ULHS GRAD RATE TOPS STATE AGAIN

ULHS Graduation Rate Tops State for 4th Consecutive Year

The Georgia Department of Education has released graduation rate data for the class of 2018, and Upson-Lee High School has exceeded the state average for the fourthconsecutive year. Upson-Lee High School posted a rate of 87.1%, significantly higher than the state of Georgia graduation rate average of 81.6%. Fayette County topped the Griffin RESA district with an average of 88.8%. Other 2018 graduation rate averages in the Griffin RESA District are:

Butts 80.8%

Griffin-Spalding 85.4%

Henry 87.7%

Lamar 87.0%

Newton 87.0%

Pike 87.7%

EX-UPSON DEPUTY SENTENCED

IN UPSON SUPERIOR COURT MONDAY—A FORMER UPSON COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPUTY—KODY KENNEDY ENTERED A GUILTY PLEA TO SIMPLE BATTERY FOR STRIKING A MAN IN HANDCUFFS WHILE IN CUSTODY AND HE WAS SENTENCED TO FINE AND PROBATION BY JUDGE SCOTT BALLARD.

THE INCIDENT INVESTIGATED BY THE GBI -- GOT KENNEDY TERMINATED AND ALSO ONE THOMASTON POLICE OFFICER WAS FIRED AND ANOTHER FACED DISCIPLINARY ACTION.

IT STEMMED FROM A TRAFFIC STOP ON 36 EAST INVOLVING CURTIS LAMAR PERRY WHO WAS CHARGED WITH SPEEDING , OBSTRUCTION OF AN OFFICER AND POSSESSION OF METH.

KENNEDY WAS SENTENCED TO 12 MONTHS PROBATION, 40 HOURS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE AND A $500 FINE.

TWO OTHER GUILTY PLEAS MONDAY, JACKIE LEE REYNOLDS CRIMINAL TRESPASS—SENTENCED TO TIME SERVED AND CASMEONDRA NICOLE HARRIS—POSSESSION MORE THAN OUNCE OF MARIJUANA, 5 YEARS PROBATION, 80 HOURS COMMUNITY SERVICE, FINE OF $2000.

OBSTRUCTION OF AN OFFICER 12 MONTHS PROBATION, FINE OF $500.

UPSON CO TAX BILLS ARE IN THE MAIL

OVER 16,000 UPSON COUNTY TAX BILLS ARE IN THE MAIL. TAX COMMISSIONER ANDY CHASTAIN SAID THE DUE DATE IS NOVEMBER 15. THE BILLS WERE TO GO OUT LAST WEEK, BUT THE PRINTING COMPANY HAD SOME ISSUES.

UGA FOOTBALL GAME KICKS AT NOON ON ZOOM RADIO

THE UGA-MIDDLE TENNESSEE FOOTBALL GAME SATURDAY WILL WILL HAVE A 12 NOON KICK-OFF, ORIGINALLY IT WAS A NIGHT GAME BUT WAS MOVED UP DUE TO HURRICANE FLORENCE.

AIRTIME FOR THE TAILGATE SHOW 8AM, 105-9/101-1.

THE ATLANTA FALCONS PLAY THE CAROLINA PANTHERS SUNDAY AT 1 ON ZOOM RADIO 105-9/101-1.

OUR NEW WEBSITE myzoomradio.com

CHECK OUT OUR NEW WEBSITE—myzoomradio.com—FOR THE LATEST NEWS AND WEATHER, SPORTS INCLUDING GA. BULLDOG NEWS AND INTERVIEWS WITH ROCK LEGENDS FROM MICK-IN-THE MORNING---ITS myzoomradio.com.

SHERIFF KILGORE REPORTS A ROBBERY ARREST

On September 3rd, 2018 between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. Laquasian Kendez “Fred” Hutcherson, 40, of Thomaston committed an armed robbery at a residence on Chaney Street in the Lincoln Park community of Upson County. Hutcherson robbed two victims at gun point taking approximately $1000 dollars in cash.

Fred Hutcherson is held in the Upson County Jail charged with two counts of Armed Robbery, Possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, and Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Bond must be set by a Superior Court Judge.

This case is ongoing.

GOP GOV CANDIDATE IN UPSON CO. LABOR DAY

BIG TURN-OUT FOR A POLITICAL BAR B Q LABOR DAY IN UPSON COUNTY ON THE BENTLEY FARM—COORDINATED BY WILL BENTLEY.

GUESTS INCLUDED REPUBLICAN NOMINEE FOR GOVERNOR AND GA. SECRETARY OF STATE BRIAN KEMP, U.S. SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE AND FORMER GA. GOVERNOR SONNY PERDUE AND TWO OTHER REPUBLICANS STATE AGRICULTURE COMMISSIONER GARY BLACK—WHO IS SEEKING RE-ELECTION AND TRICIA PRIDEMORE RUNNING FOR PSC COMMISSIONER.

THE CROWD ALSO INCLUDED 5 GEORGIA SHERIFFS WHO HAVE ENDORSED KEMP FOR GOVERNOR INCLUDING UPSON COUNTY SHERIFF DAN KILGORE, PIKE COUNTY SHERIFF JIMMY THOMAS, LAMAR COUNTY SHERIFF BRAD WHITE, MERIWETHER COUNTY SHERIFF CHUCK SMITH, AND FAYETTE COUNTY SHERIFF BARRY BABB.     

5TH JUDGE RECOMMENDED FOR GRIFFIN CIRCUIT

The Judicial Council, chaired by Chief Justice P. Harris Hines, met in Marietta yesterday, to consider requests for two new superior court judgeships and other action items.

