Enmark Stations Inc., has announced its customers helped raise $65,468 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) Light The Night Walk scheduled for Oct. 18 in Forsyth Park.

During the month of May, the company’s 62 stores in Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina sold Light The Night paper balloon icons for $1 each to support the society’s mission to cure blood cancer and help patients and their families.

“I’m overwhelmed and humbled by the extraordinary generosity of our customers,” said Enmark Stations vice president Houstoun Demere, who lost his mother to leukemia when he was 6 years old. “Their support will go a long way to helping the LLS find a cure for leukemia and lymphoma.”

The three Enmark stations that raised the most money were the stores on Waters Avenue, Abercorn Expressway and Bluffton Parkway.

Georgia’s Light The Night’s fundraising efforts have grown to more than $2 million dollars at five walks across the state, including the walk in Savannah. For more information, go to www.lightthenight.org/ga or call 912-897-1300.

Savannah-Chatham police have charged a 22-year-old suspect with murder and two counts of aggravated assault in the shooting of three people that led to the death of one victim May 16.

Mark Allen Adkins, 22, was charged in the death of Frederick Early and shooting of two women at Eagle and Richard streets in west Savannah, said Julian Miller, police spokesman.

Downtown Precinct Patrol officers responded to the shooting at 12:46 p.m. to find the victims outside with gunshot wounds.

Deputy attacked at jail

A Chatham County Sheriff’s Office deputy working at the jail was attacked Sunday night by an inmate.

The deputy received non-life-threatening wounds in the attack by an inmate he was watching about 11 p.m., said Gena Bilbo, sheriff’s office spokeswoman.

The Sheriff’s Office has since charged 24-year-old Derek Rogers with felony obstruction of an officer with harm or injury, Bilbo said. Rogers initially faced only misdemeanor charges from Port Wentworth police.

Bilbo said the officer attacked by Rogers was working in one of the housing units when the suspect began telling him the phones weren’t working. The deputy asked Rogers what was going on before Rogers crossed over a platform that serves as a work station and physically assaulted the deputy even as Rogers was ordered to stand down, Bilbo said.

Nearby officers helped the assaulted officer who was transported to a local hospital and treated.

Compiled by Corey Dickstein and Josh Rayburn

The Hutchinson Island on-ramp to U.S. 17 toward Savannah will be narrowed with periodic delays this morning between 9 a.m. an 4: p.m., as DOT crews perform scheduled maintenance activity.

Residents are advised to leave early for their morning commutes, and to keep in mind that traffic from Hutchinson Island may be delayed.

"Pardon the necessary inconvenience and please drive cautiously and safely at all times, especially in work zones," a statement from the DOT read.

A multiple-vehicle accident on U.S. 17 across the Talmadge Bridge in South Carolina is causing traffic delays this morning in both directions.

Chief Doug Graham of the Levy Fire Department said that emergency respondents were still working to clear the road at 8:30 a.m., but that traffic should be flowing freely again by 9 a.m.

Emergency respondents arrived at the scene of the three-vehicle collision at 7:17 a.m., according to South Carolina Highway Patrol records.

Graham said there no fatalities, but 6 people were transported to the hospital for what appeared to be non life-threatening injuries. One of the cars caught fire.

The Savannah Bank and Minis & Co, Inc. donated computers to the West Broad Street YMCA on June 17.
“We are pleased to be able to provide computers to the West Broad Street YMCA,” said Mark Allen, CEO of Minis & Company.  “It is great to see them go to good use in the community.” 
“The West Broad Street YMCA has a long tradition of serving the community and we know this will be a much needed tool to enrich the lives of those in need,” added Holden Hayes, president of The Savannah Bank.
“We plan to use the computers for our Pre-K program and for children from low wage earning families at the YMCA,” said Peter Doliber, executive director and CEO of the West Broad Street YMCA.  “This is a great program and we appreciate the support the folks at Minis & Company and The Savannah Bank.”
Children at the Y helped with the move of the computers and were very excited. They know this means that they will have more opportunities to use technology as they learn. The West Broad Street YMCA uses computers for online assessment and learning especially in literacy, language, and math. The design and goal is to help children perform at grade level and the computers allow for the Y to work with more children to help them gain the edge they need to succeed in school.
The West Broad Street YMCA was founded in 1942 during legalized segregation, making it one of five Heritage Ys remaining in the country. Serving all of downtown Savannah, it has a special mission to help end generational poverty. Located in one of the most impoverished areas of Savannah where the median annual income is $8200 and there are over 600 children under 18, the West Broad Street YMCA provides early learning, after school tutorials and summer enrichment to hundreds of children each year.

