Georgia Headlines

DOVER BLUFF — Stephanie Atkinson walked through the cemetery behind Mount Sinai Missionary Baptist Church to the far corner where her grandparents, aunts and uncles are buried. There are more Atkinson names on Mount Sinai tombstones than are in the phone book. A grave marker says John Atkinson lived from 1886 until 1950. “That’s my granddaddy’s daddy,” she said. Of Bessie Agent Atkinson, who died in 1984, she said, “That’s my granddaddy’s mother. Grandma Bessie.” Haize Atkinson died in 1989 at 75. “That’s my granddaddy’s brother,” she said. A healthy 39, Stephanie Atkinson probably won’t need a grave anytime soon, but when she does, she wants one among those of her family. And as a lifelong member of Sinai, she doesn’t want to have to pay for a final resting place. Since he became pastor 3½ years ago, the Rev. John Davis Perry has begun charging for and assigning plots. “He’s trying to keep me from my granddaddy,” Atkinson said. “He says he’ll decide where people are buried.” She and a lot of other folk also are unhappy about fees for opening and closing graves. It’s $1,000 for active members and $1,400 for non-members, now paid to the church instead of funeral homes. Some local funeral directors say that’s about what some private cemeteries charge, but those are regulated and must maintain cemeteries to state standards. One funeral director said most country churches don’t charge members at all and the fees are way out of line for the actual costs of digging and closing a grave. Perry’s wife, Diedre, who is the church administrator, sent letters to funeral home directors laying out the charges. She sent other letters, though, to some members telling them they won’t be charged for cemetery plots. “We value all you have done for Mount Sinai and the years you have faithfully served this church,” she wrote. Robert Atkinson didn’t get one of the letters. He grew up in Dover Bluff, was baptized in a stream between his house and the church and was a deacon until, as he puts it, Perry “stood me down.” He hears that the cutoff age for years of faithful service is age 65. He’s 64. “I’ve been there all my life. I left three years ago. I want to go back home. I really do,” he said. Perry said he has called a community meeting Monday night to explain the charges and hopes disgruntled members will meet him halfway. It’s good that he called it a community meeting because the church has been the center of life for the African-American families in Dover Bluff, east of Interstate 95, and Spring Bluff, west of it. The residents lived — and many still do — in simple homes with spacious yards shaded by big life oaks. It seems an odd place for a schism in a church, but Perry said such clashes aren’t all that uncommon when churches change. When he left his job as assistant pastor at St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church in Jacksonville and took over Mount Sinai, the church had 54 members. Now it has almost 300, many of whom drive from Brunswick, and the sanctuary was enlarged to accommodate them, he said. Many of those new members are in their 20s, Perry said, and they don’t do things the old way. There was a time when people took care of the family plots, and when the men of the church would hold a work day and clean the cemetery, he said, but no more. “We have a younger generation who come to church, hear the Word and go on their way,” he said. They ask, “How much is it going to cost?” because they’d rather pay someone else to do the work on the grounds, Perry said. As for the new fees, Perry said they are fair and will go toward cemetery upkeep. The cemetery has to be operated like a business, because it’s going to fill up someday and the church has to build up a fund to maintain it, Perry said. “If we’re doing anything in the name of God, we need to do it with excellence” and that includes the graveyard, he said. Asked what it takes to be an active member to avoid the fees, Perry said, “We define active as anyone who attends 75 percent of the services and pays tithes.” That’s an important requirement, he said, otherwise, “You aren’t going to [church] but you want the church to pay for the upkeep of the family plot.” It’s a strange thing to see people with good hearts clash. As Perry said, churches fight and, “They fight in the name of God.” Perhaps nothing is as emotional in any church as to where people are buried, the place you last saw a loved one’s casket lowered into the ground and covered over. The cemetery argument, and all that goes with it, could tear apart an old, old church that was and is the spiritual heart of a quiet and peaceable community. Now if they could just bury the hatchet.

A former Coffee County pastor has been arrested and charged with four counts of child molestation and two counts of aggravated child molestation. Investigators said Steven Rowe, 50, was pastor at First Community Church and headmaster at Faith Christian Academy in Douglas from 2002 until 2008. He is accused of molesting at least four children from 2005 to 2008, said Guy Wolfe, a Coffee County Sheriff's Office detective. Rowe was questioned Friday after Wolfe said a complaint was filed with the Department of Family and Children Services. Rowe was held after questioning and charged Saturday. He remains in the Coffee County Jail after bail was denied. Wolfe said the investigation is ongoing and he can't release many details, but he did say the victims were females. Investigators are asking parents to talk with their children if they were between the ages of 12 and 15 and attended the church or school while Rowe worked there. "There's potentially other victims out there, so it's really sensitive," Wolfe said. The church's interim pastor and headmaster at the academy, Ben Warren, said Rowe's arrest was briefly mentioned during Sunday's church services but the issue was not discussed in detail until parents gathered at the church Tuesday night. "I've known Pastor Rowe for years. It's a shock to everybody," Warren said. "We tend to elevate the pastor. It's a major breach of trust." Warren said parents were united in their support of the church and academy. He said Rowe's involvement with the church and academy had diminished the past 14 months because he was working at another school in Brunswick. Wolfe identified the school as Paxen Learning Corp. Richard Semancik, executive vice president at Paxen, said Rowe is no longer an employee because of his arrest. Both Wolfe and Semancik said they don't believe Rowe had inappropriate contact with students at the center because they are all at least 16 years old, which is the age of consent in Georgia. Warren said the issue will also be discussed with the 75 students enrolled at the academy. "Most of our students did not know him that well," Warren said. "We're going to do some teaching with our girls and boys on how to react when something inappropriate happens." gordon.jackson@jacksonville.com, (912) 729-3672

