GUILTY PLEAS UPSON SUPERIOR COURT

Pleas – Judge W. Fletcher Sams October 30, 2019 19R0159 MARY Y. REDDOCH Ct.1: DUI (Less Safe) (Drugs): 12 months probation; 40 hours community service; Fine of $1,000 Ct. 2: Possession Marijuana Less than One Oz: 12 months probation; 40 hours community service 19R0475 TINA FLOURNOY Ct. 1: Statutory Rape: 10 years probation; 100 hours community service; Fine of $1,000

CULLODEN WOMAN STILL MISSING IN ATL AREA

A CULLODEN FAMILY IS DESPERATELY TRYING TO FIND THEIR MOTHER—LINDA KIMBLE AFTER SHE WAS PLACED IN AN ALZHEIMERS CARE HOME IN GWINNETT COUNTY AND THEN VANISHED.

MS. KIMBLE AGE 59 —WHO HAS RELATIVES IN THOMASTON—HAS BEEN MISSING FOR TWO MONTHS AND NOW HER CARE-GIVER KISHIA MITCHELL OF SNELLVILLE, GA. IS GONE.

MITCHELL RAN TWO OTHER CARE HOMES IN GWINNETT COUNTY WHERE PATIENTS WERE ABANDONED, AND SHE HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH SEVERAL COUNTS OF EXPLOITATION AND RUNNING UNLICENSED FACILITIES BY POLICE.

ANYONE WITH INFORMATION ABOUT MS. KIMBLE OR MITCHELL CALL CRIME STOPPERS AT 404-577-8477.

EARLY VOTING ENDS FRIDAY

EARLY VOTING ENDS FRIDAY IN GEORGIA FOR TUESDAY'S NOVEMBER 5TH ELECTION. SEVERAL RACES ARE ON THE BALLOT—MAYOR OF THOMASTON AND GRIFFIN, SOME GRIFFIN COMMISSION RACES, AND AN E-SPLOST IN SPALDING COUNTY , A PIKE COUNTY COMMISSION RACE , AND MILNER COUNCIL RACES.

AS OF THURSDAY ONLY 157 VOTES CAST OF 5600 REGISTERED IN THE CITY OF THOMASTON MAYOR'S RACE BETWEEN INCUMBENT J.D. STALLINGS AND JOLEE BENTON.

IN PIKE COUNTY FOR DISTRICT 3 COUNTY COMMISSION—LIGHT VOTING 70—VOTES CAST AND IN THE CITY RACES 58 VOTES CAST. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME CITY AND COUNTY ELECTIONS ARE BEING COMBINED.

AFTER TWO WEEKS OF EARLY VOTING IN SPALDING COUNTY ABOUT 1300 VOTES CAST.

GUILTY VERDICT IN THE IST SEX TRAFFICING CASE IN CIRCUIT

DISTRICT ATTORNEY BEN COKER TOLD 101 NEWS--- THE FIRST CRIMINAL CASE FOR SEX TRAFFICING IN THE GRIFFIN JUDICIAL CIRCUIT RESULTED IN A CONVICTION WEDNESDAY IN SPALDING COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT.

THE DEFENDANT—ORMED CORTEZ-CLEMMONS WAS SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON PLUS 50 YEARS BY JUDGE SCOTT BALLARD.

THE VICTIM A 14 YEAR OLD GRIFFIN FEMALE AT THE TIME TESTIFIED DURING THE TRIAL THE --D.A. SAID.

CORTEZ-CLEMMONS ORIGINALLY FROM FT. VALLEY ADVERTISED THE FEMALE'S SERVICES ON SOCIAL MEDIA BACK IN MARCH AND APRIL OF 2016 PRIOR TO HIS ARREST.

AFTER THE CASE PRESENTED BY D.A. COKER AND ASSISTANT D.A. MORGAN KENDRICK—THE JURY STAYED OUT LESS THAN AN HOUR BEFORE RETURNING THE GUILTY VERDICT.

CITY OF THOMASTON UNDER DROUGHT LEVEL 1

City of Thomaston
Notice
State Drought Level 1 Declaration

October 25, 2019

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources Environmental Protection Division (Georgia EPD) declared a portion of the State, including Upson County, to be in a Drought Level 1 condition. As water resources throughout the State reach critical low levels it is imperative that all water systems users make every effort to reduce non-essential water use.
The Level 1 Drought Response is a precaution to keep water stored in our reservoirs for critical activities such as firefighting, drinking, and cooking.
Effective immediately, the City of Thomaston, is implementing the following water use conservation requirements per the Georgia EPD Drought Level 1 Response requirements.
The City of Thomaston urges its water system users to conserve water by any reasonable means in addition to adhering to these conservation requirements.
For further information on the level 1 Drought Declaration and exceptions please visit their website:
www.epd.georgia.gov/watershed-protection-branch/water-conservation

JASON OF FRIDAY 13TH MOVIES ON FUN 101FM

JASON FROM THE FRIDAY THE 13TH MOVIES WILL BE THE GUEST INTERVIEW ON THE BILL BAILEY MORNING SHOW THURSDAY , HALLOWEEN IN THE 8 O'CLOCK HOUR ON FUN 101—HE'S ACTOR CAIN HODDER—AN EX FOOTBALL PLAYER

UL'S TRAVON WALKER EXPECTED TO PLAY SAT. AT FLORIDA

ATHENS —— The Georgia Bulldogs continued their preparations for their Saturday contest against Florida in Jacksonville with a two-hour practice on Tuesday afternoon.  

Head Coach Kirby Smart, along with a pair of Georgia defenders, redshirt sophomore Eric Stokes and junior Monty Rice, fielded questions from the media after practice.  Excerpts from their sessions follow:

Head Coach Kirby Smart:

Opening Statement

‘’It was good to get back out there yesterday and get some guys back. Guys were able to practice and pushed and did a good job.  Had a light practice yesterday and then got after it pretty good today.  Got a little bit of weather, so we were able to practice in the rain for awhile, which was good.  It was not a heavy downpour, more of a light deal.  Got to do some good-on-good, got to work on some third downs, some red-area stuff.  Got some guys back, so that was helpful, and I thought the guys had really good energy, which you would expect this week.  So there was some good competitive periods out there.  We’re a little ahead of schedule for a normal week, which helps us get more time to fix some things.’’

Who exactly did you get back at practice?

‘’Yeah, (Lawrence) Cager has been out there practicing, Tyson (Campbell) has been out there practicing, Travon (Walker) has been out there practicing.’’

What does it add to a rivalry like this when there are also implications in the SEC East race?

‘’That’s what makes it a rivalry, you know.  You’ve got so much at stake.  I really don’t think that it would matter if it was about the SEC East or not.  It’s Georgia-Florida, so that in itself carries a lot of weight.  The game, the history, the tradition, the fact that you have a Hall of Fame for the game alone, and players can be remembered for their performances in that game alone is pretty big.  The SEC East weighs heavily in this game, but I wouldn’t say that it determines it all the time.’’