SCAD Savannah student media, including District, District Quarterly, Port City Review, and SCAD Radio, received 108 distinguished awards for the 2012-2013 academic year. This record-breaking number of awards recognizes student achievement across all programs.

“SCAD pushes its students to collaborate across majors, and that, coupled with students' innate abilities to think visually, allows student media to produce content that is often beyond the realm of traditional media,” said Allison Dyche, assistant director of student media.

Some notable honors presented to students include awards from the Associated College Press, the College Media Association, the Savannah chapter of the American Advertising Federation Addy Awards, and the Georgia Collegiate Press Association.

District claimed a gold medal from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association for the District website and first place from the Society of Professional Journalists National Mark of Excellence Awards in the category Best Independent Online Student Publication, Medium. District was also named a finalist for the prestigious National Scholastic Press Association Online Pacemaker Award, considered by many to be the equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize for college journalism.

The SCAD Student Media Center provides unique volunteer opportunities for students in all majors and seeks to provide a fresh perspective on college news and events. All student media outlets are accessible via the Internet, allowing the entire SCAD community to participate.

The City of Savannah is currently seeking original artwork from Chatham County rising 9th graders through 2013 high school graduates depicting the beauty of our historic squares and parks. Submissions will be digitized and posted online and the winners will be chosen by an online vote of Savannah’s citizens. The winning entries will be framed and displayed in a permanent exhibit in City Hall for all our citizens and visitors to enjoy. The deadline for submission is Friday, July 12. To download a copy of the information sheet which must accompany each submission, go to www.savannahga.gov/ArtContest.


Submission Requirements:
• Depicts some aspect of one of Savannah’s historic squares or parks
• Two-dimensional work in any media
• 11” x 17” (horizontal or vertical orientation)
• Unframed with a protective sheet or sleeve
• Information sheet completed and turned in with each submission


Submissions should be delivered to:

City of Savannah, Research Library & Municipal Archives

City Hall, Room 103

2 E. Bay Street

Monday‐Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.


The winning submissions will become the property of the City of Savannah and will not be returned to the artists. For more information contact Luciana Spracher, Research Library & Municipal Archives Director, 912-651‐6411

View photos and see who was Spotted® at a beer dinner held Tuesday night at Dub's Pub.

Westbound traffic on Interstate 516 is being diverted to Gwinnet Street, as a result of an accident on Lynes Parkway, according to Savannah-Chatham police. Check Savannahnow.com for updates, as more information is provided.

Seventeen federal indictments, unsealed today in federal court, have charged 33 defendants with federal firearm, drug trafficking or other federal offenses.  

Four defendants were charged by Chatham County authorities on state firearm and drug offenses. Additionally, eight defendants were previously indicted and prosecuted in 2012.  All of the federal and state charges derive from a lengthy undercover investigation dubbed “Operation Pulaski.”      

The United States Attorney’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Savannah-Chatham police department initiated Operation Pulaski in late 2011.  During the operation, undercover ATF agents purchased guns and drugs from multiple criminal organizations whose scope ranged from regional to international.  

The undercover agents were able to infiltrate these organizations over a period of time, ultimately purchasing 189 firearms, including handguns, assault rifles, sawed-off shotguns and machine guns; illegal drugs, including more than 200 grams of heroin and more than 4 kilograms of cocaine; and stolen vehicles.  

The investigation revealed that the vehicles were stolen in the New York City area and then transported to the southeastern United States for resale or for shipment abroad for resale. Agents worked in cooperation with the National Insurance Crime Bureau for the return or re-designation of the automobiles recovered in the investigation.

