A truck overturned Wednesday, August 24, on the Thomson Highway, spilling approximately 550 gallons of 40-weight motor oil, two different types of hydraulic oil, and diesel fuel. JULY 7 — The county approves a tentative FY 2006 budget which calls for a millage rate increase of 1.594 mills...Four LCHS cheerleaders are named “All American Cheerleaders”...The 53rd Annual Lincoln County Fair is set to begin on Tuesday, July 12...A sheriff’s deputy totals a patrol car while responding to a call; no injuries are reported...The community raises $18,826 during the Lincoln County ACS (American Cancer Society) Relay For Life.

JULY 14 — The sheriff reports on incidents of armed robbery and burglary...Clara Tingle loses her life in a three-car accident...Congressman Charlie Norwood is the guest of honor at a “meet-and-greet” held at the Welcome Center...Ricky Scarboro is in serious condition at MCG following a two-car accident...The Lincoln Iron Horse Motorcycle Club collects $2,614 in cash and 753 pounds of food for the food pantry.

JULY 21 — Nicholas Bayazes is named the top computer-aided design animator in the United States at the national TSA (Technology Student Association) conference...The county honors Jesse Norman for 21 years of service as a member of the DFACS (Department of Family and Children Services) board...Eight local residents are arrested on drug charges...The Georgia real estate commissioner visits Lincolnton...The county hosts a football clinic at the recreation complex.

Spc. James O. Kinlow, 35, was killed in a roadside bombing in Iraq on July 24, 2005. JULY 28 — School bells will ring for approximately 1,400 Lincoln County students on August 5...Spc. James O. Kinlow is killed in a roadside bombing in Iraq...“River of Life” volunteers minister to 25 families...A bolt of lightning enters a second-story window of the “Mosley Ingraham Ward” house, setting the upstairs hallway on fire.

AUGUST 4 — Over 150 local residents attend a public hearing to express their views about mandatory garbage pickup in the county...The county adopts a $5.6 million General Fund Budget for FY 2006...Fifty-two Red Devils brave extreme heat and humidity at football camp...The grand jury indicts Lawrence Curtis Evans, Jr. on murder charges...The president approves a feasibility study for “Interstate 3”...Members of the Louise Rees Circle at Lincolnton UMC publish a cookbook...The heat index soars.

Motorists were stunned as gas prices climbed as high as $3.19 per gallon as a result of Hurricane Katrina. Fearing even higher prices, many people rushed to the pumps on Wednesday, August 31, to top off their tanks. Law enforcement officials were called to control traffic at various convenience stores. AUGUST 11 — The city council offers its condolences to the family of Spc. James Kinlow...The sheriff gives an update on cases under investigation...All three schools make AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress)...Work is underway on the genealogy annex to the library; the project is being funded using donations made by John Cullars McCrimmon and the estates of Benjamin O. Wright, Jr. and Dova Partridge...Family Connection receives a three-year grant to fund health initiatives.

Over 150 local residents attended a public hearing to express their views and concerns about mandatory garbage pickup in the unincorporated areas of the county. The hearing took place Monday, August 1, at the courthouse. AUGUST 18 — The Red Devils will face Greene County in the season opener August 19...The commission votes to send out RFPs for garbage collection service; a slide show, presented by the code enforcement officer, paints a vivid picture of the county’s trash problem....The sheriff warns residents about the dangers of methamphetamine...Danny Williford receives a baseball scholarship from Mercy College...The city’s water system exceeds the maximum contaminant level for certain chemicals; however, there is no reason for residents to be alarmed.

AUGUST 25 — The city and the county are awarded Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) totaling $1 million...Fire destroys a mobile home owned by George Sherman...Police Chief Jim Justice invites residents to check out the city’s new website...Alan B. Harrison releases his debut CD...Deputies arrest two Greenwood residents on burglary charges...The chamber of commerce’s membership drive is in full swing.

SEPTEMBER 1 — An organizational meeting of the Clark’s Hill Partnership of Georgia is hosted by Lincoln County...A tanker truck overturns, spilling approximately 550 gallons of oil and diesel fuel...Frances Aycock, facility administrator for the health department, transfers to Richmond County...The Lincoln Journal announces that it is now online...The Lincolnton Presbyterian Church gets a facelift.

SEPTEMBER 8 — The county accepts a bid submitted by Advanced Disposal for weekly garbage collection...The governor takes steps to reduce the price of gas which skyrocketed as a result of Hurricane Katrina...The park will host the Fifth Annual Elijah Clark Bluegrass Festival and the 11th Annual Old Timers’ Festival the weekend of September 16-18.

