Hospital Beds Becoming Critical Issue

The surge in COVID-19 cases has created a critical shortage of available hospital beds in some areas of the state.

Georgia is divided into regions as shown on the map. Upson, Pike, Lamar and Spalding are in region F along with 8 other counties.

At 3:40 pm on Tuesday GEMA reported that region F had a total of 230 critical care beds, 214 were in use, leaving 16 available for the 12 county area.

Region E, the Athens region and H, the Tifton region each reported 1 bed available and according to a story published in the AJC, both are now full and sending patients elsewhere.

Statewide the number of critical care beds in use has reached 88% while the total number of general inpatient beds in use is at 80%.

The 12% of critical care beds still available represents a total of 369 for a population of 10.5 million residents. The majority of ICU beds available are in the metro Atlanta area.

Southwest Georgia will lose 25 beds on October 22nd, when the Randolph County Hospital Authority will close Southwest Georgia Regional Medical Center in Cuthbert due to the financial impact of the pandemic.

The chart below shows the total number of beds and the number available in each region.

T-U IDA REJECTS PROJECT COLONY

AT MONDAY'S JULY MEETING THE THOMASTON-UPSON DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY DECIDED NOT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH PROJECT COLONY, AN INDUSTRY THAT WANTED TO LOCATE AT THE OLD MARTHA MILLS PROPERTY ON GOODRICH AVE.

CHAIR OF THE IDA--CARSON GLEATON TOLD THE BOARD, "SOMETIMES A PROSPECT DON'T FIT US" AND THE STEEL FRAMING BUSINESS WAS ASKING FOR A LOT.

THE PROSPECT WANTED RELOCATION EXPENSES, JOB CREATION EXPENSES FOR 40 JOBS, AND CLEAN UP OF THE SITE TO BE PAID FOR BY THE IDA OR CITY. THE NOTE ON THE PROPERTY IS HELD BY A VIRGINIA BANK AND COMES COMPLETE WITH SEVERAL LIENS.

THE IDA HAD BIDS OF $400,000 AND ONE MILLION TO CLEAN UP AND OR TO HAUL OFF DEBRIS BUT THAT DID NOT INCLUDE THE POSSIBILITY OF CONTAMINATION AT THE SITE WHICH COULD RUN UP THE COST, BIG TIME.

ENDING THE THE DISCUSSION, COMMISSION CHAIRMAN NORMAN ALLEN QUESTIONED IF THOSE 35 ACRES IS IDEAL FOR AN INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX.

Tuesday COVID-19 Report

The number of confirmed cases in Georgia is 175,052, the number of deaths is 3,563, Hospitalizations 17,544, ICU admissions 3,236.

The number of new cases reported today is 4,209. The mortality rate is 2.04%.

Spalding county reported 2 deaths, Monroe county 1.

Gwinnett county has the highest number of cases with 15,915, Fulton county the highest number of deaths with 373.

County	Cases	Deaths	New Cases
Upson	452	45	4
Pike	177	3	10
Spalding	791	38	29
Lamar	208	8	8
Monroe	385	23	9
Butts	428	36	17
Meriwether	332	5	9
Talbot	123	3	2
Taylor	62	2	0
Crawford	82	0	1
Coweta	1,233	17	26
Fayette	855	23	30
Unknown	2,334	7

The Georgia Department of Health releases updated information daily at 3 pm.

For the complete report, click HERE

Griffin Officers Injured In Accident

At approximately 5:30 Tuesday morning two Griffin Police Officers, traveling in the same patrol vehicle, were struck by a commercial vehicle traveling west at the intersection of Georgia Highway 16 and Hammond Drive.

Preliminary investigations reveals that the commercial vehicle ran the red light and struck the patrol vehicle on the driver’s side, continued west and overturned.

Officer Amanda Frix, a veteran of the Griffin Police Department, was transported by life-flight helicopter to Atlanta Medical Center with serious injuries. Officer Erin McAdams, a recently certified rookie officer who was in her field training stage with Officer Frix, was also injured and transported to Wellstar/Spalding Hospital here in Griffin with non-life threatening injuries.

Officer Frix is in stable condition and Officer McAdams was treated and released from Spalding Regional / Wellstar Hospital. Both are expected to make a full recovery.

The Georgia State Patrol is investigating the accident.

LATEST UPSON CO CENSUS 2020 RESPONSE RATE

As of July 26, 2020, nationally there has been a 62.6% Census 2020 response rate. Georgia has a 58.3% rate, holding it steady at 36th place among the states. Upson County has a 61.4% Census 2020 response rate, now ranking it 26th of the 159 Georgia counties, inside the top 17%. The County’s ranking has dropped for the second consecutive week. Upson County ranked as high as 5th in Georgia in the early weeks of the Census. Ten years ago, the final Upson County Census 2010 self-response rate (before enumerators are sent out) was 65%. Upson County has two (2) weeks to match or surpass that additional 3.4% response.