Is there anything about this game that stands out to you, having played and coached in it?

‘’Probably the most unique thing is that it (crowd) is split 50-50.  It’s weird.  You have a weird feeling in there sometimes.  It’s so different.  I call it a pro mentality because there’s no, like, student section chanting for you or against you when you come out for warmups. It’s not like that.  The atmosphere in pre-game is very different.  It’s a very different feel because when you go out for pre-game at a road game, it’s like enemy territory.  When you go out at your place, you’re in friendly confines, but there’s a lot of more energy and buzz.  It seems like at this game — the times I played in it and coached in it — it’s more flat in warmups and then, all of a sudden, boom, you come out for the game and everybody’s in their seats.  They come in at the same time, as opposed to being in there early.’’

Does the fact that coach (Charlton) Warren coached at Florida last year mean anything at all to this game?

‘’I don’t think it means a lot.  I think the history that our staff has from years in the West, going against Dan (Mullen).  I mean, he probably watches countless films of times we’ve gone against each other, and we do the same, as far as schemes and things like that.  Personnel, I think obviously there’s personnel there that he knows or he’s gone against.  Sometimes that can be beneficial, sometimes it’s not because you don’t know how matchups are gonna work.  How the left guard, right guard, center, the left receiver, right receiver, tight end are gonna match up on certain guys.  He’s seen more of them because he’s seen them every day in practice.  It’s very similar to (former OC Jim) Chaney.  I don’t know how much that helps or hurts.’’

The NCAA announced today that it will allow college athletes to be paid.  How do you think that’s going to affect college football?

‘’To be honest with you, I don’t know.  I’m not smart enough to know and understand how it’s going to affect the future.  I do trust the hands that it’s in, and the committee that’s been formed to look into it, and I think they’ll do a tremendous job.  It looks like to me that they would come up with a proposal somewhere around January 2021, maybe, and that still seems like a long way off in my mind.  But we’ll have to prepare, and whatever they decide to go with, we’ll deal with it.  I don’t have enough information to form a complete opinion on it, to understand it completely.  Our biggest concern, as coaches across the country, is it going to be an even playing field.  The biggest concern, from state to state, is not being balanced.  If it comes out balanced state to state, then we’re all playing on the same playing field.’’ 

From a recruiting standpoint, what does it say about the matchup of these two teams that there are a lot of guys on each roster considering both teams?

‘’It says we recruit against them a lot.  It seems like every player that’s on their roster, we were at least in contact with.  They’ve still got guys playing that were recruited under the other staff.  Most of ours were under ours. But I think both places recruit probably 80 percent of these kids overlapped, and they were probably in the final four teams.  It makes a player probably want to win more, if you almost went there, and there’s also the overlap in that they recruit our state and we recruit their state.  They’ve got quite a few Georgia kids and we’ve got quite a few Florida kids.  Those kids want to win, obviously, because they’ve gotta go home and live and be seen in their communities.  Anytime there’s a border rivalry, it makes it that much more.  We just have a lot of those.’’

With (Tyson) Campbell and (Lawrence) Cager practicing, does that mean they’ve been green lighted to play in the game? 

‘’They’ve been cleared to play, but we’ve got to find out if they’re ready to play.  If they’re practicing, they’re cleared.  Cleared doesn’t say, ‘that guy’s ready to play’ and that’ll be determined by how they practice, and what they’re able to do and not do, what kind of shape they are, how much they can sustain.  Those are all important factors that we have to factor in to how much they play, and if they’re able to play.’’

What’s your relationship with Dan Mullen been like since he got to Florida?

‘’I sit by him at every SEC meeting because ‘F’ and ‘G’ are alphabetized, side by side.  So we get to sit and talk about things.  When a topic comes up about, you know, whatever the conversation is, whether it’s some recruiting thing, some rules thing, we’re always sharing ideas.  Everybody looks at it like, ‘how does it affect you?,’ ‘How does it affect me?’  ‘How does it affect him?’  We’re both the only SEC schools in our state, so sometimes we agree on certain things.  I don’t get to see Dan a whole lot, even when he’s at the lake and I’m there.  We’re both spending time with our families.’’

What’s your lasting memory of the 1997 win over Florida?

‘’To be honest with you, we didn’t win a lot of big games, so that was the highlight of our time here.  That was a big game, it was a big upset.  Probably the highlight for me, or the biggest memory, was walking out after the game, showered and cleaned up, and my mom was there.  She was born and raised in Florida, almost went to the University of Florida.  She’s from Plant City, so it meant a lot to her, and getting to see her was probably the best part of it.’’

How has Eric Stokes progressed since he’s been at Georgia?

‘’It’s a hard question to answer.  Eric works as hard as anybody on our team.  He’s very intelligent.  He takes notes in the meetings, he understands things.  He has made himself into a good player.  I say that because it wasn’t natural for him.  He didn’t grow up playing corner.  He was a talented athlete.  He was fast, he was a running back.  He was a raw guy who has developed and gotten better through hard work and habits.  With his length and his speed, the sky’s the limit for him.  But at the same time, you have to understand that our guys haven’t had the chance to play a lot of guys, when you think about it.  The rain, a young quarterback, whatever the reasons, we haven’t had a lot of opportunities.  We’re gonna get ‘em in this game because they (Florida) have good wideouts, good quarterback, good scheme.  So there’s gonna be opportunities.  When you click on that tape, from LSU and Auburn games, there are NFL matchups all over the field.  This corner against this wideout.  This corner against this wideout.  Well, the games in the SEC, they’re not gonna change week to week.  They’re going to boil down to who can win in some one-on-one matchup, and he (Stokes) will get his opportunities.’’

Redshirt Sophomore DB Eric Stokes:

On Florida's group of receivers...

“[Florida] has a great group of seniors. I know each and every one of them can do something different. This could be a real big key for us as [defensive backs]. I know [Florida] can rotate and all of them can move and show something different."

On ways Georgia’s defense has prepared to face Florida receivers…

“We’ve just got to prepare for each one of [Florida’s] receivers. We have to embrace the challenge and prepare to handle everything. I know, personally, this week I’ve just been trying to run extra at practice, because I know their guys are going to be fresh and will keep rotating. I’m just doing it for myself to get in extra conditioning with the time I’ve got [outside of practice].”

On how much credit he gives former defensive coordinator Mel Tucker for where he is now as a player...

“I give him a lot of credit. He was the one who took a chance on the three-star speeder that a lot of people just looked at as a track guy. He looked at me as a football player."

Junior ILB Monty Rice:

On what he sees in Florida’s offense...

“I think [Florida] throws the ball a lot more than last year. Their quarterback [Kyle] Trask puts the ball where it needs to be to be able to make plays. Florida has great receivers. They’re all fast, and they’ve got three good running backs— Dameon Pierce, Lamical Perine and Malik Davis.”

On the threat Florida tight end Kyle Pitts poses for Georgia’s linebacker group...

