THE BRIDGE AT FLAT SHOALS IS CLOSED

 ACCORDING  TO  PIKE  COUNTY  TIMES .  COM--THE  BRIDGE  AT  FLAT  SHOALS  WAS  CLOSED  INDEFINTELY  AT  5PM  THURSDAY  AND  GA.  DOT  SAYS REPAIRS   MUST  BE  MADE  TO  THE  BRIDGE  CONSIDERED  A  MERIWETHER  COUNTY  BRIDGE.  A  REPLACEMENT  BRIDGE  IS  BEING  DESIGNED  BY  G-DOT--CURRENTLY  IN THE  RIGHT  OF  WAY ACQUISITION PHASE.

SCTC WELCOMES NEW PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS

 Southern Crescent Technical College welcomed prospective students and their families to its Griffin campus for Preview Day on July 14. The event gave visitors a closer look at the college’s academic programs, campus facilities, student services, and enrollment process. Guests toured the campus, met faculty and staff, and learned more about technical education and workforce-training options available through the college. The day was designed for students considering their next step after high school, as well as adults looking to begin a new program or change careers. Preview Day also gave families a chance to ask questions about admissions, financial aid, and the resources available to students once classes begin.

UPSON SHERIFF KILGORE REPORTS ON AIRCRAFT EMERGENCY LANDING

 News Release

On July 17,2026 at just after 1:00 pm a World War II era vintage Vultee BT 13 A aircraft landed on Hwy 19 south near John B Gordon Road. In Upson County. This location is approximately 5 1/2 miles south of Thomaston. The aircraft landed after experiencing mechanical problems. It was en route from Punta Gorda Florida to a vintage airshow in Oshkosh Wisconsin.

There were no injuries and the aircraft was easily pushed out of the roadway by Deputy’s on the scene

Work is ongoing to determine how to safely remove the aircraft from this location

Dan Kilgore, Sheriff

July 17, 2026

FLINT RIVERKEEPER ON DATA CENTERS/WHAT THEY MEAN FOR THE FLINT

 There are 103 known data center facilities in operation in Georgia. There are another 76 either under construction or in the planning process. They are owned by 19 different companies. 

Obviously for people who care about rivers, creeks and aquifers, the amount of water that’s used by data centers is a concern. Data centers in the Flint River watershed or those that will use water from the Flint River that Flint Riverkeeper is aware of include (either fully or partially in operation, under construction or proposed): two in Coweta County, two in Fayette County, one in south Fulton County, one in Henry County (with another in the ‘rumor’ category), one in Early County, one in Crisp County and four in Spalding County (which would use water from the Griffin water system that sources water from the Flint River.) Many other communities are discussing data center sites including Baker County, Bainbridge/Decatur, and Albany/Dougherty. Dozens of Georgia counties and cities have instituted moratoriums or implemented new ordinances to control data center construction including Taylor County and Pike County. In Mitchell County, there has been a rezoning for a power plant which is related to data center development in terms of grid ‘balance’ and demand. 

Data centers are typically large facilities that house servers, storage and networking equipment to provide services such as cloud computing, web hosting, financial transactions, healthcare systems, research, public safety operations, artificial-intelligence platforms, and streaming services. Types of data centers include ‘enterprise’ facilities which are owned by a single organization, ‘cloud’ facilities which are operated by cloud storage and software providers, ‘colocation’ facilities which are multi-tenant merchant facilities and ‘edge’ facilities which are smaller facilities located near and either owned or leased by end-users. These basic types can also be mixed depending upon the business models selected by developers and owners. 

The main thing for people to understand is that the threat to the river depends upon several things. Where the data center is located matters a lot. The exact same size data center could pose a tremendous threat in one place and not be very threatening at all in another place. If there is adequate power and water and local officials are able to control the noise, vibration, light and any potential runoff pollution from construction or operational sites, then the impact is not zero but is a whole lot less. The threats are not uniform across the landscape. 

