The call came to the 911 operator from the train engineer, “There has been a collision between the train and a semi.”
The train engineer could only tell the 911 operator that they were south of Colquitt just off of U.S. Highway 27 at a crossing. The call came in on a cell phone.
Miller County Sheriff’s officers were dispatched down U.S. Hwy. 27 south, Monday, June 5, at 3:48 p.m., along with Miller County Ambulance Service and the Colquitt/Miller County Fire and Rescue Service. The wreck site was discovered to be at the railroad crossing on White’s Bridge Road on the east side of the four-lane highway.
According to Georgia Southwestern Railroad engineer, Marcus A. Gardner, 29, of Preston, stated the semi driver stopped or slowed, and attempted to cross the railroad track as the train was traveling south. He stated that he was traveling approximately 23 m.p.h. when the collision occurred. Gardner stated that he had been blowing his whistle at every crossing.
The engine of the train struck the tractor trailer loaded with fertilizer just back of the truck cab, dragging the loaded semi down one side of the track and the loaded trailer down the other side of the track for several hundred feet.
Semi driver, Noble Jackson Jr. of 582 Old Pelham Rd., Bainbridge, was in the cab of the semi as it was dragged down the track. The semi driver got out of his cab and was at the site of the collision when the ambulance crew arrived. He was shaken, but no visible injuries were seen as the medics checked Jackson. He was taken to the ambulance and transported to Miller County Hospital to be checked in the emergency room. The ambulance was called back to the scene to take the train engineer into the emergency room to be checked for injuries. Neither seemed to have serious injuries. They were very lucky.
One fireman, Horace Lovering injured his leg going up and down the bank during the rescue operation, but drove himself to the ER.
The train is owned by Georgia Southwestern Railroad, and the semi-tractor is owned by Dollar Farm Products of Bainbridge. The damage to the train and the semi truck and trailer are still being investigated.
GSP Trooper Walt Laundrum was the investigating officer. A citation was issued to the truck driver for failure to yield.

Colquitt native Lea Henry-Manning, who is an Olympic gold medalist and women’s basketball coach, was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame during a ceremony held Saturday, May 20, in Macon. She was one of 10 chosen in 2006 for this honor.
Other inductees were Jack C. Hughston, M.D., orthopedist and pioneer of sports medicine; Tazwell Anderson, Georgia Tech football player; Bobby Cox, manager of the Atlanta Braves; Ray Donaldson, All-American Georgia Bulldog linebacker; Bobby Gaston, SEC coordinator of football officiating; Bettye McClendon, first female to officiate a college men’s basketball game; Al Mead, track and field athlete and member of the Amputee Athletic Association’s Hall of Fame; Marion Morgan, a sprinter and coach; and Sugar Ray Robinson, middleweight boxing champ.
Because of her outstanding collegiate, national and international careers, Lea Henry-Manning was also inducted into the Lady Volunteer Hall of Fame at the University of Tennessee in September of 2005 and served as the guest speaker at the 2006 Albany Sports Hall of Fame Induction Banquet.
Henry-Manning began her basketball career, playing for Southwest Georgia Academy in Damascus. She went on to become an All-American at the University of Tennessee and is one of six Lady Vol players to receive an Olympic gold medal. The 5 feet, 4 inch point guard was on the 1984 U.S. team coached by her former head coach, Pat Head-Summit. “I thought highly enough of her, and so did the Committee to put her on the Olympic team,” Summitt said. “That speaks to the respect I had for her running a team. The thing about Lea was she was small in stature, but she was huge in her heart and her competitive spirit.”
After college and the Olympics, Henry-Manning played one season of profession ball with the Houston Shamrocks of the now-defunct Women’s American Basketball Association. When that career came to an end, she turned to coaching, following in the footsteps of Summit, whom she calls one of her greatest influences. While working on her master’s degree, Henry-Manning was an assistant coach at Tennessee and then went to the University of Florida to serve in the same capacity. Her first head coaching position came in 1990 at Mercer; four years later she headed to Georgia State, where according to one sports writer, “Within a few years, she transformed a program that had languished in mediocrity prior to her arrival into a consistent winner.” She has led the Georgia State Lady Panthers to three NCAA tournament appearances and is now the school’s all-time leader in coaching victories.
