About The Forest-blade. (Swainsboro, Ga.) 1996-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 17, 2021)
The Forest-Blade • ummiEmamielCoimtyLive.com • Swainsboro, Georgia • February 17, 2021 5A Otis Lee Williams, 82 Mr. Otis Lee Williams, Jr., 82, of Swainsboro, passed away Saturday, February 6, 2021, at Emanuel Med ical Center following an extended illness. Funer al services were Sunday, February 14, at 2 p.m. at the Swainsboro City Auditorium with Rever ends Jerry Armstrong and Melvin Adams, Jr. offici ating. Interment followed in the Mt. Gilead Mission ary Baptist Church Cem etery. The family received friends from 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday, February 13, at Chapman Funeral Home. In compliance with the guidelines set by the CDC, 6-feet rule was enforced during visitation and ser vice. Mr. Williams was born April 1, 1938, in Canoo- chee, to the late Otis L. Williams, Sr. and Twillie Walker Pierce. He was a truck driver for Twin City Concrete, and a member at Mt. Gilead Missionary Baptist Church. Mr. Wil liams is preceded in death by his parents; daughter, Telda Tina Corley, and sons, Henry Chance and Jimmy Fann. WILLIAMS Survivors include his sons, Deacon John E. Park er, Charlie Clark, and Her bert Artis, all of Swains boro, Jermaine Jackson and Andre' Jackson, both of Canoochee, Charles Riddles of Florida, Her man (Martha) Murphy of Maryland, and Michael E. Parker of Fairburn; daugh ter, Cherry Ann Sweet of Augusta; devoted cousin/ surrogate sister, Mamie W. Pierce of Swainsboro; uncle, Fletcher (Sadie) Nobles of Swainsboro; a host of grandchildren, cousins, and friends. Chapman Funeral Home of Swainsboro was in charge of arrangements. Addressing your worst enemy by PASTOR NICK ROB ERTSON, CONSUMING FIRE MINISTRIES We all know this horrible enemy called the devil, who wants to take everything you have and cast you into a place of entire loneliness. The devil has put on many disguises to accomplish his mission over the years in each of our lives. He has tempted people to do hor rific things, but he is not our worst enemy. Guess ing time... Who is closest to you than anyone else and is around you all the time? This person has done the most damage in your life. I am sure some of you are seeing your spouse in your mind right now, but it's not them, it's YOU. Yes, you. Let me explain the reason I say we are our own worst enemy and not the devil or demons. Let's start by eval uating a portion of the sto ry of Job in the bible. Satan wanted to totally destroy Job but God said this in Job 1:12 KJV, "...., only upon his soul do not touch." This next statement is very im portant to understanding as we progress. Our soul is the place where our will, in tellect, and emotions dwell. The soul is where we re member and feel things in life, the bible references it as our heart in some con text. If the will of a person has been broken, it was be cause the soul was affected by an outside influence. If our intellect is not full, it is because of an outside in fluence that caused a false perception to be a person al reality to an individual. If a person's emotions are damaged, it is because of a wound that happened to that person's soul. The soul is what brings life to a per son. It was created whole by God but outside influences may darken it. The point that we get from the scripture men tioned above is, though the enemy may attack our body and possessions, he cannot touch our soul physically. So, his master plan is to in fluence us by the things that happen to us or that is said about us, to get us to accept a negative view. Once we accept the negative into our hearts, it takes root into the soul. I could name many scriptures to help bring this into perspective, but I end with these: Luke 6:45 and Ephesians 6:12. The scrip ture in Ephesians explains that we are not in a battle with other people but with the evil one. The scripture in Luke explains that what a person speaks will display what is in their soul (heart). Therefore, I believe that the worst enemy we have to face is ourselves. We are in control of what we let into our hearts (souls). When another person says cruel and evil things about you and to you, we should realize that the en emy is using this person's mouth to make us believe negativity. I give an exam ple, if you are in a relation ship and your partner tells you that no one loves you but them, DON'T believe this. If you believe this, you damage your own soul. If you let this into your heart, it will make it hard for you to believe that God loves you. I have met and counseled people who do not believe that God loves them. Sadly this comes from negative words from co-workers, family members, friends (boyfriend/girlfriend), and/or spouses. This we all know, that God paid a great price that shows how much He does love you. The price was His Son. God has giv en you a special gift that He wrapped your individuali ty in, your soul. Your indi viduality is loved by God and He wants you to keep it pure before Him. Don't let the enemy influence you to be an enemy against yourself. We can't stop the words from being spoken or the trauma that may hap pen, but we can stop our selves from believing the enemy. Let us believe what God has said and not the enemy. It's not the posses sion you have, your appear ance, or your health status. It is about your soul that will be judged in the day of judgement. Will God be pleased at what you believe about yourself and others? If not, reject the poison of lies from the enemy and dive into Gods perfect and loving word to see what He says about you. I promise, it will have a positive ef fect on your will, intellect, and emotions or just simply put... your soul. Do your part! In light of recent concerns received regarding citations issued to individuals using local coun ty dumpsites, Magistrate Judge Dawn Braddy, County Administrator Guy Singletary, and Emanuel County Code Officers Justin Morris and Stephen Graham sat down in a meeting with The Blade to discuss and address concerns. According to Singletary, the county, on average, spends approximately $150,000 per year picking up trash off the grounds of dumpsites and road sides throughout the county, which includes an approximate 300 miles of paved