Newspaper Page Text
Tuesday, October 5,2021
Barnesville, Ga. 30204
barnesville.com
Enrollment soars; five-day schedule returns
WALTER GEIGER
news@barnesville.com
As COVID cases wane, La
mar County schools will return
to a full, five-day instruction
schedule upon the return
from fall break on Oct. 18. The
system has been on a four-
day schedule since students
returned from a 17-day break
due to the virus on Sept. 7.
School superintendent Dr.
Jute Wilson noted the sharp
decrease in new cases over
the past several weeks but
said school administrators will
remain vigilant. “The number
of cases has been on a steady
decline for several weeks now,
not only in Lamar but across
our region. We will continue to
monitor cases and exposures
going forward and we will
adapt as needed,” Dr. Wilson
said.
Faculty and staff members
who have received both Pfizer
COVID vaccinations will have
the opportunity to receive
booster shots on Oct. 29 from
9 a.m.-3 p.m. in the lobby of
the Fine Arts Center.
As COVID has calmed, the
system has gotten hard data
on enrollment and it is grow
ing.
“Eighty-five percent of
school systems in Georgia saw
a decrease in enrollment last
year. We were one of the 15%
that saw an increase. We are
up once again by 85 students,”
Wilson said. As of Sept. 30, en
rollment was 2,778 compared
to 2,693 at the same time last
school year. Pre-K enrollment
is at its capacity of 133 stu
dents.
“We have the
longest Pre-K wait
ing list we have
ever had. Many
previous years
we did not reach
capacity,” Wilson
added.
Enrollment at
LCMS is 624 while
LCHS stands at
824. Both are by
far the highest
ever.
“We are seeing a
number of out of
district waivers for
students who reside
outside the county
but want to attend
school here. Other
growth we attribute
to the increase in
home building in the
county which we
expect to continue.
We are comfortable
DR. JUTE WILSON with our capacity to
handle a steady in
crease in student enrollment,”
record Wilson concluded.
Vic
mi
jy
THE HERALD GAZETTE/WALTER GEIGER
Homecoming royalty
It’s homecoming week at LCHS and the queen will be crowned at halftime of Friday night’s game against Bleckley County. Kickoff is set for 7:30
p.m. at Trojan Field. The 2021 homecoming court includes (front, l-r) Nijah Fambro, Jasmyn Dixon, Sakaylan Martin, Armani Flewellen, Faithlyn Dangar,
Jada Barronton (middle, l-r) Tamya Blasingame, Emma Eubanks, Olivia Ogletree (top, l-r) Christian Odom and Paige Mayfield.
Not pictured is Alaina Cato.
Subscribe. Your name goes
on the label in this box
Halloween shaping up to be a humdinger
WALTER GEIGER
news@barnesville.com
Halloween night along
Thomaston Street has long
been a crowd pleaser but
this year things may go over
the top. In that Oct. 31 is a
Sunday, Barnesville is doing
trick-or-treat on Saturday,
Oct. 30 according to interim
city manager Tim Turner.
Along with a full slate of
college football, including
the Georgia-Florida show
down, the Buggy Days con
cert will be held that night
at Summers Field Park due
to inclement weather on the
original date.
The concert will feature
popular Atlanta ragtime band
Blair Crimmins and the Hook
ers. Caleb Anthony and the
Holliday Troubadours will
open the show at 6 p.m.
The concert is sponsored
by Deraney’s Two City Tav
ern which will offer food and
drink. Admission is $10. No
outside food or beverages
will be allowed but attend
ees are encouraged to bring
chairs and blankets.
In addition to the music,
the winners of the Miss
Buggy Days pageant will be
featured at the concert.
That evening, Summers
Field will also be the site
of the drive-through trunk
or treat event sponsored
by local churches which
are adding many features
to the event which was
highly-popular last year.
A new twist this year
will be the Scarecrows of
Barnesville competition.
Downtown businesses will
put up scarecrows in front
of their locations. Indi
viduals, schools, churches,
businesses and other
groups can also put up
scarecrows in the area of
Depot Plaza.
The entry fee is $15. The
winner will get $150 while
those finishing second and
third will get a ribbon and
a gift basket.
The competition is spon
sored by Stanley Interiors
and Project Management.
For more information,
contact Heather Stanley
at 678.815.5102 or e-mail
heather@sipmroofing.com.
Homecoming
week is here
but without
parade
It’s homecoming week at
LCHS and the theme is Trojans
got Game’. There are multiple
theme days for the week but
the customary parade will not
take place.
Today is Twister Day with
students, faculty and staff
dressing backward with mis
matched clothes and crazy
hair. Wednesday is Guess Who
Day with participants dress
ing as their favorite celebrity,
athlete, cartoon character or
superhero.
Thursday is Battleship Day
with students wearing the
color of their class. Freshman
wear white while sophomores
don red. Juniors dress out in
pink while seniors wear black.
A huge pep rally is planned
for Friday at 1:50 p.m.
That night, the Trojans do
battle with #4 Bleckley County.
Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at
Trojan Field.
Iks bills
due Nov. 20
Property tax bills, which
property owners should have
received in the mail by now,
are due Nov. 20 not Nov. 15 as
reported last week.
If you have not received
your bill or have ques
tions, call the tax office at
770.358.5162.
Community
prayer event
is Saturday
Local pastors will lead a
community prayer event Oct.
9 at 10 a.m. at Myles-Wimberly
Park in Barnesville. “This morn
ing of prayer will bring us to
gether to pray for life, healing
and the needs of our people,”
organizer Chris Hightower said.
Hightower said the impact
of COV1D-19 and other com
munity problems prompted the
ministers to act. Pastors speak
ing at the event include Keith
Battle, Eddie F. Collier, Nancy
Dadd, Jimmy Lyons, James C.
Marable, Mia C. McGee, Walter
Mitchell and Waylon Knight.
In conjunction with the
morning prayer, the health
department will be offering free
COVID vaccinations at the E.P.
Roberts Center from 9-11 a.m.
Breakfast, also at the center,
will be served from 9-10 a.m.
©2021 THE HERALD GAZETTE, BARNESVILLE, LAMAR COUNTY, GA 30204, 770.358.NEWS