In addition to training college athletes each year, Lea and her husband, Greg, have made it their goal to work with young athletes in the communities that provided her with the opportunities she had as a child. For many years, the Lea Henry Camp of Champs has hosted week-long individual day camps at Deerfield Windsor and other schools. Last year, the couple directed camps that promoted character education through the sport of basketball in Colquitt, Cuthbert, Bainbridge, Americus, Blakely and Albany.
As Lea prepared to be inducted into the 2006 Georgia Hall of Fame, she couldn’t help but think of all the hours she has spent in gyms and all the people who helped her along the way. Growing up the daughter of a basketball coach, Henry-Manning says, “I’ve just always been so passionate about the game. I don’t remember life without it, and I’ve loved it. I’ve loved all the hours I spent working to be the best player I could be.” Of her latest honor, Lea said, “It just reminds me of all the hard work and the good times and the special people that were a part of making it happen. It’s been a joy, and it’s something I’ve been very fortunate to be able to do. It’s been a real good bond with my family because it’s something that everybody has been a part of.”
Her family members were on hand in Macon to applaud her most recent accomplishment. In addition to her husband, Greg, those attending the induction ceremony included her mother, Mary Rentz of Baker County; her father and stepmother, W.T. and Ruth Henry of Albany; her sister and brother-in-law, Paige and Chad Foster of Atlanta; her sister, Kristen Henry of Albany; her brother, Bo Henry of Albany; and her uncle and aunt, Ferrell and Arleeta Henry of Cordele.

You don't have to go to New York, San Francisco or Atlanta to see a professional play performed by great actors. The Colquitt Miller Arts Council is proud to present Gospel of The Rock, a play about three of the best known escape artists in America, and two of the three were born right here in Colquitt. The play opens Thursday, June 8, in Cotton Hall, Colquitt.
On June 11, 1962, three men outsmarted some of America’s best crime fighters and escaped from Alcatraz prison. Two of these three men, Clarence and J.W. Anglin, were from Miller County, and the Colquitt Miller Arts Council’s newest production features their true stories.
The Anglin brothers would have never dreamed that they would become rock stars, but that is just what they are in this production. The three escape artists have had numerous other stories written about them, books, movies, documentaries and TV stories. The 1979 movie staring Clint Eastwood as Frank Morris, Jack Thibau as Clarence Anglin and Fred Ward as John Anglin was perhaps the most famous production of the legendary escape from Alcatraz.
This summer premier of Gospel of The Rock will explore stories that family members have shared with the arts council and entertain audiences with these stories of the Anglin brother’s lives before prison, while in Alcatraz, about the great escape and even stories of their lives afterwards.
There are 1757 pages of FBI files concerning this escape from Alcatraz. It shows that 36 prisoners were involved in various attempts to escape from this prison: Seven were shot and killed, two drowned, five were unaccounted for, and the rest returned. The FBI or Alcatraz officials never admitted that the Anglin brothers or Morris escaped. They were listed as missing and presumed drowned. The Anglin siblings just don’t agree. History doesn’t agree. You must see the play to make up your own mind. You won’t be disappointed.
A talented cast will be performing in this premier. Three of the cast members are local citizens, and two are professionals from out of town. Locals participating are Don Chandler (Brother), Buddy Johnson (Clarence Anglin), and Jennifer Roland (Sister). All of these are past or present members of the Swamp Gravy cast, and this is their first professional production.
Freddie Vanderford (Bumpy Johnson) is joining the cast from South Carolina. He is playing the part of Bumpy Johnson who helped the brothers in many ways while they were in Alcatraz and is instrumental to their escape. He began playing the harmonica in his childhood and honed his skills with legendary blues performer, Peg Leg Sam. Currently he tours the country and can be heard on the National Public Radio series, Just Plain Folks, with storytelling and author, Lorraine Johnson-Coleman. Throughout his career, Vanderford has performed with artists such as John Mayall, the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Buddy Guy, Taj Mahal, Lonnie Brooks, Nighthawks, Steve Morse, Herbi Mann, and Nappy Brown.
