Newspaper Page Text
Page 2A, The Lee County Ledger, Wednesday, August 28,2019
Motorists Reminded To Not Take a Holiday
From Sober Driving This Labor Day
Law enforcement statewide looking to take drunk drivers off the road and into jail
Special to the Ledger
Every year, Georgia
launches the Drive
Sober or Get Pulled
Over impaired driving
enforcement campaign
leading up to Labor Day
in order to get drunk
drivers off the road for
a safer end-of-summer
holiday weekend.
This year, Drive Sober
Or Get Pulled Over also
coincides with the 28th
annual campaign of
Hands Across the Bor
der, which includes state
and local law enforce
ment in Georgia, Ala
bama, Tennessee, South
Carolina and Florida
working simultaneous
ly to take drunk and
drugged drivers off the
roads, as well as issue
citations for distracted
driving, speeding, being
unbuckled (including
car seats) and other traf
fic violations in an effort
to make roads even safer
for Labor Day.
Hands Across the Bor
der kicks off Monday,
August 26, 2019 and
throughout the week,
officers, troopers and
deputies in communi
ties near Georgia’s state
lines will conduct joint
road checks in their
respective states. Drive
Sober or Get Pulled
Over, a nationwide en
forcement program, will
add an extra emphasis
of reducing impaired
driving crashes, injuries
and fatalities.
“We are fortunate to
have neighbors who are
as committed as we are
in Georgia to saving
lives on our roads and
that they are always
ready to work with us
during the year on other
projects that promote
save driving,” Gover
nor’s Office of Highway
Safety Director Allen
Poole said. “This sends
a message to every
driver in the southeast to
slow down, buckle up,
and drive sober and alert
before the Labor Day
holiday travel period.”
Hands Across the Bor
der started in 1991 as a
friendly wager between
the Georgia State Patrol
and Florida Highway
Patrol to see which
agency could limit the
number of alcohol-re
lated traffic deaths in
their state during the
Labor Day travel period.
Within ten years, the
effort grew to all states
bordering Georgia hold
ing joint road checks at
their state lines on the
week before Labor Day
with the goal of taking
impaired drivers off the
roads prior to the final
summer holiday travel
period of the year.
“Our ultimate goal at
any time of year is to get
dangerous drivers off the
roads and help reduce
traffic crashes, injuries
and fatalities,” GOHS
Law Enforcement
Services Director Roger
Hayes said. “But with
a major travel weekend
coming up and so many
warm weather vacation
destinations across the
southeast, we want ev
eryone to make sure they
drive sober, put down
their phones, slow down
and that everyone in
their vehicle is properly
buckled up.”
One of the reasons for
campaigns like Drive
Sober or Get Pulled
Over and Hands Across
the Border is because
traffic fatalities across
the southeast are still far
too high. Georgia, for
example, experienced
1,540 traffic fatalities
in 2017 and prelimi
nary numbers from the
Georgia Department of
Transportation currently
show 1,514 traffic fatali
ties for Georgia in 2018.
That’s only a slight de
crease from 1,556 deaths
in 2016. Alcohol-related
fatalities are similarly
down to 366 from 384
and speed-related fatali
ties to 248 from 266 for
the same time frame.
While all three catego
ries represent a decrease,
just one traffic fatality is
still too many.
“We will be partnering
with our state line neigh
bors in communities
along the South Caroli
na, Florida and Tennes
see boarders for road
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checks, enforcement and
awareness,” Hayes said.
“This isn’t about rais
ing revenue, but rather
lowering fatalities.”
Drive Sober or Get
Pulled Over will run
through Sept. 2 and
Hands Across the Bor
der will be Aug. 26-30
with road checks near
Savannah, followed by
stops at the Florida state
line near Kingsland and
Valdosta, the Alabama
state line in Columbus
and the Tennessee state
line near Ringgold.
Lee County Fire and Emergency
Services responded to
Lee County Fire and
Emergency Services
responded to 99 calls
during the week of Au
gust 18 - 24, 2019.
EMS Responses
EMS responded to one
call for abdominal pain/
problems.
EMS responded to one
call for allergic reaction/
stings.
EMS responded to
seven calls for breathing
problem.
EMS responded to
six calls for chest pain
(non-traumatic).
EMS responded to one
call for convulsions/
seizure.
EMS responded to
three calls for diabetic
problem.
EMS responded to four
calls for falls.
EMS responded to
nine calls for fire stand
by.
EMS responded to one
call for headache.
EMS responded to
one calls for heat/cold
exposure.
EMS responded to
three calls for psychi
atric problem/abnormal
behavior/suicide attempt.
EMS responded to
eight calls for sick per
son.
EMS responded to five
calls for stroke/CVA.
EMS responded to six
calls for traffic/transpor
tation incidents.
EMS responded to
three calls for transfer/
interfacility/palliative
care.
EMS responded to
three calls for traumatic
injury.
EMS responded to one
call for unconscious/
fainting/near fainting.
EMS responded to one
call for unknown cause/
person down.
EMS made 64 re
sponses for the week.
Fire Responses
Fire department re
sponded to two struc
ture fires.
Fire department re
sponded to two activat
ed alarms.
Fire department re
sponded to one vehicle
fire.
Fire department
responded to six MVC
calls.
Fire department
responded to 17 calls to
assist EMS.
Fire department re
sponded to two miscel-
Georgia Power is
hiring lineworkers, and
South Georgia Techni
cal College offers the
training candidates need
to take advantage of this
outstanding opportu
nity. Students who are
interested in this career
can attend South Geor
gia Technical College
for eight weeks and have
the opportunity for the
career of a life-time.
South Georgia Tech also
has on-campus housing
available.
A lineworker for Geor
gia Power can expect ex
cellent pay and benefits.
An apprentice linework
er can earn over $40,000
a year (plus overtime) to
start. There are advance
ment opportunities with
99 Calls
laneous calls.
Fire department re
sponded to one call that
was cancelled while in
route.
Fire department
responded to one trash
fire call..
Fire department re
sponded to one call for
smoke detector prob
lems.
Fire department re
sponded to two public
education events.
Fire department
responded to 35 calls
during the week.
Lee County Fire and
Emergency Services
responded to 99 calls
during the week of Au
gust 18 - 24, 2019.
Journeyman Linework
ers starting at over
$78,000 (plus overtime)
and Crew Leaders earn
ing over $85,000 (plus
overtime). Georgia Pow
er also offers health and
wellness programs and a
well-defined career path
with excellent opportu
nities for advancement
in an inclusive environ
ment.
South Georgia Techni
cal College’s eight week
Electrical Lineworker
training program is held
on the Americus Cam
pus. This program is de
signed to teach students
the skills they need
to begin their careers
quickly with Georgia
Power and other partner
utility companies.
Georgia Power Hiring
Lineworkers; SGTC
Offers Training
Submitted Photos
The Lee County Elementary School Food Service staff wrote an
ap“peel”ing message on each and every banana for National Banana
Day!