Saturday, May 25 ENTERTAINMENT · LaFayette Downtown Development Authority invites families to join in summer Movies in the Park at Joe Stock Memorial Park, starting at 8 p.m. Saturday, May 25, with a showing of “Cars 2.” Admission is free. Moviegoers can buy popcorn and funnel cakes in the park. Bring lawn chairs and blankets. Free parking is available at Bi-Lo and at the First Baptist Church of LaFayette. Movies in the Park Saturdays are scheduled for after sundown on June 15, July 20, Aug. 17, Sept. 21 and Oct. 19. COMMUNITY · The 26th annual WQCH-AM 1590 Gospel Radio-a-thon for St. Jude’s Childrens Hospital, will be held from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, May 25, at the WQCH radio station in LaFayette. The call in number is 706-638-3276. Help WQCH reach a $15,000 goal this year. All are welcome and donations are appreciated. For more information, call Tim Barrett at: 423-305-2109. COMMUNITY · Center Post Community Center will host a free concert. Eight live gospel and bluegrass bands will perform from 2-8 p.m., Saturday May 25. Concessions are available- grilled hamburger and hotdog plates. ENTERTAINMENT · (Lookout Mountain) Rock City Raptors Birds of Prey Shows and Summer Music Weekends has begun. The Old Time Travelers, formerly the New Binkley Brothers, play every Friday, Saturday, Sunday and holiday, from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. through Labor Day. Birds of Prey Shows are back every Thursday through Sunday, at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. shows on Saturdays, as well as holidays and every day the week of July 4. ENTERTAINMENT · Lyerly United Methodist Church will have a free movie night on Saturday, May 25, at 6 p.m. The featured movie is, “Blind Side.” Free refreshments will be served halfway through the movie. All ages are invited. Call Michelle Floyd at 706-676-5645 for more information. Lyerly United Methodist is at 105 Oak Hill Road, across from Lyerly Elementary School in Lyerly. COMMUNITY · The inaugural Cycle for Miracles fundraising event at Enterprise South starts at 8 a.m., Saturday, May 25. Cyclists can bike a short 15-mile ride or a non-competitive 30- or 60-miles through flat and scenic terrain. Registration fees are now $40 for the 15-mile ride, $50 for the 30-mile ride and $60 for the 60-mile ride. For $250, participants will receive a signature Children’s Hospital training jersey they can wear during the event. Other categories include access to VIP Miracle Team Tent or a chance to ride with some of the pro-cyclists who are joining us during Cycle for Miracles. Contributions raised during the Cycle for Miracles event will go directly toward funding services at Children’s Hospital to care for sick and injured children in our region. For more information, visit cycleformiracles.org or call 423-778-2679. COMMUNITY · Giant Chronicles of Narnia Trivia Event, based on the books, will begin at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 25, at FortOGeorgia.com HQ & Studio, 2738 Lafayette Road, by Sears Shoes store in Fort Oglethorpe. Visit FortOStore.com or call 706-866-9919, for more information. ENTERTAINMENT · On Saturday, May 25, from 11 a.m.-4 p.m., writer Tim Hollis is onsite at Rock City (Lookout Mountain) for a book signing of “See Rock City: The History of Rock City Gardens.” Hollis is the author of a number of published books on nostalgic tourism history. COMMUNITY · Horse Shoe N Ranch Buckle Series will be held Saturdays, May 25, June 22, July 27, Aug. 24, Sept. 28 and Oct. 26. Most entry fees cost $20; $10 for youth class. Stalls and electric hook-ups available for those staying the night. The ranch is at 510 Back Valley Road in Summerville. For lodging information, call Susie at 423-443-6225. For show information, call George Burnham at 702-595-5125. Sunday, May 26 COMMUNITY · A living history day will be offered Sunday, May 26, at Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park. Thirty-minute presentations will be presented near the battlefield visitor center at 12:30, 1:30, 2:30 and 3:30 p.m. For more information, visit nps.gov/chch or call 706-866-9241. CHURCH · Concord United Methodist Church near Villanow will hold its annual homecoming on Sunday, May 26. Worship begins at 11 a.m. with dinner on the grounds following. Mark Millican is pastor. Featured singers are the Millionaires and Rex Cordell. CHURCH · Lookout Baptist Church, 8645 Highway l93 in the High Point Community of Walker County, will celebrate their 165 years with a homecoming and lunch on Sunday, May 26 . Worship service will began at 10 a.m. with lunch following. There will be no Sunday School or evening service. All former members, friends and the community are invited. COMMUNITY · “Witness to the Holocaust 2013 Library Tour” will be displayed at the Dade County Public Library (Trenton), through May 29. The program is presented by the Georgia Commission on the Holocaust, in partnership with the Georgia Public Library Service. For more information, visit www.holocaust.georgia.gov. SUMMER CAMP · Junior Ranger Day Camps will be held from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesday, June 4 through Thursday, June 6, and from Tuesday, June 11 through Thursday, June 13, at Red Top Mountain State Park, 50 Lodge Road SE, Cartersville. Cost is $45 per child. Junior Rangers will discover live animals, go hiking, make crafts, play games, and meet new friends. All of the activities are geared toward helping campers earn one of three Junior Ranger badges. This year the park is offering two camps, one for kids ages 6-8 and another for kids ages 9-12. Activities for each camp will vary and are age appropriate. For more information and to register, visit or call the park office: 770-975-0055. Space is