Twenty-six of the individuals who sold firearms and drugs to the undercover agents are alleged to be convicted felons. Eleven of the individuals investigated are believed to be illegal immigrants. In addition, a number of the guns purchased by undercover agents were previously reported stolen.

United States Attorney Edward J. Tarver stated: “The Department of Justice works tirelessly to protect the personal safety and the property of its citizens. Operation Pulaski was a relentless effort to remove illegal guns from the streets of our communities and to halt the illegal sale of guns, especially where the transactions were being conducted by violent criminals.  This undercover operation serves as notice to the criminal element that if you traffic in firearms, drugs, or stolen cars in this district, you will be apprehended and you will be prosecuted.” 

Metro police Chief Willie Lovett said: “The success of Operation Pulaski was achieved through the coordinated efforts of Metro, the U.S. Attorney and ATF and that cooperation of the three agencies will continue in other operations. The numbers of guns, stolen vehicles and drugs seized in Pulaski are more than significant; they are staggering, considering the criminal history of most of those arrested. I have no doubt those weapons would have been used against innocent victims and the drugs would have ruined lives. We are very appreciative of the agencies that helped make this possible and look forward to this continued relationship.”     

Following numerous arrests Tuesday and Wednesday, initial appearances for several of the federally indicted defendants will be held in United States District Court, Statesboro, on Thursday. A listing of the 33 defendants newly indicted on federal charges is attached.                                               

An indictment is only an accusation and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the Government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.  

Assistant United States Attorneys Cameron Heaps Ippolito and T. Shane Mayes are prosecuting the federal cases for the United States.  

Indicted were:

Alejandro Jorge Barrero-Rojas, 29, Bolivia

Akeem Jamal Edwards, 22, Savannah

Alvon Mitchell, 33, Savannah

Anthony Solis-Reyes, 25, Honduran National

Augustin Rubio-Garcia, 31, Hardeeville, S.C.

Cedric Austin, 26, Savannah

Demetrius Mumford, 28, Savannah

Derrick Stephens, 35, Atlanta

Eduardo Cruz-Camacho, 32, Savannah

Naquan Trell Elliot, 19, Savannah

Eric Dyches, 41, Savannah

Hermino Garcia-Rodriguez, 25, Garden City

Gustavo Reyes-Sosa, 25, Bluffton, S.C.

Herbert Carter, 31, Savannah

Javier Garcia-Rodriguez, 29, Garden City

Javier Murillo-Solis, 32, Hilton Head Island, S.C.

Jeffrey Barnes, 50, Savannah

Juan Zapien-Pacheco, 26, Hardeeville, S.C.

Leonardo Moreno-Romero, 23, Hardeeville, S.C.

Luis Alonso, 34, Hardeeville, S.C.

Markus Brown, 29, Savannah

Martin Anguiano, 45, Ridgeland, S.C.

Maximigo Ortega, 34, Savannah

Michael Holsey, 21, Savannah

Miguel Hernandez-Landeros, 26, Garden City

Mikael Oliver, 18, Savannah

Sonny Vasquez, 28, Bluffton, S.C.

Tyreik Watson, 34, Savannah

Walis Parra-Reyes, 31, Bluffton, S.C.

Wendell Brantley, 35, Bluffton, S.C.

Reginald Black, 20, Garden City

Roberto Barrero, 45, Bolivia

Matthew Vasquez, 22, Savannah

Detectives on Wednesday afternoon were questioning three people after the stolen car they were in collided with two police cars.

The three males were arrested after colliding with a Georgia State Patrol car that was attempting to block their path on Interstate 516 and then sideswiped a Savannah-Chatham police car. All three were taken into custody at the scene, said metro police spokesman Julian Miller.

The 2013 Nissan Altima they were driving was taken in the robbery of a 28-year-old man in front of his apartment on West Oglethorpe Avenue on Tuesday night. The owner told police he was sitting in the car about 11 p.m. when a man placed a box cutter to his face, ordered him out of the vehicle and drove away in it, Miller said.

Detectives are attempting to determine if anyone in the car was involved in the carjacking or other offenses. Police will not release names unless charges are filed, Miller said.

The Georgia State Patrol is investigating the collision, and any charges will be filed by metro police.

