Construction continues on the new high school, located off of Metasville Road. In fact, the facility should be ready for occupancy at the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year. This aerial photograph of the school was taken on August 15, 2009. JULY 2 – The BOC approves a Temporary FY 2010 General Fund Budget by a vote of 3-2; no tax increase is expected...The “Thunder Over Thurmond” fireworks extravaganza is set for July 11...The Lincoln County Public Works Department erects signs to mark the location of the community of Kenna...Author Michelle Longo-Bloom visits Lincolnton.

JULY 9 – United States Senator Johnny Isakson is the guest of honor at a roundtable discussion held at Lincolnton UMC...“River of Life” volunteers make improvements to 24 local residences...WJBF-TV will broadcast live from Elijah Clark Park to promote Thunder Over Thurmond.

For the first time in recent memory, Clark’s Hill Lake was above full pool. In this photograph of the fishing pier at Elijah Clark State Park, taken on November 13, 2009, the lake is over two feet above full pool. JULY 16 – As a result of increased lake levels, the BOC signs a proclamation honoring God and saluting the corps of engineers...Lincoln County defeats McCormick in the annual Thundercup Softball Tournament...A shortfall in funds could leave the proposed road connecting Metasville Road with Highway 378 unfinished... Wheels are turning in preparation for the 2010 Census.

JULY 23 – The school system is disappointed in LCHS’s scores on the Georgia High School Graduation Test (GHSGT)...Emma Collins makes her directorial debut in a production of “The Dixie Swim Club”...New goal posts are installed at Buddy Bufford Field...Local residents are encouraged to take advantage of the state’s sales tax holiday...Brittany Perkins is selected as one of the top 20 semi-finalists at the National American Miss Georgia Teen Pageant.

A delegation of Chinese officials and business leaders visited Lincolnton on November 30, 2009. During a ceremony held at the Welcome Center, an agreement was signed to continue the “sister community” relationship between Lincoln County and Jiaxing City in the Xiuzhou District of China. Pictured at the top of the steps are: (l-r) Wade Johnson, chairman of the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners; Zhang Shaochu, honorary chairman of the Jiaxing Xiuzhou People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries; and Larry Pinson, chairman of the Lincoln County Development Authority. JULY 30 – The BOE approves its final budget and adopts revisions to student handbooks...Teachers and students prepare for the beginning of a new school year...The historical society will host a covered dish luncheon to honor God and Col. Ed Kertis, commander of the corps’ Savannah District, and his team...The development authority seeks public input on a proposed project to widen Highway 43.

AUGUST 6 – The state eliminates the Homestead Exemption Grant; taxpayers will bear the brunt...The city agrees to execute a contract with the DOT to extend the proposed road between Metasville Road and Highway 378 “as far as the money goes”...Volunteers are needed to help restore Founder’s Spring... Gubernatorial candidate David Poythress visits Lincolnton.

AUGUST 13 – The BOC cuts salaries to comply with a state mandate...LCMS eighth-graders rank first in the state on the science section of the CRCT (Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests); the teachers at LCES and LCMS are commended for their commitment to excellence...The Lincoln County Ministerial Association will host the annual “Prayer Walk of Schools”...Jeanne Finley is scheduled to speak on genealogy at the library.

AUGUST 20 – The BOC discusses plans to hook up the Blackjack Community to the city’s sewerage treatment system; World War II veteran Robert Bailey receives a standing ovation from the audience; issues with the floor in the gym at the recreation complex are still unresolved...F & M Bank holds a ribbon cutting ceremony at its Evans branch...Accountant Marcene Powell writes for a national magazine...The chamber hosts its 2009 Membership Appreciation Luncheon.

AUGUST 27 – The Red Devils will take on the Greene County Tigers in the season opener...LCHS is designated as a Title I school...Lincolnton UMC hosts a community-wide consignment sale...C.J. Goldman and Ivie Aycock take top honors at the Lincoln County 4-H Steer & Heifer Show Shootout...Soap Creek Restaurant is closed temporarily due to a fire in the kitchen wall...The Lincoln County Health Department urges local residents to take precautions against the H1N1 virus.

SEPTEMBER 3 – The BOC signs a proclamation in support of efforts to keep the lake close to full pool...All phases of construction at the new high school are currently on schedule...Congressman Paul Broun travels to Canada to familiarize himself with the country’s healthcare system...Former Red Devil Ronell Ferguson adds another championship ring to his collection...Local residents share their thoughts on career choices.

