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County to Pursue $75oK CDB Grant for Thurston Well
By Bridge Turner
Managing Editor
Commissioners agreed
last week to pursue a
$750,000 Community De
velopment Block Grant to
revive the failing Thurston
well, which Upson County
Manager Jason Tinsley re
ferred to as “our main and
only water source.”
The well located in the
western portion of the
county is nearing the end of
its life cycle, according to
Tinsley, and is producing
considerably less water. It
has suffered numerous fai
lures, including down time
in 2020 which forced the
county to purchase water
from the City of Thomaston.
Funds would be used to
drill a fresh well and con
struct a new well house,
Tinsley said, with a likely 10
percent county match to
cover engineering costs.
The old well could remain
operational through the
“switch over,” and all work
would be completed under
the county’s current permit,
he added.
The grant, provided
through the Department of
Housing and Urban Devel
opment and administered
through the Georgia De-
County, 4A
10,000th Vaccine
Administered at URMC
Nicole Stanton was the recipient last week of the
10,000th COVID-19 vaccination administered by Upson
Regional Medical Center. “[Reaching] 10,000 vaccina
tions in two months is quite a milestone,” CEO Jeff Tar
rant said. “URMC closed out the week of March 12
number three in the entire state for vaccinations on a per
capita basis. We have really talented people supporting
this effort - all committed to getting this important vac
cine into as many eligible arms as quickly as possible.”
Photos Submitted
TFD Groundbreaking Held
After 55 years, TFD to Receive New Fire Station
Photos by Luke Haney
Above, Local officials are seen breaking
ground on site of the new Thomaston Fire
Department. Pictured above, L-R: City Coun
cil Members Lakeitha Reeves, Jeff Middle-
brooks, and Ryan Tucker; Mayor J.D.
Stallings; TFD Chief Renee Harris; Council
man Don Greathouse, City Manager Russell
Thomaston; Mayor Pro Tern Doug Head.
Right, TFD Chief Harris stands in front of the
TFD Staff during a welcome speech.
8
10499 02461 2
By Luke Haney
Lifestyles Editor
Representatives of the City of
Thomaston and Thomaston Fire De
partment held a groundbreaking cer
emony last Friday for the new TFD
facility. Community members gath
ered in front of the construction site
on North Church Street to hear from
local officials before officially break
ing ground.
“Today is a special day for the
TFD because, for the first time since
1966, we will begin to erect a com
pletely new structure for our fire sta
tion,” said TFD Chief Renee Harris.
“This department has been in its cur
rent home for 55 years... We are truly
overwhelmed with excitement about
moving into our new home in the
coming months. We will have a new
station built to move us into the 21st
Century, with the expectation of so
much more growth for the city and
this department. It’s an honor to
TFD Groundbreaking, 4A
Motorcyclist Air Lifted
After High-Speed
Chase and Crash
Thomas Winters, 38, was
air lifted to Macon for medical
treatment after a high-speed
chase involving multiple
Thomaston Police Department
units ended in a crash last
week on South Church Street,
according to a TPD report.
Pulling out of TPD head
quarters, Officer Justin
Sanders noticed the motor
cycle matching the description
of one involved in a felony
fleeing incident with Deputy
Will Sanders of Upson County
Sheriff s Office two weeks ear
lier. Sanders said he advised
other officers and followed the
motorcycle, which did not
have a tag, toward the five-way
stop on Barnesville Street.
When he activated his
lights and siren, Sanders said
the driver quickly accelerated.
The motorcycle passed several
stopped cars, running the stop
sign and continuing onto Be
thel Street. The driver ran sev
eral more stop signs, once
almost striking another patrol
vehicle when turning onto Lee
Street, then turned south onto
Motorcyclist, 4A
Daniel Charged
in Gates Murder
Jakari Di’jon Daniel has
been charged with murder and
home invasion in the first de
gree in connection with the
December 2020 shooting
death of Michael Gates, ac
cording to a report from the
Upson County Sheriff s Office.
Daniel was arrested on
multiple unrelated drug and
weapon charges in McIntosh
County, and has been returned
to Upson. Believed to be a
shooter in Gates’ murder at a
Wellington Drive apartment in
Thomaston, Daniel also is
charged with felony probation
violation for aggravated as
sault.
Other unrelated arrests
and charges recently reported
Jakari Daniel
by UCSO include:
Dontavious Deandre Bun-
kley, two counts of manufac
turing, delivering, distributing
drugs, possession of a firearm
or knife during commission of
Daniel, 4A
Upson County reports
3,287 positive COVID-19 cases
with 120 deaths as of noon last
Tuesday, according to the
Johns Hopkins University &
Medicine Coronavirus Re
source Center.
Numbers reflect 32 new
cases (down from 39 last
week) and one new death
(down from five last week)
since Tuesday one week prior.
During that time, Upson’s per
capita infection rate increased
from 12.4 to 12.53 cases per
100 residents, more than l-in-
10. Pike County, at 11.34 per
100 residents, and Lamar
County, at 10.25 per 100, are
the only Upson-adjacent
counties exceeding i-in-10 in
fection rate. Taylor is at 9.45
File Photo
and Monroe at 9.15 per 100.
A consensus of online
sources report Georgia with
1,009,499 (up 10,039 for
the week) positive cases and
17,710 (up 321 for the
week) deaths as of noon last
Tuesday. Increase of new
cases dropped from 15,581 and
new deaths from 555 the pre
vious week.
Johns Hopkins lists the fol
lowing confirmed cases for
counties bordering Upson:
Monroe, 2,489 (up 69) cases
with 96 (up one) deaths; Pike,
2,080 (up 16) with 34 (up two)
deaths; Lamar, 1,919 (up 12)
with 52 (up two) deaths; Meri
wether, 1,883 ( U P 13) with 67
COVID-19, 4A
ft) Griffin Ob-Gyn
NOW SEEING PATIENTS IN THOMASTON
403 WEST MAIN STREET
TUESDAY-THURSDAY 8:30-4:30
CALL TO MAKE AN
APPOINTMENT TODAY:
(770)227.5505
(706)646.2888
Leigh Ann Story, CNV; Bryan Krepps, HO; Jim Dunaway, MD; Lou Hameli, MO; Holly Harrison, PA-C;
Nadine Nolting, CNH; Enid Lofters-Jones, MD; Megan Potter. MD; Katya Brickman. CNM; Ashley Johnson, PA