Miller said undercover agents from the Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team identified the car traveling on 37th Street and alerted a metro officer who attempted a traffic stop just before 1 p.m.. The car sped away and the metro officer discontinued the pursuit, but a state trooper in the area interceded. He attempted to corral the Altima on a bridge on I-516, but it struck his car and then sideswiped the metro car, Miller said.

Damage to each police car was slight, but the Altima received heavier damage and had to be towed away, Miller said.

Josh Fenn, Bryan County’s economic development director since February 2009, has been named president/CEO-economic development director of the Jackson County Area Chamber of Commerce.

Mark Valentine, chairman of the Jackson chamber, said Wednesday that Fenn will start his new position on July 22.

“We are very excited about bringing Josh on board to take the leadership role of our chamber and our economic development program,” said Valentine. “After a very diligent search and screening process, we are very enthusiastic about securing a candidate with such an impressive and wide-ranging background of experiences. From downtown development, to chamber management, to economic development, he brings forward a unique set of experiences that we are confident will serve us very well.”

Fenn is a native of Atlanta and holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from LaGrange College. In 2002, at the age of 24, Fenn was named to Georgia Trend Magazine’s Top 40 Under 40 list.

In 2011, Business in Savannah named Fenn as one of its “rising stars” in the local business community.

“I am excited about joining the Jackson County team,” Fenn said. “There is tremendous potential and opportunity to grow the chamber and to continue the economic development successes that the county has experienced the last few years.

“I’m impressed with the county leadership and I’m looking forward to working with everyone in the community.”

Valentine said Fenn will be expected to take a leadership roll in developing a long-term strategic plan for the Jackson County chamber and for its economic development efforts.

Detectives were questioning three people Wednesday afternoon after the stolen car they were in collided with two police cars.

The three males were arrested after colliding with a Georgia State Patrol car that was attempting to block their path on Interstate 516 and then sideswiped a Savannah-Chatham police car. All three were taken into custody at the scene, said metro police spokesman Julian Miller.

The 2013 Nissan Altima they were driving was taken in the robbery of a 28-year-old man in front of his apartment on West Oglethorpe Avenue on Tuesday night. The owner told police he was sitting in the car about 11 p.m. when a man placed a box cutter to his face, ordered him out of the vehicle and drove away in it, Miller said.

Detectives are attempting to determine if anyone in the car was involved in the carjacking or other offenses. Police will not release names unless charges are filed, Miller said.

The Georgia State Patrol is investigating the collision, and any charges will be filed by metro police.

Miller said undercover agents from the Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team identified the car traveling on 37th Street and alerted a metro officer who attempted a traffic stop just before 1 p.m.. The car sped away and the metro officer discontinued the pursuit, but a state trooper in the area interceded. He attempted to corral the Altima on a bridge on I-516, but it struck his car and then sideswiped the metro car, Miller said.

Damage to each police car was slight, but the Altima received heavier damage and had to be towed away, Miller said.

Police credit witnesses

While witnesses directly contributed to arrests in two recent westside Savannah homicides, Savannah-Chatham police homicide detectives are asking for the community’s help in solving three others since last June.

Maurice Lipsey, 51, of the 600 block of Cleland Street, was found shot to death beside a relative’s house on the 500 block of Cleland in the Hudson Hill area about 7 a.m. June 20, 2012, said police spokesman Julian Miller. He had been shot multiple times.

On March 13, Williams Bass Jr., 33, was found shot to death beside West Bay Street by patrol officers responding to a shooting call about 1 a.m. Miller said he was clutching two $1 bills when he died.

William George Anderson, 24, was found dead about 8 a.m. Nov. 3, 2012, near a picnic table in the park with multiple gunshot wounds.

Anyone with information on any of the cases is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 912-234-2020 or text CRIMES (274637). Tipsters remain anonymous and may qualify for a cash reward.

A confidential tip line also is open directly to investigators at 912-525-3124.

Saturday lane closure on Abercorn

Georgia Department of Transportation contractors on Saturday will install an lane closure on Abercorn Street between Largo Drive and Wilshire Boulevard.

From 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. the eastbound lane of Abercorn will close for asphalt paving. The closure will continue Sunday if the work is not completed in one day.

