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By DeNeen L. Brown
Retropolis

Martin Luther King Jr. was born 90 years ago, on Jan. 15, 1929.

But the name on his original birth certificate — filed April 12, 1934, five years after King was born — was not Martin. Nor was it Luther. In fact, for the first years of his life, he was Michael King. And it wasn’t until he was 28 that, on July 23, 1957, his birth certificate was revised.

The name Michael was crossed out, next to which someone printed carefully in black ink: “Martin Luther, Jr.”

The story of how Michael became Martin began in 1934 when King’s father, who then was known as the Rev. Michael King or M.L. King, was senior pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church and a prominent minister in Atlanta. In the summer of 1934, King’s church sent him on a whirlwind trip. He traveled to Rome, Tunisia, Egypt, Jerusalem and Bethlehem before setting sail to Berlin, where he would attend a Baptist World Alliance meeting, according to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford University [Full Story »] 

The annual Martin Luther king Day celebration here Jan. 21 will begin at 8:30 a.m. at the E.P. Roberts Center with a continental breakfast. Celebrants will then march to the courthouse for a brief service. No keynote speaker has yet been confirmed.

After the courthouse ceremony, marchers will return to East Mt. Sinai Baptist Church. This year’s theme is ‘King’s Vision: Humanity Tied in a Single Garment of Destiny”.

For more information, contact Barbara Minter at 770-584-4361.

At its meeting Monday night, the Lamar County school board approved its calendar for the 2019-20 school year, the first in which students will attend the new LCHS. The calendar was preferred by 66% of those participating in a calendar survey the board conducted.

A Clayton County prostitute and her accomplice in the shooting death of Roderick Crawford, 46, of Barnesville have had initial hearings in Upson County and been denied bond.

Kiera Williams, 18, and Cameron Jones, 20, are charged with felony murder, malice murder, kidnapping and firearms charges in the case. Williams is being held in Upson County. Jones is being held in Clayton County.

Investigators say Crawford was robbed and killed after contacting Williams through an online escort service. His body was found behind a trailer at 1414 Grantling Street in the crime-riddled Lincoln Park area of Thomaston Jan. 3. Jones' grandparents once lived in the trailer.

A Barnesville couple will appear in Lamar superior court before Judge Tommy Wilson Jan. 17 for hearings related to a 2017 child molestation case. [Full Story »] 

A brief chase on I-75 ended Tuesday afternoon when the fleeing suspects exited the four-lane southbound at the High Falls Park Road exit too fast and ran down an embankment. One man was captured at the scene at about 3:05 p.m. after a brief chase. He had outstanding warrants and went to jail.

A second suspect, a black male, fled into the woods and was being pursued by a Monroe County deputy with a dog. He remained at large at 5 p.m.

The wrecked Toyota was full of forged paychecks and a check stamp, indicating the men were part of an identity fraud ring.

More to follow...

UPDATE: All the kayakers were rescued safely overnight.

Lamar firefighters are among those who have gone to the rescue of a group of ill-advised kayakers who took to rain-swollen Potato Creek Saturday and got in serious trouble.

After five hours of work, three of the kayakers were pulled from the water just after 9:30 p.m., according to fire chief Douglas Matthews. Three remained trapped at 10 p.m. Earlier, others in the kayak group got out on their own.

So far, there have been no fatalities.

The high water rescue operation is ongoing on Mud Bridge Road in Upson County. Lamar sheriff's deputies were there for a time with rescue personnel from DNR and Upson County. Spalding authorities provided a helicopter at the scene.

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.

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.

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 »] 

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 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.

The local Empty Stocking Fund drive is in dire need of funds as it prepares to distribute Christmas gifts to 258 kids Saturday, Dec. 22,

"Our funds are very low. Bad weather has played a large part in preventing volunteers from standing on street corners to collect. We'll make do. We always do," noted chairman Glenn Forsyth.

Glenn and his wife, Vicki, and other volunteers always buy extra toys in case a family falls on hard times unexpectedly after the deadline for signups.

You can make a donation to the ESF at any United Bank location. If you want to get directly involved, call Glenn at 770.468.1253.

A 22-year-old Sparta man who allegedly brandished a gun during the robbery of a student at Gordon State College here on Aug. 11, 2016 died following a confrontation with officers after a traffic stop in Hancock County Dec. 12. The GBI is investigating the incident as an officer-involved shooting but initial indications are no law enforcement officer at the scene fired a weapon. [Full Story »]