limited. SUMMER CAMP · Dalton State’s World of Science Camp for children ages 7-10 will be held June 4-7 and June 11-14, from 1-3:45 p.m. each day. The cost is $160 for the two weeks, or $90 for one week. To register or for more information, call 706-272-4473. Monday, May 27 – Memorial Day COMMUNITY · Lake Winnepesaukah will open its new water park SoakYa on Memorial Day, Monday, May 27. The water park will be open from 1-6 p.m. The rest of the park will be open from noon to 8 p.m. General admission during the SoakYa season from Memorial Day to Labor Day will be $31.95, and $15.95 for children under two and senior citizens. COMMUNITY · Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park invite the public on a torch light tour of the Chattanooga National Cemetery, starting at 8:45 p.m., Monday, May 27. Park historian Jim Ogden will lead the 90-minute, one mile walking tour in partnership with the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Chattanooga National Cemetery. For more information, call 706-866-9241 or visit nps.gov/chch. COMMUNITY · A Memorial Day Barbecue will be held from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday, May 27, at Hinkle Park, 148 Hinkle Community Road, in Lookout Mountain. The park is 4 miles south of Covenant College or 7 miles south of Fairland. Or, head for the top of Nickajack Highway off Highway 193 (turn right). The event will be just off Highway 157. Follow the Hinkle Park Barbecue signs. For directions or more information, call John or Barb at 706-820-1177 Menu: Dinner plate - $7, includes meat (pork or beef), bread, slaw, baked beans and a pickle. Sandwich plate - $4, includes meat, bread, potato chips and pickle. Pork or beef by the pound costs $8.50 a pound. Soft drinks and tea - 75 cents. Desserts are 50 cents each.

A lunchtime fight between two girls Thursday at LaFayette High School ended after the school resource officer tased one of the students.
The fight stemmed from an online exchange on Twitter that allegedly dates back to spring break in March.
Neither female approached school officials about the previously escalating conflict, according to principal Mike Culberson.
The most recent, allegedly a sexually derogatory comment, led to the physical exchange at school on Thursday, May 22.
A 16-year-old junior was seated outside in the school’s courtyard and was confronted by a 17-year-old student, Alexus Gabriel Garrett, flipping the teen’s lunch tray up on her chest after asking about the alleged online posting.
The 16-year-old — whose name is being withheld because she is a minor under age 17 — then threw peaches at Garrett, who responded by attempting to throw a punch at the younger girl, but missed. The 16-year-old then shoved Garrett back in defense and both girls fell to the ground.
Each girl threw several punches and then Garrett pinned the other girl to the concrete and began delivering several punches to the girl’s head, according to authorities.
The school’s resource officer, Billy Mullis, who is a corporal with the LaFayettte Police Department, had been inside the cafeteria when a male coach pointed out that a fight had begun out in the courtyard.
He gave multiple verbal commands for the girls to stop, according to police captain Stacey Meeks.
“(As he arrived), one girl was down on the ground and the other girl (Garrett) was mounted on top of her, punching repeatedly,” Meeks said.
Out of fear that the younger female could sustain serious injury from being pummeled on the concrete, Mullis chose to use his taser instead of tackling Garrett, according to the “use of force” report that Mullis filed an hour after the altercation.
An officer is required to fill out a statement after any show of force, which includes “laying hands,” taser deployment, use of pepper spray, or shooting a suspect.
“The actions of SRO Mullis have been determined to be well within the standard operating procedures, as far as use of force and taser deployment,” Meeks said, after reviewing the incident with police chief Benji Clift.
“One of the young ladies was on her back, and (Mullis) was afraid that with the concrete beneath (the 16-year-old) and the female on top punching her in the head, that this girl would sustain some serious injuries,” Meeks said.
Culberson said there have been fewer fights in recent years and a shift in the expectations and the behavior of students.
“I am disappointed when kids resort to violence to resolve any kind of conflict,” Culberson said.
Garrett has misdemeanor affray charges pending from the fight and will possibly receive a date for a hearing in state court.
The 16-year-old faces the same charge, but it will be handled in juvenile court.
Police protocol
The LaFayette Police Department has had five tasers for nearly two years, four of which rotate among officers, except Mullis, who has been issued one due to his status as school resource officer at the LaFayette High. All law enforcement personnel must experience being tased before being authorized to carry the taser.
“It’s very unpleasant, but you’re probably less likely to receive an injury from being tased than from hands-on use of force by officers,” Meeks said. “Inadvertently, some people do get hurt by hands-on use of force. It (use of a taser) is a lot less trauma to the body than being tackled by a 200-pound man.”
There have been five or six fights at the school, according to Mullis, and this was the first instance in which the fight continued after he arrived, according to Meeks. Other instances either ended quickly or were broken up by faculty members.
Officer discretion is a situational consideration in the use of force. In the event one of the females had a weapon, Mullis could have used deadly force, if the situation warranted it, according to Meeks.
