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2A ®jje l)pra(ti <§a?ette Tuesday, February 23,2021 Investigators awaiting toxicology report in death of woman left overnight in truck WALTER GEIGER news@barnesville.com Lamar County inves tigators and the district attorney’s office have asked the state crime lab to expedite toxicology testing on a 35-year- old woman MCNAIR who died after being left in a pickup truck for an extended period by her boyfriend. Lamar coroner Clay Tillery sent the body of Meagan Nichole Mc Nair to the crime lab for autopsy McNair’s boyfriend, 53-year-old Jerry Spires, drove her to Upson Regional Medical Center on Friday, Feb. 12 where she was pro nounced dead. Upson officials contacted the Lamar sheriff’s office and an investigation was begun. Spires told investiga tors McNair was asleep in the truck when they returned to their home at 246 Old Alabama Road in Milner Feb. 11 so he put a blanket over her and left her in the truck. He said he checked on her early Feb. 12 before he left for work and again left her in the truck. When he returned home from work, McNair was still in the truck so he drove her to the hospital. A death from expo sure is unlikely because temperatures only fell to 55 degrees overnight on Feb. 11. Investigators suspect an overdose, thus the request for expedited toxicology. “There could be more to it than that,” Lt. Chad Payne of the LCSO said, noting inves tigators had executed a search warrant at the home Feb. 18. According to tax records, the property at 246 Old Alabama Road is owned by Jerry and Sheila Spires. Graveside services for McNair were held Feb. 21 at Southview Cemetery in Thomaston. THE HERALD GAZETTE/WALTER GEIGER Freshmen contribute heavily Shakiria Foster (10) is one of a pack of freshmen who have played key roles in the success of the Lady Trojans this season. LC, ranked #7 in the latest polls, hosts Swainsboro tonight in the first round of the Class AA state playoffs. Tipoff at the LC gym is set for 7 p.m. Fresh Manna Min istries, 619 Old Milner Road, Barnesville, Ga. has a food drive set for Saturday February 27 from 10 a.m. at to 11 a.m. • Compassion Car Ministry offers trans portation to medical appointments for Lamar County residents who have been diagnosed with cancer. Drivers will pick up the patient and take them to physicians offices, treatment centers and the airport for out of town treatment. Call Barnesville First Baptist Church at 770.358.2353 to schedule a trip. County holding off on using line of credit WALTER GEIGER news@barnesville.com The county’s financial situation continues to improve to the point where commissioners are holding off on using its tax anticipation note (TAN), a line of credit. “It will be at least March or April before we have to use TAN. We hope it will be past April,” county adminis trator Sean Townsend said. Better than expected sales tax revenues and cost cutting by depart ment heads were the main factors in the good financial outlook. In other action, the county: •Approved routine minutes. •Proclaimed February Black History Month. •Approved two bud get amendments which will transfer $225,000 to the E-911 fund. This is a bookkeeping move for tracking purposes. •Approved a minor subdivision of property at 378 Five Points Road for Richard and Geri Lewis who will sell a part of 5.22 acres to their grandson on which he will build a home. •Accepted a bid from WiRed Technolgies in the amount of $32,400 annually for managed IT services. Coronavirus: Cases slow, deaths spike Lamar County had 1,223 confirmed cases of COV1D-19 as of the Feb. 21 update from DPH. That number is up from 1,203 cases Feb. 14. La mar has had 95 corona- virus related hospitaliza tions. Lamar recorded three deaths last week to run the grim total to 37. The three latest deaths were of 78-year-old white male, a 62-year-old black male and a 73-year-old white female. As of Monday, sheriff Brad White was tracking 53 positive cases at 49 local residences. Local COV1D-19 numbers and those from surrounding counties are updated daily at barnes- ville.com. • General and high-risk obstetrical care • Centering Pregnancy: Group Prenatal Care • Contraception care and management • Adolescent health education services • Offices in Thomaston and Barnesville OB/GYN Sherida L. Williams, M.D. 706-647-9627 <^ELECT SHANNON WILLIAMSON CHIEF MAGISTRATE JUDGE Integrity over Popular Opinion ” EARLY VOTING NOW ELECTION DAY MARCH 16 th