West Central Georgia News
Thomaston Mayor Hays Arnold has announced his intention to seek re-election this November.
Qualifying begins Monday and continues for city elections. Council seats 1, 2 and 3 will also be on the ballot.
The driver of a newly purchased 2006 Buick swerved to miss an oncoming log truck, lost control and finally came to a stop in the trees on the opposite side of the road.
The accident occurred Friday afternoon on Triune Mill Road near the intersection of Andrews Chapel Road. The female driver of the car was transported to Upson Regional Medical Center by EMS with non life threatening injuries.
An Upson County school bus was involved in a minor accident with three vehicles while leaving Upson-Lee High School Friday afternoon.
The three cars had stopped in the drive leading out to Knight Trail, the bus driver made a left turn and couldn’t stop in time, he struck the car pictured at right and created a chain reaction that involved the two in front of it.
Two students in the cars complained of neck and back injuries and were transported to Upson Regional Medical Center, none of the students on the bus complained of injuries. The driver, Eddie Singletary has been with the school transportation department for 3 years.
There was minor damage to the bumper of the bus.
The Upson County Sheriff’s Department, Georgia State Patrol and Upson EMS responded.
The House and Senate passed the proposed redistricting maps late Thursday.
The biggest change occurred in the Senate, Upson County will no longer be in District 14 held by long time Democratic Senator George Hooks of Americus. Upson moves to Senate District 18 along with all of Crawford and Monroe counties as well as portions of Bibb, Peach and Houston counties. Republican Senator Cecil Staton of Macon currently holds the seat.
On the House side;
Republican Representative Billy Maddox will continue to represent Upson County although the number will be different, the 131st District will be comprised of Upson, Pike and the southern half of Lamar County.
The House map now goes to the Senate and the Senate map goes to the House, it’s doubtful that either chamber will do anything other than vote to pass them as submitted, the maps are then sent to Governor Nathan Deal for his signature and finally to the U.S. Department of Justice for their approval.
The Fairburn Police Department is requesting assistance from the public in reference to the murder of Angela Williams age 56 who was killed by gunfire in Fairburn, Georgia on June 30th.
Ms. Williams was currently residing in Manchester but is from the Molena area. Ms. Williams was the current spouse of Thomaston resident “Joe” Mattei.
Ms. Williams was shot several times in an industrial area and managed to drive nearly a mile to a Citgo station on Georgia 74
at I-85.
There, Williams got out of her car and asked a customer pumping gas for help before she collapsed, the customer called police and Williams was transported to Atlanta Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.
Anyone who has information that investigators might need to know are asked to contact Detective Sargent C. Israel at 770-683-4096.
By Debbie Lord
How much better can it get? Thomaston and Upson County truly have the best people in the world. No matter how hard the economy gets, the citizens and businesses of this town continue to give.
Boobie Ball 2011 was held at Hickory Ridge this year and it was a huge success. Close to 400 people attended S.U.P.P.O.R.T.’s annual fundraiser. The staff at Hickory Ridge served up some great food and the hospitality was second to none. New owners Jamie and Ashley Eubanks and Tony and Sonya Nicholson and their families made this year extra special. We can’t thank them enough for all their hard work. I encourage everyone to support the owners at Hickory Ridge. The food, beverages, the view and atmosphere will make for a fantastic evening.
Our volunteers show up early and leave late. They are all dedicated to helping improve the lives of our local cancer patients and their families. These folks literally pay to volunteer, to work long hours in the heat and they never complain. Unfortunately, everyone is affected by cancer, and our volunteers know how important it is to be able to lighten the load of our friends, family and neighbors while they are fighting for their lives. A special thanks to Sertoma Woman of Upson and Sertoma Men, the folks at Thomaston Ford (Jane, Royal, Earl and Molly Peavy and everyone else), Chris English with Custom Z Knives, Adam and family at Northside Pawn, Mark and Jeff at the Potting Shed, Johnny at Cart Mart, Pete at Reem's, WalMart, Jason Weems- I know I am leaving some folks out- But you all know who you are!
Our entertainment is the finest Upson County has ever seen. The entertainers volunteer too. They bring their bands at their own expense and rock the night away. This year we heard HR’s Classic Party Tunes, Due South, Sol Junky, Ben Ratliff, Connor Christian and Loose Change.
They were all amazing.
The fourth annual Boobie Ball netted close to $22,000 thanks to our sponsors, volunteers and the attendees. In the past three years S.U.P.P.O.R.T. has been able to offer financial assistance to 49 families who are battling cancer. The money raised this year will allow us to continue our efforts.
Below is our mission statement, which will tell you exactly what S.U.P.P.O.R.T. is and what it means to our community.
S.U.P.P.O.R.T. Supporting Upson Patients Properly Over Rough Times
Cancer… a disease. a destroyer of dreams, a break in your stride, unpredictable with uncertain outcomes.
