jenkinscountytimes.com The Jenkins County Times
Wednesday, August 9, 2023 - Page 5
Dana Ray Mclemore
Dana Ray Mclemore
passed away Saturday
July 29th, in Bogalusa,
LA. Dana was bom on
October 14, 1961 in
Melbourne, FI. He met
his wife Leigh Shuman
of Millen where they
resided and raised a
family. Dana’s love of
carpentry was shown
in the many homes he
worked in and in the
years spent at Bellcrest
Holmes where his
talents in cabinetry were
admired by many.
Dana is preceded in
death by his mother
Carolyn Mclemore and
father Ray Mclemore.
He leaves behind a
daughter Tara Leigh
(Wally) Sasser of Millen,
a son Cory Ray (Katie)
Mclemore of Evans,
grandchildren Charleigh,
Weslee, Aaron, Analeigh
and Allison. Sisters Vicki
(Michael) Westberry of
Jesup, Kelly (David)
Frazier of Milledgeville,
Terri (Charles) McCoy
of Tinnille, several
nieces and nephews
and a fiance Monika of
Bogalusa.
He will be cremated,
and ashes spread per his
request.
Elisa D. Parker
It is with great sadness
and heavy hearts that we
say sleep on in Heavenly
peace to Elisa, may
God keep you until we
meet again. Funeral
arrangements are
incomplete at this time.
Please keep her family
in prayer and funeral
arrangements will be
announced later.
James A Kirkland
Mortuary in charge of
arrangements.
James A. Kirkland Mortuary
Aged to
Perfection
By Lee Wilson,
Special Contributor
for
The Times
Jenkins County
Senior Center
“Smile and the world
smiles with you.”
There was this lady who had a friend who was in a
motorcycle accident and was hurt really bad. His face and a
good percentage of his body were burned. Then later on her
friend was in a plane crash which put him in a wheelchair
for the rest of his life. He did not want to go outside and let
people see him because he was uncomfortable about how
people might react to seeing his face. One day he mustered
up enough courage to walk outside. He saw a little girl and
was terrified that he might scare her. The little girl looked
at him and smiled. He smiled back. That little girl’s smile
meant the world to him. After her friend told her about this
little girl smiling, she decided to start smiling and saying
hello to everyone. Every day she took the train home
from work and there would be this homeless man who was
always asking for money. Hardly anyone would look at
the man as they walked by. One day she decided to smile
and say hello to the homeless man. On that particular day
she was wearing a coat with a leopard pattern. The man
responded “Hello girl in the leopard coat.” This began to
be a daily ritual for her and the man would always respond
the same way.
One day this lady was shopping and she noticed the sales
people weren’t smiling or making eye contact with the
customers when they walked into the store. She decided
she would walk by and say hello and smile. At first the
sales clerks would just look but then they would smile and
say hello back.
The point is that a smile is a small gesture, but a powerful
one. It takes little effort and doesn’t cost anything. You just
have to be in the habit of doing it. When you get in the
habit of smiling at others, the world will begin to smile
with you!
Ogeechee fish being
tested for toxins
Special
to
The Times
This summer, Damon Mullis plans to cruise up and down
the Ogeechee River on his 10-foot aluminum Jon boat in
search of fish deep below. The plan isn’t to eat the fish, but
to test them for a cancer-causing toxin called Perfluoroalkyl,
or PFAS for short, used by manufacturers for decades to
make products water and oil resistant, like non-stick cook
wear, stain-resistant carpet, and food packages.
The bigger the fish, the better for testing. “The longer
an animal has lived, and the higher up in the food chain,
generally the more contaminated they are going to be with
PFAS,” said Mullis, executive director of the Ogeechee
Riverkeeper, an environmental watchdog group.
Last year, a study by the Waterkeeper Alliance discovered
elevated levels of the chemical in the Ogeechee River,
which flows 245 miles from the Piedmont region of the
state, through Savannah and to the coast. The river has been
plagued with contamination for years. In 2011, more than
30,000 fish died from contamination linked to a now-closed
textile plant accused of discharging contaminated water
upstream, one of the largest fish kills in the state’s history.
When the Ogeechee Riverkeeper discovered the plant
discharging PFAS chemicals into the river more than three
years ago, its renewal permit requested lower standards
for the toxin. The Ogeechee Riverkeeper fought against it,
seeking PFAS limits and more monitoring. A few months
later, the company announced it was removing PFAS from
all its products.
But Mullis said the damage was done, and even people
who don’t eat freshwater fish should be concerned. “We
put these chemicals out in the environment, not really
understanding their impacts on the ecology of our systems,
but also their impact on human health,” Mullis said. “And
then once they’re out there, they make their ways in our
body, whether we eat fish or not.”