Newer data centers can be extremely large with some operational facilities exceeding 1 million square feet (around the size of 17 football fields, more than 22 acres under roof). At least one data center currently under construction in the Flint River watershed will have approximately 7 million square feet under roof, including all machinery and office space, on more than 600 acres of land, plus an ‘extension’ slated to be in excess of 300 acres. One proposed in Early County in the Chattahoochee River watershed would reach 12 million square feet in size. Data centers account for 1 to 5% of global electricity use - about 4.4% in the U.S.

In terms of water use for cooling the computer equipment, there are two basic types of data centers, those with closed loop cooling systems and those with open loop cooling systems. There are of course ‘closed’ portions of any cooling system; the nomenclature refers roughly to using a fixed volume of water repeatedly versus ‘once through.’ Open loop systems are the most inefficient in terms of water loss from our river, creek and aquifer systems. The heat exchangers lose up to 80 percent of water to evaporative loss. The water is not lost to the regional and global water cycle, but it is gone from the local natural-resource base. If the data center extracts 6 million gallons a day from the local system, it may be evaporating somewhere between 4 and 5 million gallons of water. Also, there are serious effluent concerns. What doesn’t evaporate into the sky is usually wastewater that goes into a creek or a river somewhere and it can have a high concentration of pollutants simply because whatever was already in the water, even at ‘drinkable’ levels, is magnified in the water not lost to evaporation; even if that water does not pick up anything else along the way. Water going into the open system can be good enough to drink but the concentrated wastewater can cause problems in the effluent. We’ve seen this issue in a proposed effluent permit for the data center under construction in Hampton.

Closed-loop systems are much more efficient as measured by water use. Instead of millions of gallons of water, they use tens of thousands of gallons a day. That’s a much more manageable number from a natural resources standpoint. On the lower end of that scale, it’s like the water use of two large subdivisions. But, in order to get that type of efficiency, it burns a tremendous amount of electricity, so you are literally exporting the negative effects on our resources. The water that is not used onsite is used elsewhere to generate electricity. On the average, in Georgia, about 85% of the generation capacity relies on water, and 80% on the evaporation of water. One megawatt-hour of generation requires about 750 gallons. Therefore, on average, a large data center (250MW to 750MW power demand) will use between 3.6 and 10.8 million gallons per day OFFSITE in order to generate the ELECTRICITY required by the facility. (The math of that is 250x750x24*.8, or substitute 750 for 250 to get the higher end of the estimate). In other words, this water use is massive and is on ‘someone else’s river’ if the data center is in the Flint River watershed. Typically, in Georgia the larger steam-turbine-type generation facilities can be found on the Savannah, Chattahoochee, and Ocmulgee/Altamaha river systems. Proposals for new power-plant sites are pending in several places including Mitchell County in the Flint’s watershed.

In terms of water quality, both closed-loop and open-loop cooling systems have something in common with other industries called ‘blowdown’ or ‘backwash’ or ‘descaling’ where from time to time the facility operator must flush the system with harsh chemicals because materials build up in the pipes and would otherwise make the system inefficient or inoperable. That becomes a disposal issue, so it’s critical to know where that waste is going and what it actually is. Is it going into a local municipal system and are they prepared to handle it? Or is it going into a creek and will the discharge permits be adequate to protect the receiving waters? 



Also, like any large project, there are concerns about control of sediment leaving the jobsite. Uncontrolled sediment is the most common pollutant in Georgia waters and can severely negatively affect aquatic wildlife and downstream users by increasing water-treatment costs for municipal systems and degrading the use and enjoyment of creeks and rivers for public and private property owners. Clearing land, excavating and grading exposes soil and rainfall often washes it into nearby water bodies if not properly controlled. Construction sites also frequently use paints, solvents, oils and other chemicals that can enter streams through runoff which contaminates surface and groundwater. In addition, adding surfaces like roofs and roads changes natural drainage patterns and increases surface runoff that can lead to altered flow rates for streams and rivers, increasing flooding, decreasing dry-time flows, and often carrying higher loads of pollutants to bodies of water. 

