COVID-19 cases climb, local death toll now five
Another Grady County resident has died of COVID-19, according to public health officials, and four more cases of the disease have been discovered here as testing continues to be offered at the local health department. This week, anyone can be tested for COVID-19 on Thursday, 8 a.m. to noon, or Saturday, 9 a.m. until noon.…
Read MoreEarly voting off to slow start
Early voting is underway and local elections officials report that the turnout in the first two days has been very slow. At the close of business Tuesday, only 122 voters had cast ballots in the primary election, according to Grady County chief registrar Malinda Butler. It has been even slower at the Grady Cultural Center,…
Read MoreEarly voting opens Monday
Advance in-person voting for both the City of Cairo special election and the General Primary begins Monday at 8:30 a.m., but officials report that demand for absentee ballots remains strong. Cairo City Clerk Dana Barfield reported Tuesday that her office has received requests for 117 absentee ballot applications and to-date, 60 have been returned. Grady…
Read MoreSuperintendent pulls recommendation for personnel transfers
The Grady County Board of Education met behind closed doors for more than half an hour before reopening the meeting to the public and voting to approve some, but not all, of the school superintendent’s personnel recommendations. Following the closed session, Superintendent Dr. Kermit Gilliard pulled the list of personnel being recommended for transfers. “We…
Read MoreProposal to hike cemetery lot prices is still alive at City Hall
The cost to rest in peace in Cairo could soon get a little more expensive. Cairo city manager Chris Addleton has included in his proposed budget for 2020-2021 an increase in the per lot cost of a cemetery plot in City of Cairo cemeteries. The city manager is not proposing a tax hike or increase…
Read MoreThe Rev. Henry L. Flowers, III to speak at C.H.S. baccalaureate
On Sunday, the Cairo High School Class of 2020 was scheduled to gather for the annual baccalaureate service at the C.H.S. gymnasium, but due to COVID-19 those plans had to be canceled. However, the service will go on virtually on Facebook live. The special guest speaker for the event will be a 1987 graduate of…
Read MoreCounty and lake authority weigh options on RV park at lake
The Grady County Commission and a couple of members of the Grady County Lake Authority met May 7 with two consultants who have been involved with the Tired Creek Lake project for the last several years. Local officials met with authority consultant Will Butler and land planner Charlie Johnson of Wood & Partners to discuss…
Read MoreSantos is Cairo’s new police chief
The man who has served as interim police chief for Cairo since December has been promoted to the role permanently. Giovannie Santos was named Tuesday as chief of the Cairo Police Department. Cairo city manager Chris Addleton made the announcement, pointing out that Santos has worked for the police department since 1996, and has been…
Read MoreMitchell County woman sings praises of Grady General after surviving virus
“I feel like Cairo and Grady County need to know what a wonderful hospital Grady General is.” Those are the words of the hospital’s very first COVID-19 patient, Beth Davis, a Camilla resident who spent a month as a patient at the hospital while doctors and nurses brought her back to health. For nearly three…
Read MorePositive COVID-19 cases now up to 90
The Grady County Health Department will hold its fourth clinic of COVID-19 testing Friday morning. Testing is now available by appointment to all Georgians who request it, whether they have symptoms or not. “Increased testing is critical to understanding where there are hotspots of infection and how best to mitigate them,” says Kathleen E. Toomey,…
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