“He’s a great player. He makes a lot of plays. I think he has the most targets probably in the nation for a tight end. In order for Florida to win, they’re going to have to get him the ball for him to make plays. We’ve just got to play our coverage and do what we’re supposed to.”

JR. DEPUTY TRIP TO D.C. MEETING WITH THE SHERIFF

UPSON COUNTY SHERIFF DAN KILGORE WILL HOLD A MEETING FOR HIS ANNUAL JUNIOR DEPUTY PROGRAM, TUESDAY NIGHT NOV. 5TH 6;30 AT UL MIDDLE SCHOOL. 6TH GRADERS WILL TREK TO WASHINGTON D.C. FOR A WEEK IN MAY,

HALLOWEEN IS ON IN UPSON CO. BUT IT COULD RAIN

HALLOWEEN TRICK OR TREATING IS ON FOR THURSDAY NIGHT IN THOMASTON, AND UPSON COUNTY SHERIFF DAN KILGORE TOLD 101 NEWS HE HAS SEEN VARIED WEATHER REPORTS, SO PARENTS SHOULD MAKE SURE THEIR GHOSTS AND GOBBLINS HAVE RAIN GEAR IF THEY GO OUT.

SHERIFF KILGORE SAID HE WILL HAVE INTENSIVE DEPUTY PATROLS IN THE AREAS THAT ATTRACT LOTS OF KIDS.

THE FALL FESTIVAL AT GREATEST GENERATION MEMORIAL PARK SCHEDULED FOR THURSDAY, HALLOWEEN HAS BEEN MOVED TO SUNDAY 3 TO 6PM, DUE TO THE WEATHER.

UPSON JURORS DO NOT REPORT WED PM

ACCORDING TO TERESA HARPER, CLERK OF UPSON SUPERIOR COURT JURORS DO NOT HAVE TO REPORT TO THE COURTHOUSE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON, ALL CASES HAVE BEEN RESOLVED.

PIKE COUNTY TIMES . COM IS REPORTING THE ROOF COLLAPSED TUESDAY IN THE COX CHAPEL AT THE GA. BAPTIST CHILDREN'S HOME ON 19 NORTH IN PIKE COUNTY. SPECULATION IS IT WAS CAUSED BY WIND. THE ROOF FELL-IN AT THE REAR PORTION OF THE CHAPEL NOT IN THE STEEPLE AREA. THE CHAPEL HAD BEEN CLOSED FOR SOME TIME DUE TO ROOF STRUCTURE.

AT TUESDAY'S MEETING, THE PIKE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS APPROVED A SOUTHERN LINC CELL TOWER ON 28 ACRES AT 126 NIXON ROAD IN CONCORD.

SANITARY SEWER OVERFLOW CITY OF THOMASTON

Public Notification
Sanitary Sewer Overflow at Collection System
City Hall Lift Station Force Main
County: Upson
Date of Release: 10/25/2019
Contact Person: Brian Kelly
Phone: 706-646-8031
Mailing Address: 340 N Center Street
City: Thomaston
Zip: 30286
On October 25, 2019, ESG was informed of a possible sewer overflow on the force main leaving the City Hall lift station. After investigating, we found the force main was compromised. The discovered release was at 3:00 p.m. and ceased at 4:15 p.m. when our crews completed the repair. There was a release of 50 gallons per minute for 75 minutes for a total of 3,750 gallons. The release made it to a tributary of Town Branch. The force main is now repaired and the station is operating under normal conditions. The site was cleaned, debris was removed and signs were posted at the site
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources has been notified and the affected area has been treated within the regulations of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call the above listed contact persons

MIAMI CO WANTS TO LOCATE NEAR THE TU AIRPORT

FOLLOWING AN EXECUTIVE SESSION AT THE OCTOBER MEETING OF THE THOMASTON-UPSON DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, THE IDA VOTED TO OFFER 4.1 ACRES AT THE BUSINESS/TECH PARK AT THE AIRPORT TO UNITED TELEPORTS FOR $5000 PER ACRE.

THE MIAMI SATELLITE SERVICE COMPANY HAS PURCHASED THE FORMER SOUTHCREST BANK DATA CENTER BUILDING BUT WANTS ADDITIONAL ACRES.

DIRECTOR KYLE FLETCHER SAID THE IDA MUST APPROVE ALL SITE PLANS IN THE PARK AND CEO RICARDO DIAS PLEDGED THE COMPANY WILL INCLUDE LANDSCAPING TO SHIELD THE SATELLITE DISH FARM FROM VIEW.

UPSON BOC DELAYS APP FOR SPREWELL BLUFF PARK GRANT

AT THE LAST MEETING—THE UPSON COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BACKED-OUT ON APPLYING FOR A STATE DNR GRANT OF $1.4 MILLION FOR UPGRADES TO SPREWELL BLUFF PARK—THEY CITED TOO MANY UNANSWERED QUESTIONS WHILE FACING AN OCT. 31ST DEADLINE TO APPLY AND THE COUNTY'S GRANT MATCH--$400,000.

THE MOST EXPENSIVE ITEM -- A PEDESTRIAN SUSPENSION BRIDGE OVER THE FLINT RIVER TO THE TALBOT COUNTY SIDE— $420,000. AN AMPHITHEATER FOR $375,000, RESTROOMS AT THE RIVERSIDE RECREATION AREA FOR $140,000, , AN OUTDOOR CLASSROOM FOR $100,000 AND NEW PARKING FOR $29,000 --PLUS OTHER UPGRADES FOR CAMPING AND TRAILS.

CHAIRMAN NORMAN ALLEN SAID THE BOARD WAS ADVISED IT WOULD DOUBLE THE ANNUAL OPERATING COST OF THE PARK PLUS THE COUNTY CAN APPLY FOR THE GRANT AGAIN NEXT OCTOBER.

G-DOT HALLOWEEN SAFETY TIPS

ATLANTA, GA – Halloween is here, and with it comes an increase in pedestrians walking in Georgia neighborhoods. Whether you are trick or treating with kids or celebrating with adults, Georgia DOT is reminding everyone to use extra caution whether you are driving or walking on Halloween night.

Georgia DOT is doing its part for pedestrian safety through improved medians, crosswalks and pedestrian signals and added lighting, but we can’t do it alone.

Traffic counts show that Halloween night in Georgia is typically more hazardous for pedestrians. Here’s what it looks like by the numbers. 

• 7.6 – The average number of pedestrian fatalities between 6 pm and 4 am on Halloween Night *
• 6 pm – 9 pm – The hours when pedestrians are at the greatest risk on Halloween Night*
• 75% of pedestrian crashes happen outside of the intersections or crosswalks and sidewalks*
• 28% of Halloween crash fatalities were pedestrians compared to 14% on an average day**

*According to GDOT crash data from 2009 – 2018
**According to 2012 crash data from NHTSA

Whether you are a party host, motorist or pedestrian, we have compiled a list of Halloween safety tips below to help ensure adults and children have a safe holiday:
 
13 Safety Tips to Help ensure A Safer Halloween:
Drivers
1. For guest who’ve been drinking; designate sober drivers and walking buddies; and be prepared to call taxis or a rideshare services to drive guests’ home.
2. Slow down and be alert for walkers especially in residential areas.
3. Always walk on a sidewalk if one is available.
4. Eliminate distractions so you can concentrate on the road and your surroundings.

