King Kong, Chicken Wraps and Lightning Strikes

I hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable spring break and Easter holiday. If you were out of town last week and didn’t have a chance to visit Dacula Patch, here’s a look at what you missed.

I don’t know if most people fully appreciate the jobs our police officers do every day. One moment an officer may be patrolling quiet roads in the middle of the night, the next moment he may be dealing with an individual who thinks he can take on King Kong. Thankfully we have police officers out there equipped to deal with whatever situation may arise. 

We’ve all heard fast food restaurant horror stories. This one is certainly not the worst story to ever surface, but it is revolting just the same. No matter what your opinion is regarding the incident itself, this woman offers some sound advice. Always check your food before you eat it. How many of you open up your sandwich or wrap before you bite into it? Probably not many, but it is a good idea to do so.

Last week, a Facebook reader inquired why this was categorized as a car break-in when the door was left unlocked. A car break-in refers to the act of illegally entering an auto. Yes, this woman left her car unlocked and left her purse inside, but that does not give anyone the right to go into her car and take it. Of course, she should’ve locked her doors, but the suspect should not have been going car to car checking doors for the purpose of stealing items out of unlocked vehicles. 

For those of you who were out of town, we had a really bad storm Tuesday night. A home in Hamilton Mill was struck by lightning and caught fire. Fortunately the home was not a total loss. A Duluth family was less fortunate. Their home was struck by lightning and burned to the ground. In the 14 years I’ve lived in Dacula, I’ve seen more lightning strikes than anywhere else I’ve lived. In the past few years, I’ve had several trees struck in my yard and in the wooded area around my house. During Tuesday night’s storm, lightning struck a tree in my yard that also got struck last year. Just goes to show lightning can strike twice in the same spot. It also shows why it is important to take cover during a storm. I used to not worry about being outside when it thundered. After what I’ve seen the past few years, I don’t take chances anymore. I take shelter. 

This story was interesting for several reasons. First of all, if you think that any neighborhood is immune to drug activity, you are mistaken. Drugs are everywhere. It is important that we all understand that and always report suspicious activity to police. Secondly, the suspects in this story both have criminal histories. To be so young and to have had multiple encounters with the law makes you wonder about the efficacy of our judicial system. Some people want to place the blame on the parents, but the fact of the matter is that these suspects are adults in the eyes of the law and are responsible for their own behavior. It would appear that their behavior has not been punished sufficiently enough to prevent recidivism. The other interesting aspect of this story was the comments. I am genuinely interested to know how many people think legalizing marijuana would someone get drug dealers off the streets. I don’t believe that for one minute. What do you think?

The new gazebo is almost finished and work continues on the grounds around the structure. The park still needs a name though. Mayor Jimmy Wilbanks has asked for public input. Do you have any good ideas for a park name? Leave a comment and let us know. Mayor Wilbanks hopes to pick a name at the May council meeting.

Be sure to check in during the week for the latest news and don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Twitter for updates throughout the day. You can also get the latest news in your inbox with our free daily email newsletter. Have a great week and thanks for reading Dacula Patch.