Upson County is divided into eight Census tracts. Tract 103 is comprised of most of the western third of the County from Molena down to just south of the Adam’s Ferry Road area, as far east as Hightower Lake/Basin Creek. This tract leads the County again with a 65.2 % response rate. Two of the county’s census tracts are at 59.4%.

In the municipality listing on the Census 2020 website, there are 539 towns and cities in Georgia listed. Thomaston comes in tied with Riverdale, Buford and Thomasville, dropping it two places to 89th with a 59.8% response rate. Yatesville has jumped twenty-six spots to 204th place with 52.8% reporting.

Other area counties’ response rates as of July 26:

State Response

Ranking County Rate

9 Henry County 66.4%

17 Pike County 63.8%

23 Lamar County 61.7%

31 Spalding County 60.8%

39 Monroe County 58.9% - tied with Morgan County

66 Meriwether County 54.0% - tied with Stephens County

82 Crawford County 51.0% - tied with Candler County

145 Talbot County 36.2%

147 Taylor County 36.0%

UPSON COUNTY BUILDING AND ZONING DEPARTMENT DRAKE BUILDING 305 S. HIGHTOWER STREET, SUITE D-100 THOMASTON, GA 30286-4170 (706) 647-1297 FAX (706) 647-2693

The Census can be completed online, by phone or by mail. The Census impacts funding decisions for things like infrastructure, health care, education and more for the next ten years. Legislative districts are determined by the Census results.

Online –

You can respond to the 2020 Census by visiting the Census Bureau’s online questionnaire today.

If you are responding online, please note that you cannot save your progress and that you must complete the census in one sitting. You can preview the questions asked.

To access the 2020 Census questionnaire in English, click the "Respond" button on the page or navigate to my2020census.gov. There, click on the globe icon at the top of the page and select the language. You can also select your preferred language there at the bottom of any screen.

Phone –

You have the option of completing the questionnaire by phone. To begin in English, call 844-330-2020. If you have vacant or vacation properties in Upson County, those need to be reported to the Census Bureau too, as vacant or only occasionally used properties. That will stop enumerators from going to those residences.

August 11 is currently the planned date for Census takers (enumerators) to begin going door to door to those homes which have not responded.

The Georgia Census 2020 motto is: Every. One. Counts

E-MAIL TO UPSON BOC FOR TUESDAY'S MEETING/RENAMING RE LEE

We have started a group and have over 800 members on Facebook that are fighting to keep the name R.E Lee on the building. We also have an online petition that has almost 2500 names and will be working on a paper petition in the next few days. We see no reason to change the name of a school that has been present in one form or another for 138 years and has had almost 10,000 graduates. Especially when we have 80% of the signatures, considering the opposing petition has under 600 signatures. We have some very passionate members in our group and we are willing to see this through til the end.

Below find my personal feelings on this subject and I have the backing of most of these 800 people (since I posted it in the facebook groups and most agree with me).

It has come to the community’s attention, through social media, that two of our City Council members wish to discuss the removal of the R. E. Lee name as well as the paintings inside the old school building. Many of us in Upson County have dreaded this day because we knew it was coming with the new “cancel culture” that is going on in our country.

As a 1980 graduate of R. E. Lee I am extremely “Proud to be from R.E. Lee” and to be a Rebel. I know that I am not the only one. Once I read this I knew something had to be done to stop it. I started an online petition and within 8 hours had almost 1500 signatures from former graduates as well as Upson High School graduates who support our fight to keep the name R. E. Lee visible on the school building. We do not idolize Robert E. Lee nor do we endorse slavery. We are proud of our SCHOOL and the school’s heritage and the achievements of its graduates.

In my research to begin this campaign I took out my book “Proud to Be from R.E. Lee” by Edwin Cliburn and thumbed through 1020 pages of a detailed account of the extraordinary history of this school. If you haven’t read this book, you should. It gives a very thorough history of the SCHOOL from beginning to end.

I am not fighting to keep R E Lee Institute on the building because of General Robert E Lee!!! It has NOTHING at all to do with the MAN behind the name for me and I know that is the reason people want it OFF the building. For me, I don't endorse slavery or racism. I love all people who are good and despise all people who are bad whether black, white, red or yellow.

I am fighting to keep R E Lee on the building because it has been there in one form or another for 138 years with almost 10,000 graduates over all those years. What other school can say that?

I asked, in other groups, what you remember about R. E Lee and I continuously hear about the PRIDE you (and I) have for being a graduate of such a wonderful school.