Pedestrians
5. Always designate a sober driver and plan a way to safely get home at the end of the night if you plan on celebrating Halloween with alcohol.
6. Pedestrians See and be Seen.
7. Don’t let friends or family walk alone after drinking.
8. Walking impaired can be just as dangerous as drunk driving.
9. Children out at night and under the age of 12 should have adult supervision.
10. Kids should stick to familiar areas that are well lit and trick-or-treat in groups.
11. Decorate costumes with reflective tape and have kids carry glow sticks or flashlights.
12. Always cross the street at corners, using traffic signals and crosswalks.
13. Look left, right and left again when crossing and keep looking as you cross.

Georgia DOT’s SEE & BE SEEN campaign, aims to make it safer to walk in Georgia. Pedestrian safety is a shared responsibility between motorist and people

NO ACTIVE SHOOTER IN THOMASTON

THOMASTON POLICE CHIEF MIKE RICHARDSON SAID A TRIAGE DRILL AT UPSON REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER, MONDAY MORNING APPARENTLY RESULTED IN THE GA. STATE PATROL RESPONDING TO THE COURTHOUSE FOR WHAT WAS THOUGHT TO BE AN ACTIVE SHOOTER INCIDENT.

SOCIAL MEDIA BLEW UP OVER THE INCIDENT AND CHIEF RICHARDSON SAID HE POSTED A RESPONSE THAT EVERYTHING WAS O.K.

THE CHIEF SAID SOMEONE SAW SOMETHING AND THOUGHT IT WAS SOMETHING ELSE AND WORD GOT BACK TO THE GSP AND THEY RESPONDED. CITY OF THOMASTON POLICE AND THE UPSON COUNTY SHERIFF''S OFFICE DID NOT ANY NOTIFICATION AND DID NOT RESPOND. AFTER A CHECK AT THE COURTHOUSE, TROOPERS WENT TO THE HOSPITAL, CHIEF RICHARDSON S AID.

SUPERIOR COURT IS IN SESSION SO THERE WAS ACTIVITY AT THE COURTHOUSE MONDAY MORNING.

CAREGIVER SUPPORT GROUP MEETING

The Local Caregiver Support Group will meet at 4:30 PM on Monday, Nov. 4 at
St. Peter the Rock Catholic Church (located at 3594 Barnesville Hwy., also known
as Thomaston Rd.) in Thomaston, GA. All caregivers are welcome...They can
bring along the ones they care and they drop in and head out as needed.

The goal of this group is to support current caregivers and to grow the number
of caregivers in the health professions. A recent article in the Georgia Bulletin
points out that many states are already experiencing a caregiver shortage. The number
of U.S. seniors 65 and over--as well as those 85 and over--is growing very quickly.

According to the Georgia Division of Aging Services, Georgia currently has the 10th
fastest growing 85 and up population, which is expected to increase 306 percent
by 2050. It is important to give caregivers good support so that they can give high-quality
care, and it is important to grow the number of caregivers to offset the coming shortage.

Future meetings of this group will be held on December 2 and January 13.

To sign up for a monthly email newsletter for caregivers, please contact Caroline at
qucollins@gmail.com. You can also call her at 470-338-8274 for more information.

SPALDING COUNTY SWAT TEAM DISPATCHED

On Thursday, October 24, 2019, deputies of the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office responded to a domestic call with shots fired and possible barricaded gunman at 512 Terry Drive. According to the victim, her boyfriend, Stephen Kirby W/M 50 years of age, became intoxicated and violent. When she attempted to leave the residence, he brandished a 9mm pistol, and as she ran to exit the house for safety, he fired a shot. She also stated that he had other weapons in the residence and extensive tactical training. According to Sheriff Darrell Dix, “The initial responding deputies attempted to make contact with Kirby but were unsuccessful. We notified our SWAT team, they responded, and the mobile command post was brought to the scene. Criminal Investigators responded and obtained a search warrant for the house. “After more than 2 hours of attempting to make contact with Kirby through PA, phone calls, text messages, and social media, there was no response. At 10:00pm I gave the order for our SWAT team to begin methodically deploying gas rounds into the residence to force Kirby out. At 10:16pm Kirby exited the residence and surrendered to our SWAT team without incident. He was transported to Spalding Regional for examination then to the Spalding County Jail where he is currently being held on charges of aggravated assault and is awaiting a bond hearing.” “We spoke to the victim last night and she is shaken but is doing ok. We offered her assistance through our Victim/Witness Program if needed. Our initial responding deputies, Criminal Investigators, and SWAT team, did an outstanding job in controlling, containing, and resolving the situation. This incident had the potential to end tragically but there were a lot of people that were praying for a peaceful outcome and those prayers were answered.”

BARNESVILLE WOMAN DIES IN GRIFFIN ACCIDENT

ACCORDING TO THE GA. STATE PATROL, A TRAFFIC FATALITY IN GRIFFIN WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON IN A FOUR VEHICLE ACCIDENT AT U.S. 41 AND COUNTY LINE ROAD.

A BARNESVILLE WOMAN, 66 YEAR OLD DEBORAH ROSS DIED IN THE ER A COUPLE OF HOURS AFTER THE ACCIDENT.

THE GSP SAID MS. ROSS WAS DRIVING A 2007 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER TRAVELING WEST ON COUNTY LINE ROAD. SHE ATTEMPTED TO TURN SOUTH ONTO HIGHWAY 41 AND WAS T-BONED BY A CHEVY TRAILBLAZER TRAVELING NORTHBOUND ON 41.

AFTER THE IMPACT THE SUV HIT TWO OTHER VEHICLES. THE TRAILBLAZER DRIVER— STEVEN HARDIN, AGE 27 OF GRIFFIN WAS TREATED AT THE E.R.

THE OTHER TWO DRIVERS, JAMES POWELL, 65 OF MILNER AND DALTON DAVIS, 21 OF GAY, GA. WERE UNHURT.

UPDATE FROM UPSON CO. TAX COMMISSIONER ANDY CHASTAIN

According to legislation recently passed, O.C.G.A code 48-4-1, the county tax commissioner may conduct a sale for taxes due at the office of the tax commissioner or at such other location as deemed appropriate. In the past the tax sale has been conducted on the east side of the courthouse and sometimes the weather has presented a problem and traffic noise around the square has always been an issue. Therefore, we have moved the location for each future tax sale to the Civic Center, rooms 3-4. This will be posted in the courthouse and also printed in the tax sale advertisements 4 weeks prior to the tax sale. Upson County’s next tax sale will be Dec 3rd, 2019 at 10:00 a.m.

