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Thursday, March 30, 2023 | Volume 135 Number 50
New airport terminal building
could see groundbreaking in June
Members of the Airport Authority welcomed Alexis Walker as a new
employee at their last meeting. Above (l-r) design engineer Phil Eberly,
Walker, Authority Chair Don Boggus, Vice-Chair Ed Wood and Authority
Board member Wendell Turner. Additional Authority members are David
Johnson and Jerry Edwards.
By Max Caylor
Progress Contributor
A June groundbreaking for the
long-awaited new airport terminal is
possible, according to engineer Phil
Eberly, who spoke at last week’s air
port authority meeting.
Eberly said if all goes well the
groundbreaking for the $1.8 million
terminal building, which has been in
the planning stages for years, could
happen in June.
Eberly, with over 500 airport
projects, is president of Lead Edge
Design Group and has led the air
port’s expansion plans. The
FFA/GDOT bid for the FBO termi
nal site work and airfield lighting up
dates were opened March 28.
The authority voted to allow
Chairman Don Boggus to approve
the two bids as long as they meet
“budget projections” without having
to call another authority meeting.
One of the many Pickens Airport
improvements noted by Eberly was
the construction of an electronic
vault which is critical to the airfield’s
infrastructure. The high-voltage
vault safeguards all airport flight
systems including airport lighting.
An improved wind cone has been
added, the beacon has been refur
bished and relocated, and a new
paved apron expansion has been
completed.
Currently, a new Automatic
Weather Observing System (AWOS)
is under construction. The AWOS
provides continuous real-time airport
weather conditions which is critical
information for pilots.
Three potential income-produc
ing ground hangar leases were dis
cussed with no action taken.
Authority Vice-Chair Ed Wood
mentioned that he wanted to make
sure the housed planes “would gen
erate ad valorem taxes for the
county.”
Airport Manager Randy Thoma
son informed board members of nor
mal first quarter fuel sales and noted
a military fuel contract is in process
that
See Airport on 11A
Four of six
county
schools will
see new
principals
next year
By Angela Reinhardt
Staff Writer
areinhardt@pickensprogress.com
Four of the six principals
at county schools have an
nounced their retirement or
resignation, with a new slate
of top leadership coming
down the pike for the 2023-
2024 school year.
Pickens High School
Principal Rodney Martin
will retire, as will Hill City
Elementary School Principal
Jennifer Halko and Tate El
ementary School Principal
Stephanie Hall. Pickens Jun
ior High School Principal
Chad Flatt has announced
his resignation and to work
in a larger school district.
At a called meeting on
Friday, March 23, the school
board approved a personnel
action report that included
Flatt’s resignation, as well as
two new principal appoint
ments at the elementary
school levels.
Hill City’s Assistant Prin
cipal Angela Kretschmar
See Principals on 11A
Scam artist
enters home,
gets SS info
from woman
“They ’re getting
more brazen, ” said
CID commander
By Angela Reinhardt
Staff Writer
areinhardt@pickensprogress.com
After a man entered an
elderly woman’s home ear
lier this month and con
vinced her to give him
critical personal informa
tion, authorities are urging
residents to exercise caution.
The woman’s son told the
Progress she lives alone and
that the man went into her
home without knocking.
“They’re getting more
brazen,” said Pickens Crim
inal Investigation Division
Commander John Cagle.
“Most of the time people
will just call in scam cases,
but in this instance he actu
ally went into the resi
dence.”
Cagle said this is the first
time he can recall a scam
artist entering a home to so
licit information like Social
Security numbers.
According to sheriff’s re-
See Scam on 11A
Fire ants are literally a growing threat
More and larger nests being regularly spotted here
Charles Ruby with a fire ant mound measured at two feet tall. The
longtime exterminator says the nest will go as deep in the ground as
its height above — meaning these are no small things and can be a
real hazard.
By Kevin Rauda
Progress Contributor
At the Shell gas station on the cor
ner of Cove and Burnt Mountain
roads, a large fire ant mound sits near
the curbside. It’s noticeable for its
size. At another spot, a longtime ex
terminator showed one measured at
more than two feet tall.
