Newspaper Page Text
REFLECTING ON MLR JR.,
WEIERE WE STAND NOW / 4A
Tuesday, February 9,2021
barnesville.com
Barnesville, Ga. 30204
HERE’S THE
SCOOP
COVID-19:
Lamar nears
1,200 cases
Lamar County had
1,183 confirmed cases of
COVID-19 as of the Feb.
7 update from DPH. That
number is up from 1,147
cases Jan. 31. Lamar has
had 83 coronavirus re
lated hospitalizations and
33 deaths.
As of Monday, sheriff
Brad White was tracking
124 positive cases at 108
local residences.
Local COVID-19
numbers and those from
surrounding counties are
updated daily at barnes-
ville.com.
Freshman Samiya Smith
(1) fires off a shot during LC’s
3-1 loss to Harris County in
the sleet Saturday afternoon.
SEE PAGE 1B
Lamar Gives
365 recipients
SEE PAGE 4A
Subscribe. Your name goes
on the label in this box
Alleged cop shooter in court Feb. 16
WALTER GEIGER
news@barnesville.com
A 38-year-old Milner man
charged in the violent ambush
of a Lamar County deputy last
August is due for his first hear
ing in superior court before
Judge Bill Fears Feb. 16.
Donald Chandler Gordy is
to be arraigned on charges of
aggravated assault on a peace
officer, criminal attempt to com
mit a felony, possession of a
firearm during the commission
of a felony and criminal damage
to property.
Dep. Justyn Weaver re
sponded to the 100 block of
Moore Street in Milner regard
ing a suspicious person call
at about 10:45 p.m. on Aug. 8,
2020. He had been up and down
the street several times when
Gordy allegedly popped out
of the woods and opened fire.
Prosecutors say Gordy fired five
rounds from a shotgun loaded
with #4 turkey loads. He was
so close, the wadding from
one shell was embedded into
Weaver’s patrol car.
Gordy fled the scene and
was arrested about 3 a.m. Aug.
9 along 1-20 in St. Clair County,
Alabama near Birmingham.
Weaver, who was hit by
multiple pellets in his head
and face, was released from an
Atlanta hospital Aug. 13 and
Donald Gordy appeared in mag
istrate court following his arrest last
August via videoconference from the
Spaldng County jail.
received a hero’s welcome upon
his return to the sheriff’s office
that day. Weaver has since re
covered and returned to duty.
There are multiple additional
cases on the calendar. They
include the charges against
alleged puppy mill operator
Latitia A. Matthews who faces
six counts of aggravated cruelty
to animals, 23 counts cruelty to
animals and unlawful disposal
of a dead animal. Her husband
John David Matthews faces the
same charges.
State supreme court chief
justice Harold Melton’s latest
order clears the way for jury
trials to commence in March.
That will allow prosecutors and
judges to work on the backlog
of cases that has built up due to
COVID-19. In the interim, some
proceedings are done in person
and some via videoconference.
See the upcoming court cal
endar on page 3B.
THE HERALD GAZETTE/WALTER GEIGER
Vaccinations continue as COVID fight drags on
Larry Clark of Barnesville was among those getting the COVID-19 vaccination Feb. 3 at the health department’s
drive-thru operation at Southern Rivers Energy. The DPH appointment hotline will reopen Wednesday, Feb. 10 at 8
a.m. Call 762.888.8180 to sign up. If you have an appointment and cannot come, please call to cancel so someone
else can be found for your dose of the still-precious vaccine.
Thus far, 2074 people have been vaccinated here with about 400 having gotten the second shot. About 600
vaccinations are scheduled for this week with the vast majority being second doses.
Dad/Daughter
dance cancelled
COVID-19 claimed another
local event last week when
First United Methodist Church
announced it cannot hold the
Dad/Daughter Dance due to
coronavirus concerns. The
church has hosted the event
annually since 2007.
The church suggested dads
and daughters enjoy a dress
up dinner at home and expects
the 2022 dance to be the best
ever.
Gordon football
scrimmages
Saturday here
For the first time in years,
football players wearing a
Gordon uniform will take to the
gridiron Saturday.
The Highlander
club team will hold its
Royal and White intra
squad scrimmage at
7 p.m. at Trojan Field.
GSC opens the regular
season March 6 with a road
game at Middle Georgia.
Lamar Arts opens ‘Heart of the Community’ Sunday Feb. 14
A unique exhibit of the arts
is planned by Lamar Arts to
recognize “Heart of the Com
munity” by featuring local and
area artists of all kinds. The
opening is a drop-in reception
on Sunday, Feb. 14, 2 p.m. to 5
p.m.
Members of the Lamar
Arts Gallery Committee have
worked for several weeks to
gather art in varying media
including paintings, watercol-
ors, metalwork, china painting,
woodworking, pottery, photog
raphy and others. One such
work by Andrew Patrick Henry
portrays Erik McKinley who
delivered mail on Thomaston
Street and surrounding areas of
Barnesville for many years.
The Gallery Committee is
composed of Angela Preston,
Eleanor Stecker, Bambi Rogers
and Pat DeVane Burns. Preston
said, “We all agree that there is
so much good art in this area,
so much talent that has been
hidden and unrecognized.”
Stecker noted, “It’s been won
derful to reconnect with artists
that have not ever shown, or
not exhibited recently. This is
an amazing show - don’t miss
it!”
Two renowned artists who
are deceased will be featured
in the show: Virginia Legge and
Herb Creecy. Another unique
feature of the show will be
entries from two Lamar County
High School art students,
McKenna Strom and Sheldon
Brown, courtesy of art teacher
Michelle Thaxton. Brown has
done highly colorful paintings
in a manner resembling collag
es; Strom has entered pottery:
two vessels and a tribute to her
Scottie dog.
Art work has been gathered
from the region. Artists en
tered also include Alan Stecker,
Anne Haines, Jo Yancey, Hazel
Caldwell, Peter Potter, Patricia
Hankins, Charlotte Hankins
Weber, Connie Walker, Niall
Mathieson, Ted Clements,
Eddie Rainey, Pat Devane
Burns, Bambi Rogers, Eileen
Smith Jackson, Nancy Jackson
Thomas, Fred and Kendall Mor
ris, Colleen Kiefer, Lee Wood-
all, Carol Wubbena (founder
of Lamar Arts), Sara Preston,
Andrew Patrick Henry, Bob
Detamore and Marlin Adams
and Melanie Handy.
Safety precautions are in
effect for the show: masks are
required and social distanc
ing is encouraged. For more
information call the Depot at
770-358-5888 and leave a mes
sage, or call LA president Kay
Pedrotti at 678-603-7268.
Local artist Andrew Patrick Henry portrays Erik McKinley who delivers mail
on Thomaston St. and surrounding areas.
©2021 THE HERALD GAZETTE, BARNESVILLE, LAMAR COUNTY, GA 30204, 770.358.NEWS