BRUNSWICK - Daryl Keon Jones spent his first day free on bail behind the closed doors and covered windows of his grandmother's weather-beaten home less than a quarter-mile from the home of the family of the 17-month-old girl he's charged with killing. A young woman who came outside told the Times-Union that Jones had no comment about his release or the charges against him. She didn't identify herself or her relationship to Jones before returning inside. Jones, 33, is awaiting trial on murder and felony cruelty to children charges in the death of Brianna Kichelle Hester. She died while hospitalized with severe head injuries on May 1, 2009. Brianna was the daughter of Kim Hester, who at the time was Jones' live-in girlfriend. Jones faces life in prison if found guilty of murder. He was jailed for nearly 16 months before being released Tuesday night on $25,000 bail set by Superior Court Judge Anthony Harrison, who also imposed a series of conditions for his release. Jones is confined to house arrest and must wear a real-time monitoring ankle bracelet that has a global positioning system device. Harrison granted bail because of Jones' deteriorating health. His medical condition made it no longer practical to continue housing him at the Glynn County Detention Center, according to Harrison's bail order. Jones has had kidney dialysis three times a week while jailed. By law, the county must pay for Jones' medical care while he's jailed. Those costs totaled nearly $305,000 for the fiscal year that ended June 30. That comes out to be about 35 percent of the Glynn County Sheriff's Office total budget for inmate medical care. His lawyer, James Yancey Jr., told a Glynn County judge Wednesday morning that money problems are also hampering Jones' defense. Assistant District Attorney Greg Perry, however, announced the state is ready to try Jones. Yancey told Superior Court Judge Stephen Scarlett during a hearing about the status of the case that he is not ready for Jones to stand trial. He said he is waiting for Harrison to issue an order authorizing money for the defense. Yancey previously told the Times-Union the money is needed to pay an expert to assist with the case. Jones was not required to attend the hearing and was not present. Scarlett said he would not get involved in the issue and instructed Yancey to take it up with Harrison. Until the issue is resolved, no trial date can be set, court officials said. Brianna's maternal grandmother, Debra Hester, led the family's opposition to Jones' release. They live within walking distance of where Jones is staying with his grandmother, who posted his bail. Debra Hester told the Times-Union she fears for her life and the life of her daughter, Kim, as the result of Jones' release. teresa.stepzinski@jacksonville.com, (912) 264-0405

  The Clay County Sheriff's Office has issued a Silver Alert for a missing 83-year-old Orange Park man who left his home Tuesday afternoon and has been out of contact since. William "Bill" McSwain suffers from sporadic bouts of dementia, according to the Sheriff's Office, and may be unable to find his way home. Law enforcement officials believe McSwain is driving his faded maroon 1992 GMC Sierra pickup with bed topper. Bank records show his credit card was used at 7:15 p.m. Tuesday night at a convenience store in Port Wentworth, Ga., leading the Sheriff's Office to believe McSwain had driven to the Savannah area and was unaware of his surroundings. Anyone with information about McSwain's location is asked to call 911 and report his location to authorities immediately. Clay County Sheriff's Office Det. Matt Edmonson, leading the investigation, can be contacted at (904) 264-6512.    

If Nathaniel Lee Bennett has a lucky number, it is not 2,000. The number has brought him the kind of statewide attention that nobody wants, especially someone trying to stay out of jail. Bennett, 35, of 1323 O'Berry Road in Millwood, was the 2,000th hit on the Georgia Bureau of Investigation's DNA database, known as the Combined DNA Index System or CODIS. Waycross police detectives arrested Bennett on an armed robbery charge Friday night after the DNA database linked him to blood found at the scene of a October 2008 holdup at a pizza restaurant, police Lt. Hilton Boyett said. Arrested without incident at his home, Bennett remained in custody Tuesday at the Ware County jail, Boyett said. The GBI said Bennett is accused of trying to rob the Papa John's Pizza in the 1000 block of Memorial Drive. In Georgia, a person can be charged with armed robbery even if the holdup attempt fails, as this one did. Boyett said a man armed with a stick was trying to get into the cash register when an employee hit him in the head with a mop handle. Shedding blood, the man ran from the building. Detectives recovered blood at the scene and submitted it to the GBI for analysis and inclusion in its DNA database, he said. Ware County court records show Bennett is on probation for two theft convictions in 2007, and felony possession of cocaine earlier this year. All felons on probation in Georgia have their DNA recorded on the GBI database, which led to police identifying Bennett as the robbery suspect. The DNA database has had 2,003 hits to previously unsolved cases. It has 214,375 profiles. Of those, 204,605 are from felons on probation, while 9,759 are evidence samples, records show. It took a decade for the DNA database to reach its 1000th hit, which occurred in August 2008. It only took two more years to reach the 2,000 hit mark. "The rapid increase in hits proves the value of DNA to law enforcement in solving violent crimes that otherwise may have gone unsolved. As the size of the DNA database increases, we expect and hope that this trend will continue," GBI Director Vernon Keenan said. The GBI began DNA testing in 1991, and implemented the index in 1998. At that time, state law allowed only DNA samples from people imprisoned for sex crimes. During the next two years, that database led authorities to solve 13 rapes and other sexual crimes by linking evidence to an incarcerated sex offender, he said. The program's current success stems from the General Assembly's decision in 2000 to expand the database law to include DNA from all felons in prison. In the first year after expansion, more than 70 cases were solved. Since 2000, burglary, with 826 hits, and rape, with 735 cases, are the top categories of crimes solved through the database. In 2007, the legislature expanded the DNA database law to include some felons on probation. Since then, the DNA database has connected probationers to 56 rapes, 64 burglaries, nine robberies, five auto thefts and two homicides, records show. teresa.stepzinski@jacksonville.com, (912) 264-0405

