* Large Selection ExtendedExtended HoursHours of Liquors, Wine, Monday - SaturdayOPENOPEN From 8am - 11:30pm & Beer at Low, Sunday - 12:30pm Until 11:30pm 1920 Highway 18, West Point, GA Exit #2 off of I-85 Low Prices 476617 GUEST COOK: Cakes, cornbread are tops for church functions LaGrange Daily News WEDNESDAY 50 cents December 21, 2011 lagrangenews.com The weather ‘Sales are down, but people are buying’ County tomorrow High 70 favors Low 49 Rain smaller airport Today’s artist: Sarah McPhillips Battle, fifth board grade, Hollis Hand Elementary School By Matt Chambers Staff writer The Troup County Commission praised the county Airport Authority for its work and support- ed the reduction of its size Tuesday. Helping The commission passed a resolution putting its hands support behind a move that would cut the author- Gift wrapping ity board from 12 to seven at mall members. Volunteers are “The airport is approx- needed to help imately a $1 million enter- Emmaus prise,” said commission Jennifer Shrader / Daily News Women’s Shel- Chairman Ricky Wolfe. ter wrap Christ- Dennis McKeen, standing, and Jordan Beistline prepare to cut a tree at December Place Christmas Tree “There are five of us with mas gifts from 9 Farm. Local growers say they have been affected by the drought, although not as bad as tree farms in a $40 million budget; they a.m. to 10 p.m. are $1 million with 12 every day this Texas and other parts of the country. members.” week near Belk The Troup County Air- at LaGrange Christmas tree farms feel drought port Authority voted Mall. For shop- Monday to decrease its By Jennifer Shrader Lamar McKeen. “We didn’t get it as pers, wrapping size, but nothing is official Staff writer bad as they got it out west, prices range until the local and state Local Christmas trees escaped though.” from $2 to $5, governments agree. major damage from this year’s A historic drought has killed thou- depending on The plan would remove drought, but area growers say they sands of trees across Texas and five of its 12 members – size. Proceeds weren’t totally unaffected. Oklahoma. Some died of thirst. Oth- Gail Hunnicutt, Ricky benefit the shel- “The trees don’t have as much ers were destroyed by wildfires, Wolfe, Tom Hall, Lou ter that provides height and they’re not as full,” said whose breadth and intensity were Dekmar and Meg Kelsey housing and Rob Petry, owner of Liberty Hill magnified when wind swept the COUNTY services for Tree Farm. flames across parched landscape. SEE , PAGE 2 women and their The Virginia pine trees also saw Families hoping for a homegrown children. To a lot more “needle drop” when tree to cut down are having a hard- schedule a time shaken, he said. er time finding one, and farmers are Turkeys, to volunteer, Christmas trees do fine under struggling. contact Jessica normal rainfall conditions, but Georgia has escaped weather vegetables at jessica@em- droughts are especially hard on damage of that magnitude, but mausshelter.com younger trees, Petry said. During a McKeen said trees at his farm had sought for or at (706) 302- drought, he and his crew will hand- some “blight,” meaning dry brown 8995. water seedlings and sometimes patches where green should be. Christmas water the larger trees with a tractor Still, he said the farm had a good Sports and water tank. season. meal The drought has affected sales Some trees show patches of “We haven’t had a bad season this season, he said. brown that normally would be ourselves,” he said. “Sales have From staff reports “Sales are way down, but a few green. been good.” More than 20 turkeys people are still buying,” he said. Road. are needed in less than On the other side of the county, Jennifer Shrader may be reached five days. The fowl, along trees also were affected at Decem- “We had to cut between 50 to 100 at [email protected] or drought-stricken trees,” said owner with hams, vegetables ber Place farm on Old West Point at (706) 884-7311, Ext. 236. and other items, are being sought to help feed every- The Callaway one at this year’s annual and LaGrange Plumber on call for holiday emergencies Christmas dinner. high school Items requested are wrestling teams One in a series profiling people who hams, turkeys, drinks, face off. have to work on Christmas. canned vegetables, cran- PAGE 9 berry sauce, dressing, By Sherri Brown macaroni and cheese, Staff writer plates, carry-out contain- Opinion More than once, Dorsey Turnbough ers, cups, napkins and has had to walk away from a holiday plastic cutlery. Editor Daniel table of collard greens and candied The meal on Christmas Baker shakes yams. It wasn’t easy, but emergencies Day at Cannon Street Ele- the family tree. seem to be a part of most of his holi- mentary School is spon- PAGE 6 days. sored by Jake Sessions’ After more than 20 years as owner “Up All Night” show on of Turnbough Plumbing – and grow- INDEX ing up with a father in the plumbing MEAL SEE , PAGE 2 Calendar ...........3 business – Turnbough knows that Classifieds..11-12 extra guests and more-than-normal Comics ..............7 cooking is a recipe for clogged sinks Community ..... 