Newspaper Page Text
Vol. 14, No. 9
Thursday, March 4, 2021
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108 East Gordon Street, Thomaston, Ga. 30286 706-646-2382
Upson Among fop Per-Capiia Vaccinations in State
March 8 Dedicated to T-USchool Staff;
URMC CEO Tarrant: “This is an Amazing Feat...’
Upson County has sur
passed 11,000 admin
istered vaccinations,
placing it among the top
handful of counties in
Georgia for per capita in
oculation, according to
Upson Regional Medical
Center’s chief executive of
ficer Jeff Tarrant.
Through February,
URMC has administered
7,777 COVID-19 Pfizer
vaccines in Thomaston
and Barnesville.
“This is an amazing
feat to have administered
over 7,000 COVID-19 vac
cinations at URMC. In
cluding all vaccination
providers, Upson County
just passed the 11,000
COVID-19 vaccination
threshold and last week
was number four in the en
tire state for per capita
vaccinations given,” Tar
rant said. “We are proud to
serve many patients from
across Georgia as we play
a key role in ending this
pandemic.”
URMC’s vaccination
process was designed for
patient safety and effi
ciency so that patients can
easily get in and out of the
building without going
through the hospital, ac
cording to a recent state-
Vaccincitions, 4A
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The above graph charting Upson County’s COVID-19 activity since March 2020
shows three distinctive spikes in April and August 2020, and the week after
Christmas, which URMC CEO Jeff Tarrant called “a very dangerous time.”
Tarrant said residents should appreciate the reduced incidence of the disease,
and should be motivated to be vaccinated as soon as eligible.
The American Red Cross can assist those impacted
by fire or natural disaster by helping with food,
shelter, clothing, medication, and more.
House Fire Claims
Life of Local Man
The state fire marshal
is investigating the cause
of a house fire at 202 Ave
nue L last week that
claimed the life of Joseph
Lawson, according to a
Thomaston Fire Depart
ment report.
Lawson’s wife Corina
said the couple awoke to
the smell of smoke and
both exited the house,
then Mr. Lawson re-en
tered the house to retrieve
keys to move the couple’s
vehicle. Lawson, an em
ployee with Quad
Graphics, never returned
from the structure and his
body was later found in a
House Fire, 4A
Boggs Awarded
$180,000
Navy Scholarship
lady Knights Advance to Elite Eight
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Ty’Keria Geiger knocking down one of her three three-pointers. Photo by Luke Haney.
By Jacob Stewart
Sports Editor
The Lady Knights took
the floor for the first time
in two weeks since defeat
ing Americus-Sumter to
win the region champion
ship, and handed Morgan
County a 67-36 ticket
home to advance to Geor
gia’s Elite Eight round of
the state playoffs.
The buzz was all about
whether the undefeated
Lady Knights would look
rusty to start the Sweet 16
game with Morgan
County. Ty’Keria Geiger
put that worry to rest
when she exploded for
eight points in the first
quarter.
Geiger nailed two
three-pointers and Alon-
zea Montgomery and Tyla
Zellner both added a triple
of their own. The four
three pointers in the first
frame helped the Lady
Knights jump out to a 24-
7 lead after the opening
quarter.
Although Upson Lee
jumped out in such a com
manding fashion, the first
half was a tale of two
quarters. The Lady
Lady Knight, 4B
By Luke Haney
Lifestyles Editor
Cadet Commander Na
than Boggs of the Upson
Lee High School
NJROTC’s 2021 class was
recently awarded a four-
year, full-ride Navy Na
tional Scholarship valued
at $180,000. Boggs was
also awarded an additional
$44,000 scholarship to
Auburn University and
plans to pursue a bach
elor’s degree in aeronauti
cal engineering. After
graduating from Auburn,
Boggs will be commis-
Boggs, 3B
for Project Echo
By Bridge Turner
Managing Editor
KJK Holdings, parent
company for Meriwether
Ready Mix Concrete Com
pany, has finalized pur
chase of 10 acres in the
Thomaston-Upson Indus
trial Park and plans to
move forward with con
struction of a new plant at
the site, according to In
dustrial Development Au
thority Executive Director
Kyle Fletcher.
“The addition of Meri
wether Ready Mix to our
industrial park will be a
tremendous asset to
Upson County as retail
and housing growth con
tinues,” Fletcher said. “The
[company] was servicing
our community out of fa
cilities in Spalding and
Meriwether counties, so
the logistics of having a
local plant made sense.”
Ready Mix purchased
the property for $50,000
and projects the creation
of seven jobs with a capital
investment between $1.5
Concrete Plant, 4A
Meriwether Ready Mix Moves Forward
with Plan for Local Concrete Plant
IDA OKs $5ok Incentive
Michael Presley
Retires from GDOT
Cawthon Charged
in 4 Auto Break-ins
8 10499 02461 2
After 27 years of service
at the Georgia Department
of Transportation, West
Central Georgia region Dis
trict Engineer Michael
Presley is retiring from the
department. His retire
ment was effective as of
Monday, March l, 2021.
Presley, a native of Lo
cust Grove and longtime
Upson resident, graduated
from Southern College of
Technology in 1992 and is
a licensed professional
engineer in both Georgia
Presley, 8A
Michael Presley
Tyler Alan Cawthon,
31, of Mud Bridge Road in
The Rock has been
charged with four felony
counts of entering an auto
mobile or other motor ve
hicle in connection with
four incidents at The Rock
Plant of Quad Graphics,
according to Upson
County Sheriff Dan Kil
gore.
Numerous items in
cluding money, tools, and
Auto Break-ins, 8A
(0 Griffin Ob-Gyn
NOW SEEING PATIENTS IN THOMASTON
CALL TO MAKE AN
APPOINTMENT TODAY:
403 WEST MAIN STREET
TUESDAY-THURSDAY 8:30-4:30
(770)227.5505
(706)646.2888
Leigh Ann Story, CNM; Bryan Krepps. HO; Jim Dunaway, MD; Lou Hameli, MO; Holly Harrison, PA*C;
Nadine Nolting, CNH; Enid Lofters-Jones, MD; Hegan Potter. HD; Katya Brickman. CNM; Ashley Johnson, PA
