Entries by Walter Geiger

Bill Edwards, a banking pioneer in the area, died May 30 after a long illness. He was 87.

A native of Zebulon, he worked in the family canning business Bankston & Edwards Canning Co. which later became Besco. The company processed peaches, pimentos, citrus fruit and vegetables.

Bill joined the Bank of Zebulon, where his father John Joel Edwards was cashier. After Besco was sold in 1969, the family got more involved in banking. Bill became president of the Crawford County Bank in Zebulon. In 1972, Bill and his brother Joe helped organize and open Lamar State Bank. Two years later Bill became president of the Bank of Zebulon.

In 1981, a holding company for the three banks was established and United Bank was born. United Bank has judiciously made acquisitions in the years since and now has operations in 12 counties and more than 400 employees.

In addition to his wife Anne, Bill is survived by three children, Allie Edwards Armistead, Laurie Edwards Fisher and John Edwards Jr.; brother, Joe Edwards; 11 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held Monday, June 4 at 3 p.m. at First United Methodist Church in Griffin. Visitation with the family will be held Sunday, June 3 from 5-7 p.m. at Moody Funeral Home in Zebulon.

Mr. John William “Bill” Edwards Sr., age 87, of Griffin, passed away May 30, 2018. He was born on April 9, 1931 in Zebulon, son of the late John Joel Edwards and Allie Sue Bankston Edwards. Bill spent his early years in both Zebulon and Orlando, Fla., where his family was in the canning business. Bankston and Edwards Canning Company and its successor, Besco Products, processed peaches and pimentos in Zebulon during the summer months and citrus and vegetables in Florida during the remainder of the year. Bill graduated from Orlando High School in 1949 and from Stetson University in Deland, Fla., in 1953. [Full Story »] 

Lamar deputies were summoned for an urgent response to Reliable Mart Wednesday morning regarding a fugitive who was allegedly resisting arrest and fighting with deputies. Customers inside the store captured the takedown of the suspect, 30-year-old Caweisi Darnoz Lavelle, on video.

Sheriff Brad White reported Wednesday he is aware of the video which is inside this open thread. [Full Story »] 

By Mike Ruffin

I walked into the church office one morning and checked the voicemail on the prayer line. Someone had left the following message: “Please pray for my friend. She’s having an autopsy tomorrow.”

I will neither confirm nor deny that I laughed out loud.

I will confess to thinking, “I think it’s a little late for prayer.”
[Full Story »] 

Highway contractors throughout Middle Georgia are hiring. The passage of the $900 million-a-year Transportation Funding Act (TFA) by the Georgia Legislature in 2015 is providing much-needed funding for the expansion, improvement and repair of Georgia’s infrastructure. With the increase in road projects, Georgia’s highway contractors currently have hundreds of jobs to fill.

To help raise awareness about the need for workers, the Georgia Highway Contractors Association (GHCA) last year launched a campaign dubbed, Fast Lane to Jobs. The campaign seeks to educate prospective workers about the many types of road jobs available and the benefits of a career in this sector. Most importantly, the campaign is connecting potential highway construction workers with contractors that are actively hiring throughout the state [Full Story »] 

By Walter Geiger

HBO’s ‘Sharp Objects’ will premiere on Sunday, July 8 at 9 p.m. on the cable network. The eight-episode dramatic series was filmed in large part here last summer. [Full Story »] 

Mrs. Judith Edwards, who passed away on March 30, 2018, will be memorialized on June 16.

Visitation will be from 1-2 p.m at Milner Baptist Church. The memorial will start at 2 p.m.

Mr. Kenneth L. Wright, age 79 of Barnesville, passed away Wednesday, May 16, 2018 at Upson Regional Medical Center. [Full Story »]