Newspaper Page Text
The ADVANCE, January 13, 2021/Page 12A
Stye Ahumtce
What is an octothorpe?
Today, the octothorpe (#) or
hashtag identifies movements,
events, happenings, brands, etc., in
digital searches. The symbol traces
back to Ancient Rome. Romans used
the Latin term Libra Pondo - lb,
with a little bar across the tops
of both letters (#) - mean-
ing “pound measure” and I I
handwritten, it also lit
became the number NbI
sign. In chess, it rep-
resents a move that /Sk. I m ^
results in check-
mate. In proofread-
ing, it means insert a
space. On Swedish maps,
it represents a lumber yard.
And it wound up on typewriter key
boards.
In 1963 the touch tone tele
phone was invented using buttons
instead of a rotary dial. Bell Labo
ratories experimented with a few
different designs for the telephone
key pad, but ended up arranging
the numbers 1 to 9 in a grid, and put
zero alone at the bottom center.
In 1968, Bell decided to add keys
on either side of the zero to make an
even rectangle. So they chose the
asterisk (*) and the pound sign (#),
symbols that computers could rec
ognize that were already on the stan
dard keyboard. Bell Labs employees
decided to call the # an “octo-
|| thorpe” in their manuals.
I I The hashtag was
I born in 2007 when
f Chris Messina used
I it for collating Twit
'll ter searches that
I | could be input from
■ >' a low-tech cell phone
I I and sorted easily by a
^ computer. Another Twitter
user called it a “hashtag,” hash
being the British term for the
sign.
And that is how the octothorpe
(or pound sign, or number sign, or
hash mark, or hashtag) came into
use on protest signs, billboards,
promotional materials, in adver
tisements, TV shows, social move
ments, music videos, memes, and
annoying conversations.
A
Y
p H
R
E
A
P
N
O
P
E
i
M
i
N
C
A
S
K
A
N
T
i
2
8
1
9
0
3
4
5
7
0
3
5
7
1
4
9
2
8
9
4
7
8
2
5
1
3
8
4
6
3
5
7
9
2
8
1
8
1
9
3
4
2
6
7
5
5
7
2
1
8
6
3
9
4
3
9
4
6
5
8
7
1
2
7
5
6
2
9
1
8
4
3
1
2
8
4
3
7
5
8
9
Georgia Court of Appeals
judge suspended with pay
By Dave Williams
Bureau Chief
Capitol Beat News Service
The Georgia Supreme
Court suspended state
Court of Appeals Judge
Christian Coomer with
pay Wednesday after the
former Georgia lawmaker
was charged with miscon
duct.
Coomer, a Republi
can, served in the Georgia
House of Representatives
for eight years until he was
appointed to the state’s
second highest court in
2018.
The charges stem from
an investigation launched
last year into allegations
that Coomer defrauded an
elderly client while work
ing as a private attorney.
Jim Fihart, 78, of Cart-
ersville, claimed he loaned
$159,000 to Coomer’s
holding company in March
of 2018 with the promise
that the money would be
paid back in a year, accord
ing to published reports.
However, the promissory
note that was written said
it was to be paid off in 30
years when Fihart would
be well into his 100s.
The note listed Fi-
hart’s property as security
of the debt should it not be
paid off.
Coomer has said the
property discrepancy was
an unintentional mistake
made when writing the
document. He also offered
to correct the error when it
was drawn to his attention.
Coomer borrowed
another $130,000 later in
2018, again through his
holding company. This
second loan was to be paid
off when Fihart would
have turned 84, and was
also unsecured.
Fihart alleges Coomer
should have known he
was impaired and unable
Southeastern Early College and Career Academy
EIF Certificate Bearers - 1st Semester - 2020-2021
(L to R): Row 1: Uriel Barbosa-Perez - Toombs, Austin Beck - Treutlen, Cale Brantley
- Treutlen, Lorenzo Carreon - Montgomery, Danny Carter - Toombs, Cameron Cole
man - Montgomery, Row 2: Connor Coleman - Vidalia, James Collins - Vidalia, Davie
Copeland - Toombs, Gavin Jackson - Vidalia, Walker McCord - Vidalia, Mason Mox-
ley - Vidalia, Row 3: Brannen Tatum - Toombs, Konnor Thornton - Treutlen, and Cristinc
Tinoco - Toombs,
Southeastern Early College and Career
Academy Students Complete Energy Pathway
to make reasonable deci
sions. Coomer argues that
it wasn’t until 2019 that Fi
hart suggested that he was
somehow impaired.
Following an investi
gation by the Georgia Bu
reau of Investigation, the
Georgia Judicial Quali
fications Commission
charged Coomer late last
month with 26 violations
of the state Code of Judi
cial Conduct. Coomer has
denied all of the allega
tions.
