Entries by Walter Geiger

Heavy rains cause flooding; no major issues here

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in Headlines

Friday, January 4. 2019

Rainfall totaling two to three inches fell on already saturated ground overnight Thursday leading to some localized flooding problems Friday morning.

Brinkley Road was closed. Bottoms Road and Turner Bridge Road were in bad shape, according to county manager Bob Zellner.

Potato Creek was well out of its banks in the area of the bridges on Piedmont and Ruffner roads.

"We had two to two and a half inches overnight and there was just no place for all that water to go," noted Barnesville city manager David Rose who reported a sewer lift station problem in Milner.

The rain, which has lasted all year, has ended. The sun will be out Saturday and Sunday with temperatures in the mid to high 60s.

Body found in Thomaston identified as Roderick Crawford

Posted by

Walter Geiger

in Top Stories

Thursday, January 3. 2019

Comment (1)

UPDATE (8:25 a.m. Friday):

Griffin circuit district attorney Ben Coker has positively identified the body found Thursday night in Thomaston as that of Roderick Crawford. The body will undero autopsy at the state crime lab. Two people, a male and a female, have been arrested.

GBI specialists are processing a scene in the Lincoln Park area of Thomaston where a body was found Thursday night that could be tied to the disappearance of 46-year-old Roderick Crawford of Barnesville. The GBI now has the lead in the investigation.

There had been no positive ID of the remains at 10:22 p.m. Thursday, The Herald Gazette was told.

The body was found behind a mobile home, sources said.

Two arrests made in Clayton County where Crawford's Dodge Nitro was found New Years Day are also thought to be related to the Crawford disappearance. GBI agents and Lamar deputies came south on I-75 and down Hwy. 36 at high rates of speed Thursday afternoon. The convoy moved on to Thomaston where the remains were found some five hours later.

Crawford, 46, has not been seen since he left home Dec. 28, telling family members he was going to check his work schedule at J&M Truck Lines. He called his wife at 7:19 p.m. Friday but she missed the call. His phone was pinged from a cell tower near Thomaston shortly thereafter but has not been located since.

A GBI press release is anticipated Friday morning.

Much more on this story as it develops.

Commission sets planning sessions

Posted by

Walter Geiger

in Features

Thursday, January 3. 2019

The Lamar County commission has set two planning sessions at the Gordon nursing building to meet with constitutional officers to set goals and plan projects for 2019.

Meetings with the officers (elected officials) and department heads will be held in 15-minute increments on Jan. 4, 2019 from 8 a.m. - noon. A planning session to discuss findings will be held Jan. 11 from 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Additionally, the commission will hold a public hearing Jan. 8 at 7 p.m. at the courthouse to take input on the comprehensive plan.

Two 2018 mysteries carry over to New Year

Posted by

Walter Geiger

in Headlines

Thursday, January 3. 2019

Two mysteries that fell into the laps of local law enforcement in 2018 will apparently carry over into the new year labelled ‘unsolved’. [Full Story »]

Police report

Posted by

Walter Geiger

in Arrests

Thursday, January 3. 2019

Between Tuesday, December 18 and Thursday, December 27 the Barnesville Police Department made the following arrests: [Full Story »]

Missing man's vehicle found; foul play suspected

Posted by

Walter Geiger

in Top Stories

Wednesday, January 2. 2019

The plot in the disappearance of Roderick Crawford thickened New Year's Day when his Dodge Nitro was found abandoned in Clayton County. The SUV was returned to Lamar County Wednesday and processed by GBI agents.

Crawford, 46, has not been seen since he left home Dec. 28, telling family members he was going to check his work schedule at J&M Truck Lines. He called his wife at 7:19 p.m. Friday but she missed the call. His phone was pinged from a cell tower near Thomaston shortly thereafter but has not been located since. Sheriff Brad White said the phone had likely been deactivated or destroyed somehow.

The sheriff reported Crawford was very diligent in reaching out to family and friends and staying in contact. His lack of contact has the sheriff and his investigators very concerned about the possibility of foul play.

"We suspect foul play. We are still working the investigation with the GBI. I hope to have an update in the morning," sheriff White said Wednesday night.

Sheriff's report

Posted by

Walter Geiger

in Arrests

Tuesday, January 1. 2019

Between Friday, December 21 and Thursday, December 27 the following were processed through the Lamar County jail: [Full Story »]

County clamping down on music at event venues; new cutoff is 9 p.m.

Posted by

Walter Geiger

in Top Stories

Thursday, December 27. 2018

Discussion on special zoning exceptions for two properties upon which owners want to operate wedding venues triggered coming changes to the county noise ordinance at the commission meeting Dec. 18.