FOLKSTON - Curtis McCasland won't have to get used to hot summers and any power outages when he starts his new job Oct. 12 as the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge manager. McCasland manages the 860,000-acre Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge in southwest Arizona where 100-degree temperatures are common and wind storms knock out electricity on a regular basis just as thunderstorms do in Southeast Georgia. But it's the differences between the two refuges that McCasland said compelled him to apply for the Okefenokee job after former manager George Constantino retired in July. After a decade in the desert, McCasland said he wanted to work in an environment where he could use some of the wetlands education he got in college. "I'm intrigued with working in a black water swamp," he said. "It's an ecosystem I haven't worked in much. I want to learn as much about it as possible." McCasland, 42, started his career as a biologist for the U.S. Forest Service 14 years ago before the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service hired him. He has worked at Cabeza Prieta about 10 years, the past three as refuge manager. Fewer than 40,000 people visit it each year, he said. The Okefenokee is the largest wildlife refuge east of the Mississippi River, but at 402,000 acres is half the size of Cabeza Prieta. With an estimated 400,000 people visiting the swamp each year, McCasland expects to spend much more time interacting with the public. McCasland said his goal is to maintain good relationships with surrounding land owners, public officials and refuge staff. "The staff has been without a manager for a couple of months," he said. "The first thing is to make sure they are taken care of." McCasland considers Washington home, but he has lived in many states and overseas because his father was in the Air Force. His wife, Fatima, and two of his three daughters will move to Charlton County when he starts his new job. A third daughter will remain at college in Arizona, he said. Charlton County manager Steve Nance said he is confident McCasland will maintain a good relationship with local officials and residents. "It's been a good relationship," he said. "We look forward to working with him." gordon.jackson@jacksonville.com, (912) 729-3672

ATLANTA - Ashaunte Miller was standing around a car on a Savannah street with other men when police showed up and told them all to hold still. Miller began quickly walking away toward his mother's house next door, prompting Officer James Williams of the Savannah Chatham Metropolitan Police Department to wrestle him to the ground. Now the Georgia Supreme Court is considering arguments lawyer Michael Edwards made Tuesday that prosecutors not be allowed to use the fact that cocaine was found in his pocket because Williams didn't have a good enough reason for stopping him. Miller was on probation for possession of cocaine at the time of the arrest. And Williams noticed a gun in Miller's pants and found the crack cocaine during a "pat down" search. Before a trial on whether to revoke Miller's probation, Edwards convinced Chatham County Superior Court Judge Louisa Abbot that police didn't have sufficient reason for stopping Miller. She ruled the discovered cocaine couldn't be admitted as evidence in the trial. The Georgia Court of Appeals disagreed, noting that she had also acknowledged that the veteran officers testified that seeing a car with no tag and people tinting the outside windows was a typical way car thieves cover up the crime of theft. The car Miller was standing near did turn out to be stolen. Edwards told the Supreme Court on Tuesday that Abbot was correct and the Appeals Court wrong. A trial judge has to weigh the credibility of the officers testifying and an appeals court should defer to the judge's experience, he said. "The Court of Appeals completely ignored the credibility question," he said. Assistant District Attorney Christine Barker countered that the Court of Appeals was right to rely on the testimony of officers who said they stopped Miller and the others because they saw activity that looked suspicious in their judgment. Courts have ruled that police can detain people based on professional suspicions, but not without reason. The Supreme Court usually takes four to six months to render a decision. walter.jones@morris.com, (404) 589-8424

ATLANTA - Blacks have been disproportionately blocked from voting by a 4-year-old law that requires a picture ID prior to entering a voting booth, according to an attorney for the Democratic Party of Georgia arguing before the Georgia Supreme Court Tuesday. But an attorney hired by the state argued the law is constitutional and common sense. Democrats argue that 1,000 voters, mostly poor and black Democrats, weren't allowed to cast ballots in 2008's presidential election because they did not have a government-issued ID with their picture on it. Even more may have decided not to bother going to the polls without an ID. The whole law was part of a plan to suppress Democratic votes by the Republicans controlling the state government, according to Democratic lawyer Emmet Bondurant. "Without using the N word, without using class, without using race, what better way is there of doing it?" he asked. The state's attorney, Mark Cohen, said those 1,000 voters could have cast a provisional ballot and returned within 48 hours with an ID and their votes would have been counted. No one knows why they didn't return, he said, perhaps because the outcome of the election was clear by that night. Plus, the turnout among blacks set a record in 2008, meaning few were discouraged from voting, Cohen added. The two sides took 20 minutes each to make their case before Georgia's highest court. A similar case in federal court ended with the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals upholding the law last year, ruling it did not violate the U.S. Constitution. The party also sued in state court. In April of this year, a Fulton County judge ruled the law was permissible under Georgia's constitution, setting up the appeal pending before the seven justices of the state Supreme Court. "The [state] Constitution says you cannot be denied the right to vote if you are registered," Bondurant told the justices. The Constitution doesn't give the legislature authority to provide other reasons for preventing someone from casting a ballot, he argued. The state document only gives lawmakers power to set the manner of voting, such as time, place and type of machine. State officials who say IDs are necessary to prevent voter fraud are just making excuses, according to Bondurant. He notes that in the last 15 years, not a single case has been documented of a person impersonating a registered voter at a polling place. But Cohen said no one has been denied the right to vote because of the 2006 voter-ID law, noting that the federal case was thrown out largely because Democrats couldn't find a witness who was blocked from voting. "Not one Georgian has been located in all that time who could not vote due to this law," he said. Any registered voter can cast a ballot by mail without an ID, and the state issues free ID cards to anyone who asks, he said. If ballots could only be cast in person, the Democrats might have a point, he said. The high-court justices can take about six months to sort the arguments out and make a ruling. If it doesn't overturn the law before November's elections, the current requirements stay in place. walter.jones@morris.com, (404) 589-8424

