Newspaper Page Text
Vol. 14, No. 27
UPSON
Thursday, July 8, 2021
BEACON
Shining Light & Keeping Watch on Our Community
upsonbeacon.com
219 Thomas Street, Thomaston, Ga. 30286 • 706.646.2382
50 Cents
City a County: We Have a Deal
Officials Ink Joint Wastewater Service Delivery Agreement
By Bridge Turner
bturner@upsonbeacon.com
After years of debate,
members of the Upson
County Commission and
Thomaston City Council
voted unanimously last
week to approve a new
joint wastewater service
delivery agreement which
should enhance the re
cruitment of industry lo
cally.
The commission and
council convened “special
called meetings” last
Thursday and Friday, re
spectively, to clear the
final hurdle of what both
governing bodies have
tagged as a top priority for
area growth.
“This is a huge accom
plishment for both parties
- all three parties - in
volved,” Mayor J.D. Stall
ings said after the city vote
Friday, adding the Indus
trial Development Au
thority to the joint effort.
“We look for good things
moving forward.”
“It’s a good day for our
community,” commission
Chairman Norman Allen
said following the county
vote Thursday morning.
“Is it perfect for either
party? Probably not. But I
think it’s solid,” City Man
ager Russell Thompson
told council members after
recommending approval
of the contract. “It puts the
city in a good position, and
the IDA in a good position
to market [Upson
County].”
Ranew Company was
an immediate beneficiary
of the new contract, receiv
ing an additional 15,000
gallons per day of capacity
for its manufacturing and
fabricating plant located at
the Central Georgia Busi
ness & Technology Park on
City & County, 5A
Property Owners
Air Complaints to
Mayor & Council
Code Enforcement Questioned
By Bridge Turner
bturner@upsonbeacon.com
Two Thomaston property owners addressed
city council members during the public com
ments segment of last week’s meeting, lodging
complaints about what they deemed blight and
unequal application of code enforcement.
Chris Daniel, who owns multiple houses for
rent and for sale on both sides of the Highway 19
North corridor, said the perception of potential
renters and buyers is that the east side of the
roadway is neglected.
“When I get a call, they ask, ‘Is it on the good
side or the bad side?”’ Daniel told council
members. “When I ask which is the bad side,
they say, ‘Where they tore the old mill down.’”
Daniel stated that the west side, which in
cludes Greatest Generation Memorial Park, is
“beautiful” and the east side “has debris, ro
dents, and high grass.” He voiced his opinion
that codes are not enforced equally on both sides
of the highway.
“It looks like bombs have been dropped
[where previous mill buildings have been demol
ished],” he said. “Why has nothing been done?
When will something be done? It’s been like this
for at least four or five years.”
Daniel compared Thomaston to Griffin,
where “they tear down, clean up, and place a lien
on property” when owners fail to comply with
codes or fail to respond to enforcement. Upson
County recently initiated a similar system to ad
dress blighted property.
“The neighborhood is at a turning point,”
Property Owners, 5A
Beckett Watson could not contain his excitement when the fireworks show began.
Fireworks Flair
at Freedom Fest
Hundreds gathered at the Greatest Generation Memorial Park on
Sunday to celebrate Independence Day at the City of Thomaston’s
Annual Freedom Fest. See additional photos on Page lB.
City Manager
Presents Case for
Millage Rollback
By Bridge Turner
bturner@upsonbeacon.com
City Manager Russell Thompson told council
members last week that a net digest increase in
2021 would allow for a millage rollback while
preserving a slight net increase in tax levy for
Thomaston.
The net digest rose from $235,286,354 in
2020 to $243,724,252 in 2021, according to
Thompson. He said council could roll back the
millage rate from 3.412 to 3.320, resulting in a
tax levy net increase of $6,367.
No formal action was taken on setting a mil
lage rate.
In other business, council voted unanimously
to authorize Mayor J.D. Stallings to execute a
contract for a $3 million GEFA loan tied to the
city’s sewer upgrade project. According to
Thompson, $1.1 million will be forgiven (essen
tially a grant), and the $1.9 million balance will
be repaid on 20-year note at 1.13 percent interest
rate.
The loan previously was secured by the “full
faith and credit of the city,” Thompson said.
Council also voted unanimously to annex 1.17
acres of property at 1070 Highway 19 North
owned by Robert Fallin into the city, zoned C-2,
and voted unanimously to approve adding June-
teenth to the city’s holiday calendar.
Thompson told council members that he,
Mayor Stallings, City Attorney DeAnn Wheeler,
and Finance Director Lonnie Joyce met with
County Manager Jason Tinsley, Commissioner
James Ellington, Chairman Norman Allen, and
County Attorney Paschal English regarding the
joint sewage agreement.
City Manager, 5A
New Beacon Website Unveiled
Photo by Kinsley Riggins
Crystal York standing with her father, John Thomas York Jr., as he donates blood.
Red Cross Blood Drive Held
for Sickle Cell Disease
By Luke Haney
lhaney@upsonbeacon.com
The Upson Beacon is
proud to announce the ad
dition of a brand-new web
site to provide readers
with easier access to news
and online services.
The Beacon will still
offer tidbits of news free
for non-subscribers, but
current print subscribers
will be able to read the en
tire Upson Beacon online.
In addition to accessing all
the news online, sub
scribers will also have ac-
8 10499 02461 2
cess to weekly newspaper
E-editions, available every
Thursday.
Special publications,
like the 2021 Upson
Woman Magazine, are
available for free.
Full online access for
current subscribers is now
available. Current sub
scribers can email lha-
ney@upsonbeacon.com
now with name, street ad
dress, and phone number,
and the online account will
be activated. Online only
subscriptions will be of
fered.
To subscribe to print
and online services, click
the “Subscribe” button
found at the top of the
main page. If using a mo
bile device, scroll to the
bottom of any page on the
website and find the “Sub
scribe” link under “Ser
vices.”
The Beacon now offers
submission services
through the website. At
www.upsonbeacon.com,
users can now submit
stories and milestones,
view or submit classified
listings, comment on
stories, and much more,
all from a desktop, tablet,
or mobile device.
Lifestyle announce
ments, like anniversaries,
birthdays, engagements,
and weddings, remain free
to submit.
For more information
or to ask questions, please
email lhaney@upsonbea-
con.com.
By Kinsley Riggins
Staff Writer
The Central Georgia
Chapter of the American
Red Cross hosted a “Sickle
Cell Fighter” Blood Drive
at Eddie Collier Com
munity Park on June 29.
The drive was led by
Thomaston native and
member of the American
Red Cross Diversity Inclu
sion Committee Crystal
York to raise awareness for
Sickle Cell Disease in the
area.
With a goal of collect
ing 25 units of blood, Red
Blood Drive, 5A
Qualifying Aug. 18-20
for Yatesville Council
Qualifying for three at-large Yatesville City Council seats
will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 18-20 at City Hall in
Yatesville, according to local election officials.
Qualifying fee is $24 for each position.
(0 Griffin Ob-Gyn
NOW SEEING PATIENTS IN THOMASTON
403 WEST MAIN STREET
TUESDAY-THURSDAY 8:30-4:30
CALL TO MAKE AN
APPOINTMENT TODAY:
(770)227.5505
(706)646.2888
Leigh Ann Story, CNV; Bryan Krepps, HO; Jim Dunaway, MD; Lou Hameli, MO; Holly Harrison, PA-C;
Nadine Nolting, CNH; Enid Lofters-Jones, MD; Megan Potter. MD; Katya Brickman. CNM; Ashley Johnson, PA