patterson unanimous choice...

to become new county administrator at $75,000 per year.


more where you would expect it at your news source

halloween safety tips....

bindi (right) plans to be a safe trick or treater wednesday. you should do the same. bindi, decked out in her scarecrow outfit, is the significant canine of christy hughes.

from the red cross:

Map out the route that you plan to roam, so adults are assured you will find your way home!
From the bravest of superheroes to the noblest of knights, everyone should remember to bring their flashlights!
If you visit a house where a stranger resides, accept treats at the door and, please, don’t go inside.
When you get ready to put on your disguise, use face paint instead of masks, which will cover your eyes.
Always remember, before you embark, to wear light-colored clothing to be seen in the dark! (And remember to use reflective tape, even on bikes, skateboards and brooms!)
Whether you walk, slither or sneak, do it on the sidewalks and not in the street.
As you roam through the neighborhood collecting your treats, please look both ways before crossing the street! (And cross from the corner!)
Wigs, capes and costumes are flammable attire, so avoid open flames to prevent a fire!
Use a glow stick instead of a candle so your jack-o-lantern isn’t a safety gamble!
You may fly on a broom or a space ship from Mars, but please be on the lookout for drivers in cars! (And don’t hide between parked vehicles).
Monsters and zombies should stay off the lawn, and only visit homes with their porch lights turned on!
You may be dressed as a werewolf, a cat or a frog, but be cautious around strange animals, especially dogs.
Have a grown-up inspect your candy when you’re done trick-or-treating to remove open packages and choking hazards before eating.

candidates forum is tonight...

for barnesville city council hopefuls and those seeking to replace rep. mack crawford in the state house.

event is 7 p.m. at the barnesville civic center.

more where you would expect it at your news source

home of the hoedown...

roger mcleod captured this shot at the chitlin hoedown in yatesville over the weekend.

did you attend?

do you like chitlins? if so, how do you stand the smell?

open georgia-florida thread...

the dawgs jumped 10 places to 10th in the polls after saturday's 42-30 win over the hated gators.

you should have been there!

genarlow wilson ordered freed....

by state supreme court.

wilson could be released from prison this afternoon after court rules his imprisonment amounted to cruel and unusual punishment.

comments?

county set to hire manager/administrator...

executive session on personnel set for october 30.

more where you would expect it at your news source

former teacher of the year testifies to no avail...

mary fletcher (left) testified today she bought $20 worth of marijuana from mandrickas buckner (right) at a stop n' cop drug market on kate court in barnesville january 11.

buckner was found not guilty by a jury after only brief deliberation - a severe blow in a case law enforcement thought was airtight.

the drug buy and her subsequent arrest ended fletcher's career in education here.

more where you would expect it at lamar's definitive news source

man killed in atv accident here...

see the 10.23.07 print edition of the herald-gazette for details.

say what....

roger mcleod snapped this classic in neighboring monroe county.

make of it what you will.

got an old cell phone, this seems legit...

www.helpthemcallhome.org

curt's got the best deer of opening weekend...

we've seen so far.

young curt williams shot this perfectly symmetrical 8-pointer on the family farm saturday afternoon. curt is sure the deer is a six-pointer he let walk last year.

he is shown with his dad, greg. also pround of the young sharpshooter - it was a near 200-yard shot - are his mom jenny, sister emily and grandparents jan and billy williams.

e-mail your opening day trophy photos to news@barnesville.com or call 770.358.NEWS for submission information.

photo by thomas aiken.

homecoming queen crowned; player seriously injured...

ashley o'neal was crowned homecoming queen last night at the lamar county-marion county game.

a lamar player, johnny barkley, suffered a serious neck injury as was lifeflighted to an atlanta hospital.

bloggers with condition reports please advise. we also need a final score.

gun season opens tomorrow...

deer hunting is back!

wear your blaze orange, be safe, and send us the photos of your trophies.

e-mail photos of your big deer, cool game camera photos, big fish or anything else from the outdoors to news@barnesville.com for publication here, on www.barnesville.com and in the herald-gazette.

chamber membership bbq...

was a big success last night at honeywood farms. chamber president jan hatten (center) is pictured welcoming rick and jo klepper to the festivities.

two arrested for stealing copper wire...

