South Metro's News Leader
THE PIKE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS SELECTED ONLY ONE FINALIST FOR COUNTY MANAGER, TUESDAY, JOHN HANSON, VICE PRESIDENT OF WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA BANK.
ACCORDING TO THE STATE SUNSHINE LAW, THE COMMISSIONERS MUST WAIT TWO WEEKS BEFORE MAKING THE HIRE OFFICIAL.
ACCORDING TO THE CLERK OF UPSON SUPERIOR COURT, TERESA HARPER, THE COURT CALENDAR HAS BEEN CLEARED FOR THIS WEEK.
TUESDAY—A DEFENDANT WAS SENTENCED TO SERVE TEN YEARS IN PRISON FOR THEFT BY TAKING. RANDY CHARLES KEMPSON WAS CONVICTED OF CUTTING DOWN 32 TREES AT 412 SUNNYSIDE CIRCLE.
ACCORDING TO ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY BEN COKER, A THOMASTON MAN, CHRISTOPHER JOHN HALE, IN HIS 30’S WAS SENTENCED TO SERVE 20 YEARS IN PRISON BY JUDGE MACK CRAWFORD, WEDNESDAY, IN UPSON SUPERIOR COURT.
ACCORDING TO TESTIMONY, HALE AND HIS GIRL FRIEND WERE HAVING AN ARGUMENT AND SHE PULLED A HANDGUN ON HIM. HALE TOOK IT AWAY, BROKE HER NOSE WITH A BLOW TO THE FACE AND SHOT HER IN THE SHOULDER.
THE JURY WAS OUT ABOUT ONE HOUR BEFORE FINDING HALE GUILTY OF AGGREVATED ASSAULT AND AGGREVATED BATTERY.
THE UPSON COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND THOMASTON CITY COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY VOTED FOR AN AGREEMENT ON THE LOCAL OPTION SALES TAX SPLIT, TUESDAY. IT WILL REMAIN THE SAME 53% COUNTY 45% CITY OF THOMASTON 2% CITY OF YATESVILLE.
THE TWO BODIES ALSO UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO GO BACK TO THE PREVIOUS METHOD OF FUNDING JOINT PROJECTS WITH THE CITY OF THOMASTON AGREEING TO ABOUT 37% OF THE FUNDING.
AT THE CLOSE OF THE JOINT MEETING, COMMISSION CHAIRMAN RUSTY BLACKSTON ANNOUNCED THAT REPS OF THE BARETTA FIREARMS COMPANY PAID A SECOND VISIT TO THOMASTON, TUESDAY TO MEET WITH THE IDA.
UPSON COUNTY SHERIFF DAN KILGORE ANNOUNCED WEDNESDAY TWO SUSPECTS HAVE BEEN CHARGED WITH A SERIES OF CHURCH BURGLARIES IN EARLY 2013.
KEVIN DEAN SPIVEY, 28 OF 113 NORRIS BRANCH LANE—8 COUNTS OF BURGLARY, BOND OF $91,000. DARREN LEE WOMBLE, 28 OF 145 WILLOW ROAD—TWO COUNTS BURGLARY , BOND OF $41,000.
IN A PRESS RELEASE, SHERIFF KILGORE SAID THEY BROKE INTO SEVERAL BUSINESSES AND THE CHURCH BURGLARIES INCLUDE—FIRST ASSEMBLY OF GOD ON WEST COUNTY ROAD, FIRST FREEWILL BAPTIST CHURCH, HARP ROAD, SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH ON 19 NORTH, ANTIOCH UNITED METHODIST ON 19 NORTH, AND UNITED PENTECOSTAL CHURCH ON 19 NORTH.
UPSON COUNTY COMMISSION CHAIRMAN RUSTY BLACKSTON EXITED AN EXECUTIVE SESSION THAT LASTED ABOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF TUESDAY AND TOLD 101 NEWS HE IS ENCOURAGED ABOUT REACHING A DEAL WITH THE CITY OF THOMASTON ON THE LOCAL OPTION SALES TAX SPLIT.
THE COMMISSIONERS WILL HOLD A CALLED MEETING FRIDAY AT 8AM TO VOTE ON IT AND HE TOLD US WITH A TWEAK OR TWO THE DRAFT DRAWN-UP BY THE CITY AND COUNTY ATTORNEYS COULD BE READY FOR THE THOMASTON CITY COUNCIL TO APPROVE AT NEXT TUESDAY’S MEETING.
ACCORDING TO A PRESS RELEASE FROM KAREN TRUESDALE OF THE THOMASTON-UPSON COUNTY SCHOOLS, STATE SCHOOL SUPERINTENDANT DR. JOHN BARGE WILL VISIT UPSON-LEE MIDDLE SCHOOL, THURSDAY 10AM TILL 11AM AS PART OF THE GEORGIA’S FUTURE NOW TOUR.
