Month: July 2021

A professional golfer was shot and killed over the weekend at a Georgia golf club, identified by the Georgia PGA and the Georgia State Golf Association as Gene Siller, the director of golf for the club and father of two. “Tragedy has stricken the Georgia Section PGA in the loss of our member, Gene Siller,” the Georgia PGA said on Twitter. “Thoughts and prayers for his family and the Pinetree Country Club family.” In addition, PGA President Jim Richerson said on Facebook: “We are truly heartbroken to hear about the senseless murder that took place yesterday at Pine Tree Country Club in Georgia that took the life of PGA member Gene Siller. The PGA of America sends our thoughts, prayers and deepest sympathy to his family, club and the Georgia PGA community.”

The Cobb County Police Department said in a statement Sunday that officers responded to a report of shots fired at the Pinetree Country Club in Kennesaw, about 27 miles north of Atlanta, at about 2:20 p.m. a day prior and found Siller, who worked there, unresponsive on the green of the 10th hole suffering from an “apparent gunshot would to the head.” He was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.

The suspect who is connected to the deaths of two other people and is still at large. Police say he was driving a white RAM 3500 pickup onto the golf course Saturday afternoon, where he shot Siller. In the bed of the truck, which was left at the scene, police discovered two more bodies, one of which was identified as Paul Pierson, the vehicle’s owner. Both individuals died of gunshot wounds, police said.

On Monday evening, Tropical Storm Elsa made landfall in Cuba while continuing on a path for the United States. As of 8 p.m., the National Hurricane Center said Elsa was located 30 miles east of Havana, Cuba, carrying maximum sustained winds of 50 mph while moving northwest at 13 mph. Elsa is the fifth named storm of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season, and is the earliest to arrive.

The National Hurricane Center said: “On the forecast track, Elsa is expected to continue to move over west-central Cuba for the next several hours, move into the Florida Straits this evening and pass near the Florida Keys early Tuesday. Elsa is then forecast to move near or over portions of the west coast of Florida on Tuesday and Wednesday.”  Else is expected to restrengthen some after moving over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico.

A tropical storm warning was in effect for the Cuban provinces of Cienfuegos, Matanzas, Villa Clara, Mayabeque, Havana and Artemisa as well as in the Florida Keys from Craig Key westward to the Dry Tortugas and the west coast of Florida from Flamingo northward to the Swannee River. A storm surge watch was in effect for the west coast of Florida from Bonita Beach north toward the Aucilla River including Tampa Bay and a tropical storm warning alongside teh west coast of Florida was extended northward and westward to the Ochlockonee River. A tropical storm watch was in effect in the Florida Bay and North of the Suwanee River to Indian Pass.