Newspaper Page Text
Election Results were too
late to include this week
Sorry for any inconve
nience. Will post on our
social media pages when
available.
Graduation for PCHS
Class of 2020 June 27th
Peach County High School will hold a graduation ceremo
ny for the Class of 2020 on Saturday, June 27th at 9.m .
They based the decision and guidelines on input from
stakeholders. Graduation will be held at Ernest R. Anderson
Stadium with the following guidelines:
-Tickets are limited to five per graduate due to social dis
tancing.
-Use of masks for graduates and families are optional.
-Graduation ceremony will be live streamed.
Please be mindful that the date and time are subject to
change due to the COVID-19 pandemic or inclement weather.
Byron saves money,
accepts Cane River Dr.
BY VICTORIA SIMMONS
The Byron Buzz
Byron City Council got
down to business Monday
evening with Mayor Pro-tem
Michael Chambley at the
helm as Mayor Chidester
was not able to attend.
The city saved about $1600
for the official modifica
tions due to COVID-19 over
original estimates. Council
approved changes that were
made to the payment win
dow/stall and office area of
administration.
Council voted for Mayor
Michael Chidester to serve
as the voting delegate at the
2020 Georgia Municipal
Association Annual Conven
tion Membership Business
Meeting to be held virtually
on July 2, 2020. They also
approved the nominations
for GMA’s District 6 officers
for 2020-21 as proposed:
Shelly Berryhill, President
from Hawkinsville; Mary
Marpham Copeland, First
Vice President from Milled-
geville; Eric Wilson, second
Vice President from Forsyth;
and Clifford Holmes, third
Vice President from Warner
Robins.
In other business council
approved:
• the Municipal Gas
Authority supplemental
contract regarding the Gas
Portvolio V Project for later
this year.
• termination of hazard pay
for COVID-19 to end on this
pay period which is Wednes
day.
• quote from Southfire to
add electronic applications
to the City of Byron for ap
proximately $1400.
• permanent BMP Mainte
nance Agreement with The
Lotus Center with Lionel
Brown as the landowner on
John Sullivan Road.
• $25 fee deposit for
Sterling Place for stormwa
ter and sanitation service.
Though they have utilities
from FVUC, Byron provides
a trashcan and all residents
pay a stormwater fee.
• Cane River Drive as a
public road to become part
of the City of Byron public
road system.
Flint donates to to food banks
Flint Energies and its
philanthropic arm, the Flint
Energies Foundation, donat
ed $25,000 to the Emergency
Management Association of
Georgia - Area 4, Feeding the
Valley and Middle Georgia
Community Food Bank to
assist with their COVID-19
pandemic response efforts.
Flint made the contribution
from monies generated by its
Operation Round Up® pro
gram and through a matching
grant.
Feeding the Valley and Mid
dle Georgia Community Food
Bank each received $8,500
to feed those in need across
the Cooperative’s service
territory. The Emergency
Management Association of
Georgia - Area 4 received
$8,000 to purchase personal
protective equipment (PPE)
for healthcare workers and
first responders.
“Since our inception as a
rural electric cooperative,
Flint Energies has worked to
improve the quality of life for
our members. This is espe
cially true in times of crisis.
One way we can help is by
assisting local food banks in
providing food for families
in need and providing PPE
for frontline workers in the
COVID-19 battle,” says Flint
Vice President of Cooperative
Communications Marian Mc-
Lemore. “We believe this do
nation will benefit many Flint
Energies consumer-members
and their families.”
A portion of the funds
($10,000) is the result of
a matching grant by Co-
Bank, one of Flint’s lenders.
CoBank’s Sharing Success
program doubles the contri
bution of its co-op customers
to the charitable organization
of their choice.
Retirees from
Peach County
School System
NOT PICTURED:
Van Harris, School Nutrition
Program
Ethel
Dawson
Janet
Clark
Lilia Arnica
Hunt
Leah
Goolsby
Deanna
Carlson
Duandall
Williams
FFA leaders
Emma Harris, above and Tim Deas, below, have been select
ed as Area 3 Officer Candidates for the Future Farmers of
America. They have a chance of being elected as leaders for
the Central Region of Georgia FFA.
2nd season for local vets
Veterinarians Vernon Hodges and Terrence Ferguson will get
a second season of “Critter Fixers” on Nat Geo Wild sched
uled to come out in the spring of 2021. So, if you happen to
see film crews around Central Georgia, that could be the
reason. Ferguson is usually at Byron Critter Fixers in Byron
and Hodges in Bonaire. The show features them as they take
care of pets and farm animals. Ferguson says they are elated
and excited about a second season and blessed. The show is
not rehearsed and filming means long days. Both say filming
isn’t as glamorous as you might think and certainly not as
glamorous as walking the red carpet. Season one featured
six episodes and season two will have eight. This duo began
Critter Fixers 21 years ago and are still going strong. Fergu
son says one of the main things they wanted to portray was
that good things can happen in middle Georgia. If you missed
season one, you can soon find it on Disney Plus.
