Newspaper Page Text
t lutler Herald
“Your Newspaper Since 1876”
(Publication Number US PS 5JJ4-720)
143rd YEAR, NO. 19
THURSDAY, MAY 14, 2020
1 SECTION, 8 PAGES
50 CENTS PER COPY
TCHS
Class Of
2020
Graduates,
We Love
You!
Since the COV1D-19 pan
demic has; wreaked havoc on
end-of-tke year programs
and graduation for studen ts
everywhere, including Tay
lor County students, the
community is doing every
thing possible to let. the Tay
lor County High School graduates know just how much they are loved. Signs are appear
ing all around, and graduates are being issued their own personal sign s with their names,
t-shirts, and “rocking T" face masks, thanks to Dane. Smiths Specialty Ads. Special thanks
to the following businesses in the community, who made this special recognition for the
2020 TCHS graduates possible; Albritton's Garage, All South Insurance, Barrow Auto
motive, Dane Smiths Specialty Ads, Fall Line Construction, Georgia Community Bank,
H&J Davel Center, Main St. Pizza & Wings, Partners Propane, Peed Bros., Inc., Public
Service Communications, Public Service Telephone Co., Public Service Wireless, Smith’s
Pharmacy, and 4S Advanced Wildlife Solutions. Congratulations, Taylor County High
School Class of2020. We are proud of you!
Sixth Grade To Move To Middle
School Beginning Next School Year
Uy VALORl MOORE
Editor
Monday night, the Taylor
County Board of Education met
for the regular May meeting,
with most members joining in
via Zoom, in keeping with
guidelines for social distancing.
The meeting was opened with
the Invocation by Rev. Lance
Bernard, youth pastor of First
Baptist Church of Butler.
School Superintendent Jenni
fer Albritton announced that
the sixth grade will be relocat
ing from the upper elementary
school to the middle school, be
ginning with the 2020-2021
school year, Among t he reasons
for this change is to help align
the school with middle school
sports rules.
The policy regarding nonresi
dent students is on the table for
review and a vote is expected
at the June meeting. The
policy reads:
‘"No students rcsidingoutside
of Taylor County will be permit
ted to enroll after May 12, 2020,
except as follows:
• Nonresident students who
enrolled prior to May 12, 2020.
as well as siblings of nonresi
dent students who were en
rolled prior to May 12, 2020,
are eligible to enroll in Taylor
County. However, any student
permitted to enroll under this
provision shall forfeit their eli
gibility to enroll as a non resi
dent student if the student
withdraws from Taylor County
School District any time after
May 12,2020. Eligible nonresi
dent! al students will be re
quired to pay tuition to the Tay
lor County Board of Education
in the amount set by the Tay
lor County Board of Education
each year.
• Students whose parents are
full-time employees of the Tay
lor County Board of Education.
The tuition fee will be waived
for these students.
* Foreign exchange students
who live with Taylor County
>$ee School Board on page 5
Statewide Judicial Emergency
Extended Until Friday, June 12th
On May 11th, the Honorable
Harold D. Melton, Chief Justice
of the Supreme Court of Geor
gia, extentied the Order Declar
ing Statewide Judicial Emer
gency until Friday, June 12,
2020, at 11:59 p.m. The Order
was initially declared on March
14th, in response to the
COVID-19 pandemic. On April
6th, the Order was extended
until May 13th.
The Order states, "While the
work of the courts in Georgia
has gone forward on essential
and critical matters, and most
courts have continued some
non-essential court operations
in particular by using technol
ogy' to conduct proceedings re
motely, most court facilities are
not prepared to comply with
social distancing and other
public health requirements to
safeguard the health of liti
gants. lawyers, judges, court
personnel, and the public dur
ing extensive in-court proceed
ings or proceedings involving a
large number of people. After
consulting with the Judicial
Council of Georgia and other
judicial partners, and recogniz
ing that most in-court proceed
ings compel the attendance of
various individuals rather than
allowing them to decide how
best to protect their own
health, it is hereby determined
that the statewide judicial
emergency Order should be ex
tended, with some clarifica
tions and modifications as well
as directions regarding efforts
to resume court operations in
a manner that protects public
health."
The Order further states,
"Until further order, all courts
are prohibited from summon
ing new trial jurors and grand
jurors and from conducting
criminal or civil jury trials,
"Grand jurors that are al
ready impaneled or are recalled
from a previous term of court
may meet to attend to time-sen-
si Live essential matters, but
these grand juries should not
be assembled except when nec
essary and only under circum
stances in which social distanc
ing and other public health
guidance can be followed.”
A Judicial COVID-19 Task
Force has been established "to
assist courts in conducting re
mote proceedings and in restor
ing more in-court proceedings,
in particular jury trials and
>See Judicial Emerg. on p. 5
Sheriff’s Office Arrests Three
For Burglarizing The Church
On April 29th, the Taylor
County Sheriff’s Office re
sponded to a burglary attempt
at The Church on Thomaston
Hwy. Video footage showed a
white female attempting to
gain entry into the church and
try ing to steal gasoline from the
church van. The images were
shared on social media, and
within a few minutes of being
posted. Sheriff Jeff Watson be
gan receiving calls identifying
the female and her vehicle.