Under the state Su
preme Court’s order,
Coomer will be suspend
ed with pay pending a fi
nal determination of the
judicial commission’s pro
ceeding against him.
In 2019, Southeastern
Early College and Career
Academy (SECCA) be
gan offering the Energy
Pathway to high school
students from Montgom
ery, Toombs, Treutlen
and Vidalia City school
systems. The Energy: Gen
eration, Transmission, and
Distribution pathway is a
CTAE career pathway of
the Georgia Department
of Education. Locally, the
course is taught by Dr.
Kip Hart. The first group
of students to finish the 3
required courses have re
cently tested for their end
of pathway certification.
The certificate is granted
upon passing the Energy
Industry Fundamental
(EIF) exam administered
by the Center for Energy
Workforce Development
(CEWD).
This exam opportu
nity is provided to reg
istered National Energy
Education Network high
schools and colleges. This
challenging exam certifies
that students can demon
strate knowledge in areas
important to the energy
industry, including basic
principles of electricity,
the role of regulatory bod
ies, environmental laws
and regulations, safety
procedures, and proper
work protocols. Further,
the content includes de
tails of the operations in
distribution, transmission,
substations and all forms
of generation. This is ac
companied by a focus on
entry-level careers avail
able in energy generation,
transmission, distribution
and the education/experi
ence requirements for en
VidaliA
FEDERAL SAVINGS BANK
Notice
Notice is hereby given of the Annual
Meeting of the Members of Vidalia Federal
Savings Bank. Said meeting to be held in the
Conference Room of the Bank, 300 Jackson
Street, Vidalia, Georgia, on Thursday, January
21, 2021, at 2:00 RM. Eastern Standard Time.
Dated this 21st day of December, 2020
Member
FDIC
Geraldine McKenzie, Secretary
Vidalia Federal Savings Bank
EQUAL HOUSING
LENDER
I
FIREHOUSF
KSUBSl*
V
Founded by Firemen
*
10* OFF
‘GOOD UNTIL JANUARY 15, 2021
2351 E. 1st St.
Vidalia, GA 30474
(912) 537-1884
VISIT FIREHOUSESUBS.COM
try into those positions.
Overall results were
outstanding for SECCA’s
first class (total 19 stu
dents tested) with a 79%
average pass rate. The na
tional average (colleges
and high schools) is 73%,
with a high school national
average of 69%.
Local energy industry
executives, who have been
highly supportive of the
program, expressed praise
for the program’s initial
results. “SECCA’s Energy
Pathway is a wonderful ad
dition to the educational
pathways high school stu
dents can explore in our lo
cal community,” said SNC
Plant Hatch Site Vice Pres
ident Sonny Dean. “The
success of the first class in
their end of pathway certi
fication demonstrates the
talent that is in our local
community and Dr. Hart’s
unwavering commitment
to prepare students for our
high demand careers.”
Nora Swanson from
Southern Nuclear Work
force Development
echoed Dean’s sentiments.
Swanson has participated
monthly in supporting
classroom instruction
through prepandemic in-
person visits and Zoom
lessons with the class on
careers and topics to rein
force daily instruction.
Altamaha EMC CEO
Romanous Dotson ex
pressed praise for the pro
gram. “The program pre
pares students throughout
three of EMC’s service
area counties to better un
derstand and participate
in the energy industry.
Programs like SECCA are
essential to our local econ
omy as they prepare stu
dents for a variety of post
secondary options and
careers. Altamaha EMC
is pleased to partner with
them in programs like the
Energy Pathway,” said Mr.
Dotson.
Local Georgia Power
Manager Greg Hudgins
has supported the SECCA
Energy Pathway program
and energy summer camps
that have helped generate
interest in the program,
including providing expe
riential learning for several
students. Hudgins noted,
“The Energy Pathway helps
students see the vast array
of careers available from
line work to engineering as
well as the other support
personnel that allow us to
enjoy clean, safe, reliable,
and affordable electricity
to power our lives.”
Dr. Hart remarked, “I
am happy to see such posi
tive results for our first
group. When introduc
ing any new program, the
first group serves as a bell
wether for the students’
hard work and educators’
work in addressing stan
dards for the courses. As
we continue, I am already
focused on improvement
and plans to use this first
testing as a baseline ex
perience to enhance the
program and look for ar
eas to continually improve
to best serve students. We
look forward to our SEC
CA program being the
first step for local students
toward rewarding careers
in the energy industry,
including with our local
partners.”
HUSIIER
...
M]
• ■
1.
'rW
MAKE TIME
TO DO THE THINGS YOU LOVE
Hustler's residential family of mowers are built
stronger and perform faster, allowing you to quickly
maneuver around obstacles with ease, including
life's most difficult obstacle,., time.
Vidalia Small Engine Senvice
cam liYoMouy/ro