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HERE’S THE
SCOOP
County
relocates
site for new
animal
shelter
The Lamar County
commission voted unani
mously Nov. 16 to change
the location of the new
animal shelter which has
seemingly been in the
planning stages forever.
Plans were to build the
shelter adjacent to the
rodeo arena on the north
side of Roberta Drive at
the entrance to the wet
lands trail.
There were concerns,
however, about land for
future growth of the sher
iff’s office.
The new site is right
down the street at the
intersection of the Trojan
Field access road across
from the school bus
maintenance facility.
Regents
back off
renaming
A University System of
Georgia advisory group
recently completed its
report on renaming col
leges and businesses and
recommended changing
the name of Gordon State
College.
The Board of Regents,
however, announced it
will not pursue any name
changes on buildings or
campuses.
In a statement, the
Regents wrote in part,
“The purpose of history
is to instruct. History
can teach us important
lessons, lessons that, if
understood and applied,
make Georgia and its
people stronger.”
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Tis the Season:
Holiday events ramp up this week
Santa will arrive in a fire truck for the Illumination Celebration Wednes
day night. He will take part in the Christmas parade on Saturday, December
4 by riding in a Jeep so the reindeer can rest up.
The holiday season is upon
us, the events calendar for
Barnesville-Lamar County is
brimming with events and all
of them are free.
Thanksgiving Service:
The annual Community
Thanksgiving Service will be
held Wednesday, Nov. 24 at
First United Methodist Church
at 6:30 p.m. Presented by
the Lamar County Christian
Ministerial Association, the
service will feature the LCHS
Ascension Choir directed by
Justin Miller and the return of
Lamar’s own Sam McDaniel, a
gifted organist.
The FUMC bell ensemble
will perform and Jeff Hayes will
lead the hymns.
Pastors and lay persons tak
ing part in the service include
Rev. Mark Henson, Rev. Waylon
Knight, Rev. Jimmy Lyons,
Rev. Dr. Cyndi McDonald, Rev.
Jason Teal, Rev. Steve Pattison,
mayor Peter Banks, mayor pro
tern Christopher Hightower
and school superintendent Dr.
Jute Wilson.
A nursery for infants and
children up to three years of
age will be provided and an
offering to benefit the Empty
Stocking Fund will be col
lected.
For more information, call
770.358.1994.
Illumination Celebration:
The annual lighting of
Barnesville’s downtown trees
will follow at 7:30 p.m., though
kids are invited to decorate
cookies at Sims Team Realty
where the stage will be set up
beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Mayor Banks will deliver
a welcome and lead a prayer.
Students from the Ozier School
of Dance will perform and the
singing of Christmas Carols
will be led by Andy King and
Greg Burrell.
Tanya Walker will sing ‘0
Holy Night’, Yasheka Buckner
will report on the Empty Stock
ing Fund and county commis
sioner Ryran Traylor will read
The Christmas Story’.
Santa will arrive in a fire
truck and visit with children
inside the Sims Team office.
For more information, call
770.358.5884.
Christmas Parade:
The second annual Christ
mas Parade will roll through
Barnesville Dec. 4. Begun last
year as a COV1D diversion and
a way to celebrate the 100th
anniversary of the founding of
Lamar County, the parade was
an instant favorite, especially
among the kids.
Santa will take part in the
parade as well though he is
altering his mode of transpor
tation to a tricked-out Jeep so
his reindeer can rest up for the
big day.
Staging will begin at 3 p.m.
at the Gordon parking lots off
College Drive. The parade will
roll out at 6:30 p.m.
After Hours:
The annual After Hours
event to benefit the Empty
Stocking Fund will be held
Thursday, Dec. 9 from 5-7 p.m.
at United Bank. ESF volunteers
are working to provide Christ
mas gifts for 264 kids from 84
families.
For more information on
the event and how you can
help, call Glenn Forsyth at
770.468.1253.
