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> THE YEAR THAT WAS
OR WASN’T /4A
Tuesday, January 5,2021
barnesville.com
HERE’S THE
SCOOP
Lamar elects
its first leaders
The election results
were in and voters had
chosen the first elected
officials from
the new
county of
Lamar.
They were
J. E. Bush,
representa
tive; B. H.
Hardy, ordi
nary; S. J. Childers, clerk;
Z. T. Elliott, sheriff; Gus
Smith, tax collector; E.
Luther Butler, tax receiv
er; W. C. Jordan, trea
surer; Roger H. Taylor,
surveyor; B. K. Crouch,
coroner.
As soon as the results
were certified and the
new officials could make
their bonds, the county
could start doing busi
ness.
Centennial
Monument
will be
unveiled
Friday
The Centennial Monu
ment on the courthouse
lawn will be unveiled
Friday, Jan. 8. The ob
servance will begin at 11
a.m.
Commissioner Nancy
Thrash will welcome
those in attendance and
the LCHS Junior ROTC
color guard will present
the colors.
Commissioner Ben
nie Horton will lead the
Pledge of Allegiance and
offer the invocation. Com
mission chairman Charles
Glass and commissioner
Robert Heiney will speak
on the history of the
county.
Commissioner Ryran
Traylor will read a proc
lamation and the monu
ment will be unveiled.
Glass will deliver closing
remarks.
The event is open to
the public.
BUTLER
Subscribe. Your name goes
on the label in this box
General Election Runoff
Polls open today 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Lamar County voters go to
the polls today to cast ballots
in the general primary runoff
with Georgia’s two US Senate
seats on the line.
Incumbent Republican Sen.
Kelly Loeffler is being chal
lenged by Democrat Raphael
Warnock. Sen. David Perdue,
another Republican incum
bent, faces off with challenger
Jon Ossoff.
Lamar has 12,846 voters
who are registered to vote
in today’s runoff. Of those,
3,358 have already voted by in
Vote
person advance ballot. Early
voting ended Dec. 31 at noon.
Elections supervisor Anita
Reid and her staff mailed out
1,746 absentee ballots of which
1,311 had been returned.
They also issued 24 electronic
ballots and 10 have been
returned.
Polling places are open
throughout the county today
from 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. Those
polling places are District 1:
Barnesville library; District
2A: Parker Branch fire station;
District 2B: Senior Citizens
Center; District 2C: Redbone
Community House; District 3:
Lamar County Service Center;
and District 4: Milner library.
For up to the minute lo
cal results tonight, monitor
barnesville.com.
THE HERALD GAZETTE/WALTER GEIGER
Muscle in the middle
Trojan sophomore CJ Allen (3) takes on four Strong Rock defenders as he nets two of his 10 points in a 65-61
win last week at the Lamar gym. The LC teams have seen schedule upheaval due to COVID-19 but are getting in as
many games as they can.
LC was to host Locust Grove Monday night with a trip to Bleckley County set for tonight. They are off the rest of
the week.
Six full time firefighters sought
Fire chief: "We're hiring!"
WALTER GEIGER
news@bamesville.com
Lamar County is growing,
adding homes and the people
who live in them. Fire chief
Douglas Matthews and his
team have to plan to grow
their department to meet the
ever expanding needs that
growth brings.
“As the number of struc
tures increases and our
population increases, our call
volume grows,” Matthews said.
So, the county fire department
is looking to hire six full time
firefighters and is currently
taking applications.
“We are making history. We
hired the first three full time
firefighters in 1998. Last year
we added three more. Now we
are looking to add six more to
make a total of 12. Four will be
on duty at all times with two
at station one and two at the
Parker Branch Road station,”
Matthews continued.
Applicants must have a high
school diploma or GED equiva
lent. Certifications are desired
but not necessary. Applicants
will have to pass a basic agil
ity test prior to being offered
employment.
Applications are available
at station one on Hwy. 36 West
and the county commission
office. They must be turned in
by Jan. 22.
More information is avail
able on the county website at
lamarcountyga.com.
Fire chief Douglas Matthews
plans to expand the department.
Vaccinations
accelerated;
those over 65
eligible soon
WALTER GEIGER
news@barnesville.com
Two weeks after admin
istering its first doses of the
COV1D-19 vaccine, the Lamar
County Health
Department had
vaccinated a total
of 157 people
as of Monday
morning. Those
receiving the
vaccine thus far
have been law
enforcement offi
cers, first responders, front line
medical personnel and nursing
home residents and staff.
The first people to get the
Pfizer vaccine here two weeks
ago will be due for the second
of two injections starting next
week.
Georgia’s Department of
Public Health (DPH) terms the
first rounds of vaccinations
Phase 1A. Last week, Gov. Brian
Kemp and DPH commissioner
Dr. Kathleen Toomey added
adults over 65 to the 1A group.
DPH District 4, of which Lamar
is a part, does not currently
have enough vaccine for those
over 65 but that is expected to
change.
“We are waiting on the date
on which this will open up for
those 65 and over. Most likely,
that will be next week,” nurse/
manager Sherry Farr of the
local health department said
Monday.
As of Dec. 31, District 4 per
sonnel had administered 1400
doses of the vaccine. With the
Moderna vaccine now available
and those from other compa
nies nearing rollout, the pace
of vaccinations should pick up
rapidly in the coming weeks.
Farr and other health officials
are hopeful the supplies will ar
rive in that the virus is surging
here at present with 101 new
cases reported last week alone.
Texts about
carry licenses
are a scam
A few Lamar County resi
dents who have applied for
firearms carry permits have
gotten scam texts
asking for money
to complete the
process. The
scam is far more
widespread in
other areas of
Georgia and
locals should
beware.”We will
call people when their licenses
are ready. We do not send
texts. Do not answer these
texts,” probate judge Kathy
Martin warned. There has been
no breach of the carry license
database, Martin added. It is
unknown how the scammers
got the phone numbers of ap
plicants.
If you have received such
a text or desire more informa
tion, call the probate court
office at 770.358.5155.
COVID-19 postpones
Game & Fish Banquet
Due to the COV1D-19 crisis,
the 25th annual Game & Fish
Banquet which is normally
held in January
has been post
poned until later in
the year in hopes
of better condi
tions. The banquet
crowd usually fills
the First Baptist
gym to overflowing.
“We will give at least one
month’s notice of the banquet
through The Herald Gazette
when the date is set so folks
can purchase their tickets,”
pastor Garth Forster said.
FARR
©2021 THE HERALD GAZETTE, BARNESVILLE, LAMAR COUNTY, GA 30204, 770.358.NEWS