Newspaper Page Text
The Wiregrass Farmer, December 21,2016 - Page 3
CHRISTMAS CONCERT
The 6th, Middle School and High School bands gave their annual Christmas Concert last week.
Firefighter 101 class in January
Ashbum Fire & Emergency
Services will offer the Basic
Firefighter: Module One
Course as part of its in-service
training program. The course is
a very fast paced course, which
is the mandated training course
required by Georgia Law to be
come a firefighter. The class
will begin on Monday, January
9, 2017 at 6 PM at Ashburn
Fire & Emergency Services
Station #2 located at 1070
Bridges Road in Ashbum. The
course is 68 hours in length
and will be held on consecu
tive Monday and Thursday
nights. Therefore, the course
will take approximately 8
weeks to complete. If you are
interested in attending the class
please call 567-4952 to regis
ter. There is no charge for this
class and after successful com
pletion participants may pur
sue a career in the Fire Service.
AFTER
HOURS
SERVICE
NEW AND USED TlRES - COMPUTER WHEEL BALANCE
ALLEN'S
Tire Service Inc.
OPEN LATE
6 DAYS A WEEK FREE ROTATION
_ _ _ _ AND REPAIRS
1-75 at Bussey Road on set of 4
Sycamore • 567-3390
AUTO • RV • TRUCK AND TRAILER TIRES
Longshot Clovers go a Swamp Stomp’n
by Faye Belflower
Okay, you are thinking what
is that “crazy lady” is talking
about this time....but... by
now you know it is all about
our very own Turner County 4-
H Air Pistol Team... Longshot
Clovers.
On November 13th, while
most of you were kicked back
watching TV, or fuss’n, cuss’n
and discuss’n what the
DAWGS had done the day be
fore; five (5) very dedicated
young fellas traveled to Way-
cross to do what they do
best..shoot. And shoot they
did, in the 6th Annual Gator In
vitational. Competing at their
favorite shooting range, where
the new battle cry was “10’n is
win’n”.
Ever since the Summer
Olympics’ very first GOLD
Medal was won in a Shooting
Sports Event; Will, Murphy,
Ike, Jordan and Jacob have
spent their Wednesday and
Thursday nights practicing.
They have “set their sights on
the GOLD” and have become
so precise with their aim, that
you forget they are only 9 and
10 years old. That’s right 4th
and 5th grade kids that can and
do shoot the center out of a tar
get at 33 feet with open sights,
with an air pistol.
I had the honor of serving as
the “partner/coach for one of
my grandsons. This was a very
different role for me, as I am
usually pacing behind the fir
ing line checking scores and
worrying about the kids. This
time however, I had no idea
what everyone was doing. My
one and only job that day was
to prepare the air pistol for my
teammate, talk him though his
nerves and offer advice and
praise for a job well done. The
highlight being when he said,
“Gama, this is fun.”
When the “figurative”
smoke had cleared, our kids
had out preformed them
selves....again! As expected
the scores were very tight for
my three fellas that had com
peted at Nationals; Will-366,
Ike-356, Murphy-342. Jordan
and Jacob did very well for
their first competition as mem
bers of the Longshot Clovers
Air Pistol Team, shooting in
the mid to high 200s (out of a
possible 400). Good Job Guys!
This about wraps up a very
successful 2016 season
that was until the team set their
collective sights on the JUN
IOR OLYMPICS SHOOTING
(JOSC) TRIALS in January.
They will take a few days off
for the various holidays; other
wise they will be in the range
every chance they can.
JOSC is so very different,
this time the fellas will be
shooting 60 shots, just like the
Olympic men do. They will
also be competing for personal
pride and goals, not medals of
GOLD, SILVER and
BRONZE. Why you ask? The
answer is simple...they aren’t
old enough and their bodies
aren’t ready to shoot in the
Olympic Standing Style of
shooting. They shoot because
they love it. They shoot be
cause they have set goals and
you can only meet and exceed
those goals by working hard to
achieve them. They shoot so
maybe...just maybe one day
they will be shooting for the
GOLD, SILVER or BRONZE.
A big THANK YOU to all
13 of the 4-Hers and “Educa
tional kids” who joined the
Longshot Clovers Air Pistol
Team and Dirty Bird Boyz this
year. I truly loved working
with each and every one of you
and your families, as we
melded together and became
one family.
Some of you have moved
on to new interests and that is
ok; we all like to try different
things as we travel this road
called life. If you show one
tenth of the love, drive and
passion you demonstrated for
Air Pistol, you will succeed in
whatever you do. Also know
that you are a better person, for
you learned so very many life
lessons while shooting that
silly looking air pistol.
