Grady County employees may not be paid a Christmas bonus this year as they have in the past due to uncertainties with the finances of county government. With the clock winding down on 2014 and Christmas coming next week county officials have been working to bring financial records up to date in order to determine…

Readers of The Cairo Messenger who have come to enjoy reading the weekly edition of American Profile, which is inserted into in-county editions of the newspaper, will likely be disappointed about some changes that take effect Dec. 14. Athlon Media Group, publishers of American Profile, are dropping publication of the magazine to twice a month.…

Grady County auditor Tom Carmichael of Carr Riggs & Ingram presented the county’s 2013 audit to county commissioners last week and some of the results are now being questioned by Grady County Administrator Carlos Tobar. The much anticipated audit was delayed this year due to turnover in the county’s accounting department, according to Carmichael. The…

State medical authorities have performed an autopsy on a Cairo man who passed away while in custody at the Grady County Detention Center. Franklin Edward Lee, 58, of 331 Loblolly Lane, was in a holding cell at the county facility when a jailer discovered he was unresponsive at approximately 9:40 p.m., Friday. According to Steven…

City officials are looking into how Cairo Municipal Court is being operated following a visit to court by a city councilman subpoenaed to appear in court. With the city police department being consistently over budget for overtime expenses, Cairo City Councilman Kermit Gilliard questioned why eight officers were in Municipal Court at 8 a.m. when…

Grady County commissioners want more information before they approve paying an additional $7,043 in premium for the county’s Workers’ Compensation insurance. The county is a member of the Association County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG) and its self insurance workers’ compensation fund. Traditionally, the county earns a rebate from the fund as a credit to its…

The Grady County Commission has hired Richard Phillips as the new full-time county fire chief. Commissioners unanimously approved Phillips’ hiring following a brief closed door session Tuesday morning. The fire chief position replaces the part-time Volunteer Fire Department coordinator position that was held by veteran volunteer fire chief Wayne Hadden who is stepping down at…

The holiday season kicks into full gear this week in Cairo with both an old favorite tradition and a newer one taking place in the coming days. First on the schedule is the annual Christmas Parade, sponsored by Cairo merchants and the Cairo-Grady County Chamber of Commerce and always on the first Thursday in December.…

The Christmas season is upon us and with it comes a special event that for 66 years has signaled this special time of year.  This Sunday afternoon, Dec. 7, 2014,  at 2:30 p.m. in the Cairo High School auditorium the Cairo High Band will present the 66th annual Christmas Concert. “Everyone knows the rich traditions…

Summer break may not feel as long next year with Grady County schools reopening in July for the 2015-2016 school term. The Grady County Board of Education will be voting on a proposed 2015-2016 calendar that sets preplanning for teachers to kick off on Tuesday, July 28, and the first day for students on Thursday,…