3 and toilets. That’s no small problem, Crossword .......7 either. International .... 8 “It over-stresses everything,” he Local ............... 2 said. “And if you’ve got a house full of National ........... 8 people and a toilet that stops up, that’s Obituaries ....... 2 a pretty big emergency. My family is Sherri Brown / Daily News Opinion ............ 6 used to me running out on holidays.” Sports ........ 9-10 Plumbers often are called on holi- days – especially Thanksgiving and The holidays often mean clogged sinks and toilets for residents, and State .............2, 5 extra work for plumber Dorsey Turnbough. TV Listings...... 11 Christmas – to take care of emergen- cies. It’s just one of the jobs that not an emergency and you insist on on an overseas plumbing job at Camp requires holiday hours. me fixing it anyway, I’ll charge extra.” Striker in Iraq for 15 months, return- For home While Turnbough could easily He’s quick to take good care of his ing earlier this year. He’s glad to be Elizabeth Whaley Says delivery, call charge top dollar for his emergency regular customers, though. back in LaGrange, even if it does (706) holiday runs, he doesn’t do it. “I got called out one night about 10 mean leaving the table of his favorite Only 4 Days ‘til 882-5624 “I’m not taking advantage of some- p.m. Five elderly ladies were playing holiday foods. one because they have an emer- bridge, and they had all tried to fix a “I’m a country boy and I kind of Christmas Printed on 100% running toilet. When I got there, they liked the camping out (in Iraq), but recycled paper gency,” he said. But don’t call him if it’s not truly an had a coat hanger attached to the toi- working over there is a good job for Vol 168 Issue 303 emergency. let and hanging from a nail on the a lazy plumber. It’s a little tough for 12 Pages “I’ve been called out (on holidays) wall. I fixed it and didn’t charge someone used to working hard,” he 274 S. Davis Rd. for leaky faucets, and that’s not an them,” he said. “But in the next said. Abby Whaley emergency,” he said. “One time I got a month, I did work for all five of them.” weekend call to fix a well pump, and As with many other businesses in Sherri Brown can be reached at 706-884-2520 ext. 16 I found out it had been messed up for this flagging economy, work hasn’t [email protected] or at Hope Your Holiday a week. I went home. If I feel like it’s been plentiful lately. Turnbough took (706) 884-7311, Ext. 240. is Shiny & Bright! Local, State 2 - Wednesday,Dec. 21, 2011 LaGrange Daily News I Public safety I Obituaries Information for obituaries is written Doors from stolen and provided by funeral homes and family members of the deceased. vehicle show up Lakes-Dunson Lakes- Robertson Dunson- Funeral Home in Arizona Robertson 201 Hamilton Street LaGrange, Georgia 30240 Doors of a vehicle stolen from Mike Patton Auto 706 882-6411 Group ended up sold to a man in Arizona. Police said the 2004 Jeep Wrangler was stolen from the lot at 1406 Lafayette Parkway in November. A man in Arizona contacted the dealership after buy- ing red Jeep doors from a seller on eBay. The doors were shipped from an address in Mas- sachusetts and still had the dealership’s sales stick- ers affixed. Police were investigating today. Utility crews replace a pole in the 1000 block of Vernon Street near Forrest Steer found shot, butchered Avenue. Bill Black snapped this photo in the rain Tuesday night. A Troup County man said someone shot and butchered a steer in the 700 block of Hood Road. Crash causes The man said the steer weighed about 500 pounds Christine Dukes Truitt and was valued at $550. Mrs. Christine Dukes Truitt passed away Sun- power outage day, December 18, 2011, By Matt Chambers VandalismI at Franklin Health Care. Vandals scratched a vulgar word on a 2005 Ford Mrs. Truitt was born Staff writer Explorer. About 1,000 LaGrange customers I September 12, 1931, to Vandals scratched a 2000 Buick LaSabre parked the late Linnie Ann were without power for a short period in the 500 block of Revis Street.