BRUNSWICK — Debra Hester wants to see the man charged with murdering her 17-month-old granddaughter behind bars, not living freely near her neighborhood while he awaits trial. Daryl Keon Jones, 33, of Brunswick is awaiting trial on murder and felony cruelty to children charges in the death of Brianna Kichelle Hester, who died while hospitalized with severe head injuries on May, 1, 2009. Brianna was the daughter of Jones’ then-live-in girlfriend, Kim Hester, who is the daughter of Debra Hester. Arrested three days after Brianna died , Jones was released Tuesday night on $25,000 bail because of his deteriorating health. In addition, Glynn County can’t afford to continue paying for Jones’ medical care, which under the law, it must pay as long as he is in jail. “He’s an accused child murderer … and he’s going to be living less than a quarter-mile from my house. Just walking distance away,” Debra Hester said. Superior Court Judge Anthony Harrison set the bail and imposed a series of conditions for Jones’ release. Harrison cited Jones’ poor health in the bail order signed Sept. 1 and filed Tuesday morning in Glynn County Superior Court. “Because of the defendant’s deteriorating medical condition , he no longer poses a significant threat of fleeing …and he poses no significant threat or danger to any person, property or to the community,” Harrison wrote. “Further, because of the defendant’s medical condition, it is no longer practical to continue to house him at the Glynn County Detention Center.” Harrison declined to comment because the case is ongoing. Jones will live with his grandmother on Cahoon Street in Brunswick, the order states. That is way too close for comfort for Debra Hester. “I’m afraid for my safety and the safety of my daughter. He [Jones] knows our house,” she said. “He’s a desperate, dying man with nothing to lose, and they are going to release him from jail because of the budget. It’s absurd.” When Brianna died, she and her mother lived with Jones and his three children, then ages 3, 5 and 8, at his Lantana Court home. Jones was home alone with all four children when Brianna suffered fatal head injuries, Glynn County police have said. Kim Hester is no longer Jones' girlfriend. None of Jones’ children were injured. Kim Hester was in Jacksonville where she was a nursing student at the time. Debra Hester voiced concern Tuesday for Jones’ children, especially his son, who provided the Glynn County police with information that contributed to his father’s arrest. “He [Jones] shouldn’t be around children period,” she said.  Harrison set seven conditions for Jones’ release. He will be under house arrest and must wear an ankle bracelet with a real-time monitoring system and built-in global positioning system locator device. Jones must remain home except for court proceedings or medical treatment. Harrison forbade him to have any contact with Brianna’s family. He must report weekly by telephone with pretrial services officers. Jones also is forbidden to have any firearms, weapons or ammunition, and cannot drink alcohol, Harrison ordered. “He will faithfully and completely follow every order the judge has issued governing his release,” his lawyer, James Yancey Jr., told The Times-Union.  Jones has chronic health problems and has undergone kidney dialysis three times a week while jailed at the Glynn County Detention Center. As a disabled veteran, Jones could receive medical care at a Veterans Administration hospital at no cost to county taxpayers when he’s released on bail, authorities said.  Sheriff Wayne Bennett said Jones’ medical care cost the county $304,712 for the fiscal year that ended June 30. It would have cost about $100,000 more, if the county had not received a discount on some services, Bennett said. Bennett didn’t ask for bail to be given to Jones. The cost of his medical care, however, has been discussed during pretrial hearings, he said. Yancey has repeatedly asked for bail citing humanitarian reasons because of his client’s poor health. Prosecutors, however, have opposed bail. District Attorney Jackie Johnson declined to comment on the issue.  Appointed district attorney a month ago, Johnson met privately with the Hester family to update them on the status of the case Tuesday. She promised to notify them of developments, Debra Hester said. Jones was released after being fitted for his monitoring bracelet, officials said.  His trial has been postponed five times in the 16 months since his arrest, Debra Hester said.  Yancey said the delays are the result of problems obtaining funding to pay an expert to aid in Jones’ defense. He did not know when the case would be tried. teresa.stepzinski@jacksonville.com, (912) 264-0405

ATLANTA — Requiring a picture ID card to vote violates the state constitution, an attorney for the Democratic Party of Georgia told the Supreme Court today afternoon. But an attorney hired by the state argued the law is constitutional and common sense. The two sides took 20 minutes each to make their case before Georgia’s highest court. A similar case in federal court ended with the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals upholding the law last year. The party also sued in state court. In April of this year, a Fulton County judge  also ruled the law was permissible, setting up the appeal pending before the seven justices of the Supreme Court. “The [state] Constitution says you cannot be denied the right to vote if you are registered,” Democratic lawyer Emmet Bondurant told the justices. The Constitution doesn’t give the legislature authority to provide other reasons for preventing someone from casing a ballot, he argued. But Mark Cohen, on behalf of the state, said no one has been denied the right to vote because of the 2006 voter-ID law. “Not one Georgia has been located in all that time who could not vote due to this law,” he said.  

