Barnesville.com

"And not a cross word was spoken," that's how one attendee described Saturday's Black Lives Matter protest as it neared its end.

An estimated 300 people were in attendance at Myles-Wimberly Park to which protesters marched from the courthouse. The crowd was near evenly-split between concerned black and white citizens. A succession of speakers noted how special Barnesville is and encouraged unity.

"What's love go to do with it? Love has everything to do with it," Rev. Waylon Knight said, summing up the sentiment.

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Lamar County had 76 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and three deaths according to the Saturday case count update from DPH. Lamar is recorded as having 12 hospitalizations. The latest death was that of an 85-year-old female.

Statewide there have been 51,359 confirmed cases with 8682 hospitalizations and 2178 deaths.

Surrounding counties:

Pike: 60 cases, 11 hospitalizations and 3 deaths.
Upson: 290 cases, 43 hospitalizations and 35 deaths.
Monroe: 123 cases, 26 hospitalizations and 11 deaths.
Butts: 243 cases, 28 hospitalizations and 24 deaths.
Spalding: 294 cases, 52 hospitalizations and 21 deaths.

Confirmed cases of COVID-19 in long-term healthcare facilities here and in surrounding counties from Dept. of Community Health as of 7 p.m. June 5:

Heritage Inn (Lamar): 87 patients, 19 positive cases, 2 deaths, 1 patient recovered, 5 staff positive.
Sunny Grove (Lamar) 26 patients, 11 positive cases, 1 death, 1 staff positive.
Riverside Health (Upson): 63 patients, 0 positive cases, 0 deaths, 1 staff positive.
PruittHealth - Forsyth (Monroe): 48 patients, 56 positive cases, 9 deaths, 15 staff positive.
Bolingreen Health and Rehab (Monroe): 90 patients, 3 positive cases, 0 deaths, 1 patient recovered, 6 staff positive.
Providence Healthcare (Upson): 74 patients, 63 positive cases, 15 deaths, 47 patients recovered, 28 staff positive.
Harborview Health (Upson): 91 patients, 32 positive cases, 16 deaths, 22 patients recovered, 28 staff positive.
Brightmoor Health Care (Spalding): 85 patients, 70 positive cases, 20 deaths, 64 patients recovered, 20 staff positive.
Brightmoor Senior Living (Spalding): 53 patients, 0 positive cases, 0 deaths, 1 staff positive.
Westbury Health Care & Rehab (Butts): 118 patients, 123 positive cases, 34 deaths, 84 patients recovered, 36 staff positive.

The Lamar County school system will begin its Summer Feeding Program Monday, June 8. Meals for students can be picked up Monday-Thursday at the back of the middle school. Two meals will be provided on Thursday.

If you are interested in participating, contact nutrition director Dawn St. Michel at [email protected]

A unique event is on tap for June 27 which will benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs of North Central Georgia of which the new Barnesville club is affiliated. The Duck Derby takes place along the Yellow River near Porterdale. Participants sponsor a duck for $20. On derby day, 6000 numbered ducks are dumped into the river and follow a roped course to the finish line. The owner of the winning duck takes home $10,000.

You can buy a duck at the local club building at the rear of the LCES campus or online at bgcngc.com/duckderby. If you purchase online, make sure to select Barnesville in the portal so the local club benefits from your donation. For more information, call Sandra Watts at 678.572.3156.

The Georgia High School Association issued guidelines last week which will allow high school athletes to return to conditioning on athletic fields and in weight rooms and other facilities.

LC athletic director Mike Oberg and head football coach Jeff Sloan met Friday to begin discussions on how to resume training here. “We are working on a plan which will allow all of our athletes the opportunity to work out. We hope to have it to Dr. Wilson by mid-week and could have it finalized by Friday,” Oberg said.

Workout groups will be limited to 20 people, including coaches, under the GHSA guidelines. The move paved the way for football, softball and other competitions to resume once the school year begins.

One piece of the COVID-19 situation that has concerned and confused me is the disdain some people have exhibited toward experts.

I was in Baltimore, Maryland a few years ago working at a conference. (Remember the old days when people traveled to conferences?) I was sitting at my table in the Exhibit Hall when I realized that the vision in my right eye had become very blurry. This would have seemed like something I should get checked on anyway, but I had recently had laser treatment to repair two retinal tears in that eye, so I was certain I should.
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Between Tuesday, May 19 and Monday, June 1 the Barnesville Police Department made the following arrests: [Full Story »]