84 local deaths since the start of the pandemic
From Gordon County Schools
The total number of deaths in Gordon County since the first local case of the coronavirus was reported in March rose to 84 during the first half of the week, from late Monday to Wednesday, with one new COVID-19 death reported.
According to reports from the Department of Public Health, there have been 5,466 total confirmed cases of the virus in Gordon County since it first hit locally in March. That figure includes 82 new confirmed positive cases on Tuesday and Wednesday alone.
Statewide, Tuesday and Wednesday saw an increase of 5,028 confirmed positive cases of the virus and 238 new deaths.
To slow the spread of the virus, Gordon County Emergency Management Director Courtney Taylor urged locals to continue to follow CDC and DPH guidelines for washing hands and social distancing.
Additionally, the DPH recommends that residents:
Listen to and follow the directions of your state and local authorities.
If you feel sick, stay home. Do not go to work. Contact your medical provider.
If your children are sick, keep them at home. Do not send them to school. Contact your medical provider.
If someone in your household has tested positive for the coronavirus, keep the entire household at home. Do not go to work. Do not go to school. Contact your medical provider.
If you are an older person, stay home and away from other people.
If you are a person with a serious underlying health condition that can put you at increased risk (for example, a condition that impairs your lung or heart function or weakens your immune system), stay home and away from other people.
Even if you are young, or otherwise healthy, you are at risk and your activities can increase the risk for others. It is critical that you do your part to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
For more information on local and statewide COVID-19 information, visit dph.georgia.gov for the Georgia Department of Public Health Daily Status Report.
Registration for next school year’s Pre-K and Kindergarten classes at all Gordon County system elementary schools will begin Feb 19.
Packets for 2021-2022 registration will be available at any Gordon County elementary school through March 19.
Visit www.gcbe.org/enrollment for more information on the enrollment process.
ATLANTA – Georgia officials unveiled plans Wednesday to give $1,000 bonuses to a large chunk of state government employees amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The one-time supplemental payments would go to around 57,000 state workers making salaries less than $80,000 annually, adding to $1,000 checks Gov. Brian Kemp has already pledged this year for K-12 public school teachers and staff.
Kemp joined Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, Georgia House Speaker David Ralston, RBlue Ridge, and top General Assembly budget writers Wednesday to announce the one-time checks.
“We have worked long beside one another during this pandemic,” Kemp said at the state Capitol in Atlanta Wednesday. “And we will continue to do that.”
State officials gave few details Wednesday on how the bonus would be paid other than it would entail $59.6 million to be included in the state’s mid-year budget.
Georgia Senate lawmakers
passed the $26.5 billion amended 2021 budget Tuesday, sending it back to the state House for final revisions where the $1,000 checks will be added, according to Ralston.
“We wanted to extend that $1,000 bonus beyond our teachers to many of our frontline state employees who have also served our citizens through the worst days of this pandemic,” Ralston said.
The bonus would benefit state public-health workers, state troopers, labor department employees, food inspectors, child-support caseworkers and staff from other state agencies.
It would not, however, go to employees under the state Board of Regents —
which oversees Georgia’s public college and university system — as well as “some state authorities,” Ralston said. He did not elaborate on those authorities.
House and Senate lawmakers still have to finalize the mid-year budget before moving on to the fiscal 2022 budget that funds state agencies and public schools throughout the fiscal year that starts July 1.
Kemp has directed budgetwriters to avoid any spending cuts similar to the $2.2 billion reductions imposed last year as the pandemic pummeled Georgia’s economy. State revenues have since rebounded for officials to craft upcoming agency budgets with a rosier outlook.
The Calhoun Lady Jackets leaned on their defensive effort early on Tuesday until their offense could kick into high gear, and they were able to complete the regular season with a 51-27 home win over Cartersville at The Hive.
Things started slowly for Calhoun (1410, 6-4 in 7-AAAAA) on Tuesday night as they trailed 9-2 midway through the first quarter, but their defense limited Cartersville’s chances to extend the early lead and build momentum and the Lady Jackets were able to go on a 7-0 run to tie things at 9-9 heading into the second quarter.
