If «
i'u| * Vote Associate Chief Magistrate Judge'.
C" CECIL HUTCHINS .
\Upson County Chief Magistrate Judge
. v ' Thank you for your support!
Currently serving as Upson Magistrate Court Associate Judge
32 Years Georgia Bureau of Investigation Special Agent:
GBI Special Response Team, Counter Terrorism Task Force,
Dignitary Detail with Secrete Service and the Capital Police,
Internet Crimes Against Children, and the Major Theft Unit
Retired Veteran from the United States Army Reserve 23 Years
District 6 representative for the Magistrate Judges within this
district in Georgia
Servant and pastor for the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
Husband, Father, Grandfather
Vol. 17, No. 18
Wednesday, May 1, 2024
UPSON
BEACON
Shining Light & Keeping Watch on Our Community
upsonbeacon.com
219 Thomas Street, Thomaston, Ga. 30286 • 706.646.2382
75 Cents
Newsline
May 1. 2024
Early Voting for
Local Election
Started Monday
Advance voting opened
Monday, April 29 at the
Thomaston-Upson Civic
Center for the May 21 local
election which includes
multiple county offices.
In person early voting
will be available at the civic
center from 8:30 a.m. to 5
p.m. daily, Monday
through Friday, from April
29 through May 17. Sat
urday voting will be avail
able from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
May 4 and May 11.
Voters must choose a
Republican, Democrat, or
non-partisan ballot style at
the time of voting. Please
note that all non-partisan
See Voting, 6A
Assessments
Not Tax Bills
Tax assessments re
cently mailed from the
Upson County Tax As
sessor’s Office are not
tax bills, according to
Tax Commissioner Andy
Chastain.
“It’s important to
note that the taxes on
this notice are estimated
amounts based on this
year’s assessment value
and last years’ millage
rates,” Chastain re
minded. “This is not your
See Assessments, 5A
Assessment
Appeals Must
Be Mailed by
June 1 Deadline
The deadline to submit
appeals for property as
sessment is Saturday, June
1, however in-person ap
peals will be accepted on
Monday, June 3 since June
1 falls on a weekend, ac
cording to Upson County
Chief Appraiser Charles
McKeehan.
Mailed appeals must be
postmarked by June 1,
McKeehan said.
8
10499 02461 2
Upson-lee Boys’
Golf Wins Area Title
Hawkins Takes Individual Honors
with Two-Under-Par 70
The Upson-Lee golf teams celebrate a successful day at state with some new hardware. Andrew Carroll/Upson Beacon
Brighlmark to
BOC: ‘Honored...
to be Here’
Bridge Turner
Editor in Chief
bturner@upsonbeacon.com
Following Brightmark’s announced
intention last week to invest almost $1
billion locally, a company representative
addressed Upson County Commis
sioners.
“We would like to thank the com
munity. We are honored and privileged
to be here,” Brightmark’s business devel
opment leader said at the board’s April
23 regular meeting.
“We looked at other places to invest,
but we found you to be incredibly wel
coming and collaborative in sharing the
vision of creating a facility that promotes
environmental stewardship and circular
ity,” he continued. “It took us a long
time, but we got here, and we’re proud to
be here. We hope to be a beacon for you,
for growth... and prosperity.”
The first location Brightmark consid
ered was Macon, where proposed devel
opment ended after community
pushback related to environmental con-
Andrew Carroll
Sports Editor
acarroll@upsonbeacon.com
A long day at Raintree Golf
Club proved fruitful for
Upson-Lee golf as the boys’
team bested the Columbus
Blue Devils by two strokes to
win the AAA Area l Cham
pionship and advance to the
state tournament in Lafayette
on May 20 and 21.
Whitaker Hawkins led the
way for the Knights with two-
under-par 70 over 18 holes,
four strokes better than sec
ond place which featured a tie
between Ethan Pham of Co
lumbus and Trent Coker of U-
L.
Third place for the Knights
was Cason Blakely, who over
came a rough start on the
front nine to shoot even par on
the last seven holes and finish
with a score of 80.
Teamwise, the Knights de
feated Columbus by a score of
306-308, with Thomasville
finishing a distant third at
339. Mary Persons just missed
the cut with 342, and other
teams at the tournament in-
See Golf, 6A
Submitted
Heroes Get Remembered But...
legends Never Die!
ASOD Presents Spring Recital Series
Luke Haney
Editor
lhaney@upsonbeacon.com
Armstrong School of
Dance held its spring recital
series, “Legends Never Die,”
last weekend, with four shows
featuring countless young
dancers performing to hit
songs from legends like The
Pointer Sisters, Aretha Frank
lin, Nirvana, Metallica, Whit
ney Houston, Michael Jack-
son, Prince, and more.
From three-year-olds to
seniors preparing to graduate,
performers danced in the
styles of ballet, jazz, jallet,
auxiliary, company, pointe,
tap, and hip hop.
Senior dancers, gracing the
stage for the final time with
their partners, include Jayme
Carroll and Bradyn Davis,
Kami Leigh Cathcart and Jer-
miah Searcy, Theresa Colston
and Jacob Corwin, Mayah Fry
and Trent Coker, Ella Kate
Hinson and Campbell Hinson,
Azzyria Holmes and Angel
Montford, Lauren Jenkins
and Brianna Jenkins, Jessi
McGouirk and Esteban Mal
donado, Lily June Prewitt and
Cohen Ivie, Alexis Ryals and
Logan Teal, Lizzie Stewart and
See Legends, 7A
See Brightmark, 6A
Residents Vent
Brightmark Fears
on Social Media
Company Responds to Concerns
Bridge Turner
Editor in Chief
bturner@upsonbeacon.com
Social media has been abuzz with com
ments, both negative and positive, since
Brightmark announced its intention last
week to construct a facility in Upson
County.
Concerns include environmental im
pact, health effects, by-products, unin
tended costs associated with emergency
management, and a 2021 fire at the com
pany’s Ashley, Ind. Plant, where plastics
reportedly were converted to wax and fuel.
Company officials have monitored so
cial media, and submitted the following re
sponses to several concerns expressed by
residents:
Topic: The Thomaston Circularity
Center will release toxins into our
air and water.
•Response: According to Brightmark,
they will invest over $1 million to enable a
Zero Liquid Discharge technology to en
sure that all process wastewater is man
aged and processed on-site, preventing any
contact with any municipal water supply,
including drinking water, groundwater, the
Flint River, and other local waterways. The
company will have all the appropriate air
permits in place that comply with local,
state, and federal law, including the EPA’s
Clean Air Act. Their circularity center is
considered a “synthetic minor emitter”
under the EPA’s Clear Air Act, meaning it
has established emission and operational
controls to limit emissions. For more in
formation, visit Brightmark’s FAQ page
[link on upsonbeacon.com].
See Fears, 6A
k li f • /• Holly Harrison.
ill Grit tin Ob-Gyn
Accepting New Patients In Thomaston
403 West Main Street • Thomaston
CAU (706)646-2888 or (770) 227-5505 for an appointment.
