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With vacancy, Supreme Court hearing fewer cases
NEXT STEPS Duluth keeper Sornpao heading to Kennesaw State • Sports, 1B
Gwinnett Daily Post WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016
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75 cents ©2016 SCNI
Vol. 46, No. 121
Snellville mayor faces tax investigation By Joshua Sharpe
joshua.sharpe @gwinnettdailypost.com
With Snellville politics weathering yet another storm, Mayor Tom Witts remained mum Tuesday on news that he’s under investigation on suspicion of tax evasion and improper use of campaign funds. Gwinnett County District
Attorney Danny Porter said the case, which also involves the Georgia Bureau of Tom Witts Investigation, began after a complaint accusing the mayor of falsely swearing he wasn’t delinquent on taxes
AS FIRST REPORTED on gwinnettdailypost.com
when filing to run for office. “Search warrants have been executed at his house and his business. He has not been arrested or charged at this point,” Porter said. “The investigation is ongoing and I would expect that if we develop the evidence, we’re
going to present it to the grand jury.” Witts, who’s previously said he was taking care of his long-standing tax issues, didn’t respond to requests for comment Monday or Tuesday. No member of the city council responded to an email seeking comment and asking if they’d remain supportive of him during the investigation.
The tax troubles most recently came up during the campaign before he beat controversial Mayor Kelly Kautz in November, vowing to bring a better image to the city, which had been dogged by power struggles and litigation between Kautz and the council. Right before Witts was sworn in, Kautz told a standing-room-only crowd at City Hall: “I do
want to congratulate Mr. Witts. As I was told four years ago, ‘Be careful what you wish for.’” The businessman, who runs Georgia Property Restoration, has said he ran into trouble financially and, in efforts to avoid shutting down and firing employees, ended up owing some $100,000 in
See WITTS, Page 8A
Guilty plea expected in sex assault
Former teacher may get decades in prison By Joshua Sharpe joshua.sharpe@gwinnettdailypost.com
Georgia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Kennel Assistant Jamie Kenyon, translator Ketevan Reaves and Nino Khukhua enjoy time with some of the dogs at the group’s kennel in Suwanee on Monday. Reaves and Khukhua are with a group of delegates from the Republic of Georgia who are spending a week in the state of Georgia to learn how nonprofit groups operate in the U.S. (Staff Photos: Curt Yeomans)
Cultural exchange
Former Summerour Middle teacher James Everett Buckland was supposed to stand trial Monday morning on accusations of sexually assaulting a girl at the Norcross school. Instead, prosecutors expect him to plead guilty. “We expect James Buckland will tender a non-negotiated plea of James Buckland guilty,” Jennifer Hendee, assistant district attorney, said in an email. The hearing is planned for today at 9 a.m. Buckland’s attorney, Eric Crawford, said he couldn’t comment on the plea, which he called “tentative,” until after the hearing. The defendant resigned from Summerour on Oct. 1 during a human resources investigation into the allegations. According to the subsequent arrest warrant, he had made “physical contact of a sexual nature while he was employed as a school
See TRIAL, Page 9A
Republic of Georgia visitors tour Ga. SPCA GCPS honored
for excellence in music education
By Curt Yeomans
curt.yeomans @gwinnettdailypost.com
The Georgia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals hosted visitors from Georgia at their office in Suwanee on Monday, but these guests were not from the same Georgia that Gwinnett County residents might immediately think of. The small group of visitors were from the Republic of Georgia. They were at the SPCA’s office and shelter this week as part of a trip to the state of Georgia to learn how non-government organizations, known more commonly around here as community groups, operate in the United States. And they got to hold cute, furry animals at the same time. “We got a chance to have a very informative presentation from an SPCA representative,” said delegate Nino Khukhua, who spoke through a translator. “Protection of animals’ rights is very important, which is why this organization is working on it, and it is a very good example of this protection of animals’ rights.” Five delegates from nongovernment organizations in the Republic of Georgia, as well as a translator and a facilitator from the county, were part of the group that visited the SPCA shelter. They are in the U.S. through a Library of Congress
By Keith Farner keith.farner@gwinnettdailypost.com
“Each group has a focus, and this is the first time I’ve ever done one (on non-government organizations). I’ve done about a dozen, and this one is nongovernment organizations and volunteerism and nonprofits, and ‘How do they contribute to a civil society? What do they do that a government doesn’t do?’” Khukhua, who works with a young lawyers group in the Republic of Georgia, said that
Gwinnett’s community environment for music education was again recently honored by a national association. Gwinnett County Public Schools was named one of the nation’s “Best Communities for Music Education” by the National Association of Music Merchants. The organization recognizes outstanding efforts by teachers, administrators, parents, students and community leaders who work together to ensure access to music learning for all students as part of the school curriculum. It works to advance participation in music making across the lifespan by supporting scientific research, philanthropic giving and public service programs. Last year when GCPS won this award, more than 80 percent of Gwinnett students participated in music education courses. GCPS Director of Fine Arts David DuBose said in a press release that he was thrilled with the honor. “This honor speaks to our school district’s commitment to fine arts and our work to ensure that students receive quality instruction in the areas of performing and visual arts,” he said. “It also is a wonderful commendation for our teachers, whose enthusiasm,
See GEORGIA, Page 10A
See MUSIC, Page 9A
Shota Buchukuri picks up information on the Humane Society of the U.S. during a visit to the Georgia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals office in Suwanee on Monday. He is part of a group of delegates from the Republic of Georgia who are spending a week in the state of Georgia to learn how nonprofit groups operate in the U.S.
MORE ONLINE Visit gwinnettdailypost.com for more photos of the visit.
funded-program called Open World, and they are being hosted in the Atlanta area by the Friendship Force of Greater Atlanta. The effort focuses on connecting with people who are specifically from former Soviet republics, according to John Wilhelm, who is both the presi-
dent of the Friendship Force of Greater Atlanta and a program coordinator for Open World. “The idea is to bring them over for a week, and let them have some cultural experience — try to put them in people’s homes, that’s where this group is staying,” he said. “We’re the Friendship Force of Greater Atlanta, but there are Rotary groups that do this, church groups and all kinds of different people that are interested in this. …
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