Rossville couple admits shooting at son
They claimed they were trying to keep him from leaving home.
They claimed they were trying to keep him from leaving home.
SOUTH CHAPEL
Sarah Carolyn Hightower
Mrs. Sarah Carolyn Hightower, age 80, of Rome, passed away on Wednesday, January 3, 2018, at her residence.
Mrs. Hightower was born in Cleburne County, Alabama on August 30, 1937, daughter of the late Willie Gordon Crews Sr. and the late Lura Campbell Crews. She was a graduate of Rome High School and was a member of the Park Avenue Baptist Church. Prior to retirement, Mrs. Hightower worked for the Sara Hightower Regional Library for the Blind for 20 years.
Survivors include her husband, Isaac Claude Hightower, to whom she was married on November 2, 1956; a daughter, Claudia Hightower Burkhalter, and her husband, Mike, Lindale; a son, Clay Hightower, and his wife, Leslie, Rome; four grandchildren, Jesse Burkhalter, Hunter Burkhalter, Caroline Hightower, and Carter Hightower; two brothers, Gordon Crews Jr., Lindale, and Emmett Crews, Florida; nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be held on Friday, January 5, 2018, at 1 p.m. in the Chapel at Henderson & Sons Funeral Home, South Chapel, with the Rev. Dennis Conway and Chaplain Terry Combs officiating. Interment will follow in Oaknoll Memorial Gardens.
The family will receive friends at Henderson & Sons Funeral Home, South Chapel, on Friday from 11:30 a.m. until 12:45 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to the Sara Hightower Regional Library for the Blind, 205 Riverside Parkway NE, Rome, Ga. 30161.
Henderson & Sons Funeral Home, South Chapel, has charge of the funeral arrangements. Franklin Jerome McKnight
Mr. Franklin Jerome McKnight, age 56, of 916 Maple Ave., Rome, Ga., transitioned January 1, 2018. Mr. McKnight’s service will be Saturday, January 6, 2018, at 2:00 p.m. at Life of Jesus in Action Holiness Church, 218 Old Airport Road.
The body will lie in state from 1:00 p.m. until the funeral hour. Interment will follow at Morning View Cemetery. The family will receive at 6 Whitehead St., West Rome.
Care and direction entrusted to F.K. Jones Funeral Home.
Ariana Ransom
Miss Ariana Ransom, of Cartersville, Georgia, went to her heavenly home on Friday, December 29, 2017, surrounded by her loving family. Services for Miss Ransom will be held Friday, January 5, 2018, at 2:00 p.m. at Greater Mount Olive Baptist Church, Cartersville, Georgia, 30120. Interment will follow the service at Oak Hill Cemetery, 319 North Erwin Street, Cartersville, Georgia 30120. Please keep the Ransom family in your prayers. Wright Memorial Mortuary has full charge of the arrangements. 2516 New Calhoun Highway NE 706-291-9472 www.salmonfuneralhome.com
Dorothy Mae Adams
Mrs. Dorothy Mae Adams, age 88, of Rome, Ga., passed away on Tuesday morning, January 2, 2018.
A native of Rome and Floyd County, Mrs. Adams was born on November 6, 1929, daughter of the late Romie John Lee Cook and Tessie Mae Brown Cook. She had been a resident of Rome for most of her life. She was a member of the American Legion and was of the Baptist faith. For a number of years, Mrs. Adams was associated with Floyd Medical Center in the dietary department. She loved to travel but mostly enjoyed spending time with family. In addition to her parents, Mrs. Adams was preceded in death by four sons, Gary Sullins, Rudy Sullins, Frank Poole, and Randy Sullins. Three brothers and four sisters also preceded her in death.
Mrs. Adams is survived by two sons and a daughter-inlaw, Ervin and Kathy Poole, and Johnny Sullins; two sisters, Betty Gilmore and Ruby John Cox; two brothers, Ricky Cook and Buster Cook. Six grandchildren, several great-grandchildren and a host of nieces, nephews and other relatives and friends also survive.
