34 percent of Pickens has at least one COVID shot

     No hometown Independence Day celebration would be complete without a parade on Main Street.  This year’s celebration is one of many things we missed last year, so this year’s theme is “Celebrating America….Together Again!”  

All are invited to participate in the parade, to be held on Saturday, July 3 at 1 p.m. (note the change of time from previous years) — simply fill out this application, including fees, and mail to:  Jasper Lions Club Parade Committee, PO Box 1088, Jasper, GA 30143. Contact 706-253-LION or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for information. 

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     David Bramblette did not understand what he had gotten into, says sister Brenda of the phone scams he is accused of taking part in. They are shown at a birthday party several years ago.

       The sister of the Refuge Road man arrested for involvement in an international phone scam in May said her brother suffered with mental limitations and did not have the ability to understand what he had gotten into. This view was seconded by a longtime local business owner who also knew David Bramblette.

Brenda Bramblette said her brother, David, 63, was first tricked out of all of his money and then tricked again to helping the people who had swindled him.

      See full story in this week's print or online editions. 

Disgraced magistrate nearly collapses when sentence read in court

book in photo/Allen Wigington

On Thursday morning, May 27, former Pickens County Magistrate Judge Allen Wigington received a 15-year sentence, to serve five of those years incarcerated and the remaining 10 years on probation, plus paying restitution for his theft of taxpayer money.

The sentence appeared to shock the longtime county employee to the point that he had to steady himself on the defense table to keep from collapsing when it was read.

The sentence hearing, which was attended by a handful of family members, friends, and other members of the public, came about a month after Wigington pled guilty to crimes that date back to 2016. In total, he pled guilty to 44 felonies and five misdemeanors. 

        See full coverage of sentence hearing in this week's print or online editions.