Area News

For nearly a decade Washington Middle School has been labeled as a substandard school, but those days are now over.After two consecutive years of meeting Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) requirements under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, the school is no longer on the list of Georgia schools considered to “need improvement.”“This is a…

The Voice of the Syrupmakers, Michael Best, predicted that “Football Friday,” Oct. 8, would be a “Night to Remember” in his sport’s column last week. Best, however, was not forecasting the outcome of the Syrupmaker’s dual with the Dougherty Trojans. In fact, the ‘Makers were well in control of the outcome by half time.Best was…

The Cairo City Council gave the green light Monday night for a new 300-foot communications tower to be erected at Grady Electric Membership Corporation headquarters on U.S. 84 West.The new tower will replace an existing, 150-foot tall tower. Rex Robinson of Grady EMC briefed the city council on the tower project and said the taller…

The Grady County Board of Education has authorized the school system finance officer to go to the bank to borrow additional money so teachers will be paid before Thanksgiving and prior to the Christmas holiday as normal.Because of reduced resources at the state level, Georgia Department of Education officials had notified local boards of education…

The Georgia State Patrol reports it is now only waiting on crime lab results from the GBI to complete its investigation into last month’s accident that ended in the death of a Grady County woman.Post Commander Sgt. First Class Scott Woodell of the Georgia State Patrol office in Thomasville says interviews are complete and evidence…

After hearing presentations by Grady County Sheriff Harry Young and local nightclub owner Albert Smith, the Grady County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday morning to schedule a public hearing to consider the revocation of the alcoholic beverage license for Smith’s Zodiac Club.“My request is the club needs to be shut down or major corrections…

The man who beat another man to death while both were being held at the Grady County jail last year will spend the rest of his life in state custody.Ricky Reynolds admitted to the murder, but plead guilty but mentally ill, according to District Attorney Joe Mulholland.Reynolds was on trial for the death of Wade…

The Georgia Public Service Commission will likely take several weeks to complete its investigation into last week’s tragic natural gas fire that claimed the life of City of Cairo employee Wendell Harrison.“We are trying to determine what happened, who was at fault,” said Bill Edge, public information officer for the PSC during a telephone interview…

News of a big boost in the fight against substandard housing in Grady County was received this week as county officials learned its Community Home Investment Program (CHIP) grant application was approved by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs.The county was awarded $306,000 that can be used for the rehabilitation of privately owned homes in…

A Grady County Grand Jury has indicted a former city employee on seven counts stating she should stand trial for giving away free city cable and internet services. The Grand Jurors also indicted Cairo’s former fire chief and three others for allegedly accepting the services without paying. The indictment sheds more details on the scandal…