Unruly crowd terrorizes neighborhood
By Deborah Bennett Millen News Editor

Millen City Council met Tuesday, Oct. 7, and heard a request from residents of the Lincoln Park area for assistance with a crowd of unruly teenagers and youth who they said were "terrorizing the neighborhood." The residents indicated that those involved were from one household that was renting property in the neighborhood.

The latest incident occurred Sept. 27-29 with the Millen Police Department (MPD) being called to the area they reported.

One resident said that she was physically attacked by six individuals as she attempted to bring her granddaughter inside and away from the group. She indicated that she was waiting to get an incident report from the MPD so that she could take out a private warrant.

"These young people are trying to take over this neighborhood, and it is time to do something," she said.

Another noted that the unrest was spilling over into the school system resulting in her having to take her child out of school. Complaints of barking dogs, firearms being discharged, abandoned vehicles, overgrown lots and 4-wheelers being ridden in the streets were also made.

"The situation is escalating, and we are at our wits end," one resident said.

Mayor King Rocker assured the residents that the matter would be discussed with the MPD Chief and appropriate action would be taken to bring things under control.

Councilman Darryl Clifton noted that this was the second group of citizens to come to council with a similar problem in the past several months.

"If we don't get this under control, it will be every neighborhood," he said.

In other matters, Thursday, Oct. 30, was approved as the time to celebrate Halloween in the City of Millen with the annual Harvest of Fun Festival to be held 6-8 p.m. on Cotton Avenue.

A beer/wine license was granted to Shailesh Patel, owner, of the former Quick Stop convenience store located on East Winthrope Avenue.

Approval was granted for the city to share with the county the cost of sending a member of the Jenkins County Historic Preservation Commission to a statewide meeting.

Acceptance of a lease agreement with Norfolk Southern Railroad was tabled until further information could be obtained.

City Administrator Lamar Faircloth reported that progress was being made on collecting approximately $42,000 in "aged accounts" due the city, and he discussed the possibility of providing employment for part time workers through the Experience Works program at no cost to the city.