News

Perry police: Man kills himself after standoff

Tuesday, March 11th, 2014, 12:47pm

A Perry man apparently shot himself and died after a six-hour standoff at his home.

Perry police identify him as Robert Sperry, age 24, of 285 Satterfield Road.

In a news release, police say they went to the home just after 1 a.m. A woman told police that Sperry had threatened her with a handgun. She described Sperry as her roommate.

After police surrounded the home, the woman dropped the her four-year-old boy from an upstairs window and an officer caught him.

Later, the woman left through the front door.

Shortly after 6 a.m., officers heard a shot inside the home and later found Sperry dead, apparently of a self-inflicted gunshot.

The GBI is investigating.

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Submitted by 13WMAZ Web Staff

Friday, March 7th, 2014, 9:28pm

The countdown begins as Crossroads Apartment management works to repair the Perry complex in the next 60 days or run the risk of having to kick tenants out.

Friday, Houston County Superior Court Judge Edward Lukemire issued another injunction.

That allows Crossroads to remain open and the City of Perry to conduct its inspection without evacuating tenants.

The first injunction came Monday afternoon.

It allowed Crossroads to stay open throughout the week.

"I stayed the whole time. Everybody that was here today stayed the whole time," said Edna Rich, a tenant at the complex.

Rich was one of several tenants who stayed at Crossroads even after the city condemned it last Friday and says she's confident Property Manager Mark Green can make the repairs in time now that he'll have a full list from the City.

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Submitted by 13WMAZ Web Staff

Friday, March 7th, 2014, 3:04pm

A Houston County judge says tenants can remain in a Perry apartment building where the fire department reported safety problems.

Judge Edward Lukemire rejected the fire department's attempt to condemn the Crossroads Apartments. He ruled that fire officials had not proved there was an "imminent danger." During a three-hour hearing Friday, Lukemire asked Chief Joel Gray to define imminent danger; the judge said he could not.

He gave the owners 60 days to fix the problems.

The Crossroads houses 16 families. It is still legally listed as a motel, rather than apartments.

Fire Chief Joel Gray says it should be shut down, citing electrical problems and other safety issues.

The owners say they're working on repairs and that last week's order to shut down came as a surprise.

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Submitted by 13WMAZ Web Staff

Tuesday, March 4th, 2014, 1:15pm

Flip for flapjacks today!

Why? Because it's IHOP's annual National Pancake Day and they're free.

In return for a free short stack of buttermilk pancakes, guests are asked to consider leaving a donation for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals or other designated local charities.

National Pancake Day has raised nearly $13 million to support charities, since 2006.

How are you celebrating the day? Show us what you're eating at Your Take.

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Submitted by 13WMAZ Web Staff

Tuesday, March 4th, 2014, 12:55am

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A man with two callings in life answered them both with one split second decision, but he doesn't think he did anything extraordinary.

"It was a quick moving fire," said Daron Gray, a pastor and a Warner Robins police officer, who believes he was at the right place at the right time.

"Everything happens for a reason, and as a man of faith, God orchestrated us being there at that time at two o'clock for a wedding rehearsal."

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Submitted by 13WMAZ Web Staff

Monday, March 3rd, 2014, 12:21pm

Perry fire fighters spent more than 6 hours Sunday afternoon at a house fire near the 1300 block of Main Street.

According to a news release from the Perry Fire Department, the fire trapped two people at the house at 1311 Main Street.

Fire Chief Joel Gray tells us people attending a wedding across the street at Forest Hill Park rescued the 2 people who were trapped in the house.

Perry's Fire Department got help from Warner Robins & Peach County to fight the fire.

The news release states nobody was hurt, and firefighters never actually went into the home because the fire was so intense when they got there.

The home was declared a total loss, and the cause of it is still undetermined.

Fire officials are still investigating to figure out where it started as well.

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Submitted by Anita Oh, Multimedia Journalist

Friday, February 28th, 2014, 10:12pm

The Perry Fire Department is giving tenants at the Crossroads Apartments until Monday night to find another home.

Fire Chief Joel Gray says the department did an inspection at 319 General Courtney Hodges Boulevard earlier this week and found safety issues that need to be corrected.

The issues were not corrected, so the apartments were condemned.

Earlier Friday, the department gave tenants two hours to evacuate the building.

That's after Chief Gray says they discovered "serious life safety and significant building code" violations through their inspections.

He couldn't go into detail, but said the building wouldn't be safe again for an extended period of time.

Tenants who have been living there for years say they're upset with the lack of notice.

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