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The Upson Beacon Thursday, June 3, 2021
Senior Center Holds ‘Kentucky Derby’
Photos by Luke Haney
City Manager Russell Thompson placed first, followed by Upson IT network administrator Brent
King, Upson IT director Robert Haney, city finance director Lonnie Joyce, and Mayor J.D. Stallings.
V I ^
Some ladies created their own hats for the event.
The Area Agency on
Aging annually celebrates
Senior Month with a
unique theme. This year,
the theme was the “Ken
tucky Derby” and all sen
ior women dressed in their
“fancy dresses and hats,”
while the men were
“snazzy in their dress
shirts and bow ties,”
thanks to Charlotte Han
cock.
Seniors were served
“mocktails,” “no-jitos,”
“cos-no-politans,” and
Shirley Temples, alongside
“fancy boxed lunches” of
pimento cheese sand
wiches, chicken salad
sandwiches, chips, and
cookies.
The seniors enjoyed a
mock derby race with
hobby horses with racers
from the City of Thomas-
ton and Upson County.
City Manager Russell
Thompson placed first,
followed by Upson IT net
work administrator Brent
King, Upson IT director
Robert Haney, city finance
director Lonnie Joyce, and
Mayor J.D. Stallings.
Those at the Thomas-
ton-Upson Senior Center
would like to thank all par
ticipants for “giving so
selflessly for our enjoy
ment,” according to direc
tor Donna Auth.
Thanks go to the team
at the Senior Center: Cindy
Chapman, Shirley Skelton,
Eddie Mae Daniel, Martha
Jo Willis, Riki Joiner, and
Jour-Dyn Williams.
“Without these people,
this event would not have
been possible,” said Auth.
“The seniors had a great
time and we plan to make
[the Kentucky Derby] a
yearly event.”
Property,
Judge Danielle McRae each
addressed their concerns
and issues regarding the ex
isting county courthouse.
Judge Stephen Ott, presid
ing judge of the juvenile
court, provided the board
with a letter addressing his
opinion on the challenges his
court faces in the existing
courthouse.
After executive session,
the board voted to authorize
Chairman Allen to execute
several options to purchase
property for consideration.
The options to purchase
include two properties that
include property owned by
Charles E. Daniel and
Charles F. Daniel, approx
imately 27 acres bordered by
West Main and West Walker
Streets, offered at $550,000.
The other property is owned
by Chad Murphy, approx
imately 30 acres located off
Hwy 19 South, offered at
$583,000. The due diligence
period for both is 90 days
from execution, during
which time the county will
conduct due diligence to de
termine the best site for con
struction of the new court
facility.
Most of the funding for
the purchase of the property
will come from the proceeds
of surplus property sales,
monies that the board had
set aside for this specific
purpose. Citizens will have
the opportunity to decide on
whether funding from the
new SPLOST will be used to
pay bond indebtedness in
this November’s referen
dum.
Discussions on a new fa
cility began before many of
the board members ever
took office and has been an
item the current board has
Continued from Front
worked on for some time.
Chairman Allen stated, “Ad
dressing the public safety
needs of our community is
one of our primary responsi
bilities and for years we have
heard the concerns of those
people serving in our public
safety and justice system of
the problems with our cur
rent situation. As we con
tinue to review our options,
I encourage citizens to offer
their suggestions and to
reach out to the other elected
officials if they would like to
learn more about the specific
needs and challenges.”
Moratorium Ends,
Continued from Front
and prevented one from
pursuing a special exception
for potential storage units.
“It was fewer than we
anticipated,” he stated.
Commissioner Paul
Jones cast the opposing vote
and suggested the morato
rium be extended while
county zoning ordinances
are updated.
“It didn’t solve any
thing,” Jones said of the six-
month hiatus. “We did it to
coincide with the city, and
we don’t have a solution
yet.”
Tinsley told Jones that
county staff recommended
following the city’s lead dur-
Norris,
gifts.
Audrey, who collapsed
and went into cardiac arrest
at her school’s field day event,
was admitted to Scottish Rite
Hospital and later Children’s
Healthcare of Atlanta -
Egleston Hospital, where
doctors performed several
tests and later decided to pro
vide Audrey with a vest that
serves as a defibrillator. She
was able to come home with
the vest and rested so that she
could see her sister graduate.
The family still awaits re
sults from genetic testing,
which should provide more
answers and a solid path for
Audrey’s health.
