Upson beacon. (Thomaston, Ga.) 2008-current, November 11, 2021, Image 1

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Newspaper Page TextI IF YOU ARE USING ' Philips CPAP, BiPAP or SoClean CALL US NOW, YOU MAY BE ENTITLED TO COMPENSATION Ejjl!mSssf (>' 706-646-3200 MUM ATTORNRYS AT , AW ■ VV W ■ W JfaW Vol. 14, No. 45 Rif Thursday, November 11, 2021 UPSON, BEACON Shining Light & Keeping Watch on Our Community upsonbeacon.com 219 Thomas Street, Thomaston, Ga. 30286 • 706.646.2382 50 Cents Newsline Nov, 11, 2021 City; County Offices Close Veterans Day Upson County and City of Thomaston government of fices will be closed Thursday, Nov. n in observation of Vet erans Day. The city will hold the annual Veterans Day Cer emony at Greatest Genera tion Memorial Park at 11 a.m. All offices will reopen Fri day, Nov. 12 and operate under normal business hours. Hightower Memorial Li brary and the Yatesville Pub lic Library will also be closed Thursday, Nov. 11. Property Tax Bills are Due Monday Upson County Tax Commissioner Andy Chas tain would like to remind property owners that tax bills are due Monday, Nov. 15- Bills may be paid in Tax Bills Due, 6A McGee Pitches Frisbee Golf to Park Committee Thomaston Public Works Director Kyle McGee received approval recently from the Greatest Generation Memorial Park Planning Committee to move forward with initia tion of disc golf at the venue. The pine thicket is an Frisbee Golf, 6A Christmas Lane 5K Run Set Dec. 11 The Thomaston-Upson Chamber of Commerce Christmas Lane 5K Run & Walk will be held starting at 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 11, according to chamber di rector Lori Smith. The race will begin at Silvertown Baptist Church, Christmas Lane 5K, 6A 8 10499 02461 2 Council Imposes Moratorium on Convenience Stores Missing Teen Found Monday In Phenix City Sixteen-year-old Mia Brad ford, reported missing Saturday night from Camp Thunder, has been found safe in Phenix City, Ala., according to Upson County Sheriff Dan Kilgore. Bradford, from West Palm Beach, Fla., was located at a Phe- Missing Teen, 5A Council members voted unanimously last week to enact a 120-day moratorium on new construction and relocation of convenience stores within Thom- aston’s city limits. The hiatus, effective Nov. 2, resembles a previous morato rium which included a lengthy list of businesses along with con venience stores. Action was taken, in part, based on the recent downtown master plan market analysis con ducted by WLA Studios. The analysis showed an excess of convenience stores in the area, with supply considerably out weighing demand, according to the report. Council also unanimously ap proved a $27,046 expense to Lake Specialist, Inc. for replace ment of a fountain in the fishing pond at Greatest Generation Me morial Park. ESG engineers recommended replacement because repair of the fountain would be more costly, according to City Manager Russell Thompson. The fountain motor will be re duced from 20 to 7.5-horsepower to reduce spray, which previously traveled across Highway 19 North, sometimes into Ingles’ parking lot, during windy con ditions. The new fountain also will feature color-controlled LED lighting which can be adjusted Council Moratorium, 9A Stallings Elected President of GMA District 4 Luke Haney/Upson Beacon L-R: Corinne Thornton, Georgia Department of Community Affairs; Thomaston City Council man Don Greathouse; Thomaston Economic Development Coordinator Taylor Smith; Thom aston Mayor Pro Tempore Doug Head; Jennifer Rogers, Tidal Wave Auto Spa; Georgia Department of Community Affairs Commissioner Christopher Nunn. Thomaston Awarded Rural Zone Designation Tax Credits Earned Starting Jan. 1 Thomaston was among to cities recently designated as “Rural Zones,” providing tax in centives for development, according to a press re lease from Cherie Bennett, economic development program manager with the Georgia Department of Community Affairs. The program is a col laboration between DCA and the Georgia Depart ment of Economic Devel opment. Since its creation in 2017, the initiative pro vides tax credits to indi viduals creating jobs and making qualifying invest ments within historic downtown areas that have been designated as Rural Zones. Each designation lasts for five years, and ac tivities to begin earning tax credits within these to new Rural Zones begins Jan. 1, 2022. Communities are en couraged to develop strategies like Thomas- ton’s recent downtown master plan and share in formation about the bene fits to businesses and investors. The program includes the following Georgia state income tax incen tives which are utilized for job-creation activities, in vestment in downtown properties, and ren ovation of properties. The credits can be layered, but none are available without the job creation element being present. The Job Tax Credit is equivalent to $2,000 per year for each new full time equivalent job for up to five years. The Invest ment Credit is equivalent to 25 percent of the pur chase price of a property within the designated Rural Zone, not to exceed $125,000. The Rehabilita tion Credit is equivalent to 30 percent of the qualified rehabilitation costs of a Rural Zone, 9A Thomaston Mayor J.D. Stallings recently was elected President of the Georgia Municipal Associ ation’s District 4 during the association’s annual convention in Savannah. In this role, Stallings will serve as a liaison be tween GMA and municipal officials in GMA’s District 4. He also will attend GMA-sponsored events, including the association’s annual convention; pro mote engagement in GMA activities and programs with other cities in the dis trict; advocate for GMA’s legislative priorities; and share with GMA staff any needs and concerns of member cities in their dis trict. Major Joseph Hall of Thomaston, a member of the U.S. Army Reserves, recently was inducted into the Honor Society for transportation officers. A resident of Thomas ton for the last seven years, Hall graduated in 2007 from the University of North Georgia with a Mayor J.D. Stallings As the District 4 pres ident, Stallings also will serve on GMA Board of Di rectors. Created in 1933, GMA is the only state organiza tion that represents mu nicipal governments in Georgia. Based in Atlanta, Mayor Stallings, 9A bachelor’s degree in his tory. He received an active duty commission as a sec ond lieutenant into the U.S. Army Transportation Corps, and transferred to the Army Reserves in 2011. Hall has completed two tours of duty in Iraq and Hall Inducted, 9A Hall Inducted In Transportation Honor Society (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; Megan Potter, MD; Katya Brickman, CNM; Ashley Johnson, PA

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Upson beacon. (Thomaston, Ga.) 2008-current, November 11, 2021, Image 1