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HERE’S THE
SCOOP
Leading
citizens
succumb
Death claimed three
of Barnesville’s business
and civic leaders over the
past week.
Dora Cox, 73, died
July 11 at her home
after a long
battle with
cancer. She
moved to
Barnesville
in 1993,
worked as
a realtor
and later
HUDSON
pn „ founded
LUA her own
business Dora Cox Realty.
She was active in the
Barnesville Rotary Club
for many years.
Funeral services were
held Monday at First
United Methodist Church.
Burial was in Greenwood
Cemetery.
Alan Hudson, propri
etor of Southern Nursery
Products, died July 13
after a brief illness. He
was 61.
Hudson
founded
his tree
and shrub
operation
here in
1988 and
sold plant
materials
all over the
country. He was buried
in the family cemetery on
his farm Sunday after
noon in a private service.
A public celebration of
his life will be held later.
Charles Dukes, who
worked in education at
various locations, died
Saturday of pulmonary
fibrosis.
He and
his wife
Jean were
longtime
residents
of Thom-
aston
Street and
niiifcq opened
uuivtb their home
to multiple charitable
events over the years.
Funeral arrangements
for Dukes were not final
ized at press time Mon
day. Monitor barnesville.
com for updates.
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He fled, he eluded and he fled
WALTER GEIGER
news@barnesville.com
A 39-year-old Law-
renceville man is now
a fugitive after walk
ing away from his trial
at the Lamar County
courthouse July 10. A
jury had been empan
eled and testimony was
underway when Eric
Leslie Brantley left dur
ing a break and
did not return.
Brantley was
on trial for pos
session of mari
juana with intent
to distribute, two
counts fleeing
and attempting to
elude and failure BRANTLEY
to maintain lane.
He was out on bond on
those charges and not
restrained when
he fled.
District attor
ney Jonathan Ad
ams and his staff
went ahead with
the trial without
the defendant in
court. Brantley
was convicted by
the jury on all counts
and sentenced to 16
once more
years in prison.
“That will give him
something to look
forward to once he is
apprehended. There is
a bench warrant out for
his arrest and we often
hand these cases over
to the U.S. Marshals
Service. I’m not sure
what sheriff White’s
plans are,” Adams con
cluded.
Dynamite comes in small packages
Despite being the smallest player participating in preseason football drills, Daniel Dilbeck brings grit and determi
nation to each workout as Lamar County prepares for the upcoming high school football season. Fans can get a first
glimpse of the 2023 Trojans when Monticello visits Trojan Field for a scrimmage Aug. 4.
Daniel is the son of Sandy and Kevin Dilbeck of Barnesville.
Century plant blooms 19 years after planting
PHOTOS: WALTER GEIGER
The top of the plant is festooned with multiple blos
soms which shimmer in the sun, drawing humming birds
and Japanese beetles in droves.
WALTER GEIGER
news@barnesville.com
A long-awaited horti
cultural event occurred
last week on the Glass
farm which sits astride
Sappington Road in the
Redbone community of
Lamar County.
Former commission
chairman Charles Glass
planted a century plant
in his yard in 2004 and
it has put on quite a
spectacular show in
finally blooming this
summer.
“1 planted it in 2004.
It was in a one gallon
pot that Jimmy Smith
gave me,” Glass said. He
has been waiting for the
dramatic blooming ever
since.
In mid-April, a shoot
began to arise from
the center of the plant
and reach skyward.
It reached a height
of about 40 feet then
began to bloom. The
shoot looks somewhat
like a palm tree. It has
short branches with
tight clusters of mul
tiple blossoms on each
branch.
The flowers produce
a sweet nectar that
has attracted Japanese
beetles and humming
birds in abundance. “1
have seen as many as
seven hummingbirds
on it at a time,” Glass
added.
The century plant
derives is name from
an old wives’ tale that
perpetrated the myth
the plants bloom once
every 100 years. If
that was ever true,
the plants have now
evolved past that stage.
Known to the sci
entific community as
agave americana, the
century plant actually
blooms once, gener
ally at age 20-30 years.
It is native to Mexico
and the American
southwest. Popular for
its stark beauty, it has
been used as an orna
mental in arid or dry
soil landscapes world
wide.
The plant is close
kin to agave tequiliana,
or blue agave, which is
harvested and distilled
to create tequila and
mezcal. The sweet
nectar from the century
plant’s blossoms was at
one time collected and
distilled into an alcohol
ic drink known as pul
que or octli but the long
wait for blossoms made
distillation difficult and
unprofitable.
The blossoming is a
one-time event. Once
the plant completes
it, it will die but it will
leave behind an abun
dance of shoots in or
der to keep the species
alive.
“I’m planning on dig
ging it up and getting
rid of it this fall. If any
one wants some shoots,
they are welcome to
them,” Glass concluded.
The plant from ground
to peak is about 40 feet
tall. It will die after bloom
ing.
Open
house
at LC
schools
is July 26
Lamar County students
return to school on Friday,
July 28 and parents have
the opportunity to visit
schools with their kids on
Wednesday, July 26. Open
house at all four campuses
will run from 2-6 p.m. that
day.
School system athletic
facilities are already in
heavy use as the football,
softball and volleyball
teams are preparing for the
upcoming fall seasons.
The first football scrim
mage is set for Aug. 4 when
the Monticello Hurricanes
come to Trojan Field.
B'ville calls
election for
mayor, two
council
seats
Registered voters in the
City of Barnesville will go
to the polls Nov. 7 to elect
a mayor and two council
members. The polling place
at the civic center will be
open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. on
election day.
Early voting will begin
three weeks prior to elec
tion day.
Incumbent
mayor Peter
Banks has an
nounced that
he will not seek
reelection.
At present,
Kelly Hughes
is the only
announced
candidate for
the mayoral
post.
Also up for
reelection are
Ward 1 coun
cil member
Bill Claxton
and Sammie
Shropshire
who represents
Ward 3.
Candidates
may qualify at
city hall Aug.
21-23 from
8:30 a.m. -4:30
p.m. each day.
The qualifying
fee for mayor
is $75. The fee
for the council
seats is $45.
The legal
ad calling the
election is
published on page 2B of
this edition of The Herald
Gazette.
For more informa
tion, call city hall at
770.358.0181.
Milner car show
Pistons and Pages Car
Show will be held Sept.
23, from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. at
Milner Community Library.
Registration fee is $20.
There will be door prizes,
live music and food. All
proceeds benefit the Milner
library. For information call
770.265.9713.
SHROPSHIRE
©2023 THE HERALD GAZETTE, BARNESVILLE, LAMAR COUNTY, GA 30204, 770.358.NEWS
