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BLACK HISTORY MONTH: THE LEGACY OF
MARION WALTON-SMTIH/4A
Tuesday, February 16,2021
barnesville.com
Barnesville, Ga. 30204
HERE’S THE
SCOOP
VOTE
Today is the
last day to
register to vote
Today is the last day
to register to vote in the
March 16 special election
in which Lamar voters
will choose a chief mag
istrate judge and decide
whether to continue the
ESPLOST. Early voting
in those contests begins
Feb. 22 and runs through
March 12.
Four candidates are
seeking the office of chief
magistrate. They are (in
alphabetical order) Brutz
English, Paul Kunst, Jeff
Mason and Shannon Wil
liamson.
Voters will also decide
whether to extend the
EPLOST which authorizes
a one cent sales tax to
benefit Lamar County
schools. The school
SEE VOTING 2A
Solar farm
verdict
could come
tonight
The Lamar County
commission will hold a
public hearing tonight
on a special zoning
exception that would
allow the construction
of a solar panel array on
Crawley Road north of
Milner.
TMJ Investments,
LLC is seeking to locate
the operation on 132.61
acres that fronts Craw
ley Road and which is
bisected by Cottage
Road.
Tonight’s meeting
begins at 7 p.m. The reg
istered agent for the LLC
is Theresia Hall of Pine
Mountain, Ga.
Subscribe. Your name goes
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Rural internet to improve
WALTER GEIGER
news@barnesville.com
Lamar County was on the
cutting edge back in 1938 when
President Franklin Delano Roo
sevelt came to Barnesville to
flip the switch to send power
surging along lines belonging
to Lamar EMC to members
in rural areas surrounding
Barnesville for the first time. It
was the beginning of an era and
revolutionized life out in the
country.
In recent years, the most
pressing need in rural areas
here has been a lack of high
speed internet. Residents had
to rely on slow DSL if they
could get it or balky satellite in
ternet provision systems with
somewhat faster speeds than
DSL but considerable reliability
issues.
Nothing brought that pic
ture more into focus than the
COV1D-19 crisis and the neces
sity for distance learning when
Georgia shut down its schools.
Even when classes resumed,
many families opted out and
had to deal with the slow
internet speeds to try and get
school assignments done.
Now Southern Rivers Energy
has entered into agreements
to provide high-speed fiber
internet access to its members
utilizing existing infrastructure
(see related story page 3A).
The plan was announced at
the state capitol last week with
Gov. Brian Kemp in atten
dance and garnered headlines
throughout the southeast.
“1 think SRE has
% a great plan for
I — 1 tying into existing
poles. The lack of
reliable internet
service has been a
™ major obstacle for
WILSON our remote learn
ing plans. This
impacts not only
students but teach
ers, administrators
and even school
board members,”
school superinten-
0XF0RD dent Jute Wilson
said.
Kathy Oxford, executive di
rector of the Barnesville-Lamar
County Industrial Development
Authority, agrees and knows
SEE FIBER INTERNET 3A
Phillip Luke Norman (left) and Jessica Miranda Cof
fey were denied bond by Judge Kathy Martin at their
first appearance hearings Feb. 11 in magistrate court.
They are charged with first degree cruelty to children.
A two-month-old girl allegedly under their supervision
THE HERALD GAZETTE/WALTER GEIGER
suffered 27 fractures/bone injuries, according to attend
ing physicians and is now hospitalized at Scottish Rite
in Atlanta. Three other children were removed from their
home at Milner Creek Apartments by DFCS personnel.
More charges are expected.
Baby badly beaten, two in jail without bond
WALTER GEIGER
news@barnesville.com
Two people are being held in
the Lamar County jail on child
cruelty charges in connection
with multiple traumatic injuries
suffered by a two-month-old
girl. The child was taken to
WellStar Spalding Regional Hos
pital Feb. 9 and then airlifted to
an Atlanta trauma center with
a suspected brain bleed. At last
report, she was still alive.
Phillip Luke Norman, 28,
of 111 Milner Creek Drive in
Milner was arrested Feb. 9. He
was formally charged with one
count of first degree cruelty to
children Feb. 11.
Jessica Miranda Coffey,
30, of the same address was
arrested Feb. 11. She is also
charged with one count of first
degree cruelty to children.
More charges are expected as
the investigation proceeds.
The arrest warrants for the
pair are similar. Norman is
identified as a ‘person’ super
vising the victim. Coffey is
described as a ‘parent’ with the
same responsibilities.
The warrants charge the
pair with “willfully and mali
ciously” causing the victim
“cruel or excessive pain” by
not seeking medical attention
for the child in the two weeks
prior to her being taken to the
hospital. The warrants further
read, “...Upon medical examina
tion of Juvenile Norman, the
attending physician found Ju
venile Norman to have multiple
bruises and abrasions to her
body as well as 27 fractures/
bone injuries in various stages
of healing.”
First appearance hearings
for both Norman and Coffey
were held Feb. 11. Judge Kathy
Martin denied bonds due to
each posing a significant risk of
committing additional felonies,
intimidating witnesses and
otherwise obstructing justice if
released.
