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CRAWFORD IS SPECIE
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Saturday, Nnk •
THE SECOND FRIDAY AND SATURDAY IN MARCH
11 a.m. - CCNS Athletic Complex
FRIDAY & SATURDAY (3^) MARCH 8 & 9
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CC Magistrate Judge
Charged With Theft
By Victoria Simmons
The Georgia Post
Many Crawford County
residents are in shock follow
ing Magistrate Judge Andrea
Peterman’s arrest Monday on
allegations of fiduciary theft.
Though the investigation is
continuing and all the details
have yet to be released, Judge
Peterman allegedly was taking
cash money from the deposits.
Macon Judicial District
Attorney David Cooke was
notified of possible problems
with the magistrate court and
the possibility of fiduciary
theft last week, according to
his office.
The Georgia Bureau of
Investigation (GBI) was called
in by the DA to investigate
based on the evidence pre
sented to Cooke. The GBI
obtained arrest warrants for
fiduciary theft and violation of
oath of office.
Crawford County does not
house women in the jail, so
Peterman was booked here
but transferred elsewhere. She
was being held without bond
until further investigation.
A forensic audit is being
conducted to determine how
much money is missing.
Peterman became Mag
istrate Judge last year after
running for the position unop
posed which was left vacant
by the death of Judge Donna
Johnson.
Robin Dunaway, who
served as interim magistrate
judge and was made Deputy
Magistrate Judge, will con
tinue to hold that position and
keep things on track in the
office until the smoke clears,
she said. Dunaway has said
she does not want the position
permanently but is glad to
help in the interim.
Shop Until You Drop At
PTB Friday - Saturday
By Abigail Adams
The Georgia Post
For ten years the Golden
Isles Parkway Association
(GIPA) has been bringing
the Peaches to Beaches yard
sale extravaganza and Friday
and Saturday, March 8 & 9,
is that time again. Stretch
ing nearly from one end of
the state to the other along
Highway 341 this yard sale
gives people from all over the
state the chance to take a road
trip through small towns and
larger towns as they shop til
they drop!
GIPA was formed in 2003
to help promote travel and
economic development along
Highway 341 from Bames-
ville to Brunswick, Georgia.
Vendors are encouraged to set
up at the many official vendor
locations along the route for
a fee of $30. But these yard
sale vendors are not the only
places to find hidden treasures
along the trip.
Each town and community
has something special in store
for those who visit. One of
the starting points, Bames-
ville, is the Buggy Capital of
the World and is a phenom
enal town filled with historic
mansions built by the “Buggy
Barons” of the 1800s.
In almost the middle of the
route is our town of Roberta.
Called the “idyllic heart of
Georgia,” Roberta lays
claim to a variety of some
of Georgia’s best traits and
though it is a small town, lo
cally owned businesses thrive
offering a safe alternative to
big city living. The town is
a bevy of history and com
munity with every person
greeting people with a smile
and a handshake or if you are
lucky, a big hug.
Roberta is the perfect solu
tion to the stress of the big
cities that surround it and
coming to visit can bring a
sense of calm and remind a
person how important history
and community is to everyday
life. With Peaches to Beaches
running right along the side of
the town there is much to do
on the route through our quiet
town, including visiting the
locally owned shops in the
historical downtown build
ings, stopping by to visit the
big red caboose next to the
beautifully renovated depot
(Chamber of Commerce Of
fice), or take a walk through
the manicured and peaceful
David Bailey Park where
there will be more shopping
available with more yard sale
vendors setting up there.
There are many other towns
to stop in on the route such
as Fort Valley, Perry, Hawk-
insville, Eastman, McRae,
Hazlehurst, Baxley, Jesup-
Odum, and finally Brunswick
and The Golden Isles. On
the last (or first according
to which end you start on)
stop, Brunswick is a place
of beauty and though the
Spanish did not actually find
gold on their exploration of
the city 400 years ago, they
did find a place that could be
considered a golden city!