Funeral services for Mrs. Adams will be held on Friday afternoon, January 5, 2018, at 3:00 p.m. in the Carl Sidwell Chapel of the Salmon Funeral Home with the Rev. Chris Hayes officiating. Interment will follow in the Oaknoll Memorial Gardens. Mrs. Adams will remain at Salmon Funeral Home where the family will receive friends Friday from 1:00 until 3:00 p.m.
You’re invited to visit www.salmonfuneralhome. com to share memories and post tributes.
The staff of Salmon Funeral Home is honored to serve the family of Mrs. Dorothy Mae Adams.
ROSSVILLE — A Rossville couple was arrested on numerous charges after they admitted to shooting at their teenage son in order to keep him from leaving home, police say.
According to the Catoosa County Sheriff’s Department: Celeste Nicole Picklesimer, 32, and Zachary Dan Willard, 23, both of Mack Smith Road, were arrested Dec. 22 on charges of aggravated assault, reckless conduct, and firearm discharge on or near a public highway. Both Picklesimer and Willard have been released from jail on bond. The shooting incident involving the couple began shortly after 10 p.m. on Dec. 22 when Catoosa County dispatch received multiple 911 calls of shots fired along Mack Smith Road.
Cpl. Aaron Cantrell says that when he arrived at the scene, Picklesimer and Willard admitted up front that they’d been the ones firing weapons, and that they had each done so at Picklesimer’s juvenile son who was attempting to leave the home.
The couple told the same story: The boy was at a friend’s house unwilling to come home, but that they’d tried to entice him with a pack of cigarettes.
“Mr. Willard stated the juvenile had called him and Ms. Picklesimer earlier and stated he would come home in the morning if they would leave a pack of cigarettes outside on the hood of a vehicle for him to pick up at approximately 10 p.m.,” Cpl. Cantrell said. “Mr. Willard stated they put a pack of cigarettes outside and waited for the juvenile to show up.”
The boy eventually arrived with a friend, grabbed the cigarettes and attempted to leave, at which time Willard followed them and fired two shots at them from his handgun, reports show. Willard claimed he fired the shots into the ground near them in an attempt to scare them into not running away.
Willard further admitted that he shot “near” the boys two more times before they jumped into a vehicle on Elizabeth Street near Ann Street. Picklesimer served up the same timeline of events, also admitted to shooting her handgun into the ground near the boys, but added that she also shot multiple rounds from her .9-milimeter at the vehicle the boys took off in.
“Ms. Picklesimer stated when the juveniles got into the gold Buick Rendezvous, she started shooting toward the vehicle to attempt to shoot the tires,” Cantrell said. “She stated ‘I shot low towards the vehicle because the kids were trying to get in the car and I did not want to hit them, I just wanted to shoot the tires.’”
Cantrell says Picklesimer also made the comment, “I think I shot all the ammo in my gun”.
Both firearms were collected as evidence, and both Picklesimer and Willard were taken to Catoosa County jail while the boy was turned over to a family member.
After leaving the jail, Cantrell says he met with the mother of the other boy present during the incident, who claimed she was driving the vehicle the boys left the scene in.
“She stated she had brought Ms. Picklesimer’s juvenile son home,” Cantrell said. “She stated Ms. Picklesimer’s juvenile son and her juvenile son got out of the vehicle and were walking up to the house. She stated the two were standing near the residence talking when she heard gunshots.”
The woman claimed the boys began running from the home after the first shots were fired, and that several other shots rang out as they were running to the car.
“She stated she heard several more gunshots but could not see who was doing the shooting,” Cantrell said.
The woman said she drove off scared and returned home, but also revealed that there were four additional children in the vehicle when she drove away from the scene. When officers interviewed Picklesimer’s son about the incident, he said Willard yelled “you better run” while chasing and shooting at them, reports show. While Willard and Picklesimer were initially charged with two counts of aggravated assault each for the shots fired at the two boys, Picklesimer garnered an additional four counts when Cantrell learned of the other children in the vehicle she shot at.