Stay tuned for Longshot
Clovers 3.0 as we get ready to
greet new team members and
begin on the third, yes third,
year of this 4-H Shooting
Sports Program.
Turner County thank you
again for all of your support
and the interest you have
shown to this group of young
sters. We are TURNER
STRONG; We are TURNER
PROUD.... WE ARE
TURNER.
Rebels
honored
Congrats to Tamorrian
Terry and Malik High on being
selected to the 2016 Recruit.
Georgia Class A All-State
Team
This past Tuesday night, In
The Game Magazine recog
nized Tamorrian Terry and On-
tatria Wilson as Turner
County's 2016 Offensive and
Defensive Players of the Year.
The awards dinner recognizes
POY for many high school
teams in our area. This year's
keynote speaker was former
Georgia Bulldog Player, Ren
nie Curran.
Claiming unclaimed life insurance
Insurance Commissioner
Ralph Hudgens has partnered
with the National Association
of Insurance Commissioners
(NAIC) to announce a free
service that will help Georgia
consumers in their search to lo
cate a deceased love one’s un
claimed life insurance
benefits.
“There are many Georgians
who don’t know where to
begin when searching for a lost
life insurance policy,” said
Commissioner Hudgens. “The
life insurance policy locator
streamlines and simplifies the
process for consumers.”
The NAIC’s Life Insurance
Policy Locator provides na
tionwide access for assistance
with finding life insurance
policies and annuities. An esti
mated $1 billion in benefits
from life insurance policies are
unclaimed, according to Con
sumer Reports.
With the new service,
Georgian’s requests are en
crypted and secured to main
tain confidentiality.
Participating insurers will
compare submitted requests
with available policyholder in
formation and report all
matches to state insurance de
partments through the locator.
Companies will then contact
beneficiaries or their author
ized representatives.
Before utilizing this service,
Commissioner Hudgens rec
ommends that consumers con
duct a diligent search of the
deceased person's records. This
search should include looking
through the decedent's per
sonal files, contacting any pre
vious employers and reviewing
bank accounts. Consumers can
always contact us online
at www.oci.ga.gov or by tele
phone at 800-656-2298 for ad
ditional search tips.
In 2015, life insurers paid
more than $74 billion in insur
ance policy benefits to con
sumers nationwide. Since
2012, the Georgia Department
of Insurance has entered into
23 multistate regulatory ac
tions that resulted in 9,577
Georgians receiving unclaimed
life insurance benefit totaling
$191,000,000.
BRIEFLY
Volunteer
Opportunity
Looking for a unique vol
unteer opportunity? Do you
have a passion for Turner
County history and people?
The Historic Crime and
Punishment Museum is where
you need to be! Volunteers to
lead tours throughout the jail
and share it’s rich history are
needed. Training will be pro
vided by the Historical Preser
vation Society. Contact the
Chamber of Commerce for
more information.
Welcome kits
If you are new to Turner
County please be sure to stop
by the Ashburn-Turner County
Chamber of Commerce to pick
up your New Resident Wel
come Kit. The kit is filled with
promotional material, adver
tisements, and coupons pro
vided by Chamber Members,
along with a map and direc
tory. We are located at 238 E
College Ave. and look forward
to welcoming you to Turner
County!
PRESENTMENTS OF THE GRAND JURY
DECEMBER 2016 TERM - OCTOBER 2016 SESSION
TURNER COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT
We, the Grand Jury, serving at the December Session of the October 2016 Term make the fol
lowing presentments:
1. We wish to thank the Honorable Melanie Cross, Judge, for her able instructions to this body,
District Attorney Paul Bowden and the rest of the District Attorney’s staff, Sheriff Andy Hester
and his department, Chief Clifford Jordan and his department, Clerk of Court Mary Lee Green,
and our bailiff, Wayne Hobby.
2. The Grand Jury considered evidence presented concerning 28 offenses contained in 8 indict
ments and returned 28 True Bills, 0 No Bills, and 0 Tabled.
3. The Grand Jury received the Annual Report from Melissa Wood, the Chairperson of the
Child Abuse Protocol Committee in Turner County. Said report is attached hereto as Exhibit A.
4. The Grand Jury inspected the Turner County Detention Center during its October Session.
The Grand Jury found the jail to be in good working order with the exception of the kitchen.