An investigation into the mat
ter resulted in the following ar
rests: Sidni Virginia Carter, a
31 year old, white female of
Phenix City, AL; Jonathan
Brooke Clohtz, a 40 year old,
white male of Columbus, GA;
and Justin Gray Moody, a 39
year old, white male of Colum
bus, GA.
Each is charged with Manu
facturing Methamphetamine.
Forgery, 4 counts of Burglary,
Criminal Attempt Counterfeit
ing, Criminal Trespass, and
Theft by Taking.
All three subjects are cur
rently being held at the Taylor
County Jail, with no bond and
pending holds from other agen
cies.
Butler Police Department Awarded
$12,640 Traffic Enforcement Grant
The Butler Police Department
announced that it has been
awarded a major traffic en
forcement grant from the
Governor’s Office of Highway
Safety fGOHS) in Atlanta
Butler Police Department re
ceived the grant in recognition
of its life saving work as the co
ord in ating agency of GOIIS T
West Central Traffic Enforce
ment Network (WCTEN),
There are sixteen traffic en
forcement networks across the
state that help enforce
Georgia’s year-round safety
belt, speed, and impaired driv
ing campaigns.
"This is our way of support
ing the Butler Police Depart
ment through its continued
leadership via Chief Kain Cobb
and Coordinator Nicole
Murillo, along with the West
Central Traffic Enforcement
Network' said GOHS Law En
forcement Services Director
Roger Hayes. "We want to
make sure they can continue
their region-wide efforts to pro
tect Georgia motorists from
drunk and otherwise danger
ous drivers. They've proven
their dedication, and this grant
>See Butler Poli ce Grant on p. 5
Butler Man Jailed For Family Violence
On April 26th, the Taylor
County Sheriff’s Office re
sponded to a domestic violence
report. The victim reported
being assaulted by Timothy
Jackson and was transported
by Taylor County EMS to
May 17-23
May 17-23, 2020 is the 46th
annual National EMS Week.
In 1974. President Gerald Ford
authorized EMS Week to cel
ebrate EMS practitioners and
the important work they do in
our nation’s communities. The
National Association of Emer
gency Medical Technicians
(NAEMT) partners with the
American College of Emer
gency Physicians (ACEP) to
lead annual EMS Week activi-
Upson Regional Hospital for
treatment.
The investigation led to the
arrest of Timothy Howard
Jackson, a 33 year old, white
male of Butler. The charges
against Jackson are: Aggra-
tics. Together, NAEMT and
ACEP arc working to ensure
that the important contribu
tions of EMS practitioners in
safeguarding the health, safety,
and wellbeing of their commu
nities are fully celebrated and
recognized.
EMS Week brings together
local communities and medical
personnel to honor the dedica
tion of those who provide the
voted Assault Family Violence,
Aggravated Battery Family
Violence, Battery Family Vio
lence, and False Imprisonment
Jackson is currently being
held at the Taylor County Jail
with no bond,
day-to-day lifesaving services
of medicine s “front line ".
Whether celebrated with a
company cookout or a catered
lunch, an open house, an
awards ceremony, or even quiet
reflection about what it means
to be an EMS practitioner,
EMS Week is the perfect lime
to recognize EMS and all that,
its practitioners do for our na
tion.
Is National EMS Week
Seven Charged With Possession
Of Marijuana By Reynolds Police
According to Reynolds Police
Chief Lonnie J, Holder, the
Reynolds Police Department
charged seven individuals with
Possession of Marijuana and
other miscellaneous charges.
They are: Matthew Francis
Oswald, a 19 year old male of
Roswell, GA, was charged with
Possession of Marijuana;
Jonathan Antione Render, a 22
year old male of Columbus, OIL
was charged with Speeding (82
mph in a 60 mph speed zone),
Possession of Marijuana, and
Possession of" a Drug Related
Object; Randy K, Coleman, a 41
year old male of Macon, GA,
was charged with Speeding (83
mph in a 55 mph speed zone)
and Possession of Marijuana; a
15 year old female of Reynolds,
GA was charged with Speeding
(68 mph in a 50 mph speed
zone), Driving Without a Li
cense, and Possession of Mari
juana; Makayla Hortman, a 17
year old female of Reynolds,
GA, was charged with Posses
sion of Marijuana, Possession
of a Pistol by a Minor, and Pos
session of a Drug Related Ob
ject; Ryan Michael
McLaughlin, a 17 year old male
of Pino view, GA, was charged
with Possession of Marijuana,
Possession of a Pistol by a Mi
nor, and Possession of a Drug
Related Object, and Jab quia
Tyson, a 22 year old female of
Columbus, GA, w r as charged
w ith Speeding (76 mph in a 55
mph speed zone) and Posses
sion of Mari juana.
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Butler Garden Club Yard Of The Month
The Butler Garden Club Yard of the Month is the landscape of Brenda Maske. The foun
dation plantings are boxwood and loropetalum, and the front porch is accented with col
orful container plantings. This landscape can be viewed at 17 Mea dowdale Street in But
ler. The Butler Garden Club Yard of the Month Is a monthly feature of and is chosen by,
the Butler Garden Club.