In other news, Upson County now has tag renewal and other vehicle services available online. Simply go to GA Dept. of Revenue website and select online services. Under this, you will find tag renewals and other features related to vehicle title and registration. We print the decals and receipts from the office and mail to the customer the next business day. 

Keep in mind, it’s important to make sure the correct mailing address is indicated or updated before the customer begins any online transaction. Payment forms include Credit/Debit cards and e-checks. There are convenience and mail fees associated with these transactions: Mail fee of $1.00 and effective Dec 1st, 2019, Credit card fee is 2.35% or $1.00 minimum and Debit and e-check fees will be $1.95 per transaction. It’s important the customer note these fees BEFORE they begin an online transaction.

ANNUAL MEETING UPSON EMC TUESDAY

Upson EMC held its 82nd Annual Meeting of Members on Tuesday, October 22nd at the Thomaston-Upson County Civic Center with 300 members registering. During the business session the following were elected to serve three-year terms on the board of directors:

Jim Meeks, District One, Post One, Upson County
Lorenzo Wilder, District Two, Post Two, Upson and Crawford counties

Chairman Brumbeloe recognized retired director, Mr. Walter E. Hammond, for his 20 years of dedicated service.

President/CEO Neal Trice reinforced the membership that we strive to continue to deliver some of the lowest electric rates in the state, the best service reliability and refund margins every year. Also, he mentioned how successful the traveling Smithsonian Exhibit was that visited Thomaston for six weeks which Upson EMC had an integral part in. Trice thanked the employees and directors for their hard work, commitment and dedication to Upson EMC.

At an employee meeting after the annual meeting, the following employees received service awards –


45 years – Sam Cleveland
25 years – Chanda Hardy
15 years – Brooke Parrott
5 years – Grant Kelly
5 years – Brandon Salter

D.A. COKER ANNOUNCES SENTENCING

Beginning on September 9, 2019, Assistant District Attorney Kate Lenhard, Assistant District Attorney Donna GoPaul, and Assistant District Attorney Ashton Fallin tried the State of Georgia vs. Antorio Parker. The defendant was charged with multiple counts of Child Molestation, Aggravated Sexual Battery, and Incest for multiple sexual acts he committed against his step-daughter over the course of a year. The jury convicted the defendant on September 16, 2019. On October 21, 2019, Chief Superior Court Judge Christopher Edwards sentenced the defendant to Life in prison followed by 40 years to serve in prison.

"Because of the courage of a young girl, a predator will no longer be able to prey on other children," said Assistant District Attorney Kate Lenhard. "I am extremely grateful for the service of our Spalding County jurors in this case. Justice was served."

SHOOT OUT IN GRIFFIN

NO INJURIES BUT SEVERAL ARRESTS IN A GRIFFIN SHOOT-OUT ACCORDING TO SPALDING COUNTY SHERIFF DARRELL DIX.

LAST FRIDAY A REPORT OF SHOTS FIRED AT THE DEAD END OF WINDSOR DRIVE AFTER AN ALTERCATION INVOLVING FEMALES.

ONE OF THE FEMALES CALLED FAMILY MEMBERS AND THEY RESPONDED AND SHOTS WERE EXCHANGED BETWEEN FAMILY MEMBERS AND THOSE AT THE SCENE.

DEPUTIES TRIED TO STOP A FEMALE LEAVING THE SCENE, TONYA SANFORD AND SHE STRUCK A PATROL VEHICILE AND THEN RAN IN A DITCH. SHE WAS BOOKED FOR DUI, AGGREVATED ASSAULT AND OTHER CHARGES. A PASSENGER—BRENT GROOVER ALSO CITED FOR AGGREVATED ASSAULT, POSSESSION OF A FIREARM BY A CONVICTED FELON.

ANOTHER FEMALE—CRYSTAL HALL CHARGED WITH BATTERY AT THE WINDSOR ROAD INCIDENT. HALL, GROOVER AND SANFORD WERE JAILED.

DEPUTIES ARE SEEKING—NICHOLAS RYAN DIX FOR AGGREVATED ASSAULT ND CHARGES ARE PENDING ON AUSTIN SUTTON FOR AG ASSAULT.

THE INVESTIGATION IS ON-GOING.  

LANE CLOSURE ON 19 NORTH

Utility Work with the US 19/Georgia 3 Widening Project Prompts Lane Closure Next Week

What: Crews working on utility lines in association with the Georgia DOT project to widen US 19/Georgia 3 in the Thomaston area will close a northbound lane of traffic from the Harp Road intersection to the Wynnbrook Drive intersection next week, from Monday, Oct. 21 through Friday, Oct. 25, 2019 from 9:00 a.m to 4:00 p.m. each day. Orange and white barrels will be used to block entry to the closed lane, and motorists are urged to slow their speeds through the work zone and stay alert to the workers and their equipment.

When: Monday, Oct. 21 through Friday, Oct. 25, 2019 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. each day

Where: US 19/Georgia 3 from Harp Road to Wynbrook Drive in the Thomaston area, Upson County, Georgia

CULLODEN WOMAN MISSING

ACCORDING TO GWINNETT COUNTY POLICE---A CULLODEN WOMAN –59 YEAR OLD LINDA KIMBLE ,WITH RELATIVES IN THOMASTON , HAS GONE MISSING AFTER BEING DISCHARGED FROM EASTSIDE EMORY HOSPITAL AND PLACED IN THE CARE OF KISHIA MITCHELL OPERATOR OF A LONGTIME CARE HOME.

HER AUNT—EDITH WILLIAMS OF THOMASTON SAYS MITCHELL NOW SAYS SHE DOES NOT KNOW WHERE MS. KIMBLE IS LOCATED.

LINDA KIMBLE WAS ADMITTED TO THE GWINNETT COUNTY HOSPITAL FOR TREATMENT OF SEIZURES—AND WHEN DISCHARGED SHE WAS PLACED IN MITCHELL'S CARE HOME.

ACCORDING TO ATLANTA TV REPORTS--MITCHELL TOLD RELATIVES NOT TO VISIT LINDA UNTIL SHE GOT SETTLED-IN BUT REFUSED TO GIVE THEM HER PHONE NUMBER . MS KIMBLE'S DAUGHTER DROVE TO AN ADDRESS IN SNELLVILLE, GA. WHERE SHE HAD MAILED A CHECK TO MITCHELL AND FOUND AN EMPTY LOT.

MS. KIMBLE IS ABOUT 5-6 170 POUNDS AND IS OFFICIALLY LISTED AS A MISSING PERSON.

GWINNETT COUNTY POLICE SAID THEY DON'T HAVE ANY EVIDENCE THAT SUGGESTS MS. KIMBLE IS IN DANGER—BUT THERE IS AN ACTIVE WARRANT OUT FOR MITCHELL ON A PROBATION VIOLATION—AND POLICE SAID INFORMATION INDICATED THAT THE CARE PROVIDER'S FACILILTY WAS PERMANENTLY CLOSED. 

