Top Stories

By Walter Geiger

Enrollment at Gordon State College is down by about four percent this fall compared to last year. About 4025 students were enrolled as of Aug. 27, GSC president Dr. Max Burns told the Gordon Foundation at its regular meeting. [Full Story »] 

A local woman, distracted by emergency vehicles responding to a separate incident at Ingles, inadvertently drove through the front of the Crossroads convenience store at the corner of Rose Avenue and Veterans Parkway Tuesday evening, slightly injuring a customer inside the store. [Full Story »] 

The Lamar County Trojans host the Pike Pirates Friday night in the annual Battle of Potato Creek. The Trojans are asking their fans to wear blue for a 'Blueout" at the huge rivalry game.

Commemorative t-shirts are available for the contest. Cotton shirts are $10. Drifit shirts are $15. Call 478-256-7648 for more information.

Maxpreps has installed Lamar as a 19 point favorite. Most observers feel it ail be much closer than that.

The Trojans will strive to play the entire game this week like they played the second half in the opener as arch rival Pike County comes to town for the Battle of Potato Creek. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at Trojan Field. Pike has yet to play a game this season but hung with Starrs Mill in a scrimmage two weeks ago.

Lamar’s stats from the Howard game were pretty decent given the horrid first half.

They finished with 215 yards of total offense.

Eure had 18 carries for 115 yards and two TDs.

Smith had seven carries for 48 yards. Fuller had nine carries for 27 yardsand one TD.

Other rushers (carriesyards) were Juan Tucker (5-9) and Andruw O’Neal(5-8).Smith completed only one of seven passes. Malik Collier got that grabfor eight yards.In addition to his two picks, Smith was also the top tackler for the Trojanswith five tackles and two assists. Larry Dumas had five tackles and oneassist.Other top defenders (tackles-assists) were Eure (4-0), Hood (2-1), Alex Gardner (2-1) and Johnson (1-1). A host of other Trojans had one tackle each. [Full Story »] 

Gordon State College President Max Burns accepted the Ice Bucket Challenge Monday and was doused by his wife, Lora, and Natalie Rischbieter, alumni affairs and annual fund coordinator. The challenge is spreading across campus with several noting personal connections to family or friends impacted by ALS.

The Lamar County Trojans overcame a horrid first half, in which their offensive and defensive lines were manhandled, to come back from a 13-0 deficit to tie the Howard Huskies 19-19 at Trojan Field Friday night.

Lamar had only 39 yards of total offense in the first half of football of the Jamie Abrams era - a half he will, no doubt, not remember fondly.

Coaches and fans knew going in that this team did not possess the overall team speed previous teams have had. Lamar went from backs with 4.3 quickness to 4.8 quickness and it was a glaring contrast.

The LC offensive and defensive fronts were owned by the Huskies in the first half. The defensive front jelled in the second half but the offensive line struggled throughout the game. The fullback dive, key to the Trojan Wing-T attack, was never effective.

Junior Noah Hood pounced on a muffed punt return by the Huskies early in the second half to trigger a burst of adrenaline by Lamar. Alas, the lack of a kicking game - and center line blocking for it - derailed hopes for a comeback win.

Game balls from our perspective go to Hood, quarterback L.J. Smith, running back Noah Eure and defensive lineman Rashad Johnson, who just refused to be blocked.

It should be noted that Franklin Stephens coaching tenure at Lamar also resulted in a tie.

Lamar hosts Pike County next Friday in the Battle of Potato Creek and it will be a war. [Full Story »] 

The 77th annual Southern Rivers Energy members meeting will be held at the coop headquarters on Hwy. 341 on Saturday, Aug. 23. Registration and breakfast begin at 8:30 a.m. A free health fair is included. The business meeting begins at 10 a.m.
[Full Story »] 

The Gordon State College Student Center was evacuated at approximately 11:45 a.m. Tuesday after a part on a re-heater in the dining hall food preparation area malfunctioned causing smoke and steam to collect in the area.

No one was injured and everyone was allowed back into the building around 12:20. Students who were dining at the time of the evacuation were accommodated.

Contained in the two-story, 60,270 square-foot Student Center is the Highlander Dining Hall, book store, Foundation Room, campus mailroom, classrooms and offices.

A tractor trailer and a passenger vehicle collided Friday evening at the intersection of Fellowship Dr. and Hwy. 41. There was at least one serious injury.

No more information was immediately available.

By Walter Geiger

Football fans will get their first look at the 2014 Lamar County Trojans when they host the Spalding Jaguars in a scrimmage game Thursday night at Trojan Field. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. [Full Story »] 

Barnesville Rotary Club president Ryran Traylor was injured in a fireworks accident Monday night at his home. [Full Story »] 

Pike sheriff's deputies checked a local airport Saturday evening as part of a search for a downed aircraft that was later found to have crashed near Senoia, killing two passengers onboard.

Using the identification number of the aircraft searched for our sister publication, the Pike Journal Reporter, has determined the identity of its owner, one of the likely victims in the crash.

UPDATE: The victims have been identified. [Full Story »] 

The Soap Game scrimmage scheduled for this afternoon at Trojan Field has been canceled due to weather concerns.

The Trojans will scrimmage Spalding High Thursday.

By Sherri Ellington

The Lamar County board of education will advertise a $20,054,241 budget for the 2014-15 school year supported by a 16.736 rollback millage rate. While this rate actually brings in slightly less tax revenue than last year’s 16.632 mills, due to drops in property values and the new senior citizen homestead exemption, taxes are still going to go up. [Full Story »] 

Sheriff Brad White and Lt. Chad Payne, assistant commander of the LCSO criminal investigations division, are warning Lamar countians to beware of the so-called 'grand jury' scam that has surfaced in Monroe, Henry and Bibb counties. [Full Story »]