BLAKELY, Ga. (WALB) - Local businesses in Southwest Georgia are feeling the impacts of Georgia-Pacific’s mill closure announcement.

Odom’s Country Cafe is one example. The Blakely restaurant has been open for about 15 years, but they announced yesterday, May 19, that the mill closure means they have to close their doors too.

“They say all good things must come to an end, with a heavy heart we have made the decision to close,” the restaurant said in a Facebook post.

They said Friday, May 23, will be their last day of operations.

Community leaders are meeting tonight in Early County to discuss major changes in county operations due to the fallout from Georgia-Pacific’s decision to shut down the Cedar Springs Containerboard mill. The closure will eliminate 535 jobs, but the impact on the county will go much deeper than that because of loss in tax revenue. The county is considering hiring and pay freezes as well as eliminating bonuses.

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