Web Resigns Marshall's Office Following Investigation

Spalding County has confirmed that Smart Web is no longer a county employee, resigning after Sheriff Darrell Dix removed his deputization on Monday, June 20th. His last workday was Monday and his resignation is effective today, June 21st. 

Sheriff Dix took action after his team’s initial investigation of a June 14th incident in which Web shot a dog on a Spalding County resident’s property. Web was on the premises responding to a complaint. 

A more thorough investigation is ongoing. 

“As I stated during Monday night’s Board of Commissioners meeting, the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office is interviewing everyone involved, reviewing bodycam footage and meticulously documenting their findings. We will make more information available when that investigation is complete,” said Spalding County Manager Dr. Steve Ledbetter.

Freedom Fest July 4th

Lamar County's C J Allen Commits To UGA

Lamar county's C J Allen has committed to play his college football at the University of Georgia.

Photo Courtesy of On3.com

The 6-1, 215 pound linebacker is rated as the 60th player in the country by 247Sports. Allen was named the Region 3-AA Player Of The Year in 2021 after making 91 tackles and three interceptions on defense while rushing for 1,080 yards and 16 touchdowns on offense.

Allen also played basketball averaging 7.7 points as a junior.

In track, he qualified in the 2A regionals with a 11.16 100 meters along with a 23.58 200-meter. Allen set a personal record when he qualified for state with a 45'6" shot put.

Allen picked Georgia over offers from Auburn, Tennessee and Florida.

UPSON BOC DENIES PACKAGE LICENSE

THE UPSON COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS DENIED A BEER AND WINE PACKAGE LICENSE FOR VMR FOOD MART, 1998 19 NORTH. 

PAUL JONES WHO MADE THE MOTION TO DENY SAID THERE'S ALREADY TOO MANY SMALL BEER STORES IN THE COUNTY AND ONE NEAR-BY

GORDON SARGENT TOP COLLEGE GOLFER IN THE U.S. INTERVIEWED ON FUN 101FM

GORDON SARGENT OF THE VANDY GOLF TEAM, WHO HAS FAMILY IN THOMASTON, WON THE NCAA GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP RECENTLY AND HAS A BUSY YEAR AHEAD. 

THIS WEEK IN PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND FOR THE NORTHEAST AMATEUR, THEN TO GENEVA , SWITZERLAND FOR THE ARNOLD PALMER CUP, THEN THE WESTERN AM IN CHICAGO THE FIRST WEEK IN AUGUST, THEN THE US AMATEUR IN NEW JERSEY, THEN BACK TO SCHOOL THIS FALL, PLAYING AT THE FREDERICA CUP AT ST. SIMONS, THEN THE COLONIAL NATIONAL INVITE IN FT. WORTH, SEC MATCH PLAY IN BIRMINGHAM IN OCTOBER, AND THEN THE EAST LAKE CUP AT EAST LAKE IN ATLANTA IN NOVEMBER.

GORDON TOLD 101 SPORTS HE'S PROUD TO HAVE THE INDIVIDUAL TITLE, BUT HE'S DISAPPOINTED HIS GOLF TEAM DID NOT WIN THE NATIONAL TITLE.

Pike County Baseball Players That Made The All-Region Team

             L-R Zane Axelberg, Mason Trucks, Trevor Bagwell, 

                Braden Osbolt, Josh Buffington and Caden Swift 

Congratulations to the winners of the 2022 Upson County Chamber Poker Float!

Photos Courtesy 

of The Upson Beacon. 

       Robyn Stone won first place and a

       Brand new FeelFree Moken Kayak!

   3rd Place of $150 was Ally Phillips

2nd Place of $250 was Dan Hamrick

Dr. John H. Carter Donates His Book To The Upson Historical Society

Dr. John H. Carter donated a copy of his book, Hold My Mule: There is no such word as “Can’t to Ms. Jamesan Gramme, Director, the Thomaston-Upson Archives.

Dr. John H. Carter, a native of Thomaston and the first Black graduate of the Robert E. Lee Institute, is donating a copy of his first book to the Upson Historical Society. In 2010, Dr. Carter established a collection in the society’s library to preserve his family’s history. 

This book documents the first fifty years of his life, which began in Upson County. "Hold My Mule - There is No Such Word as Can’t" is more than the life story of a man who rose to success from a humble beginning. It is a guidebook on navigating the complex world where race, education, ambition, religion, the desire to make a change, and the maze of corporate America all collide. “Hold My Mule” details the experiences of Dr. John H. Carter. He reflects on the miracles in his life that led him from his lowly circumstance to managing a nearly billion-dollar budget for one of the nation's largest communications companies. He was a confidant to some of the most influential leaders in the country and served as project manager for the $120 million memorial to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Carter said, “I am proud to present this book to the institution that has been preserving the history of the Thomaston and Upson County community since 1968. It is the town that taught me how to turn obstacles into opportunities.”

