Newspaper Page Text
Vol. 14, No. 48
Thursday, December 2, 2021
UPSON.
BEACON
Shining Light & Keeping Watch on Our Community
upsonbeacon.com
219 Thomas Street, Thomaston, Ga. 30286 • 706.646.2382
50 Cents
Thiel Urges
Commission to
‘Invest’ in EMS
‘If Taylor County Can
Have One, You Can Too’
Bridge Turner
Managing Editor
bturner@upsonbeacon.com
Thomaston Fire Department Cap
tain Joey Thiel, a retired 20-year
emergency medical technician, told
commissioners last week that Upson’s
“best option” is to regain the zone’s
911 license and establish county-based
emergency medical service.
Community Ambulance, the cur
rent EMS provider, recently sub
mitted a letter of non-renewal to
commissioners, stating its last day of
service will be Feb. 13, 2022. Thiel
called Community’s leadership and
management “inadequate,” pointing
to multiple cases of poor response
time.
“If you are not aware that the cit
izens of this community are fed up
with the inadequate way the current
ambulance provider has failed this
community, then you are tone deaf as
to what your constituents want,” Thiel
told commissioners.
“This board is supposed to be the
defenders of the public’s trust, which
means you have both the moral and
‘Invest’ in EMS, 7 A
Thomaston Fire Department Personnel stand in front of the new pumper truck.
Thomaston Fire Department
Receives New Pumper Engine
Fire Department to be Completed
Between January and February
Luke Haney
Lifestyles Editor
lhaney@upsonbeacon.com
The Thomaston Fire Depart
ment received a new pumper truck
last week, replacing the previous
“Engine 2,” which mirrors the
style of the TFD’s ladder truck,
and will be used in response to
most general calls.
The 2021 Pierce PUC Pumper
is a state-of-the-art engine with
room for six passengers and in
cludes storage for rescue and fire
equipment, as well as first aid stor
age.
With the addition of the new
Pierce pumper, the TFD now has
three pumpers, one ladder truck,
and the antique fire truck, known
as “Ole Molly,” which will all be
transported to the new fire depart
ment, scheduled to be completed
and open between January and
February 2022.
Chief Renee Harris says that
the staff is excited about the new
New Pumper Engine, 6A
‘Concerned Citizens’ Seek Answers
to EMS Questions, Concerns
Numerous “concerned citizens” have requested that
The Upson Beacon conduct a “grass-roots” style poll in
the community regarding emergency medical service. The
current provider, Community Ambulance, will cease op
eration in Upson County Feb. 13,2022.
Among stated concerns are the following:
•Frequent change of private ambulance and EMS
service providers
•State law as it applies to Upson acquiring a 911 zone
license
•Ability of the county to enforce performance stan
dards for providers
Top questions posed by “concerned citizens” are:
1. Do you think commissioners should spend money
necessary to implement a county-based 911 ambulance
service?
2. Would you support a county-based service even if it
meant a slight increase in property tax? And how would
the increase affect millage rates?
3. Would you support commissioners contracting with
another private company like Community Ambulance?
4. Should commissioners seek the cheapest option to
replace the current EMS service?
5. If commissioners contract with another service,
should that contract be for a dedicated 911 ambulance
service, or should the contract allow the service to be used
for transfers or transports to and from facilities that would
reduce available units for emergency calls?
Answers and comments may be submitted to The
Upson Beacon at https://www.upsonbeacon.com/gov-
ernment/ under the title ‘Concerned Citizens’ Seek An
swers to EMS Questions, Concerns.
Christmas Lane
Opens Saturday
For the 67th year, Christmas
Lane returns to R street in Historic
Silvertoivn this Saturday with live
music and festivities beginning at
5:15 p.m. and the one and only
Santa Claus is set to arrive at 6
p.m. Upon arrival, Santa will take
wishes from kids. Christmas Lane
officials state that visitors should
enter from the R Street entrance.