and possession of marijuana after an alleged burglary at fieldcrest subdivision in milner.

arrested were jonathan r. grier, 34, (left) and mindy jai howard, 17, both of barnesville. grier fell through the roof of the home while officers were on the premises.

more where you would expect it at lamar's definitive news source

how would you punish these mental giants?

pigskin prognostications week 8...

i went 6-4 last week. now 45-25 for the season for a winning percentage of .643.

south florida@rutgers: this is the big thursday night game. #2 south florida is a two-point favorite but this is the night cinderella loses the other glass slipper. rutgers 31 south florida 27.

mississippi state@west virginia: #9 mountaineers are a 24.5 point favorite in morgantown. wvu wins but take the other bulldogs and the points. west virginia 44 mississippi state 31.

arkansas@ole miss: you can color nutsun houst gone! hogs have done less with more talent than any team in college football. arkansas is favored by five but i think col. reb wins straight up. ole miss 27 arkansas 17.

vanderbilt@south carolina: #6 gamecocks are 13 point favorites at home over the dores. vandy is improved and should beat that spread but cocks win. south carolina 35 vanderbilt 24.

usc@notre dame: boy, the bloom is off this rose. usc has fallen to #13 after a loss and a poor effort win. notre dame still sucketh. like i say, trojans don't play anybody and that doesn't change this week. usc 71 notre dame 17.

tennessee@alabama: a very intriguing matchup in a storied rivalry. vegas has this as a pickem. saban needs a signature win to quiet the already restless bama natives. i think the tide squeaks by at home. alabama 21 tennessee 20.

ohio state@michigan state: after all the upsets, buckeyes have moved to #1. spartans have struggled and are 17 point underdogs. buckeyes win but take msu and the points. ohio state 35 michigan state 28.

florida@kentucky: perhaps the best game of the weekend. oddsmakers have #14 florida as a 6.5 point favorite on the road against the #8 wildcats. teams with good qbs have thrown on florida with success and uk's andre woodson is top notch. cats win at home in a thriller. kentucky 31 florida 30.

auburn@lsu: #5 bayou bengals are 10.5 point favorites at home against the resurgent wareagletigerplainsmen who did win in gainesville. no such luck this week. lsu 41 auburn 21.

army@georgia tech: the sliderulers are 24 point favorites at home against the west pointers. i think army makes this a ballgame for three quarters and covers. georgia tech 37 army 24.

and, yes, i think georgia can beat off week - but just barely!

key dates set in c&d landfill battle...

four hearings next month could decide the fate of the controversial project.

more where you would expect it at lamar's definitive news source

bond denied in sex abuse case...

judge tommy wilson denied bond today for 18-year-old janathia latrece jones (right) of barnesville who faces multiple sex abuse charges. she allegedly performed oral sex on a 14-year-old neighbor and used a phallic device strapped to her body to have vaginal sex with the victim.

more where you would expect it at lamar's definitive news source

gordon students questioned in drinking incident...

that morphed briefly into a sexual assault probe in which gbi assistance was requested.

more where you would expect it at lamar's definitive news source

historic house jams traffic on rose ave....

house movers transporting the dismantled napier house from macon to clayton county have traffic blocked on rose ave. near thomaston st. in barnesville at present.

the trucks were forced into town off the four-lane by the new railroad gates on highway 341 near its intersection with highway 36.

you might wish to avoid the area for an hour or so.

alleged gordon shooter denied bond again...

judge tommy wilson denied bond for santonio antwan grady in lamar superior court this morning. grady faces multiple counts stemming from a drive-by shooting on the gordon college campus in august.

grady (in jail orange) is pictured in court this morning conversing with al white, an investgator with the public defender's office.

more where you would expect it at lamar's definitive news source

is a 24-foot long ice machine....

that is eight feet wide and nine feet tall too big for a convenience store parking lot in the bvl?

that is what judge bill fears must decide after a hearing today in lamar superior court.

note: the image above was retrieved online, is used for illustration purposes only and does not necessarily reflect the appearance of the machine proposed for barnesville.

more where you would expect it at lamar's definitive news source

patty stephens, larry waller among county manager finalists...

the third is wayne patterson who resides in lamar county and is a top executive with clayton county.