John is available for book signings, school visits, and other public appearances. To learn how to obtain your copy of the book, please visit www.johnhcarter.info or the Upson Historical Society at Thomaston-Upson Archives at 301 S. Center St., Thomaston, GA 30286.

About Dr. John H. Carter

Dr. John H. Carter, a Thomaston native, is a retired Vice President of AT&T (formerly BellSouth Corporation). He also managed the Human Resources and Corporate Services $900 Million-dollar budget and coordinated the corporation’s $34 Million contingency fund for environmental remediation. After retirement from the Bell System, he managed a successful consulting firm, Carter & Carter, LLC, which offered management consulting, facilitation, and executive coaching for ten years. He also served as an adjunct professor at Strayer University

T-U BOE TO RESTART BUDGET PROCESS

THE THOMASTON-UPSON COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION PLANS TO RESTART THE FY 23 BUDGET PROCESS AFTER THE TENATIVE BUDGET OF $44 MILLION WAS VOTED DOWN 4-3 LAST TUESDAY. 

IT REPORTEDLY WILL REQUIRE A ONE MILL TAX INCREASE TO FUND. 

DURING A CALLED MEETING THURSDAY, BOARD VICE-CHAIR JAYE EUBANKS ASKED THE BOARD TO SUBMIT THEIR SUGGESTIONS FOR THE BUDGET BY FRIDAY, JUNE 24 AND IT WILL BE RESET AND PLACED ON THE SCHOOL SYSTEM WEBSITE FOR PUBLIC REVIEW, WITH TWO ADDITONAL PUBLIC HEARINGS. EUBANKS EXPRESSED FRUSTRATION THAT THE PUBLIC NEVER SHOWS FOR BUDGET PUBLIC HEARINGS.

BOE MEMBERS BRIAN SALTER, SHELIA HALL, SCOTT ROBERTS AND STEVE SADLER VOTED AGAINST THE BUDGET.

UPDATE: GRIFFIN POWER OUTAGE

CITY OF GRIFFIN OFFICIALS HOPE TO HAVE ALL POWER RESTORED BY MIDNIGHT AFTER A SEVERE STORM WITH A POSSIBLE DOWNBURST KNOCKED DOWN 13 OAK TREES AND 10 POWER POLES WEDNESDAY NIGHT.

AT ONE TIME 4000 CUSTOMERS WERE WITHOUT ELECTRICITY, THE 3RD WARD / SOUTHSIDE AREA ESPECIALLY HIT HARD.

4 APPS SUBMITTED FOR THOMASTON PACKAGE STORES

THE DEADLINE TO SUBMIT APPLICATIONS FOR ONE OF TWO LIQUOR PACKAGE STORES IN THE CITY OF THOMASTON ENDED AT 3 PM THURSDAY AND FOUR APPLICATIONS WERE SUBMITTED. A REVIEW PERIOD NOW BEGINS UNTIL JULY 18.

THOSE WHO SUBMITTED APPLICATIONS; NITIN PATEL OF THOMASTON, OWNER OF COOK'S MARKET. SONIYABEN DODHIA WHO OWNS A PACKAGE STORE WITH HER HUSBAND IN PEACHTREE CITY, STEVE DUKE OF THOMASTON, REP FOR A LIQUOR DISTRIBUTOR, AND RAVINDER SINGH, ASSOCIATED WITH MR. B'S ON SOUTH CHURCH.

ONCE APPLICANTS ARE APPROVED FOR THE LOTTERY DRAWING, A DATE FOR THE DRAWING WILL BE ESTABLISHED.

PARTS OF GRIFFIN W/O POWER AFTER STORMS

CITY OF GRIFFIN POWER CREWS ARE WORKING TO RESTORE ELECTRICAL SERVICE TO OVER 400 CUSTOMERS AFTER STORMS KNOCKED OUT SERVICE AROUND 8 PM WEDNESDAY. 

CRESCENT ROAD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IS OPEN FOR RESIDENTS AS A COOLING STATION. PARTS OF SOUTH GRIFFIN WERE WITHOUT POWER FOR ALMOST 5 HOURS WEDNESDAY EVENING.

