JacksonHeraldTODAY

A Commerce home was totally destroyed in a fire on Friday after firefighters were called to the Dry Pond Road residence two times.

The Harrisburg, Plainview and the Jackson County Correctional Institute Fire Departments were first called to the 526 Dry Pond Road, Commerce, home at 4:45 p.m. A single-family home was found with heavy smoke showing.

“The fire was quickly located and extinguished with fire damage confined to two rooms and smoke and heat damage through out the structure,” EMS director Steve Nichols said.

At that time, the house was listed as heavily damaged. No one was at home at the time of the fire.

Later that day, units from the same departments were called back to the same location on a report of a structure fire. Firefighters found the structure fully involved with fire.

After the second call, the residence was listed as totally destroyed. This call was reported by a passer-by as no one was home at the time of the call, officials report.

The State Fire Marshall’s Office is investigating the cause of the fire.

Caroline Banks Collins, 62, Nicholson, was killed in a house fire Saturday in Nicholson.

The Nicholson, Commerce, Jackson County Correctional Institute and South Jackson fire departments were called to 55 Jennings Lane, Nicholson, at 6:15 p.m. Saturday on a reported structure fire with entrapment. Upon arrival of the first due units, they found a doublewide mobile home fully involved with fire.

Bystanders and family on the scene told firefighters that a female was inside. The Nicholson Fire Department attempted to rescue the woman but was unable to enter the residence due to the amount of fire. The fire was extinguished and the victim was found in a rear bedroom.

The cause of the fire and fire death is under investigation by the Georgia State Fire Marshalls Office, Jackson County Sheriffs Office, and the Jackson County Coroners Office.

Theft is among the incidents reported to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office last week. [Full Story »] 

Jefferson Police Department officer Stephen Taylor, who got into a bar fight while off duty, was fired Thursday following an internal investigation. He was charged earlier with one count of misdemeanor battery in connection with the incident. [Full Story »] 

An Elrod Avenue man said his cell phone fell from his pocket and was damaged after a dog chased him while he was riding his bike. [Full Story »] 

A man found in the Bear Creek Reservoir Sunday afternoon is believed to have accidentally drowned.

At approximately 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, a body was discovered floating in a cove that flows into the Bear Creek Reservoir, located on Providence Road, by neighbors.

The body was recovered and transported to the State Crime Lab for an autopsy. He has been identified as Alexander Christopher Matthew Adams, age 23, of Athens.

“It appears that the victim drown and no foul play is suspected at this time and we are continuing our investigation to positively identify the body,” reports David Cochran of the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office. “We believe the body to be that of a black male that had been reported missing from Clarke County on Friday, but are awaiting autopsy results.”

A man reportedly set himself on fire with flammable liquids after being involved in a domestic dispute in South Jackson.

On Thursday, units from South Jackson Fire/Rescue and Jackson County EMS were called to a Wits End Road, Athens, location on a reported person injured in a domestic dispute. Upon arrival they found a male victim with a stab wound to his leg along with 50 percent burns to his body. It was reported he set himself on fire with flammable liquids.

The patient was stabilized by EMS and transported by helicopter to Grady’s burn unit in Atlanta and listed in critical condition. No other injuries were reported and the Jackson County Sheriffs Office is investigating this incident.

Incidents reported to the Jackson County Sheriff’s office last week include theft and property damages. The incidents are as follows: [Full Story »]