Area News

Several parked vehicles in downtown Cairo have recently become the targets of thieves, and Cairo police say there are easy steps people can take to keep from becoming victims.In each incident, victims had left valuables in the vehicles that were easily seen by passersby. Police say that is an open invitation to a thief. “They…

Grady County State Court Judge J. William “Bill” Bass Sr. recently completed mandatory continuing legal education and judicial certification by attending classes presented by the Institute of Continuing Judicial Education in Athens, Ga. Judicial programs enable judges to meet their mandated training requirements established by the Supreme Court of Georgia.  These programs provide the judges…

Drought conditions continue to prevail in Grady County.Agriculture Extension Agent Don Clark is estimating that nearly 80 percent of the cropland in the county is now in severe drought.The reason it happened so quickly, he says, is that from Aug. 1 to April 1, “we only had two rain events that were over an inch.…

Grady County school system officials are not even close to finalizing the 2011-2012 operating budget but they are already focused on the 2012-2013 spending plan.During a called meeting Monday, Superintendent Dr. Tommy Pharis told school board members his budget plan for the next two fiscal years was out the window.“Things looked a lot differently in…

Grady County commissioners have signed off on a proposal to fund the Roddenbery Memorial Library with a set percentage of Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) proceeds, but the Cairo city council has concerns with the plan.Earlier this month the board of commissioners unanimously approved a proposal to fund the public library with 11.2 percent of…

Grady County is in the running for a partnership project with the University of Georgia that would give this community access to the expertise of the full university. Currently, the county benefits, through Cooperative Extension Service, from the resources of UGA’s colleges of agriculture and environmental science; forestry and natural resources; and family and consumer…

Grady County residents and Roddenbery Memorial Library patrons will have the opportunity to personally meet the library’s new director on Thursday, May 26.The library board of trustees and staff are hosting a reception in honor of Pamela Grigg from 4 p.m. until 6 p.m. tomorrow afternoon in the south hall of the Roddenbery Memorial Library.Ms.…

An average of 13,911,250 gallons of water per month pumped out of the ground by the city of Cairo is currently unaccounted for and is costing the city money, according to Charles Rehberg, an official with Consolidated Pipe & Supply, Inc.Rehberg was called in by city officials for consultation and to help identify ways to…

All court records in the civil action filed by the Grady County Joint Development Authority (JDA) against Joseph W. Higdon were transmitted by Grady County Clerk of Court Debbie Kines to the Court of Appeals of Georgia last week.Higdon has appealed Judge A. Wallace Cato’s March 29, 2011, order granting summary judgment in favor of…

Employees of Grady County traveling in county-owned vehicles or in their personal vehicles while on county business better buckle up or face a penalty.Although Georgia law requires all motorists to fasten safety belts when operating motorized vehicles, Grady County commissioners took it another level this week by adopting a seat belt policy that has teeth…