Area News
Could take two months before courthouse elevator is fixed
The sole elevator in the Grady County Courthouse remains inoperable this week and officials say it could be up to two months before it is back in operation. The elevator has been out of commission since Nov. 13. Grady County Administrator J.C. (Buddy) Johnson III, updated the board of commissioners on the elevator situation during…
Read MoreCounty hopes to get out of contract Tobar negotiated
Grady County officials say they are counting down the days until the county can get out from under a five-year contract with Windstream Communications negotiated by former administrator Carlos Tobar. On Tuesday, Grady County Administrator J.C. (Buddy) Johnson III, received the board’s blessing to execute a three-year agreement with CNS Next to provide telephone and…
Read MoreYule Parade is Thursday
The annual Cairo Christmas Parade has grown to 121 entries as of Tuesday, according to Cairo-Grady County Chamber of Commerce officials. The parade steps off at 7 p.m. Thursday and will follow the traditional route south down Broad Street from the chamber and conclude at First United Methodist Church. This year’s theme is “Christmas Under…
Read MorePlans finalized for Eastside Elementary School project
A modern, fresh look for Cairo’s Eastside Elementary School has been chosen and construction is projected to begin in the spring. Grady County School System officials met with architect Greg Smith Monday afternoon to finalize plans for the new construction to take place at Eastside. According to Grady County School Superintendent Dr. Kermit Gilliard, Smith…
Read MoreThornton wins by 10 votes
Incumbent District 1 Cairo City Councilman Lannis Thornton was successful in his bid for a fifth term on the city council in Tuesday’s runoff election, but his margin of victory was slim. Thornton bested challenger Ann Williams by only 10 votes in unofficial returns, 144-134. Cairo Municipal Election Superintendent Dana W. Barfield said that three…
Read MoreG.B.I. arrests Cairo police chief
Cairo Police Chief Keith Sandefur has resigned his post and is retiring effective at year’s end after turning himself in to authorities Tuesday at approximately 1:30 p.m. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation arrested the veteran city lawman and charged him with two counts of felony theft by conversion. The arrest stems from a request from…
Read MoreCommunity rings in the season with a number of holiday events next week
Grady County kicks off the Christmas season next week with a bang that includes several community events such as the annual Cairo Christmas Parade. The other events are Christmas in Whigham, Mistletoe Market in Cairo and the Sweet Winter Concert featuring the Tams. Christmas in Whigham gets the Christmas ball rolling on Tuesday, Dec. 3,…
Read MoreTax bills went out in mail Friday and Monday, according to officials
Grady County’s top 25 taxpayers will collectively pay $2,1216,606.44 in ad valorem taxes for 2019, based on information released this week by the office of Grady County Tax Commissioner Barbara Darus. This year’s list includes many familiar names and some have moved up and down on the list. New to the list in 2019 are…
Read MoreWashington back on state’s list of schools needing improvement
The Georgia Department of Education has released its 2019-20 lists of Comprehensive Support and Improvement schools, and Washington Middle School in Cairo was included. Under the federal program E.S.S.A., or Every Student Succeeds Act, states are required to identify schools in need of additional support. Comprehensive Support and Improvement (C.S.I.) schools fall into one or…
Read MoreRelay for Life organizers thank past supporters
With the Grady County Relay for Life six months away, organizers are taking time to thank those who are supporters of the event, which benefits the American Cancer Society. Volunteer Sharon Prince has recently delivered certificates of appreciation to local businesses. Plans are already underway for the 2020 Relay scheduled to kick off Friday, May…
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