Local police officers were awarded by Mothers Against Drunk Driving on Thursday at a ceremony in Atlanta, one of them for being the top drugged-driving-recognition expert in the state for 2014.
Garden City police Sgt. Shawn Myers received that honor at the Golden Shield Honor Awards ceremony.
As a drug recognition expert, Myers and other such officers are certified by the state to identify motorists who are driving impaired on drugs other than just alcohol, including illegal and prescription medication.
“Agency size didn’t matter,” said Garden City police Lt. Tim McMillan. “He was up against people from the Atlanta police department, Gwinnett County police department — large agencies.”
The process for certification can take more than a year to complete, said Garden City police Lt. Tim McMillan.
McMillan said Thursday was the third time in four years Myers received a top individual award for contributions to DUI enforcement.
Myers wasn’t the only local officer awarded by MADD on Thursday.
Effingham County sheriff’s deputy Mike Kendricks received a Silver Pin and Garden City police officer David Dess received the Bronze Pin award based on DUI arrests last year. According to information on MADD’s Georgia website, the bronze category is for officers who make 25-49 DUI arrests and silver is for officers who make 50-99 arrests.
The banquet is held annually and attended by police from agencies around the state.
“When you go there, you really see the impact of what DUI enforcement does as a whole,” McMillan said. “... You hear from people who have had family members killed by drunk drivers.”
Police seek driver after hit-and-run
Police are asking witnesses to contact them after a hit and run involving a pedestrian closed all lanes of traffic at U.S. 80 at Pine View Drive Friday evening.
Effingham County Sheriff’s Office spokesman David Ehsanipoor says the suspect vehicle in the hit and run is a white or gray car, possibly a Mustang or a Honda.
The Effingham County Sheriff’s Office, Georgia State Patrol and Lifestar responded to the scene.
Kitchen wall catches fire at Love’s Seafood
Firefighters were on scene Friday evening at Love’s Seafood on Ogeechee Road where plywood inside a wall caught fire in the kitchen.
“They’ve got the fire all knocked down now, so it’s just a matter of putting out all the hot spots,” said Southside Fire/EMS Assistant Chief Hugh Futrell.
Firefighters were working to gain access to open the wall by the grilling area, which was covered in metal, Futrell said. It was not immediately clear how the fire began, and it’s possible it was smoldering inside the wall for a while before being noticed, he said.
“There was never anything visible from the outside really other than some light smoke visible from the kitchen area,” Futrell said. “The idea was they needed to get in there and get it out before it spread to the rest of the structure.”
He expected it to take some time to gain complete access because the wall was also connected to an electrical panel, which firefighters were trying not to damage.
Because the location of the restaurant, immediately northeast of the Ogeechee River at the Chatham-Bryan County line, is a non-hydrant area, Southside rolled its tankers and asked Richmond Hill to supply a tanker as well.
The building would be without power and gas until the matter was resolved, Futrell said.
Utility work to interrupt I-16 traffic
Installation of power lines will disrupt traffic flow on Interstate 16 on Saturday and Sunday.
Police will pace traffic at 20 mph beginning eastbound at Interstate 95 and westbound at Interstate 516. Multiple paces lasting about 10 minutes will occur throughout the weekend. All work is weather contingent.
Motorists are advised to take other routes if possible.
Lane closures set for I-16 next week
Temporary eastbound lane closures on Interstate 16 are set from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Wednesday between mile posts 152 and 153 in Chatham County.
The lane closures will be used for asphalt repair, and work is weather contingent.
Personnel and heavy equipment will be working close to the roadway, and motorists are asked to drive cautiously and slow down in the area.
Bridge construction to affect traffic
Closure of the Betz Creek Bridge on Walthour Road during new bridge construction is expected to affect Wilmington Island’s vehicular traffic beginning April 7.
Traffic flow interference is expected in the Palmetto Cove subdivision along Cobb Road, said Eunica Baker, Savannah-Chatham police spokeswoman.
Affected schools include St. Peter the Apostle Catholic School on Concord Road and St. Andrew’s School on Penn Waller Road.
Savannah-Chatham police will increase traffic patrol of the specified areas during rush hour, Baker said.
Police urge motorists in the area to adjust their travel times accordingly, particularly while driving near schools during the morning rush.
Completion of the replacement bridge is scheduled for November 2014.
-Compiled by Dash Coleman