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   Per the request of Appalachian Judicial Circuit Superior Court Judge Brenda Weaver, three felony charges have been dropped against Fannin Focus publisher Mark Thomason and his attorney Russell Stookey in a case that has drawn criticism from across the state.

   Thomason and Stookey both spent time in jail on June 24th after a Pickens County grand jury indicted them on identity fraud, attempted identity fraud and making false statements.

Kidnapper's sentence reinstated by Ga. Supreme Court in latest rulings

Opinion summaries are prepared by the Public Information Office for the general public and news media. Summaries are not prepared for every opinion released by the Court, but only for those cases considered of great public interest. Opinion summaries are not to be considered as official opinions of the Court. The full opinions are available on the Supreme Court website at www.gasupreme.us .

COTTRELL V. SMITH ET AL. (S16A0013)

            A self-proclaimed marathon runner and Christian evangelist has lost his appeal of a Cobb County judge’s ruling that overturned a jury’s $635,000 verdict in his favor against five people he had sued for posting defamatory statements about him on the internet.

            According to the facts of the case, for a number of years, Stanley Cottrell, Jr. engaged in highly publicized running exhibitions that had a Christian evangelical and “friendship” emphasis. Cottrell gained public notice and his solo running achievements were often portrayed in movies, books and other media. He successfully parlayed his image as a “world-renowned ultra-marathon runner” into business endeavors, executive leadership roles, and motivational speaking.

Way down and going lower – Using a specially-engineered siphon, the Grandview Lake Company is lowering the water level ahead of expected dam construction this fall.

    Both Jasper and Pickens County are expected to make proposals to the Grandview Lake Company offering some type of assistance on their dam renovation in exchange for raw water deals.
    With an almost $1.5 million price tag to bring the dam up to state requirements for hurricanes and floods, the lake company is seeking to partner with a local government to sell water.

“The goal is to become healthy and strong,” says longtime fitness instructor
    Christie Pool/photos
    Punching and moving their way to fitness - The Functional Fitness class led by Karen Dobson at the Pickens Community Center is all about encouraging participants to be healthy and to feel good. Kathy Fellows, above middle, said the class is something she does for herself.
    If Kathy Fellows wasn’t working out in a group fitness class led by her friend Karen Dobson, there’s a strong possibility she’d be eating a bag of potato chips.
    Fellows is one of a handful of devotees to Dobson’s Functional Fitness class who, at 50 and beyond, are focusing on their health.