News
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Arson suspected in two tire store fires
James Morton | The Thomaston Times On Saturday, April 13, 2013, at approximately 4:30 a.m. Upson County Sheriff’s Deputy Kody Kennedy discovered a fire at the AA Tire Store located at 1545 Highway 19 North, near DelRay Road. Northside Volunteer Fire Department was called to the scene and extinguished the blaze. In the upper photo, Northside firefighters can be seen in the background working in the office area of the store, while a deputy ta...
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BOE approves ULNE HVAC bid, Pre-K classroom
The Thomaston-Upson Board of Education approved an HVAC project for Upson-Lee North Elementary School for a total of $1,020,000. The action came at their March 11 meeting. Chair Keith Rohling was absent and Vice Chair Jacqueline Hollis moderated the meeting. Mike Majors, Director of Operations, presented the bids to the board, stating that three companies bid on the job, with J. M. Clayton of Thomaston coming in with the low bid of $949,000...
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Westwood receives accreditation, expands to 12 grades
Submitted Westwood Academy is pleased to announce its expansion through 12th grade for the 2013-14 school year. Westwood earned its high school accreditation from the Georgia Accrediting Commission and qualifies as a HOPE Eligible High School. A student who graduates from a HOPE-eligible high school may qualify for the HOPE Scholarship as an entering freshman in a degree program at an eligible college or university in Georgia. Traditional...
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RUSH 2013 features Willie and Si from Duck Dynasty
Becoming the person that God created you to be; that is the main theme behind RUSH 2013, which will be held at The Rock Ranch May 3-4, 2013. The theme for the weekend focuses on the Bible verse Ephesians 2:10 which says, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” This year’s event promises to bring several great artists and speakers, including David Crowder, Switchfoot, ...
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Dual Enrollment Open House is Monday, April 15
Upson-Lee High School and Southern Crescent Technical College are hosting a drop-in Open House for potential dual-enrollment students and their parents on Monday, April 15, from 5-7 p.m. The event will be held in Building E on the campus of Southern Crescent, located at 1533 Hwy 19 South. Parents and students can view the campus and speak with instructors within the following fields of study: Automotive, Cosmetology, Electronics, Entreprene...
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The Rock Ranch celebrating Strawberry Festival, Post Office opening Saturday
The Rock Ranch will celebrate the ribbon-cutting for its new Village Post Office Saturday morning at 10 a.m., and also kick off the beginning of the strawberry picking season at the ranch with itsw annual Strawberry Festival from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Postal Service launched the Village Post Office concept in July 2011 as a way to expand access to postal products and services in communities that do not have a post office or where the curren...
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‘Do you miss me?’
Juniors and seniors got a taste of what could happen if they drive while distracted or drunk during the annual ‘Do you miss me?’ scenario sponsored by FYCA and Upson County EMS. It is an effort to remind students that drinking and driving, texting and driving, or driving distracted can cause serious injury or death. It it always held the week before the prom, which is this Saturday at the Civic Center. In the upper photo, Georgia State Patrol...
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Council OKs sewer line for swimming pool
Larry Stanford Editor The Thomaston City Council approved the construction of a sewer line from the community swimming pool on East Main Street to a newly constructed sewer line. The action came at their March 19 meeting. “This is the line that would connect the swimming pool to the newly constructed sewer line that runs along the creek that goes from G Loop down to Dry Branch,” said City Manager Patrick Comiskey. “We had two bids. The ...
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Storms expected this evening; could be severe
Upson County Emergency Management Agency Director Martha Anne McCarty has issued a warning for people to be prepared for possibly severe storms this evening. “The National Weather Service has upgraded their probability to 45 percent for severe weather to include damaging winds, tornadoes, and isolated pockets of 1” hail, and we are sitting in the center of it all,” said McCarty. “Let’s hope that after the sun goes down, the unstable air los...
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ULHS Valedictorian & Salutatorian named
Karen Truesdale | Thomaston-Upson School System Upson-Lee High School Principal Tracy Caldwell announced the Class of 2013 honor graduates on Wednesday John Crissenberry McAbee is the 2013 valedictorian and Sarah Elizabeth Jordan is salutatorian. Valedictorian is the senior with the highest numeric average who has completed all honors courses and has taken or is currently enrolled in three of the four AP core subject classes. All grades thr...
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BOE approves school calendar for 2013-2014
Larry Stanford Editor The Thomaston-Upson Board of Education approved the 2013-2014 school calendar by a 6-0 vote at their March 12 meeting. Board chair Keith Rohling was absent, and Vice chair Jacqueline Hollis chaired the meeting. A calendar committee made up of administrators and teachers from each of the schools developed the calendar. Committee chair Dr. Larry Derico, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, presented the calendar t...
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20th annual Relay for Life starts Friday
Submitted The 20 th annual Upson County Relay for Life will be held this Friday night and Saturday morning at Greatest Generation Memorial Park in Thomaston. In the past 20 years, Upson County has joined together to raise more than $1 million for the American Cancer Society to help people get well, stay well, and fight back. The event kicks off at 6 p.m. Friday night, and ends at 6 a.m. Saturday morning. Relay teams have been formed and ...