The Grand Jury recommends the kitchen, along with its appliances be modernized and updated
to be more useful. Specifically the Grand Jury was concerned to learn the freezer in use is
more than twenty (20) years old and recommends this be replaced.
5. The Grand Jury has a special request as it relates the Courthouse, 2nd Floor Ladies' Room.
During the October and December terms, the Grand Jury found the door to the restroom did
not have a doorknob, which makes it difficult to lock the bathroom. The Grand Jury recom
mends this door be fixed and a doorknob be added.
6. The Grand Jury also considered the Board of Equalization members. Odis Reese is a regular
member whose term is set to expire December 31,2016. The Grand Jury hereby reappoints
Mr. Reese for another three year term to begin on January 1,2017. The alternate member
whose term would have expired on December 31,2016 was never properly certified. The
Grand Jury hereby recommends Keith Carter be appointed as an alternate member to the board
for the term beginning January 1,2017.
7. We respectfully request that the court order the within recommendations and presentments
of the Grand Jury to be spread upon the minutes of the Turner Superior Court and be published
in The Wiregrass Farmer and that the Clerk of Court send a copy of these presentments to the
Turner County Commission.
This 12th day of December, 2016.
Alishia Dawn Denney, Foreperson
Martha Pirkle Carter, Clerk
GEORGIA, TURNER COUNTY
It is ordered that the within recommendations and presentments of the Grand Jury be spread
upon the minutes of the Turner Superior Court and be published in The Wiregrass Farmer and
a copy be sent to the Turner County Commission.
This 12th day of December, 2016.
Melanie Cross, Judge, Turner Superior Court, Tifton Judicial Circuit
I, Mary Lee Green, Clerk of Turner Superior Court of said State and County, do hereby certify
that the within and foregoing is a true and accurate copy of the presentments of the Grand Jury
returned at the December Session of the October 2016 Term of Turner Superior Court.
This 12th day of December, 2016.
Mary Lee Green
Clerk, Turner Superior Court
Exhibit A
PROTOCOL COMMITTEE - ANNUAL REPORT
County: Turner Judicial Circuit: Tifton Judicial Circuit
Date of Submission: December 12,2016
Pursuant OCGA § 19-15-2 the protocol committee shall issue an annual report to the Fall Term
Grand Jury.
The report shall include the following:
1. Evaluate the extent to which the child abuse investigations during the 12 months prior
to the report have complied with the child abuse protocol: Every case of child abuse in
Turner County has complied with the child abuse protocol. There has been successful commu
nication with all agencies involved with child abuse cases.
2. Recommend measure to improve compliance: The Tifton Judicial Circuit Child Abuse
Protocol Committee is familiar with the necessity of making sure our children are safe in
school. The situation that occurred in 2015, (in a separate county in the judicial circuit involv
ing a teacher/coach allegedly sexually assaulting an 8th grade student on school premises) and
now in 2016 another situation, (in a separate county in the judicial circuit involving the Princi
pal of the High School failing to report abuse as a mandated, reporter), have been addressed.
After reviewing the current protocol, it was established that steps to take when there are alle
gations of child abuse made within the school system are indeed already included in the cur
rent child abuse protocol. All mandated reporters are aware that child abuse allegations made
to them must be reported and failure to do so will result in criminal charges.
3. Describe which measures taken within the county to prevent child abuse have been
successful: Numerous outreach opportunities have been successful by presenting children and
parents with information on child abuse at community events and to civic groups. Also presen
tations have been given to teenagers on Teen Dating Violence. The Turner County Connection
along with many other collaborative partners, are active in presentations and events as well.
"It's Ok To Tell", a program designed for children ages 5-9 and 10-15, shares through skits per
formed by The Patticake House employees the reasons why the child should tell if someone
touches or hurts them. A weighted necklace is given to each child that attends for them to have
as a constant reminder that if something is on their mind and "weighing them down" that it is
always ok to tell a grown-up they trust. The children are also empowered to be ambassadors
for other children that are scared to tell. The Patticake House also coordinated the 11th annual
Suitcases For Kids Project that provides clothing and gifts for foster children at Christmas.
Melissa Wood/ Tifton Judicial Circuit Child Abuse Protocol Commnittee Chair
Address: 408 North Tift Avenue Tifton, GA 31794 Phone: 229-382-4141
Email: mlswood_255@yahoo.com or forensicinterviewer@rcpch.net
The report shall be submitted to the:
1. County governing authority
2. Fall term grand jury of the judicial circuit
3. Office of Child Advocate, 7 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, Suite 347, Atlanta, GA 30334
4. Chief superior court judge