Newspaper Page Text
Vol. 14, No. 31
Thursday, August 5, 2021
UPSON/imBEACON
Shining Light & Keeping Watch on Our Community
upsonbeacon.com 219 Thomas Street, Thomaston, Ga. 30286 • 706.646.2382 50 Cents
County Opts to Bank with Synovus
Commission Votes Unanimously to Move Millions Out of Upson
By Bridge Turner
bturner@upsonbeacon.com
Commissioners voted
unanimously last week to
consolidate Upson
County’s financial activity
at Georgia-based Synovus
Bank, potentially transfer
ring between $6 million
and $12 million from local
institutions.
County staff teamed
with Davenport & Com
pany, Upson’s financial
consultant, to narrow the
search from more than a
dozen financial institu
tions which showed inter
est, according to County
Manager Jason Tinsley.
Six submitted proposals,
four were chosen for oral
presentations, and the
final decision was made
between Synovus and U.S.
Bank.
Chase and SouthCrest
were among the final four.
Davenport vice pres
ident Ricardo Cornejo told
commissioners that key
considerations included a
platform for online bank
ing, including merchant
and credit card services;
government banking ex
perience; security features;
a dedicated team to service
Upson’s needs; the ability
to collateralize county
funds; and a favorable fee
schedule.
Davenport used a “nu
merical matrix” to select
Synovus, which has a
“strong experience with
Georgia clients” based on
references and back
ground checks, according
to Cornejo. Tinsley said he
was swayed by the integra
tion of all Synovus pro
cesses.
Commission Chairman
Norman Allen verified
with Tinsley and Cornejo
that all local banks were
County Banking, 7A
Photo by Luke Haney
URMC Administers 20,000th Vaccine
Bikers Against
Abuse Leads to
TPD Investigation
By Debbie McClain
dlord@upsonbeacon.com
The Upson Beacon reported in July
that the Thomaston Police Department
was investigating a non-profit organiza
tion called Bikers Against Abuse Inter
national out of Griffin and its founder,
Paul Michael Libri.
The investigation has expanded and
now involves multiple jurisdictions across
Georgia, and has been turned over to the
Georgia Bureau of Investigations. Local
law enforcement officials from the differ
ent counties and cities will assist the GBI.
Several weeks ago, Libri posted a
video on Bikers Against Abuse’s Facebook
page of an incident in Thomaston where
he claimed to “assist” law enforcement
Bikers Against Abuse, 8A
Service Day
8 # r
• Monday
o Tuesday
• Wednesday
• Thursday
• Friday
Photo Submitted
GFL will begin new routes on August 23.
Trash Talk
Continues
GFL in Crosshairs
By Bridge Turner
bturner@upsonbeacon.com
Commissioner James Ellington added
to recent complaints regarding quality of
garbage and trash service throughout the
county during a board meeting last week,
calling for a review of Upson’s contractual
agreement with GFL Environmental.
GFL has been under fire from city of
ficials and residents for weeks.
“I’ve received numerous calls this
week, numerous calls throughout the
Trash Talk Continues, yA
Upson Regional Medical Center distrib
uted 20,000 COVID-19 Vaccines as of Tues
day morning. Julious Mitchell, accompanied
by Wiljsean Evans, received her second dose
of the COVID-19 vaccine right after 11 a.m.
on Tuesday and says “it’s alright... Just take
it.”
URMC CEO Jeff Tarrant noted that the
Upson County population is at about 36 per
cent first-dose vaccinated, which is higher
than several nearby counties.
“We’re seeing another COVID wave
now,” commented Tarrant. “I would encour
age others to speak with their healthcare
providers to get an opinion about whether
they should be vaccinated... You shouldn’t
tmst social media as much as you trust your
family doctor. Have those conversations,
make a decision, and we’re here if you need
to get vaccinated.”
“We’re now seeing so much spread of this
vims and those who we’re hospitalizing is 95
percent unvaccinated.”
URMC Offers COVID-19 Vaccines on
Tuesdays and Fridays from 7:30 to 11 a.m.,
no appointment needed.
State & Local COVID Cases Surge
Upson County reports 3,628 positive COVID-19 cases with 133 deaths as of noon last
Tuesday, according to the Johns Hopkins University & Medicine Coronavirus Re
source Center. Full COVID-19 Update: 6A
89.7 ACRES
PARCEL 04410
NORTH GOODRICH
AVENUE
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LAND LOT 228/10
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Photo Si
ibmitted
the rendering shown represents ideas proposed for the equestrian
and mission center for City of Refuge South.
Commission
OKs First Leg
of’22 SPLOST
By Bridge Turner
bturner@upsonbeacon.com
County commissioners approved a
resolution last week which, if also ap
proved by the cities of Thomaston and Ya-
tesville, will ask residents to extend the
current one-cent special purpose local op
tion sales tax at the ballot box in No
vember.
Commissioners unanimously agreed
to a 2022 SPLOST projected to collect
more than $23 million over its life, almost
$15 million of which will be paid to the
county. The City of Thomaston would re
ceive approximately $8.2 million and Ya-
2022 SPLOST, 7A
Road Closure
Scheduled for
Friday Concert
There will be a temporary road closure of
West Main Street between South Center and
South Church Streets from 2-11 p.m. tomor
row, Friday, Aug. 6, according to a release
from the office of Thomaston City Manager
Russell Thompson.
The closure is related to an outdoor con
cert on the downtown square, sponsored by
the Thomaston-Upson Chamber of Com
merce. Traffic will be rerouted to Railroad
Street, located between Piggly Wiggly and
United Bank, the statement explains.
Anyone with questions or concerns should
contact the city manager’s office at 706-647-
4242.
CORS ‘Clears the Fog’ & Shares Plan for Facility
8 10499 02461 2
By Luke Haney
lhaney@upsonbeacon.com
City of Refuge South,
located at 803 N. Church
St. in Thomaston, invited
members of the com
munity to an infor
mational luncheon, with
goals to “disseminate clear
and factual informatio,”
and “solicit community
support,” according to
CORS Director Jeff Deel.
In addition to explain
ing current operations at
COR South, Deel also pro
vided information about
the organization’s 89.2-
acre tract of land, which is
planned to be used as an
equestrian center.
CEO Bruce Deel
founded City of Refuge 24
years ago in the Atlanta
area and has worked to
“bring light, hope, and
transformation to individ
uals and families experi
encing difficult life
challenges.” COR South is
an affiliate of the main op
eration, like many loca
tions around the country
who utilize the COR
model.
COR believes that com
munities are best served
when individuals,
churches, businesses, and
local government agencies
work together to make
their community a better,
safer, more productive
place to live, work, and
participate in commerce.
COR South’s Jeff Deel wel
comed attendees and
spoke on what brought
COR to Upson County.
“I would say Thomaston is
very blessed to have a COR
satellite here in our com-
City of Refuge, 8A
(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