Stormwater issues during construction and even after construction are all about proper containment. A 300- or 600-acre data center is like having 10 to 30 big box stores being constructed at once. A lot of dirt is being moved, trees are being removed and it’s a lot to manage. After construction is over, the design of how stormwater is managed is a big deal also. There’s also typically a lot of chemicals for cleaning, fuel for backup power and other potentially hazardous liquids that must be properly contained to prevent spills and keep those pollutants from showing up in stormwater that washes off the property. 

Other concerns are about how land is used. Runoff from a forest or a farm is not the same as runoff from a bunch of rooftops and parking lots. There are also concerns about how noise, vibration and lighting can affect and disrupt wildlife. 

Another concern a lot of people have is the use of eminent domain – the taking of private property at a price that you don’t get to choose - for powerlines and sub-stations and those sorts of things. More than one community experiencing construction of a data center has had to endure what in our opinion is an abuse of the government’s power of eminent domain to facilitate the revenue and profitability of both that data center owner and the power company. 

Flint Riverkeeper works daily to prevent damage to and restore the

Griffin Police BOLO

 

THOMASTON-UPSON BOE STATEMENT ON SUMMER PAINTING BIDS

 THOMASTON-UPSON COUNTY SCHOOLS

Media Statement

2026 Summer Painting Project Bid Process | July 15, 2026

Thomaston-Upson County Schools (TUCS) strives to maintain honest and fair business 

relationships when purchasing quality products and services through a competitive bidding 

process. In response to questions raised at the July 14, 2026, Board of Education meeting 

regarding the 2026 Summer Painting Project, the district offers the following explanation of the 

bid process and contract award.

In April 2026, TUCS issued an Invitation to Bid for the 2026 Summer Painting Project. Two bids 

were received. Martie Murphy Contracting submitted a bid of $121,225 for materials and labor 

and $110,225 for labor only. Brush Strokes submitted a bid of $114,193.28 for materials and labor 

and $93,063.29 for labor only.

Under Board of Education policy, all bids exceeding $100,000 must be approved by the Board. At 

the May 12, 2026, Board meeting, the Board voted to reject all bids because the project cost 

exceeded the available budget. The Board also approved issuing a new Invitation to Bid with a 

revised scope of work that requested a single combined price for materials and labor.

Please note that because the Invitation to Bid was conducted as a competitive sealed bid process, 

the Board did not negotiate with the apparent low bidder. In a sealed bid process, all bidders must 

be treated equally. Negotiating pricing with a single bidder after bids have been opened would 

undermine fair competition and compromise the integrity of the process, and the district is not 

permitted to do so.

A second Invitation to Bid was issued in May 2026, with bids due on June 16, 2026. Two bids 

were received. Brush Strokes submitted a bid of $84,972.38, and Martie Murphy Contracting 

submitted a bid of $79,800. Following the opening of the sealed bids, district personnel contacted 

both bidders to confirm their understanding of the project scope because of a significant 

difference between the bid amounts for a specific location. Both bidders confirmed that they 

understood the scope of work.

The district awarded the contract to Martie Murphy Contracting as the lowest responsive bidder 

at $79,800, with the understanding that no change orders will be accepted unless approved by 

the Superintendent. Because the awarded amount was less than $100,000, Board approval was 

not required under district policy.

The rebid process resulted in a savings of more than $34,000 compared to the lowest bid received 

in April. Thomaston-Upson County Schools remains committed to transparency, fair competition, 

and responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars in every purchasing decision.

Dr. Tret Witherspoon

Superintendent, Thomaston-Upson Schools

Media inquiries: David Eubanks, Director of Public Relations, 706-647-962

THE SUMMER PAINTING PROJECT BIDS AT T-U SCHOOLS CONTESTED BY A CONTRACTOR

 

  THE  OWNER  OF  BRUSH  STROKES  PAINTING  COMPANY   RYAN   GILL    TOOK   ISSUE  WITH  SUMMER    PAINTING  BIDS  AT  TUESDAY'S  MEETING  OF  THE  THOMASTON-UPSON  BOARD  OF  EDUCATION.  GILL  CHARGED  HE  HAD  THE  LOW  BID  OF   $114,000  COMPARED  WITH  MARTIE  MURPHY  CONTRACTING    $121,000  BUT  IT  WAS      OVER  BUDGET  SO  IT  WAS  RE-BID  AND  MURPHY  HAD  THE  LOW  BID  OF $76,000  COMPARED  WITH  GILL'S  BID  OF  $84,000.

