spalding county – The GRIP

Young child struck by vehicle, flown to Atlanta for treatment

March 28, 2016 by Sheila Mathews Leave a Comment

SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: A nine-year-old little girl was seriously injured Monday afternoon when she was struck by a vehicle on S. 15th St. According to Patrolman Austin Massey, of the Griffin Police Department Uniform Patrol Division, the incident occurred as the child attempted to cross the roadway. “He (the driver) had stopped on Meriwether […]

Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: child, Griffin, Griffin Police Department, Meriwether Street, spalding county, struck

Sheriff: Road rage incident leads to stabbing

March 26, 2016 by Sheila Mathews Leave a Comment

SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: A motorist was seriously injured Saturday afternoon after an alleged road rage incident resulted in a stabbing. According to Spalding County Sheriff Wendell Beam, the incident occurred on Highway 19-41 in the vicinity of School Road. “There was a road rage incident where one driver forced the other driver into the […]

Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: aggravated assault, crime, Griffin, Road Rage, Sheriff Wendell Beam, spalding county, Spalding County Sheriff's Office, stabbing

Man shot in alleged attempted armed robbery

March 25, 2016 by Sheila Mathews Leave a Comment

STAFF REPORTS ::: The Spalding County Sheriff’s Office is investigating an alleged attempted armed robbery that occurred Thursday night leaving one victim with multiple gunshot wounds. According to Spalding County Sheriff Wendell Beam, deputies at 10:13 p.m. responded to an attempted armed robbery and person shot call at the Triangle Amoco Station at 3241 Jackson […]

Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: aggravated assault, armed robbery, Griffin, Sheriff Wendell Beam, shooting, spalding county, Spalding County Sheriff's Office, Triangle Amoco Station

Details of student’s alleged threats against school, students emerge

January 14, 2016 by Sheila Mathews Leave a Comment

Publisher’s note – At this time, The GRIP will not disclose the identity of minors involved in this incident. SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: Additional information is available in the arrest of 17-year-old Brennan Turbeyville, the Griffin teenager who was on Jan. 7, arrested and charged with terroristic threats following what the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office […]

Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: Brennan Turbeyville, Columbine, Griffin, Griffin Spalding County School System, school violence, spalding county, Spalding County Sheriff's Office, Spalding High School, terroristic threat

Teen arrested for alleged threat to take over school, shoot students

January 8, 2016 by Sheila Mathews 9 Comments

STAFF REPORTS ::: A Griffin teenager has been arrested in connection to alleged threats made on the Internet involving taking over Spalding High School and shooting students. According to Spalding County Sheriff Wendell Beam, Brennan Turbyville, age 17, of 665 Maple Drive, was arrested Jan. 7, and is being held in the Spalding County Jail […]

Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: Brennan Turbeyville, crime, Griffin, school threat, Sheriff Wendell Beam, spalding county, Spalding County Sheriff's Office, terroristic threat

SCSO denies requesting GBI leak investigation

January 6, 2016 by Sheila Mathews 1 Comment

SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: Following the Dec. 7 publication of an article citing the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office’s request for a GBI investigation regarding a confidential source that provided information to this newspaper, The GRIP learned the SCSO is denying having made that request. After speaking with GBI Region 2 Special Agent in Charge Fred […]

Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: confidential source, GBI, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Griffin, investigation, leak, Sheriff Wendall Beam, spalding county, Spalding County Sheriff's Office, Special Agent Fred Wimberly

SCSO narcotics operation raises questions: Part III

January 6, 2016 by Sheila Mathews Leave a Comment

SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: The GRIP received information from a confidential source alleging the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office Special Operations Unit in 2012 conducted an illegal operation involving the placement of a Global Positioning System (GPS) tracker on a vehicle without court ordered authorization. The GRIP conducted an investigation based on that allegation and the […]

Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: confidential informant, Cpl. Howie Spitzer, GPS tracker, Griffin, narcotics, Sgt. John Corley, Sheriff Wendell Beam, spalding county, Spalding County Sheriff's Office, Special Operations Unit

Elderly man critically injured when struck by vehicle in parking lot

December 31, 2015 by Sheila Mathews 3 Comments

SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: A 78-year-old man was critically injured Thursday when he was struck by a vehicle in the parking lot behind Ryan’s Steak House. According to Griffin Fire-Rescue Chief Tommy Jones, a vehicle was backing out of a parking place when he struck the elderly man. “He hit his head on the asphalt. […]

Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: Chief Tommy Jones, Firefighter Jeremy Cousson, Griffin, Griffin Fire-Rescue, Life Flight, spalding county

GPD executes series of search warrants associated with Reece’s Open Freight Crate; one arrested for theft by receiving

December 30, 2015 by Sheila Mathews Leave a Comment

SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: The Griffin Police Department on Wednesday executed a series of search warrants in connection to an alleged property theft case involving Reece’s Open Freight Crate located 330 E. Solomon Street. The initial search warrant in the case was conducted at the business, where three individuals were taken into custody. Two additional […]

Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: Ben Reece, Griffin, Griffin Police Department, Investigator Todd Howard, Rebecca Rogers, Reece's Open Freight Crate, spalding county, Spalding County Sheriff's Office, Special Agent Josh Pitts, Special Operations

Sale of hospital will reduce tax digest

December 29, 2015 by Sheila Mathews Leave a Comment

SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: The Griffin-Spalding County Hospital Authority has entered into a memorandum of understanding that will result in Spalding Regional Hospital being purchased by WellStar, a non-profit entity. As such, WellStar will not pay property taxes, resulting in a total local tax digest decrease of $750,241.47. Based on 2015 information from Spalding County […]

Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: budget, city of Griffin, Griffin, Griffin Spalding County School System, millage rate, spalding county, Spalding Regional Hospital, tax digest, WellStar

Open Box Freight owner faces multiple narcotics charges

December 23, 2015 by Sheila Mathews Leave a Comment

STAFF REPORTS ::: Matthew Brian Lane, age 36, of 2784 Beeks Road, Williamson, the owner of Open Box Freight located at 1420 Meriwether St., has been arrested by the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office on numerous felony charges. According to Spalding County Sheriff Wendell Beam, agents of the SCSO Special Operations Unit on Friday, Dec. 18, […]

Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: crime, Griffin, Matthew Brian Lane, methamphetamine, narcotics, Open Box Freight, Sheriff Wendell Beam, spalding county, Spalding County Sheriff's Office, Special Operations Unit, trafficking

Sheriff’s Office operation results in closure of Open Box Freight

December 21, 2015 by Sheila Mathews 6 Comments

SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: The Spalding County Sheriff’s Office on Monday conducted an operation resulting in the closure of a local business, Open Box Freight. The GRIP contacted Sheriff Wendell Beam for information, but he declined to comment, stating only that he will issue a press release later this week. The GRIP asked Beam to […]

Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: Griffin, narcotics, Open Box Freight, Sheriff Wendell Beam, spalding county, Spalding County Sheriff's Office, Special Operations Unit

Sheriff’s Office seeking public’s assistance in locating woman

December 21, 2015 by Sheila Mathews Leave a Comment

STAFF REPORT ::: The Spalding County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s assistance in locating 30-year-old Christine L. Ruschmeier, also known as Christine Green. Ruschmeier is a white female standing 4 feet 11 inches tall, weighing 140 pounds. She has blue eyes and blonde hair, but she changes her hair color to red, blue and […]

Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: Christine Green, Christine L. Ruschmeier, Griffin, law enforcement, Sheriff Wendell Beam, spalding county, Spalding County Sheriff's Office

City of Griffin now prohibits aggressive panhandling

December 17, 2015 by Sheila Mathews Leave a Comment

SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: The city of Griffin Board of Commissioners has approved an ordinance prohibiting aggressive panhandling. As specified in the ordinance,“solicitations for immediate donations of cash, food or other things of value in an aggressive manner” is now a criminal offense in Griffin. City officials made clear this ordinance is in response to […]

Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: aggressive panhandling, Board of Commissioners, Chief Steve Heaton, City Manager Kenny Smith, First Amendment, Griffin, Griffin Police Department, panhandling, spalding county

GPD officer credited with saving distraught woman’s life

December 17, 2015 by Sheila Mathews 1 Comment

STAFF REPORT ::: Cpl. Chris Wilson, of the Griffin Police Department Uniform Patrol Division, is being credited with saving the life of a distraught woman. On Dec. 4, Wilson was dispatched to the Ellis Bridge Road in reference to a woman believed to be attempting suicide by jumping off the bridge. Upon arrival, Wilson found […]

Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: body camera, Cpl. Chris Wilson, Griffin, Griffin Police Department, law enforcement, rescue, spalding county, suicide