Our mission… is to raise money for the purpose of aiding when personal finances fall short, splurging when smiles are few, assisting when the bills are many & improving the overall daily quality of life so that Upson County cancer patients can concentrate on what really matters, surviving.
Who we are… S.U.P.P.O.R.T. is a non-profit, local-formed organization. Candidates will be reviewed by our funds allocation committee & funds will be dispersed at our discretion yet kept within our community, Upson County.
We’re different… there is no lack of organizations trying to find a cure for cancer by raising money. We support, donate & volunteer to those causes without hesitation, every year. we encourage you to do the same. Our crusade is a little different in that we believe until there’s a cure, life with cancer is still a life worth living. While therapy, medicines & rehabilitation have their effects, so does the fulfillment of paying the utilities department a little sooner, taking the kids to the beach or enjoying a simple dinner for two.
What we do… Each year we hold an annual cancer relief fund raiser called Boobie Ball. The generous donations raised help us host an all day event of fun, food, music & most importantly an opportunity of hope for our friends fighting cancer. All proceeds are donated to a quality of life fund benefitting local Upson County cancer patients. You can donate year round at one of the following bank locations: Bank of Upson, Colony Bank, West Central GA Bank and United Bank.
On a personal note, S.U.P.P.O.R.T. was inspired by my little sister who is still fighting breast cancer. After witnessing her struggle first hand, I came back home to Thomaston and told my friends that I could not stand the idea that someone battling cancer was more worried about the financial burden than surviving. Because of my friends, S.U.P.P.O.R.T. was formed and the Boobie Ball has been embraced by our community.
Important information to know is the unique thing about our cancer relief fund is that anyone, with any type of cancer will qualify for assistance. If you know anyone who is battling cancer in Upson County and they need a little help or just some cheering up please email me at dlord@upsonbeacon.com.
Debbie Lord
Publisher
Upson Beacon
Earlier today a personal message was received by an Upson County resident on Facebook stating that a man had been mugged and robbed while on vacation in London, that all of his cash, credit cards and passport were stolen. There was a request for money to be sent to aid him in getting to the airport to come back to the United States and that the “loan” would be repaid tomorrow. The request was from a “friend” in Mosinee, Wisconsin on Facebook but completely unknown to the Upson county resident.
Major Dan Kilgore of the Upson County Sheriff’s Department told Upson Today that this type of scam is typical of request that appear frequently on the internet and cautioned residents to never send money or divulge personal information to anyone over the internet. Hackers will gain access to Facebook accounts and use them to send thousands of false messages without the owner being aware of the intrusion.
It is very common for Facebook users to “friend” total strangers while playing the popular games offered through the site but security settings should be adjusted to protect sensitive information. Never publish your complete date of birth, phone number or home address and do not post information that would alert anyone to the fact that you are not at home for an extended period of time.
Thirty year old Trushil Gupta of Thomaston was arrested around 3:40 pm this afternoon and charged with selling alcohol to a person under the age of 21.
The Upson County Sheriff’s Department had received a number of complaints concerning under age purchases of alcohol from the Sunoco at the intersection of East Moores Crossing Road and Barnesville Highway.
Deputies made the arrest after an undercover purchase from the location earlier today.
City
A city of Thomaston officer on routine patrol Tuesday spotted a 1999 Chevrolet Silverado pickup with no license plates. The vehicle pulled into Ingles parking lot and the driver, Irvin Dexter Smith, 42, of 606 Denton Street got out and ran. Officers caught Smith and discovered that the vehicle was stolen from Terry’s Auto Sales on South Center Street. Owner Terry Peek found that the office door had been pried open and the keys taken from a desk drawer. Smith has been charged with theft by taking and burglary.
Upson EMC has reported the theft of five rolls of copper from a fenced area at their facility, the copper is valued at $148.90 per roll.
Thomaston detectives are investigating the purchase of a Maytag refrigerator for $899.10, a Maytag electric range for $673.20 and a Maytag washer for $710.10 using stolen credit cards. The refrigerator and range were purchased using a Visa reported stolen in California, the merchandise was ordered online from Home Depot in April and delivered to 42 Barnesville-Yatesville Road in Yatesville. The washer was also purchased online from Home Depot in April and delivered to 121 Lincoln Park Circle in Thomaston.
Burglary reported at 209 Jefferson Street, 3 Rocawear outfits and 5 gold rings with diamond clusters valued at $950.00 missing.
The West Village Retirement Home reported the theft of eggs and a watermelon from their cooler, security video showed two black juveniles enter the facility and leave with the items. Several of the eggs were broken on the grounds and the remains of the watermelon were found nearby.