  

  GILL  SPOKE  TO  THE  BOARD AND  TO   101  NEWS  CONTESTING  THE  ISSUE. 

TAX MEETING IN YATESVILLE 7/23/26

 Upson Co. Tax Commissioner, Andy Chastain, will be holding his final town hall meeting to discuss new property tax legislation and tax relief that will be affecting this year’s property taxes. Discussions will include updates on HB581, FLOST, and HTRG (Homestead Tax Relief Grant) and how these will affect homestead taxpayers this year. This meeting will be held at Yatesville Senior Hall, 15 Empire St. at 6:30 pm on July 23rd . There will also be other county officials present to engage in a Question/Answer forum at the end of the presentation.

THOMASTON CHESS SERIES

 COFFEE SHOP SUMMER CHESS SERIES

RAPID SWISS CHESS TOURNAMENT

WHOLESOME BOWLS COFFEE SHOP

105 South Center Street, Thomaston, GA

(762) 319-9119 or (706) 271-5944

Wednesday, July 22, 2026 at 3PM

PIKE COUNTY WRECK ON US 19

 PIKE  COUNTY  FIRST  RESPONDERS  WERE  ON  THE  SCENE  AROUND   1PM  TUESDAY  ON   US   19  NEAR MT.  GILEAD  BAPTIST  CHURCH--A  MULTI-VECHILE   WRECK  THAT  HAD  SLOWED  TRAFFIC  FLOW.

UPSON PLANNING COMMISSIONER RECOMMENDS REZONING FOR NEW IND PK

 BY  UNANIMOUS  VOTE  THE   UPSON  COUNTY  PLANNING  COMMISSION   MONDAY      VOTED  TO  RECOMMEND  A  REZONING  FOR   THE  IDA  FOR   A  NEW  INDUSTRIAL  PARK  TO  THE  COUNTY  COMMISSIONERS  ON  MUD  BRIDGE  ROAD  AT  RACE   TRACK  ROAD.  THE PLANNING  COMMISSION  PLACED SEVERAL  CONDITIONS  ON  THE  REZONING   OF   222  ACRES  INCLUDING  A  DEVELOPMENT  AGREEMENT  SHALL  BE  APPROVED  BY  THE   BOARD  OF  COMMISSIONERS  REGARDING  THE  SITE   PLAN  AND  ACCESS  IMPROVEMENTS   PRIOR  TO  ANY  PERMITS  BEING  ISSUED.

GRIFFIN ;POLICE REPORT FATAL SHOOTING

 Press Release 26-004087 

On Saturday, July 11, 2026, shortly after 10:00 p.m., the Griffin Police Department, Griffin Fire-Rescue, and 

Wellstar Spalding EMS responded to a reported shooting at Raymond Head Park, located at 800 Anne Street in 

Griffin. Upon arrival, officers located a 31 year old adult male suffering from a gunshot wound. He was transported 

to Wellstar Spalding Regional Hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased. The victim has been identified 

as Malcolm Freeling. The investigation remains active and ongoing. Anyone with information rega

RAPPER ARRESTED IN BARNESVILLE FOR ATLANTA MURDER

 

• Deputies captured a Georgia music artist Saturday night on an outstanding Fulton County homicide warrant.
• Authorities recovered rifles and a handgun during the targeted operation in Lamar County.
• The suspect was safely turned over to the Fulton County Sheriff's Office at the scene.

MEET THE PIKE COUNTY PIRATES FOOTBALL TEAM

  MEET THE PIRATES!

The countdown to football season is on, and we want YOU to come meet your Pike County Pirates!

Thursday, July 30

5:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Pike County Fieldhouse

Bring the whole family for an evening of fun as you meet our 2026 Pike County Football Players and Cheerleaders!

Meet your favorite players

Meet our cheerleaders

Take photos with your favorite Pirate and cheerleader

Enjoy delicious food from local food trucks!

