Prison escapee caught in Lavonia

A high-profile prison escapee is now behind bars.

Apparently it took officers hours to realize they had 52-year-old Johnny Mack Brown in custody. Brown has been on the run for four weeks after fleeing Hays State Prison in northwest Georgia.

Authorities caught him in Lavonia, near South Carolina. Brown had dyed his hair, grew a beard and shed many pounds.

An inmate who escaped with Brown remains at large.

Lawyer says alleged captor not guilty

The attorney for a northeast Georgia man accused of holding his family captive in a trailer for three years says his client is innocent. 36-year-old Raymond Daniel Thurmond of Lavonia is in the Franklin County Jail awaiting a bond hearing. He was arrested at the poultry plant where he worked after his wife escaped the trailer. It was found teeming with roaches, spoiled food and moldy mattresses.

Neglect and captivity case in northeast Georgia

A northeast Georgia community is stunned today after the arrest of a man accused of holding his wife and four children captive. Police say Raymond Daniel Thurmond held his family for three years at their home in Lavonia. The children are between 9 and 14 years old. Authorities say the family was living in squalor – with thousands of roaches swarming their mobile home. Thurmond is being held without bond.

Town buys strip club to close it

A northeast Georgia town has bought a strip club to shut it down. Lavonia in Franklin County bought Club Risque along Interstate 85, which was popular with truckers. After the purchase the city burned the billboards advertising the clubs. The city has also passed an ordinance outlawing adult entertainment businesses.