About The Eatonton messenger. (Eatonton, Ga.) 18??-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 21, 2025)
A6 | THURSDAY, AUGUST 21, 2025 The Eatonton Aessenger www.msgrnews.com Obituaries Cloteal "Maw Maw" Melder Michael Ashley "Mike" Hall Natural-gas turbine delivered to Plant Yates Mrs. Cloteal Hawthorne Melder “Maw Maw”, 94, passed away on August 15, 2025. A Memorial Service will be held on Thursday, August 21, 2025 at 2 p.m. in the Williams Funeral Home Chapel in Milled geville. Burial will be at Heritage Memorial Park. The family will receive friends on Thursday from 1 p.m. until the Service time. Mrs. Melder was a native of Louisiana and made her home in Milledgeville. She was the daughter of the late Charles Aubrey Hawthorne and the late Ethel Watkins Hawthorne and was preceded in death by her husband, Eddie Eugene Melder “Paw Paw”; and brothers, James Hawthorne and H.L. Hawthorne. She has been a member of the Order of the Eastern Star and a member at Eatonton Pres byterian Church. As a matriarch, Maw Maw was the rock that held the family together. No matter what event, she was her Family’s biggest cheerleader. She found joy in every moment spent with those she loved and was there to offer support, encouragement, and comfort whenever it was needed. Her presence was a gift, and her absence will be felt deeply by all who were touched by her kind ness and love. Maw Maw loved her babies and was truly a baby whisperer. Her legacy will live on in the hearts of her family, who carry forward the lessons she taught them: the impor tance of family, the value of unconditional love, how to dance, the art of cooking shrimp fettuccine, and the strength of a woman who never wavered in her devotion to those she held dear. She is survived by her children, Michael Melder, Sr. (Lynne) of Lamona, Washington; Sheila Rudowske (John) of Gray, Georgia; Mitchell Melder (Vickie) of Milledgeville, Georgia; and Van Melder (Tammie) of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Grandchildren Penny, Heather, Michael, Jr., Ingrid, Michelle, Trent, Bridget, Lindsey, Adrian, Mechelen, Jr., Mendi, and Shelby. Great Grand children Mauri, Thomas, Jace, Paislee, Sage, Grant, Jameson, Arden, Knox, Aubrey, Mason, Brody, Priscilla, Evie, Lydia and Trace. In lieu of gifts, Maw Maw would like you to spend time with your family and your babies. Express online condo- lences at www.williamsfu- Ineral.netl Williams Funeral Home and Crematory of Milledgeville in charge of arrangements Michael Ashley “Mike” Hall, age 81, of Union Point, GA, passed away on Monday, August 11, 2025, at his residence. He was born on January 4, 1944, in Fairplay, GA, to the late Paul Thomas Hall and Ruby Shelton Hall. After graduating from high school, Mike proudly served his country as a member of the United States Army. On July 25, 1967, he married the former Sarah Annie McElhannon in South Carolina. The couple has resided in Union Point for over fifty years. He was the owner and operator of Hall Trucking, working with Coleman Logging. Mike enjoyed outdoor activities such as softball, horseshoes, water skiing, and golf. He is survived by his wife of fifty-eight years, Sarah Hall of Union Point, GA; daughter, Kathy Keeton of Eatonton, GA; son, Bruce Hall of Union Point, GA; son-in-law, Keith Hagwood of Union Point, GA; sisters, Irene Ruark (Roy) of Bostwick, GA; Linda Vickers of Hull, GA; Joyce Dixon (Jimmy) of High Shoals, GA; brother, Royce McClain (Vicky) of Madison, GA; brother-in-law, Barnett Treadwell; grandchil dren, Erica Yearwood (Wilson) of Eatonton, GA; A. J. Yearwood of Greensboro, GA; Autumn Hall of Union Point, GA; and great-grandchildren, Aiden and Ansleigh Year- wood and T. J. Fletcher, all of Eatonton, GA, along with many other relatives and friends. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his daughter, Debra Hagwood; twin brother, Isaac Thomas Hall, brother-in-law, Scott Vickers; and sister, Joan Treadwell. Funeral services were held on Friday, August 15, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. at McCommons Chapel, 109 W. Broad Street, Greens boro, GA 30642, with Rev. Dennis Mitchell offici ating. Interment followed at Greenlawn Cemetery, Rhodes Street, Union Point, GA 30669. The family received friends from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Thursday, August 14, 2025 at the funeral home. Pallbearers included A. J. Yearwood, Aiden Year- wood, Bill Coleman, Chad McClain, Steven McClain, John Herrington, Wilson Fletcher, Royce McClain and Bruce Hall. McCommons Funeral Home, 109 W. Broad St., Greensboro, GA, (706) 453-2626, was honored to assist with arrangements. Please visit www.mccom- monsfuneralhome.com to sign the online guest register. OMO/76 Georgia Power announced last Friday it took delivery of the first of three state-of-the-art, simple-cycle, gas-com bustion turbines at Plant Yates in Coweta County, about an hour southwest of Atlanta. “We continue to work with the Georgia PSC to enhance and expand our diverse generation mix to meet the needs of customers not only today, but decades into the future, GP Sr. Vice President and Sr. Production Officer Rick Anderson stated. “The new natural gas units at Plant Yates will be a great addition to our fleet, using existing prop erty and infrastructure to deliver the best overall value for customers and providing exciting new investment at a plant that has been an economic driver in Coweta County for decades.” With the expansion of three new units, Plant Yates will continue to support the state’s energy needs while providing high-quality local jobs. Increasing the size of the current plant will provide approximately 600 jobs during the construc tion process and add 15 permanent new jobs once completed, expanding the plant workforce to 75 full time jobs. Assembled at Mitsub ishi Power’s Savannah Machinery Works facility, the turbine was trans ported to the site by both rail and truck. At 50 feet long and 18 feet wide it weighs nearly 350 tons. The