DR. BARGE HAS HAD SOME DIFFERENCES WITH GOVERNOR NATHAN DEAL ON EDUCATION ISSUES, ESPECIALLY A BILL ON CHARTER SCHOOLS, AND HE ANNOUNCED LAST WEEK HE MIGHT CONSIDER OPPOSING THE GOVERNOR IN NEXT YEAR’S GOP PRIMARY.
STATE REPRESENTATIVE JOHNNIE CALDWELL AND STATE SENATOR CECIL STATON WILL SPEAK. $12 FOR CHAMBER MEMBERS, CALL THE CHAMBER TO REGISTER.
THE SENOIA—BASED PRODUCTION COMPANY FOR THE WALKING DEAD CABLE TV HIT—THE WALKING DEAD—FILMED ALL DAY MONDAY AT SPREWELL BLUFF PARK.
UPSON COUNTY COMMISSIONER STEVE HUDSON SAID THEY REQUESTED THE PARK BE CLOSED FOR THE DAY AND PAID UPSON COUNTY $6000. HE SAID CREWS STARTED ARRIVING AT 3;30AM AND FILMED ALL DAY, AN EPISODE EXPECTED TO AIR THIS SEASON.
SEVERAL UPSON COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPUTIES WERE HIRED TO WORK SECURITY DURING THE SHOOT, A TV SERIES ABOUT FLESH-EATING ZOMBIES.
THE ASSOCIATE JUDGE OF UPSON MAGISTRATE COURT MUST BE REAPPOINTED EVERY FOUR YEARS BY THE SUPERIOR COURT JUDGES IN THE CIRCUIT. CHIEF MAGISTRATE JUDGE DANNY BENTLEY TOLD 101 NEWS EVERY FOUR YEARS THE CHIEF MAGISTRATE IS REQUIRED BY LAW TO SUBMIT A REQUEST FOR AN ASSOCIATE MAGISTRATE JUDGE TO THE SUPERIOR COURT JUDGES, BUT JUDGE WILLIAM HUGHLEY WAS REPORTEDLY REJECTED BY A 3 TO 1 VOTE. HE HAD SERVED SINCE THE EARLY 90’S.
THE OFFICE OF CHIEF SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE CHRIS EDWARDS TOLD TGA NEWS, THE FOUR JUDGES ARE NOT REQUIRED TO DISCLOSE HOW EACH JUDGE VOTED, AND THERE WILL BE NO FURTHER COMMENT.
JUDGE BENTLEY TOLD US HE WILL NOMINATE SOMEONE ELSE FOR THE POSITION TO THE SUPERIOR COURT JUDGES IN THE CIRCUIT, BUT NO TIME FRAME WAS GIVEN FOR THE APPOINTMENT.
THAT QUOTE FROM BILLY JOHNSTON, CHAIR OF THE THOMASTON-UPSON DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY DURING A JOINT MEETING WITH THE THOMASTON CITY COUNCIL AND UPSON COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, MONDAY.
THE IDA REQUESTED THE MEETING TO MAKE A CASE FOR ONE MILL OF TAX ANNUALLY DEDICATED TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. WITHOUT IT , IDA MEMBERS SAID , THE COMMUNITY CAN’T COMPETE FOR JOBS WITH THE REST OF THE STATE.
THOMASTON MAYOR HAYS ARNOLD SAID THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO KNOW TAXES ARE GOING-UP REGARDLESS. THE IDA CAN GET THE EXTRA FUNDING OR IN THE LONG TERM, TAXES WILL HAVE TO BE RAISED BECAUSE OF THE LOSS OF INVESTMENT AND REVENUE SOURCES IN THE COMMUNITY.
TWO COUNTY COMMISSIONERS WHO SPOKE WITH 101 NEWS AFTER THE MEETING, RALPH ELLINGTON AND LORENZO WILDER, SEEMED TO BE ON BOARD WITH THE PROPOSAL.
PEACH COUNTY HEAD FOOTBALL COACH CHAD CAMPBELL HAS NAMED BEN THRASHER THE DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR OF THE PEACH COUNTY HIGH FOOTBALL TEAM.
BEN HAS BEEN LINEBACKERS COACH AT CAMDEN CO. HIGH FOR THE PAST FOUR YEARS AND WAS ON THE STAFF THAT WON THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP IN 2009.
PEACH COUNTY COMPETES IN CLASS TRIPLE-A, REGION TWO AND HAS MADE 22 CONSECUTIVE APPEARANCES IN THE PLAY-OFFS, WITH THREE STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS SINCE 2005. LAST SEASON PEACH POSTED A RECORD OF 11-5, LOSING IN THE QUARTERFINALS OF THE STATE PLAYOFFS.
