Newspaper Page Text
SHOW IN THE SKY ON MONDAY
Jefferson Elementary School students shouted,
“it looks like a macaroni noodle,” as only a tiny
sliver of the sun was visible at 2:39 p.m. when
the moon blocked out 97 percent of its surface
Monday afternoon during the total solar eclipse.
Photo by Wesleigh Sagon
VIEWING ECLIPSE
Luke Barrett, 5, viewed the “Great American
Eclipse” Monday afternoon at Jefferson
Elementary School. He attends Amanda
Corkery’s class. Photo by Wesleigh Sagon
EYES TO THE SKY
Betty Allen, administrative assistant for utilities, and
Rick Lewis, director of public works for Commerce,
look at the sun Monday at Spencer Park as the
eclipse begins about 2 p.m. Photo by Ron Bridgeman
Wednesday, August 23, 2017
J p THE
ACKSON
Herald
JEFFERSON, JACKSON COUNTY GEORGIA 30549 75« COPY
A PUBLICATION OF MainStreet Newspapers, Inc.
VOL. 143 NO. 12
40 PAGES 3 SECTIONS PLUS INSERTS
Merged in 2017 with
The Commerce News
GETTING A LOOK AT THE ECLIPSE
Jackson EMC employees stepped out of the building to view the eclipse on
Monday. Photo submitted by April Sorrow
‘OOOHHHH’
A group of students at Commerce High School watch the eclipse of the sun
Monday as it reaches the darkest point. As the sky darkened at the school,
it drew a chorus of “oooohhhs” from the students. Photo by Ron Bridgeman
SUNKIST AND MOON PIE
Madison Pugh, 3, was prepared to party while
waiting in the Jefferson Library for the eclipse
action to start. She is shown with her themed-
snacks, a Moon Pie and Sunkist. See more sub
mitted photos on 13Aand 16A.
Photo submitted by Jessica Beck Pugh
‘beiri ’ followed by
a moonshadow... ’
By Alex Pace
Ron Bridgeman and
Wesleigh Sagon
contributed
For a few minutes Mon
day afternoon, traffic eased
across the county. The sky
got darker. The tempera
ture dropped. And people
turned their gaze upwards.
Jackson County was
in the path of the “Great
American Eclipse,” which
made its way across the
country on Monday, Aug.
21. The county could see
the moon move over the
sun from about 1-4 p.m.,
but the peak was around
2:35 p.m. Only a sliver of
the sun remained for a few
minutes.
The sky darkened —
although not completely
— and many people said
it looked like a storm was
approaching.
Lights came on in down
town Braselton, at the Jef
ferson Public Library and
at the Jackson County His
toric Courthouse.
Bats circled around
the historic courthouse
and the cicadas sounded.
Other animals that aren't
normally active during the
day were lively as the sun
faded.
“I'm hard-of-hearing and
CHECKS OUT
PROGRESS
Jeff Kise, art teach
er at Commerce High
School, steps out of the
shade of the press box
at the football stadium
to check the progress
of the eclipse Monday.
Photo by Ron Bridgeman
I use a cochlear implant to
hear. While I was outside
during the solar eclipse,
I realized that the birds
had stopped singing and
the crickets started chirp
ing loudly during the peak
time,” said Erica Green
of Jefferson. “I couldn’t
believe what I was hearing.
It was a surreal feeling to
experience that!”
While the focal point of
the day was in the sky,
the eclipse also made a
show on the ground. Cres
cent-shaped shadows could
be seen across the county.
“I actually lost my solar
glasses but I got to see
the effects of the eclipse
in the shadows. It was
pretty amazing and totally
unexpected,” said Regina
Thompson, Commerce.
A Jefferson Elementa
ry School student noticed
the temperature seemed to
drop slightly.
One JES teacher com
mented the eclipse was
“so worth staying late for.”
And a JES student said
he “wanted to be in outer
space” during the eclipse.
Many Jefferson and
Commerce students
viewed the eclipse out
doors using certified safe
ty glasses. Themed snacks
(Sunkist and Moon Pies)
were served.
At Commerce High
School, students flooded
the school’s football field
to view the natural phe
nomenon.
CHS art teacher, Jeff
Kise brought a camera,
safety glasses and a pin
hole-cardboard device to
view the eclipse.
“Oohs” and “aahs” were
heard among the CHS stu
dent crowd as the eclipse
peak neared.
Jackson County School
System students were kept
inside, where teachers and
staff presented a variety of
eclipse-based lessons.
Gum Springs Elemen
tary School students
measured a noticeable
temperature difference
at 1:10 p.m. compared
to 2:50 p.m. Students at
several schools, including
East Jackson Elementary
School, watched the live
NASA feed.
Only about 35 percent of
Jackson County students
were present for all or part
of the school day on Aug.
21.
continued on page 2A
READY FOR ECLIPSE
Emory and Mason Kitchens from Maysville get
ready for the eclipse.
Photo submitted by Tabitha Kitchens
GAWKS AT ECLIPSE
Vanderlei Studivant, 5, and Aspen Kytle, 5, were in amazement as they
watched the total solar eclipse Monday afternoon at Jefferson Elementary
School. The students attend Amanda Corkery’s class. During the eclipse, the
moon blocked 97 percent of the sun. Photo by Wesleigh Sagon