Peaches to Beaches is a
great way to tour places you
may have never seen before
and to find great treasures for
your home or to give as gifts
along the way. To leam more
about the route and to find out
how to get your official “Shop
Till You Drop” passports or
Peaches to Beaches t-shirt
visit www.peachestothe-
beaches.com or locally call
the Chamber of Commerce at
478-836-3825.
iLx.
The ICU Ministry in Byron, made baby blankets
for Baskets of Joy, something the ministry has done
for several years. ICU Ministry workers from left
Kathy Garrison, Fran Sanders, Para Vinson, Glen
da Myers. Katrina Stokes and Barbara Yeates. The
group made 103 blankets for BO J this year. They
have made a total of 223 blankets in the last three
years for Katie Jones to include in her baskets.
Bringing ‘Joy* For 17 Years
By Abigail Adams
The Georgia Post
Though her body is tired,
the heart and soul of Katie
Jones is still “hopping” as
she prepares for the 17th
year that her organization,
Baskets of Joy will deliver
Easter baskets to children
living in local children’s
homes and foster homes.
She has been the Easter
bunny to over 2,500 children
in the last seventeen years
and not even cancer can stop
this wonderful woman from
bringing smiles to children
living the childhood in a
home as Katie did.
“’Stop! Don’t do it! Just
say no! ’ my mind yelled as
I heard myself saying, ‘You
need how many by when?
Sure we can do it! ’ The
social worker from the chil
dren’s home said, ‘You are
an answer to our prayers,”’
Jones said remembering the
fateful day when she agreed
to start making baskets for
the children at the home.
“Thoughts raced through my
mind. ‘What have you got
ten yourself into this time?
What is my husband going
to say?”’
But Jones then remembers
being a third grade student
sitting at her desk with tears
in her eyes as the other boys
and girls in her class talked
about their Easter baskets
and what the Easter bunny
had brought to them. She
remembered wondering why
the Easter bunny never came
to see her at the children’s
home where she lived and
decided to take on the task
of making 48 Easter baskets.
Jones’ husband, Clay was
skeptical at first as well, but
by the end of their first year
as the “Easter bunnies,” he
too was in the hopping spirit
and ready for the next year
to come. With the help of
family, friends and a whirl
wind of donations the Jones
couple were able to fill the
order of 48 baskets.
“Afterwards Clay and I
were cleaning up and talk
ing about the success of
the project. ‘What are we
going to do with this leftover
stuff?’ I asked. ‘I guess we’ll
pack it up and use it for next
year’s baskets,’ Clay said
with a smile,” Jones said.
Since that time Baskets
of Joy has been grow
ing steadily, what started
with one children’s home
has now grown to include
Georgia Industrial Home,
Hephzibah Children’s
Home, Masonic Children’s
Home, The Elizabeth House,
The Dove Center, The Safe
House, LifeSpring and foster
homes in several counties.
Their goal this year is to de
liver 275 baskets to children
ages newborn to eighteen
years old.
Each basket contains a
New Testament Bible or
Bible story for younger
children, a stuffed animal,
chocolate bunny, small gifts
and a treat. A total of 103 of
those baskets will also con
tain a special blanket made
by the ladies at the ICU
Ministry in Byron, Georgia.
Para Vinson has been help
ing Jones for three years by
sewing blankets and taking
donations for the baskets.
“For the last two years
we have made 50 blankets
and then 70,” Vinson stated.
“This year Katie asked for
70 blankets to be made, but
the ladies created a total of
103 this year to be donated.”
Although Jones has
conquered her fear of her
own past, one spent in a
children’s home missing out
on some of the many child
hood joys like receiving an
Easter basket, but God has
put another obstacle in her
path. In November of 2012
Jones was diagnosed with
non-Hodgkins B-cell and
T-cell lymphoma. She has
just completed 15 radiation
treatments, receiving the
treatment five days a week.
Concerned with her health
her husband suggested they
skip making baskets this
year, but after Jones became
upset he supported her deci
sion to continue.
“I feel that God give ev
eryone purposes and this is
one of my purposes. I have
had a sense of peace and
haven’t been too worried
about the cancer since I was
diagnosed. I don’t feel that
God would give me a sense
of peace if I wasn’t going
to be okay,” Jones said.
See JOY, Page 3