BRUNSWICK - Kimberly Pause Tucker loves weekend trips to the beach and taking nature walks, and having moved to Glynn County in early August she's in the perfect place for those pursuits. Not that she's had time. As a science professor at the College of Coastal Georgia, the 30-year-old Tucker has spent a lot of time indoors, teaching or working in her office, rather than out enjoying the natural surroundings. Tucker, who enjoys most things marine-related, has a doctorate in biomedical sciences from the University of Florida and a bachelor's degree in biological sciences from Florida State University. So far she has been too busy settling into her new home and her teaching job to stick her toes in the local beach sand or go for a boat ride on the Atlantic. She's eager to get back into an environment that she has enjoyed since childhood. "Growing up in [Boca Raton] Florida, all of the activities we did when I was a kid probably led me to what I'm doing now," Tucker said. "My family had a boat, and we spent a lot of evenings taking boat rides. We had kayaks, paddle boats - all those things." "I was really involved in Girl Scouts. My mom was our leader, so I had to do everything. We did a lot of beach cleanups and nature walks where we see all the wildlife on barrier islands. It was cool. I like learning about the environment." Now, as a first-year assistant biology professor in The School of Mathematics and Biological Sciences and one of 20 new faculty members at the college, Tucker is sharing her passions and knowledge with her students. Biological Sciences is one of the college's new majors as it makes the transition from a two-year community college to a four-year institution. Students in the major can specialize in coastal ecology, work toward becoming a teacher in biological science education at the secondary level or enter a pre-professional track for careers in medicine, bio-medical science, dentistry and other fields. Tucker, whose husband is working on his doctorate in science-related studies at the University of South Florida, said biological science is a perfect fit for the local college, especially as one of its early four-year programs. "Being the College of Coastal Georgia, it would be silly not to have a coastal ecology program," she said. "The college is going to attract students because it's on the coast, and there is so much we can do here that you couldn't do at an inland college. We can do so many things related to the ocean, marshes, barrier islands and so forth." This fall, Tucker is teaching introductory biology classes. Next semester, she will begin teaching genetics and marine biology and one state natural resources official is glad to see it. "It's long overdue and this is just the right place to do it,'' said Spud Woodward, director of the Coastal Resources Division for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. "We're excited about it. It's going to be a great opportunity to enhance our partnership with the college. We will have a lot of opportunities for their students to do on the job training, internships and be a part of the workforce for us,'' he said. The College of Coastal Georgia attracted her mainly because she could help establish the school's new biological science program while also being part of the college's overall expected growth in coming years, she said. "I applied several different places, but this was my top choice," Tucker said. "I'm really excited." And she has reason to be. While she was doing post-doctorate work at the University of South Florida, Tucker saw the institution "explode" in just 10 years. " I can see this place doing something similar and building a strong reputation as it gets there," she said. She hopes to develop an outreach program through the college to educate both children and adults about marine life through fun-filled activities such as nature walks and trips to the seashore. She said her plan would be to have students help organize and run the events. "When I was at Florida State, we had a Saturday at the Sea program, where we taught coastal ecology to middle-school kids," Tucker said. "A lot of the kids had never been to the ocean, and they lived in Florida." Tucker also hopes to educate her students and others about one of her favorite underwater mammals, the manatee. While pursuing her doctorate, Tucker researched the population genetics of the Florida manatee. Commonly referred to as sea cows because of their size - they can weigh more than 1,000 pounds - manatees are listed as endangered species by the federal government. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission recently reported a huge increase in death rates of the Florida manatee, resulting in a record population decline in the last two years. Although the main causes of manatee deaths are human-related such as boat strikes, habitat destruction and human objects, many die naturally from water temperatures and disease. Tucker said it is important for people to respect manatees and marine life and protect the natural environment. "I just think it's cool to know that a mammal can live under water like a fish," she said. "It's important to preserve marine life for future generations. We should want to be able to show them all the neat things we've seen."

