RONIK PATEL U-L STAR STUDENT

 RONIK PATEL EARNS STAR STUDENT RECOGNITION

Ronik Jayesh Patel, a senior at Upson-Lee High School, has been named 2025 PAGE STAR Student for the Thomaston-Upson School System. The announcement was made Tuesday, February 4, at the Thomaston Kiwanis Club meeting. Thomaston Kiwanis is the local STAR program sponsor. Ronik is the son of Mr. Jayesh Patel and Dr. Saroj Patel.

Patel selected Thomaston-Upson School System’s English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) teacher Mrs. Renae Kilgore as the 2025 STAR Teacher. As the sole ESOL teacher for the school district, Kilgore works with PK - 12th grade students and their families. Kilgore began working with Patel when he entered school and says that he was special from the very beginning. She also acknowledged that she is honored that he chose her as his STAR Teacher. This is her first time being awarded this honor.

STAR Student is the student with the highest score in one sitting of the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) taken through the November test date of his or her senior year. STAR Student must also be in the top 10 percent of his or her class based on grade point average. STAR Teacher, chosen by the STAR Student, is the teacher who has made the most significant contribution to the student’s scholastic development.

The Student Teacher Achievement Recognition (STAR) Program was created to focus public attention on Georgia's outstanding students and the teachers who have been most instrumental in their academic development. It is administered and promoted by the Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE) Foundation. Since its inception in 1958, the STAR Program has honored more than 29,500 high school seniors who have in turn chosen their STAR teachers to share in this recognition. Upson-Lee High School and the Thomaston-Upson School System are very appreciative of the support given to the local STAR program by the Thomaston Kiwanis Club.

Congratulations to Ronik Patel, 2025 STAR Student, and to Mrs. Renae Kilgore, 2025 STAR Teacher!!!

UPSON CO BOC CHAIRMAN DAN BREU ON HB 581

 There are a couple of things the Mayor and City Council really should consider before moving forward with their planned public hearings to opt out of HB 581.

 

First, HB 581 was passed by the people of Georgia and overwhelmingly in Thomaston and Upson County as a way to provide protection against rising home values for homesteaders and a way to provide property tax relief to every property owner.  We have elderly and disabled people in Thomaston and Upson County who have to take out loans to pay their property taxes and fear being taxed out of homes some have lived in their whole lives.  The City of Thomaston has an incredible opportunity to provide home owners in Thomaston tax relief by utilizing the Floating Local Option Sales Tax (FLOST) to essentially eliminate the City M&O tax.  The County can use the FLOST as well to reduce the County M&O tax for everyone in the county.  Limiting the rise in home values, eliminating the City M&O tax, and reducing the County M&O tax are three methods of tax relief for home owners in the City of Thomaston.  They will lose all of those if the City opts out of HB 581.

 

Second, the governing authorities throughout the State who have indicated they intend to opt out of HB 581 presented a reason or reasons to their constituents on why they thought they needed to opt out.  Whether you find those reasons valid or not, they gave their constituents a why.  The City of Thomaston has not provided a single reason why it should opt out.  This really runs contrary to the spirit of public hearings.  The home owners in the City of Thomaston do not know what they are supposed to be arguing against at these public hearings.  Rather they just have to argue for the tax relief that they already voted overwhelmingly for.  It just does not make sense.

 

I call on the Mayor and City Council to do the right thing for Thomaston and Upson County and cancel their planned public hearings and automatically opt in to HB 581 along with the County and give the property owners in Thomaston and Upson County the tax relief they already told us they wanted during the November election.

 

Best,

 

 

Dan R. Brue II

Chairman, Board of Commissioners | UPSON COUNTY

106 E. Lee St., Suite 110, Thomaston, GA  30286

Office: 706.647.7012

Cell: 706.601.9472

Email: dbrue@upsoncountyga.org

 

GRIFFIN PD SEXUAL BATTERY CASE

 In reference to the earlier press release issued on January 29th 2025, Griffin Police would like to update the community regarding the arrests made and the status of the victims. Tamarrius Lewis (32) and William White (42) were arrested for statutory rape, sodomy, possession with intent to distribute schedule 1 and 2 narcotics, cruelty to children, and hindering the apprehension of a felon. Shelithia Blackmon (38) was charged with cruelty to children, sexual battery, child molestation, possession with intent to distribute schedule 1 and 2 narcotics, and hindering the apprehension of a felon. Not in custody at this time is Tabias Lewis who has outstanding warrants for statutory rape, sodomy, cruelty to children, armed robbery and aggravated assault, as well as possession with intent to distribute schedule 1 and 2 narcotics. Additional charges are pending for all mentioned suspects, as this is still an active and ongoing investigation. Further, the Criminal Investigation Division is asking the community to help apprehend Lewis and is offering a reward of $1,500 for information leading to his arrest. Any information can be provided to Inv A. Ruiz at aruiz@cityofgriffin.com or Inv S. Amos at samos@cityofgriffin.com. At this time, the victims of this crime are back in their homes and recovering from this traumatic event. This is not a crime that any person should endure. If you suspect that someone is a victim of trafficking, please reach out to your local law enforcement agency or call the GA Human Trafficking Hotline at (888) 373-7888. If you see something, say something.