SEPTEMBER 15 — Local residents sponsor relief efforts for the victims of Hurricane Katrina...The BOE discusses a proposal to fund education using a state sales tax...The city announces that it is in the process of applying for a DOT streetscape grant.

SEPTEMBER 22 — Tax increases for Lincoln County Government and the BOE will result in a slew of public hearings...First Assembly of God will hold a mortgage burning ceremony at its 25th anniversary celebration...Pine Grove UMC declines to press charges against vandals...The second county fair of 2005 is set to begin September 28...The code enforcement office cracks down on residents who do not have 9-1-1 address signs...There will be no municipal election because all candidates are running unopposed...State Senator Jim Whitehead and Representative Barry Fleming are recipients of the 2005 Legislative Service Award.

SEPTEMBER 29 — The school superintendent asks the BOE to amend the FY 2006 General Fund Budget to incorporate a $210,857 surplus; the request is met with criticism from the floor...The county gives the OES the go-ahead to proceed with plans to establish an E-911 center here...Casey Broom resigns as OES director to take a job with AirMed...The Family Connection Youth sponsor a food drive in observance of “Hands on Georgia Week”...Fall Southern Gospel Night is scheduled for October 5 at the Lewis Family Pavilion...Asonta Johnson is crowned Miss

LCHS...Marcene Powell is invited to serve as an instructor for the National from 2005 Association of Tax Professionals.

OCTOBER 6 — The city’s proposed budget calls for the millage rate to remain the same; also, the city receives a CDBG to rehabilitate sewerage lines...Ashley Asbell, 11, publishes the first issue of the revamped “LCES Newsletter”...Emma Smith receives the ACS’s 2005 Circle of Hope Award...Four churches collaborate to host possibly the first-ever Double Branches Community Blood Drive...The home of Andy and Teresa Wengrow is featured in The Augusta Chronicle.

OCTOBER 13 — The BOE sets its millage rate at 15 mills; the group also reviews SAT scores for the Class of 2005...St. Paul UMC dedicates the new W.L. Crook Fellowship Hall and burns the note on the building...The county approves the tax levy for county government and other agencies; also, Loco VFD receives a $188,100 federal grant for a new fire engine...St. Luke Baptist Church will celebrate its centennial on Sunday, October 16...The Lincoln County Youth 4 Christ Fall Jam is set for October 15 at the recreation complex.

OCTOBER 20 — Lawrence Curtis Evans, Jr. pleads guilty to malice murder in connection with the shooting death of Rickie F. Lavender, Sr...A one-car accident claims the life of a Wilkes County woman...The Lincoln County Varsity Cheer Devils win first place in Class A at the Cheer Dawg Classic...The residents of Plantation Point announce plans to invest approximately $500,000 in infrastructure improvements in the lakeside subdivision...A “Say ‘Boo’ to Drugs” Haunted Egg Hunt will take place Saturday, October 29, at the recreation complex...The city adopts its FY 2006 Budget and sets the millage rate...Family Connection announces plans for helping students celebrate “National Red Ribbon Week.”

OCTOBER 27 — A group of con artists passes through Lincolnton...The chamber of commerce’s Holiday Trail Ride is scheduled for Saturday, November 5...Residents are asked to share in the joy of giving by participating in the Secret Santa Program...Megan Saggus is crowned Miss Lincoln County.

NOVEMBER 3...The county approves solid waste policy forms...Mary Glaze is selected as grand marshal of the 2005 Lincolnton Holiday Parade...Six major subdivisions are currently under development in Lincoln County, with two more in the discussion stages...Amanda Gay, a ninth-grader at LCHS, is selected to serve on the State School Superintendent’s Advisory Council...McGahee Sanitation pulls out of the county, leaving about 500 customers stranded...Viola Harris is crowned Homecoming Queen and Kellen O’Neill, Homecoming Princess, during homecoming festivities at LCHS...The LCMS/LCHS Choral Department will present “A Concert of American Music” November 12 at Lincolnton Baptist Church.

NOVEMBER 10 — Zoning matters top the agenda at the regular city council meeting...The BOE recognizes the “Teachers of the Year” for 2006: Christie Bryan, LCMS Teacher of the Year and Lincoln County Teacher of the Year; Pam Norman, Teacher of the Year for the Primary Grades; Veronica Kelly, Teacher of the Year for the Elementary Grades; and Diane Dekreon, LCHS Teacher of the Year; the BOE also adopts revisions to its tobacco use policy...The chamber sponsors a member appreciation dinner at Soap Creek Restaurant...The sheriff reports on drug arrests, traffic accidents, and vandalism.

