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Dep. Justyn Weaver who was seriously wounded in a shotgun ambush Saturday night in Milner, is to have surgery on his left arm today. "We ask that you keep him in your prayers. He is still in good spirits. This is another example of how great a young man he truly is," sheriff Brad White said. Gov. Brian Kemp called and wished Weaver well.

Meanwhile the alleged shooter, Donald Chandler Gordy, has waived extradition He is being held in the Spalding County jail. He is charged with aggravated assault upon a law enforcement officer, possession of a firearm during commission of a felony and multiple criminal damage to property charges.

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UPDATE: Gordy was denied bond by Judge Karen Jackson in a first appearance bond held at 3 p.m. Wednesday. The hearing was conducted via Skype. Gordy is charged with aggravated assault upon a law enforcement officer, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, attempted murder via threatening witnesses and four counts criminal interference with government property. The last charges stemmed from damage to Weaver's patrol car. The windshield was damaged and the camera system and in-car computer destroyed.
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He is to have a first appearance hearing today - likely via Skype.

Gordy was arrested last November after fighting with deputies but Weaver was not involved. He was charged with obstruction and possession of meth at that time. [Full Story »] 

A Lamar County deputy wounded in a shotgun ambush Saturday night is recovering.

Dep. Justyn Weaver "should be good" sheriff Brad White reported Sunday morning Weaver was hit with birdshot. "He had a pellet under his right eye and his left arm is chewed up pretty good," the sheriff added.

The alleged shooter, Chandler Gordy, 38, of an Old Milner Road address was arrested overnight along I-20 in St. Clair County, Alabama near Birmingham, sheriff White said.

Previous coverage from overnight:

A Lamar County deputy was shot by a man wielding a shotgun Saturday night and has been life flighted to an Atlanta trauma center. "He was talking to me when he left so I hope he will be all right," sheriff Brad White said.

The deputy answered a call about a suspicious person on Moore Street in Milner. He saw no one in the area. "Then a guy popped up out of the woods and started shooting," the sheriff added.

A manhunt is underway for the shooter.

A Lamar County deputy was shot by a man wielding a shotgun Saturday night and has been life flighted to an Atlanta trauma center. "He was talking to me when he left so I hope he will be all right," sheriff Brad White said.

The deputy answered a call about a suspicious person on Moore Street in Milner. He saw no one in the area. "Then a guy popped up out of the woods and started shooting," the sheriff added.

A manhunt is underway for the shooter.

The LC Lady Trojans return to Aldora Field today to kick off the local fall sports schedule. Lamar and Pike County are hosting the annual Border Bash today and Saturday. Other teams participating are Spalding, Mary Persons, Strong Rock, ACE, Hampton, Jackson, McIntosh, Howard, Stratford and Newton County.

LC takes on Howard today. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. On Saturday, LC takes on Strong Rock at 9 a.m. and Upson-Lee at 1 p.m.

Though the numbers will fluctuate, perhaps for the entire school year, school system administrators are getting an idea of how many students will begin the academic year learning from home.

As of Friday, 78 students at the primary school, 109 at the elementary school, 126 at the middle school and 96 at the high school had registered for remote instruction. Lamar averages about 200 students per grade level with projected total enrollments of around 600 at the elementary and middle schools and 800 at the primary and high schools.
[Full Story »] 

Barnesville police have issued a lookout for a missing juvenile.

Harley Rogers, 17, was last seen on June 26. If you have any information regarding her whereabouts, contact BPD at 770.358.1244.

Last seen at 200 Southland Drive Barnesville.
Rogers is 5’5” tall and weighs 145 pounds
She has blue eyes and blonde/brown hair color.

Open house events at LCHS begin Tuesday, Aug. 4 with doors opening for ninth graders from 9-11 a.m. for students whose last name begins with the letters A-K. Open house for those with last names beginning with the letters L-Z runs from 1-3 p.m.

Faculty and staff will be on hand to help students locate classrooms and obtain their schedules.

Incoming freshmen who are not able to attend Tuesday can participate in the virtual open house or come to the open house event for all high school students on Thursday from 1-6 p.m.

For more information, call 770.358.8641.

An attorney for Milner city councilman Skip Seda filed a complaint for mandamus relief in Lamar superior court July 21 seeking to force county administrator Sean Townsend to forward an ethics complaint Seda lodged against commissioner Nancy Thrash to Judge Tommy Wilson.

Seda’s attorney, Travis Hargrove of Columbus, originally filed the ethics complaint June 24 in a letter to Townsend. He claims Thrash is not in compliance with Lamar County codes and defamed Seda. [Full Story »] 

By Kay S. Pedrotti

The Lamar County board of commissioners voted at a special called meeting July 28 to advertise keeping the millage rate at 13.157 for county taxes, with a possibility of no rollback that allows for increased revenue in the 2020 digest.

The commission will hold three public hearings at the courthouse for citizen input on the decision: Aug. 11 at 9 a.m. and 6 p.m., and Aug. 18 at 6 p.m. County administrator Sean Townsend, who collected and reported revenue and tax figures, assured the board that not having a rollback to 12.830 mills would allow more income for the county, without substantially changing the actual property tax for homeowners and others.
[Full Story »] 

In his first regular meeting as mayor of Milner July 20, Andy Marlowe instructed police chief Michael Bailey to ask the GBI to do a “complete forensic audit” of the city’s finances. [Full Story »] 

A 21-year-old Barnesville man has been charged with murder in connection with the shooting death of a Griffin man in what authorities say was a drug deal gone bad.

Xavier Lamar Carter, 21, is charged with murder, armed robbery and aggravated assault in connection with the shooting death of Jeffrey Ryan Deluca, 27, at a Griffin apartment complex Friday night. Two men with Carter, Ryan Willis, 20, of Jonesboro and Damarion Sinkfield, 17, of Griffin also face the same charges.

Griffin police were summoned to Apt. I-37 at Walden Pointe Apartments on Carver Road in Griffin at 11:16 p.m. Friday night. Deluca was found lying in the doorway to the apartment with a gunshot wound to the head. He was airlifted to an Atlanta trauma center where he died.

More to follow...

The probe into the Milner city council being conducted jointly by investigators from the sheriff’s office and the GBI is ongoing. Towaliga circuit district attorney Jonathan Adams sought the investigation which began May 18. [Full Story »]