more where you would expect it at lamar's definitive news source

mayoral election details revealed...

the election to fill the unexpired term of the late mayor dewaine bell will be held on february 5, 2008. qualifying will be held december 19-21, 2007.

more where you would expect it at lamar's definitive news source

cynthia mckinney going green....

or smoking the green leafy material?

ajc reporting mckinney will run for president on the green party ticket.

image: freerepublic.com

rapper ti digs his machine guns....

and they may earn the convicted felon 10 years in federal prison.

more street cred or big screw up?

should bet have yanked his musical awards after his arrest?

image credit: rolling stone

those pot pies are good BUT...

embattled conagra has recalled its banquet chicken and turkey pot pies. recalled items have a location number of P9 on the box. one local mother thinks her daughter was sickened from the food items.

act accordingly - and thanks to dmom for the info.

quick pick football prognostications week 7

it's been a hectic week and i am late with these. last week i went a dismal 5-5. now 39-21 for the year for .650 average.

south carolina@north carolina: #7 cocks are a 7-point favorite. they cover easy. cocks 28 heels 7.

virginia tech@duke: duke needs to stick to the roundball. #12 hokies cruise. va. tech 31 duke 3.

louisville@cincinnati: cincinnati is ranked #15. what has the world come to? louisville, a 10-point underdog, wins in an upset.
louisville 14 cincinnati 13.

alabama@ole miss: tide is a six point favorite in oxford. i think ole miss wins. ole miss 17 alabama 14.

tennessee@mississippi state: enough upset picks for a while. vols ease away. tennessee 35 mississippi state 31.

boston college@notre dame: boston college is overrated. can charlie weis pull of the upset? not quite. boston college 21 notre dame 20.

usc@arizona: trojans roar back from last week's huge loss. usc 51 arizona 14.

auburn@arkansas: very interesting matchup. #22 auburn falls. arkansas 28 auburn 24.

georgia tech@miami: both teams are unranked - for a reason. miami 13 georgia tech 10.

georgia@vanderbilt: the dawgs sucketh at home and on the road. dores make it two in a row over dogs and richt's seat gets hot. vandy 31 georgia 30.

would be xanax thief gets 10 years in prison...

mary gwendolyn noles (right), 42, of the rock was sentenced by judge bill fears today in lamar superior court.


more where you would expect it at lamar's definitive news source

a picture paints a thousand words....

the silenced soprano saxophone of late barnesville mayor dewaine bell has been silenced but the instrument he often played at the funerals of others was prominently displayed at his today.

barnesville has buried a great man!

remembering a fellow educator and friend....

georgia fletcher is overcome with emotion as she views the body of late barnesville mayor dewaine bell this afternoon at east. mt. sinai baptist church.

fletcher has been asked by the family to speak at bell's funeral thursday.

the bell family is asking that those wishing to bring food to the family deliver it to the barnesville civic center beginning at 10 a.m. thursday.

charter cable drops wtbs...

and fans in barnesville cannot watch some of the postseason baseball action. this is no biggie to me as i have not watched an inning of mlb all year but is it to you?

have you raised hell with charter? how did they respond?

ron hinson....

the former lamar county quarterback who set the state passing record in 1977 was mentioned in an ajc article over the weekend.

hinson came up after his record was almost broken by henry county's quarterback.

hinson's father was a principal here. i believe he died some years back.

where is ron hinson now?

who were the wide receivers on that team?

how long do you think the record will stand? what was the record setting qb's team's record for the season?

who was the opposing team in the record game?

other stars on the team?

who was the coach?

have at it!

more news on bell funeral/remembrances...

no parking will be available at the middle school for the 11 a.m. funeral service thursday. park at lcchs or lcps and ride the shuttle service. arrive early!!!!

there will be a candlelight memorial service wednesday at ritz park at 8:30 p.m. in honor of the late mayor. bring your own candles.

more where you would expect it at lamar's definitive news source

location for paying respects to dewaine bell has changed...

the public viewing will be held at east mt. sinai baptist church at 100 washington st. rather than at the funeral home.

viewing is wednesday, october 10 from noon - 8 p.m.

more where you would expect it at lamar's definitive news source

missing a bear.....

beaver dean found this one at depot plaza on october 7. it is available for claiming at the herald-gazette office at 509 greenwood st. in barnesville.

a great man has fallen...

from the 10.9.07 print and online editions of the herald-gazette:

above: dewaine bell (right) with general protecht chairman wusheng chen in may, 2007.


