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A Leader in the Growth and Progress of Claxton and Evans County
The Claxton Enterprise
Man and woman charged with burglary
WWW.CLAXTONENTERPRISE.COM
Vol. 103
Wednesday, October 7, 2015
COUPLE LINKED TO SEVERAL BREAK-INS
From staff reports
Christopher Parnell and Ronda Michele
Swartz, both Griffin, Ga. residents, were arrested and charged last week with burglary, a
felony. The charge is in regards to a burglary
that occurred on Jennie Station Road on Saturday, Sept. 26.
Evans County Sheriff’s Dept. is investigating Swartz and Parnell’s possible connection to
some other burglaries earlier in the month. The
couple are also under investigation for robberies
in Spaulding County.
“We had some burglaries … around the 15th,
17th [of September] and we’re looking at them
strong on those burglaries,” said Sheriff Randall Tippins. “Spaulding County has come
down and we have found some property in the
vehicle that belonged to burglaries up there.”
A black jeep in connection with the Jennie
Station Rd. burglary was spotted later that same
day, September 26, at a local pawn shop.
“When we arrived, the owner of the place that
got broke into had come and identified the property. It went downhill from there,” Tippins said.
Parnell became violent and resisted arrest.
He is facing obstruction charges as a result. He
continued to be aggressive with local officers
after his arrest. While under transport for a medical consultation later that evening - Parnell was
complaining of chest pains - he attacked a jailer.
“In the process of getting him to see the nurse
he attacked one of the jailers here,” Tippins
said.
Two days later, Parnell again attacked a
CANDIDATES
ADDRESS
VOTERS AT
FORUM
Candidates
responded to
questions
submitted by
local citizens
By Sarah Gove
Enterprise Editor
editor@claxtonenterprise.com
The Claxton Enterprise,
WCLA 93.7 and the Leadership Evans Alumni Association sponsored a live
candidate forum for local
municipal elections on Tuesday, Sept. 29, at the Veterans
Community Center.
Approximately 50 locals
attended to see what candi-
dates running for the office
of mayor in Claxton and
Hagan as well as candidates
running for city council in
Hagan had to say. Many
more tuned in to hear the
forum broadcast live on
WCLA.
Two questions each were
posed to four candidates
seeking two open seats on
Hagan City Council - Tom
McBride, Peter Cawthon,
Dean Finch and Gena
Roberts. Three questions
were posed to Matt Blocker,
Jeffery Wiggins and John
Womble, candidates for
Hagan mayor.
Forum moderators also
posed six questions to Terry
Branch and Luther Royal,
incumbent, both seeking the
see FORUM on page 2
Christopher Parnell
Ronda Swartz
jailer during a medical call. “He was subdued
… it’s going to result in felony obstruction
charges and aggravated assault,” Tippins reported.
Both suspects are now being held in Bulloch
County. In addition to the burglary charge, Parnell faces two obstruction charges and one aggravated assault charge.
By Sarah Gove
Evans Memorial Hospital board held their
monthly meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 22, reviewing the financial report for August, another low
volume month typical for the third quarter of
the calendar year. The hospital reported a revenue loss of $220,408.
“Typically the way it works is that we’re
busy January, February, March … that first calendar quarter is typically our best quarter in the
industry. Second calendar quarter is lighter.
Third calendar quarter in the industry is typieditor@claxtonenterprise.com
INDEX:
Opinions: Page 4, 5
Obituaries: Page 8
Classifieds: Page 9
Public Notices: Page 10
Business Spot: Page 14
© 2015 The Claxton Enterprise, Inc.
BLOOD DRIVE
TODAY!
A blood drive will be held
today from 2 p.m. - 7 p.m. at the
Veterans Community Center in
Claxton. The drive is sponsored
by Claxton Fire Dept. in memory of late Chief Larry Rogers
and Robbie Jernigan.
Fast Facts about
Donating Blood
• Someone needs blood every
two seconds.
• One pint can save three lives.
• Blood drives hosted by companies, schools, places of worship, and civic organizations
supply roughly half of all blood
donations in the U.S.
• If all blood donors gave just
three times a year, there would
rarely be a blood shortage.
Source: http://www.bloodcenters.org/blood-donation/factsabout-blood-donation/
Claxton mayoral candidates Terry Branch (left) and Luther Royal, incumbent,
(right) listen to a question from the moderators.
Homecoming
Parade at
2:30 on Fri.
Friday’s parade route will
turn right off Clark St. onto
Hwy. 280 and then left on
Church St. to Rosemary St. The
parade will cross Hwy. 129 and
turn right on Clark St., returning
to Claxton High.
Hagan mayoral candidates Matt Blocker (left) and Jeffery Wiggins (middle) look
on while John Womble (right) answers a question posed by the moderators.
HOSPITAL REPORTS A LOSS FOR AUGUST
Enterprise Editor
LOCAL NEWS
14 Pages, 75¢ Per Copy
cally our worst quarter and we’re in that,” said
Steve King, financial expert for ER Hospitals,
management company for EMH.
The hospital’s average net patient revenue is
approximately $1 million. If August had been
an average revenue month, the hospital would
have broke even. Operating expenses were reduced on the month.
“The delta between making money and losing money is not very great and you see that
play out over this year. We were doing great in
Q1, Q2. Q3 comes and we’ve lost money,”
King said. “You’ve got a seasonal period where
volumes are down in the facility.”
Since ERH took over operations of Evans
Memorial in January, loss from operations on
an EBITDA basis (earnings before interest,
taxes, depreciation and amortization) over the
eight month period is approximately $225,000.
For the same eight months last year, EMH lost
$1.38 million. “We’ve decreased the loss in
eight months by 84 percent,” King said. I
haven’t seen that level of turnaround, not too
often.”
In addition, January through March of 2015
included non-recurring expenses. “We didn’t cut
see EMH on page 2
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Early voting
begins Oct. 12
Early voting begins Monday,
Oct. 12.
Early voting for the City of
Hagan will be held at Hagan
City Hall.
Early voting for the City of
Claxton will be held at Claxton
City Hall.
Early voting/absentee voting
ends on Friday, Oct. 30. Election day is November 3.
N ote:
This paper was placed in
the mail to you on
Wednesday, Oct. 7. If it arrives late, please contact
your local post office.
Coupon Inserts
Inside!
• Food Fresh
• JC Penney
• Harveys
• Rite Aid
• CVS