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.4 Very Merry Christmas!
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Thank you for your trust and support, and for making this community
a wonderful place to be at Christmas and all year!
Vol. 14, No. 51
UPSON
Thursday, December 23, 2021
BEACON
Shining Light & Keeping Watch on Our Community
upsonbeacon.com
219 Thomas Street, Thomaston, Ga. 30286 • 706.646.2382
50 Cents
Newsline
Pec. 23. 2021
City, County
Closures for
Christmas
City of Thomaston gov
ernment offices will close
at l p.m. Wednesday, Dec.
22 and remain closed
Thursday and Friday, Dec.
23-24 for Christmas. City
offices will reopen Mon
day, Dec. 27 for normal
business hours.
Upson County govern
ment offices will be closed
Friday and Monday, Dec.
24 and 27 for Christmas.
County offices will reopen
Tuesday, Dec. 28 for nor
mal business hours.
The Upson Beacon of
fice will close at noon Wed
nesday and remain closed
Thursday and Friday, Dec.
23-24, then will reopen
Monday, Dec. 27 for nor
mal business hours.
Residents
Raise $10k-Plus
for Kentucky
Tornado Relief
Additional Donations
Accepted Through
Friday, Dec. 24
In just one week,
members of Upson County
and surrounding areas
have given more than
$10,000 in monetary do
nations, along with pallets
and boxes filled with relief
items, for those affected by
the recent tornado in Ken
tucky, 8A.
T-U BOE
Achieves
Exemplary
Board Status
Hollis and Eubanks
Selected as Chair
and Vice Chair
At the Dec. 14 meeting
of the Thomaston-Upson
Board of Education, Super
intendent Dr. Larry Derico
recognized the board,
which recently achieved
Exemplary Board Status,
the highest level in board
governance within the
state of Georgia, according
to Derico, 5A.
8
10499 02461 2
'Tis the Season
See Letters to Santa, Christmas Events, and Winners of the Shop Local Giveaway Inside.
Luke Haney/Upson Beacon
For more than a decade, families have enjoyed the annual Christmas Lights Parade, which follows the
traditional Thomaston parade route from Matthews Field through downtown. This year, 74 floats reg
istered for the parade, themed "Angels Among Us," Pages 10A and 11A.
Rachel Jordan/Upson Beacon
"This was probably the biggest Christmas Lane
light-up night in our memory," commented lane or
ganizers, following the grand opening held on the
first Saturday of the month at the R Street entrance
to Christmas Lane. See highlights, 3B.
Rachel Jordan/Upson Beacon
Local children had the chance to bake cookies with
Santa and Mrs. Claus during Winterfest Week at the
Thomaston-Upson Civic Center, 4B.
Kinsley Riggins/Upson Beacon
Yatesville held its annual Christmas program at
the Senior Citizens building earlier this month. The
long-held tradition includes many Christmas songs
and stories, refreshments, and a visit from Santa
Claus. See highlights, IB.
Submitted
Wes McGuire and Asher McClain, in full Grinch
attire, pose with Santa at the Ritz Theatre, which
reopened just in time for Christmas, 5B.
Local Man Shot
Dead in Apparent
Domestic Dispute
An Upson man reportedly was shot and
killed by his son during a domestic dispute
on Rest Haven Road Sunday, according to
a statement released by Sheriff Dan Kil
gore.
Samuel Jackson Flournoy, 58, was
found unresponsive and pronounced dead
at the scene inside the eastern Upson
County residence around 10 a.m. Dec. 19.
Preliminary investigation determined
that Flournoy, his wife, and his 23-year-old
son were involved in a dispute and Flour
noy attempted to assault his son during the
altercation, Kilgore reported. The son fired
two rounds from a 9mm handgun, striking
Domestic Dispute, 6A
Commission OKs
$19 Million 2022
General Budget
15% Raise for SO Staff
Bridge Turner
Managing Editor
bturner@upsonbeacon.com
Commissioners voted unanimously last
week to approve a $19.12 million general
budget for 2022, a 6.5 percent increase
over Upson County’s 2021 budget.
The budget includes a 4.75 raise for all
county employees and a 15 percent wage
increase for sheriff s office personnel. More
than 75 percent of responders in a recent
Upson Beacon poll supported the UCSO
hike, which includes jail and 911 staff,
“even if it means an increase in property
tax.”
“This is a balanced budget,” Commis
sion Chairman Norman Allen said. “It has
been a challenge. We’ll keep our fingers
crossed and hope for a prosperous 2022, as
2022 General Budget, 6A
Luke Haney/Upson Beacon
URMC Administers 25,000 COVID Vaccines
Tammy Barrow, secondfrom left, was the recipient of the 23,000th COVID-ig
vaccine administered at Upson Regional Medical Center. The URMC vaccine
clinic is open Tuesdays and Fridays with no appointment required.
Jail Employee Charged
with Distribution of
Marijuana and Meth
On Friday, Dec. 17,
former jail employee Tala
Ameer Rattray of the Upson
County Sheriff s Office was
arrested and charged with
violating oath of office and
distribution of marijuana
and methamphetamine
after jail staff received infor
mation and found Rattray
attempting to smuggle to-
Jail Employee, 6A
Courtesy of UCSO
Tala Ameer Rattray
Cherie Spillers Named GLGPA Media Coordinator, Board Member
Upson County Human
Resources Coordinator
Cherie Spillers has been
nominated and unani
mously approved to serve
as the media coordi
nator/board member for
the Georgia Local Govern
ment Personnel Associa
tion.
Founded in 1975, the
GLGPA is a professional
organization that focuses
on setting reasonable
practices throughout local
government in Georgia.
The GLGPA is a nonprofit
organization that operates
independently under the
guidance of a 12-member
board of directors who are
elected by its members.
The GLGPA is the fore
most association in Geor
gia for local government
human resources educa
tional content, ongoing in
struction on recent trends
and events in human re
sources, as well as legal
updates concerning local
government employers
throughout Georgia.
The role of media co
ordinator is appointed.
This officer serves in a
non-voting role at the
pleasure of the president
Cherie Spillers, 6A
(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
