Community Corner

Regional Roundup: College Student Battling Flesh-Eating Bacteria, Lightning Destroys Home, and Thief Uses Kid to Steal iPad

A look at top Patch stories from around Georgia.

-- Loganville-Grayson Patch

Doctors have set Aimee Copeland's survival chances as "slim to none," according to her father. But neither he nor anyone else was giving up last night as the 24-year-old West Georgia student from Snellville continued to fight for her life.

Copeland's father has touched people worldwide with his heartbreaking account of his daughter's condition in a blog.

Find out what's happening in Oconeewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

According to WSBTV, a homemade zipline accident on May 1 required treatment of a laceration to Copeland's leg. However, the pain didn't subside and by May 4 she had to be lifelighted to Augusta to have her leg amputated. She actually went into cardiac arrest, but was revived. Since then, her condition has remained grave. She was diagnosed Friday with necrotizing fasciitis, a fast-moving, flesh-eating bacteria.

Copeland's father is asking that, in addition to continued prayers, people donate blood in his daughter's name.

Find out what's happening in Oconeewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

 

-- Lawrenceville Patch

A brief storm moving through Gwinnett County Tuesday afternoon destroyed a home in unincorporated Lawrenceville.

Just before 4pm, Gwinnett firefighters received a call of a lightning strike and fire at a one story ranch on the 1800 block of Lendl Court. When crews arrived, they found thick smoke and fire coming from the roof. It took firefighters just over 20 minutes to get the fire under control.

No one was home at the time, but firefighters were able to rescue the homeowner's dog from the blaze. The pet is expected to be okay.

The fire caused extensive damage to the home and it was deemed a total loss.

 

– Alpharetta Patch

A Milton woman who put her iPad up for sale on Craigslist tried her best to protect herself from potential problems, but she still lost her iPad to a thief and had nothing of value to show for it.

The woman agreed to meet the man at a gas station. However, the man wouldn't come out of his car, asking her to come to the window. But she refused to come near his car. Rather than get out of the car, he sent a 9 or 10-year-old boy to check out the iPad. She showed the boy that it turned on and worked, and the boy returned to the car to get the $200 in cash to buy it.

As the car left the gas station, the woman realized the money didn't feel right. The Milton police officers who answered her call reported they could immediately tell the bills were counterfeit.

 


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