Sheriff Brad White reported
Monday Coffey took the child
to the emergency room in Grif
fin due to her right leg being
swollen. “WellStar notified us
when x-rays revealed multiple
broken bones
and the inves
tigation was
opened. DFCS
later removed
three other
children from
the apartment.
We are still trying to determine
who actually injured the child,”
the sheriff said.
This is not Norman’s first
run-in with law enforcement. In
2019, he was arrested for fail
ure to appear in court. In July,
2020 he was arrested for theft
by taking, burglary and crimi
nal damage to property. Those
felony charges are still pending
in superior court.
Both Norman and Coffey are
being held in the Lamar County
jail.
WHITE
School board: 15 more instruction days in June
KAY S. PEDR0TTI
kayspedrotti@gmail.com
Plans for assisting struggling
students will include 15 more
days of school in the month of
June, superintendent Dr. Jute
Wilson told the board of educa
tion at the February meeting.
The days will be Mondays
through Thursdays, 8 a.m. to 2
p.m. Wilson said that state and
federal funding is available to
help accommodate those stu
dents who are struggling and
might be retained in grade.
“We will run buses, have
breakfast and lunch, just like
other school days,” Wilson
added. “If retention is antici
pated, there may be manda
tory attendance for the entire
summer extension to avoid
repeating a grade. It’s not sum
mer school; it’s for the benefit
of the students who need it
because so many have fallen
behind.”
Wilson’s COV1D report noted
the “sixth decline this year in
the number of monthly cases
- down to 36 from 112.” Confer
ences are underway with the
Georgia Department of Public
Health to facilitate staff and
teacher vaccinations, Wilson
said.
The system’s January share
of ESPLOST funds showed
the third highest increase in
the history of ESPLOST, at
$202,402.12, about $40,000
more than January 2020.
Sharonda Bostic, CTAE busi
ness pathway instructor, was
honored for achieving “Indus
try Certification” for the FBLA.
Dr. Treesomia Walker, CTAE
BOSTIC
WALKER
director, said the
business program
certification “is
the hardest one to
achieve ... we’re
already starting on
the others and will
keep going until
every pathway has
that certification.”
Wilson said the
certification re
quirements played
a part in the build
ing of the new high
school“because
there were crite
ria for square footage, phone
lines, technology and much
more.” Walker said “AG is next
in line.”
Griffin RESA Academic Bowl
SEE JUNE SCHOOL DAYS 2A
April 16-17
Barring a severe breakout of
COV1D-19 or a shutdown order,
the Barnesville BBQ & Blues
Festival is a go for April 16-17.
There are at least 35 barbecue
teams expected for a Georgia
BBQ Association sanctioned
competition.
Taster’s Alley will return.
Revelers can pay $7, sample
multiple BBQ offerings and vote
on which is the best.
Ancillary competitions for
the teams and the public will
include best wings, best des
sert and best Bloody Mary. The
entry fee is $25. First place will
receive $100 with second place
getting $50 and third place $25.
There will be free live music
Friday and Saturday. Volunteers
are needed. For more infor
mation or to volunteer, call
770.358.5884.
Two convicted
killers seek new
trials March 2
Two convicted killers con
victed in Lamar County will
appear in court before Judge
Tommy Wilson March 2 seeking
new trials.
Lekievius T. Eleby’s effort to
get a new trial has been brew
ing for some time
and delayed at
least twice due to
COV1D.
Eleby was part
of a robbing crew
that hit the home
of Danavan Bussey
on Westchester
Drive at 4 a.m. Dec. 5, 2010.
Court testimony indicated
Eleby and Bussey were com
petitors in the local marijuana
sales market.
Eleby shot Bussey with a
.22 pistol. Shameik Spinks then
shot him with a shotgun. Both
are serving life sentences for
murder and multiple additional
counts. Eleby is locked away at
Telfair State Prison. Spinks is
housed at Smith State Prison.
A third member of the crew,
Bryce Arsenio Smith, cut a deal
and testified against Eleby and
Spinks. His record was appar
ently expunged because he is
not listed as a past or current
offender by the Department of
Corrections.
Also seeking a new trial is
Ronald Eugene Smith who lay
in wait for Charles
Graves Adams
and shot him in
the face with a
high-powered rifle
on Jan. 30, 2009.
Adams died on the
front porch of his
Grove Street home
and was buried in a pauper’s
grave.
Williams, who got a life sen
tence, is now housed at Wheel
er Correctional Facility. He
testified that he killed Adams
after a night of using meth and
watching porn with his wife.
LCHS business
program certified
The business program at
LCHS has received industry
certification thanks to the hard
work of instructor Sharonda
Bostic.
The certification is a stamp
of excellence awarded to qual
ity programs following rigorous
review by business and indus
try leaders. Bostic was lauded
by the school board for her
efforts.
“This is not for me, it’s for
the kids,” Bostic said.
SMITH
BBCES' Blues
set for
©2021 THE HERALD GAZETTE, BARNESVILLE, LAMAR COUNTY, GA 30204, 770.358.NEWS
