WISK/WDEC

Local News

Wednesday February 1^st, 2023

*UPDATE*

Make your plans to be in downtown Americus this Friday for the Chili Crawl—the “first” First Friday event of the year! The Chili Crawl is one of the most attended First Friday events with teams and individuals letting you sample their best chili and you get to decide who wins this year by voting for the best of the best. Almost 20 locations will have chili throughout the downtown area for you, your family and friends to sample and enjoy. You can also get in some First Friday shopping as many merchants will be open late until 8pm. In addition, enjoy the music that will be set up in Rylander Park. First Friday will be held from 5 to 8pm and you can also take free rides around downtown on the new Americus Street Trolley. Make it a night for the whole family to enjoy at the Chili Crawl for First Friday and get the weekend off to a great start!

After getting good vibes following Monday night’s community forum dealing with the City’s recent gun violence, the Sumter County Schools will be hosting the next summit and this will be a Safety Summit for the schools in the system. This Safety Summit will be held tomorrow night February 2^nd at 6:30 in the auditorium on the SCHS campus at 903 SGT Parkway. Safety issues and concerns as well as academic updates for all the schools will be presented for parents and guardians. This is open for the community to attend.

The Sumter County Gun Violence and Community Solutions Summit this Friday the 3^rd has been in the planning stages for over a year. One Sumter will have a community conversation with the J. W. Fanning Institute from UGa; the Americus Police Department; and the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office concerning crime—its causes and the solutions we all can tackle. This summit will be in the private dining hall this Friday from 9 to 2.

Sumter County Fire & Rescue is looking for volunteer firefighter recruits to fill out the upcoming Firefighter 1 Class which begins in 2-weeks on Thursday February 16^th. Interested persons should call HQ Station 1 at 924-6603 to have your name placed on the class roster. For additional information, contact SCF&R at www.sumterfire.com.

Here’s a midweek weather update—more rain is expected by tomorrow afternoon and will end early Friday afternoon with the best chance of rain overnight Thursday into Friday morning. While it will be warm today and tomorrow, the system bringing in this rain chance will have colder air behind it. From the high near 70 on Thursday to the high of 53 on Friday, the colder air settles in and will be around freezing by sunrise Saturday morning. Saturday will be cooler with highs only in the low 50s but then the colder air moderates and will be in the 60s on Sunday with yes, another chance for rain which would be the third straight Sunday with rain in the forecast. There is just a slight chance for afternoon showers today but the better chances will be overnight Thursday into Friday morning.

It was another quiet day and night for the Americus Police on Tuesday. Officers responded to terroristic threats and acts at 100-A Bozeman Circle.

While answering a domestic-related call to 219-A Murphy Mill Road, 2^nd degree criminal damage to property was discovered.

A criminal trespass complaint was made at 1211 2^nd Montgomery.

Following an incident at 805 Adderton Street yesterday afternoon, 2 arrests were made. Tiffany Robinson was arrested for shoplifting and obstruction. Vinson M. Mann was arrested for shoplifting.

A felony theft by deception occurred at 113-B Bush Circle.

Damage to property was reported at 102 Tripp Street.

Last night when responding to a domestic situation in the McCoy Street area, Jessie J. Smith was arrested for an outstanding warrant.

There were 2 accidents worked by APD yesterday that did have 2 reported injuries.

*UPDATE*

Sumter County Sheriff’s Deputies were busy yesterday responding to suspicious person complaints. These occurred at 212 W. Ellaville Street in Andersonville, 165 Lexington Circle and at 4260 US 280E. 3 prisoner transports were made. Investigation is underway into a forgery case. Deputies responded to three domestic-related calls yesterday and last night. A deer-related traffic crash was reported by the Sheriff yesterday.

Housed in the Sumter County Jail today; Russell Arguijo for disorderly while intoxicated and criminal trespass; Vinson Mandel Mann for shoplifting; Kevin Wesley Orr for loitering/ prowler/ and possession of a Schedule I controlled substance; Quovadis Marquez Price for obstruction/ giving false name to law enforcement/ felony failure to appear/ and probation violation; Tiffany Shante Robinson for shoplifting/ obstruction/ and felony failure to appear; and Lawrence Lormard Yancie for aggravated assault.

The February meeting of the Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) will be held on Tuesday February 7^th at 10am. The meeting will be held at the EOC located at 901 Adderton Street.