ATLANTA - Two government panels are crisscrossing the state this summer to solicit opinions from the public about their pocketbook, which raises the question of how much impact citizen comments will ultimately have. One is the tax-reform committee created by the General Assembly and the other is the Public Service Commission, which is considering requests from two statewide utilities for rate increases totaling more than $1 billion. Neither series of hearings is routine. The PSC normally meets in Atlanta before a room full of the same lobbyists and attorneys each month. If a member of the public addresses the five-man panel about rates, it's usually because an Atlanta preacher had trucked a few folks over to make a point, but that happens only about once every couple of years. The legislature hears from even more lobbyists, and demonstrations on the Capitol steps are a little more often, but actual testimony from members of the public is still not routine, especially before the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee. So, it's noteworthy that these two series of public meetings are being held in such cities as Augusta, Savannah, Macon and Rome. They both wound up in Savannah the same night by coincidence. Will they listen to what's being said? Naturally, few people are going to argue for higher taxes or utility rates. But neither panel will be able to merely weigh the comments on one side of the issue against those on the other. For example, A.D. Frazier, chairman of the tax-reform committee, has warned not to expect its recommendations to be revenue-neutral because the state government needs to replace so much income lost since the recession. He even dampened the hopes of conservative legislators who sponsored the whole exercise by saying elimination of the state income tax probably isn't possible for the same reason. The four economists on the committee agreed to six principles of a good tax system, principles they say should form parameters for any recommendations to lawmakers. They say the system should foster economic growth, be efficient, provide stable revenue to the government despite recessions, be simple, be fair, and be logically thought out. The ramifications of some of those principles are likely to run counter to what the public may suggest in the field hearings. For instance, the laudable goal of fairness could be interpreted to nix tax breaks for the elderly, notes panel member Jeff Humphreys, an economic forecaster at the University of Georgia. Providing stable revenue seems reasonable enough by preventing government leaders from having to make politically difficult cuts in services and personnel during lean budget years like we're currently experiencing. After all, demand for some government services usually rises as a result of recessions while others, like schools and prisons, remain constant regardless of the economy. It's just that taxpayers' abilities to fund those services decline when the economy slumps. Sales taxes automatically drop when worried consumers save rather than spend, as is currently the case. They don't stop eating, though, and fluctuations in the sales tax became exaggerated when the tax on food and drugs ended, leading to the first years in which state revenues were no longer growing without interruption. Many conservatives have favored popular mechanisms to lower taxes as taxpayers' resources shrink. One example: a new law that requires local governments to annually adjust property assessments as home values decline. It's a bet the committee isn't hearing anyone asking to pay taxes again on groceries and prescriptions or to end the new exemption on retirement-plan income. Yet, balancing its principles, public sentiment and politics means something will have to give. "At the end of the day, we've got to get 29 votes in the Senate and 81 votes in the House to pass it," Frazier said. "Otherwise, it will be a waste of time." He forgot to mention what Gov. Sonny Perdue calls "the last vote." The new governor will get a veto, and both Democrat Roy Barnes and Republican Nathan Deal are running on their own tax plans which are likely to take precedent over the committee's recommendations if there is a conflict. The PSC has other constraints, namely the law. Courts have ruled that the commission must only consider sworn testimony in judging the merits of a rate case. The courts have also concluded that monopolies are entitled to cover their actual costs and make a fair profit. "Public comments are not testimony taken under oath. They have to base their decision on the record evidence," said Deborah Flannigan, the commission's executive director. "There's a lot of gray area. I think the public comment comes into play when they are making those decisions that are a public-policy call [like how much profit is fair] rather than when they are making the actual calculations [on costs]." The commission votes on the rate requests months from now, and the tax panel formulates its legislative recommendations near year's end, too. In the meantime, they're in listening mode, but there may be limits to what they can do with what they hear. Walter Jones is Atlanta bureau chief for The Times-Union and has been covering Georgia politics since 1998. walter.jones@morris.com,  (404) 589-8424

