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The Beacon Has Moved!
The Upson Beacon has officially moved into new offices, located at 219 Thomas Street in Thomaston.
The new location at the corner of Thomas and South Green Streets offers convenient
access and additional parking for customers, according to Beacon management.
Upson Newspapers, Inc. and Flint River Media, LLC operations also are housed at the Thomas Street offices.
Vol. 14, No. 23 Thursday, June 10,2021 .50
IDA Director: We Need People to Work
‘Hundreds of Jobs Available... There’s No Way to Sugar Coat It
By Bridge Turner
bturner@upsonbeacon.com
Thomaston-Upson Industrial
Development Authority Ex
ecutive Director Kyle Fletcher’s
message to local officials last
week was clear: Businesses and
industries need workers.
“I think we’re at a crossroads,
and we need to quit skirting the
issue,” Fletcher told members of
the Thomaston City Council. “If
we want to continue to attract
industry... it’s hard for us to do
our job when our community is
not going to come to work.”
Fletcher voiced concerns to
the council and the newly
formed community relations
committee regarding workforce
motivation and skill sets, asking
officials to “Help me spread the
word.” She said she also met
with high school and technical
school administrators, and plans
to address the county commis
sion.
“It was said at the com
munity relations committee
meeting that we need jobs,”
Fletcher said. “No, we don’t need
jobs. It’s the opposite. We need
people to work jobs.
“Go back to your districts and
neighborhoods and tell them no
body’s going to knock on your
door and say, ‘Come work for
me’,” she continued. “They have
to be aggressive, whether it’s
searching on the internet or
making personal contact with
businesses.”
According to Fletcher, 80
percent of job growth stems
from existing industries, and
starting pay is determined by
skills and experience. But in the
current climate, even entry level
workers starting at minimum
Workers Needed, jA
File Photo
Kyle Fletcher, IDA
Photo by Debbie McClain
Tent tops are visible above the recently installed fence around the "tent city" on Rest Haven Road.
Rest Haven Road
‘Tent City’ Draws
Area Complaints
Ties to Militia Alleged
By Bridge Turner
bturner@upsonbeacon.com
County officials have
received multiple com
plaints about a “tent city”
on Rest Haven Road in
habited by at least one in
dividual with alleged ties
to a militia group found
training on Kendall Road
in Yatesville in March.
Commissioner Paul
Jones told his counter
parts during a work ses
sion last week that he had
received numerous phone
calls from his constituents
in the area, some com
plaining of gunfire.
“They’re part of a mili
tia group. The sheriff went
to see them. They’re out
there shooting, but they’re
shooting blanks - multiple
blanks,” Jones said. “Is
that something that we, as
a county, want to have in
our back yard? A tent
city?”
Tent City, 5A
Community Relations: Smith Makes
Personal Statement on Racism
By Bridge Turner
bturner@upsonbeacon.com
Pastor Greg Smith read
a prepared, personal state
ment to members of
Thomaston’s Community
Relations Committee last
week before suggesting
that Georgia’s law protect
ing Confederate monu
ments should be
challenged and changed.
“I’ve been in Thomas
ton almost 35 years,”
Smith said. “...My first en
counter with racism was
putting a contract on a
home on Jackson Avenue,
where someone graffitied
the house before we
closed, and said we were
File Photo
Pastor Greg Smith
not welcome - that’s the
edited version.
“We knew it was meant
to scare us away from the
neighborhood, but it con
firmed that was exactly
where we were supposed
to be,” he continued.
“Since that time, we’ve
been breaking down walls
and building bridges in
this community.”
Smith said he never re
gretted moving to Upson
County, but added, “The
most challenging task is
race relations.” His com
ments preceded a discus
sion of the R.E. Lee name
on the government com
plex, a sensitive topic with
which the committee has
been tasked with tackling.
“When you say ‘Con
federacy,’ one group
thinks heritage and his
tory, and one group thinks
oppression and suprem-
Smith Statement, 5A
Community Fun Day
Held at Civic Center
Photo by Kinsley Riggins
Participants enjoy a sack race during the Community Fun Day.
8
10499 02461 2
Council Approves City Draft
of Joint Sewage Agreement
By Bridge Turner
bturner@upsonbeacon.com
Council members
voted unanimously last
week to approve the City of
Thomaston’s draft of an
intergovernmental agree
ment for provision of
wastewater service.
The contract, if ac
cepted by the Upson
County Commission, will
address what local officials
have deemed a top priority
for years and increase ca
pacity crucial to industrial
recruitment and devel
opment. The document
would nullify and replace
all past joint agreements
regarding water and sewer
service, according to City
Manager Russell Thomp
son.
In addition to in
creased capacity to the
Georgia Business & Tech
nology Park, the contract
addresses a $2.9 million
funding gap for the $10
Sewage Contract, 5A
By Kinsley Riggins
Staff Writer
The Thomaston-Upson
Recreation Department
hosted Community Fun
Day at the civic center June
4. Several businesses in
cluding 92.5 The Bear,
Chick-fil-A, and DB’s Ex
press Train set up booths
and provided a “fun day” for
the community. Residents
participated in friendly
competitions and children
played on water slides on
the fields surrounding the
civic center.
Vendors present at the
event sold everything from
food to jewelry, while others
provided face paintings and
train rides for children. The
Community Fun Day is one
of many events the Recrea
tion Department is con
ducting during summer.
With school ending and
summer beginning, be sure
to watch for events and ac
tivities hosted by the rec
reation department.
(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
