Newspaper Page Text
Page 8 - Friday, May 26, 2023
The Jenkins County Times
thejenkinscountytimes.com
Magic to
kick: off
Summer
Reading
By Sharon Blank,
Special Contributor
for
The Times
The library will be
closed on Monday, May
29 for Memorial Day
We’re in the final lead-
up to this year’s Summer
Reading Program! This
year’s theme is “All
Together Now” and
it’s all about teamwork
and community. The
kickoff event will be
on Tuesday, June 6 at
2 pm, and will feature
magician Brian Robert!
You’ll be amazed at the
wonderful tricks he can
do. Can you figure out
how?
Of course, you can’t
do Summer Reading
without, well, reading. If
you’d like to participate
in our reading challenge,
you’ve got two options:
Beanstack or the
traditional reading logs.
What is Beanstack?
It’s a combination of
website and phone app
that can help you and
your children easily
keep track of reading
times and activities
without having to carry
the traditional paper
logs around and possibly
misplacing them. You
can either visit the
Beanstack website at
sjrls.beanstack.org or
download the app on
your phone from either
the App Store or from
Google Play. Either
way, wherever you
have internet access
you’ll be able to track
your and your child’s
progress through the
reading challenge, win
badges, earn prizes (if
you’re a kid or teen),
and have a chance to
win the weekly drawing!
And if you have the app
on your phone, then
you can track progress
even in areas that you
don’t have internet,
even when you’re just
doing a little reading to
pass the time waiting
for an appointment.
New Beanstack users
will need to create an
account for each reader
in the family, but it’s
easy to do. If you’ve
used Beanstack before,
then you’re good to go
sign up for this year’s
challenge!
For the non-Beanstack
folks, you’ll need to
come into the library to
get signed up, and pick
up your reading logs
once the program begins
on Tuesday, June 6. The
program will continue
until Saturday, July 29.
New at the library
THE ANSWER TO
ANXIETY: HOW TO
BREAK FREE FROM
THE TYRANNY
OF ANXIOUS
THOUGHTS AND
WORRY by Joyce
Meyer. Do you ever find
yourself having trouble
sleeping at night because
of the stress you’re
under? Do bad times
affect your appetite?
Joyce Meyer is here to
help you let go of stress
by following the lessons
found in the Bible.
Well, that’s all for now
- see you at the library!
Georgia Power rate
looms in the not-too
distant future
hike
Special to
The Times
ATLANTA - The
state Public Service
Commission (PSC)
Tuesday unanimously
approved a fuel costs
recovery plan submitted
by Georgia Power that
will increase the average
residential customer’s bill
by $15.90 per month.
The rate hike, which
takes effect next month,
was the product of an
agreement between the
Atlanta-based utility and
the PSC’s Public Interest
Advocacy staff that will let
Georgia recover 100% of
$2.1 billion in higher fuel
costs it has incurred during
the last two years from its
customers.
Commissioner Lauren
“Bubba” McDonald
blamed higher natural gas
prices that are beyond the
commission’s control.
He said the Green New
Deal pushed by the
Biden administration is
responsible for driving up
both gasoline and natural
gas prices.
At a recent hearing,
McDonald argued that
state law requires the
commission to let Georgia
Power recover higher fuel
costs as a pass-through.
The company does not earn
any profit from higher fuel
expenses.
“We owe the bill, and
we’ve got to pay it,”
McDonald said.
“Just as Georgians paid
higher prices at the gas
pump in 2022, Georgia
Power also paid more for
the natural gas and other
fuels we use to generate
electricity,” the company
added in a statement issued
following Tuesday’s vote.
“Today’s decision by the
Georgia PSC helps spread
out these additional fuel
costs over three years and
adds relief for income-
qualified senior citizens
through an increased
discount program.”
Representatives of
environmental and
consumer advocacy groups
that appeared before the
commission in recent
weeks asked the PSC to
reject Georgia Power’s
fuel costs recovery plan in
favor of the utility stepping
up its use of solar and other
forms of renewable energy
in generating electricity.
“When bills jump next
month, the most vulnerable
Georgians are going to
have to make unthinkable
choices about how to
spend their income,” said
Jennifer Whitfield, senior
attorney for the Southern
Environmental Law Center.
“The commission’s
approach to this moment -
giving the utility everything
it wants while leaving most
of its customers to struggle
with higher monthly bills
- is unacceptable. Georgia
Power shouldn’t be
pocketing billions in record
profits while also putting
customers in the position
of choosing between power
and basic needs.”
Commission Chair
Tricia Pridemore proposed
an amendment to further
increase the higher fuel
discount Georgia Power
offers income-eligible
seniors from $8 per month
in the utility’s proposal to
$9.50, bringing it to total of
$33.50 per month.
Just as Georgians paid
higher prices at the gas
pump in 2022, Georgia
Power also paid more
for the natural gas and
other fuels we use to
generate electricity, and
the company does not earn
any profit from these fuel
costs. Today’s decision
by the Georgia PSC helps
spread out these additional
fuel costs over three years
and adds relief for income-
qualified senior citizens
through an increased
discount program.
The fuel costs recovery
increase is one of several
Georgia Power has already
received in recent months
or is poised to seek in the
months ahead. The PSC
approved a $1.8 billion
increase last December
that increased the average
residential bill by $3.60 per
month.
Rates are expected to
go up again later this year
when Georgia Power
brings into service the first
of two new nuclear reactors
being built at Plant Vogtle.
JOB AVAILABLE
The housing authority of the CITY OF
SYLVANIA is accepting applications for the
position of Maintenance Laborer. Applicants
must be qualified in all maintenance work
required in multifamily housing. Applicants
MUST HAVE a valid driver s license.
Applicants will be required to pass a drug test
and have a clean criminal history. Salary will
be based on experience. Applications may be
obtained at the CENTRAL OFFICE at 570
WALLACE STREET, Waynesboro, Georgia,
or by calling 706-554-2233, extension 105.
Applications are to be submitted to:
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF
SYLVANIA, ATT: BRENT MEEKS,
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
P.O. Box 628, Waynesboro, Ga. 30830.
THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY
OF SYLVANIA IS AN EQUAL
OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.
6.7.23
EMPLOYMENT AVAILABLE
Full Time Custodian
The Jenkins County Board of
Commissioners is accepting
applications for the position of full-time
custodian. Applicant must possess a
valid driver’s license and high school
diploma or equivalent. The employee
would be responsible for the janitorial
services at Jenkins County Court
House, the Jenkins County Annex, the
Jenkins County Senior Center and the
Jenkins County ASCS building.
Interested parties should apply at the
office of the Jenkins County Board of
Commissioners, located at 833 East
Winthrope Avenue in Millen, Georgia
by 5:00 P.M. on Friday, June 16, 2023.
Jenkins County is an Equal Opportunity
Employer and is a Drug-Free Workplace.