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Thief steals truck in Upson, caught in Meriwether County
A man who allegedly stole a pickup truck from a Flash Foods store in Thomaston was caught and arrested a short time later after leading Meriwether deputies on a chase. The incident happened on March 22. According to a report by Upson County Sheriff’s Deputy Justin Hammock, he responded to a call about a stolen truck at the Flash Foods on Highway 19 North at Jeff Davis Road. The victim told Hammock he had gone inside to pay for his gas, and ...
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Former WSB reporter John Holliman to be honored
The Georgia Radio Hall of Fame announced that John Holliman, former WSB Radio newsman will be honored as a 2013 Legacy inductee. John Holliman was born in 1948 in Atlanta and grew up in Thomaston, Georgia. He attended R.E. Lee Grammar School and R.E. Lee Institute. His radio career began at age 14, broadcasting Little League baseball games for WTGA radio in Thomaston and eventually became a high school DJ at the station. While attending the...
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It’s never too early to learn about government
Ashley Biles/The Thomaston Times Third grade students from Upson-Lee South Elementary got an early start on learning about their local government when they toured the Thomaston-Upson government complex earlier this week. The students learned about city and county government and various departments, such as the electrical department, water department, and fire and police departments, and the court system. In the upper photo, Griffin Judicial...
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Seniors enjoy Egg Hunt at Greatest Generation Park
Ashley Biles | The Thomaston Times About 30 senior citizens enjoyed beautiful weather last Friday as they held a picnic and Easter Egg Hunt at the Greatest Generation Memorial Park. The Easter Egg Hunt is one of the many activities planned by the Senior Center under the direction of Donna Auth. In the upper photo, the seniors gathered for a group photo after the Egg Hunt. In the right photo, a senior heads toward a likely egg hiding spot du...
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Rob Bennett Memorial Golf Tournament is April 12
The Thomaston Sertoma Club’s annual Rob Bennett Memorial Golf Tournament will be held Friday, April 12. 2013, at Raintree Golf Club in Thomaston, and for the first time, will feature a $10,000 Cash Hole-In-One Contest sponsored by Thomaston Ford. “This is away from the norm,” said Steve Brodie, Tournament Chairman. “Usually an item such as a car or truck or boat is featured, but we thought putting up $10,000 cash would create a lot of excit...
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Expect paving delays Saturday on Hwy. 19
UPSON COUNTY… PAVING THIS SATURDAY ON US 19/SR 3 SOUTHBOUND Motorists Should Expect Delays WHEN: Saturday, April 6, 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., weather permitting WHERE: US 19/SR 3 southbound near County Road in Upson County WHAT: The Georgia DOT has been notified by the contractor of scheduled lane closures on US 19/SR 3 southbound for paving operations. Work is scheduled this Saturday, April 6 from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. Dela...
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Former mayor Charles Kersey passes away
Former Thomaston mayor and businessman Charles Edward Kersey passed away on Sunday, March 31, 2013 at Upson Regional Medical Center. Funeral services for Mr. Kersey will be held Saturday, April 6, 2013 at 11 a. m., in the Chapel of Pasley-Fletcher Funeral Home. Burial will follow in Glenwood Cemetery. More obituary information is on Page 5A. Mayor Hays Arnold said Thomaston and Upson County have lost a great public servant, and he has lost ...
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9 spaces designated for senior citizens only in Senior Center lot
Ashley Biles Associate Editor Nine parking spaces have been designated for senior adults in the Upson County Senior Center parking lot, allowing closer access to the door. Upson County Commission Chairman Rusty Blackston brought the issue up at last week’s Board of Commission meeting, stating that the board wanted to show respect and courtesy to those who “rocked the cradle and brought us to where we are today.” Blackston also noted tha...
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Jasandeep Kaur, Jade Shumate win Distinguished Young Women
The Thomaston-Upson County Distinguished Young Women Program (formerly known as the Georgia’s Junior Miss) was held this past Saturday at the R.E. Lee Auditorium for the class of 2014. The contestants were judged on 5 different categories, scholastics, interview, fitness, talent, and self-expression. The Thomaston Distinguished Young Woman was awarded to Jasandeep Kaur; the Upson County Distinguished Young Woman was awarded to Jade Shumate. B...
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Ronald Johnston spent decades teaching practical skills
Dwain W. Penn Guest Writer Beyond the usual curriculum of courses established for formal education is a field of studies known collectively as electives – an important branch of academia in which a student is free to choose what he or she feels will broaden his or her education. One Thomaston resident devoted 30 years of his life teaching one such elective course, Industrial Arts, at R. E. Lee. Coach Ronald Johnston was simply known as “t...
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Thomaston, TUAC agree to events contract
The Thomaston City Council approved a contract with the Thomaston-Upson Arts Council (TUAC) for cultural services. The contract, valued at $5,000, was approved at the council’s March 5 meeting. “The proposal is that the city would contract with TUAC to do five events at the Greatest Generation Memorial Park during 2013, with the city providing $5,000 towards the cost of those events.,” City Manager Patrick Comiskey told the council. Mayor...
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Smoke On The Water starts Friday
The 6th Annual Smoke on the Water (SOTW) BBQ Cook-Off and Music Festival is Friday and Saturday at Bickley’s Lake in Thomaston. Friends are invited to enjoy their fill of the Southeast’s best barbecue and live entertainment, while at the same time helping local emergency services. A portion of the proceeds from SOTW will go to the six volunteer fire departments in Upson County. Taking place amid beautiful scenery and great music, SOTW is th...
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