Wattersons meet with Namibia officials
NORTH CHAPEL
Johnnie Sharon Johnson Easterling
Ms. Johnnie “Joni” Sharon Johnson Easterling, age 69, of Jacksonville, Florida, passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, May 21, 2016, at a Jacksonville, Florida medical center
She was born on February 8, 1947, daughter of the late Harold Clay Johnson and Aurell Holbert Johnson. She was also preceded in death by her beloved son, Jay Donald Easterling, II, on August 16, 2013. She was born and had resided in Floyd County in the Glenwood Community. She attended the Armuchee Elementary Schools and later graduated from East Rome High School in 1965.
Ms. Easterling was a devoted mother who loved her family and friends and was well known for raising show cats which she dearly loved. She was a very fluent pianist and was often asked to play piano for friends and loved ones’ weddings and other special occasions. She worked at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida for many years and retired in 2012.
Survivors include her precious daughters, Julie Anne Easterling Snow and her husband, John; Tiffany Suzanne Easterling Waas and her husband, Shawn; daughter-in-law, Angel Talericao Easterling; grandchildren Sarah Snow, Jared Snow, Daniel Snow and his wife, Lucinda Wolford Snow, and Austin Holmes along with one great-grandchild, Karen James Snow, expected in September 2016 all of Jacksonville, Florida.
A memorial service in honor of Ms. Johnnie Johnson Easterling will be held on Sunday, May 29, 2016, at 3:30 p.m. at the Amazing Grace Baptist Church located at 266 Prater Road, Kingston, Ga. The family will receive friends from 2:30 p.m. till time for the memorial at the church. The memorial service will be officiated by the Reverend Josh Penson.
Henderson and Sons Funeral Home, North Chapel, makes the announcement on behalf of the family. Johnnie Sharon Johnson Easterling U.S. Navy photo by Senior Chief Mass Communication Specialist Ryan C. Delcore Master-at-Arms 2nd executive officer of Naval Air Facility Misawa, Class Nicholas Reddish of Rome (left) receives in Japan. The medal recognizes Reddish’s the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement outstanding performance while stationed Medal from Cmdr. Dennis Malzacher, at NAF Misawa.
Bruce Watterson of Rome sent in a photo he and his wife, Renva Watterson, had taken when they dined with the U.S. ambassador to Namibia during their travels in South Africa. Watterson said Ambassador Thomas F. Daughton of Arizona, and his wife, Melinda Burrell, invited them to the official residence and were delightful hosts.
Renva Watterson, who is vice president for academic affairs at Georgia Highlands College, also met with several University of Namibia administrators and the
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UPCOMING
Bruce and Renva Watterson pose with Ambassador Thomas F. Daughton and his wife, Melinda Burrell.
head of the Banking System of Namibia. Her conversation centered around a cultural/educational exchange with the University of Namibia, Watterson said. Rome Shakespeare Festival’s Contributed photo
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LEXINGTON — An Athens man has been arrested on murder charges more than four years after his business partner’s body was found in a well.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said in a news release Thursday that an Oglethorpe County grand jury indicted Victor Blockum this week in connection with the 2012 shooting death of 25year-old Monroe banker Charles Parker.
Authorities say Parker was last seen alive on Jan. 15, 2012, when he and Blockum went to look at property to buy a poultry farm together. The victim’s body was discovered inside a well in Oglethorpe County about a month later.
Blockum was arrested at his home on Wednesday. He is facing numerous charges, including malice murder and felony murder. It is unclear whether he has an attorney.
Georgia opens 3-mile link from port to I-95
SAVANNAH — A 3-mile stretch of highway linking the Port of Savannah to busy Interstate 95 has opened west of Savannah.
Gov. Nathan Deal was on hand Friday for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open the Jimmy DeLoach Connector. Georgia built the short stretch of four-lane highway to give trucks a direct east-west route from I-95 to Savannah’s port — the fourth-busiest container port in the nation.
The Georgia Ports Authority says more than 8,000 trucks enter and exit the port each day. The connector was designed to give those trucks an alternative to State Route 21, a parallel highway used by many area commuters.
The connector was funded with the sale of nearly $100 million in bonds, which state lawmakers authorized in 2011.
DeKalb woman convicted in fire
DECATUR — Prosecutors say a DeKalb County woman has been convicted of arson in a fatal apartment fire.
The DeKalb County district attorney’s office says Jasmine Lashae Lockett was found guilty Thursday of arson, felony murder, five counts of aggravated assault and three counts of criminal damage to property. Prosecutors say Lockett ignited the Oct. 21 blaze that killed 37-yearold Tony Hubert.
Lockett and Melvin Wayne Griffin III were both indicted, but prosecutors said Lockett actually started the fire. Griffin, who pleaded guilty to manslaughter, is serving five years in prison.
The Associated Press