BRUNSWICK, Ga. — Joe Iannicelli’s employees call him Mr. Joe. And his company headquarters beside U.S. 17 is nothing fancy. It has a nondescript lab, some old equipment under a tall lean-to and an unassuming office lobby. You wouldn’t know from appearances that Iannicelli, 81, holds a doctorate in organic chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and has more than 50 patents listed at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.  Two of his three most recent hold enormous promise for nuclear energy production and for environmental cleanup. Sitting in his modest office recently, with the patent certificates, complete with foil seals and scarlet ribbon, stacked neatly in front of him, Iannicelli told the stories behind them. Improving concrete The first, for the process of manufacturing monobasic potassium phosphate, was issued to him and Joseph Pechtin  and assigned to his company, J.I. Enterprises Inc. It began as an order from PotashCorp to mix potassium hydroxide and phosphoric acid “one-to-one molecularly” and for Iannicelli to use his company’s spray driers to convert the resulting liquid to a powder that could be mixed with cement. “I knew it wouldn’t work,” he said. He was right. There was a violent reaction: The mixture crystallized and clogged his equipment. “I said, 'I’d like to give you a free test when we have a break in our schedule,’” he said. “We just let it cool down, ran it through our homogenizer and ran it again. It worked,” he said. So what is the resulting powder good for? As an additive, it triples the hardness of cement and the resulting mix sets in only three hours, Iannicelli said. It can be used in construction to make superstrong buildings quickly in earthquake zones, Iannicelli said. “It also absorbs gamma rays,” he said. That means it can be used for nuclear containment vessels without the need for lead shields, he said. Finding value in meltwater Another patent, issued March 30 for Iannicelli’s method for “sub-glacial mineral reconnaissance and recovery,” came with an unwanted adventure. For more than 10 years, Iannicelli had known glaciers ground the stone beneath them into fine powder. He suspected that water beneath glaciers carried traces of minerals that could be detected in tests. When he and his wife vacationed at Glacier National Park in Montana, Iannicelli collected water for testing. Not that it was easy. To get to the glacier, they had to ride a ferry across a lake, hike cross country to another lake for another ferry ride and take another hike. Suffering with a bad hip, Iannicelli couldn’t keep up with the pace on the return trip. Back home, he tested the meltwater and, as he suspected, he found cobalt, chromium, zinc, copper, lanthanum and other minerals. When he submitted his patent, he told examiners the melt- water had come from an environmentally sensitive area. “I didn’t tell them it came from a national park,” he said. Asked how he planned to get to the water under the glaciers, Iannicelli thought the answer was obvious. “I told them you just drill,” he said. “Ice is much easier to drill through than rock.” He seems mystified that for all the hundreds of research projects going on with glaciers, no one thought of prospecting. A toxic success His most recently issued patent came July 27 for his “method and composition for sorbing  toxic substances.” Iannicelli figures that patent may be among the most important of the 50 or more he holds in the U.S. because the composition he uses is red mud, the nasty byproduct of processing bauxite ore to produce aluminum. It has been known for some time that bauxite, which has its share of heavy metals and toxic substances, absorbs others, Iannicelli said. The problem with red mud, Iannicelli said, is “the stuff is so alkaline, it leaches into groundwater and contaminates wells.” But Iannicelli decided to try “sulfidation,” adding a small amount of sulfides to the red mud. The result was that it not only continued to absorb other hazardous substances, it did not release them — and the red mud can be hardened into brick to stabilize it, he said. In tests, the sulfidized red mud absorbed mercury, zinc, lead, arsenic and cadmium among others and retained it. “The more concentrated the mercury, the better it works,” he said. Iannicelli is considering an array of applications from decreasing the cost of scrubbing mercury from coal-fired power plant smokestacks and cleaning water discharges. He already is offering a free test to a pulp mill that discharges badly discolored water into a river. More than science Although known locally as a brilliant scientist, Iannicelli has gained attention in other ways. He was jailed three days after Christmas for contempt for refusing to pay $68,795 he owed his ex-wife from their divorce 38 years ago. Three other judges had refused to find Iannicelli in contempt over the years, but his ex-wife’s lawyer, Nathan Williams, finally found one who would, E.M. Wilkes III. Iannicelli had vowed that his ex-wife and her lawyer would not get one dime because his former spouse had violated the court order herself by dumping their children. He vowed to waste away in jail rather than pay, but his current wife, worried about his health, paid the outstanding alimony against his wishes. Now Iannicelli is working to unseat Nathan Williams’ mother, Chief Superior Court Judge Amanda F. Williams, who is opposed by Mary Helen Moses in November’s election. Spending time in jail is in sharp contract to other items in his 10-page resume. He served on the Glynn County school board from 1998-2002 and was chairman in his final year. It was one of the most tumultuous times in the school board’s history, with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools threatening to yank the school system’s accreditation because members of the board overstepped their authority. He has plenty of friends, however, including many in high places. He lost an important one when Senior U.S. District Judge Anthony A. Alaimo,  a man revered in the community, died about the time Iannicelli was jailed. He headed the Jekyll Island Citizens Association from 1993-95, was president of the Georgia Tidewater Conservation Association from 1991-92 and once was foreman of a county grand jury. Tice Eyler,  a retired Navy captain and also a member of the Jekyll Island association, said his friend Iannicelli always remains true to his convictions and is quick to rely on the courts when he’s wronged. Local organizations are grateful for his loans of his collection of vintage Cadillac convertibles, especially for Veterans Day parades. “It’s not just two cars, it’s four or five if we need them, always polished up and looking sharp,” said Mike Browning, chairman of the Veterans Council of the Golden Isles. The veteran of the year and featured speakers ride in the Cadillacs as do elderly World War II veterans who can no longer march in the parade. “It’s just a fine example of what a person can do for their community, and he does it every year,” Browning said. Ira Glass of National Public Radio’s “This American Life’’ has collected information on Iannicelli for a future segment. “He asked people who was the most interesting character on Jekyll Island. They said, 'Joe Iannicelli, but don’t tell him I told you,’” Iannicelli said, laughing. terry.dickson@jacksonville.com, (912) 264-0405

ATLANTA — Labor Day has traditionally meant more about the end of summer and the start of football games and school for Brunswick-area workers rather than a period of reflection on their job prospects. But the lingering effects of the most recent recession have changed everything. The weekend began with Friday’s release of the national unemployment rate which rose slightly to 9.6 percent. Officials haven’t released the state and local figures for August. What the state Department of Labor has made public is a snapshot of the metro Brunswick work environment. For example, the area’s average annual wage of $37,500 is below the state average of $45,500 and well under the national number of $49,000. That’s largely because the top two employment sectors are tourism and retailing, followed by health care/social assistance, education and public administration.  Manufacturing, a sector that generally offers higher pay and benefits and frequently sparks spinoff jobs, is the area’s No. 6 employer with about one-third the jobs as tourism. Brunswick’s 9.7 percent unemployment rate for June and July doesn’t reflect the return to work by out-of-work construction crews because it was offset by the increase in layoffs in transportation-equipment manufacturing, according to Mark Watson, assistant director of workforce analysis at the state department. Plus, local government shed nearly 200 jobs in July. But factories are beginning to hire again, according to Gretchen Mauney, branch manager of the Manpower employment service in Brunswick. “Our markets are showing sizable improvement, year over year,” she said. “I’ve seen a positive trend. I can’t say it’s a steady trend, though.” Often temporary workers get the first call because employers unsure of the long-term prospects of the economy have fewer qualms about letting temps go if management guesses wrong. “They’re still gun-shy to hire to the permanent side,” Mauney said. “The Great Recession is reaping a bitter harvest of jobs, hopes, and dreams,” wrote Georgia Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond in a recent column. “Americans fortunate enough to be gainfully employed are haunted by fear and anxiety, which are the debilitating byproducts of widespread economic uncertainty.” Thurmond blames executives’ distrust of Washington politicians with their decision to hold onto cash rather than investing it in factories or new hires. But some large employers are using their cash to steadily head to the state. Their numbers aren’t up to the pre-recession level of 2006 when they announced 25,000 new jobs through $5.8 billion in capital. Still, for the 12 months ending in June, large companies announced 19,000 new Georgia jobs and an investment of $3.7 billion, less than the peak but still an increase of 11 percent in hiring and a healthy 47 percent boost in capital. Even better news is that the number of companies considering sites in Georgia has grown 140 percent since 2006, a pipeline of sorts for new jobs that typically takes 18 months to travel from end to end. “We are in a very strong pipeline,” said Heidi Green, Georgia commissioner of economic development. Nationally, too, companies are hiring again, just not fast enough to overcome the end of census workers’ jobs and other government layoffs. “We have now added private sector jobs for eight straight months, totaling 763,000 private sector jobs since the beginning of the year,” said U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis. “While we need to pick up the pace of recovery, erase the job losses and get Americans back to work, this encouraging growth shows that we are headed in the right direction.”  walter.jones@morris.com, (404) 589-8424

