Newspaper Page Text
Vol. 14, No. 50
UPSON
Thursday, December 16, 2021
BEACON
Shining Light & Keeping Watch on Our Community
upsonbeacon.com
219 Thomas Street, Thomaston, Ga. 30286 • 706.646.2382
50 Cents
Newsline
Pec. 16.2021
Top 10 County
& City Corporate
Taxpayers Listed
Upson County Tax
Commissioner Andy Chas
tain has released the top to
corporate taxpayers both
in the county and in the
City of Thomaston for
2021.
The following are listed
by company name, bill
amount, assessment, and
percent of the total levy:
Top to county corpo
rate taxpayers, in order,
are Southern Natural Gas,
Top 10 Taxpayers, 6A
Government
Office Closures
Upson County govern
ment offices will close at
11:45 a.m. Friday and will
remain closed until Mon
day, Dec. 20, when all of
fices reopen for normal
business hours.
City of Thomaston of
fices will close from noon
to 2:30 p.m. today (Thurs
day) for the annual Christ
mas party. City offices will
reopen at 2:30 p.m. follow
ing the party.
ASOD Presents
‘Oh, What a
Glorious Night
For the first time since
December 2019, dancers
of Sarah Armstrong
School of Dance graced
the stage of Upson-Lee
Fine Arts Center to per
form the 2021 Christmas
Recital Series, 3B.
Fly for Tots
a Soaring
Success
On Dec. 4, the West
Central Georgia Flying
Club and Thomaston-
Upson County Airport
hosted the 26th annual Fly
for Tots fundraiser, collect
ing 970 toys and about
$2,700 in donations for the
Empty Stocking Fund, 5A.
TUAC Presents
Sounds of
the Season
The Thomaston-Upson
Arts Council presented the
annual Sounds of the Sea
son program on Dec. 6 at
the Upson-Lee Fine Arts
Center, 7A.
8
10499 02461 2
15-year-old Shot Saturday on Third Street
Investigations Ongoing
Thomaston Police De
partment is investigating a
Saturday night incident on
Third Street in which a ju
venile was shot. The 15-
year-old was transported
to Macon and is expected
to recover, according to
TPD Chief Mike Richard
son, who said the investi
gation remains active.
TPD continues to in
vestigate a shooting last
week at Fairview Apart
ments on Avenue F in
which one man was in
jured, according to re
ports.
Aheem Butler has been
charged with two counts of
aggravated assault and
possession of a firearm
during commission of cer
tain crimes in connection
with the shooting. Ad
ditional arrests are pend
ing, Richardson said.
TPD personnel was un
able to locate the victim,
who was reportedly lying
on the ground in front of
Building H, but found
9mm shell casings, a base
ball cap, and a pack of
Swisher Sweet cigars in
the parking lot. The of
fender was described as
wearing a red shirt, but
also was not at the scene,
Third Street Shooting, 5A
Students Donate More
Than 14,300 Canned Goods
Each year, students in the Thomaston-Upson School System rally to donate canned
goods for the Empty Stocking Fund, an annual toy and food drive for those in need in
the Upson County area. This year, students donated more than 14,300 cans, an increase
of nearly 4,000 cans compared to last year’s collections. See the story, 5B.
Council Approves
City Involvement
In EMS Licensing
Cost Remains a Mystery
Bridge Turner
Managing Editor
bturner@upsonbeacon.com
Council members voted unanimously last
week to participate in acquisition of the Upson
County emergency medical services zone li
cense, joining commissioners in the pursuit of
locally managed ambulance service.
Commissioners voted the previous day to
apply for the license, committing to meet a Dec.
26 deadline for submittal. Current EMS pro
vider, Community Ambulance, recently an
nounced its departure from Upson County,
effective Feb. 13, 2022.
Mirroring County Manager Jason Tinsley’s
message to the commission, City Manager Rus
sell Thompson told council there will be “no
time for formal procurement” if officials expect
EMS Licensing, 6A
Four Charged With
Felonies After Car Theft
Four Thomaston residents
were charged with multiple fel
onies, including drug trafficking,
following a reported vehicle theft
last week, according to a Thom
aston Police Department report.
Billy Joseph Sellars, 34, of
Avalon Road, Deston Blaine
Daniel, 32, of West Main Street,
Brandy Lee Frillman, 32, of Old
Lifsey Spring Road, and Danny
Leon O’Neal, 43, of McCorkle’s
Curve Road, all were charged
with trafficking in illegal drugs,
possession of methampheta-
mine with intent to distribute,
possession of marijuana with in
tent to distribute, theft by receiv
ing stolen property, and entering
an automobile or other motor
vehicle.
Sellars, the driver, also was
Car Theft, 6A
Marstin Wins Christmas Lane 5K
The Thomaston-Upson Chamber of Commerce hosted the
first Christmas Lane 5K Run/Walk on Dec. 11. The fun run
featured a festive path through Thomaston’s historic Christ
mas Lane and through the Greatest Generation Memorial
Park. Find the story on Page 6B.
City OKs New Logo &
Branding: ‘This is Home’
Pickleball Waiver ‘Valid’ Concern
Council members approved a
new City of Thomaston logo and
branding last week, unveiled at
Tuesday’s meeting by economic de
velopment coordinator Taylor
Smith.
Presenting the concept with a
video presentation developed by
Bruce Dunaway, Smith explained
the logo and the council heard back
ground information from graphic
designer and Thomaston native
Alyssa Rawls.
The concept and logo, titled
“Thomaston, Georgia (Est. 1825) -
this is home,” was shared with com
munity leaders during a “Rural Zone
Lunch & Learn” event last Friday. It
was created by a community team
including Smith, Rawls, Luke
Haney, Lane Coggins, Fawne DeRo-
sia, and Hannah Hightower, accord
ing to Smith.
In other business:
•Mayor Pro-Tempore Doug
Head told fellow council members
he has received numerous com
plaints about a recreation depart
ment waiver requiring signatures
prior to playing pickleball at the civic
center. Head called the complaints
“valid,” and asked City Manager
Russell Thompson and City Attor
ney DeAnn Wheeler to “check into
it.”
Resident Gary Self initially shed
light on the waiver during “public
comments” at a recent Upson
County Commission meeting.
“The new [recreation] director
[Shaka Johnson] came up with the
waiver and it was approved by the
county manager [Jason Tinsley],”
Councilman Jeff Middlebrooks said.
“My understanding is it’s only for
pickleball.”
Mayor J.D. Stallings questioned
why the waiver would be required
only for certain sports.
•Council voted unanimously to
authorize a new stormwater ordi
nance, authorize the fiscal year 2022
Local Maintenance & Improvement
Grant, and move forward with an
agreement for Thomaston Housing
Authority to manage the city’s com
munity development properties.
•Council is expected to approve
the city’s 2022 budget at the Dec. 21
meeting.
(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
