Newspaper Page Text
barnesville.com
Merry
Letters
Christmas!
to Santa IB-
HERE’S THE
SCOOP
CJ hosts
B&G Club
drive
Friday
Former Trojan stand
out and current UGA star
CJ Allen will host a toy
drive for the local Boys
& Girls Club Friday at the
Walmart in Griffin.
The event begins at
6:30 p.m.
“1 am so excited. I
couldn’t be more ex
cited to give back to my
very own community of
Barnesville,” Allen said.
The Dawgs play FSU
Dec. 30 in the Orange
Bowl in Miami. Kickoff is
set for 4 p.m.
Stage presence
PAGE 3A
Early
deadlines
The Herald-Gazette of
fice will be closed Mon
day, Dec. 25 for Christmas
and Monday, Jan. 1 for
New Year’s Day. Deadline
for the Dec. 26 edition is
Thursday, Dec. 21 at 10
a.m. The deadline for the
Jan. 2 edition is Thursday,
Dec. 28 at 10 a.m.
Subscribe. Your name goes
on the label in this box
96852
78853
Letters to Santa proclaim good
behavior and the desire for presents
Kids say (and write)
the darndest things
and they can be at
their best at deception
when it comes time to
compose that letter to
Santa. As usual, this
year’s letters range
from comical to maud
lin.
Two six-year-old
Barnesville boys,
Samson Stevens and
Hudson Barnett, admit
ted that they have been
‘really silly’ this year.
Samson wants a Breath
of the Wild, a Power
Ranger sword and a
bearded dragon. Hud
son has a drone, Army
truck and Transformer
on his list.
Five-year-old Abel
Shortt of Milner is
proud of himself and
likes big trucks. “This
year I have been really
amazing. I would re
ally like it if you could
bring me a remote car,
Earth Shaker truck and
a monster truck,” he
wrote.
Honor Thomason,
6, of Barnesville took
things a step further,
writing, “This year
I have been really
angelic”. She wants a
Squish Mallow, gum ball
machine and a Furby.
“I am six years old
(and) I am a sweet little
girl in Mrs. Wilson’s
class,” wrote Sarah
Gordy. She wants a
Nintendo Switch with
Zelda, a baby doll with
clothes and a pair of
earrings. Claire Anna-
belle Raybould adopted
a similar strategy. She
wrote, “Thank you for
all your hard work!. I
have been a nice, sweet
girl this year.” Her wish
list includes an LOL doll
and baby, Lanky box
Plushie and Flipamal-
lows Squishy.
Asher Kennedy
adopted the mantra
of honesty is the best
policy. The Milner five-
year-old wrote, “This
year I have had average
behavior. It’s hard to be
good all the time.” He
would like to see Trans
formers, Power Rangers
and video games under
his family’s tree.
Evan Heaslett and
Khaleeya Lee each
promised to leave milk
and cookies out for
Santa. Carson Banks
made the same pledge
but added carrots for
the reindeer to the
menu.
A kid using the
moniker T3 Lee also
promised milk and
cookies but added two
unusual wishes writing,
“0 want) to meet Don
ald Trump and finally I
want to go to Arabia.”
The letters are over
whelmingly joyous but
there is some sadness,
too.
Finn B wrote, “I’d
really like to spend
Christmas with my en
tire family all together.”
Ayden wrote, “I really
want a nerf gun and to
spend time with my
parents.”
“I love my kinder
garten teachers Mrs.
Wilson and Mrs. Under
wood but sometimes I
miss my mommy,” Eliza
beth Chappell penned.
Hundreds of letters
to the man in red from
local kids are published
in this edition begin
ning on page IB.
Grand jury
calls jail
‘nasty and
disgusting’;
recommends
new one
WALTER GEIGER
news@barnesville.cam
PHOTO: DONNA FLOURNOY
Sleep tight, Santa’s on his way
Santa will soon be making his rounds, bringing gifts to all the good little girls and boys so its time for the kids to rest
up in anticipation of Christmas morning and the treasures under the tree.
Tatum (left) and Everly Allen did just that on a recent visit with the man in red. They are the children of Raychel and
Taylor Allen.
THE HERALD GAZETTE/WALTER GEIGER
Santa visits Winter Wonderland
Young Jordan Harden got to visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus Friday night during the Winter Wonderland extravaganza
at Depot Plaza. Kids and adults enjoyed Santa and his sleigh, fake snow, tasty treats and hot chocolate. The event was
organized by Heather Stanley.
The December term
grand jury, in its official
presentments, has called
for the the Lamar County
jail to be “totally replaced
for officer and inmate safe
ty”. The December grand
jury is annually tasked with
inspecting county facilities.
The grand jury labeled
the carpet in the main
building as “nasty and
disgusting” and noted leaks
around the front window
have resulted in what ap
pears to be black mold.
Their inspection revealed
multiple leaks in the roof
of the facility and multiple
missing ceiling tiles in the
dispatch center.
The CID/evidence build
ing is too small, its fixtures
are outdated and the
evidence room is too small
for its purposes, the grand
jurors noted. They also felt
the actual detention area
is unsafe for jailers and
deputies.
The grand jury present
ments are published in full
on page 7A of this edition
of The Herald Gazette.
Young
athlete
Gotell
seeks gifts
for needy
kids
Juliana Gotell and her
family have launched a
toy drive to gather Christ
mas gifts for needy kids in
the community. Juliana is
known as ‘Jules’ and ‘Baby
GOAT’.
She is a nationally
ranked middle school bas
ketball player and also
plays soccer at St. George’s
Episcopal School in Milner.
The family has created the
Baby GOAT Foundation for
charitable purposes.
Toy collection boxes
have been placed at
various businesses around
town. For more informa
tion, call 470.402.1153.
©2023 THE HERALD GAZETTE, BARNESVILLE, LAMAR COUNTY, GA 30204, 770.358.NEWS