Motorists are advised to reduce speeds as they travel through the construction work zone.

Compiled by Dash Coleman and Corey Dickstein

24-hour jail bookings for Savannah-Chatham County are now posted. Visit booked.savannahnow.com to view photos and information.

All information has been obtained from the Chatham County Sheriff’s Department.

All individuals posted have not been convicted of a crime and are innocent until proven guilty.

Savannah-Chatham Metro police will be operating radar hot spots along Montgomery Crossroads. 

Police remind drivers there is zero tolerance for speeding in school zones. 

The Savannah Downtown Business Association partnered with the Tourism Leadership Council for the June After Hours Social at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. 

Click here to view Spotted® photos

Recent Savannah State University (SSU) marketing graduate Joshua Shaffer received this month the Alfred J. Seaman Award for Best Undergraduate Essay on Advertising and Society from the Advertising Educational Foundation (AEF).

Shaffer won the award for his research paper entitled, “Innovating Advertising: Conventional v. Innovative Anthropomorphic Advertising Approaches in the 21st Century.”  He received a plaque and $1,000 prize June 11 at the foundation’s Honors Night event in New York City, and his paper is now being considered for publication in the esteemed AEF journal “Advertising and Society Review.”  SSU College of Business Administration faculty members Anshu Arora, Ph.D., Jun Wu, Ph.D., and Shalonda Bradford served as Shaffer’s advisers.

A gunnery sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps, Shaffer graduated with honors from Savannah State in May with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in marketing. He is currently a global capacity planner-logistics intern at IKEA Group.

The AEF is a non-profit organization that provides and distributes educational content to enrich the understanding of advertising and its role in society, culture and the economy. The Seaman award is presented for an original paper that focuses on the role of advertising in culture and society.

Crime and arrest reports for Savannah-Chatham County have been updated through June 15, 2013.

Click here to access crime reports.

Click here to access arrest records.

Jacob Tyler Horne has been promoted to Assistant Principal at Benedictine Military School.

Horne, 27, is preparing for his fifth year at BC. He will continue as the Social Science Department Chair but has stepped down from his position as the soccer team’s assistant coach.

“Being Assistant Principal is definitely something I wanted,” Horne said. “That’s why I pursued my master’s degree in Educational Leadership. I know I’m extremely fortunate to get this opportunity. The main thing that I want to focus on is helping the teachers, and helping them to help the students. At the end of the day, the students are why we’re here, and these young men are extraordinary. BC is a great school and I want to continue that tradition of excellence.”

Born in Birmingham, Ala., Horne was raised in the Savannah area. He graduated from Effingham County High School in 2004 before earning a bachelor’s degree in education from Georgia Southern University in 2008. Horne was hired by Benedictine in 2009. He earned a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Georgia Southern University in 2012 and is working toward an Ed.S. in Curriculum at Valdosta State University.

Benedictine Headmaster Fr. Frank Ziemkiewicz, O.S.B., said, “I’m delighted for the innovative expertise that Jacob brings to our administration and the excellent relationships he has fostered among our faculty, staff and students.”

Benedictine Principal Dr. Deborah A. Antosca, who hired Horne in 2009, said, “Jacob has been an asset to Benedictine in many ways since the first day he stepped through our front doors. He is a very positive role model for the young men. He has very high moral standards, very high expectations, for the boys in the classroom. He’s a man of great integrity and he holds his students to that same level. Very intelligent, very motivated and very dedicated to the field of education. For him, it’s a vocation. It’s not a job. He made a decision years ago that administration was the direction he wanted to head in his career and it will be wonderful to work with him. I’m pleased for the boys and their families. He will continue to be an asset in an administrative role.”

Horne and his wife, Brittani, have a three-month-old son, Noah.

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Since Wednesday afternoon, news stories have been circulating on numerous media outlets concerning racially tinged comments Paula Deen made during a deposition in connection with a lawsuit that accuses her and her family run enterprises of sexual harassment and racial discrimination.

The Savannah Morning News is reviewing that deposition, which runs to more than 100 pages, and related court documents and will have a full report in Sunday’s editions of the newspaper and on savannahnow.com.