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COVID closes schools again
The explosion of new COVID
cases here put Lamar County
in the national news spotlight
over the weekend and shut
down the public school system
for 17 days. Lamar’s rapid case
growth, one of the worst in the
country, made NBC’s national
news broadcast over the week
end.
School superintendent
Dr. Jute Wilson announced a
“two week pause” for schools
Friday afternoon. Schools will
reopen Tuesday, Sept. 7 with a
four-day school week as was in
place last year. The system will
offer a virtual option through
fall break then reevaluate the
situation.
The situation in the schools
had become untenable.
“Between positive cases and
quarantines, we were unable to
cover bus routes. Our kitchen
staff was incomplete and we
could not properly supervise
all classrooms. Our food sup
ply was also impacted. As of
Friday, we had 36 staff mem
bers out and daily student
absences were exceeding 600,”
Wilson said.
Lamar recorded three
COVID deaths last week, those
of a 53-year-old black male, a
48-year-old black male and a
white female over age 90.
On Aug. 1, Lamar had 1428
positive cases, 48 deaths and
135 hospitalizations. As of
Friday, Aug. 20, Lamar had
recorded 1752 cases, 51 deaths
and 141 hospitalizations.
Lamar ranks among the low
est counties in Georgia in vac
cination rate at 28%. However,
that situation is slowly im
proving. As of Friday, 33% had
received their first dose of the
vaccine and a few have started
getting a third, booster shot.
(Note: The DPH no longer updates its COVID
statistics on weekends so Friday’s numbers
are the latest available.)
Tuesday, August 24,2021
barnesville.com
ID
Barnesville, Ga. 30204
HERE’S THE
SCOOP
Animal
shelter hits
another
snag
WALTER GEIGER
news@barnesville.com
The long awaited
Lamar County animal
shelter project hit yet an
other snag Aug. 17, when
the county commission
unanimously rejected the
lone bid from an archi
tect to design it.
Precision Planning
entered a design bid of
$82,340 and estimated
the build out would cost
more than $1 million.
The shelter is the last
remaining project on the
list for current SPLOST
funding in the amount of
$250,000.
“We can’t put that
much money into the
design and get it built,”
chairman Charles Glass
said. Citing the Boys &
Girls Club project, com
missioner Ryran Traylor
said the commission
would have to be more
creative in finding ways
to get the job done.
Meanwhile, the shelter
and its supporters, who
have been raising funds
for years, hang in limbo.
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Cop shooter Gordy gets hard time
WALTER GEIGER
news@barnesville.com
A 38-year-old Milner man
who ambushed Lamar deputy
Justyn Weaver in Milner last
August will grow old in prison
after being sentenced to a total
of 35 years in prison by Judge
Bill Fears Aug. 19.
Donald Chandler Gordy
pleaded guilty to multiple
counts from the shooting inci
dent and a prior drug arrest in
which he tangled with deputies.
Those counts included aggra
vated assault on a peace officer,
two counts possession of a
firearm during the commission
of a felony, interference with
government property, criminal
damage to property, possession
of meth and possession of drug
related objects.
Gordy also faces three years
probation upon his release from
prison. The sentencing hear
ing was conducted in front of a
contingent of 3540 law enforce
ment officers there to support
Weaver.
According to assistant dis
trict attorney Wayne Jernigan,
the events that
led up to Gordy
ambushing Weav
er on August 8,
2020 began when
Gordy spotted
his wife and
children at the
home of Dennis
Armstrong at
102 Moore St.
in Milner. Gordy
became irate and demanded
Armstrong return a rifle and a
hedge trimmer.
Later Gordy arrived at his
in-laws’ house at 109 Moore St.
and a domestic disturbance
erupted.
“Mr. Gordy was loud, hostile
and making threats,” Jernigan
said which resulted in a call
to the sheriff’s office. Weaver
responded. Gordy slipped into
a wooded area after leaving his
truck at the in-laws’ home.
“Some very
helpful neighbors
spotted him and
pointed Weaver
in his direction.
