Community Corner

Regional Roundup: Body Pulled From Fire Rubble Identified, Woman Dies After Car Hit by Police Cruiser and Stolen Signs Found at Campaign Worker's Home

A look at top Patch stories from around Georgia.

 — Canton-Sixes Patch

The  has confirmed that one of the bodies pulled from the rubble of last week's fire in Ball Ground is that of 46-year-old Darlene Norrell.

"Identification was made by dental records," said Lt. Jay Baker, the spokesman for the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office.

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But it will "likely take weeks" before authorities can positively identify the other two bodies, he said.

It is presumed that Norrell's husband and daughter, 49-year-old Ricky Norrell and 19-year-old Lindsey Norrell, also died in the fire at the family's home.

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 — Cascade Patch

The driver of a BMW hit by a police cruiser has died.

An Atlanta Police Department cruiser collided with a BMW at the intersection of Cascade Road and Fairburn Road on Saturday evening.

The officer, whose patrol car caught fire with him still inside, was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital with serious injures.

The accident reportedly happened when the officer was responding to a call for assistance.

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 — Cumming Patch

A former commissioned fundraiser for the Ted Paxton for Sheriff campaign is being investigated by the  in connection with the alleged theft of dozens of campaign signs belonging to rival candidates in the July 31 primary election.

According to a Sheriff's Office incident report, Schiffley "Randy" Owens told deputies who responded to a domestic dispute call at his home on Friday, July 13, that his wife, Joni Owens, worked for two political campaigns and that she had stolen the signs. One of the deputies did state in the report that he "noticed a pile of signs" on the property.

Paxton confirmed that Owens did work for his campaign, but that she has been terminated.

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