Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 10A PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS THURSDAY. JULY 1.2021
Controversial unemployment benefits cutoff looming
By Dave Williams
Bureau Chief
Capitol Beat News Service
ATLANTA - First-time un
employment claims in Geor
gia fell by 1,826 last week,
but they’re about to drop
much more dramatically as
the state cuts off benefits job
less Georgians have been get
ting during the coronavirus
pandemic.
Initial claims totaled
20,698 last week, the state
Department of Labor re
ported Thursday.
Most of those claims are
about to go away entirely.
Beginning Saturday, Georgia
will no longer participate in
federal unemployment insur
ance programs Congress has
enacted since COVID-19
struck the nation in March of
last year. That’s going to cut
off benefits to about 223,000
claimants, according to the
labor department.
“After 66 weeks of bene
fits during the pandemic and
the release of $22.5 billion,
we look forward to refocus
ing our organization on reem
ployment and helping
claimants find a career path
that will provide the stability
and support necessary to pro
vide for their families,” Geor
gia Commissioner of Labor
Mark Butler said Thursday.
But critics say the state is
being premature in cutting
off benefits the Biden admin
istration plans to continue
into September. The move,
announced by Gov. Brian
Kemp last month, means
nearly two-thirds of Geor
gians who have been receiv
ing unemployment benefits
will be cut off, according to
an analysis by the National
Employment Law Project
(NELP).
“The [federal] pandemic
unemployment programs
continue to be a critical life
line for millions of people
looking for work in a
changed economy still jolted
by the pandemic,” NELP Ex
ecutive Director Rebecca
Dixon said. “The decision by
Governor Kemp and Labor
Commissioner Butler to
abruptly end these family-
sustaining payments is cal
lous and downright cruel.”
The labor department has
processed more than 4.9 mil
lion initial unemployment
claims since March of last
year, more than during the
last decade prior to the pan
demic.
Kemp and Butler have ar
gued there are plenty of
good-paying jobs begging for
someone to fill them. Geor
gia businesses have com
plained they can’t find
enough workers because the
federal benefits have been
encouraging unemployed
Georgians to stay out of the
workforce.
Opponents of the looming
benefits cutoff say legitimate
reasons keeping people at
home include difficulties
finding child care and safety
concerns over returning to
work in a state where so
many have not been vacci
nated against COVID-19.
More than 221,000 jobs
are listed on EmployGeorgia,
the labor department’s web
site. Claimants receive access
to job listings, support to up
load up to five searchable re
sumes, job search assistance,
career counseling, skills test
ing, job fair information and
job training services.
Ride the Rails at Mineral Bluff this weekend
• - V Vt v > Vi?v A;
* . ■ >•-
I - 1 -
■ . ■ • r
.. /' ii & aw-’c* *
_s . _J
Tri-State Model Railroad
ers will be hosting the first of
this year’s two Mineral Bluff
Ride the Rails Events on Sat
urday and Sunday, July 3 and
4. Join them for an exciting
and scenic 5-mile ride behind
restored open air railroad
motor cars traveling on the
former Louisville and
Nashville Railroad’s Murphy
Branch. Heading westward
from the restored depot at
Mineral Bluff you’ll travel
across the iron bridge over
the beautiful Toccoa River,
then ascend the grade out of
the river valley to Murphy
Junction, and return. A dona
tion of $13 for adults and $6
children 2 for youths 2-17 is
requested. Children under 2 -
free. These motor car rides
will operate from 10 a.m.
with the last trip at 3 p.m. on
each day and take 35-40 min
utes.