Weaver spotted
Gordy and was
reaching for his
radio. Before he
could get the
microphone to his
mouth, Gordy fired
five 12 gauge shotgun rounds at
him,” Jernigan continued.
The shells were #4 turkey
shot. The first round hit Weaver
in the face and he dove to the
passenger seat to try to get out.
The second hit his elbow.
“Dep. Weaver got out of the
car. He was bleeding profusely.
He couldn’t see out of one eye.
He walked away but gathered
himself, turned around, drew
his weapon and got back in
the fight,” Jernigan said. By
that time, however, Gordy had
fled. Neighbors ran to the aid
of Weaver who was life flighted
to a trauma center. “It was a
miracle he survived,” Jernigan
said.
The five shots were fired
from a pump shotgun at a range
of 10-15 feet. Gordy was arrest
ed early the next day 150 miles
away in Alabama. In his car,
officers found two shotguns,
three knives and a quantity of
ammunition, Jernigan said.
In the interim, a search war
rant was executed at Gordy’s
home and shells matching
SEE GORDY SENTENCED 4A
THE HERALD GAZETTE/WALTER GEIGER
Wounded deputy gives emotional statement
Dep. Justyn Weaver (at lectern) was overcome by emotion Aug. 19 as he gave a victim impact statement at a
sentencing hearing for Donald Chandler Gordy who shot him in the face with a shotgun last summer. Looking on
are (l-r) defense attorney Nicholas White, Gordy, Capt. Ron Buchanan, Sgt. Kathryn Knapp and lead prosecutor
Wayne Jernigan.
Prayer
service
Thursday
The Lamar County Chris
tian Ministerial Association
will host a community prayer
service Thursday at Sum
mers Field Park. The event
begins at 7 p.m.
All are invited to bring
a chair and join in pray
ing for medical providers,
educators, school personnel,
students, first responders,
businesses leaders, law en
forcement, church congrega
tions and those impacted by
C OVID-19.
A prayer net will be in
place and attendees are in
vited to bring a piece of cloth
to tie to it, signifying our
connection to one another.
Prayer net greeting cards will
be free to those who wish to
send a loving note to some
one else.
“This is a stressful time
and we need to draw close
as a family of God to ask
His blessing on our commu
nity. Prayer is powerful. It
strengthens and unites us,”
Rev. Cyndi McDonald of First
United Methodist Church
said.
Pastor Greg Burrell of First
Baptist Church is also com
mitted to the prayer event.
“This community, this nation
and this world need prayer,”
Burrell said.
Both McDonald and Burrell
will help lead the service
along with Peter Banks,
Charles Glass, Tim Turner,
Miles William, Dr. Jeff Mor
gan, Rev. Nancy Dadd, Pastor
Jett Davis and Rev. Jimmy
Lyons.
The county commission voted unanimously to purchase the old Fred’s building (above).
County to buy Fred’s building
WALTER GEIGER
news@bamesville.com
The Lamar County commis
sion voted unanimously Aug.
17 to proceed with the pur
chase of the old Fred’s building
on Veterans Parkway for the
county’s use. The building sits
on 6.72 acres and is owned by
Barnesville Perlmix.
The 22,222 square foot
facility was offered to the
county for $1,333,320 or $60
per square foot. No purchase
price was mentioned during
the discussion at the meeting,
however.
Some 6,000 square feet of
the building is currently oc
cupied by American Pie, 1st
Franklin Financial and Georgia
Roots Boutique. Those three
tenants pay about $50,000 per
year in rent.
The remaining 16,222
square feet was left vacant
when Fred’s folded its tent
three years ago. The county
discussed renovating that por
tion at a projected cost of $75
per square foot or $1,216,650
earlier this year.
Discussion has included the
building housing the county’s
administrative offices and
meeting room, the elections
board (and election equipment
storage), the tax assessors
office, the tax commissioner’s
office, the planning and devel
opment office and the county
extension office.
©2021 THE HERALD GAZETTE, BARNESVILLE, LAMAR COUNTY, GA 30204, 770.358.NEWS