Newspaper Page Text
(Publication Number US PS 534-720)
143rd YEAR, NO. 44 THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2020 1 SECTION, 10 PAGES 50 CENTS PER COPY
Gunnar Watson Named Sun Belt Offensive
Player of the Week & Davey O’Brien Great 8
By Troy Athletics Communications, troytrojans.com
Coming off the best performance in his young career, Troy sophomore quarterback Gunnar Watson
has been named the Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Week and to the Davey O'Brien
Great 8 List
Watson completed 33-of-46 passes for 338 yards and four touchdowns in Troys victory over Texas
State in the Trojans’ home opener Oct. 12th. His completion total ranked as the 11th most in a
single game in school history while his four touchdown strikes tied for the ninth most.
In 2020, any player named to a Davey O'Brien Great 8 List during the season who was not
previously named to the Preseason Watch List will be added to the Midseason Watch List and will
be eligible for the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award, Forty-five players now comprise
the list following the additions of Connor Bazelak, Stetson Bennett, and Watson,
The native of Butier, GA, completed passes to 10 different players and led the Trojans on six
scoring drives and 10 overall drives that ended with a scoring opportunity. In the first half, Watson
completed 23-of-30 passes for 263 yards and three touchdowns.
Watson entered Troy’s game against Eastern Kentucky with the flfth-longcst streak in the coun
try with 105 consecutive pass attempts without an interception. For the season, ho has completed
69 percent of his passes with six touchdowns and just one interception.
While throwing a touchdown pass against Georgia State on Oct. 24th, Gunnar was injured. He is
expected to be out for a few games.
Gunnar is the son of Jeff and Mindy Watson of Butler.
Jeremy Williams Is New Taylor County Fire
Chief/Volunteer Firefighters Are Needled
Jeremy Williams has been
hired as the new Taylor County
Fire Chief by the Taylor County
Board of Commissioners.
Williams introduces himself
to you, as follows:
“My name is Jeremy Will
iams. 1 have been selected by
your county commissioners as
the new Taylor County Fire
Chief. My background hegjins
right here in Taylor County, as
1 spent the lirst 14 years of my
life living in Reynolds, I have
always considered Taylor
County as home, and in 2019, I
returned to Taylor County with
my family (wife and four chil
dren) to stay.
“My Fire Service experience
ranges from volunteer to career
(Municipal and Industrial) that
started in 2004, My goal is to
continue building and bettering
the Taylor County Fire Depart
ment to provide fire and rescue
service to our citizens and
people traveling through.
“If I have learned anything in
my career, it would be that
>See Firefighters on p, 6
DOT Detour Plan During Construction
Of Hwy. 128 Bridges Is Not Acceptable
To Reynolds Mayor And Council
By VALORI MOORE
The Reynolds Mayor and City
Council held its regular
monthly meeting on Oct. 19th.
Mayor Butch Turner advised
that he received a letter from
DOT with a detour plan during
construction of the new bridges
on Hwy. 128, just north of town.
The proposed plan will direct
traffic onto Hwy, 1.37 to Butler,
then back to Reynolds, Using
state routes, the detour is ap
proximately 30 miles, and the
road will be closed for around
18 months. Construction is not
expected until 2022-2023, hut
Mayor Turner said this detour
is not acceptable. He is inter
ested in a temporary bridge,
and DOT will be made aware
of the Council’s concerns.
Beverly Law was appointed to
serve on the Taylor County Li
brary Board.
It was also reported that the
Family Connection budget was
previously cut to $43,000/year,
from $48,000/year. The fund
ing is now back up to $48,000/
yean
Police Chief Lonnie Holder
advised that two officers are in
training this month, and two
will finish training in Novem
ber. This will complete annual
training for the police depart
ment.
Chief Holder said the
department’s email is down,
and a new IT representative
may be needed. The current IT
representative is backed up
with work, and the email has
been down for I 1/2 months.
Meetings will be scheduled
with new IT representatives.
Public Works Director Scott
Jones noted that the bid open-
>See Reynolds Council on p 8
16 Year Old Male Reported Missing
October 30th Has Been Located
According to Taylor County
Sheriff Jeff Watson, on Oct.
30th, Nicholas Rodriquez, a 16
year old male, was reported
missing by his father. His di
rection of travel was not
known, but he w as traveling on
foot,
The sheriff’s office began a
search and posted a “missing
person" notice on Facebook.
