Newspaper Page Text
Thursday, December 23, 2021
UPSON
BEACON
Page 3A
The Gordy Files
The Debbie McClain Version
Sponsored by West Central Georgia Bank
Community banking means better banking.
FORMER U.S. SENATOR JOHNNY ISAKSON
PASSES AWAY AT 76... For those who have had
the pleasure of meeting the good Senator, you know
he was an important part of Thomaston and Upson
County’s growth... he was our friend... and he will be
missed... former U.S. Senator John H. "Johnny" Isak-
son passed away Dec. 19, 2021... Isakson served in
elected office for more than four decades, in the Geor
gia State House, the Georgia State Senate, the U.S.
House of Representatives and most recently in the
U.S. Senate, where he served for 15 years. During his
third term as U.S. Senator, he was forced into retire
ment in December 2019 due to advancing Parkinson's
disease... Following his retirement from the U.S. Sen
ate, Isakson dedicated his life to raising awareness
and funding for research related to neurocognitive
diseases including Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and re
lated dementia through The Isakson Initiative. The
nonprofit was developed as a continuation of Senator
Isakson’s lifelong commitment to public service and
his dedication to remaining a champion for advance
ments in biomedical research and development.
WORTH REPEATING... Deck the Halls, but not
your family... Fa La La La La... La La La La
DOCTORS... we have lots of graduates who earned
their doctorate degrees... Fran Moore Freeman, Will
and Brittany Darnell, just to name a few.
AWESOME JOB EVERYONE... This Christmas
season has truly been a blessing for our com
munity... I am excited about what comes next...
first, county commissioners, along with the
city council, are trying to get our ambulance
service hack and running like it should he... the
chamber’s 5K run was a huge success... the
city’s ice-skating rink has been a blast, every
one out showing their wintery crazy skills...
the Christmas parade, “Angels Among Us,”
was nothing short of a masterpiece... the list
goes on and on... Thank you to everyone who is
out and about and rocking our community.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY WISHES ARE EXTENDED
TO... Jacob Johnson, Heather Butts, Tessia Wall,
Kalah Stapleton, Tara Keahey, Holly Hatchett, Jen
nifer Peppers, Jeff Phillips, Dec. 23... Shay English,
Georgia Pierce, Zack Harrison, Mark Gooden, Dec.
24.. . Melissa Newman, James Murphy, January
McCard, Kara Leiferman, J. W. English, Dessie Vin
cent, Dec. 25... Jessica Bentley, Gina Drake Woodard,
Kay Bray, Mary Ann Burkett, Anna Waldroup, Sharon
Lunsford, Chloe Gilmer, Jordan Massey, Deven
Green, Trakell Dawson, Kaleb Sandow, Jay Miller,
Dec. 26... Lauren Hoyal, Heather Joiner, Leigh Hall,
Bo Harrison, Casharia Walker, Madison Busbee, Jes
sica Watson, Joy Gaddy, Tammy Glanton, Clint Gar
rett, Kelly English, Chip Richardson, Barbara Mosley,
Dec. 27... Corie Cox, Ashley Copeland, Sylvia Helms,
Yodie Ellerbee, Hannah Granitz, Kassie Shumate,
Brantley Standard, Clayton Jones, John Duncan,
Cortney Sanford, Collen Grantham, Bill Stubbs, Dec.
28.. . Jalique Holmes, Luke Haney, Benjamin Coggins,
Vicki Garrett, Randy Ekerburg, Dec. 29... we wish for
all celebrating birthdays, many more happy and
healthy ones.
ACCORDING TO THE FARMER’S ALMANAC...
Georgia Winter officially began with the
winter solstice Tuesday, Dec. 21, and the long-
range forecast suggests the spring equinox on
March 20, 2022 could he more winter-like
than spring-like... In Georgia, the Farmers’ Al
manac winter forecast calls for the weather to
be quite chilly with a mixed bag of precipita
tion... While NOAA’s outlook shows a higher-
than-normal chance of a warmer, drier
winter... so here in Middle Georgia, it’s going
to be just like every winter... keep your coat,
boots, shorts, flip flops, and umbrella handy,
because no one really knows.
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL... We hope
this Christmas fills your heart and home with hope,
warmth, and great joy... As we wrap up a most event
ful year, we are especially grateful for the trust and
support from all of you. Our commitment to quality
reporting and service to all of you remains as strong
as ever, and we wish everyone peace and good health
in 2022 and beyond. Thank you, and Merry, Merry
Christmas!
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Routine Traffic Stops Result in Drug Charges
Routine traffic violation
stops led to multiple drug
charges last week, accord
ing to reports from Thom
aston Police Department.
Marterick Dequan
Smith was stopped for a
broken taillight traveling
north on South Center
Street when Cpl. Brandon
Dix “detected a strong odor
of raw marijuana coming
from the vehicle.” Dix ob
served a glass tube device
commonly used to smoke
methamphetamine, the re
port stated.
