About The Eatonton messenger. (Eatonton, Ga.) 18??-current | View Entire Issue (June 26, 2025)
A4 | THURSDAY, JUNE 26, 2025 The Eatonton Aessenger www.msgrnews.com 00 Opinions All letters to the editor must be signed and include a phone number for verification purposes. Send letters to editor@msgrnews.com by noon Monday. Still time to ensure safer schools It was the morning of Sept. 4, 2024, when Georgia’s deadliest school shooting was underway atApalachee High School in Winder. Thanks to a recently upgraded school security system, a fast- acting school resource officer and local law enforcement, the mass murder was halted at four fatalities, with serious injuries to nine others. My first born was — and is — a schoolteacher living nearby. I was frozen in time for several moments as I heard news of the shooting. My daughter and her mother are both career educators, my younger child, in a DeKalb Bill Crane One Man's Opinion County public school, has come to accept school shooter drills as part of her new normal. I may never understand or forgive the shooter, teenager Colt Gray, or reduce my disdain for the judgment of a father who reportedly gifted a 14-year-old a semi-au tomatic firearm.All that said,I do not blame the gun. Across our nation, in the thousands, if not millions, our young men are broken. I will come back to that. But we know from long operating military bases, protecting heads of state, and even enhanced corporate security since 9/11, if we harden and better secure the targets, we greatly increase their safety and security, simul taneously decreasing the success chances of a random or planned act of violence. I want to recognize and thank Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, Lt. Governor Burt Jones, House Speaker Jon Burns, and the members of both Georgia legisla tive chambers who over whelmingly supported a nearlyhalf-a-billioninvest- ment in improved school and campus security. Smaller efforts have already been made and enhancements completed, with most in two cate gories, hiring or placing school resource officers and/or creating a locked/ secured central entrance point with metal detectors and camera systems. Yet, though this should seem obvious to most anyone,bad guys generally don’t walk in the front door or stand in front of security cameras.As long as there are side entrances, loading docks, doors propped by students tired of pushing a buzzer to re-enter their own school, etc., an easy path typically remains for bad actors. While I don’t relish that our children are being taught how to run, secure themselves, and be quiet to avoid shooter attention, I know from speaking with other shooting survivors that these tactics work. We also have seen technological advances in security cameras, in terms of imagery as well as the more modern inclusion of sound. Every school system in the state should be investing in networked, monitored camera systems at every school building entrance and exit, as well as hall ways and larger common spaces. Our governor and General Assembly made dual investments, providing serious funding to harden school targets and improve security systems, as well as another significant investment in mental health for adding school counselors to assist in identifying and treating mental health symptoms »Show up, speak up!« Public meeting schedule for Eatonton and Putnam County PUTNAM DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY 1 p.m. - 2 nd Tuesday 706-485-1884 PUTNAM COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION 6 p.m. - 2 nd & 3 rd Monday 706-485-5381 EATONTON PUTNAM WATER SEWER AUTHORITY 4:30 p.m. - 3 rd Wednesday 706-485-5252 EATONTON CITY COUNCIL 7 p.m. - 1 st Tuesday & 3 rd Monday 706-485-3311 PUTNAM COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS 6 p.m. - 3 rd Tuesday • 10 a.m. - 1st Friday 706-485-5826 PUTNAM PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION 6:30 p.m. - 1 st Thursday 706-485-2776 PUTNAM BD. OF ELECTIONS & REGISTRATION 4:30 p.m. - 1 st Tuesday 706-485-8683 * These dates and times are based on regular government meeting schedules. For any called or special meetings, please see our legal page. The Eatonton Messenger MORE SCHOOLS » A6 @Ramireztoons PUT DOWN YOUR WEAPON! A. Mark Smith Matt Smith Ian Tocher President/Publisher General Manager Editor amsmith@msgrnews.com matt@msgrnews.com ian@msgrnews.com Established 1861 Vice President Michael Smith Vice President JoAnn Smith Managing Editor Josh Lurie Reporter T. Michael Stone Reporter Bailey Ballard Sports Reporter Lance McCurley Advertising Manager Heather Harris Advertising Representative Dianne Phillips Advertising Representative Amy Manville Classified Representative Haley Fowler Graphic Artist Victoria Anadenko Legal Advertising/Circulation Becky Meyer Business Manager Cassandra Fowler Lakelife Editor Lynn Hobbs Dedication Battle B. Smith, Editor and Publisher, 1956-1988 Micky Smith, Editor and Publisher, 1989-2003 Mark Smith Jr., Executive Editor, 2004-2019 The Eatonton Messenger (USPS 166-520) is published every Thursday by Smith Communications Inc., 100 N. Jefferson Ave., Eatonton, GA 31024-4027. It is the official organ of the County of Putnam and the City of Eatonton and is a member of the Georgia Press Association and the National Newspaper Association. All rights reserved. Reprints by permission of The Eatonton Messenger and individual writers only. Subscription Rates One Year Two Years Putnam, Morgan, Greene counties $37 $70 Other Georgia counties $50 $90 Out of Georgia $55 $99 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Eatonton Messenger, P.O. Box 4027, Eatonton, GA 31024 Periodicals Postage Paid at Eatonton, GA 31024 Advertising, news and information: 706-485-3501 Fax: 706-485-4166 Advertising email: sales@msgrnews.com News email: editor@msgrnews.com Member, Georgia Press Association National Newspaper Association outhern Newspaper Publisher Association A prize-winning newspaper in Better Newspaper contests 1999-2016 ner of 23 top GPA awards in 2016 PLACE for GENERAL EXCELLENCE 2013, 2014 and 2015 snpa / MEMBER SOUTHERN NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION More wandering and wondering I am definitely wandering now because of the various activities that I dearly love. First, I want to take a moment and give thanks to Mothers of Against Crime members. They are absolutely great and very hard workers. Let me give you a list of their activities. May 10th was the Mothers Against Crime banquet, celebrating 33 years of service to the commu nity, a service that we absolutely love. June 7th was the always unforget table Dairy Festival. We were blessed to be in the parade, and I was blessed to be able to tell Uncle Remus stories on the courthouse lawn. June 14th was the annual Mothers Against Crime Youth Rally at Oconee Springs Park. Georgia Benjamin-Smith Guest Columnist It’s the best kept secret in Putnam County! We were all blessed with good weather and the stars of the day were the Putnam County Fire Department and the Putnam County Ambulance Service. The kids were amazed at their presentations. We also invited guests from the beach to come on up and eat lunch with us. Kylie Reed, the YPD director at St. John’s AME Church, spoke to the young people and the message was to the point. And praises go out to Ms. Peggy and Mr. Lonnie and all the employees at Oconee Springs Park; they are absolutely great. But don’t take my word for it, go out and visit them. You’ll see our next event will be our annual Gospel Exposition at Putnam County Middle School on July 19th at 6 p.m. Tickets are just $10 each, and we intend to have a real gospel get down! And don’t forget, July 26 is our Back-to-School party at Montgomery Homes. Also, we will have another yard sale down by Maxway on July 9th. And remember, everything at our yard sales is free! All of this is possible because of good God-fearing people like you in Eatonton. My promoter’s hat continues to stay on tight because I absolutely love Eatonton and Putnam County, and I will always promote them. Oh, and I almost forgot, the Juneteenth Parade and Festival was great; people everywhere. I absolutely loved it. Thought for today: It doesn’t matter if our singing is angelic, or if we are just plain tone deaf. God’s ear listens not for the right notes, but for a spirit of truth in our praises. With this kind of worship, he is well pleased. Eatonton City Council Members John Chip Mylle James A. Michael Janie B. Marie Teresa Reid Walker Mangum Gorley Smith Reid Rainey Doster Mayor Mayor Pro Tem Ward 1 Ward 2 Wards 2 & 3 Ward 3 Wards 1 & 4 Ward 4 706- 706- 706- 706- 706- 706- 478- 706- 485-3311 485-7804 485-7195 485-8984 485-0306 816-6800 288-3846 484-0693 Putnam County Commissioners B.W. “Bill” Sharp Chairman 706-752-8431 Tom McElhenney District 1 762-205-4731 Richard Garrett District 2 706-749-5573 Steve Hersey District 3 706-485-0935 Jeff Wooten District 4 706-752-8432 Putnam County Board of Education Members Doris Clemons District 1 706-485-1142 Simone Jones District 2, Vice Chairman 706-473-0738 Steve Weiner District 3, Chairman 706-485-5087 Charles Trumbo District 4 Carol Ann Guthrie District 5 706-766-6012 Georgia Legislators Senate Dist. 25 Sen. Rick Williams (R) 327-B Coverdell LOB Atlanta, GA 30334 (404) 656-0082 rick.williams@senate.ga.gov House Dist. 124 Rep. Trey Rhodes (R) 228-A State Capitol Atlanta, GA 30334 404-656-5099 trey.rhodes@house.ga.gov House Dist. 144 Rep. Dale Washburn (R) 401-H Coverdell LOB Atlanta, GA 30334 Office: (404) 656-0152 dale.washburn@house.ga.gov