On Monday, Nov, 2nd, Sheriff
Watson called the Alpha Dog
Search Team. Nicholas was
found safe in Geneva, GA by
the Taylor County Sheriff’s Of
fice. prior to Alpha Team’s ar
rival, Nicholas is in good con
dition, other than a few
scratches.
The Taylor County Sheriff’s
Office thanks citizens for their
assistance in locating this
young man.
Reynolds Police Department Recovers
Stolen Gun/Drugs During Traffic Stop
According to Reynolds Police
Chief Lonnie J, Holder, on Oct.
30th, Officer Danny Anthony,
Jr, was running stationary ra
dar on Georgia Hwy. 96 East,
when he observed a vehicle
traveling at a high rate of
speed, Officer Anthony initi
ated a traffic stop. As he ap
proached the vehicle and ex
plained the reason for the stop,
he detected the odor of mari
juana coming from the vehicle.
Officer Anthony also observed
the driver and a passenger
swapping seats.
Officer Anthony asked the
driver and passengers if mari
juana was in the vehicle. The
driver, Eric Johnson, a 30 year
old male of Vidalia, GA, stated
that he had marijuana and a
firearm under the passenger
seat.
Johnson and the passengers
>See Reynolds P.D. on p. 8
LOCAL
RESULTS
Record voter turnout across
the nation, state, and county
delayed election results at
press time, but unofficial re
sults, without absentee bal
lots, are in for Taylor County.
There are three contested races
to be determined in the county,
Clerk of Superior Court, Dis
trict 5 County Commissioner,
and District 2 Board of Educa
tion. (Changes in results will
be reported in next week's edi
tion.)
In the county wide race for
Taylor County Clerk of Supe
rior Court, Incumbent Lisa
McDonald (Dem) received
1,720 votes (58.23%), over
Teresa Winsor (Rep), with
1,234 votes (41.77%).
For the District 5 seat on the
Taylor County Board of Com
missioners, Randy Nelson
(Rep) was leading over Sybil
Willingham (Ind) to keep his
seat on the board. Nelson gath-
ered 463 votes (75.04%) to
Willingham's 154 votes
(24.96%).
Mitchell Harris (Rep) was in
the lead for the District 2 Board
of Education seat, with 289
votes (59.22%) over Incumbent
Mary Bentley (Dem), with 199
votes (40.78%).
For President of the United
States of America, Taylor
County voters overwhelmingly
voted for Donald Trump (Rep),
with 2,113 votes (69.51%) over
Joe Biden (Dem), with 896
votes (29.47%). Jo Jorgensen
(Lib) received 31 votes (1.02%).
At press time, Thump was lead
ing in Georgia, but it was too
close to call.
For U S. House of Represen
tatives District 2, the Taylor
County vote went to Don Cole
(Rep), with 1,984 votes
(67.12%), while Incumbent
>See Electron Results on p. 10
Commissioner Tameka Harris
Asks Board To Address Citizens’
Complaints In Open Meeting
By VALORI MOORE
Editor
On Oct, 27th, the Taylor
County Board of Commission
ers held its regular November
meeting. The meeting was
changed due to the Commis
sioners’ meeting room being
lised as a polling place on elec
tion day, Nov. 3rd, which is
when the meeting was origi
nally scheduled.
At the dose of the meeting,
Commissioner Tameka Harris
addressed the Board- She ex
plained that at the October
>See Commissioners on p. 8
EMS Director Brandon Everett
Introduces Current EMS Staff
Taylor County EMS Director Brandon Everett would like to introduce the current Taylor County
EMS staff to all the Taylor County citizens. Everett said, “We have a very well rounded staff from
various surrounding counties, including our own. The knowledge, strength, and skills that our
current staff brings with them makes Taylor County EMS the best service around, in my option.”
Pictured (1-r) are: Jeremy Williams, EMT-B; Ashleigh Johnson, EMT-A; Kimberly Harrison, EMT-B
and ,|R Cooper,Paramedic.
Pictured (1-r) are: Mary Hinton, EMT-I; Tyler McciiUars, EMT-A; Gavin Hall, Paramedic; and Mike
Sellars. EMT-I.
Pictured (1-r) are: Shawn Folds, EMT-A; Andrew Jones. EMT-B; Thomas Hoffman, EMT-B; and Abb
Preston, Paramedic.
Pictured are full-time staff. There are several great part-time employees, including: Jimmy Carver,
Paramedic; Alton Allen, EMT-I; Ben Ragan, Paramedic; Mo Morgan, EMT-A/RN; William Salter,
EMT-A; and Daniel Varga, Paramedic.