DR. WAINE KONG HONORED IN L.A.

THOMASTONIAN DR. WAINE KONG WAS HONORED WITH THE SPIRIT OF THE HEART LEGACY AWARD BY THE ASSOCIATION OF BLACK CARDIOGISTS AT THEIR ANNUAL BANQUET IN LOS ANGELES SATURDAY OCT. 12TH. DR. KONG WAS CEO OF THE ASSOCIATION FOR 22 YEARS BEFORE HE RETIRED IN 2008.

HE AND HIS WIFE PEDIATRICIAN , DR. STEPHANIE KONG OPENED ZOE PEDIATRICES IN 2012 AND SERVE 400 CHILDREN PER DAY FROM FOUR LOCATIONS.

DR. KONG IS FORMER PRESIDENT OF THOMASTON KIWANIS AND LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR OF KIWANIS AND IS A MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF GORDON STATE COLLEGE.

THE HONORARY CHAIR OF THE EVENT WAS NBA GREAT SHAQUILLE O'NEAL AND LEE ELDER THE FIRST BLACK GOLFER TO QUALIFY FOR THE MASTERS WAS THE ABC 2019 BOBBY JONES AWARD WINNER.

CAR STOLEN FROM VOLUME CHEV FORSYTH

On Saturday, October 12, 2019 at approximately 11:33 am, the Monroe County Sheriff's Office responded to a call regarding a vehicle that was just stolen from Volume Chevrolet in Forsyth. The stolen vehicle was a green 2019 Chevrolet Tahoe and was observed traveling northbound on I-75 with a silver Chevrolet Impala following.

Around mile marker 198/199, the Tahoe and Impala were located by Deputies. Shortly thereafter, Deputies were able to read the license plate on the Impala and were notified that the license plate was associated with three (3) missing juveniles from South Carolina. Both vehicles refused to stop and began to flee and elude. Deputies notified dispatch of the chase and asked them to notify Butts County Sheriff's Office, Henry County Sheriff's Office and Georgia State Patrol as the chase was crossing county lines. Each agency was also notified of the possible juveniles inside of the vehicle(s).

At mile marker 205, the Butts County Sheriff's Office began to assist and at mile marker 207, Georgia State Patrol entered the chase and became the primary unit. At mile marker 209, GSP conducted a P.I.T. maneuver on the Tahoe and then on the Impala. The driver of the Impala, Joseph Minter, exited his vehicle and was detained without incident. The driver of the Tahoe, Kandecia Meggett, refused to comply with orders and had to be removed from the vehicle by deputies.

Once Meggett was removed from the vehicle, deputies quickly removed all three (3) juveniles from the Tahoe and the juveniles were checked over by Henry County EMS as a precaution. The children, ages 8, 6 and 3, were not harmed during the incident. The children were subsequently brought to the Monroe County Sheriff's Office to be placed in the care of the MCSO C.A.R.E. Cottage staff while waiting for their mother's arrival.

Kandecia Megget was transported to the Monroe County Jail and is being charged with Theft by Taking (Felony), Aggravated Assault* and has 3 pending charges of Interstate Interference of Custody. Joseph Minter was also transported to the Monroe County Jail and is being charged with Theft by Taking (Felony) and has 3 pending charges of Interstate Interference of Custody.

*Megget is being charged with Aggravated Assault due to trying to "run over" the two Volume Chevrolet employees as she was leaving the lot. Megget and Minter had come to Volume Chevrolet looking to purchase a vehicle. Megget was looking at the Tahoe when she refused to give back the keys. She then jumped in the vehicle and left the lot quickly.

UGA COACH KIRBY SMART MONDAY NEWS CONFERENCE

ATHENS, Ga. —  University of Georgia head football coach Kirby Smart, along with several players, previewed Saturday’s game against Kentucky. The Bulldogs and Wildcats kick off at 6 p.m. ET on Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium. 

On Monday, Coach Smart and student-athletes offered the following comments. 

Head Coach Kirby Smart

Opening statement … 

“I know our guys are excited to get moving forward and get to work on Kentucky, which has a physical football team. I thought they did a really good job the other night in their game. A lot of our guys have reached out to me and looking forward to getting together and make sure we have the right kind of practice moving forward. We have really good leadership on the team, and I know they're prepared for that. And there's no time sitting back feeling sorry for yourself because you've got good teams each and every week. This is a solid football team that was playing for the [SEC] East last year. They've had some injuries that have affected them and they've done a tremendous job of running the ball, finding ways to move the ball with different people doing it, and they've got a big front on defense. They had the same thing last year and they've got a lot of guys back. I know our guys will be looking forward to it, as I am, and with that we'll open it up for questions.”

On if he has had a conversation with his team that its goals are still attainable … 

“We've had that conversation. We have that conversation in the locker room. This is not the first time we've had to deal with this. Each year we've had to deal with it at different times from different opponents. And they acknowledge that. They understand. Last 20 years or something of the SEC East I don't think a team that's represented the SEC East has been undefeated. Maybe Florida, I think one year they did. But outside of that it just doesn't happen very often. What's more important is that our team gets ready for Kentucky and gets ready to go play than talking about the rest of the year, because we have to worry about Kentucky.”

On the old phrase ‘can’t let a team beat you twice’ … 

“It goes into affect on this game. No. 1, you can't turn the ball over. We have to correct those mistakes, and our guys have to focus on Kentucky. The most important thing for us is Kentucky. And that's us getting better. And a lot of it has to do with us inherently looking at ourselves and saying, okay, what can I improve upon, but a lot of the things that we can improve upon are based on what Kentucky does, offensively, defensively and special teams, and that's where our focus will be.”

On the lack of physicality and focus against South Carolina and if he saw any signs of that … 

“I don't think I'd seen any warning signs because I really thought we had good practices. The air cooled off. It wasn't as hot. We had really good practices the week of South Carolina. So that's not a major concern. And then you go to the physicality, it's tough because we have measures of being able to run the ball, and our rush efficiency was much higher than it was against say Notre Dame. We rushed the ball more efficient. Efficient is four more on first down, being able to get what you need short yardage. We won both short yardage situations. Goal line, we won the goal line situation. They weren't long carries, but when it's goal to goal one or third and one and you get the yards, it makes you efficient. Rush average was down, and that's an important stat for us, but rush efficiency for us has been something that's been indicative of success. We've never been an efficient rushing team by what we measure it and lost a game since we've been here, which tells me that we were able to run the ball efficiently; we didn't protect the ball, and that in the end didn't cost us.

“I don't think that we had a major lack of focus there. I don't think that was the case at all. I thought the guys' focus was tuned in. I thought in pregame warmups, for me, I want to see more physicality, more get going. I thought that had a little bit to do with the early start, getting them going in the locker room. But there was good preparation, good leadup. Really felt good about that. And give South Carolina credit, they had a lot of it. But, again, the focus for us better be on Kentucky, because you can't let South Carolina beat you twice.”