Dix also observed a
clear plastic wrapper in
Smith’s mouth, which
Smith admitted contained
meth before he ingested it,
according to the report. A
clear crystal substance in
side the glass tube smoking
device tested positive for
meth.
When Smith was ar
rested, “he began to act in
a violent manner by shout
ing obscenities and snatch
ing away from Sgt. [Jared]
Fordham as he was escort
ing him to the rear of my
patrol vehicle,” Dix said,
“...inside my patrol vehicle,
Smith began to headbutt
the partition.”
Smith, who remained
combative toward jail staff,
was charged with posses
sion of meth, possession of
drug-related objects, tam
pering with evidence, and
obstruction of law enforce
ment, along with taillight
requirements.
Drell Donald Goodman
was stopped by Officer
David McCoy and Sgt.
Matthew Allen for not wea
ring a seatbelt while travel
ing on North Bethel Street.
An “open air sniff’ by TPD
canine Beno indicated the
presence of narcotic odor
in the vehicle, according to
the report.
McCoy located a small
plastic bag containing sus
pected meth in Goodman’s
front right pants pocket
and a crystal substance be
lieved to be meth inside a
compact mirror in a back
pack, the report stated.
Goodman was charged
with possession of meth,
along with a seatbelt vio
lation.
Fordham stopped a ve
hicle traveling south on
North Church Street for an
inoperative driver side
brake light, and said the
driver acted nervously.
Beno again was deployed
for a free air sniff, resulting
in a positive indication
near the passenger, James
Ray Turner, according to
the report.
Fordham located a
glass tube smoking device
inside a Marlboro cigarette
pack in Turner’s front
pants pocket, containing a
white residue which ap
peared consistent with
crack cocaine, the report
stated. Turner was charged
with possession of cocaine
Shores Family Seeks Help
Following Car Incident
Submitted
Community members are seeking help for
Christopher Shores and his family, after Shores
was hit by a car. Shores is the primary provider
for his wife Tiffany and his four children.
Shores is currently facing a long road to re
covery, but needs prayers, according to family
members. Anyone who would like to learn more
and contribute, please contact Candace Blount at
706-741-4084 or LeeAnn Finley at 706-741-2278.
and possession and use of
drug-related objects.
Other arrests and
charges reported by TPD
include the following:
Basil Onri Climons,
possession with intent to
distribute marijuana, pos
session of a firearm during
commission of certain
crimes, and two counts of
criminal street gang activ
ity;
Deric Shane McCall,
possession of meth, pos
session of drug-related ob
jects, two felony counts of
probation violation, and
misdemeanor failure to ap
pear;
David Arlen Waddle,
possession of meth.
More than $17,000 in
checks were forged against
a J.M. Clayton Company
account, according to a
TPD report, and two of the
checks have cleared the
bank, according to com
pany spokesman Ricky El
lington.
One check for $2,750
was made payable to Mar-
cado Esquivel, a second
check for $2,750 was made
payable to Elexus Adder-
ley, and two more checks
for $7,000 and $5,000
were made payable to Ron
ald Reese, Officer Tamara
Hand’s report stated. El
lington said the company
directly transfers all money
and does not use paper
checks.
The case of third-de
gree forgery remains under
investigation.
2122 Hwy 19 N
Thomaston
706-647-2300
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By: Rev. Dean Hemphill
Clarks Chapel
Baptist Church
176 Mathis Lake Rd.
Thomaston, GA 30286
There are shoe boxes filled
with items sent to children in
other parts of the world, and many have testified how
God used those shoe boxes to change their lives. Many
children in our nation open present after present and,
after a few minutes, their want list is still long.
People around us often say, “I can’t wait until
Christmas is over.” It is sad that more people are de
pressed, during the month of December, than any
other month of the year.
What has happened to the meaning of Christmas?
The shopping madness, charges that take months to
pay, and the pace of going here and there is not what
Jesus wants to take place as His birth is being cele
brated.
If there’s ever been a time when families need to
stop and spend valuable time together, it is now. If
there’s ever been a time when families need to turn the
phones off and talk to one another, it is now. We are
allowing the society to dictate to us and the govern
ment is trying really hard to control us.
Oh, if we could hear a multitude of angels say what
they said when Jesus was born. “Glory to God in the
highest, and on earth, peach, good will toward men.
Clarkschapelchurch.com
WHEN: Sunday, January 2, 2022
TIME: 11:00a.m.
WHERE: Clark s Chapel Baptist Church
WEST CENTRAL
GEORGIA BANK
Financial strength. ..in local hands.
I Main Office
617 N. Church St.
(706) 647-8951
Downtown Office Thomaston North
101 W. Gordon St. Shopping Center
(706) 647-8958 (706) 648-2225
FDtCfll
www.wcgb.com
176 Mathis Lake Road
Thomaston, GA 30286