City by City
|
 Richland 03/02/07 |
Richland Hit Hard By Storms
From The Albany Herald:
AMERICUS — Two people were
confirmed dead,
there were widespread reports
of injuries
and most of the city was
without power Thursday
night after an apparent
tornado touched down
in the middle of Americus’
historic district.
“The Georgia Emergency
Management Agency
(GEMA) has confirmed that
there were two
fatalities in Americus,”
Steve Konarik, a
meteorologist in Atlanta,
reported. “The
public has reported that
a tornado touched
down in the city; we will
be sending a team
tomorrow to confirm that
report.”
Bricks were strewn across
city streets, and
officials with the Americus
Police Department,
the Sumter County Sheriff’s
Office and Emergency
Management personnel were
spread throughout
the city late Thursday
answering calls from
a stunned city.
The Sumter Regional Medical
Center was among
the buildings damaged by
the storm and was
without power late Thursday.
Residences and
businesses on Lee, Lamar
and Forsyth streets
were particularly hard-hit.
Georgia Southwestern State
University reported
downed trees on its campus,
but no injuries
had been reported late
Thursday.
Wes Sumner, Georgia Southwestern
public relations
officer, said that classes
are canceled until
noon today. Only essential
personnel is allowed
on campus.
“The National Weather Service
issued a tornado
warning at 9:02 p.m., and
reports of a possible
tornado were recorded at
9:22 p.m.,” Konarik
said. “A tornado watch
for the region was
extended through 5 a.m.,
but the heavy weather
was expected to be through
the area by 2
a.m.”
Sumter County and Americus
law enforcement
agencies put out a call
for assistance to
surrounding counties shortly
after the storm
hit, and a number of area
first-responders
came to the city to lend
support.
The storm was part of a
powerful front that
moved through the Midwest
and the southeastern
United States Thursday.
By late Thursday
night, seven deaths had
been confirmed in
Alabama and one in Missouri.
Between 60 and 70 homes
in Clay County in
Southwest Georgia were
damaged by the killer
storm earlier in the day,
a few minutes after
a tornado touched down
at an Abbeville, Ala.,
high school. Five students
at the school
have been confirmed dead.
“There’s just nothing left,”
Clay County
Sheriff’s spokesperson
Donna Brooks said.
“Some of the stick-built
homes fared batter
than the mobile homes,
but there were about
60 or 70 homes damaged.”
Some 50 miles to the northeast,
in Richland,
Police Chief James Edge
described his town
as a “total mess.”
“Some buildings are just
completely gone,”
Edge said. “No one has
power. So far, no
one has been reported killed
or hurt.”
|
Lumpkin 12/17/06 |
We Are Number One!
(In Pine Beetle Damage)
An Agent from the Georgia Forestry Commission
Visited Property Along Pleasant Valley Road
In Lumpkin, mid December, and declared it
to be the most damaged area he had ever seen.
'A real dry Summer, and Improper Land Clearing
are the most likely reasons', explained Ranger
Lance Boyer.
It seems when trees get stressed by long
periods of no rain and then are damaged by
heavy machinery, they will release a Pheromone
which attracts Pine Beetles and Ambrosia
Beetles.
Densely packed trees contribute to the spread.
Ranger Boyer suggested removing any pine
trees from your property showing signs of
Damage now. It seems the Pine Beetles will disappear
during the cold weather. 'We don't know where
they go after leaving', explained Ranger
Boyer.
Hardwoods are not affected.
Georgia Forestry Commission
|
| Richland 12/19/06 |
Fox Pizza Victimized By Break-In
Police are searching for a suspect in the
burglary of Fox Pizza (810 Nicholson Street),
just a week before Christmas. 'It's really
a sad thing', commented one resident. Anyone
with information should contact the Richland
City Police by calling: (229) 887-3530.
A reward is being offered for the name of
the person (or persons) involved in this
crime.
|
| Westville 1/03/07 |
Westville Receives $1 Million Gift
Historic Westville has received a $1 million
endowment from a Georgia foundation that
asked to remain anonymous.
"It's a huge vote
of confidence,"
said Leo Goodsell, executive
director of
Georgia's "working
1850 town" on
the edge of Lumpkin, Ga.,
in rural Stewart
County.
Westville officials received
a Dec. 19 telephone
call, followed by a letter
confirming the
unrestricted gift, said
Andy Moye, Westville's
board chairman.
The endowment has been
received and "it's
now earning revenue,"
Goodsell said
Wednesday.
In compliance with its
own policy, Westville
will not use more than
4 percent of its endowment
annually, which means it
should continue
appreciating. It has about
$650,000 in additional
general endowment funds
and has generated
about $4 million through
its capital campaign.
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Greengrove |
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| Louvale |
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| Omaha |
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  Storm Damage In Richland
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Richland Residents Clear Up Storm Damage |
County officials aren't sure if a tornado
was responsible for the damage in Richland,
Georgia. That's where many homes and businesses
were damaged. Residents are definitely counting
their blessings.
It looks like the wind cut the
Stewart-Webster
Printing Company in half.
Charles Lee and his wife had
been in business
since 1987. They were looking
forward to
retiring.
Charles Lee says, "We came
through the
light and my wife said something's
not right
and so this is what we found
when we got
here."
And like Lee, many structures
in Richland
will have to dig out from the
many branches
and even whole trees that fell
during the
storm.
Power was also knocked out. But
by all accounts,
Richland is lucky. Most of the
damage can
be rebuilt, but not one injury
according
to the Stewart County Sheriff.
They'll just have to remove the
trees, like
the one that fell on an antebellum
home.
It was originally built in the
1830s.
Anna Barrett, a Richland resident
says, "When
it fell the soot came down with
all the insulation
they had added when they put
the central
heat and air in the house so
there's soot
on everything."
As quick as the storm hit, crews
responded
to help. Most roads were cleared
by the time
night fell.
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The Pig Fest |
It was nice to have the community enjoy a
few nights of entertainment provided
by the
city of Richland.
We all look forward to future
community events |
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