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o o DECEMBER 31, 2020 Madison County Journal Merged with The Comer News and The Danielsville Monitor, 2006 MadisonJoumaITODAY.com Vol. 37 No. 48 • Publication No. 1074-987 • Danielsville, Madison County, Georgia 30633 • A Publication of MainStreet Newspapers Inc. • 16 Pages, 2 Section Plus Supplements $1.00 ELECTIONS Senate runoffs set for Tuesday The eyes of the nation will be on Georgia Jan. 5 as voters Peach State voters determine whether Republicans or Dem ocrats will control the Senate. Republican incumbent David Perdue faces Demo crat Jon Ossoff, and Repub lican Kelly Loeffler, who was appointed by Gov. Brian Kemp to fill the unfinished term of Johnny Isakson, faces Democrat Raphael Wamock. Republican incumbent Bubba MacDonald also faces Democrat Daniel Blackman for a seat on the Public Ser vice Commission. Early voting was scheduled to continue at the county elec tions office through 5 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 31. Voters will need to go to their designat ed voting precinct on election day between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. A secure drop box is locat ed at the county office for absentee ballots and any other election material. FATALITY Hwy. 72 death ruled suicide A woman ran into traffic on Hwy. 72 at Meadow Lane in Colbert Monday evening, dying after she was struck by multiple vehicles. The death of Lila Fox, 39, has been ruled a sui cide, according to Madison County Coroner Julie “Coach” Harrison, who said Fox had been run ning back and forth in the east and west-bound lanes before she ran into traf fic and was killed shortly before 6 p.m. Monday. According to Georgia See ‘Fatality’ on 2A Index: News — 1-3A Opinions — 4-5A Obituaries — 6-7A Sports — 1-2B Social — 3B Legals — 4-5B Crime — 6B Classifieds — 7B Contact: Phone: 800-795-2581 Mail: P.O. Box 658, Danielsville, Ga. 30633 Web: MadisonJournalTODAY. com MCHS bball teams back on the court — Page IB Government complex closed until Jan. 4 — Page 3A YEAR IN REVIEW 2020 hindsight A look back at a tumultuous year As of Dec. 29, the Georgia Department of Public Health reported Madison County with 1,546 total COVID-19 cases in 2020, including 16 deaths and 93 hospitalizations. Statewide, there have been 552,712 cases and 9,759 deaths. In the U.S., there have been 19,232,843 cases and 334,029 deaths, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC). According to the World Health Organization, there have been 80,155,187 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 1,771,128 deaths worldwide. for the Class of 2020, but Madison County High School held an in-person graduation June 20 Danielsville Baptist Church Pastor Robert on the high school football field. Demyus Watts Burt was back home on Easter weekend after smiles during the ceremony. battling COVID-19 in intensive care. The end of 2020 couldn’t get here fast enough for many. It's been the year of the toilet paper shortage, face masks, quarantines, job losses and political strife. It will be remem bered as the Presidential election year when a pandemic altered life for people across the globe. Coronavirus affected life in Mad ison County, too. And there were numerous COVID-19 stories on the front page of The Madison County Journal in 2020, but there was plen ty of local news not related to the vims this year. Here is a look back at front-page news in The Journal in 2020: JANUARY •Madison County commissioners voted 5-0 to include a referendum on the 2020 General Election ballot to allow voters to decide on whether to give senior citizens a break on their property tax bills. •Michael Jason Massey was sen tenced by Judge Lauren Watson to serve 10 years, with the first five to be served in confinement and the remainder on probation on a charge of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute (trafficking in methamphetamine). •Danielsville officials approved a significant hike in water and sewer rates, primarily affecting other gov ernmental bodies, such as the school system and county government. •Seagraves Lake, which was once seen as a potential water source for the county, is viewed as a liability by the industrial authority. The IDA talked about the matter once again at its January meeting. •The Journal reported that Geor gia Renewable Power (GRP) was issued an environmental violation in December by state regulators for mishandling chipped wood that was being blown onto neighboring prop erty. •Election official Tracy Dean reported the new election equip ment with a paper trail was set to be delivered to Madison County in early February. •Timothy Demone Carruth, Jr., 24, of Colbert, was arrested after fir ing his gun at a Georgia State Patrol man, who was uninjured, during a pursuit on Hwy. 72. •Retired Madison County Magis trate Judge Harry Rice spoke of the need for unity as a polarized society remains soaked in partisan hostilities. Rice was the featured speaker at the Madison County Pas tors and Laymen's Fellowship host ed its 16th-annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration Jan. 20 at Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Hull. •After hearing from constituents for several months, county com missioners agreed to support the push against Georgia Renewable Power (GRP) to stop burning creo sote-treated railroad ties. •Madison County citizens con cerned about emissions from GRP protested in front of the power plant on Hwy. 72. •BOC chairman John Scarbor ough announced that he wouldn't seek re-election. FEBRUARY •Two local legislators — Alan Powell and Tom McCall — intro duced a bill to ban the burning of creosote-treated railroad ties as a fuel source. •Steve Shaw resigned as the coun ty's utility director. •The Journal reported on a law suit including four Madison County poultry farmers, who allege that they were the victims of a scheme by Pilgrim’s Pride to force small, family chicken farms out of busi ness. •Commissioners agreed to seek bids on the courthouse roof replace ment. •Madison County deputy Gabe Dalton was charged with meth pos- See ‘2020’ on 2A Ba poll workers Kay Bridges, Leigh Anne Myers and Troyce Paw- lowski wore their masks and checked in voters during the June 9 county primary and non partisan elections. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp signs House Bill 857 into law in August, outlawing the use of creosote-treated wood in electricity generation. Pictured (L-R) are Sen. John Wilkerson, Gerry Wilson, Gina Ward, Kemp, Drago Tesanovich, Ruth Ann Tesanovich and Rep. Alan Powell.