By Walter Geiger
Some years ago I was photographing a football game at a crumbling middle Georgia high school football stadium where the Lamar County Trojans were getting waxed on the road.
I grew tired of the debacle on the field, shut down my Nikon and climbed into the nearly empty stands. I sat down next to Dewaine Bell and vented my frustration with the poor athletic performance I was witnessing.
Dewaine had injured his leg in a mishap and was swathed in an array of casts and braces but had made the trip to watch the Trojans as he always did.
I called out two players in particular for poor play.
Dewaine proceeded to tell me about the abhorrent home situations the two players were products of and the domestic crises they had faced just a day earlier.
The importance of the football game faded. After understanding the bigger picture, I felt terrible for my comments of just minutes before.
Dewaine knew the big picture and knew when to share it.
On another occasion, I had been asked to eulogize a longtime family friend. I agreed and set about putting my thoughts to paper.
As the funeral hour drew near, I paced the choir room of my church. I had never been in a pulpit for any purpose other than to read a few verses of scripture.
I cracked open the door to sneak a peak into the sanctuary. A full half hour before the funeral, it was packed.
I had a severe case of the jitters.
At about that time, Dewaine Bell arrived in the room with his soprano saxophone. He was to perform at the funeral and was in the practice area to warm up.
He took one look at me pacing the room and asked what was wrong. I told him about the task before me and my apprehension.
A veteran, natural performer and gifted musician, Dewaine had graced many a stage, pulpit and lectern. He told me he always got nervous before a performance and that a little stage fright is natural.
His words calmed me.
Dewaine ran through a few bars of ‘When the Saints Go Marching In’ and confidently pronounced us ready to enter the sanctuary.
I was later congratulated by gracious funeral goers for my eulogy but was struck by Dewaine’s performance.
In addition to the piece he practiced, Dewaine, a black man, had stood in front of a nearly all-white crowd in an all-white church and delivered a masterful rendition of ‘Dixie’ as requested in the deceased’s last wishes.
I was blown away.
I was blown away again early Saturday when the phone rang with the news of Dewaine’s death. I knew he had been sick but did not know death was imminent.
When I first met Dewaine he was a high school band director with a big afro. His bands were topnotch.
Later he became principal at that same high school and did a wonderful job.
After leaving the education field, he became Barnesville’s municipal judge. He had the gift of meting out compassion when called for and discipline when demanded.
Later, Dewaine became the first black mayor in Barnesville’s long history and, again, proved himself up to the task.
He was a tireless ambassador for the community.
Earlier this year, a huge Chinese trade delegation was in town for the announcement of a significant new infusion of foreign capital into Barnesville’s economy.
Dewaine handled the visiting Chinese beautifully.
At a luncheon, he was encouraged to get his sax and entertain the crowd.
Once the sweet sounds poured from that soprano sax, the Chinese were transfixed. Dozens of digital cameras hummed as the visitors posed for pictures with the mayor as he played.
Elvis was never more idolized than Dewaine Bell was at that moment.
I caught his eye as he paused momentarily and a huge smile split his ever friendly face.
When I think of my departed friend, it is that smile I will remember.

bell funeral services set...

bell's widow and other relatives are receiving guests at the family home at 412 westchester drive.

visitation is set for noon - 8 p.m. wednesday at bentley & sons funeral home.

funeral is thursday at 11 a.m. at lamar county middle school where officials are setting up seating for 900 mourners. burial will be in greenwood cemetery.

more where you would expect it at lamar's definitive news source

barnesville mayor dewaine bell is dead...

bell (left) died this morning at a griffin hospital. he had been battling a recurrence of his cancer and had been very sick for the past three weeks or so.

more where you would expect it at lamar's definitive news source

a personal note: when i arrived in barnesville-lamar county in 1979, dewaine bell was one of the first people i met. over the next 28+ years i never heard him utter a disparaging word about anyone - a very rare trait in today's world. dewaine loved barnesville and its people. a great man has fallen. we salute his memory and his countless achievements.

