A nominating committee appointed by the Grady EMC board of directors met Thursday morning to determine who should run for two positions on the board that are up for election this year. The group nominated two candidates for the District 3 seat, but only one for District 6. Gordon Clyatt, a vocal critic of the…

Cairo Police were kept busy at one local business Monday night where several shoplifting cases were reported within a span of about two hours. In all, four suspects were arrested for allegedly trying to steal merchandise from Wal-Mart. Police charged three male teenagers and one 54-year-old man. The first shoplifting was reported shortly before 7…

Grady County commissioners have set a tentative tax rate at 14.653 mills, but on Tuesday night officials were presented a revised budget that could be funded with a rate of 13.85 mills, which is still up from the current 13.653 mills. A revision to the tax digest that increased the value of motor vehicles bumped…

Errors in the county’s 2017 tax digest and in required public notices were discovered this week, and as a result both the Grady County Board of Commissioners and the Grady County Board of Education are being forced to readvertise and reschedule previously slated public hearings on proposed tax increases. Corrected notices may be found in…

The prospect of a tax increase greater than 14 percent on top of over $32 million in increased residential property values, taxpayers filled the seats at public hearings held at the courthouse Tuesday morning and evening. Grady County Commissioners got an earful from taxpayers calling for them to hold the line on expenses and questioning…

Two members of Grady EMC have launched a petition this week to recall all of the board of directors of the EMC, with the exception of newly elected director Ronald Sellars. Steve Reynolds and Mitch Suber, both residents of Decatur County, are seeking a minimum of 10 percent of the EMC membership to sign a…

The Grady County Commission is operating at less than full strength due to the illness of two members. Grady County Commission Chairman Elwyn Childs recently suffered a stroke following shoulder surgery and as The Messenger went to press this week was a patient at Grady General Hospital after suffering a fall at his home. Chairman…

City officials learned this week that there is less than two years of life left at the City of Cairo landfill for garbage and trash, however the cell for construction and demolition materials has a projected life of 21 years. Cairo City Manager Chris Addleton described the report as “shocking” and told the city council,…

With the opening of the new ninth grade academy next week at Cairo High School, administrators are working to be proactive in addressing scheduling issues, not only for freshmen but for all high school students. On Tuesday, Principal Chris Lokey opened the parent portal on the Grady County School System’s website to allow parents and…

A group of Grady EMC members on Monday filed with the management of the EMC a member proposal calling for a third party to be engaged to conduct a forensic audit of the co-op dating back a minimum of 30 years. In addition to Grady EMC, the members are proposing the audit also include all…