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PAGE 2A PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS THURSDAY. MAY 26. 2022
“Can I read next?”
Hill City Elementary students excited by Story Walk
Honea-Worley Family
Heritage scholarships
presented
By Suzanne Hardison, Ed.S. Principal Jennifer Halko, Assistant Principal Angie Kretschmar, HCES School Advi-
Media Specialist SO ry Council, Suzanne Hardison (media specialist), Sonia Chapman (agriculture teacher),
Hill City Elementary anc i students from Mrs. Jones' 2nd-grade classroom.
Eager reading volunteers from Mrs. Jones' 2nd-grade
What could make a funny
book about a birthday party-
crashing cockroach more ap
pealing to kids? Read it
outside!
The ribbon-cutting for the
new StoryWalk® at Hill City
Elementary School was on
Wednesday, May 18, 2022. A
StoryWalk is a reading expe
rience that combines the joy
of reading with the love of
being outdoors. Students
travel to stations to read in
the garden area on the
school's playground.
"Reading almost unknow
ingly becomes part of their
playtime," said Mrs. Jennifer
Halko, principal. "It's excit
ing to give students another
fun way to enjoy books." Stu
dents are free to explore the
StoryWalk during recess, or
teachers may use it as an out
door classroom opportunity.
Not original to Hill City,
the StoryWalk Project was
created in 2007 by Anne Fer
guson of Montpelier, VT, and
developed in collaboration
with the Vermont Bicycle &
Pedestrian Coalition (VBPC)
and the Kellogg Hubbard Li
brary. There are StoryWalks
in all 50 states and 12 coun
tries.
The project deconstructs a
picture book, places lami
nated pages at a station, and
allows students to walk, skip,
or run to the next part of the
story. Generously funded by
Amicalola EMC through
their Bright Ideas teacher
grant program, there are 18
kiosk-like stations perma
nently installed.
The walk's debut story is
"Your Birthday was the
Best!" by Maggie Hutchings
and Felicita Sala. It's a beau
tifully illustrated, silly tale
written from the perspective
of a cockroach attending a
child's 5th birthday party.
Because of copyright, the
book may not be scanned,
photocopied, or altered with
out permission. Therefore,
multiple copies of the story
book need to be purchased.
Ann Roper, a retired Pick
ens County teacher, donated
the money for the first books
in honor of her family's love
of reading. The school plans
to update the picture books
monthly to keep interest
high.
"Can I read? Can I read
next?" exclaimed second
graders as they excitedly
weaved through the story
trail. While the tale's cock
roach thought the birthday
party was the best, perhaps
those words are the best to an
educator's ears.
Oxendine charged in
health-care fraud scheme
ically unnecessary tests or
dered from a lab in Texas.
Gallups already has pleaded
guilty to health-care fraud.
As part of the health-care
fraud scheme, the lab com
pany agreed to pay Oxen-
dine's insurance services
business a kickback of 50%
of the net profits from eligi
ble specimens submitted by
Gallups’ practice, which
amounted to $260,000.
Oxendine allegedly used a
portion of the kickback
money to pay debts on behalf
of Gallups, paying a
$150,000 charitable contribu
tion and $70,000 in attor
ney’s fees.
“Patients go to their
health-care provider for treat
ment with the expectation
that their treatment or test is
necessary, not a scam for
fraud," U.S. Attorney Ryan
Buchanan said.
“These allegations de
scribe someone who was
more motivated by personal
greed than their duty to pro
vide appropriate and neces
sary care to patients,” added
Keri Farley, special agent in
charge of the FBI's Atlanta
office. “The FBI, along with
our partners, will continue to
investigate health-care fraud
to ensure these individuals
who willingly defraud the
American people are brought
to justice.”
Oxendine, 60, of Duluth,
was elected insurance com
missioner in 1994 on the Re
publican ticket and served
four terms.
He ran for governor in
2010 but finished fourth in
the Republican primary.
Oxendine was accused of
spending campaign contribu
tions on personal items dur
ing that gubernatorial bid.
The Georgia Government
Transparency and Campaign
Finance Commission re
solved the longest running
campaign finance case in the
state's history earlier this
month, approving a $128,000
settlement agreement.
Braxton Jarrett reading a page at station 15.
By Dave Williams
Bureau Chief
Capitol Beat News Service
ATLANTA - Former
Georgia Insurance Commis
sioner John Oxendine has
been indicted on federal
charges of conspiring to com
mit health-care fraud and
money laundering, the Jus
tice Department announced
Friday.
According to information
presented to a federal grand
jury, Oxendine conspired
with Dr. Jeffrey Gallups and
others to submit fraudulent
insurance claims for more
than $2.5 million in med-
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Historical scholarship winners (l-r) Piper Duncan, Kate
Wigington and Angelina (Daisey) Fields with judge Maria
Boling. Not pictured Karolina Kearns.
By Maria Boling, Pickens Historical Society
On May 19, the marble steps in front of the historical 1906
Old Jail was a gathering place for young writers and their
family members.
A few weeks ago the Pickens High senior class was of
fered the chance to write their family heritage. On behalf of
the Honea-Worley families, cash prizes and certificates were
awarded through the Pickens Historical Society.
The winners were:
• Piper Duncan, first place
• Kate Wigington, second place;
• Tied for third place Angelina (Daisey) Fields and
Karolina Kearns.
The four high school seniors recorded their family ge
nealogical history. Covered in the submitted manuscripts
were insights into a variety of Pickens County occupations
including the marble industry, local restaurants, real estate
and beauty businesses.
After pictures were taken and certificates distributed, the
writers, attending parents, grandparents and other family
members enjoyed a tour of the Old Jail on the north end of
Main Street. The Pickens Historical Society manages the
scholarship for the Honea-Worley Family using funds they
established the scholarship with initially.
The students are anxious to get their futures started with
Duncan and Kearns both attending UGA in the fall. Wiging
ton will go to the University of Tennessee and Fields with
plans to continue working and take a gap year before decid
ing.
Instructions for the competition were simple, “write what
your heart desires as long as it includes Pickens County fam
ily [going back at least four generations].”
The historical heritage of Pickens County including val
ues, traditions, cultures and personal accounts of institutions
and businesses were reflected in the manuscripts.
Judges commented that it was extremely hard to decide
on the winners and their order as all were good.
Congratulations to all these winners.
Amicalola EMC
recognized for support
of Veterans Park
Left to right Larry Brown, Ron Wheeler, Frank Leist,
and Todd Payne President/CEO.
Pickens County Veterans Memorial Park (PCVMP),
members recently had an opportunity to recognize Todd
Payne,
President/CEO Amicalola Electric Membership Corporation
for their generous donation of $20,000 for Phase II for the
Veterans Memorial Park.
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