Newspaper Page Text
*—7
The LeS County Ledger
Your Hometown Source Of Local News
Hometown Newspaper of Barney and Pat Knighton
Volume XLIV- Number 44
Leesburg, Georgia - - July 20, 2022
Fifty Cents
GDOT awards $32.5 million in SWGA construction contracts
Special to the Ledger
Recently awarded
$32.5 million Georgia
Department of Trans
portation construc
tion contracts include
extending Westover
Boulevard in Dough
erty County to connect
with Ledo Road in Lee
County and replacing a
Terrell County bridge in
such poor condition that
it was closed in the fall
of 2019.
Other contracts will
upgrade lighting and re
surface portions of state
routes and upgrade signs
and pavement markings
on county roads.
The largest contract
that Georgia DOT
awarded July 1 was
approximately $21
million for the Westover
Boulevard project. Con
struction will provide
motorists another way
to reach Ledo Road,
which should relieve
congestion on Notting
ham Way. Construction
includes Albany’s first
roundabout near the
commercial area of Al
bany Mall and two new
bridges on US 82/state
Route (SR) 520/Liberty
Expressway. The project
is expected to be fin
ished in the winter of
2024.
A $1.3 million contract
will replace the Ivy
Mill Road bridge over
the Bear Creek Tribu
tary in Terrell County.
The bridge was built
in 1950 and replace
ment has been eagerly
awaited by motorists
who have had to find
alternate routes since
Georgia DOT bridge
inspectors recommend
ed closure about three
years ago. Construction
is expected to be com
plete in the summer
of 2023. Replacement
is being done through
the Department’s Low
Impact Bridge Program.
The program pays for
replacement of county
road bridges, reducing
the number that have
posted weight limits
or have been closed.
Construction time is
shortened by using some
prefabricated compo
nents.
Resurfacing contracts
awarded are for SR 37
in Baker County from
the Calhoun County
line to east of the Flint
River bridge; SR 31 in
Lowndes County from
west of Carrol Road to
west of SR 7 Business;
and SR 90 in Turner
County from north of
SR 159 to north of the
Wilcox County line. All
have completion dates of
spring 2023.
Remaining contracts
will upgrade lighting on
Liberty Expressway at
the Jefferson Street in
terchange in Dougherty
County and upgrade
road signs and pavement
markings on portions of
23 county roads in Sem
inole County. The lo
cations are River Road,
Ash Crossing Road,
Three Notch Road,
Oakview Church Post
Road, Burl Lane Road,
Swanner Road, County
Road 374, Hebrew Road,
Brackin Road, John
Thursby Road, Tom &
Brandy Trawick Road,
CD Miller Road, Spoon
er Road, Hagen Still
Road, Mae Dell Cannon
Road, Robin Drive,
Terry’s Road, Woodrow
Jernigan Road, Dallas
Moore Road, Joel Pool
Road, Burke Road,
Cannington Road and
Lane Bridge Road.
Georgia DOT receives
annual funding from the
Federal Highway Ad
ministration for safety
improvements on roads
that are not on the state
highway system. About
40% of overall crashes
statewide are on off-sys-
tem routes. Both proj
ects are scheduled to be
complete in the summer
of2023.
Start dates have not
been established for
any of the contracts and
scheduled completion
dates are subject to
change.
2022 Class Of Distinguished Alumni Announced
Special to the Ledger
The Lee County High
School Distinguished
Alumni Program Com
mittee is proud to
announce the selection
of the seven recipients of
the 2022 LCHS Distin
guished Alumni Award.
The purpose of this
program is to recognize
outstanding alumni
who have maintained a
high standard of excel
lence and distinguished
themselves through their
work, personal accom
plishments, or in the lives
of others. These individ
uals exemplify the ideals
of the Lee County School
System and the commu
nity it serves and serve
as role models for current
and future Lee County
High School students.
The 2022 Class of
Distinguished Alumni
are listed in alphabetical
order:
Mr. David Preston
Daughtry, Class of 1994
Mr. Curtis R. “Trey”
Green III, Class of 1989
Dr. Abigail Leigh
“Abby” Phillips, Class of
2002
DOHERTY, DUGGAN,
HART&TiERNAN
INSURORS
Home • Auto • Business • Life/Health
P.O.Box 71628 (229)888-2040
Albany, GA 31708-1628 800-628-2040
2301 Dawson Road (31707) Fax (229) 435-3036
www.ddhtins.com
Summer Food
Distribution
10:00 a.m.
on Thursday,
July 21
at Lee County
Parks &
Recreation
Office 141
Park Street
Ms. Yolanda Michelle
Robinson, Class of 2001
Mr. Larry Eugene
Tucker, Class of 1962
(Posthumous Recogni
tion)
Dr. Theresa West,
Class of 1983
Mrs. Penny Wood
Whitman, Class of 1995
The Distinguished
Alumni will be rec
ognized and honored
during the Homecoming
festivities September
29 and September 30,
2022. They will serve
as Grand Marshals for
the Homecoming Parade
on Thursday, Septem
ber 29. Following the
Homecoming Parade,
they will be honored at
a banquet at The Bind
ery at Oakland Library.
