

The victory, because of tiebreakers, essentially gives Virginia Tech a two-game lead over the Yellow Jackets, though Beamer knows, it’s still early. Very early.

“I think you’ve got an advantage,” he said. “I don’t think there’s any question about that. A big advantage, but there’s a lot of football to be played.”

And, he hopes, a lot of it better football, especially by his offense.

The Hokies scored on their second series and seemed to be moving the ball with ease. Then they stalled on series after series until mid-way through the fourth quarter. They mustered only 326 yards of offense, severely taxing a defense that allowed just 288 to the Yellow Jackets’ vaunt-ed triple option.

But there were good signs, too, starting with the comeback, and the ability of Journell to shake off an earlier miss from 38 yards and make the big kicks.

“I really just try to clear my head of everything whenever I’m out on the field,” Journell said. “I just tried to let everything go and do what I needed to do.”

In the process, he pre-vented the Hokies from another crushing early season loss. They lost to East Carolina in their 2008 opener, Alabama in 2009 and Boise State in 2010, and in a season where some view them as national championship contenders, they couldn’t afford to start with a loss to an ACC division foe.

It seemed fitting to Beamer that Journell came through. Last sea-son, he missed the Sugar Bowl while serving a suspension for his arrest on felony breaking and entering charges. He later pleaded guilty to misde-meanor trespassing, and was reinstated under conditions set by athletic director Jim Weaver.

“Cody made a big mis-take and I thought he paid a tremendous price,” Beamer said. “But I think he knows that this is his family and we’re all pull-ing for him.”

Georgia Tech got the ball first in overtime, but Fuller was on the receiv-ing end when Washington tried to throw the ball away.

“We kind of gift-wrapped it for them in overtime,” Yellow Jackets coach Paul Johnson said.

Until then, Washington’s 10-yard scoring pass to Deon Hill with 44 sec-onds left in regulation had given the Yellow Jackets a 17-14 lead, capping a drive in which the quar-terback known for his feet had shown his arm is pret-ty clutch, too. Four plays before the touchdown, Washington was flushed from the pocket on a fourth-and-6 play from the Hokies 37, and after elud-ing a pass rusher, he found B.J. Bostic with three defenders around him for a 19-yard gain on the right sideline to keep the drive alive.

“He made some great plays on the last drive in regulation,” Johnson, who is 1-4 against the Hokies, said of his QB.

Then it was Logan Thomas’ turn, and he drove the Hokies to the 24 for Journell’s 41-yarder.

After Washington’s turnover, the only one in the game, the Hokies got runs of 6 and 18 yards from Michael Holmes on the first two plays to set up the winner.

“I thought we hung in there great,” Beamer said. “Those guys know what they’re doing. They’re tough all game. It’s a right-at-you ballgame.”

TechFrom page 9 Medlen brilliant

again for BravesATLANTA (AP) – The

Braves say their spring training decision to have Kris Medlen start the season in the bullpen was based on the right-hand-er’s innings limit in his return from elbow surgery.

That decision has allowed Medlen to emerge as the most dominant starter on the staff in the most important part of the season.

Medlen struck out a career high 12 to win his sixth straight decision and lead Atlanta to a 6-1 win over the Colorado Rockies on Monday.

Medlen (7-1) allowed five hits without a walk in his second complete game of the season.

Manager Fredi Gonzalez said Medlen had the same innings limit as Washington’s Stephen Strasburg.

Strasburg has thrown 156 1-3 innings and has only two more starts. Medlen has thrown only 104 innings and will be available if the Braves, the NL wild-card leader, make the playoffs.

“It was all limits to innings,” Gonzalez said Monday when asked about the decision on Medlen’s role. “It was basically the number that Strasburg is facing right now, 160 to 170, because they both were coming off the Tommy John surgery.

“Where do we want that 160 to 170 to end? Do we want it to end in October or do we want it to end in August?”

Medlen extended his streak of scoreless innings to 34 2-3 — the Braves’ lon-gest since Greg Maddux in 2000 — before the Rockies scored an unearned run in the seventh. He threw 111 pitches, including 85 strikes.

“He was terrific,” said Colorado manager Jim Tracy. “And he’s been ter-rific for a while.

“He had three pitches for strikes whenever he want-ed them. Unfortunately, with the way he’s been throwing the ball, we pret-ty much put him in a rock-ing chair right from the outset.”

Medlen appeared in 38

games in relief before mov-ing into the rotation on July 31. He is 6-0 with a 0.54 ERA in seven starts. He spent most of 2011 on the disabled list recover-ing from elbow ligament-replacement surgery on Aug. 18. 2010.

Medlen was 5-0 as a starter in 2010. The Braves have won his last 18 starts.

Medlen said adding a curveball as a starter has been “huge.”

“You can just attack guys so differently with an extra pitch, an effective pitch, too,” he said. “I got a cou-ple strikeouts with it.”

Medlen said he is glad he doesn’t have to worry about an innings limit, but he noted pitching in relief “was not easy on your arm.”

Atlanta catcher Brian McCann greets pitcher Kris Medlen after Medlen threw a complete game against the Rockies on Sunday.