2 more charged following Friday drug raid

MOULTRIE, Ga. — Two additional residents of a Colquitt County household have been charged with felony marijuana charges after a Friday raid turned up about a half pound of suspected marijuana. Police initially charged only Johnny Matthew Cox, 51, after a search of his 1422 Overlook Drive residence. Agents with the Colquitt County Sheriff’s Office Drug Enforcement Team conducted the search on Friday afternoon. They also took Johnny Matthew Cox Jr., 27, and Melissa Lynn Cox into custody the same day, and charges were filed later. All three have now been charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.

 

Man turns himself in on vehicular homicide charges

DALTON, Ga. — An Ellenwood man turned himself in at the Whitfield County jail Tuesday on a vehicular homicide charge stemming from a wreck on I-75 in Dalton in 2015 that killed a Cartersville man. Reginald Roman Daniels, 29, of 5682 Blackberry Road, was booked on a charge of vehicular homicide in the second degree. Daniels was indicted in July of 2016 by the Whitfield County grand jury on the vehicular homicide charge and following too closely. District Attorney Bert Potson could not immediately be reached to explain the time between the indictment and Daniels turning himself in.  According to a report from the Georgia State Patrol, Daniels was driving a 2004 Chevrolet Impala when he collided with a 2006 Acura TL on I-75 North near the Walnut Avenue exit on Dec. 23, 2015. Traffic had come to a stop on the interstate and Daniels’ car collided in the back of the Acura driven by Jill Johnson. The impact pushed the Acura into a 2013 Honda Pilot.  According to the report, Daniels “was traveling too fast and did not realize traffic was stopped in the roadway … (Daniels) attempted to swerve to the right in an attempt to avoid (the Acura).” The impact with the Acura pushed it into a guardrail and entrapped, and a passenger in the car — Russ James Johnson, 57 — later died at Hamilton Medical Center due to injuries suffered in the wreck.  After turning himself in, Daniels was released Tuesday on a $5,000 bond. His next court date in Whitfield County Superior Court has not been set.

 

Wild Adventures to celebrate Fourth 

VALDOSTA, Ga. — Wild Adventures Theme Park is gearing up for a weekend of Fourth of July events. Throughout the summer, Wild Adventures has hosted “Splash Island Nights” every Friday, which includes a DJ, dance contests and games. This Friday is no exception with the theme being patriotic, according to information from the park. Saturday through Monday, the Harlem Globetrotters will perform three shows a day, showcasing unique basketball feats.

Shows will be at 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 5 p.m., at the All-Star Amphitheater with autographs and meet and greets following each performance. On the holiday, Wild Adventures will host its annual fireworks show over the water.  Guests will be able to bring chairs or rent park chairs on a first-come, first-served basis. Wild Adventures will honor military service members with free admission all four days and a free buffet July 4. Military must present a military ID. Family and friends of military members will receive $10 off one-day admission or $5 two-day admission. All activities are included with park admission. Tickets can be purchased online at wildadventures.com.

 

Tifton native begins 18 months of study at Italy’s University of Padova

TIFTON, Ga. — Growing up in Tifton, Logan Moore knew that he would follow the family tradition of earning his associate degree from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. Remaining in his hometown and earning his bachelor’s degree in agriscience and environmental systems from the University of Georgia Tifton campus made sense, too. After learning he could earn simultaneous master’s degrees from UGA and one of Italy’s leading research institutions, Moore decided to spread his wings even further. He will spend the next 18 months conducting research and taking classes for his thesis at the University of Padova, or Universitá Degli Studi di Padova (UNIPD), making him the first UGA graduate student to pursue this new dual master’s degree opportunity. The new program is the result of faculty relationships that date back two dozen years, when Francesco Morari traveled to Tifton to conduct research for his dissertation. Morari is now an associate professor of environmental agronomy at UNIPD. In 2015, UGA and UNIPD signed a memorandum of understanding to offer a dual graduate degree in sustainable agriculture. The next year was spent studying all aspects of the programs at the two universities, from admissions requirements to required courses.