Georgia
Altoona woman claims to be victim in theft by deception case based in Georgia
ALTOONA, Wis. (WEAU) – Altoona woman claims to be a victim in a theft by deception case
More than 300 people across 25 states and even Australia, gave irreplaceable mementos to a woman in Georgia and never got them back and one woman in Altoona claims to be a victim.
Kearston Thibedeau said that she bought a custom ring made of her breastmilk from a business called Romeo and Juliette Keepsakes. The owner of the business was arrested. Police are recommending charges of theft by deception.
“It’s tough because you don’t know who to trust,” said Thibedeau.
Georgia investigators are recommending charges against 32-year-old Destiny Magoon for theft by deception.
The sheriff’s office in Georgia says Magoon operated a telemarketing business that offered to create mementos for people.
They say customers mailed items to her such as breastmilk, hair, and ashes…but never received the finished product.
“My daughter was born in July of ‘21 and I joined a Facebook group for moms who had babies the same month that I did. And somebody had posted something in there about breast milk jewelry. And I was very interested,” said Thibedeau.
She says her breastmilk was special to her because of how it bonded her to her child.
“It was something I had my heart set on. My daughter beastfed for two full years and it was where she wouldn’t take a bottle at daycare, so it was just something that I had to work extra hard at.”
She said she ordered the ring in December of 2022 and she still didn’t receive it by May of this year.
“I knew she was busy and I knew she was getting more orders,” she said. “But then later last year is kind of when it started to get weird, she started posting things about her business having issues. I reached out to her and never heard anything. I emailed a couple different emails and then they started coming back as undeliverable. So then a lady from Facebook messaged me and asked if I had ever received my ring and I told her no.”
The woman told her to join a Facebook group where hundreds of other woman went through the same ordeal. Now Thibedeau looks to move forward even though she has lost her trust.
“I thought it was the last of my breast milk and I ended up finding another bag in the freezer kind of tucked away back. So if I wanted to order another one from somebody else, I could. I just don’t know if I trust anybody else to take the last of my breast milk and maybe transform it into something special.”
Washington County deputies are working hard to sort through the hundreds of irreplaceable items that the victims sent to the business and they said it could be weeks before items are returned.
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CATOOSA COUNTY, Ga. — Animal shelters in Northwest Georgia are running out of space, with Catoosa and Walker County unable to take in more animals as the number of strays rises during the summer months.
Catoosa County officials say the county’s animal shelter is maxed out and can no longer accept animals.
Image via Catoosa County Animal Control
The shelter has room for 80 pets but is currently over capacity, limiting how much it can help when large animal rescues happen in nearby areas.
“I can’t speak for everybody, but I can say that working in animal care, summertime is definitely one of the worst times for us and for the animals more,” Abby Lynch, the community outreach and kennel officer for the Catoosa County Animal Shelter says.
Catoosa County officials say summer is when dogs and cats breed because the weather is nice, leading to more strays than usual.
Image via Catoosa County Animal Control
The Walker County Animal Shelter is also dealing with capacity issues.
The shelter says it has brought in 73 animals since the beginning of July.
Image: Walker County Animal Shelter
“In that same time, we have done 28 adoptions, which 28 adoptions in two weeks sounds great. But when you’re doing the math of 73 animals in and 28 animals going out, not super great,” says Melissa Smith, director of the Walker County Animal Shelter.
Catoosa County has helped neighboring counties during past crises.
Image via Catoosa County Animal Control
“We’ve assisted Dade County in the past with similar situations, and that’s when really rescues and shelters help each other,” says Dylan McColollum, director of Catoosa County Animal Control.
Dade County only got an animal shelter this year.
Image: Walker County Animal Shelter
In Georgia, only 61 out of 159 counties have animal shelters, making it more important for shelters to have enough capacity to help their own communities and assist neighboring counties when needed.
“We’re just grateful that we have our own shelter and can take care of our our county and its needs, and we’re happy to assist if other counties need our assistance,” McColollum says.
Image: Walker County Animal Shelter
Adoptions at the Catoosa County Animal Shelter are currently free because of donors. See available animals here.
They were designed to hold a drink, but cups produced in Rome, Georgia, have become one of the FIFA Men’s World Cup’s most unexpected souvenirs.
Inside the Top Cup plant in Rome, millions of cups were created to celebrate the world’s biggest sporting event.
“We made 10 million over 70 different graphics for the World Cup,” said Rome native and Top Cup General Manager Zach Dixon.
The plant in north Georgia produces up to 750,000 cups a day.
“We’ve always been really proud of the cup … but the World Cup has obviously taken it to another level,” said Top Cup CEO David Cuthbert.
Fans have been taking them home from matches. Some have even been listed for sale online.
“We’ve always been really proud of the cup… but the World Cup has obviously taken it to another level,” said Cuthbert.
Dixon said they begin the process with massive coils of aluminum, each weighing about 30,000 pounds. The metal is stamped, stretched, washed, and moved down the line.
The plant produces about 1,100 cups every minute.
Ricardo Marques, the senior vice president of marketing for Michelob ULTRA, said that there have been venue-specific, match-specific, and Finals-specific stadium cups for the World Cup. There are also three separate red, white, and blue designs available for fans at bars and restaurants around the U.S.
“We’ve seen an incredible response to the collection. Together, these commemorative cups give fans a unique keepsake and a lasting reminder of an unforgettable FIFA World Cup experience and the moments that brought millions of people together through the world’s game,” Marques said.
Cuthbert said his company has seen how the World Cup has done wonders for metro Atlanta businesses.
“Our team in Rome, Georgia takes tremendous pride in helping bring this fan experience to life for one of the world’s biggest sporting events,” he said.
So when soccer fans celebrate the surprise victory or mourn their last-minute loss, they’re doing so with a little piece of Georgia.
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