macon mayor jack ellis may run for u.s. house...

against rep. jim marshall.

ellis, perhaps the worst mayor in georgia history, has traveled the world at taxpayer expense, embraced dictator hugo chavez and converted to islam.

comments...

open lamar county vs. rutland thread...

for score updates from tonight's football game.

lost dog alert...

be on the lookout for this dog...just clipped, medical problems, part shih tzu.

lost in piedmont road area of lamar county.

call 358.0122 or 404.731.9479.

pigskin prognostications, week 6

it's hard to believe we are already in the sixth week of the college football schedule. i went 6-4 last week. now 34-16 for the year: an average of .680.

kentucky@south carolina: the former mildcats are mild no more. ranked #8, they travel to williams-brice stadium to take on the #11 gamechickens in a great thursday night matchup. cocks are a 3.5 point favorite at home. methinks the feel good kentucky story continues for one more week at least as andre woodson feasts on the carolina secondary. kentucky 31 south carolina 20.

florida@lsu: the #9 gators travel to baton rouge to battle the #1 bayou bengals. florida was embarassed last week at the swamp by the struggling wareagletigerplainsmen. some of the swamis are picking the gators to win this game. i don't see it. neither does vegas where the pros have lsu as a 9 point fave. it will be closer than that. lsu 42. florida 37.

texas vs. oklahoma: the red river shootout in dallas finds the #10 sooners 11 point favorites over the #19 horns. again the spread is too large but the favorite wins. both teams are overrated. oklahoma 29 texas 24.

notre dame@ucla: lots of classics in this series but this game will be a dog! it is written: the irish sucketh! fatboy weis is searching for answers. surfer boy clausen is searching for styling gel. irish get whacked and go to 0-6, worst start in their history. ucla 48 notre dame 6.

stanford@usc: the cardinal (weird nickname) might as well peck at is reflection on the plate glass window. sliderule u - west coast campus gets walloped by the #2 trojans as o'j.'s number gets unretired at halftime and awarded to the nearest janitor. usc 66 stanford 17.

virginia tech@clemson: this game is a matchup of underachievers. there's a flat on #15 vt's beamer while the #22 tigers laid an egg last week at grunt field. thought here is virginia tech stinks slightly more than clem's son. vegas agrees, having installed those of the purple and orange unis as 5.5 point faves. that is about right. clemson 27 virginia tech 21.

vanderbilt@auburn: vandy has a better sec record than auburn going in but auburn is coming off a big upset of the reigning national champion florida gators. neither team is ranked. auburn is a 7.5 point favorite but is ripe for the upset pickin's. alas, the dores are not quite that good. auburn 21 vanderbilt 19.

utah state@hawaii: #16 hawaii is probably the best team you have not seen play. stay up late and watch them sometime. they are awesome. utah state gets a trip to the beach but little else. hawaii 51 utah state 14.

georgia tech@maryland: tech is a 3 point favorite at college park after upsetting clemson last week in a game in which the tigers played horribly. maryland is coming off an even bigger upset in which they stopped #10 rutgers. ralph friedgen is a great offenseve mind. chan gailey - uh, not so much. terps win at home. maryland 27 georgia tech 24.

georgia@tennessee: the #12 dawgs have won the last three at neyland stadium. the vols in tears come in having had a week off to prepare for this game. to win, georgia needs sophomore quarterback matthew stafford to handle the pressure of the big orange arena. mark richt knows a win is a must to stay in the sec east race. he is excellent in opponents' stadiums. dawgs win going away after getting some key turnovers and good special teams play. georgia 31 tennessee 20.

college manor subdivision sold after note default...

from the 10.02.07 print edition of the herald-gazette..

The once controversial College Manor subdivision in Barnesville has changed hands after the developer reportedly defaulted on a multimillion dollar loan.
The 39-lot subdivision off College Drive remains empty although infrastructure has been installed.
In mid-July, College Manor Development, LLC sold the subdivision to Cedar Creek Farms for $1,245,000. The principal owner of Cedar Creek is developer Michael Jackson.
College Manor offers one-third acre lots where homes are highly restricted for about $55,000 apiece.

sheriff , DA controversy thread with story....

per request.

