Year in Review: A look back at the highlights of 2018

2018 was a year filled with memorable happenings and compelling stories. You’ll be reading a recap of Sky’s top news stories from throughout the year. You’ll read everything from an officer-involved shooting that left one attacker dead to a teacher who was arrested for being intoxicated at prom. So get ready to go back in time as we take a look back at the year of 2018.

Up first, barely a month into the year an unfortunate incident occurred in the City of Clayton that later went on to make national headlines.

At approximately 3:09 a.m. on February 1, a Clayton Police Officer initiated a traffic stop for speeding in a Honda Accord on Georgia Highway 441 South in Clayton. The vehicle was traveling 68 mph in a 45 mph zone. Immediately upon attempting to stop the vehicle, the Accord accelerated and a chase ensued.

The Accord turned onto Rickman Road and ultimately crashed on a private drive at 547 Warwoman Road, Clayton, Georgia.

Upon arriving at the scene, the officer gave verbal commands for the subject to remain in the vehicle. The subject exited the rear window and made his way onto the roof of the vehicle. The subject then, armed with a knife, jumped off the hood of the vehicle towards the officer.

The subject advanced towards the officer, swinging the knife, at which time the officer fired multiple gunshots at the subject. The subject was struck and died at the scene.

Along the lines of unfortunate events, one family lost their entire home when they were awakened by flames after they noticed the ceiling concaving.

Rabun County Fire Services responded to a report of a home fire with subjects trapped at 2:08 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 26. Stations one, five and 12 were dispatched to the structure fire on 40 Parker Robinson Lane with dispatch advising initially that there were people trapped.

After the first units were en route, dispatch advised that the homeowners were out of the building. Engine one arrived shortly after to find the approximately 1000 square foot home had been completely engulfed with fire. The homeowner told dispatch they were awakened by a booming when the ceiling began to fall in.

They were able to escape and upon fire services arrival, it was obvious that there had been an explosion with the exterior walls blown away from the structure on the left side and insulation found in a tree beside the house.

Station six was requested after the initial assignment for manpower and another tanker. Personnel was on scene for approximately three and a half hours. Rabun County Sheriff’s Office was called to investigate due to the nature of the call.

The homeowners were taken to the American Red Cross for assistance.

Along the lines of Law enforcement and in regards to the officer related shooting, Police Chief Andy Strait of the Clayton Police Department asked and received body cameras from the Clayton City Council back in the middle of February.

WatchGuard, the leading manufacturer of police video systems, equipped all patrol officers with body cams in the amount of $7,310. The funds for the body cams were made possible not only by the Clayton City Council and community support, but the Clayton Police Department also raised more than a quarter of the funding.

Another newsworthy event of 2018 that occured two times throughout the year were the Dillard House Fires.

The first fire occured back on March 21 just after midnight. Concerned motorists began calling dispatch advising that the Dillard House had caught fire, but in fact, it had been a storage building on the property that had been engulfed in flames.

Social media posts on Facebook ran rampant as rumors began to spread that the historical Dillard House had burned completely to the ground.

After confirming with local officials and from a first-hand eye-witness account, the rumors proved untrue, although, a maintenance building had indeed caught fire at around 12:30 a.m. Wednesday morning.

The storage facility had been home to lawnmowers, chainsaws and other groundskeeping equipment according to multiple employees at the Dillard House – some of which were filled with gas which only fueled the fire worse according to Rabun County Assistant Fire Chief Justin Upchurch.

Multiple agencies assisted the Rabun County Fire Department such as the Franklin Fire Department from North Carolina, who brought along with them a ladder truck which was used to distinguish the structure fire with a hose from above the building.

Most recently, the Dillard House experienced another fire, this time taking down a few motel rooms in the blaze.

The day before Christmas Eve, December 24, multiple fire departments including Rabun County were dispatched to a report of a fire located at the Dillard House.

According to Assistant Fire Chief Justin Upchurch, on Sunday, Rabun County Fire Services Station’s 1, 5, and 12 and the Otto Fire Department from Macon County, North Carolina responded to a report of a fire at the Dillard House in one of the motel buildings.

The Franklin Fire Department was requested to respond with their ladder truck.

Upchurch said the first units on scene advised of fire and heavy smoke coming from the end of the motel. The fire appeared to have traveled into the attic space and was burning above the motel rooms.

Station’s 6 and 9 were requested to respond due to no hydrants being located in the immediate vicinity of the complex.