As Audrey entered the
back gates at Matthews Field,
she was welcomed by
members of Community Am
bulance, Thomaston Fire De
partment, and Upson County
Sheriffs Office, who were
happy to see Audrey back in
town and on her feet.
During her sister’s vale
dictorian speech, Lindsay
Norris referenced the recent
events taking place in her
family by sharing lessons
learned and words of inspira
tion for her classmates.
“The events of this last
week have solidified the fact
that nothing in life is guaran
teed, so cherish every mo-
ing the initial six months out
of concern for “spill over”
outside the city limits result
ing from council’s action.
“And there really hasn’t
been any,” Tinsley said.
Chairman Norman Allen
voted to end the morato
rium.
“Is it fair to entrepre
neurs and people in the
community who have
plans?” he asked. “We’re
putting them on hold, and
we haven’t produced a thing
to provide them the guid
ance they need.”
In other business:
•Tinsley told commis
sioners that weekly COVID-
ment you have,” said Norris.
“Don’t skip through life try
ing to get to what is ‘impor
tant’ when every moment you
have ought to be important.”
Coordinated by B.J. Jen
kins and other individuals in
volved with Community
Ambulance, Audrey received
a gift bag of candies, coloring
books, and her favorite gift -
a plush horse. Her mother,
Bethany Norris, was also
given a gift.
“Audrey got to see all the
amazing people who helped
her on the 18th when she had
to go to Scottish Rite,” wrote
Bethany Norris. “As she
walked up, they all clapped
for her. Her voice is weak,
and she doesn’t talk much be
cause of it, but she later told
me it made her happy to see
them.
She doesn’t remember
that day, thank God, but I am
sure it did all of them good to
see her well and healthy.
These are all incredible
people. We are lucky to have
these compassionate people
like this in our community.
They made time out of their
busy schedules to come see
her, and that means the
world to me.”
The family sends thanks
to all who have sent Audrey
letters, prayed for the family,
19 conference calls among
local officials have been sus
pended based on reduction
of new cases in Upson. He
added that more than 80
percent of elderly residents
have been vaccinated and
Upson Regional Medical
Center is allowing walk-in
vaccinations without ap
pointments.
•Delivery and installa
tion of the newly fabricated
courthouse clock tower has
been delayed until Aug. 9
because of staffing shortage
at the manufacturer, Tinsley
said.
•Allen announced that
the county is seeking life-
donated, and those who were
present and assisted in this
time of need, including
Upson Lee Middle School
Principal Rhonda Gulley, sys
tem Superintendent Dr.
Larry Derico, Robyn Greer,
Deborah Hopper, Nick Eng-
guards for the recreation
swimming pool, and that
staffing shortage has caused
delays to the county’s cur
rent road resurfacing proj
ect. “There are plenty of
jobs,” Allen said, referring to
lack of workforce. “I’ve
never seen anything like
this.”
•Allen praised URMC
CEO Jeff Tarrant and all
local health workers for
their perseverance and ef
fectiveness during the pan
demic.
•Jones reminded that
homestead exemptions re
main a priority for commis
sioners.
Continued from Front
lish, Andrew Wells, local
EMS staff and first re
sponders, those at Scottish
Rite and CHOA, as well as all
in the community who have
supported Audrey and the
family during this time.
DON’T BE THE DEALER.
BE THE DIFFERENCE
, C.0 U *'£■//
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Sheriff Reports Arrests
Recent arrests and
charges reported by the of
fice of Upson County Sher
iff Dan Kilgore include the
following:
Brandon Marqueze Gil
bert, trafficking in meth-
amphetamine;
Keshun Lamar An
drews, possession of a
Schedule I controlled sub
stance;
Angelica Elizabeth Pol
lard, first degree forgery,
along with misdemeanor
giving false name, address,
or birthdate to law en
forcement;
Sharon Quebec Barnes,
terroristic threats and acts
and felony probation vio
lation (battery, Family Vi
olence Act);
Cameron Trey Raybon,
felony probation violation
(terroristic threats and
acts), along with misde
meanor criminal trespass
(FVA) and failure to ap
pear;
Petey Wheatstraw
Watts, two counts of fel
ony probation violation
(possession of meth and
shoplifting);
Zachary James Melton,
terroristic threats and acts;
Cornelius Duran
Walker, felony fleeing or
attempting to elude, along
with misdemeanor reck
less driving.
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