Toys for Tots:
Southern Rivers Energy is
an official drop off point for
the Toys for Tots Christmas
campaign. New, unwrapped
toys can be dropped off at the
SRE office at 1367 Hwy. 341 S.
through Thursday, Dec. 16.
For more information, call
770.358.1383.
WALTER GEIGER/FILE
The familiar red, white and blue units of Community Ambulance will fade from the scene here early next year
due to the company folding. The county commission has fast-tracked the search for a new EMS provider. Commu
nity, once known as Mid-Georgia Ambulance, began providing services here in 2008, replacing CARE EMS.
The accident in the photo occurred in February on Jackson Road.
County scrambling for EMS provider
WALTER GEIGER
news@barnesville.com
The pending demise of
Community Ambulance has
the Lamar County commission
scrambling to find a new EMS
provider. Community officials
have said they will cease op
erations on Feb.13.
Community, which does not
charge the county a fee, has
been struggling for some time.
“We understand they are going
under,” commissioner Nancy
Thrash said after the commis
sion’s Nov. 16 meeting at which
the issue arose.
The county’s contract
with Community allows
the slim, 90-day notice the
company provided.
Initial estimates bat
ted around at the meet
ing regarding the cost of
continued EMS operations
at $350,0004450,000 annu
ally. “This is going to be a
very large expense we are
not prepared for,” Thrash
continued.
Chairman Charles Glass
said conversations with
District 4 public health
had begun as had talks about
partnering with Upson County
to get a better deal.
Glass said a request for
proposals would be is
sued very soon.
“We checked with
Veterans EMS in Pike
County to see if they
could ramp up and start
covering us within 90
days. They said yes.
Hopefully, we will not
have any lapses in cov
erage. If that happens,
we will try to get emer
gency coverage from
surrounding counties
via mutual aid for a temporary
solution,” Glass concluded.
GLASS
Plans for
Eady Creek
development
withdrawn;
county issues
moratorium
on major
subdivisions
WALTER GEIGER
news@barnesville.com
The Lamar County commis
sion unanimously approved a
120-day moratorium on major
new subdivisions at its regular
meeting Nov. 16.
Plans for just such a
subdivision on Eady
Creek Road were
withdrawn prior
to a public hear
ing that was on the
meeting’s agenda.
That project
called for 65 one-
acre lots and five
new roads on
property fronting
Hwy. 36 E. and Eady
Creek Road.
“We’ve been
under a trial by fire
recently. We’ve learned a lot in
a short period of time. We are
going to stop accepting applica
tions until we get the right pro
tections and oversight in place,”
chairman Charles Glass said.
Both Glass and zoning ad
ministrator Anita Buice said the
county and zoning office will be
seeking input from interested
parties regarding major develop
ments.
Ironically, later in the meeting
the commission approved Phase
3A of the Fox Crossing develop
ment off Barnesville Road. Fox
Crossing was approved years
ago and Buice said county road
personnel were impressed with
the infrastructure there which
includes superior concrete cul
verts they seldom see.
The new phase includes 39
lots and three new roads.
BUICE
COLLIER
Accused
killer Collier
seeks bond
WALTER GEIGER
news@barnesville.com
Accused killer Taurean Col
lier, 38, will go before Judge Bill
Fears in Lamar superior court
Dec. 1 seeking a release from jail
on bond.
Collier faces multiple charges
in connection with the shooting
death of Shaniqua Penn, 27, of
Hampton. The killing occurred
Nov. 5 at a raucous party held at
a home located at 210 Jackson
Street in Barnesville.
Collier’s charges have been
upgraded since his arrest. They
include felony murder, three
counts aggravated assault, pos
session of a firearm by a convict
ed felon, theft by receiving sto
len property and three counts
possession of a firearm during
the commission of a felony.
A resident of the home,
35-year-old Kevin Mitchell was
also arrested and charged with
disorderly conduct, keeping a
disorderly house and obstruct
ing the murder investigation.
Mitchell is free on a $4,116 bond.
©2021 THE HERALD GAZETTE, BARNESVILLE, LAMAR COUNTY, GA 30204, 770.358.NEWS