Rechtorovic Approved As Principal

At the Tuesday, June 14, board meeting, the Thomaston-Upson Board of Education approved Mr. Erik Rechtorovic as Principal of Upson-Lee Alternative School, as recommended by Superintendent Dr. Larry Derico. 

Mr. Rechtorovic has served as Assistant Principal of ULMS since 2016 and has been with the Thomaston-Upson School System for eighteen years of his twenty-seven-year career in public education. He holds a Master of Education in Educational Leadership from Troy State University and a Bachelor of Science in Education from Bridgewater College. He has been married to Hayley Fowler Rechtorovic for 23 years and they have two children, Ty (20), who is an upcoming junior at Gardner-Webb University, and Elyn (16), who is an upcoming junior at Upson-Lee High School. Congratulations to Mr. Rechtorovic! We wish him much success as he steps into this fundamental role within the Thomaston-Upson School System.

BURGLARY U-L HIGH SCHOOL

UPSON COUNTY SHERIFF DAN KILGORE SAYS AN ARREST HAS BEEN MADE FOR A $5000 BURGLARY AT UPSON-LEE HIGH SCHOOL JUNE 3RD. 

41 YEAR OLD JASON W. SHANNON OF 567 TOM MCKINLEY ROAD ALLEGEDLY ENTERED A CONSTRUCTION AREA INSIDE THE SCHOOL AND TOOK SEVERAL ITEMS. SECURITY VIDEO SHOWED A WHITE MALE ENTERING THE SCHOOL 7:45 PM, POSSIBLY THROUGH AN UNLOCKED DOOR AND STAYED INSIDE SEVERAL HOURS, REMOVING SEVERAL ITEMS. BOND SET AT $10,000 AT THE UPSON COUNTY JAIL.

T-U BOE REJECTS BUDGET

THE THOMASTON-UPSON BOARD OF EDUCATION HAS A CALLED MEETING THURSDAY 6PM FOR DISCUSSION AND TENATIVE ADOPTION OF THE FY 23 BUDGET AFTER THE BOARD VOTED 4-3 TO REJECT IT DURING A PUBLIC HEARING AT TUESDAY'S MEETING. IT WAS THE 2ND PUBLIC HEARING ON THE BUDGET, THE FIRST WAS HELD AT 7:30 IN THE MORNING, JUNE 6TH AND NO ONE SHOWED AT EITHER.

THE PROPOSED $44 MILLION BUDGET CONTAINS A TAX MILLAGE INCREASE OF ABOUT ONE MILL OF TAX. THE BOE MEMBERS VOTING AGAINST APPROVAL TUESDAY, STEVE SADLER, BRIAN SALTER, SHELIA HALL AND SCOTT ROBERTS. A BUDGET WITH A $2.3 MILLION INCREASE.

REPORTEDLY EMBEDDED IN THE BUDGET IS A PROPOSED $6000 PAY INCREASE EMBEDDED IN THE BUDGET FOR CENTRAL OFFICE PERSONNEL.

Murder Victim's Body Recovered

The remains of Stanley Steverson of Thomaston have been recovered in the southeast portion of Upson County off Pleasant Grove Road. The remains were located deep in the woods in a small creek with an extremely steep bank.

Sheriff Kilgore stated, "The recovery was difficult due to the terrain and required the use of an excavator to gain access. The agencies involved in the recovery were Upson County Sheriff’s Office, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Upson Rescue Department and the Upson County Water Department. I wish to thank all who assisted with today’s recovery."

Mr. Steverson’s body has been sent to the GBI Crime lab for further investigation.

Christopher Lamar Green

Christopher Lamar Green, 36, of Jackson Avenue in Thomaston has been arrested on charges of concealing a Death. He is held in the Upson County Jail.

This case remains active and ongoing.

Steverson was reported missing on June 8th when he did not show up at his job. His truck was located in northern Upson County on the same day and impounded by Upson County Deputies. 

Evidence gathered during the investigation led officers to suspect that Demonte Terrell Davis was involved in the death of Mr. Steverson at a location on Rose Hill Road in Upson County. A warrant was obtained charging Davis with Murder. 

Davis was escorted to Ingles at the intersection of US19 & US 41 in Spalding county by family members and exited a vehicle at approximately 4:50 pm. He placed a handgun to his head firing one self inflicted gunshot. He was pronounced deceased at the scene. 

No officers fired their weapons or were injured in the incident.

Amber Smith Davis

Amber Smith Davis, wife of Terrell Davis is charged with concealing a Death and is incarcerated in the Upson County Jail.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Upson County Sheriffs Office at 706-646- 7903.