Man dies in north Georgia house fire

COHUTTA, Ga. — A house fire on Saturday in Cohutta claimed the life of a 55-year-old man.  Whitfield County Coroner Greg Bates said Samuel Long died from smoke inhalation from the fire that occurred shorty after 1 a.m. on Saturday at 4505 Crest Way. Long and a female were in the house, according to Whitfield County Fire Department Chief Ed O’Brien. O’Brien said the female was taken from the scene by emergency medical services and was later released from Hamilton Medical Center. An incident report from the fire department did not list her name and O’Brien said he had no information on her identity.  O’Brien said the fire started in the den of the roughly 1,400-square-foot home. He said Long was in the front bedroom. Firefighters recovered Long’s body but he had already succumbed to the smoke inhalation.  “The cause of the fire will end up being listed as undetermined,” O’Brien said. “There was nothing suspicious, but the state fire marshal’s office was called in to assist. We won’t list a cause and will leave it up to the insurance company.”

SCSO searching for burglary suspect

WHITE SPRINGS, Fla. — The Suwannee County Sheriff’s Office is searching for a suspect following a break-in Monday morning at the Gate Station near the County Road 136 and Interstate 75 interchange. According to an SCSO release, officers responded to a burglary alarm from the convenience store during the early morning hours Monday to find that someone had broken in. The release states that video surveillance showed a vehicle of unknown make and model pulled up to the pas pumps and the suspect then approached the business with a yellow crowbar and forced an entry into the store. The suspect was wearing a blue sweatshirt with a white design on the front that may be a “Billionaire Boys Club” brand, according to the SCSO, with blue jeans that featured a pattern on the leg seams, black and white tennis shoes, a black hood that covered their face and black gloves with white writing. After exiting the store, the suspect and an accomplice drove east on CR 136 towards White Springs, the SCSO release states. Anyone with information about the crime or who recognizes the suspect should contact Investigator Wayne Kelly at 386-362-2222.