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OUR UPSON LEE KNIGHTS
RlfUSl TO lOStl
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Sending Support and Wishing Success for All of Our Upson Lee Teams
See the State Basketball
Playoff Schedule, 4B
Vol. 14, No. 8
Thursday, February 25, 2021
UPSIP
eacon
108 East Gordon Street, Thomaston, Ga. 30286 706-646-2382
Council Commits $7 million to Sewer Upgrades
By Bridge Turner
Managing Editor
Thomaston City Coun
cil members voted unani
mously last week to
commit almost $7 million
to sewer system improve
ments, addressing a years-
long priority for local
government officials and
potentially solving an in
frastructure weakness for
decades.
About $4.5 million will
be funded through grants
at the federal and state
levels, according to City
Manager Russell Thomp
son, relieving excessive
burden on local taxpayers.
Lakeshore Engineering
of Atlanta was awarded a
$4-355 million bid for
wastewater plant upgrades
including a clarifier, and
United Grading & Exca
vating of Fairburn re
ceived the nod for $2,596
million to refurbish the
Town Branch interceptor.
Both were the low bidders
for respective projects.
“We could have a cata
strophic failure on the
pipeline at any time,”
Thompson told council
members regarding the
current condition of sewer
infrastructure.
City Council, 4A
Kahn Recovering
at Home After
Being Shot 6 Times
Upson County Sheriff Dan Kilgore
said “it’s a miracle” that a 64-year-old
local businessman shot six times in an at
tempted robbery earlier this month is
alive.
Ali Kahn, who owns convenience
stores in Upson County and Columbus, is
currently recovering at his Marlon Street
residence following a lengthy stay at
Macon Medical Center.
Kahn, yA
TPD Investigating
Stalking, Burglary
With Shots Fired
Thomaston Police Department has
not released the name of an individual
believed to be involved in an aggravated
stalking and first-degree burglary on
South Bethel Street last week.
After an “unwanted person” com
plaint two hours earlier, TPD officers
were dispatched to the same address in
reference to an “intruder in home” and
shots fired. A female, with her son, had
TPD, 4A
Zac Hendrix and Taeden Johnson at Super Bowl LV.
Upson Native Paves Way
for Mentee after Tragic Fire
By Luke Haney
Lifestyles Editor
Taeden Johnson, age 12, woke
early morning Jan. 27 to find his
Clarke County home ablaze. He
managed to escape, wounded, and
ran to a neighbor’s house to call
911.
Johnson suffered burn wounds
on his face, elbow, and arm, in ad
dition to losing everything he
Mentee, 4A
Boy Scouts Thank Local Healthcare Workers
“Tiger Cubs” from local Boy Scout Troop 25 chose both workers and presented them just days before Valentine’s
Community Ambulance of Thomaston and Upson County Day.
Health Department as recipients of the troop’s community “We are grateful for their hard work and dedication at
appreciation service project for 2021. all times, but especially now, working amidst a pandemic,”
Scouts created “Thank You” cards for the healthcare commented Troop Mom Shelley Hendricks.
8
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City Rescinds Power
Cost Hike for 90 Days
‘Perfect Storm’ of Factors Resulted
in Multiple Resident Complaints
By Bridge Turner
Managing Editor
Following concerns ex
pressed by councilman
Jeff Middlebrooks, the
Thomaston City Council
voted unanimously last
week to rescind a recently
enacted power cost adjust
ment aimed at servicing
debt related to Georgia’s
Plant Vogtle nuclear facil
ity.
Because of a previous
administration’s commit
ment through the Munici
pal Electric Authority of
Georgia to participate in
the plant’s expansion, the
City of Thomaston faces a
multi-million-dollar debt
which increases annually.
The longer the city waits to
address servicing the debt,
Councilman
Jeff Middlebrooks
the more costly it will be
come to power customers,
according to local officials.
However, Middle
brooks said, “Now is not
the right time.”
Middlebrooks told
Power Cost, 4A
Culloden Man Charged
with Vehicular Homicide
Robert Folks, 58, of
Highway 74 in Culloden
has been charged with
homicide by vehicle in the
first degree in the death of
49-year-old John Steve
Talmadge of Thomaston,
resulting from a head-on
collision last week on Del
ray Road, according to re
ports obtained from
Georgia State Patrol Post
26 and the Upson County
Sheriff s Office.
According to the GSP
report, Folks was traveling
too fast for conditions on a
wet roadway, crossed the
center line, and struck the
front left portion of Tal-
madge’s vehicle near the
intersection of Delray and
East Moore’s Crossing
Roads. After impact, both
vehicles came to rest on
the shoulder of Delray
Road, the report states.
One witness stated that
Folks’ vehicle “nearly ran
him off the roadway” trav
eling “at a high rate of
speed” and “was weaving
back and forth across the
roadway and driving in a
reckless manner,” accord
ing to the report. A second
witness traveling West on
Delray said she saw Folks’
vehicle crest a hill at a high
rate of speed, cross the
center line, and strike Tal-
madge’s vehicle head on.
In addition to the fel
ony, Folks has been
charged with driving
under the influence (less
Homicide, yA
Groundbreaking
Slated March 12
for New TFD
A groundbreaking ceremony for the new
Thomaston Fire Department will be held on
site Friday, March 12 at 11 a.m. at 615 N.
Church Street. All are invited to attend, ac
cording to a release by Mayor J.D. Stallings
and the Thomaston City Council.
(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