Upchurch said the fire ultimately breached the roof before being brought under control at 1:43 p.m. Two rooms sustained heavy fire damage at the end of the building and two more had smoke and water damage. The last units left the scene at 4:25 p.m.

Upchurch said the restaurant has not been affected but more than half of the motel rooms received some sort of damage from the fire.

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As Winter faded away and the frost melted, making way for green leaves and springtime flowers, a number of newsworthy events occurred.

In government-related issues, back in the early days of April, the Board of Commissioners joined several other rural counties in the fight against opioid manufacturing companies.

Multiple surrounding counties including Rabun joined in on the fight against large label opioid manufacturers by waging war with a 176-page lawsuit targeted towards general practitioners and family doctors who overprescribe narcotics.

The Board listened to Blasingame, Burch, Garrard and Ashley Attorney Drew Hill who briefed the commission about the opioid epidemic and what other counties are doing to take action.

Counties Cook, Decatur, Clarke and Hall are just a few among the many in Georgia who filed a lawsuit against more than two dozens drug makers and distributors for misrepresenting the addictive risks of prescription opioids while fraudulently marketing the drugs as a cure for chronic pain. The cost, the suit said, has been an increase in opioid-related addictions and deaths.

The suit alleges these marketing campaigns targeted general practitioners and family doctors who lack the expertise and time to monitor high-risk opioid patients. It also accuses pharmaceutical companies of failing to halt and report suspicious orders of prescriptions opioids, which could potentially be redistributed through illegal networks.

In other springtime highlights, On April 10, two Clayton Police Department officers were recognized for their dedication to DUI enforcement.

Officers Michael Bennett and Travis Gibson were both recognized by MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) which is a nonprofit organization that seeks to stop drunk driving, support those affected by drunk driving, prevents underage drinking, and strive for stricter impaired driving policy, whether that impairment is caused by alcohol or any other drug.

Both officers received accolades and awards for their tremendous hard working in keeping intoxicated motorists off of the roads. Bennett received a Bronze Award with 31 DUI arrest and Gibson, a Drug Recognition Expert (DRE), also received a Bronze Award with 25 DUI arrest and 30 DRE Evaluations.

In addition, Travis was selected for the DRE State of Georgia Officer of the Year award.

Another newsworthy story of 2018 startled the community when they learned that one brother out of two that were arrested in connection with a July 14 wreck which claimed the life of Marshall Wayne Turpin, had been released on bond.

According to Rabun County Detention Center personnel, James Cody Smith, 22, was released on $50,000 bond and ordered to wear an ankle monitor as set by the Rabun County Superior Court on April 18.

On July 14, a vehicle occupied by the Smith brothers, of Lakemont, intentionally struck a vehicle occupied by Turpin, 18, on East Wolf Creek Road, which resulted in the death of Turpin, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI).

(James) Smith was taken into custody by the Rabun County Sheriff’s Office after a multi-month investigation led by the Mountain Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office, Rabun County Sheriff’s Office, Georgia State Patrol, GBI and was charged with one count of felony murder and four counts of aggravated assault.

A huge accomplishment for local law enforcement in the year 2018 was the role they played in “Operation Jaw Breaker.”

During the course of this multi-agency investigation, the Rabun County Sheriff’s Office was able to seize approximately 1.4 pounds of methamphetamine, 3.5 ounces of heroin, 5 grams of cocaine, various equipment and substances used to manufacture methamphetamine and heroin.

Nichols said the operation, which resulted in the arrests of more than a dozen individuals who had a connection with the multi-state methamphetamine drug ring, would not have been successful without the trust and teamwork that was built through multi-agency and multi-state law enforcement departments in neighboring counties.

Another story that went on to make national headlines will be remembered by the class of 2019 for years.

For some students who attended the Rabun County High School 2018 Prom, they may not only remember the glitz and glamour but may also recall it as the night their teacher was arrested for public drunkenness.

The incident occurred on Saturday, May 5 located at the Rabun County Civic Center in Clayton.

At the request of the Rabun County Sheriff’s Office, an officer with the Clayton Police Department arrived on scene at approximately 11:58 p.m. after an initial call from the complainant was received.

Upon law enforcement arrival, they met with High School Principal Jonathan Gibson and discovered that an intoxicated teacher was inside at the Rabun County High School Prom.

Local authorities located the teacher inside and learned his name was John Kilby of Tiger.