Sheriff Joe Buice issued a written statement last week lambasting district attorney Richard Milam and his staff for “selective law enforcement” and “stopping the wheels of justice”.
Buice was angered over a nolle prosequi order in the case of local businessman Arthur Kip Pelt who was charged with theft by receiving stolen property for allegedly possessing a bulldozer belonging to Henry County.
The sheriff alleged Milam’s office convinced Judge Tommy Wilson to sign the nolle prosequi order September 24 by arguing “everyone involved in the case (had) agreed” to it.
“My investigators and I were unaware the case was about to be dismissed. As sheriff, I was elected by you, the citizens, to enforce the law impartially. I realize the great responsibility that goes with the position. I cannot idly stand by and watch the judicial system be manipulated by a select few,” Buice wrote.
The court order dismissing the case says Henry County has agreed to sell Pelt the bulldozer and that the lead investigator on the case is no longer with the sheriff’s office.
Buice said his investigators contacted Henry County and were told “the (bulldozer) remains in their possession at this time and there are no plans to sell the property in question”.
The sheriff noted he is committed to honesty and integrity. “I do not subscribe to the notion of selective law enforcement,’ he said.
Buice alleged he faced undue roadblocks in the prosecution of Pelt from the outset of the case. He said chief magistrate William Thomas initially refused to sign the warrant in the case because he knew the family. Later the warrant was dismissed in magistrate court during a bond hearing, the sheriff alleged.
“An assistant district attorney attended the bond hearing and saw the injustice. He took the case before the next grand jury where you, the people of Lamar County, indicted the person on the same charges. The assistant district attorney is no longer with the district attorney’s office. Lady Justice is blindfolded while holding the scales of justice for a reason,” Buice said.
“Lamar County has seen enough of the ‘good ole boy’ style of government. What happened in superior court (last) Monday morning was a third and final attempt to end this case forever. What happened to justice? What happened to the people’s day in court,” Buice continued.
The sheriff went on to report 20 cases - six of them burglaries or thefts - were no billed by the September term grand jury at the request of the district attorney’s office. He noted the huge expense his office and other law enforcement agencies go to attempting to get cases into court.
“Why is it that a select few can stop the wheels of justice? The next time you wonder why crime seems to be out of control, take a look at your judicial system. Why do the same persons get charged with burglary time after time? Why do the same persons get charged with selling drugs time after time,” Buice asked.
He also questioned why so few cases go to jury trials.
“Sadly enough, I can say that in the past three years of my administration, I can almost count on one hand every criminal case that has been tried by a jury. The courts will argue it costs hundreds of thousands of dollars to try cases. Can we afford not to try cases? Do we only convict those who want to plead guilty in order to get half (the) sentence they should serve,” Buice asked.
Milam was contacted for a response and issued a statement of his own. It follows in its entirety:
“This case was investigated by Steve Burge of the sheriff's department. He discovered that Mr. Pelt was in possession of a piece of equipment that had been stolen approximately six years earlier in Henry County.

“He charged Mr. Pelt with theft by receiving stolen property, OCGA 16-8-7. That code section requires that the State prove not only that the property was stolen but that Mr. Pelt received it under circumstances that the knew or should have known that the property was stolen.

“After the arrest, Judge Thomas conducted a preliminary hearing wherein he heard the evidence and concluded that the State could not prove that Mr. Pelt knew or should have known that the property was stolen. Therefore, Judge Thomas dismissed the charges entirely. At the request of Mr. Burge, my assistant presented the case to the Grand Jury and obtained an indictment.

“While preparing this case for trial, we have reviewed the facts as completely as we could and found additional problems with the case. Judge Thomas had initially found that the evidence was insufficient. Our further investigation and research led us to conclude that there was an insurmountable search and seizure problem in the case. Therefore, we would not be allowed to submit all of our evidence.

“My current assistant discussed all of these facts with me and with Mr. Burge. Mr. Burge agreed with the recommendation that the case be dismissed. I do not recall ever having discussed this case with Sheriff Buice.

“My judgement was that I could not obtain a legally sustainable conviction in the case. I do not think I have ever met Mr. Pelt. This decision was made on the basis of my training and experience and an honest desire to do justice within the law.”

Editor’s note: The full text of the sheriff’s statement is published on the Herald-Gazette website at www.barnesville.com.