The Thomaston City Council met Tuesday evening, Jim Davis of the Tax Assessors office presented the council with an overview of changes in the laws affecting the tax digest.
Changes of note included:
Davis advised the council that the valuation freeze that had been in effect for the past 3 years will not apply to the 2012 digest, but due to the economic downturn’s impact on values, the digest is likely to be lower next year.
City Clerk Dennis Truitt announced the qualifying dates and fees for the general election, they are as follows for council seats 1, 2, 3 and the mayor’s seat:
Mayor Hays Arnold congratulated Sarah Armstrong on the opening of her new dance facility located at 203 East Main Street.
The Upson County Commissioners held a called meeting Monday to set the 2011 millage rate.
At last Tuesday’s regular meeting, Commission Chairman Maurice Raines announced that the unused funds from the 2005 SPLOST would be refunded to taxpayers in the form of a rollback in this years property tax millage rate. The reduction would lower the rate approximately 18% to 19% below last years 12.72 mills.
The discovery of a Georgia Supreme Court ruling from a 2004 case, Haugen v. Henry County, that stipulates “excess” SPLOST funds cannot be declared until all projects identified in the SPLOST resolution have been completed, prohibits the commission from applying the refund until at least 2012.
With a 4-1 vote, the commission approved keeping the rate at 12.72 mills. Commissioner Spraggins cast the dissenting vote, stating that he felt the rate should be lower.
County
Deputies arrested 31 year old Gregory Alan Evans of 421 Jeff Davis Road and charged him with violation of Georgia’s Controlled Substances Act, criminal trespass and criminal damage to property after answering a call at 1664 Hendricks Church Road early Sunday morning. Evans was discovered by the resident standing in his kitchen looking for something in the refrigerator and ordered at gunpoint to leave the premises. Evans then went outside and was sitting in a Ford Mustang belonging to the resident when deputies arrived.
Evans attempted to flee but was chased down and cuffed after being hit with one dart from a deputies Taser and getting entangled in a large vine. Evans was also charged with knocking out several windows in a vehicle located next door to the Hendricks Church Road home. A small amount of suspected methamphetamine was found in Evans pocket.
A 911 call Saturday afternoon reporting shots fired at 114 Vine Lane had both city and county officers responding to the scene, the first deputy to arrive discovered 65 year old Horace Bloodworth standing in the middle of the road with a hunting rifle in his hands. Bloodworth eventually put the weapon away and told deputies that he was protecting himself from two local funeral homes that were attempting to get him into a car to conduct his funeral. Bloodworth was transported to the Upson Regional Medical Center by EMS for an evaluation due to auditory and visual hallucinations but was dismissed later that evening.
Shortly after midnight, deputies were called to a neighboring address at 117 Maynard Drive where Bloodworth was reportedly threatening the residents with a piece of plastic pipe. Bloodworth was arrested for disorderly conduct and booked into the Upson County Jail.
A theft reported at 498 Lanier Road, a John Deere riding mower valued at $900 was taken.
The first incident occurred at 102 West County Road where David Michael Carter, 58, shot his estranged wife 47 year old Sandra Gail Carter twice with a 38 caliber handgun.
Carter then went to a friends residence at 328 Odom Road and shot himself in the front yard with the same weapon.
Carter had been living with his daughter
in Williamson since the couple separated.
Bo Story’s courageous battle with cancer ended today.
Bo is the three year old son of Scott and Britney Story, he was diagnosed with a Posterior Fossa Brain Tumor in August of 2009.
Surgery at the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Hospital successfully removed 99% of the tumor but doctors were forced to leave a small piece that was attached to Bo’s brainstem.
Following an aggressive chemotherapy regime, Bo developed a host of other health problems. In February of this year a second brain tumor was discovered and removed, this one much smaller than the original.
The cancer spread to Bo’s spine and liver, eventually overwhelming his young body, but not his soul. His life touched many people, some that never met him but became aware of his fight. Bo’s family spent the final hours of his life comforting him and preparing themselves for the inevitable.
Bo’s journey was short and difficult, his spirit transcended his illness, the legacy of his life is visible in his smile.
A memorial Service will be Saturday, August 20th at 3pm at Mountain View Baptist Church.
Charles Aaron Harrell, 55, of 430 Rose Creek Road lost control of his Harley-Davidson motorcycle in a curve at 2020 Rocky Bottom Road and left the roadway.
Harrell is an experienced rider and was wearing a helmet, he suffered an injury to his nose and his shoulder. He was transported to the Upson Regional Medical Center by EMS.
The Rock Hill Fire Department, Upson County Sheriff’s Department and the Georgia State Patrol responded to the accident scene.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) new location on Highway 36 east has passed it’s final inspection and received a certificate of occupancy.
At least one of the outstanding contractor liens on the property has been paid in full. K & S Lighting of Farmington, Utah has been paid the $27,551.98 owed the company. K & S owner Rob Kunzler is a member of the church.