On the offense’s success in an up-tempo style … 

“Yeah. We tried to do that several times Saturday, and when we did that, didn't feel like we were very effective. No. 1, they played us differently when we tried to go faster. And if you look at the game's outlook overall, probably the toughest thing for us is, number one, turnovers. In the SEC, do a study, four and 0 in turnover margin, you're not going to win, period. I mean it doesn't happen. So let's start with that.

Number two, lack of explosive plays, which we've struggled with a little bit. We're not getting explosive plays. Even our runs, we're getting runs, good runs, 10 yards or more, but we're not getting explosive runs, which are longer because there's a lot of people in the box. We're not getting explosive passes. We had a few, but not enough.

So we did not win two-minute. Look at this year what we've been great at, we didn't win two-minute before the half twice, and then we didn't win two-minute at the end of the game. So there was three two-minutes in that game, which is very unique. We really didn't win any of the three of them. And that's one of our big goals is to win two-minute. Every game up until that it seemed like, we had either won defensively before the half or we'd won offensively, and we didn't do that. So those are the three biggest things that we gotta improve on, and we'll continue to work on.”

On drawing lessons from previous losses in prior years … 

“Well, the similarity in LSU is the four turnovers. I mean, you turn the ball over four times, and you get zero, which is maybe -- it's just as big of a concern as turning it over four times is getting zero. You gotta find a way to get tips and overthrows when the ball is in the air. You gotta find a way to knock a ball off somebody, to get a strip-sack fumble. You know what I mean? You gotta get some turnovers, and we learn from those lessons each and every time we have them, and I feel very confident in the leadership of this team that they'll respond the right way. They did that in the locker room the other day. And they'll handle that the right way.”

On the Alabama ‘Kick-6’ play against Auburn influenced his decision to not kick a field goal at the end of regulation … 

“Absolutely not. Has nothing to do with it. Has to do with normal football. No coach in his right mind with eight seconds thinks he can't get another play off. We do it every single Thursday, every single Friday. We script it. We've done it with seven seconds. We've actually done it with six ever since the Florida halftime deal where we had a chance to get another play in, Florida with it being a really short, condensed area, because that was like on the goal line. And, plus, we're going to trust our quarterback to make a good decision there and allow us to have a field goal to kick afterwards, so no doubts, no questions. Nothing there.”

On the challenges of facing Kentucky quarterback Lynn Bowden...

“He's extremely athletic. I tell you what, the guy does a phenomenal job. I think their staff does a great job of using his skill set. And you think when he's back there he's not going to throw it, but it becomes harder to defend him because you let the pass creep out of your mind and then he hits two or three big passes. They've got a major matchup factor on the outside in a really big wideout. They've got tight ends that run pop passes when you play certain coverages. They just do a really good job. And he's hard to tackle. And they've been one of the best rushing teams in our league for a while because of Benny Snell, and now they're finding other ways to use it with Lynn. I mean, the management they had the other time with him back there, he creates a different type football game. It's very different when you look at third down with him having the option to run or throw. He creates a difficult defending mechanism.”

On strategy in general and his self analysis…

“Nothing from the South Carolina game perspective. Looking back, we do self-analysis all the time. The biggest thing was the two two-minutes before the halves that we had an opportunity to score. We've been really productive in those. We've been really aggressive in those and done well. And we ended up with a long field goal opportunity before the half that ended up getting blocked that Rod [Blankenship] might be able to make, might not. But we thought we managed those really well.

We have an analytics group that sends us information every week, and it's the same thing with that. The only consideration that we have is sometimes when to burn timeouts strategy wise. And philosophically, we go meet with people. We met with NFL teams. We met with SEC officials before the season. When you get a first down, do you call a timeout or do you not, because sometimes they're going to burn four seconds on you regardless. So a couple times we've had first downs this year that we've had an abundance of timeouts, which means we're managing our timeouts right to even have them to use late in the half, late in the game and you have to make a choice on whether you use it after a first down, because some people would say, well, I'll just clock it or I'll just run a quick play, which at Alabama we had a philosophy of run a quick play sometimes, but that burns more time than possibly calling a timeout where you'd go to the half with timeouts. And we've had some situations in the past where we did that. So felt very comfortable how we used those. We just have to  be more effective and efficient in two-minute, and that's really been one of our strengths, not one of our weaknesses.”

On how much the offensive line has been hurt or hindered by the rotation of guys and injuries and the injury update on Solomon Kindley and Justin Shaffer…
“Yeah. Shaffer will be out this week. I don't know. He'll be week to week following this week. Don't know when we'll get him back.

Solomon is dinged up. We think he's going to be able to go this week, think he'll be able to play. He's going to be struggling a little bit today. He'll probably be rehabbing some.

Ben Cleveland is a little beat up. There was some time the other day where he was unable to go and ended up being able to finish the game for us. We got a couple other guys that are beat and banged up, but everybody in the SEC does.

On the moral of the coaching staff, and the key to extending offensively and for receivers to get some separation…
“Yeah, I think number one thing is getting some opportunities to do that. Our staff is great. Look, our coaching staff has been through this before. There's not a coach on there that hasn't lost a game. So you understand that that's part of the game. And you give the other team credit; you move on. You don't let it beat you twice. We are very technical in our process of these are the things that we can do better. But these are the things we did well.

Just like when we win, we go back and show them the things we didn't do well, and I think that's really important to your players and your team that your coaches are consistent. So each time we've come in this team meeting room and we've said, hey, guys, we won the game, but this is the thing we didn't do well, just like we're going to say we didn't win the game and these are some things that we did do well. We have to grow on those and we have to get better at the things we didn't. And we'll be consistent with our message.”

On extending offensively...
“Yeah, extending offensively, we had pretty good protection. We had three sacks. Everybody's like, oh, protection broke down, did terrible. Go back and watch those three plays. They’re five for five. We got five linemen blocking five guys. They block them for three-and-a-half, four seconds; that's more than your average. We have to find some guys that can get open, that can win one-on-one, that can create separation and do a good job, and then Jake [Fromm] ultimately has to be the guy that controls it, whether he throws it away, eats it and runs with it, which he did the other day, and makes good decisions with the ball.”

On Jake Fromm throwing the ball in the middle of the field...
“No. That's not the case at all. Jake's had some really good throws over the middle. Some of his best throws have been over the middle. I don't know where that comes from or where it would come from. There were some throws on the perimeter that weren't great throws, ones he'd like to have back, but it's not like he's not throwing it over the middle on that. Teams play us different ways. Some people play two-man where they take away inside leverage. Some people just play man-to-man where they take outside leverage.

He knows that. He sees it every day from us, so a lot of the routes are predicated by how people are playing us, but he's not not throwing it to the inside or not throwing it to the outside based on the ability to be comfortable.”

On the illegal formation and Cager's availability to play with injury...