Currently, county code allows for amplified music audible 100 feet beyond the owner’s property line until midnight on Friday and Saturday nights and 10 p.m. on all other nights.
[Full Story »]

Commission sets planning sessions

Posted by

Walter Geiger

in Headlines

Thursday, December 27. 2018

Family Christmas

Posted by

Walter Geiger

in Opinion

Wednesday, December 26. 2018

By Mike Ruffin

My Good Wife and I like to watch classic Christmas movies. Among our favorites are It’s a Wonderful Life, White Christmas, A Christmas Story, Elf, and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.

We have a broad definition of “classic.”

The other night we turned our attention to an under-appreciated admittedly non-classic made-for-television film: A Very Brady Christmas (1988). That’s Brady as in The Brady Bunch.
[Full Story »]

Donavan’s Dream feeds 160 families at Christmas

Posted by

Walter Geiger

in Features

Wednesday, December 26. 2018

Donavan’s Dream, a food bank and outreach charity founded by Donavan Sanford, distributed Christmas meals to 160 families on Thursday, Dec. 20. Christmas meals including turkey and all the fixings went to 125 families. Another 35 families got meals without the turkey due to the heavy response from parent s of hungry children.

Donavan, a freshmen at LCHS, started the operation when he was a middle schooler. It has expanded rapidly. He got an entire tractor-trailer load of vegetables from California donated for the Christmas meal.

At the end of a busy day of deliveries, Donavan sat silent and his mother asked him what was wrong. “There were so many people. I just didn’t know. I wish I could have given everyone a turkey,” Donavan lamented.

You can help with future meals. Visit donavansdream.org or call 770-710-7721.

Bumbling robbers take their act to prison

Posted by

Walter Geiger

in Headlines

Wednesday, December 26. 2018

Three hapless armed robbers, who bumbled their way through two armed robberies in the area, are now headed to prison after hearings before Judge Bill Fears in Monroe superior court. [Full Story »]

New industry, hotel coming to Hwy. 36, I-75 intersection

Posted by

Walter Geiger

in Top Stories

Wednesday, December 26. 2018

By Walter Geiger

The Lamar County commission approved rezoning of property at Van Mar Park near I-75 off Hwy. 36 East to make way for a new industry and a hotel. The move was made at the regular commission meeting Dec. 18.

Roughly 25 acres across Regions South Drive from the current Peterbilt location is involved. [Full Story »]

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Posted by

Walter Geiger

in Top Stories

Monday, December 24. 2018

Merry Christmas to you and your family from all of us at The Herald Gazette and barnesville.com.

Our office will reopen Wednesday, Dec. 26 at 8:30 a.m.

Kids say the darnedest things in sharing their lists with Santa

Posted by

Walter Geiger

in Headlines

Friday, December 21. 2018

Christmas is upon us and the season just wouldn’t be the same without letters to Santa from children. This newspaper has been publishing them for generations and this year is no exception.

Hundreds of letters are included in the Dec. 18, 2018 print edition of The Herald Gazette which is on sale now.

Kids’ lists have changed over the years to include fancy electronics, iPhones, drones and Timberland boots but old favorites like Mario Brothers games, Playdoh, bikes, trampolines and go-karts still make many lists.

Exaggerations of good behavior to spur Santa to fill those lists is also a constant. This year, Elijah McKenzie writes, ‘Hey. I have been a good boy, even my Mom would agree’ before asking for a Nintendo Switch, PlayStation5 and games to go with them.

Aubrey has a very long list so she opened her letter with a glowing Christmas behavior resume. “I have been very good this year. I have done these very nice things like being nice to my friends, being good in school and cleaning my play room. Does Rudolph have a shiny nose?”.

“I have been kinda good. Please bring me a dinosaur that can open his mouth,” wrote Nicholas.

Clint Willoughby had an unusual request. He wrote, “I need presents. I would like a school bus.”

Caleb left part of his list to Santa’s imagination. “I want a trampoline and a pool, a hover board and a TV and Nerf guns and $100 and I want your hat. So, can I have one more thing please with ice cream on top and a cherry on top?”.

Keaston Brownlee went a different route, deciding to go big or go home with his list. “I want for Christmas an Overwatch, and I want an iPhone X. I want 500,000 dollars. I want Call of duty 4, a Nerf gun, Fortnite and Madden 19. I want Baseball 19 also. I want GTA 5 and 6. I want some Nikes, a ticket to an NBA game and a new PS4,” he pleaded.

As Art Linkletter said, “Kids say the darnedest things”.

Merry Christmas.