NOVEMBER 17 — The county purchases property for its new E-911 dispatch center; the commission also announces plans to overhaul the transfer station...The chamber’s Holidays In Olde Lincolnton Towne Festival goes into overdrive on Saturday with the Lincolnton Holiday Parade, Pioneer Day at the historical park, special sales, entertainment, food, and more...The Pine Needle Garden Club hosts a dedication ceremony for the William Bartram Trail marker...The annual Community Thanksgiving Service will be held Sunday, November 20, at Lincolnton Baptist Church.

NOVEMBER 24 — The historical society will host a Candlelight Tour of Homes on December 3...The community mourns the death of Harry Stewart, Jr., who served as the mayor of Lincolnton from 1961 to 1966...“Christmas at the Covered Bridge” opens on Thanksgiving Day...The LCHS Red Devils will become the first high school football team to play seven semi-final playoff games at the Georgia Dome...Representatives of Hero Garden Furniture, located in Jiaxing City, China, visit Top Grill, LLC...“Step Back in Time,” the Lincoln County Friends of the Library’s keepsake calendar for 2006, is dedicated to Mary Lucy Probst...The historical society receives a $14,000 historic preservation grant from the Watson-Brown Foundation’s Junior Board of Trustees...The Lincoln Iron Horse Motorcycle Club will host its third annual Lincoln County Christmas Toy Run on Saturday, December 3...Dennis McClenndon is the guest speaker at the Veterans Day observance held at the courthouse.

DECEMBER 1 — The Red Devils will play the Washington-Wilkes Tigers at Buddy Bufford Field for the Class A state title...Plastic Works, a plastic bumper-refurbishing company, is the new tenant in the old FDB building...The chamber names the winning entries in the Lincolnton Holiday Parade...Air dates are announced for the annual Lewis Family Christmas Special...Family Connection names Tammy Goldman as the “Mother of the Year” for 2005...LCES and LCMS are designated as “Distinguished Title I Schools”...The LCMS/LCHS Band will present its annual Christmas concert on December 7.

DECEMBER 8 — The Red Devils defeat the Tigers 25-0 to capture their 13th Class A state championship...The city votes to increase garbage fees; Councilman Larry Goolsby, whose term expires December 31, and Pete Kopecky, who is set to retire after serving as the city attorney for 15 years, are recognized at a dinner held following the council meeting...The city receives a $20,000 grant to construct handicapped-accessible restrooms at the clubhouse...The chamber’s annual “Breakfast With Our Legislators” takes place at The Lincoln Center...Coach Harold Jones and James Robert “Radio” Kennedy, whose relationship was depicted in the hit movie “Radio,” attend a pep rally held at the courthouse in preparation for the Lincolnton-Washington game...Joanne Carani publishes her second novel, “Home is Where the Heart Is.”

DECEMBER 15 — The county moves one step closer to paving Goldman Johnson Road; the commission also agrees to sign a trust indenture for the sewerage system at Stillwater Coves...The LCHS Red Devils receive their championship trophy during a special ceremony held December 7 in the school gymnasium...The BOE discusses tentative plans for a new SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax)...The sheriff issues an update on his office’s campaign against drugs...Advanced Disposal Services begins delivering garbage carts to county residents.

DECEMBER 22 — Waived jury trials are held at the courthouse with Chief Judge Roger W. Dunaway, Jr. presiding...Paul Reviere is selected to serve as the chair-elect of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools’ Council on Accreditation and School Improvement...Teachers of the Year, Christie Bryan and Diane Dekreon, are profiled...The garden club announces the winners of the 2005 Holiday Decoration Gala...The United States Marines donate over 340 toys to the Secret Santa Program.

DECEMBER 29 — The city votes to amend the Lincolnton-Lincoln County Joint Service Delivery Strategy to establish the city’s potential sewerage service area...Ellen Hester will be the guest speaker at the annual chamber of commerce banquet on January 5...The Junior Beta Club at LCMS helps the needy in the community through “Project Care”...Rev. Willie E. Chester, Jr. will be the guest speaker at the 143rd Annual Emancipation Proclamation Observance set for January 1 at Ebenezer Baptist Church...The Georgia Department of Natural Resources purchases approximately $30,000 worth of new playground equipment for the park.