SEPTEMBER 10 – The BOE sets the millage rates for bond debt and maintenance and operations...The library expands its Christian fiction section...Qualifying for the municipal election ends with three candidates running unopposed; Henry Brown is the new mayor, and Kevin Beggs and Kyle Reese will represent Posts 4 and 5, respectively...Copies of “Confederate Veteran” magazines are now available at the library...The LCHS Lady Devils will host the Lincoln Round Robin Softball Tournament at the recreation complex.

SEPTEMBER 17 – The BOC adopts its FY 2010 General Fund Budget and sets the tax levy; the gym floor is still unusable...The city adopts a tentative 2010 budget...The county is well represented at the Governor’s Conference on Tourism...First Assembly of God will present “A Night with the Brooklyn Tab”... The Eighth Annual “Elijah Clark Bluegrass Festival” is slated for September 18-20 at the park...The health department prepares to host a flu clinic.

SEPTEMBER 24 – The DOT awards a contract for the resurfacing and maintenance of the portion of Highway 378 that runs from Lincolnton to Washington...A reception is held to honor those LCES students whose artwork is featured in the chamber’s new “Community Cookbook”...LCHS is selected to participate in the Second Annual “Georgia Apply to College Week”...Keith Williamson captures third-place honors at the final Walmart FLW (Forrest L. Wood) Series BP Eastern Division Tournament of the season...Johnny Walton is installed as the first vice president of Government Management Information Sciences International.

OCTOBER 1 – Family Connection is awarded a grant to fund learning centers at LCES and LCMS...Greenwood Baptist Church will celebrate 225 years of service Sunday...A two-car accident claims the life of a Lincolnton woman.

OCTOBER 8 – The city rezones property despite opposition from the neighbors...Marie Matthews is crowned Homecoming Queen at LCHS, and Shayman Hearst, Homecoming Princess...A search warrant leads to the discovery of two meth labs and the arrest of five men on drug charges by sheriff’s deputies...Participants in the “Paul Anderson Cycling Challenge” roll into Lincoln County for the night...Family Connection celebrates its two-year anniversary with the Ferst Foundation for Childhood Literacy program...The LCHS Cheer Devils capture first place at two competitions.

OCTOBER 15 – The BOC purchases a new ambulance with the help of an EMS Vehicle Replacement Grant...The BOE votes to move the fifth grade to the LCMS campus; the Georgia Department of Education recognizes LCHS as one of the top 10 schools in the state showing the most improvement on the EOCT for American Lit...Sean Poppy with the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory visits LCES...The SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) chapter at LCHS receives a $2,000 grant from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety...Aerobatic pilot Gary Ward will perform at the 17th Annual Boshears Skyfest...Longevity is one of the keys to the rivalry between the Red Devils and the W-W Tigers.

OCTOBER 22 – LCES and LCMS make AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress); LCHS fails to meet the standards – strategies are in place to improve test scores...Sherry McKellar accepts a “Per Capita Award” on behalf of the volunteers and participants in the Lincoln County ACS Relay for Life...C.J. Goldman, Bentley Beggs, and Tanner Aycock take top honors at the Perry livestock show...Volunteers refurbish Hugh Norman’s home...Citizens are asked to weigh in on temporary revisions to the 1989 Savannah River Basin Drought Contingency Plan...The Lady Devils end their season with two losses to Bacon County in the state playoffs.

OCTOBER 29 – Hydrilla in the lake poses a threat to people, wildlife, and ponds...Quanesha Sims is crowned the first-ever Miss Freshwater Coast; Jayda Maya is her Little Princess...The public is invited to the “Fourth Annual Haunted Halloween Spooktacular” at the home of Ernie and Renee Guthrie...A local man pleads guilty to criminal solicitation...The DOT announces that it will host an open house to discuss the construction of a new bridge across Little River...Members of the Thomas-Lane American Legion Post 597 Ladies Auxiliary present bottles of hand sanitizer to all three schools...The TJ & Friends Cancer Foundation, Inc. presents a $500 check to patient Charlie Wright; the foundation’s “Fall for Friends” Motorcycle Ride, which will pass through Lincolnton, is slated for October 31...The chamber and the development authority will host the “Ghostly Graveyard at the Welcome Center” on Halloween.

