12.01
LaFayette’s Thanksgiving holiday was disrupted by fires that destroyed two different homes, one early Thanksgiving morning and the other early the next day.
The first fire, on Kaufmann Road, was called in to fire crews around 3:30 AM on Thanksgiving. A man living in the home was injured in the fire, and several puppies died in the blaze. The house and vehicles parked nearby were completely destroyed, leaving a family of four homeless.
Flames spread into woods near the house but was contained by county fire crews before any other properties were endangered. 
County, city, and prison fire fighters were called to the second blaze at 408 First Street, a few blocks away from old LaFayette High School, a little before 2 AM on Friday.
A propane tank near the house complicated firefighting and led to the evacuation of nearby homes. Extinguishing the blaze took nearly five hours and left the Coalson family without a home. The family wasn’t home when the blaze began.
“Several hundred” people showed up at Second Baptist for an afternoon Thanksgiving meal. Another 300+ free meals were delivered through the community to the elderly and home-bound.
Showing thanks by giving back.
Sunday morning around 10, a private contractor working at Roper sustained an electrical shock. His condition is unknown but he was conscious when transported to Erlanger.
Last Sunday (11/23) LaFayette resident Aleta Bonnie was arrested for egging an ex’s car at Garden Apartments. When confronted she admitted to the act of vandalism while drunk and was charged with a misdemeanor.
Ms. Bonnie works for the city as a cashier.
When most of the community last saw LaFayette’s permanent library, it looked like this.
After three years of operating in a temporary location, our remodeled library building will open to the public today at 10 AM.
Are you excited to check out the expanded and renovated building?
Ms. Frances Hood of Summerville, age 100, passed away Friday.
LU doesn’t normally share obits, but if live to 100 an exception could be made for you.
A few moments after midnight on Thanksgiving, power went out for a good size portion of the county. NGEMC customers from Kemp Road to Catlett found themselves in the dark for over 90 minutes.
LU obtained an exclusive photo of the power outage:
(This is the kind of edgy, ground-breaking stuff people read LU for.)
Saturday was “Small Business Saturday,” a promotion to encourage holiday shopping in locally-owned stores. That’s good, but that shouldn’t be the only day we consider local businesses first for shopping and gifts.
Shopping should START at home, and then go to the chains (or the Internet) when you can’t find what you need locally. Why NOT shop local for things like jewelry, produce, keepsakes, hardware/tools, pet supplies, craft supplies..? We have plenty of nice local stores selling a good selection of those items.
Are the prices higher? Maybe a bit. If it helps you feel better, get extra credit for buying gifts locally by putting in a card letting the recipient know they’re supporting a local business when they use/wear/eat the item.
Yes some small local businesses don’t make it easy. They close too early, don’t open consistently, have no parking, don’t have the same prices. BUT if you can get up at 2 AM on a Friday when you were off work and stand in line for 45 minutes to save $12 on a microwave, you can tolerate some of the local inconvenience to support a local business.
And quite a few local places DO have decent hours, and plenty of parking. Don’t use that blanket excuse for everyone. Support those local stores that support this community.
Let’s think a little more local this holiday.
If you don’t find what you need locally, and decide to do Christmas shopping online, please use THIS link for your Amazon purchases.
Everything you buy on Amazon after clicking here goes back to help LU cover expenses.
Fourteen years ago, an Idaho boy mailed an Operation Christmas Child shoebox to a random child in Manila.
Now the boy has married the girl who got that box, because she kept his photo and found him on Facebook.
(Many local churches are participating in this program, although most local collections have already ended for 2014. It’s a good charity to support – but please don’t participate expecting to find a wife.)
UGA has moved to fire a psychology professor caught dating one of his students – for the second time in two years. The instructor, Rich Suplita, is fighting his termination but says he’s done with the University of Georgia regardless of outcome.
Professor Suplita got a lot of attention at UGA after he publicly converted from atheism to Christianity a number of years ago. That could have made him a target for school leaders, but it’s more likely he’s just made some really stupid relationship choices and is being punished for them.
(Here in LaFayette we know first hand what happens when this stuff goes on at the high school level…)
How do you feel about college professors dating students? It’s not against the law the way high school teacher/student relationships are, but perhaps should be.
High school wrestling? Oh yes.
Here’s a preview of Walker County’s three wrestling teams.
Six Flags over Georgia, normally closed from October to the spring, is open this year from November 22 to January 4th. The park is decorated, and a limited number of rides and attractions will be running.
Makes for a nice little day trip with the family.
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