Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 2A PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS THURSDAY. JANUARY 14. 2021
Pickens voters overwhelmingly choose
Republican candidates in Senate runoff
By Angela Reinhardt
Staff Writer
areinhardt@piekensprogress.com
Democratic candidates
Jon Ossoff and Raphael
Wamock won the U.S. Sen
ate runoff elections by slim
margins overall in Georgia,
but in Pickens County the
Republican candidates se
cured over 80 percent of the
votes in those races.
In Pickens, David Perdue
secured 83.18 percent (or
12,601) of votes cast, versus
Jon Ossoff who secured
16.82 percent (or 2,548)
votes in that race. Kelly Lo-
effler won 82.75 percent (or
12,532) of votes cast here,
versus Raphael Warnock,
who secured 17.25 percent
(or 2,612) votes.
Ossoff won 50.5 percent
of total Georgia votes versus
Perdue’s 49.5 percent.
Warnock won 50.93 percent
of Georgia votes versus Lo-
effler’s 49.07 percent.
In the Public Service
Commission District 4 race,
Pickens voters overwhelm
ingly chose Republican can
didate Lauren “Bubba”
McDonald, Jr. with 83.92
percent of votes (or 12,543),
versus Democratic candidate
Daniel Blackman, who se
cured 16.08 percent (or
2,403) votes cast. Statewide,
McDonald won 50.48 per
cent of votes versus 49.52
percent won by Blackman.
These numbers were
taken from the Secretary of
State website, with all Pick
ens precincts reporting. Elec
tion Day was Tuesday,
January 5.
Community Responds
Will you take the vaccine?
By Angela Reinhardt
Staff Writer
areinhardt@piekensprogress.com
COVID-19 vaccinations
have arrived locally, with ex
panded populations (those 65
and older, and other groups)
now eligible to receive them.
We asked our Facebook fol
lowers if they will take the
vaccine when they are eligi
ble. Here are the responses.
(See all responses on our
Facebook page).
Tommy Curtis - Here
come all the political experts
with all their “facts” they pull
of the internet. How about
you make your own choice?
If you feel safe take it. If you
don’t, then don’t. Let’s stop
with the division. I don’t care
about your opinion on the
vaccine. You do you and love
somebody else on the way to
you doing you.
Kelly Francis - I cur
rently have no interest in the
vaccine. I tested positive in
November, spent two weeks
in the hospital with double
pneumonia and am still re
covering. It’s like new tech
nology. Get all the kinks
worked out after you release
it and then I will consider it.
Keith Petty - I will, as
will my entire family. Even if
the vaccine isn't fully effec
tive in preventing/contracting
COVID-19, it should cer
tainly lessen the severity of it.
liana Gimpelevich - My
husband is a doctor. He just
got his second dose. He's
very much alive and well. I
can't wait for the day my
whole family will be vacci
nated. In the meanwhile, I'll
breathe just a tiny bit easier
knowing that my husband re
duced his chances of bring
ing corona home.
Kevin Deborah Carver
Thomas - No I will not. My
daughters are vaccines in
jured, so we are not taking
that risk. We will build up our
immune system.
Christian Walker
Nope. It was created way to
fast. They still don’t know
every symptom of COVID,
so how can they make a vac
cine? People have ended up
in the hospital after getting it.
...They don’t know all the
side effects....They can’t
promise me 100 percent that
I won’t get COVID after get
ting the vaccine! And most
importantly I’m not their
guinea pig.
April Childers - Our
family will not be getting it
for religious reasons.
Sheryl McGaughey Red
man - I will. My husband
and I have health issues. If
we were to get COVID, and
we have had family members
with it, it would not be good
for us. I'm too old to die
young. But I will do every
thing I can to live longer.
Sherry Martin - I trust
the science behind it. I cannot
wait to take it.
Margaret Goode - My
arm is ready now. I am 76
and got notified yesterday
that's it's my turn but can't
schedule yet.
Steve Lawrence - I will
take the vaccine when I can
and post a pic. So ready. This
is how we will defeat this dis
ease.
Amy Denney -1 will take
it as soon as possible. The
rest of my immediate family
does not want it. I figure if it
is my time to go home, God
will call me whether I take
the vaccine or not. I respect
everyone’s opinion. Like one
guy said on here, “you do
you.”