TPD Investigating
Tuesday Shooting
Report: Man Shot While
Attempting Vehicle Break-In
A man was shot multiple
times after reportedly at
tempting to break into a ve
hicle around 3 a.m.
Tuesday, according to a
statement from Thomaston
Police Chief Mike Richard
son.
Responding to com
plaints of a possible vehicle
break-in and shots fired on
3rd Street, TPD personnel
found a man lying in front
of a residence with what ap
peared to be multiple gun-
Tuesday Shooting, 5A
Local Man Charged
After Shooting at
Apartment Complex
Tad Antonio Morrow
of West County Road was
charged with aggravated
assault and three other
felonies after allegedly
shooting Shannon Craven
at Thomaston Garden
Apartments the day after
Thanksgiving, according
to a Thomaston Police
Department report.
TPD personnel found
the victim lying in the
breezeway of Building 11 of
the complex with a gunshot
wound to his left thigh and
a 9mm shell casing nearby,
the report stated. Witnesses
interviewed told police the
109
THOMASTON
GARDENS
APARTMENT HOMES ®
Submitted
shooter was in an apart
ment on the lower level of
Building 11.
When located, Morrow
and the apartment owner’s
Shooting at Apartment, 2A
Bikers Against Abuse
International’s Founder
is Calling it Quits
Christmas Lane Welcome Sign, 2019.
Fly for Tots Fundraiser
Scheduled Dec. 4 for ESF
Kinsley Riggins
staff Writer
soundoff@upsonbeacon.com
On Dec. 4, the West
Central Georgia Flying
Club and Thomaston-
Upson County Airport will
host the 26th annual Fly
for Tots fundraiser.
The Empty Stocking
Fund is a nonprofit organ
ization focused on helping
local families provide their
children with Christmas
festivities, such as presents
and food. The Upson
County Ministerial Associ
ation works alongside the
Empty Stocking fund to
bring a little more “Christ
mas spirit” to local chil
dren, according to
officials.
Fly For Tots is one of
Toys for Tots, 5A
Debbie McClain
Publisher
diord@upsonbeacon.com
Founder of Bikers
Against Abuse Inter
national, Paul Michael
Libri, said, “I’m done [with
the organization] and it’s
up for grabs if anyone
wants it.”
Libri and Bikers
Against Abuse Inter
national has been under
investigation by the Geor
gia Bureau of Investigation
since July. The investiga
tion originally began in
Thomaston with the
Thomaston Police Depart
ment, but was turned over
to the GBI because it be
came a multi-jurisdic
tional investigation
involving several counties
across Georgia.
Now the investigation
has crossed state lines into
Tennessee.
Libri and the organiza
tion caught the attention
of TPD when he and some
Bikers Against Abuse, 7A
IDA to Purchase
Old Mill Site
The Thomaston-
Upson Industrial Devel
opment Authority voted
Monday to authorize the
purchase of property at
325 East Goodrich Ave
nue, according to IDA Ex
ecutive Director Kyle
Fletcher.
The property, former
home of BFGoodrich
Thomaston Mills / Mar
tha Mill, will be pur
chased for approximately
$363,000 coming en
tirely from IDA funds,
Fletcher said. Sale of the
property will be secured
with $12,000 in earnest
money, also coming from
the IDA.
Located behind Ingles
on the east side of High
way 19 North, the tract
has been a topic of dis
cussion among govern
ment officials and the
IDA for years. Devel
opment has been hin
dered by legal concerns
and the possibility of ex
cessive cleanup cost to
mitigate potential haz
ardous waste, but those
concerns have been ad
dressed to the satisfac
tion of local officials,
according to Fletcher.
The IDA is funded
through contributions
from the City of Thomas
ton and Upson County.
it) 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, CNM; Bryan Krepps. HO; Jim Dunaway, HD; Lou Hameli, MO; Holly Harrison, PA-C;
Nadine Nolting. CNH; Enid Lofters-Jones, HD; Hegan Potter. HD; Katya Brickman, CNM; Ashley Johnson, PA