Local News
Man accused of stealing elderly’s drugs going to trial
The manager of a Whitfield County assisted living home accused of stealing the residents’ medications and replacing them with over the counter medications pleaded not guilty in Superior Court on Friday and will go to trial on Sept. 14, a court official said.
Wayne Hardwick Dawn Jr., 37, of the Pleasant Valley Assisted Living Center on Reed Road, was arrested in October of 2008 by narcotics investigators with the sheriff's office and charged with six felony counts of cruelty to a person 65 or older; six misdemeanor counts of theft by taking; six misdemeanor counts of reckless conduct; three counts of felony possession of hydrocodone; one felony count of possession of darvocet; and two felony counts of possession of tramodol.
A concerned family member of a Pleasant Valley resident contacted the sheriff’s office last year and audio and video surveillance was begun by investigators.
“Our investigation revealed (Dawn) had a substance abuse problem and had been stealing certain medications from the elderly residents to satisfy his own drug problem,” said Sheriff Scott Chitwood at the time. “We believe this had been happening for about a year.”
None of the residents was reported to have become ill because of the replacement medications. The facility is owned by Dawn’s wife.
Dawn’s attorney, Todd Ray, did not immediately return a phone call on Friday.
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Derby time
Owen Halman, 8, of Dalton, lines up his car “Fire Bullet” before a race during the Boy and Cub Scouts grand championship Pinewood Derby Saturday at First Presbyterian Church.
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Helpin’ and paintin’
With his bracket busted and interest in the men’s college basketball tournament waning, Pierce Montgomery spent Saturday re-painting the Dalton home of a Vietnam veteran who couldn’t do the work himself.
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DSC officials explain possible cuts
Dalton State College officials know the state budget cuts they planned for almost a month ago won’t be as deep as expected. What they don’t know is exactly which of the proposed cuts they’ll have to implement.
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Higher education funding is at center of debate
More than 4,000 students, including several at Dalton State College, have banded together to push back against proposed state cuts to higher education funding.
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Local officials view possible cuts at college with concern
Dalton State College plays a big part in plans by local leaders to grow and diversify the area’s economy, so they are viewing proposed cuts to the college with some concern.
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Young couple awaits Habitat for Humanity home
Luis Sanchez knows how the Gutierrez family feels as they watch their house being built by the Dalton-Whitfield Habitat For Humanity.
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Superintendent decision coming Monday night
The Richland 2 school board in Columbia, S.C., has chosen a superintendent — Whitfield County Schools superintendent Katie Brochu was one of three finalists — but won’t publicly say who it is until Monday, according to The State newspaper.
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Area arrests for March 21
Recent arrests from the Whitfield and Murray County jail reports.
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Marilyn Helms: Companies vary on correcting products, services
In the first half of my column on my Dalton State College quality management systems class quality “problems” project, I discussed the situations that companies did not resolve.
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“Do You Remember?” cast announced
Members of Dalton Dance Company will perform in Dalton Arts Project’s “Do You Remember?” spring concert — a look back at the music they grew up with as well as the music enjoyed by previous generations of teenagers (now parents and grandparents).
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