Crystal Buckingham - I
heard that it makes [the]
younger generation not able
to have kids. [I don’t know]
if that’s true or not, but I
won’t risk becoming infertile
on an off-chance of not get
ting Covid. I know I’m not
65 but still, I think it needs to
be tested further. Vaccines
take time to perfect. History
has proven that much. I don’t
believe a year is enough time
to know for sure if it’s actu
ally safe.
Jacqueline Bauer - Hav
ing had COVID, yes it was a
difficult 8-10 days. I will not
get the vaccine until they re
lease all that is in it. I have a
severe allergy to an antibiotic
and they are recommending
people not take it if that is
part of your medical history.
Let’s face it, getting COVID
has far more people not
dying than those that die. Can
we get those statistics please?
Krystal Simonds - No I
will not and neither will my
children.
Melissa Roper - I will
take it because I’m so very
tired of worrying about get
ting it and even more worried
about giving it to someone
else.
Sharon Foster - Nope not
taking it. Every year after the
flu vaccine has been given
out all of a sudden there is a
new strain of the flu that the
current vaccine didn't help.
Val Smith - Absolutely
will take it as soon as it’s my
turn.
Historical photo
The Sheriff’s
Beat
From the Pickens
Sheriff’s Office
During this past week, the Pickens Sheriff’s Office re
sponded to or initiated 2,674 calls for service. These
numbers are taken from the report provided directly
from the 911 Center where all calls are logged as they
are performed. Below is a breakdown of all dispatched
calls by the call type for each incident.
Accidents 18
Suicide Threats / Attempts 6
Domestics 21
Theft / Burglary Related 26
Forgery / Fraud 12
Traffic Stops 209
Citations Issued 1
Animal Investigations 22
Suspicious Persons/Activity 49
Alarm Calls 12
Stranded Motorists 6
Street Hazards 12
Vandalism 8
Abandoned Vehicles 6
Extra Patrol - neighborhoods, businesses, residences
2,312
In addition to these, other calls include search war
rants, civil service, 911 hang-up calls, assaults, disor
derly persons, missing persons, assistance with medical
calls, natural death investigations, demented persons,
funeral escorts, harassment, trespassing, and many
more.
Breakdown of Charges for those Arrested:
11 individuals were booked into the Adult Detention Center
on charges from the Pickens Sheriff’s Office. Out of these,
the following charges were taken by PSO deputies (note:
some individuals have multiple charges):
Obstruction of LEO 2
Simple Battery-Family Violence 1
Parole Violation 3
Violation of Georgia Controlled Substance Act 4
Burglary- 1st Degree 2
Burglary- 2nd Degree 1
Theft by Taking- Felony 1
Bond Violation 1
File a False Document Against a Person- Felony 1
Failure to Appear 1
Family Drug Court Violation 1
Accountability Court Violation 1
Drug Court Violation 1
Traffic Violations 1
Outstanding Warrant 2
Driving with Suspended/ Revoked License 2
DUI-Alcohol 1
Flee/ Attempt to Elude- Felony 1
Reckless Driving 1
Interfering with Government Property 1
Suspended/ Cancelled Registration 1
In addition to the above
activity from the Uniform
Patrol Division, Court
Service Deputies reported
the following statistics for
the past week:
Persons Scanned at Front
Door: 584
Weapons Found: 5
Courts Held: 5
Arrest Made in the Court
house: 2
Civil Papers Received : 21
Civil Papers Served: 40
In the Adult Detention
Center:
Total Jail population: 82
Total male inmates: 63
Total female inmates: 19
Sex Offenders:
There are currently 72 sex
offenders registered with the
Pickens Sheriff’s Office.
Notice of Board Meeting
Pickens County Board of Education
Central Office
100 D.B. Carroll Street
Jasper, GA 30143
January 14, 2021
6:00 p.m.
Chris Feldt, writer of a front page article in the January 7th paper, dug up this photo
clipping of the large chicken operation in place in the early 1950s along the southern ter
minus of the Appalachian Trail. The operation was set up to house 20,000 laying hens.
GRISHAM, POOLE
& CARLILE, PC
Criminal Defense | Family Law
"You can't go back and change the beginning,
but you can start where you are and change
the ending." ~ C.S. Lewis
21 COURT STREET
JASPER, GEORGIA
678.880.9360
Experienced. Established. Effective.
Advertise with the Progress
Call our office M-F, 9-5 at 706-253-2457
Joson Lee & James County bring a refined
blend of country and rockabilly to your
Sunday afternoon. Reservations 706-253-1900