Thru traffic on Van Buren Road will be temporarily halted in June to allow repairs to the bridge over the Little Towaliga River. Work is expected to begin the week of June 2nd and continue until at least the end of that month, County Administrator Wayne Patterson said on Tuesday.
The County learned of problems at the site in a letter from the Department of Transportation advising them of this fact on April 22nd, Patterson noted.
“Georgia DOT inspects all bridges every two years. The letter informed us of the bad condition of the bridge’s timber substructure supports and recommended that we immediately lower the safe weight rating from 10 tons maximum per axle to three.”
Mattie Robinson and Karen Jenkins, arrest photos courtesy Griffin Police.
Two women were being held in Spalding County on Tuesday after allegedly stealing air-conditioner parts from a residence on Johnson Street in Griffin. Police say Karen Denise Jenkins and Mattie Louise Robinson were both arrested after an alert neighbor claimed the pair were removing parts from air conditioners and loading them into a blue mini-van.
According to Police, Karen Jenkins, the van’s driver, at first claimed to have removed the parts from nearby woods. Her story later changed, they said, after further questioning. As Jenkins was speaking to Griffin Police Cpl. Luke Fletcher, his partner on the scene, Patrolman Matthew McFarlan, went to the rear of the vacant residence where the witness had reportedly seen the pair working on an air-conditioning unit. When McFarlan found that the AC unit had been torn apart, both women were arrested.
LamarCounty has agreed in principle to the purchase of 2.38 acres at 161 Academy Drive from Neil and Angela Blalock. According to Commission Chairman Jay Matthews, up to one acre of the parcel might be used to expand parking from across the street at the Academy Drive recreational facility.
The County also hopes a 2,800 square-foot metal building on the property might eventually be used to house the City of Barnesville’s recycling operations, which currently abut the Academy Drive rec center parking area. The details of any City-County building swap remain open to negotiation.
Tentative sale price for the property is $200,000.
'If I Were Mayor'
On Monday evening, the City of Barnesville recognized local students Denzel Andrews and Calli Johnson as winners of the recent "If I were Mayor" 6th grade essay contest. Andrews was the winner from Lamar County Middle School and Johnson from St. George's in Milner.
The competition was open to all local 6th graders.
Calli Johnson's essay appears here
Denzel Andrews' essay appears here
Utilities Update from Southern Rivers Energy
As of 10:30 a.m. on Monday, Southern Rivers Energy had less than 500 members without power in Lizella, primarily along Hwy 80, Columbus Rd., Hopewell Rd., and Dent Rd.
SRE crews are being assisted by contractors as well as crews from Utilicon, Diverse Power, Colquitt EMC and Grady EMC, all of whom have been working through the night to repair the damage and restore power in this area.
Southern Rivers hopes to have the majority of their Lizella members back on by the end of the day.
Your patience and cooperation is sincerely appreciated. Please continue to exercise extreme caution around damaged areas and you can check for updates at: www.southernriversenergy.com.
Drivers Identified In Sunday Accident
Photo by Robert Neal Devane
Updated Story The Georgia State Patrol in Thomaston has identified the motorist killed Sunday on Hwy 36 near Resthaven Road as Margaret Lindsey O'Neal, of a Willis Road address in Barnesville. O'Neal died after her Ford Taurus apparently crossed in front of a Chevrolet pickup that traveling in the same direction.
The driver of the pickup was identified as Dianne Lovell, who was transported to an area hospital from the scene with unspecified injuries.
Postal Rate Increase Effective Today
A postal rate increase became effective today, May 12, 2008. The new price of a First-Class stamp increased by 1 penny, to 42 cents. More details appear here:
Barnesville and LamarCounty appear to have escaped the wrath of storms that slapped much of middle Georgia early on Sunday morning. Most of the city was awakened around 5:30am as emergency alert system messages advised citizens to begin seeking cover.
Reports from Griffin indicate one person was killed and several others injured in LaurensCounty as two possible tornadoes touched down this morning; one near Macon and another near Dublin. "Based on the radar data it certainly looks like, in all likelihood, we had a tornado," Mike Griesinger, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in PeachtreeCity, was quoted in griffinjournal.com.
The storms also downed a billboard near Pio Nono Avenue in Macon and a tree which blocked three lanes of Interstate 75 South for a time this morning near the Rocky Creek Road area.
Dr. Chad Davies, Marshal, President Lawrence Weill, and Commencement speaker Robert E. Watts process behind Piper Michael Grest during Saturday's exercises on Lambdin Green.
Rob Watts mixed humor with his message to GordonCollege graduates during commencement exercises held Saturday morning on Lambdin Green. The University System’s chief operating officer told the 397 graduates to take time to figure out what they want to do in life and then "pay off your student loans."
In a separate ceremony held after graduation, 89 graduates of the nursing program were "pinned."
