Headlines

Joshua Swatts has been appointed to fill the unexpired term of Susan Byars on the Lamar County Board of Education. Swatts will represent district 3. The school board made the appointment at its regular meeting Monday night. The current term runs through Dec. 31, 2020.

Swatts is a graduate of the local school system. He and his wife Brandi have four children, three of whom are students in the system.

Byars resigned earlier this year, saying she no longer felt she was an effective voice on the board.

John Flath resigned his position as head football coach Thursday morning during a meeting with LCHS principal Dr. David Boland. Flath faced a major rebuilding project when he arrived here prior to the 2017 season and has been a steadying influence on the program which some thought had been in decline after a 2013 appearance in the state championship game.
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The annual Chamber of Commerce community awards banquet is changing venues from the civic center to The Farley Estate on Hwy. 36 East and High Falls Park Rd. The event is set for Thursday, Feb. 21 at 7 p.m.

Ashleighanne Andrews will serve as emcee and tickets are $35 each. [Full Story »] 

The government shutdown, which ended for at least thee weeks over the weekend, has resulted in online rumors and the spread of misinformation regarding funding for those receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.

SNAP is the current moniker assigned to the nation’s food stamp program.

SNAP benefits are loaded onto electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards which recipients use to buy groceries and other items at stores that accept them. [Full Story »] 

School board members and administrators are still looking at candidates to replace District 3 member Susan Byars who resigned earlier this year. [Full Story »] 

A Barnesville woman was shaken up but not seriously injured Thursday afternoon when her Toyota SUV was struck by a Norfolk Southern work train at the Aldora Street crossing Thursday afternoon.

Officers on the scene said the driver has a hearing impairment that could have contributed to the collision.

A small dog in the SUV also escaped unscathed.

The 911 dispatch went out at 4:52 p.m.

A Barnesville man has been charged with DUI and first degree vehicular homicide in connection with a wreck Saturday that killed a 31-year-old motorcyclist from Thomaston. State troopers identified the dead man as Matthew W. Smallwood of 1145 Vestavia Lane in Thomaston.
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The LC Lady Trojans (18-2, 8-0) are at home tonight and Saturday night for key region contests as the regular season winds down and the playoffs approach.

Heard County comes to town tonight and Temple rolls in Saturday. Girls action begins at 6 p.m. with the boys to follow.

The Lady Trojans, who still have not cracked the state rankings despite their stellar record, got two region wins last week.
[Full Story »] 

Those summoned for jury duty in Lamar superior court Jan. 28 for criminal trials do not have to report to the courthouse. All the defendants scheduled for trial that week entered guilty pleas Jan. 17 so there will be no criminal trials. Court will go on, however, with pleas, hearings and other proceedings.

The U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced Tuesday that all Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices will reopen to provide additional administrative services to farmers and ranchers during the lapse in federal funding.

"At President Trump's direction, we have been working to alleviate the effects of the lapse in federal funding as best we can, and we are happy to announce the reopening of FSA offices for certain services," Perdue said. "The FSA provides vital support for farmers and ranchers and they count on those services being available. We want to offer as much assistance as possible until the partial government shutdown is resolved."

Starting on Thursday, Jan. 24, Farm Service Agency offices will put employees back to work full-time for two weeks. After two weeks, assuming the department is still without funding, they will be open three days a week until the shutdown concludes.

From Spalding County sheriff Darrell Dix:

On January 21, 2019 at approximately 9:07am, deputies of the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call of an aggravated assault at a residence on High Falls Road. When deputies arrived, they found a male identified as Syntel Brown 33 years of age, in the front yard of the residence. Mr. Brown was found to have suffered multiple stab wounds and cuts. A neighbor, along with deputies, began rendering aid to Brown until EMS could arrive. Brown has since been transported to Atlanta Medical Center for treatment.

A second person identified as Devontae Perkins, 24 years of age, was found a short distance from the residence also suffering from multiple stab wounds and cuts. He has been transported to Spalding Regional Hospital and is being treated for his wounds.

According to Sheriff Darrell Dix, “After being briefed by my investigators as to the details of the incident and those involved, I made the determination to contact the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and ask for their assistance. At this point the investigation has been turned over to them. No other details will be released at this time as the investigation into the incident and fact gathering is
ongoing.”

BPD investigators are searching for 20-year-old Donterious Frye of Monroe County for an alleged assault on Officer Maria Gebelein at Waffle House early Friday morning during a brawl that followed a rap performance at a local club. Frye is wanted for felony obstruction of an officer.

Officer Gebelein was punched in the head and suffered scratches and bruises but is recovering.

If you have any information on Frye's whereabouts, call BPD at 770.358.1244 or the sheriff's office at 770.358.5159.