Tickets will go on sale
to the public in August.
On Friday, they will visit
and speak with students
in the Lee County
School System. On Fri
day evening, they will be
recognized on the field
during the Homecoming
pregame festivities.
To help learn more
about the recipients,
one award recipient will
be highlighted in the
newsprint and on social
media for the seven
weeks leading up to
Homecoming.
The Lee County High
School Distinguished
Alumni Program will
select 7 recipients every
year. For more infor
mation on how you can
nominate your LCHS
Distinguished Alumni,
please email patsy@
leecountyfamilyconnec-
tion.org. Applications are
available year-round.
Observance Of Juneteenth As County Holiday Requested
Special to the Ledger
Mrs. Trish Hawkins
Batten, a 33-year em
ployee of Lee County, a
taxpayer, devout Chris
tian and an advocate for
Juneteenth went before
The Lee County Board
of Commissioners on
Tuesday, July 12, 2022, to
speak about the Obser
vance of Juneteenth.
Juneteenth is a federal
holiday in the United
States commemorating
the Emancipation of
enslaved African Amer
icans.
The holiday was first
celebrated in Texas,
where on that date in
1865, in the aftermath of
the Civil War, slaves were
declared free under the
terms of the 1862 Eman
cipation Proclamation.
Trish Batten said that
although President Joe
Biden signed the legisla
tion that made Juneteenth
a federal holiday in June
2021, not all states and
counties observe this
holiday as a national day
of reverence, namely, Lee
County.
Referencing “The
Pledge Of Allegiance”
which everyone in at
tendance at the meeting
recited and placed their
right hand over their
heart, Batten said she
believes that should gen
uinely mean something,
especially when saying,
Indivisible, Liberty and
Justice for all.
To her, she said “that
means, we are insepara
ble, with independence
and integrity for as long
as our country is com
plete.” Batten went on to
say, “The America that I
believe in consists of not
giving away or letting
go of our freedoms that
we fought for, worked
hard for and some even
died for as one undivided
nation”.
Batten recalled a
few past incidents that
happened in Lee Coun
ty where The Leesburg
Stockade Girls were
jailed for 45 days chal
lenging segregation laws,
in which their parents
did not know where they
were. Those girls were
Trish Hawkins Batten
To Subscribe Call 229-759-2413
ages 12 to 15 years of age.
Batten said, “Many of
us that are parents have
got to know the restless
ness and panic feeling
that engulfed them. The
Leesburg Stockade is still
standing today here in
Lee County that harbors
many memories.”
Another example was
Shady Grove Baptist
Church on Hwy. 195 that
was bombed and burned
to the ground by the KKK
because church affiliates
were holding NAACP
meetings. Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr. walked
on the soil of Lee County
to see what needed to be
done to rebuild that es
tablishment. Trish Batten
said, “Thanks to God,
Dr. King and influential
supporters, monies were
given, and the church
was rebuilt. Shady Grove
Baptist Church is stand
ing today and opened for
worship services.”
Mrs. Trish H. Batten
stood before the Com
missioners and body to
introduce the request as
a potential resolution —
some Citizens would like
for Lee County to observe
Juneteenth as a national
federal holiday rather
than a mere recognition,
to give citizens the time
to reflect the joy, and
grace of how this day has
impacted many lives.
She said, “Mr. Billy
Mathis, Chairman of The
Lee County Board of
Commissioners, Mr. John
Wheaton, and Mr. George
Walls and officials, I want
to humbly say “Thank
You” for the consider
ation of approval to start
2023 with Juneteenth
observed as a paid federal
holiday for Lee County,
Georgia.
“Thanks to Mayor Billy
Breeden of Leesburg to
graciously sign the Proc
lamation for Juneteenth.
To God Be The Glory!”
8 10499 02456 8
Homeownership
is within your reach,
even if you don't have
much to put toward a
down payment.
GCB has you covered
with low mortgage
insurance premiums.
Contact us to
get a quote today!
Georgia Community Bank
3000 N. Slappey Blvd.
(229) 446-0102
Online @ GCB.bank
NMLS # 648124
Subject tO Member
credit approval. FDIC | Lsi