Back at the depot, you
100+ lob Openings
Industrial
* Warehouse *
Skilled and unskilled positions
Willing to train
Call or Text 770-953-6054
EMPLOYPARTNERS.COM
SJ EMPLOY
Ep NOW
AN EMPLOY PARTNERS COMPANY
Now in Jasper! 106 Travelers Rest Rd, Ste D
New CASA volunteers trained
through the pandemic
Appalachian CASA
would love to congratulate
and recognize each of our
wonderful volunteers who
were sworn in during the
pandemic. Steve Isbell, Pat
Wiley, Ann Poole, Pat Poole,
Alexis McClure, and Betsy
Solino were all sworn in vir
tually throughout 2020. We
truly appreciate the hard
work and dedication that
each of these new individuals
have shown in these trying
times. They endured a differ
ent way of learning and have
had to adapt to advocating for
Georgia Mountain E
Ophthalmology
is pleased to
announce that
Dr. Charles
Newcomer, OD,
has joined
our team.
I -
Y :p
{
:
GE9RGIA
M9UNTAIN
OPHTHALMOLOGY
(706) 253-2267 150 Interstate S. Drive, Jasper, GA 30143
It’s a family fun time you’ll
not want to miss. The depot
will be open for you to see
the interior of the oldest pub
lic building in Fannin County
and how the model railroad
ers have improved the HO
scale railroad by adding a
second level to the layout.
The funds raised during
this event will be used to
maintain the depot and con
tinue construction on the
large HO Model Railroad
Layout inside the depot
which depicts the route of the
Louisville and Nashville
Railroad’s “Old Line” as it
ran between Etowah, TN and
Marietta, GA through Cop-
perhill, Blue Ridge and Elli-
jay along with the branch
through Mineral Bluff to
Murphy, NC. It’s their way
of preserving the rich her
itage of railroading’s contri
bution to the growth of this
region, and of educating fu
ture generations about the
important role railroads play
in our nation’s growth and
progress.
For further information
see their FaceBook page at
Tri-State Model Railroaders,
Inc, send an email to
tsmri@yahoo.com or call
423-299-3914.
Tri-State Model Railroaders website video / Photo
will have the unique opportu
nity to propel yourself down
the track on a replica of an
old time hand pump car. A
donation of $2 per person/per
trip is requested. Special for
children: Ride the miniature
7 Zi gauge hand car for free!
Notice
Pickens County
Board of Elections
Please be advised that the Elections Board
will have a meeting at 6:30 p.m. at the
Elections Office located at 83 Pioneer Road,
Jasper, Georgia.
their children virtually, but
these challenges did not slow
them down! They are making
a difference in the lives of
children in our community,
and we are honored to have
them as CASA Volunteers.
Court Appointed Special
Advocates are trained com
munity volunteers who are
appointed by a judge to advo
cate for an abused and neg
lected child in juvenile court
deprivation proceedings.
Volunteer advocates gather
information to make written
recommendations to the
court as to the child’s best in
terest. The advocate is often
the only constant adult pres
ence in the child’s life.
Although we have many
wonderful volunteers who
have continued to thrive de
spite changing safety proto
cols and policies, so many of
our beloved advocates have
been affected by the pan
demic and have had to step
down. CASA of the Ap
palachian Judicial Circuit
needs community volunteers
to advocate for our children
in foster care. Our next train
ing session will begin August
13,2021.
If you are interested in
learning more about becom
ing a CASA volunteer and
the rewards that come along
with serving as the voice of a
child, you can visit our web
site at appalachiancasa.com
or email us at advocacy@ap-
palachiancasa.com. You can
also reach out to Recruitment
and Engagement Specialist
Destiny Morgan at 706-276-
2272 or advocacy@ap-
palachiancasa.com.
^ SN
Jaspt
\ A [ ^ 1
Br
waim
Nov
Hirir
art
V
ig
Positions
Starting Pav
Stocking Overnight
$14.50
Stocking 2pm-11 pm
$13.00
Personal Shopper
$13.00
Cashier
$11.00
Janitorial
$11.00
Sales Associates
$11.00
ADDlvatwalmart.com
ii /
Text "jobs" to 240240
Register for school now!
Classes begin Aug. 2 nd 4 A %
Catch up from COVID!
Give your child an award-winning,
accredited Christian education.
fs&l
AHLBERG*ACADEMY
1 ROOM SCHOOL HOUSE FOR THE 21 ST CENTURY
770 735-4853
AhLbergacademy.com