The Waterkeeper Alliance’s survey discovered PFAS
chemicals in 10 other Georgia waterways. “When we
began testing waterways for PFAS earlier this year, we
knew that our country had a significant PFAS problem, but
these findings confirm that was an understatement,” said
Marc Yaggi, the organization’s CEO in a statement posted
on its website. “This is a widespread public health and
environmental crisis that must be addressed immediately by
Congress and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.”
Mullis partnered with Georgia Southern University
this year to test fish for PFAS. The university purchased
its testing equipment, called a mass spectrometer, thanks
to a federal grant it obtained from the National Science
Foundation.
In May, Mullis took Atlanta News First Investigates on the
water to catch Redbreast sunfish, one of the most abundant
and eaten fish on the river. Each one caught is measured.
Sanders Monument Company
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its GPS location recorded, put on ice, and eventually sent
to GSU’s lab.
The likelihood the river’s fish will test positive for
some PFAS chemicals is high. A study released by the
Environmental Working Group (EWG) earlier this year
discovered elevated levels of the chemical in freshwater
fish from coast to coast. The samples, collected by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), discovered PFAS
in freshwater fish 280 times higher than commercially
raised fish.
EWG’s study estimates eating just one freshwater fish a
year could be equal to drinking a month’s worth of water
laced with the forever chemical.
“This is a significant problem, and this is one that we
think should be addressed at both the local and federal level
in terms of holding polluters accountable and potentially
providing guidance to anglers or communities who are
relying on these fish,” said David Andrews, the EWG
researcher who led the study.
Damon agrees more testing and regulation needs to be
done, but right now the EPA and the Georgia Environmental
Protection Division (EPD), the state’s regulatory body, are
largely focused on only testing and removing PFAS in
drinking water, not lakes and streams. ^ fkh vao f,
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When the
storms
of life By Sam Eades, Publisher/Writer
for
surround me THETIMES
I have to say, we have has a tremendous amount of
rain lately. It seems like we are like Florida, rain every
evening. And not just rain, storms too.
The recent storms remind me of several hymns about
stomis that have been written throughout the ages. One of
my favorites is not a very well known hymn. " When the
stomis of life surround me".
The first time I ever heard this hymn was in a revival
in northern Georgia. This particular Church was a fairly
good size. It had a big choir and I would say maybe 400
members that attended regularly.
I was asked to be the special music guest for this
particular night and the Choir sang this hymn to start the
service. As they proceeded down the aisle, they repeated
in loud voices, "He is greater than the thunder. He is
mightier than the storm. He extends His hand to lift me,
and protect my soul from harm. He will see me safe to
harbor, to the haven of my rest, sheltered by the Rock of
Ages, held in His mighty arm."
I can tell you that it seemed like the heavens had
opened and the gates were open wide. The spirit in that
place was something I had never felt in my life. Everyone
was praising the
Lord, singing to the
top of their lungs
and lifting their
hands to the highest
praise.
“When the
Storms of Life
Surround Me” is
a hymn written by
Richard W. Adams.
Adams was bom in
1952 in Missouri.
He graduated from
the University
of Missouri with
a BA in music.
There is not alot
of information
out there on Mr.
Adams. However, he has written over 100 hymns that
are used today by many denominations world wide. You
can definitely tell that Adams was in tune with God. The
lyrics to all his hymns are profound and represent how
good God is.
This particluar hymn uses that same music as "Come
thou fount of every blessing." It is not known who really
wrote the tune to this hymn. However, it is credited to a
Mr. Nettleton, and written in 1913.
Now, scripture does tell us, when we go through a
stomi of life, God is with us through it all. In Isaiah 43 it
says, “When you go through deep waters, I will be with
you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not
drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you
will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.
For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your
Savior”.
Please sing with me and raise your voice to the Lord.
Isaac Watts
1. When the storms of life surround me.
And the world seems dark and cold.
When the rain beats down upon me.
And the lightning stabs my soul,
I cry out to my Savior,
Lord, help me, lest I die!
Do You care not that the billows
Push my boat toward the shoal?
2. When the raging winds and tempest.
And the noxious clouds of sin.
Whirl around me like an army.
And my faith is wearing thin.
In a whispering distant thunder.
Comes a voice like morning calm:
“Fear not, I am with you ever,
Till the world shall see its end.
3.1 command the winds of heaven.
And the lightning does My will,
I who walked upon the waters.
And who bid the storm be still.
I seek not your destruction.
But to strengthen and make pure;
Keep your faith in Me, believing
I My promises fulfill.
4. He is greater than the thunder.
He is mightier than the storm;
He extends His hand to lift me,
And protect my soul from harm.
He will see me safe to harbor.
To the haven of my rest,
Sheltered by the Rock of Ages,
Held in His almighty arm.
THE COTTON
GIN
" Millen's Florist"
Since 1987
478.982.2153
717 Cotton Ave.
Millen, GA