BIBLE CLASSES OPEN IN UPSON CO

   "Big news for Thomaston families! Free LifeWise Bible classes are now open for Upson-Lee Elementary students. With your permission, your child can attend an off-campus, character-building Bible class for one hour each week—right during the school day. Don't wait! Enroll your child today at LifeWise.org/thomastonupson.

GUILTY VERDICT SPALDING CO

 DAVID J. STUDDARD

ACTING DISTRICT ATTORNEY

Griffin Judicial Circuit

07/9/26

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

On Wednesday, June 10, 2026, after a two-day jury trial in Spalding County, Robert Cory Millen was found guilty of two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The Defendant was sentenced by the Honorable Matthew M. McCord in the Spalding County Superior Court, to serve 24 months in the Spalding County Jail. The State was represented by Senior Assistant District Attorney Jonathan P. Richardson and Assistant District Attorney Wendy Carlyle. The Griffin Police Department, led by Inv. Shateema Amos, investigated this case.

The case began in January of 2025 when two juvenile children absconded from a youth development home in Griffin, Georgia. The two juveniles made their way to a local liquor store seeking transport to Atlanta. Once at the liquor store, however, the two juveniles met co-Defendant William White, along with another co-defendant. These two co-defendants led the two juveniles into the parking lot, where Defendant Robert Cory Millen waited in his vehicle. Despite the Defendant Robert Cory Millen’s later statement to Investigator Amos that the girls “didn’t look a day over 15 [years old],” Defendant Robert Cory Millen nevertheless allowed the two juveniles into his truck. Defendant Robert Cory Millen then drove the two juveniles and his co-defendants to co-defendant William White’s house. Once at co-defendant William White’s house, the two girls were given alcoholic beverages, as well as illicit substances, including marijuana, cocaine, and methamphetamines. After consuming these substances, the two juveniles were subjected to acts of statutory rape, child molestation, aggravated child molestation, and trafficking of persons for sexual servitude.

On June 2, 2026, co-defendant William White entered a guilty plea to two counts of trafficking persons for sexual servitude, one count of child molestation, one count of statutory rape, one count of possession of firearm during the commission of a felony, and one count of contributing to the delinquency of a

minor. On June 3, 2026, the Honorable Matthew M. McCord sentenced co-defendant William White to a total of fifty-five years, to serve the first twenty-five years in the state penitentiary and the remainder on probation, to include registration on the Georgia Sex Offender Registry.

On June 15, 2026, co-defendant Tamarrius Lewis entered a guilty plea to two counts of trafficking persons for sexual servitude, four counts of child molestation, two counts of statutory rape, and one count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. On June 16, 2026, the Honorable Matthew M. McCord sentenced co-defendant Tamarrius Lewis to a total of forty years, to serve the first twenty-five years in the state penitentiary and the remainder on probation, to include registration on the Georgia Sex Offender Registry.

On June 15, 2026, co-defendant Antonio Pittman entered a guilty plea to two counts of statutory rape. On June 16, 2026, the Honorable Matthew M. McCord sentenced co-defendant Antonio Pittman to a total of forty years, to serve the first twenty years in the state penitentiary and the remainder on probation, to include registration on the Georgia Sex Offender Registry.

The remaining co-defendants in this case are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

“This community cannot tolerate the actions of sex offenders who prey on children,” ADA Richardson stated. He continued by stating “this office will not rest until we bring justice for these victims, and for other victims who have suffered sexual abuse at the hands of similar individuals. I am grateful for the tenacity and efforts of Investigator Amos, along with all other Griffin Police Department Officers who assisted in the prosecution of this case. I am also grateful for co-counsel ADA Carlyle, Legal Assistant Stephanie Crimley, Victim Advocate Evony Kendall, Investigator Stan Phillips, and the entirety of the District Attorney’s Office for the continued investigation, preparation, and effort that it took to bring this case to trial.” Acting District Attorney David Studdard added, "I'm very proud of the work my prosecutors and assistants put in on this case and that of the dedicated law enforcement officers who helped bring these defendants to justice. Human trafficking is a horrific crime, and we will aggressively pursue those who prey