“Yeah, I don't know if Cager is going to be able to play. He's probably out this week. We don't know that for sure. We're going to see. He's dealing with more than a shoulder now. He has another injury that happened Saturday, so he may not be able to play. We're not sure yet. We'll see.

As far as the play, it was one that we changed at the line, and the two guys moved late, and we snapped the ball probably a little bit early.

But, again, guys, we're going to Kentucky. We're focused on Kentucky. Out of respect for our team, understand we're focused on Kentucky for our players. And we'll grow and develop from the loss. Don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to bury that hatchet. We have things we have to do better. We have to protect the ball. But we're focused on Kentucky.”

On performance of the offense up to this point in the season… 

“Yeah, we're definitely looking forward to Kentucky right now. That's the biggest concern we've got, and we're going to focus on that. I think the most important part of an offense is scoring points, and that's the most important thing. Now, how do I get to those points? Do I get to them through explosive plays? Do I get them through long, methodical drives, which has so far been our MO. That's been the identity we have, of long, methodical drives, and we've had some really good long, methodical drives. At the end of the day we're all judged by, number one, how do I score points, how do I protect the ball and how explosive can I be, and that's what we're focused on.”

On Dominick Blaylock choosing or being directed to call fair catch… 
“Good question. We don't do that, but unfortunately, there's times where we play in safe, where we play in a prevent mode of fake alert based on who they send in the game or based on the down and distance in the game that he is, he has to fair catch it, and we had several of them that we were in safe the other day where he's not protected, meaning we're not holding people up for him, and so he can't just abandon it and try to return it on his own. So we weren't able to set up a lot of returns, which goes back to our third down. Defensively third down, we won third downs, statistically looks great. We had really good success on third down. We made our goal, 70 percent, but we didn't hold them to third-and-long long enough to where we got to return the ball on fourth down. There's a lot of times that they were in the 50-yardline range that they're are in fake mode and we want to be as safe as we can to get possession of the ball and not be able to return it. And that had a lot with Dom having to fair catch it. It's not a matter of him wanting to.”

On the offensive line…
“I think you talk about it all the time. I think saying that, when you go back and watch the tape and you see the rush efficiency, meaning the efficiency with which we rush for, which means four more on first down, half of second down what you need, and third down you have to get it, we were rush efficient. And we've had some games this year where we haven't been rush efficient, and we were. So there's some positive there for the O Line. Protection, I think the first thing you look at is the three sacks. But two of those three were pretty good protection, we got covered. So it's a team event, and I think that's what you go to mostly. The biggest thing for our guys will be can they block Kentucky, can they move Kentucky, can they create movement to create some explosive runs. Can we block on the perimeter well enough that a 12-yard run is a 50-yard run because we've got pretty good backs to do that with. We've opened up a lot of 10- to 12-yard runs. We haven't had the explosives that we need greater than 12.”

On Tyson Campbell… 
“Tyson feels like he's almost back. He just has not been able to -- he can run, plant, point, drive, but the pressure, the torque it takes to hit someone and drive off of it where he's feeling somebody's pressure, that's what he's struggling with. And it's a long, slow injury, guys. I mean when you talk to everybody across the country, there's nothing you can do to speed that up. So I don't know, because I don't know if he'll be back. Last time I got to see him was during warmups, and he was getting closer. So I'll see.”

On facing an athletic quarterback… 
“As far as dealing with an athletic quarterback, it's very different because they add an extra hat to the box. So every single play where you say, man, you all got a good rush defense or, man, you stopped this guy, this guy can take off running at any time he wants on a drop-back pass and the six or seven guys in the box might not have a chance to tackle him, because he's extremely athletic. He's a receiver, a great athlete, a really good athlete playing quarterback which creates a new dynamic for us.”

On the wide receivers getting open...
“I think it's always a combination of both. You're looking for man-to-man to stay on the run. Can you get off of press coverage? Can you separate? What kind of style defense are you going against? Is it more zone or more man? And each one of those is really important, and it's important for our wideouts to be able to create separation for Jake. It's important for Jake to see separation to feel confident and to be able to throw it.”

On rotating in players… 
“Offensive line we were forced to. I don't know if you're aware of the injuries we've been dealing with, so there's not a lot of choice. If a guy can't go -- you can't play with four. So you have to put another guy in. So there's not really a rotation going on on the offensive line. The only rotation has been Ben (Cleveland) and Cade (Mays) for the most part. Everything else has been injury driven for us. As far as wideouts, nobody plays three wideouts. Most people we play play six to seven, and right now we're playing six to seven, and we'd like to keep those guys fresh as possible. Especially in a game that you're going two-minute three times, you want to keep guys fresh and try to do that.”

#27 Eric Stokes | Redshirt Sophomore | DB 

On, as a corner, how to remain disciplined against such an athletic quarterback… 

“You have to treat them like a regular quarterback. You have to line up and be 100% focused every time on your job and hopefully every one else will do the same.” 

On the message to the team Saturday after the game and into Sunday… 

“Just to remain to stick together which I know we all will. We know that everything that we want to accomplish is still right in front of us.”

On the defensive performance on Saturday… 

“The biggest thing with our performance on Saturday is that we did not create enough havoc for our offense. We did not put them in good positions, with forcing them to always start so low. Personally, I put a lot of that on myself.” 

#51 David Marshall | Senior | DE

On what challenges an athletic quarterback like Kentucky’s Lynn Bowden present for Georgia…

“We’ve just got to focus on containing him, which is hard because he’s a mobile quarterback. He knows how to run the ball. He knows how to throw the ball when he doesn’t have a wide receiver open. We need to contain him in the pocket, because that’s all we can do. We count on outside linebackers like Jermaine Johnson, Travon Walker — the people who can run opponents down faster.”

#89 Charlie Woerner | Senior | TE

On what his role as a team leader is this week as Georgia prepares for Kentucky…

“I’m trying to help the team have a positive mindset. You can really come out of a loss a better team, regroup to come out of a pit a whole lot stronger than before. My role is to keep the guys positive because every goal that we had before the season started is still there. It’s not like the ship is wrecked. We’re still standing, we just hit a wave but still going.”

On the inexperience at the wide receiver position/whether the game against South Carolina was a product of that...

"I don’t think that inexperience has anything to do with it, because we’ve got a really talented group of freshmen this year. We’ve got a lot of talented receivers. I think it comes down to execution and the little things that we all know how to do. It’s those little things we’ve got to continue to work on."

#7 D’Andre Swift | Junior | RB

On the offensive line having its hands full with South Carolina…

“That’s football. I’m not mad, I know they’re going to bounce back. They’ll be fine.”

On seeing warning signs…

“You could say that. We haven’t played a complete game offensively at all. The first half of the Tennessee game wasn’t too good; it’s bound to happen but we need to get back and refocus and start over.”

###

Tray Littlefield

Associate Sports Communications Director

University of Georgia Athletic Association

PO Box 1472 | Athens, GA 30603

Cell: 205-504-4566

--------------------------------------------------------