Georgia News Briefly — March 19, 2016

Columbus may sell Golden Park

COLUMBUS (TNS) — Golden Park, the venue for minor league baseball over the years and softball events during the 1996 Summer Olympics, may be sold if Columbus Council agrees to declare the property surplus at 110 Fourth St.

During its Tuesday meeting, the 10-member council will consider a proposal from City Manager Isaiah Hugley to also authorize the sale of 5.53 acres of property valued at $3.7 million.

The park has been in the hands of the city for 88 years since it was conveyed to the Commissioners of Commons of the city of Columbus on Jan. 30, 1928.

Although the 4,500-seat stadium was renovated in 1994 for the Olympic softball events, it was used for minor league baseball teams until 2008. With no minor league team using the facility, the park is currently used only for special events.

The park is costing the city an average of $93,000 a year with expenses exceeding revenues. It also needs about $2.7 million in renovations.

Authorities identify drowned teenager

ATLANTA (TNS) — The identity has been released of the teen girl who died Friday after a swimming accident in the Chattahoochee River in Carroll County.

Alissa Calhoun, 14, of Newnan and her sister were found unconscious Friday at McIntosh River Park after their swim noodle got away from them, Tim Padgett, a spokesman for the Carroll Emergency Management Agency, said in an emailed statement.

The other girl, 6, is in intensive care at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston, said Capt. Jeff Richards of the Carroll County Sheriff’s Department in an emailed statement.

The girls’ father, Jason Calhoun, was present during the swimming incident, Channel 2 Action News reported.

CPR was performed on the girls at the rescue scene, and they then were transported to Tanner Medical Center, the Carroll County Sheriff’s Department told Channel 2.

Man killed in Macon shooting

MACON (TNS) — A 24-year-old man was shot and killed Friday night in south Macon, according to a news release from the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office.

Tarus Fair, of Macon, died from gunshot wounds at the Medical Center, Navicent Health after he was dropped off by an unknown person after 11:30 p.m., the release said.

Just before that, deputies were alerted to an altercation with gunshots being fired on Cynthia Avenue and Cedar Street, not far from the intersection of Broadway Street and Eisenhower Parkway, according to the release.

More charges against man accused in killing

ATLANTA (TNS) — A man accused of killing a gay rights activist last year will be arraigned Monday on additional charges that he raped the woman before killing her.

Donte Lamar Wyatt, 33, faces aggravated sodomy and rape charges in connection with the April 13 killing of Catherine Han Montoya. He will appear before DeKalb Superior Court Judge Asha Jackson at 9 a.m. in Room 6C.

Han Montoya was killed after Wyatt fled a Henry County Waffle House where he had met and stabbed his estranged wife numerous times, according to police. He ended up in DeKalb where he broke into Han Montoya’s home, beat her and attacked her with a knife before strangling her with a scarf, according to an indictment filed Feb. 25.

Han Montoya was a member of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.

While in the DeKalb County jail for Han Montoya’s murder, Wyatt allegedly killed his cellmate Jah’Corey Tyson on July 4, choking the 23-year-old and gouging out his eyes.

Wyatt faces a raft of charges in both cases: 14 felonies, including two counts of malice murder, two counts of felony murder and four counts of aggravated assault.

He has pleaded not guilty in both cases.