ST. MARYS - James Daniel Holloway of Jacksonville sat under a picnic shelter Wednesday at Crooked River State Park. Spread on the ground in front of him were several slices of torn and crumpled white bread. He comes to the park regularly, particularly on Wednesdays when admission fees are waived at Georgia State Parks, to feed the birds. Blind for most of his life, the 44-year-old Holloway likes to feel the rush of air off the birds' wings as they swoop in for a free meal; he listens for the rustle of feathers and imagines what it must look like when his visitors snatch up a morsel and take flight. 'I don't stick my hand out - they might peck it - but I know the birds are there," he said. Living on a fixed income, Holloway is concerned about a recent proposal by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources to eliminate wonderful Wednesdays, the single day each week when the $5 cost of admission per car, actually a parking fee, is not assessed. Along with caretaker Lorraine Allen, Holloway visits parks all over Southeast Georgia and Northeast Florida, but Crooked River is their favorite because it is so spacious. Situated along the river, the park features spectacular scenery, fishing, walking trails, a miniature golf course, and, of particular interest to Holloway, plenty of noisy birds. "Every now and then, we come up here on another day, but it's mostly on Wednesdays," Allen said. "We might have to cut back our visits if they start charging us to get in." According to a DNR release, "the proposal is in response to the state's budget crisis and the Georgia General Assembly's direction for the state park system to become more self-sufficient and less reliant on state general funds." The DNR board will vote on the proposal at its Oct. 27 meeting in Savannah. The practice of waiving the $5 fee has been in effect since 1992, the year the DNR started selling annual passes, which now cost $50. Retiree Joe Norton of Harriett's Bluff said that the people who would be hurt most by the measure, ironically, already are victims of the bad economy. Norton was fishing at Crooked River on Wednesday with his yellow Lab, Bill, but a blustery wind had limited their catch to a single whiting. "This would not be good news to retired and unemployed people who don't have a lot of disposable income," Norton said. "It might be a good idea to keep it free just because of that." The DNR has estimated that free Wednesdays cost the state $400,000 annually, but attendance at three Southeast Georgia parks seems to tell a different story. Jay Lewis, manager of General Coffee State Park near Douglas, said few take advantage of the free day. "In general, we don't receive a bigger attendance boost on Wednesday than we do on any other day," he said. "Tuesday through Thursday, our visitation is about the same, but it picks up on weekends." In fact, Lewis said, most Wednesday visitors who come to the park to see the 1880 heritage farm, fish in the pond or go on a horseback ride aren't aware of the price break and either try to pay at the office or pay at an honor system drop box. "We will refund their money if they ask," he said of those who pay at the drop box, "but most don't. I've only had three or four in the past 18 years who have asked for their money back." Bob Boyne manages Laura S. Walker State Park near Waycross. The park pulls in visitors who want to ski or boat on the 120-acre lake, take a leisurely bike ride or walk the nature trails. "We have somewhat of an increase on Wednesdays, pretty much in the summer only," he said. "I wouldn't characterize it as large, though." At Crooked River, weekdays are good for quiet reflection in a beautiful natural setting. "Weekdays are pretty slow," Assistant Manager Jessica Aldridge said. "I can't say that I've noticed much difference on Wednesdays than on other weekdays." The DNR hasn't made a final decision on the proposal and will allow the public to have a say. In the meantime, the few visitors to the parks on weekdays appreciate their amenities and serenity whether they pay or not. "We're lucky to have a nice state park down here," said Chuck Walters, who lives near Crooked River and who bought two annual passes. "I come out here every other day and go for a walk with my black Lab, Trooper. They do a heck of a job of keeping this place nice and clean." The DNR board is accepting public comment on ending free Wednesdays the following ways: - In person at the board's Oct. 27 meeting at 9 a.m. at the Holiday Inn Express, 199 E. Bay St., Savannah. - Online by Oct. 22 at bit.ly/9F48Mi. - By mail to Sherry Crew-Jay, confidential secretary, Parks and Historic Sites Division, Suite 1352 East, 2 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Atlanta, GA 30334.