roads and an additional 600 miles of dirt roads. In addition to the $150k spent on trash pickup, an additional $1,000,000 is dedicated to the disposal of trash in trash containers. If everyone did their part to help with litter control, this number could be reduced. "Emanuel County code enforcement officers are asked by the Board of Commissioners to help clean up the community. Our biggest concerns received from the community is the dumpsites and trash on the side of the roadways. We have a significant amount of trash to deal with, above and beyond what we've ever handled, and for the most part, we do a pretty good job at handling it. However, it could be handled much better if we received more compliance from residents. Just think of where county funds could be allocated if we didn't have to spend $150,000 each year picking up trash off the ground," Singletary commented. " The county's base fine per charge is approxi mately $200, plus state add-ons of $90. The county can charge up to $500 per charge, which would end up totaling to $725 with the add-ons of $225. One or two citations with two charges on each could be no less than $580. Judge Braddy, based on the violation, has decreased the fine in half at times to try to help the citizens. "I try to treat people with respect and equality, just as I like to be treated and is what I promised in my 2020 election campaign," Judge Braddy stated. In addition to trash accumulating on the ground, issues with items being left at dumpsites for others to pick up was another topic addressed during the Wednesday meeting session. "The county dumpsites are not 'swap shops'. When large items are left on the grounds at trash sites, it prevents dump trucks from emptying trash cans and others from being able to park in close range to the trash cans to dispose of their trash. Large items or commercial building's garbage should be taken to the transfer station, not county dumpsites." Singletary added. For those who do not know: Emanuel County's transfer station has changed its hours of operation to be more suitable for citizens to use. The new hours of Emanuel County's transfer station are 8 a.m. until 5:30 p.m., Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and from 8 a.m. until 12 p.m. on Wednesdays. The transfer station is closed Sundays. Loads taken to the transfer station that weigh in less than one ton are free. Individuals hauling loads to the transfer station that exceed one ton will have to pay approximately $40 per ton. Also to be noted, credit cards are now being accepted as forms of payment. "If you have items that are in good condition and think someone can use them, please do not put them on the ground at dump sites, because this will cause a citation to be issued. Contact area churches that accept gently used items to assist those in need or the Hinton House located in Adrian. We all have to work together to keep Emanuel County clean," Judge Braddy stated. "For the past couple of years, our code enforce ment officers have been issuing a ton of citations. We are fortunate to have a judge who will hold people accountable for their actions but, at the same time, uses discretion and judgement to determine if that person has made a mistake and needs to be forgiven or warned. The commission ers and I support Judge Braddy and her decisions to the fullest," Singletary commented. "The citizens of the county are fortunate that we have a code. And the reason I say that is - there is nothing within this county code that isn't in the state code. We're talking misdemeanors here. Throwing trash on the ground is a state misde meanor. Do you want that to go on your record? I think it's great that we have a code that informs the citizens when they are wrong and let it be adjudicated without hitting individual's records," Code Enforcement Officer Graham stated. "What we do, most of the time, is try to make contact with the individual involved so that the issue can be resolved instead of a citation or warning being issued," Code Enforcement Officer Morris stated. Singletary went on to commend the code enforcement officers for their superb job perfor mance with not only handling trash-related issues, but also for other jobs performed with building NO DIGGING IN DUMPSTERS HOUSEHOLD GARBAGEONLY APPLIANCES, DEAD ANIMALS, SCRAP LUMBER, TREE LIMBS, LAWN TRIMMINGS AND ALL OTHER I™ 4 MUST BE TAKEN TO COUNTY LANDFILL 8799 HWY. 297, SWAINSBORO, GA 30491 PHOTOS OF FAIRGROUND ROAD CONTAINERS TAKEN BY BILL CAHILL ON FEBRUARY 16, 2021 inspections and permits, trash violations on both public and private properties, assisting with the county's timber ordinance, as well as responding to calls regarding nuisance animals and noise vio lations. "Our wheels for trash are always spinning and it's a huge collaboration that has to be handled case by case, which is what Judge Braddy does," stated Singletary. Define Codes: Codes are the parameters a governing body places on what may be done and how it may be done within its jurisdiction. Cities and coun ties derive their authority to write and enforce code from the state constitution, their subsequent municipal charger, and statutes established by the state legislature; the charter outlines the authority of elected officials to manage affairs within the community through its code. Emanuel County Code Enforcement "Mission Statement" The mission of the Code Enforcement Department is to enforce the county codes, to promote, pro tect, and improve the health, safety and welfare of the citizens and visitors of Emanuel County. The Emanuel County Code is listed on the county website and can be located by visiting https: / / library.municode.com/ ga/emanuel county / codes /code of ordinances. To report violations of Emanuel County's code, contact should be made with the Code Enforcement Office, Magistrate Office, or County Commissioners Office. For His Glory Ministries PLEASE JOIN US FOR OUR TUESDAY NOON DAY BIBLE STUDY "DISCOVERING PURPOSE" 12 O'CLOCK NOON Eastern Time Zone, 11 O'CLOCK Central Time Zone. Join Zoom Meeting https://us04web.zoom.us/j/4693476721 Meeting ID: 469 347 6721 OR One Tap Mobile +19294362866.4693476721 # US (Eastern Time Zone) + 13126266799,4693476721# US (Central Time Zone) Also live on Facebook