Students “oohed” several times as they watched the fight begin, but were stunned and many gasped simultaneously in disbelief as Mullis deployed the taser, according to officials.
The students’ response led school officials to briefly fear that one of the students had severely injured the other.
Meeks stated that a taser could be used on a suspect of any age in dangerous circumstances, as it temporarily incapacitates the suspect.
“If there is a situation, where it is an officer safety issue or a public safety issue, and the officer feels the need to deploy the taser to prevent further violence either to himself or to a third party, then he can deploy the taser,” Meeks said. “From the officer’s standpoint you have a couple of seconds to make decisions. It’s easy for others to be an armchair quarterback after situations like this.”
Due to the expense, and having to privately raise funds for the tasers, none are equipped with the optional video recording capability, according to Meeks.
The school system’s video surveillance in the area did not capture the incident either, as it took place in a blind spot among three cameras that monitor adjacent areas.
Mullis can be heard yelling “break it up” during the last few seconds of the confrontation in a cellphone video posted on YouTube, showing Garrett throwing two punches before rolling off of the girl, as she was tased. (YouTube has removed the video, with a note saying the video’s content violated YouTube’s terms of service.)
“The young ladies involved really made all of the decisions yesterday. They chose to get into a verbal altercation and at least one party chose to make it physical,” Meeks said. “Their decisions is what led up to our officer having to deploy his taser and use force.”
Both females received a checkup with the school nurse within minutes of the fight, and all scrapes and bruises were sustained prior to the tasing, according to Meeks.
The female students have been suspended in accordance with the Walker County school system’s progressive discipline policy, according to Culberson. Neither had been in any previous fights and have minimal disciplinary action as students prior to this, which was taken into account for punishment.
Both are described as being good students, and Culberson was shocked that either would have been involved in the incident.
“Some of the worst fights I have ever seen (during six years as SRO) have been between girls,” Meeks said. “There are normally more severe injuries and they’re less likely to stop when teachers or officers intervene. I would have rather broken up ten fights with boys as to try and diffuse one girl fight.”
Several locals have speculated that Mullis chose the taser because of gender and fear of litigation, which is not the case, according to Meeks.
“In our line of work we deal with females on a daily basis, arresting juvenile and adult females,” Meeks said. “If an officer feels they must lay hands on a female, adult or juvenile, they are within their rights to do that. He made a split-second decision and it ended the fight.”
Variables for an officer’s response include age, physical fitness level, along with the age and fitness of the combatants. The environment even plays a role, with this assault occurring on concrete, which was significant in this case, according to Meeks.
No other school personnel were in the immediate vicinity of the fight as Mullis dealt with the two females.

Walker County schools chief issues statement
“On Thursday, May 23, 2013, there was an altercation on the campus of LaFayette High School involving two female students during lunch,” Walker County Schools superintendent Damon Raines said in a prepared statement Friday afternoon, May 24.
“The altercation took place on the patio area adjacent to the cafeteria,” Raines said. “The school resource officer made his way to the area and attempted to intervene; he gave multiple verbal orders for the students to stop. When neither complied, the student on the top was tased by the officer and the altercation ended. We are confident that the SRO relied on his training and made the best possible decision considering the safety of both students. The parents of both students were contacted immediately after the incident.”

 

The Broadcast Television Journalists Association (BTJA) announced nominations for the third annual Critics’ Choice Television Awards, scheduled for June 10 at The Beverly Hilton Hotel. Up for best reality series is AMC’s locally filmed “Small Town Security.”
“Small Town” leading star, chief Joan Koplan, said she and her staff at JJK Security in Ringgold were incredibly excited and very honored when they got the news.
“I can’t believe it,” Koplan said. “Every time I get a call or email with more news, it takes awhile for it to sink in. We’re all very excited.”
Asked why she thought the series was taking off, despite conflicting public reactions, Koplan attributed a great deal of success to the realism and the continuity of the episodes.
“There are a lot of good reality shows out there, but I think we’re different,” Koplan said. “Our episodes are real and honest, but they’re also more continuous, almost like a soap opera. We get so many calls from people all over the place who tell us how much they love us because they can relate to us. They say they tune in again because they’re genuinely concerned or interested about the outcome of the things we’re going through. That really means a lot to us.”
Other venues in Hollywood also appear to have jumped on the “Small Town” bandwagon. People Magazine gave the series “three stars,” and Huffington Post journalist Greg Archer contacted Koplan for a personal interview.
“Few could have predicted how well a ‘reality’ series would handle the heartwarming story arc of Joan's long-time pal and employee, Dennis Croft, a transgender man with bold ambitions and a unwavering affection for his boss,” Archer said. “Collectively, the show's creators, producers and its ‘stars’ gave birth to one of the most inventive reality TV romps of the decade.”
Also nominated for Best Reality Series is “Duck Dynasty” (A&E), “The Moment” (USA), “Pawn Stars” (History Channel), “Push Girls” (Sundance) and “Wild Things with Dominic Monaghan” (BBC America).
For the first time the award show will be webcast live on UStream at: ustream.tv/channel/critics-choice-television-awards.