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‘Black Militia’ Group Trained in Upson County
Leader: 'We aren't protesters... demonstrators. We don't come to sing... chant. That's not what we do'
Members of the Not
F***ing Around Coalition,
a black nationalist para
military organization, con
ducted firearms training
exercises on property on
Kendall Road in Yatesville
early last month, accord
ing to a report from the
Upson County Sheriff s Of
fice.
The group left without
incident at the property
owner’s request, the report
stated.
On March 6, UCSO
Deputy Zachary Wall met
with the owner, who had
complained of “unwanted
subjects on the property.”
The owner told Deputy
Wall a “distant cousin in
vited the group... to the
land to shoot guns, but the
cousin did not have his
permission to invite
them,” according to the re
port.
The property owner
said, “Everything was fine,
there was just a misunder
standing.”
In his report, Walls
wrote he “observed ap
proximately to black
males in tactical uniforms
with AR style weapons and
handguns... pallets of am
munition... and out-of-
state tags on some of the
vehicles.” He told Sgt.
Neill Sanders, “I did not
have a good feeling about
the subjects, and was
Members of the NFAC in training.
going to wait around in the
area until the last one left.”
The property owner
told Walls when he ini
tially spoke with the sub
jects, they told him “they
were a militia and were
preparing for a race war.”
The owner said he imme
diately asked that they
leave the property.
While waiting, Walls
said he “observed approx
imately to black males
standing alongside the
roadway... they had ra
dioed the others that were
still on the property, tell
ing them to load the stuff
and leave.” A total of 15 to
20 individuals were
among the group, accord
ing to the report.
Walls said he spoke
with one of the subjects
that “seemed to be in
NFAC, 4 \
Photo Submitted.
Dr. Larry Derico, 2021 STAR Student Lance Greene, 2021 STAR Teacher Brian Sanders, and ULHS Principal Dr. Jarvis Price.
Greene and Sanders Named
2021 STAR Student and Teacher
Upson-Lee High Senior
Colton Keith Greene was
recently named the 2021
STAR Student for the
Thomaston-Upson School
System and he selected
Brian Sanders as the 2021
STAR Teacher.
The announcement
was made last Friday, and
the program is locally
sponsored by Thomaston
Kiwanis Club.
Greene was awarded
STAR Student for achiev
ing the highest score in
one sitting of the Scholas
tic Assessment Test taken
through the November test
date of his senior year. The
STAR Student must also
be in the top 10 percent of
his or her class, based on
grade point average. The
STAR Student is given the
opportunity to select a
STAR Student, aB
Lake
Thomaston
Closed
to Public
The City of Thomaston
has announced that Lake
Thomaston is not open to
the public, according to a
press release from City Man
ager Russell Thompson.
The city currently is “in
the planning phase” of de
termining necessary im
provements to help ensure
safety, ingress, and egress in
the area, the release states.
“Until further notice,
please note there is no cit
izen access to the facilities of
Lake Thomaston,” Thomp
son said.
8
10499 02461 2
Fire fighters tackle the fire from the south west side of the house. Photo by Luke Haney
Local House Fire Results in Total Loss
Thomaston Fire De
partment was dispatched
to a structure fire at 403
North Church Street last
Wednesday, which re
sulted in a total loss of the
structure, according to
TFD Chief Renee Harris.
TFD arrived on scene
to find flames on the rear
side of the house. A female
tenant was inside the res
idence and advised fire
House Fire, 5A
Upson, Thomaston,
& Yatesville Officials
Open SPLOST Talks
Projected Revenue: $23 Million
Officials with Upson
County, the City of Thom
aston, and the City of Ya
tesville participated in a
“2020 SPLOST Kickoff
Meeting” last week as the
first step toward funding a
projected $20 million judi
cial facility which could
serve the entire county.
The current special
purpose local option sales
tax, which added one
penny to every dollar of
consumer spending start
ing mid-2016, expires
June 30, 2022. The issue
must appear on the No
vember 2021 ballot to
avoid a lapse in collection
at the eight percent level.
“We’re all here today
SPLOST, 5A
Local Man Charged
With Felonies After
Indecent
Kelton Raines, 24, of
West Moores Crossing
Road in Thomaston, was
charged with obstruction
of law enforcement of
ficers and destruction of
government property last
week after exposing him
self to a clerk at Shell gas
station and convenience
store at Northside, accord-
Exposure
ing to a report from the
Thomaston Police Depart
ment.
The clerk said she was
in the interior checkout
counter when Raines at
tempted to open a locked
door leading to the se
cured area. “The suspect
Indecent Exposure, 5A
McGee Retires
After 45 Years
Photo Submitted
Russ McGee recently retired after working in
emergency medical servicesfor 45 years. McGee’s
last day with Georgia EMS was March 30.
McGee, who began working in EMS services at
the age of 18, worked while continuing his
education, graduated Gordon College in 1978,
and the University of Georgia in 1981. McGee
and his wife Cindy celebrate 40 years of mar
riage next month.
(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