The exterminator, Charles Ruby,
said it is important to remind people
that mounds of that size, filled with
the stinging ants, are a true safety
issue should a child or someone not
paying attention walk into it.
And if you are thinking that you
are seeing more and possibly larger
mounds, you are not alone. While
there is no way to take a census, both
the exterminator and the county ex
tension agent felt there are more
mounds out there this year.
When asked if there has been an
increase in fire ants in Pickens, Justin
Fellenbaum, Pickens County Agricul
ture, and Natural Resources agent,
said, “I would say yes, they definitely
are more abundant.”
History of the fire ant
The imported fire ant was acciden
tally introduced to Mobile, Ala. in
1918. An invasive species from
Brazil, the imported fire ant presently
spans states from Maryland to Florida
and across the south to California.
On rainy late mornings, during the
spring or fall, winged males leave
their mound and begin flight to find a
mate. This is the initiative of a new
colony. Once a queen becomes fertil
ized, she will begin to find an ade
quate nesting site. Her wings will
shed, and she will start to burrow a
chamber to start her ant nest.
The spread of fire ants into new
areas varies as queens can cling to
motor vehicles or trains and are trans
ported long distances. During heavy
rain, fire ants use flood water to relo
cate. They can also be distributed by
nursery stock or soil, relocating com
plete colonies or nests.
The problems they pose
In addition to the pain their bites
inflict, the imported fire ants are con
sidered pests because they frequently
infest electrical equipment, and chew
on insulation, sometimes causing
short circuits by moving soil into
these structures. Air conditioners and
other devices can also be damaged.
Colonies may nest in rafters, wall
voids, or large appliances during
droughts or floods.
A fire ant mound can be identified
by its lack of an opening. Imported
fire ants use subterranean tunnels to
leave or enter the colony. If the
mound is disturbed, they will charge
up. Numerous stings to a person can
cause medical issues in addition to be
painful, so steer clear if you come
across one until it’s time to treat.
“My best advice would be, espe
cially if it’s one mound, to leave it be.
Don’t agitate them. They are inactive
until you disturb them,” says Fellen
baum.
Fire ants prefer open, sunny re
gions such as parks, lawns, and culti
vated fields. Mounds can extend 18 to
24 inches high.
Charles Ruby, with Safe Extermi
nating, says he recalls the ants being
present in Cherokee County when he
started working this area in 1985 but
doesn’t recall being called out for
them in Pickens at that time. Though
they were likely there, he wasn’t get
ting
See Fire Ants on 11A
Nancy Teague awarded Golden Deed
Submitted by Pickens
Retired Educators
It was announced that
Nancy Teague was the re
cipient of the 2022 Golden
Deed Award for her contri
bution to our community
during the the Pickens
County Retired Educators
Association (PCREA)
March meeting.
Teague is an active mem
ber of PCREA. She served
as chapter president from
2018-2019.
She is an active member of
Jasper First Baptist Church.
She is an active deacon,
teaches the Dorcas Sunday
School class, and leader of
the Lamplighters Women on
Missions Group.
She enjoys serving her
community through her
church activities.
Teague is also an active
member of the Beta Eta
Chapter of Delta Kappa
Gamma Society Interna
tional, where she serves as
chapter treasurer.
Teague has a servant’s
heart and we celebrate her
willingness to share her time
and talents with her commu
nity, said a statement from
PCREA.
At right, Nancy Teague
holds a proclamation de
claring her as this year’s
Golden Deed recipient.
Teague was praised as
having a servant’s heart.
Farmers Market
opens
Veggies and
More, starting
Sat. April 1
Page 9A
KPB plans
events for
Great American
Cleanup Month
Page 8A
Finance
Ga. banks
stable, says
industry
group
Page 3A
Obituaries 10A
• Joanne Henderson
• Larry Jones
• Shirley McArthur
Contact Us
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Jasper, Ga. 30143
706-253-2457
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