According to the report, officers immediately noticed his bloodshot and watery eyes and could smell a very pungent odor of alcohol as they approached Kilby, 32. Upon Kilby’s consent, a breath sample was administered by officers which indicted a positive sample of .124 after four failed attempts from Kilby shielding the mouthpiece with his tongue.

Kilby was promptly placed under arrest for public drunkenness and was transported to the Rabun County Detention Center.

Kilby was terminated from his position at RCS.

Of the more positive happenings to take place throughout the year, Rabun County Fire Services received a brand new fire boat.

Fireboat 4 housed at  Rabun County Fire Service Station Lakemont-Wiley, was fabricated with military grade features, such as an on-shore docking feature, as well as a drop-down gate that will aid in making the process easier for loading the hurt and injured onboard.

It even saw its first mission on July 28 when Fireboat 4 had its first opportunity to extinguish a blaze that engulfed a boat on Lake Rabun.

Fireboat 4 responded directly to the scene and performed “flawlessly” according to Lakemont-Wiley Captain John Murray “…thanks to its smooth operation and the copious amount of water that it is able to provide.” According to officials, no citizens were injured during the incident and the exact cause remains unknown.

An event that had the community reeling with sadness occurred in May when the search for a missing Walhalla man came to a close.

According to the Rabun County Sheriff’s Office, searchers found the body of Eric Tench, 38, in the wilderness off Highway 28 South in Clayton Although his body had been located just before 1:30 p.m., it took another six hours to recover him.

Rabun County Sheriff’s Office investigators and Rabun County Coroner Sam Beck met at the command post on Highway 28 South at Burrells Ford Road, then drove several miles in on Burrells Ford Road and got on ATVs, traveling in an old roadbed for 1.6 miles, according to Rabun County officials.

The 10 team members left the ATVs and walked the rest of the distance on foot, arriving at the location where Tench was found at 5:23 p.m., according to Rabun County Sheriff’s Office reports.

Following the on-scene investigation, the body was removed in a basket by a long line suspended from a helicopter at about 7:45 p.m.

Tench was training bear dogs on U.S. Forest Service property in some of the most rugged terrain in Rabun County, state and local officials have said.

Rabun County officials also had a key role in the recovery of a mans body who had fallen over the cliffs at Tallulah Gorge State Park back in August.

Searchers from across the region worked around the clock to locate a Toombs County man who was reported missing to the Tallulah Falls Police Department on Thursday, Aug. 16.

Since reported missing, local law enforcement along with Rabun County Search and Rescue and multiple other agencies aggressively continued to search the State Park Property that consists of 2,739 Acres, and other private property’s adjoining the State Park.

William Albert Woodward, 36, of Lyons was believed to be in the company of Mitchell Morgan, who was located Saturday, Aug. 18, in the area of Tugalo Dam in Tallulah Falls, according to a previous statement from Rabun County Sheriff Chad Nichols.

According to law enforcement, Woodward had lost his cell phone while visiting the park in the daytime hours and returned at night to retrieve it after hours when the park was closed.

Evidence suggested Woodward fell 150-200 feet from one of Tallulah Gorge’s many overhanging cliffs.

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As the seasons began to change and fall colors began peaking through, newsworthy events continued to have significance in Rabun County.

In August, commissioners approved unanimously to increase the 2018 property taxes 11.60 percentage over the rollback millage rate.

Along the lines of government, commissioners also approved minor funding for a brand new pilot study program in the amount of $50,000 to the Landfill Pilot Study in hopes of increasing capacity of Rabun County’s C & D Landfill.

The study if successful will be able to cut the county’s waste in half and create a longer life for the landfill. The study will continue through the year 2019.

2018 was also a year of change for the board of commissioners as they said goodbye to two board members and welcomed one.

Kay Darnell and Bob Finke both left office on December 31, 2018. While Scott Crane took his place as elected County Commissioner Post 5 from the Georgia General Election.

Next, a very happy moment for community members and the Rabun County Recreation Department occurred when they received the Georgia Recreation and Park Association (GRPA) District 7 Agency of the Year Award.

According to Rabun County’s Recreation Department Director Roy Quilliams, this is the second award they have received, the last stemming from 2015.

Additionally, Athletic Director Adam Dixon received an award for Programmer of the Year and was nominated by Quilliams who said he was well deserving of the honor.

Along the lines of awards, Rabun County Schools had an exciting and fulfilling year as they were named one of the top 10 school districts by Niche in Georgia.

Superintendent Melissa Williams said it truly is an honor to have the district recognized for their achievements.