Of the remaining outstanding liens, Complete Drywall of Molena, Georgia is owed $9,300.50 and has had no contact with the general contractor Patmac since April. Owner Ricky Boutwell told Upson Today that the company begin working on the project in January of this year and was paid $2,000 after submitting the first draw on the job. A second draw of $7,000 was submitted and the company was paid $5,000 of that amount.
In April a group of non-English speaking day workers were brought onto the job site and Boutwell was told that they would be working with him. Boutwell did not hire the workers and refused to be responsible for them due to insurance concerns and the inability to communicate with the workers. Boutwell advised Patmac that the company was pulling off the job for non-payment the same month.
Complete Drywall was never advised by Patmac that any of the work performed by the company was substandard nor was the company required to replace or redo any of the drywall installed. Since filing the lien, attempts to contact Patmac have been unsuccessful.
Virginia Well Company of Thomaston was contracted by Patmac to cap an abandoned well on the property. Owner Randy Chastain stated that his company filled the well with gravel, added a ten foot concrete cap and sealed the well as required by state law. The well was located where the main entrance to the church property has been constructed. Patmac owner P. C. Frailey personally assured Chastain, while on the church property, that he would be paid but Patmac has failed to do so.
Burt Steel, of Montgomery, Alabama has been in business since 1945 and for the past 30 years has specialized in the fabrication of custom steel systems for large buildings and shopping centers. The company was contracted by Patmac to fabricate and erect the structural steel used in the building.
The company performed the work to the specifications provided and has been forced to file two liens on the property in an effort to collect what is owed them. One lien is in the amount of $11,546.37 for the steel and the other is $5,470.00 for the erection. Company spokesman Bo Burt stated that the company has not heard from Patmac since efforts to collect the debt have been underway.
Local Thomaston attorney Mark Irvin has been hired by Frailey and Associates, D/B/A Patmac Contracting to work with their regular attorneys and represent them locally in a suit against Electrical Advantage and owner Tim McKissick.
Upson Today will have more from an interview with Irvin in a follow-up story.
The Sarah Armstrong School Of Dance and the Thomaston-Upson Chamber of Commerce held an emotional ribbon cutting this morning at the school’s new location.
The building at 203 East Main Street once housed Belk’s and Otasco but had been vacant for several years. A summer long remodeling project transformed it into the perfect setting for the school and provided a breath of life into an entire city block.
Chamber President Lori Smith told the group of around 45 that having the school locate downtown is critical to revitalizing the area and attracting future businesses.
Sarah stated that it’s the realization of a dream and gave a heartfelt thanks to a number of attendees that were instrumental in obtaining the new location.
Classes start on August 15th, the Christmas Recital is scheduled for December 10th.
For more information go to the schools website at www.saraharmstrongschoolofdance.com or click HERE.
The Upson County Sheriff’s Department has apprehended the
“Red Bull Bandit.”
Thirty five year old Melissa Ann McCormick of 109 Thompson Lane was arrested and charged with shoplifting after deputies identified her from
a security video taken at Flash Foods.
McCormick put the $4 can of Red Bull in her pocket and placed another one on the counter, she told the clerk that she had to go outside to get
her money and never returned.
Thomaston police have issued a citation to Eugene F. Nowicki of 1929 Yatesville-Barnesville Road for unsafe/unsanitary property.
Nowicki was issued a verbal warning on July 12, 2011 and failed to make any improvements to the property, his court date has been set for September 13th at 1:00 pm.
The tenant property is located at 105 G Circle.
The widening of U.S. 19 north has gotten underway, the first phase of the project will be the removal of the barrier wall and sidewalk on the west side of the bridge.
Construction crews were on the site this morning installing silt screen and preparing for the equipment to arrive that will be used to clear the right-of-way. The clearing work should begin by Monday.
The next step will be relocating the utility lines and installing a temporary wall from just south of Thomaston Ford across the bridge to a point near the Bank of Upson location. The actual demolition work on the bridge can not begin until early September due to insects that nest underneath the structure.
Traffic flow will not be interrupted during the construction and Department of Transportation engineers plan to keep two lanes open in each direction by shifting the lanes slightly during the addition on each side of the bridge then splitting the lanes to rebuild the middle of the bridge. The elevation of the bridge will not change.
The additions shown below were added to the bridge in 1978, the new bridge will be 72 feet wide and although it will still be two lanes in each direction, the lanes will be wider.
The contract for the bridge replacement is $4,218,979.00 while the widening of the road, with the addition of a concrete median, from the bridge to near Garner Street will cost $7,463,571.00, the general contractor is C. W. Matthews from Marietta.
The scheduled completion date for the project is
June 30, 2013.
The name on the bridge will remain the same.