Calhoun’s defense further clamped down and used their full-court, man-toman press to create turnovers and easy offense in the second period to take a 25-12 lead into halftime. They continued that momentum into the second half as they snuffed out any hope for the Lady Canes (5-13, 1-8 in 7-AAAAA) to come back by limiting them to seven points in the third and eight in the fourth while Calhoun’s Ashlyn Brzozoski and Lyndi Rae Davis spearheaded the offense to pad the lead.
“Our defense played well tonight…we played aggressive,” said Calhoun head coach Jaime Echols. “We were able to turn defense into offense by pressing and causing Cartersville to turn the ball over. We need to have an aggressive mindset when we press like that. When we are aggressive defensively it helps us out on the offensive end. When we’re aggressive and box out, we are a very tough defensive team to play.”
Brzozoski had a solid offensive night for the Lady Jackets with a game-high 22 points, including four 3-pointers. She scored 15 in the second half, knocking down three from beyond the arc.
Davis, who is among the Calhoun senior class along with Brzozoski, added 15 points with eight coming in the final quarter.
The game remained tight in the third quarter with the Hurricanes starting the period on a 6-0 run to pull within one before Calhoun answered back to push their lead back to 38-33 going to the final quarter in regulation.
The fourth saw both teams play well in a pressure situation as Cartersville reeled off a 9-0 run midway through the period to go ahead 4440, but Calhoun leaned on its sophomore forward Faulkner who scored the final four points, including the tying bucket with 42.5 seconds remaining to force the initial extra session and the overtime drama.
Faulkner had a big night overall as he scored a gamehigh 21 points for the Jackets. Law was also crucial to the effort with 15 points, including a trio of 3s. Lewis added nine to the winning effort, including his four huge free throws in double-overtime.
“Dylan and Peyton are our rocks offensively,” said Layson. “They have shouldered the load a lot offensively this season for us, but we’ve had some other guys pitch in as well. Christopher stepped up and sealed the game tonight with those free throws. But I
can’t say enough about Dylan and Peyton. They have been our rock, and they never shy away from big moments.”
Callahan was the top scorer for Cartersville with 16 points. He scored 14 of those in the second half and overtime. Robert Novak added 14, but Calhoun was able to limit him to just two after the halftime break. Amarai Orr and Kolbe Benham each scored eight.
The victory sends the Jackets into the Region 7-AAAAA Tournament with momentum as they backed up Saturday’s important win over Blessed Trinity with another on Tuesday night. They will open play in the tournament at Cartersville High on Monday.
“You definitely want to go into the region tournament on a high note,” said Layson. “I still don’t think we’ve played our best basketball yet, but hopefully we will peak in the postseason. Tonight was an important win. It’s a rivalry game, and the way we were able to respond after losing the lead in the second half and be able to pull it out is really good to see going into the region tournament. You want to finish the regular season on a positive, and we were able to do that with a couple big wins over Blessed Trinity and Cartersville.”
TAMPA, Fla. — A South Florida man faces up to a year in federal prison for flying a drone near the location of the Super Bowl the day before the big game, officials said.
Kevin Jonathan Canty, 33, of West Palm Beach, was charged Monday with violating national defense airspace, according to a criminal complaint.
As part of the security plan for Super Bowl LV, the Federal Aviation Administration issued a temporary flight restriction Wednesday covering an area around Tampa. That’s where the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Kansas City Chiefs in the championship game Sunday night.
According to the complaint,
FBI agents saw a drone flying Saturday in downtown Tampa, several miles from the stadium, and then located Canty, the drone’s operator. Canty told agents that he is an FAA-licensed drone pilot and he was aware of the temporary flight restriction, prosecutors said.
A review of the drone’s flight path showed it had traveled near public events related to the Super Bowl.
Canty is the second man charged with flying a drone in restricted Tampa airspace last week. Henry Alejandro Jimenez, 33, of Orlando, was arrested last Wednesday on the same charge. No connection was reported between the two drone operators.
Online court records didn’t list an attorney for Canty who could comment.