Brandon Rose (John William Anglin) has been working in the Atlanta area for the past three years, as an actor, musician, dancer, choreographer, and director. Brandon has been involved in the production of many stage plays and musicals and has toured nationally as a drummer/guitarist for a local band and as a performer for two national shows. Most recently, Brandon has been working on the entertainment staff at Stone Mountain Park. Favorite roles include the Dentist in Little Shop of Horrors, Cain/Japheth in Children of Eden and Pippin in Pippin.
Call 229-758-5450 for more information or to reserve your tickets for the Gospel of The Rock. It opens June 8 and running until June 27. Show times are Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. For more information, log on to www.swampgravy.com.

If you come into Colquitt, thinking it’s just another small, rural, lazy, county town, it won’t take you long to find out that just isn’t so. As some of our visitors say, “I can’t beleive what you are doing in this town. The amount of volunteers never ceases to amaze me in all that you all do.”
At a packed crowd of the First Friday Breakfast of the Colquitt/Miller County Chamber of Commerce, president Russ Henley asked different leaders in the community to report on some of the happenings in Colquitt. The delicious breakfast at Tarrer Inn was sponsored by Clenney Insurance Agency.
Dot Wainright reported that the Miller County Hospital is going great guns with the new building projects and improvements in services.
Howard Small reported that the county commissioners are meeting to see what can be done to improve the county roads and to purchase new equipment to maintain them.
Kent Richardson stated that the Miller County schools are out for the summer, and he is already missing the children and teachers. He could not report on the progress of the new school buildings at this time, but stated that construction may begin at the end of this year or first of next year.
Jennifer Trawick said that the Colquitt Miller Arts Council continues to make progress in every area with the new production of Gospel of the Rock starting up Thursday, June 8.
Veryl G. Cockey reported on the activities of the Chamber of Commerce and plans for another great July 4th celebration and fireworks display in Spring Creek Park on July 1.
Cory Thomas told of some of the plans for Colquitt/Miller County’s Sesquicentennial. He told that plans are already underway for great entertainment, a beard contest, and arts and craft booths. He stated that the next meeting for the 150th anniversary for the city and county would be held June 29th.
It was noted that if you see some “unkempt” looking men around who look like they need a shave, the beard contest has started. Dress will also change as we get closer to the celebration date later this year. Thomas asked that anyone who will and can will be needed to plan this once in a lifetime celebration.
A report was given by Katherine Vanstone on the local library doing well with its projects and its use by the public.
Winston Trively stated that the new golf membership is being well accepted and many new members have joined since the lower fee was adopted. Things are looking better and better.
State Representative Gerald Greene presented the following resolution to Mayor Jerry Chapman and Chairman Howard Small:
A Resolution
Honoring the 150th anniversary of the founding of Miller County, Georgia; and for other purposes.
WHEREAS, 2006 marks the 150th year of the existence of Miller County and, on the occasion of this historical milestone, Miller County honors its proud and rich heritage with a sesquicentennial celebration; and
WHEREAS, Miller County was created on February 25, 1856, by an Act of the Georgia General Assembly and is named for Andrew Miller, the great American orator, state legislature, United States Senator, lawyer, and president of the Medical College of Georgia; and
WHEREAS, the county is renowned as the home of the National Mayhaw Festival, “Swamp Gravy,” the official Georgia folklife play, the Georgia Film Commission, Crooked Oak Golf Course, and the historic renovated Tarrer Inn; and
WHEREAS, the county is the beloved home of countless people who have been drawn to the lovely site because of the wonderful quality of life it provides; and
WHEREAS, today, Miller County remains a vital and important part of Georgia and a wonderful and welcoming home to many of this state’s great citizens.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body honor the 150th anniversary of Miller County and extend their best wishes to each and every resident of Miller County for many more years of health and prosperity.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to transmit an appropriate copy of this resolution to the Miller County Board of Commissioners.
IN HOUSE
Read and Adopted
February 21, 2006
Robert E. Rivers Jr.
Clerk

Week of June 4, 2006