After reviewing caseload data for the requesting circuits, the Council voted to recommend additional judgeships in the Griffin Judicial Circuit and Gwinnett Judicial Circuit. New judgeships are created by the General Assembly; the bill authorizing a new position provides for an effective date, initial term, and stipulates election or appointment of the initial judge.

This recommendation will be forwarded to the Governor and the General Assembly to be considered for legislative action in the 2019 session.

The 27-member Judicial Council of Georgia meets several times a year to act on policy and administrative matters of the judiciary. Judges of the appellate and trial courts at all levels are represented on the Council, as is a representative of the State Bar of Georgia.

PROPOSED TAX INCREASE IN PIKE CO.

The Pike County Board of Commissioners today announces its intention to increase the 2018 property taxes it will levy this year by 4.12 percentage over the rollback millage rate.

Each year, the board of tax assessors is required to review the assessed value for property tax purposes of taxable property in the county. When the trend of prices on properties that have recently sold in the county indicate there has been an increase in the fair market value of any specific property, the board of tax assessors is required by law to re-determine the value of such property and adjust the assessment. This is called a reassessment. When the total digest of taxable property is prepared, Georgia law requires that the rollback millage rate must be computed that will produce the same total revenue on the current year’s digest that last year’s millage rate would have produced had no reassessments occurred.

The budget tentatively adopted by the Pike County Board of Commissioners requires that a millage rate higher than the rollback millage rate, therefore, before the Pike County Board of Commissioners may finalize the tentative budget and set a final millage rate, Georgia law requires three public hearings to be held to allow the public an opportunity to express their opinions on the increase. All concerned citizens are invited to the public hearings on this tax increase to be held at the Pike County Courthouse Courtroom, 16001 Barnesville Street, Zebulon, GA 30295 on September 12, 2018 at 9:00am and 6:00 pm and on September 19, 2018 at 9:00 am.

TOWN HALL MEETING ON TAXES THURSDAY IN SALEM

UPSON COUNTY COMMISSIONER LORENZO WILDER WILL BE HOSTING A TOWN HALL MEETING THIS THURSDAY, AUGUST 30TH 7PM AT SALEM BAPTIST CHURCH FEATURING TAX COMMISSIONER ANDY CHASTAIN AND CHIEF TAX APPRAISER CHARLES MCKEEHAN—ANSWERING QUESTIONS ABOUT TAX ASSESSMENTS , TAX MILLAGE RATES , CALCULATION AND DELINQUENT TAXES. PUBLIC INVITED.

COMMISSIONER PAUL JONES WILL HOST A 2ND TOWN HALL MEETING AT THE ROCK RANCH, TUESDAY SEPT. 4TH AT 7PM .

TAX COMMISSIONER CHASTAIN SAYS THE 2018 UPSON COUNTY TAX DIGEST IS SCHEDULED TO BE APPROVED AUGUST 29, AND IF APPROVED TAX BILLS COULD BE MAILED-OUT AS EARLY AS AUGUST 31ST WITH A DUE DATE OF NOV. 15TH.   

PIKE CO. SO CHILD MOLESTATION ARREST

Pike County Sheriff’s Office Investigators have arrested Vincent Godley, 75 years of age, for 2 counts of aggravated child molestation, 2 counts of aggravated sexual battery and 2counts of aggravated sodomy. An investigation ensued after a report concerning Godley and his possible involvement in the molestation of a child.

During an interview with Godley he admitted to numerous sexual acts involving two children, both under the age of ten.

5 INDICTED FOR UNITED BANK ROBBERY WOODBURY

D’Asis Sheffield, 20, of Greenville, Ga., the final defendant of a five-member armed robbery conspiracy, was arraigned yesterday before United States Magistrate Judge John K. Larkins III following Sheffield’s arrest on federal charges of armed bank robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. Sheffield and his four co-defendants, Antavious Bray, 29, of Greenville, Ga., Derrick Scott, 26, of Manchester, Ga., Dontavius Prather, 22, of Greenville, Ga., and Shaneka Copeland, 35, of Manchester, Ga., were indicted by a federal grand jury on August 15, 2018.

“Sheffield attempted to evade capture after terrorizing innocent victims and endangering their lives during this armed robbery,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “Fortunately, thanks to the assistance of the public and the hard work of law enforcement, Sheffield and his co-defendants will now have to answer for their crimes. This case demonstrates that all citizens play an important role in keeping our communities safe.”

According to United States Attorney Pak, the charges, and other information presented in court: Three of the defendants, Sheffield, Bray, and Scott, allegedly entered United Bank in Woodbury, Georgia, shortly after noon on June 28, 2018. The robbers had covered their faces to disguise their identities, and they were armed with two handguns and a semi-automatic rifle.

After entering the bank, the men ordered two bank employees to lie face down on the floor. Bray allegedly stood over them with the semi-automatic rifle, while Scott and Sheffield pointed handguns at a teller and demanded that she fill a backpack with money. The men then exited the bank through a back door, but thanks to the quick response of the City of Woodbury Police Department, their getaway driver, Prather, fled before he could pick up Sheffield, Bray, and Scott. At that point, the three robbers ran into the nearby woods on foot.

After hiding in a nearby house for several hours, Bray and Scott were captured by the FBI. Sheffield, the third robber, remained unidentified and at large until local news stations played a clip of him in the backyard of a residence without his face concealed by a mask. Several tipsters then identified Sheffield, who the FBI arrested shortly thereafter.

D’Asis Sheffield, Antavious Bray, Derrick Scott, and Dontavius Prather, were charged with armed bank robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. Bray and Scott were additionally charged with possessing a firearm after having been convicted of a felony offense. Shaneka Copeland was charged with being an accessory after the robbery.

Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation