WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15, 2017
Upcoming events & entertainment in Coweta County and beyond... see page 4
‘Dragging’
returns to Coweta $15 and are available online at www.aih.org/newnan/ draggingfordollars. The event raises funds for the local chapter of the Southeastern Assistance in Healthcare (SAIH), a nonprofit organization which provides assistance to patients and families of patients undergoing treatment for cancer. “We help with things like rent, utilities, child care and other extra things that many of us don’t think about that are needed when a parent, child or other family member is receiving treatment for cancer,” explained Michelle Kent, SAIH President. Each year businessmen, county employees and com-
By MAGGIE BOWERS maggie@newnan.com
PHOTO BY CLAY NEELY
Miss SAIH 2016, Anthony Jones, performs vocals in the pageant portion of last year’s contest.
It’s that time of year again, in which several local businessmen will don women’s clothing and participate in a womanless beauty pageant – all for a good cause, and, of course, for the community’s entertainment. T he f ifth a nnua l “Dragging for Dollars” event will be held at the Donald W. Nixon Centre for the Performing and Visual Arts on March 18 beginning at 7 p.m. Individual tickets are
DRAGGING, page 6
Former Waffle House waitress carries on By CLAY NEELY clay@newnan.com Two months after being dismissed from her job for firing a gun at three fleeing robbers, a former Waffle House waitress said she has no regrets. Last December, Heather Burkinshaw Stanley made national headlines for both the incident and subsequent fallout. Stanley’s story was picked up nationally by outlets such as Fox News, The New York Daily News and Inside Edition. Support for Stanley was mixed. While many commended her actions, others believed she was in the wrong to fire at the three fleeing robbers. Regardless, Stanley maintains she was acting in the interests of the safety of the employees and patrons of the restaurant and said she would do it again. Stanley was officially relieved from her position on Jan. 12 after receiving a notice citing a violation of the safety and security policy of Waffle House for shooting at the men. “That’s always what you want to do when the bad guy runs,” said Gary DeGeorge, owner of Atlanta Range and Ordnance in Newnan. “You want retaliation, but that violates one of the four rules of gun safety — to be sure of your target and what is beyond it.” While he didn’t necessarily support her decision to fire at the fleeing robbers, he sympathized with her situation, citing that no one wants to be a victim. After accepting an invitation from DeGeorge, Stanley completed a complimentary comprehensive firearms and safety training class at the range. “It was a really nice gesture,” Stanley said. Being fired right after Christmas was not the best time to be without work, she said. After being unemployed for nearly two months, Stanley is now working at a Dunkin’ Donuts in Fairburn. “I’m really happy to be working again,” she said. “It’s a few days a week, but it’s better than nothing and I’m really happy to be done with working overnight shifts. My kids are happier, too.”
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE TUNNELL FAMILY
The Tunnell family Yorkshire Terrier, known as “Max,” was stolen after escaping from his home recently.
Stolen dog dies after being reunited with family
By KANDICE BELL kandice@newnan.com A local family is mourning the loss of their dog after the pet was stolen, recovered, then died a week after being reunited with owners. The Yorkie, Max, went missing from their home in Sharpsburg near East Coweta High School in mid-February. Patrick Tunnell, a criminal investigator with Troup County, said Max was an inside dog, but somehow was able to break loose that day. Tunnell said search efforts began as soon as he realized Max was not close by. “We went door to door and turned to social media,” Tunnell said. “We posted on every dog lost site. My wife sent flyers out to all the veterinarians and groomers in the surrounding counties. We had several volunteers that helped look for him. We were doing everything we could to find our dog. We first bought him from a breeder. He was tiny.” page 4 While he was standing on the road near their home with a sign offering a
reward for their p e t , Tu n n e l l said his neighbor told him she saw a wom a n pull to the curb of the Tunnell’s ya rd a nd ta ke the dog. After 24 hours, and almost giving up hope of finding PHOTO: CCSO M a x , Tu n nel l Amber Cheyenne got a call from Chunn was arrested Dorene Thompand charged with son, the owner theft of lost or mislaid of Pet Pa raproperty. dise on Greenville Street in Newnan, who had received an email of the flyer about the missing dog. A friend of Thompson’s purchased the dog from a family acquaintance. Thompson said the dog was brought in to be groomed shortly after being stolen, around noon.
STOLEN, page 2
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Former Waffle House waitress Heather Burkinshaw Stanley displays her termination notice after she fired a gun at three fleeing robbers late December 2016. Despite the loss of her job and attention from the media, Stanley says she has no regrets about how everything turned out.
During her period of unemployment, Stanley created a GoFundMe page in an effort to raise $2,500 – an amount she believed would be sufficient to help support her family while she searched for a new job. In the end, she raised more than $8,000. “I was able to pay off a lot of bills and rent,” she said. “That really got us through a rough period." While Stanley said she was the recipient of criticism for her actions, she was also contacted by many people who offered financial and emotional support. “It was overwhelming,” she said. “We were very fortunate to have so much help from strangers during a difficult time.” **** Clay Neely: clay@newnan.com, @ clayneely
8, 2017
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PHOTO BY MAGGI
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