Ttoo arrested in
Fort Valley murder
Juan Edwards, 24, was shot
and died on June 1, 2020.
Fort Valley Police
Department of Pub
lic Safety began an
investigation into the
murder that occurred
at 1105 Edwards Street
Lakeview Apartments.
During the investiga
tion FVPD investiga
tors were made aware
of several videos of a
fight that preceded the
shooting incident. The
videos were circulat
ing on social media.
The investigation led
to arrest warrants for:
Jadarius Sanders, 23,
for aggravated battery
and participation in
criminal street gang
activity;
Marlexia Sanders,
22, for battery;
Shan dreka Warren,
21, for battery and par-
Ricky, 27, was arrested for
murder, aggravated assault,
possession of
firearm during
commission of
certain crimes
and possession
of a firearm by a
convicted felon.
Jada Unique Wil
liams, 26, has been
charged with mur
der and aggravated
assault as a party
Postell
Williams
to the crime.
Fort Valley De
partment of Public
Safety was assisted
in the investigation
by the Georgia Bu
reau of Investiga
tion, Peach County
Sheriffs Office and
the Peach County
Drug Enforcement
Unit.
FVPD Chief Law
rence Spurgeon,
ticipation in criminal street
gang activity;
Deshard Postell, 21, for
battery and participation in
street gang activity;
Pierre Williams, 21, for
battery and criminal street
gang activity.
Richard Lee Postell, aka
stated, “The investigation is
ongoing and more charges
may be forthcoming and
more individuals may be
charges as new information
is brought forth.”
Anyone with any informa
tion in this case, is asked to
call 478-825-3384.
Water safety tips
Water safety is important at
any age, but emergency room
physicians at both Coliseum
Medical Centers and Coliseum
Northside Hospital say it’s
especially crucial for families
who have babies or toddlers in
the home.
Dr. Ralph Griffin, Medical
Director of Emergency Med
icine at Coliseum Northside
Hospital, said, “Summer is
here, and that means a lot of
families will be spending more
time in the water. Parents can
take steps to reduce the risk
of drowning whether it is in a
pool, lake, ocean, or river.”
Coliseum Health System
offers these tips to reduce the
risk of drowning while out on
the water:
If you have a pool in your
backyard, install fencing at
least 4 feet (1.2 meters) high
on all sides of the pool, as well
as a self-closing and self-latch
ing gate with a lock that’s out
of a child’s reach.
Consider installing a pool
alarm or cover, but realize
these devices are not substi
tutes for fencing and adult
supervision. It can also be
helpful to install childproof
locks on the doors so that they
cannot easily leave the house
to get in the water.
Remove water toys when
kids are finished swimming to
prevent them from trying to
recover them when unsuper
vised.
Inflatable flotation devices
such as vests, water wings,
rafts and tubes can give a false
sense of security in the pool.
While they can be useful, nev
er use them as a substitute for
constant adult supervision.
Dump out all water from
a wading pool when you’re
finished using it.
Remove ladders from an
above-ground pool when not
in use.
If you leave your child with
a babysitter, make sure he or
she knows your rules for going
near the water.
Stay alert and make sure
someone is watching swim
mers at all times. Drowning
can happen quickly.
Enroll your children in
swim lessons.
Dr. John Shivdat, Medical Di
rector of Emergency Medicine
at Coliseum Medical Centers,
added that swimming isn’t the
only potential drowning risk.
Bathtubs can also be danger
ous for children left unattend
ed. He said, “Drowning can
happen very quickly and in
less than 1 inch of water, so
even bathtubs with shallow
water need be monitored very
closely.”
He suggests these tips for
bathtub safety:
Never leave a baby un
attended in the bath. If you
must step away, don’t rely
on an older sibling to watch
the baby; wrap your baby in
a towel and bring him or her
with you.
Never leave a bathtub,
bucket or other container
filled with any amount of wa
ter or other liquid unattended.
Never use a bathtub seat
or supporting ring without
constant adult supervision.
Both physicians agree that all
parents should learn CPR in
case of any accident that may
cause children to be unable
to breathe on their own. They
said the following numbers
should be stored on your
phone and hang somewhere
in the house (like on the
refrigerator). These numbers
will be helpful for both the
parents and for babysitters/
caregivers:
Toll-free poison-control
number: 1-800-222-1222
Parents’ work and cell phone
numbers
Neighbor’s or nearby rela
tive’s number (if you need
someone to watch other chil
dren in an emergency)
Coliseum Health System en
courages parents to be vigilant
and take the proper steps to
reduce the risk of drowning.
Parents should call 911 if there
is a near drowning or any
life-threatening emergency
involving the water.