Fire In Yatesville

The Yatesville Fire Department responded to a mobile home fire at 110 Empire Street during Sunday night’s storm.

Aaron Kinney, his wife Tiffany and their two year old son were in the home when thunder shook the entire structure, moments later the smoke alarms sounded.

 

Everyone, including their two dogs immediately left the home and within minutes the fire department was on the scene.

The home was apparently struck by lightning and the fire appeared to be located under the floor and in the walls.

Upson Resident Seriously Injured In Auto Accident

An accident in Henry County earlier today has left an Upson County man on life support.

Joe Wright of Burkett Road reportedly pulled into the path of an oncoming vehicle and was struck head on. Wright is listed in critical condition and is on life support at this hour, his wife Brenda has complained of a possible head injury but appears to have no life threating injuries.

Safety Training At The Rock Ranch

Safety personnel at The Rock Ranch held a training session Saturday for area first responders, EMS, rescue volunteers, deputies and the Emory Air Life Ambulance.

Safety coordinator Jeff Sanders conducted a tour of the facility to highlight potential areas of concern and designated landing zones for the helicopter.

Attendees were given the opportunity to experience the Cow-A-Bunga Zip Line.

(left) Major Dan Kilgore on the zip line.

(right) Emory Air Life Ambulance, click picture for a larger view.

Propane Leak

The Rock Hill Fire Department responded to a propane leak at the Ferrell Gas facility on Barnesville Highway Saturday around noon.

Several of the tanks were venting propane through the pressure release valves due to the intense heat. The smell of propane lingered in the air for hours but there was no fire danger.

Fire department personnel remained on the scene until Ferrell Gas employees arrived to lower the pressure in the tanks.

Why Not Pay A Supplier?

Walker Concrete of Stockbridge has been in business since 1953 and was one of the first companies involved in the construction of the church on Highway 36.
They sold the general contractor, Patmac Contracting, the concrete used in the foundation. Their trucks delivered the concrete on time to the location and they were not responsible for any of the finishing work, their only involvement was as a supplier.

Walker guarantees their product and if a faulty material claim is filed, engineers will take samples of the concrete on site and test it, then the batch machines at the plant are checked to insure that they were set up correctly for the job. The mixers are checked routinely to satisfy the requirements of the Department of Transportation prior to doing DOT work, but in the event of a claim, they are checked again. After all the steps have been taken and the concrete on site is checked for any signs of lack of strength or other faults, the engineers will determine if the claim is justified and the concrete needs replacing or if the customer has no claim.

According to company spokesman Lou Martin, Patmac did not file a complaint, the concrete passed inspection and is supporting the structure today.

Walker has not been paid and the company filed a lien in the amount of $13,544.87, it includes $12,897.69 for the concrete, $427.18 in service charges plus a $200 lien and release fee. It does not include $375 in attorney fees or interest accruing on the debt. P.C. Frailey, owner of Patmac, personally guaranteed payment on the order and collection efforts may eventually proceed against his personal assets. Attempts to collect the debt from the bonding company have been unsuccessful.

Why has Patmac failed to pay a supplier that delivered exactly what was purchased, on time and performed no other work?  How can the bonding company shown below deny payment when Patmac failed to raise any issues about the quality of the product?

Are funds being diverted from one job to pay contractors and suppliers liens on a previous contract? Was there a notarized lien release signed and presented to the church to obtain payment on the concrete?

Patmac officials on site are not answering questions and referring all inquires to their corporate office or their attorney. Phone calls to Patmac’s corporate offices have not been returned.

Former Clerk Adams Stricken

Former clerk of superior court Nancy Adams suffered a heart attack earlier today. She has been transferred to a Macon area hospital.

Contractor Resumes Work

Athens-Atlanta Asphalt Company was back on the job today at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints construction site on Highway 36. The company was hired by Patmac Contracting, the general contractor for the project, to pave the parking area

Earlier this year Athens-Atlanta Asphalt Company filed a lien against the property in the amount of $122,235.00 for work already completed. According to the job supervisor, the company was paid $80,000.00 of the amount within the past two weeks and resumed work.

Upson Today was told by supervisors from both Athens-Atlanta Asphalt and Patmac that there were no issues regarding the quality of the work performed by Athens-Atlanta Asphalt Company. Patmac’s supervisor stated that all other questions should be directed to the company’s attorney.

Fire On Midway Road

The home of Kerry and Angela Brown at 197 Midway Road was heavily damaged by fire this morning around 10 am. The fire started in the master bedroom and appears to be electrical in nature.

The Browns own Pro Tek Auto Glass and were in Thomaston on a job when they received a call that their home was on fire. By the time they arrived, the Lamar County, Rock Hill and Yatesville fire departments were all battling the blaze.

About 40% of the home suffered fire damage while the entire structure suffered smoke and water damage. The family lost all of their clothing but were able to salvage some of the contents from other areas of the home.

Midway Road is located off of Willis Road on the Upson-Lamar county line south of Highway 36.