NOVEMBER 5 – The annual audit shows that the city is in good financial shape...Members of the renowned Lewis Family will bid farewell to their fans at a concert Saturday...LCES fourth-grader Macey O’Neal, one of the grand prize winners in the Subway Fresh Fit Video and Poster Competition, receives a visit from Jared Fogle, a national spokesman for the restaurant chain...Jerry Stone is selected as the grand marshal of the Lincolnton Christmas Parade...Lincoln County native Carole Bufford performs at the Lincoln Center in New York City...Brittany Perkins is crowned Miss LCHS...Cancer survivor Emma Smith is featured in the “Portraits of Life” calendar, published by the University Health Care System.

NOVEMBER 12 – Amanda Etheridge, the LCES “Teacher of the Year,” is named the system-wide Teacher of the Year at the regular meeting of the BOE; the other honorees are Becky Rice, LCMS Teacher of the Year, and Louise Waters, LCHS Teacher of the Year...LCHS captures the region title at the one-act play competition...The LCHS Cheer Devils win the East Georgia Region 4 Class A Cheerleading Championship...Family Connection will host the Little Mr. and Miss Holidays Pageant...The Huddle House is accepting toys and donations for the Secret Santa program...Morningside Baptist Church is serving as a collection point for “Operation Christmas Child”...Chris Hawn takes over as the manager of Elijah Clark Park...Dr. Paul Riccomini, associate professor of special education at Clemson University, meets with area teachers.

NOVEMBER 19 – The BOC relaxes the zoning restrictions on mobile homes and outbuildings...The LCMS/LCHS Choral Department prepares to present its fall concert...“Pioneer Day” will be held Saturday at the historical park...Paula Alexander places 10th in the Academy of Sports and Outdoors Women’s Bassmaster Tour Championship...The annual Community Thanksgiving Service is set for November 22 at Lincolnton Baptist Church...For the first time in recent memory, the lake is above full pool...Congressman Broun speaks on healthcare reform during a fundraiser at Soap Creek Restaurant.

NOVEMBER 26 – LCHS is awarded a federal grant to improve academic achievement in AP classes through technology...Lincolnton Mayor Dwaine Biggerstaff will be the guest of honor at a retirement breakfast...Students at LCES share their menus for the ideal Thanksgiving dinner.

DECEMBER 3 – Repairs to Thurmond Dam will not require lake levels to be reduced as much as originally calculated...The Holidays in Olde Lincoln Towne Festival, which includes the Lincolnton Christmas Parade, is scheduled for December 5...An agreement is signed to continue the “sister community” relationship between Lincoln County and Jiaxing City in the Xiuzhou District of China...The Lincoln County Republican Party will host a fund-raiser to benefit the Charlie Norwood Scholarship Fund...The LCMS/ LCHS Choral Department will present its Seventh Annual Holiday Sing-Along.

DECEMBER 10 – The BOE decides to furlough teachers in anticipation of state budget cuts; LCES and LCMS are rewarded for making AYP for seven consecutive years...The historical society will sponsor the Candlelight Tour of Homes on Saturday...Mayor Biggerstaff is the guest of honor at a retirement dinner; Councilman Guil Mattison is also recognized...Local artist Leonard Jones donates several paintings to benefit the Secret Santa program...Elijah Clark Park will sponsor “A Colonial Log Cabin Christmas”...Bands from LCMS and LCHS are set to present their annual Christmas concert...The chamber announces the winning entries in the Lincolnton Christmas Parade...A lack of funds is the primary focus of the 2009 Legislative Breakfast...The city decides to build a bridge over Founder’s Spring...The H1N1 vaccine is now being offered to the general public.

DECEMBER 17 – Casey Broom is named public safety director for the county...The FOL dedicates its keepsake calendar to Keats Thackston...The DAR presents its Good Citizen Award to Chandler Goldman...The 55th Annual Lewis Family Christmas Special will be aired on WJBF Channel 6...Two local men are arrested on theft by taking charges.

DECEMBER 24 – Richard Brown is presented with WJBF-TV’s Giving Your Best Award...Over 800 brave the rain and cold to travel the “Path to Christmas” at First Assembly of God...Students at LCMS write about their most meaningful Christmas gift.

DECEMBER 31 – Rep. Tyrone Brooks will be the keynote speaker at the 147th Annual Emancipation Proclamation Observance...Students at LCMS serve the community through the “Project Care” initiative...High school students discuss what year they would want to live in (aside from 2010) and why.