It's so hard to explain for me WHY we have that pride in our school but I can try. It has to do with the memories of 4 years with amazing friends and teachers. It has to do with the hallowed walls of those buildings where THOUSANDS of people have walked over those 138 years. It has to do with the teamwork and camaraderie achieved in everything we did. It has to do with the knowledge that our parents and grandparents, possibly even great-grand parents and our own kids (for some) walked those halls and shared their own wonderful experiences the same as we did. It has to do with the loves started and the loves ended in those halls, the admiration for wonderful caring teachers who inspired us and encouraged us to achieve goals and do our best. It’s about the proms and military balls, the football games and pep rallies. ROTC marching down the road outside the Science building. The girls PE class with Ms Jessie Wilder in the ugliest gym suits ever. Home EC with Ms Evelyn Sheets and typing with Ms Marsha Smith. Climbing the stairs in the math building to get to class on time. Coach Rhodes coming down the hall jingling his keys/change in his pockets. The creaking of the old wood floors in the buildings and the creaky old radiators. Hurrying to Mr Hunter or Mr Lilliott’s class in the Drake building. Meeting friends at the smoking wall (which I personally didn’t do 😊). Sitting out front on the lawn at lunch watching cars go by. Going to Big Chic after school to get French fries. Signing yearbooks that I cherish to this day.

I’ve had many tell me that removing the name will not take away these memories and I know that. But removing the name also will not take away the fact that there was slavery and all the bad that the opposing folks want to associate the name with. So, why do it?

I believe I speak for most who graduated from R. E. Lee - and our ancestors back to 1882 - when I say WE ARE PROUD TO BE FROM R E LEE and do not want the name removed!

Lori Lindsey

Monday COVID-19 Report

The number of confirmed cases in Georgia is 170,843, the number of deaths is 3,509, Hospitalizations 17,138, ICU admissions 3,172.

The number of new cases reported today is 2,890. The mortality rate is 2.05%.

Gwinnett county has the highest number of cases with 15,534, Fulton county the highest number of deaths with 371.

County	Cases	Deaths	New Cases
Upson	448	45	0
Pike	167	3	3
Spalding	762	36	12
Lamar	200	8	4
Monroe	376	22	9
Butts	411	36	6
Meriwether	323	5	2
Talbot	121	3	2
Taylor	62	2	3
Crawford	81	0	0
Coweta	1,207	17	23
Fayette	825	23	20
Unknown	2,202	6

The Georgia Department of Health releases updated information daily at 3 pm.

For the complete report, click HERE

3 Arrested In Griffin Murder

A "failed drug deal" has resulted in the murder of a Griffin man, 26-year-old Jeffery Ryan Deluca was found with a gunshot wound to the head in the doorway of a unit at the Walden Pointe Apartments off Carver Road Friday night.

Xavier Lamar Carter, 21, of Barnesville and Ryan Willis, 20, of Jonesboro have been charged with armed robbery and aggravated assault in the case, they are in custody at the Spalding County Jail.

17 year old Damarion Sinkfield has also been charged in the case but the statement from the Griffin Police Department did not indicate if he has been charged as an adult.

The investigation is ongoing and more charges are expected.

Sunday COVID-19 Report

The number of confirmed cases in Georgia is 167,953, the number of deaths is 3,498, Hospitalizations 17,091, ICU admissions 3,168.

The number of new cases reported today is 2,765. The mortality rate is 2.08%.

Gwinnett county has the highest number of cases with 15,315, Fulton county the highest number of deaths with 372.

County	Cases	Deaths	New Cases
Upson	448	45	8
Pike	164	3	3
Spalding	750	36	15
Lamar	196	8	4
Monroe	367	22	6
Butts	405	36	3
Meriwether	321	5	1
Talbot	119	3	0
Taylor	59	2	4
Crawford	81	0	0
Coweta	1,184	17	16
Fayette	805	23	17
Unknown	2,099	6

The Georgia Department of Health releases updated information daily at 3 pm.

For the complete report, click HERE

Saturday COVID-19 Report - Surpasses 100% Increase

The number of confirmed cases in Georgia is 165,188, the number of deaths is 3,495, Hospitalizations 17,029, ICU admissions 3,158.

The number of new cases reported today is 3,787. The mortality rate is 2.12%.

The state has now reported more positive cases in July than March, April, May and June combined, a 103.21% increase over the number of cases on June 30th. Testing has increased 68.83%, the positive rate is 14.62%.

Fayette county reported 2 deaths, Spalding county reported one.

Gwinnett county has the highest number of cases with 15,134, Fulton county the highest number of deaths with 372.

County	Cases	Deaths	New Cases
Upson	440	45	5
Pike	161	3	4
Spalding	735	36	27
Lamar	192	8	8
Monroe	361	22	12
Butts	402	36	9
Meriwether	320	5	13
Talbot	119	3	5
Taylor	55	2	1
Crawford	81	0	0
Coweta	1,168	17	32
Fayette	788	23	24
Unknown	2,057	7

The Georgia Department of Health releases updated information daily at 3 pm.

For the complete report, click HERE