new natural-gas units at Plant Yates will feature Mitsubishi Power M501JAC combustion turbines, which are the first new natural gas turbines to be added to Georgia Power’s fleet in a decade. When all units are in service, they will provide 1,300 megawatts (MW) of generation capacity for customers. The air-cooled design of the new combustion turbines will provide oper ational flexibility by elim inating the need for steam cooling, offering a shorter start-up time of approxi mately 30 minutes and a lower turn down rate. As a contingency in the unlikely event that natural gas is unavailable, the units have built-in flexibility to run on oil, with on-site oil storage capability to provide reli ability and resiliency bene fits to the electric system. The new units were approved by the Georgia Public Service Commis sion (PSC) in the 2023 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) Update and are expected to be online by the end of 2027 to meet the state’s increasing energy demand. Georgia Power is also investing in other existing power plants. Notably, the company has been approved for combined-cycle and simple-cycleupgrades on all combustion turbines at Plant McIntosh near Savannah in the 2025 IRP. These enhance ments will add an addi tional 268-megawatts of capacity, helping to meet the projected energy demands from existing infrastructure. Beginning commercial operations in 1950, Plant Yates is one of Georgia’s oldest generation sites. It was the first Georgia Power plant built to support the post-World War II economic boom. In 2014, five of the seven coal-fired units were decommissioned, with the remaining two converted to natural gas generation. To learn more about Georgia Power visit geor- giapower.com. — Contributed Georgia Power offers suggestions to reduce energy bills Even with a temporary drop in temperatures in recent weeks, summer heat continues with high-808 and even 90-plus degree temperatures continuing across the state. According to theNational Weather Service, last month was one of the hottest ever for Georgians with tempera tures two degrees above McCommons Funeral Home Callaway Funeral Home, and Georgia’s Lake Country Crematory "Over 100 Years and 5 Generations of Family Funeral and Cremation Service” FUNERAL HOMES - MONUMENTS - PREARRANGEMENTS - CREMATORY May those who have lost a loved one find strength in the love of family and in the warm embrace of friends. 706.453.2626 706.486.4138 109 W. Broad St « Greensboro, GA30642 208 N. Rhodes St ■ Union Point, GA 30669 Iniccomnionsfuneralhonie.com I |lakeoconeecrematory.com! lcallawayfuneralhome.com] 1 Take Oconee’s Onsite Crematory 1 • 1 IERNARD’S YFUNERAL CARE08/ ‘Service as good as its promise (706)485-4494 Eatonton, GA www.bernardsfamilyfuneralcare.com Q Vining Ivy Hill Q .Chapel. 706.485.4144 "We will be there for you like a member of the family" || 306 N. Jefferson Street, Eatonton, GA 31024 706-485-3303 1670 N. Jefferson St., Milledgeville, GA 31061 Funeral Homes 478-452-2148 a friend of the family |www.williamsfuneral.net| XT-6 www.HuRTSFuNERALHOME.com In Your Time of Need, Call us Save THOUSANDS on Funerals A New Way, Guaranteeing Better Service Eatonton, GA 706-485-3281 the July average. According to Georgia Power, energy consumers have several options avail able to help lower indi vidual energy usage costs. The company also stressed its rates have averaged 15 percent below the national average since 1990 and are frozen for three years following approval by the Georgia Public Service Commission. For qualifying customers, the Georgia Power EASE Program provides free home upgrades such as LED light bulbs, heating and cooling system service, attic insulation, and more. These improvements can significantly reduce energy consumption and lower bills. Households with an SUBSCRIBE □ The Eatonton Alessenger □ Lake Oconee News Putnam, Greene or Morgan County (including tax) □ One Year $37 • Two Years $70 • Five Years $175 Out of County (including tax) □ One Year $50 □ Two Years $90 • Five Years $210 Out of State (including tax) □ One Year $55 □ Two Years $99 • Five Years $245 □ Payment Enclosed □ Credit Card • Bill me (subscription will start after payment is received) Subscriptions include all online content FREE! NAME ADDRESS PHONE EMAIL Credit Card Information NAME ON CREDIT CARD CARD NUMBER EXPIRATION CVV □ Visa □ MasterCard □ American Express Mail or bring by form and payment information The Eatonton Messenger/Lake Oconee News P.O. Box 4027 | 100 N. Jefferson Ave. Eatonton, GA 31024 706.485.3501 www.msgrnews.com income of 200% or less of the federal poverty guide lines (or a household of two earning less than around $42,000 annually) may qualify. More information is available atGeorgia- |Power.com/EASE| The company’s My Power Usage tool allows most customers to track and manage their energy consumption with hourly, daily, and monthly moni toring. Customers can view trends, download usage history, and receive customized notifications to stay informed. My Power Usage Threshold Alerts also help customers stay within their energy budget by notifying them when they exceed their target usage, with both monthly and daily notifi cations available. Georgia Power also offers several resources for those seeking assistance. Customers can visitGeor- giaPower.com/Assis- tance to access a directory of local resources and organizations to help easily find the support needed based on location. Assistance may be avail able for local help with utilities, food, shelter, and more simply by entering a ZIP code. Georgia Power maintains several part nerships with community organizations to aid with rent, utilities, food, shelter, and more. Customers can explore rate options such as Flat- Bill, PrePay, Overnight Advantage, and more to find plans that best suit their budget and lifestyle. — Contributed EATONTON HEALTH REHABI LITATION 118 W. Marion St • Eatonton, Ga 706-485-8573 Visit: leatontonhealth.org Eatonton Health & Rehab is a Health Service of CHSGa
