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PAGE 8A PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS THURSDAY. DECEMBER 28. 2023
Continued From 1A
Photo/Angela Reinhardt
(L-R) Mike Colbaugh, Jay Schwartz, and Jacob Elzey of
Aerobotic Services demonstrate how the DJI Agris T20
spray drone folds up for storage and transport. Spray
drones are a recently-legalized technology that can be used
to spray pesticide on crops and in other agricultural appli
cations.
Drones
are remote and treat areas
more precisely than tradi
tional methods,” said Mike
Colbaugh, the company’s
CEO.
He added that drones can
get to hard-to-reach areas
other equipment may not be
able to, and they can prevent
damage to crops when ma
chines attempt to access areas
on the ground
The Aerobotics team,
comprised of Colbaugh,
Schwartz and Chief Technol
ogy Officer Jacob Elzey, say
using drones for applications
like crop dusting, plant health
analysis, crop density data,
and mapping are often more
cost effective than traditional
options. The DJI Agris T20
can treat 40 acres in about an
hour, depending on the size
of the particles, which range
from a fine mist to a heavier
droplet depending on need.
Using drones for spraying
applications wasn’t legal
until recently, and licensing is
now governed by the Federal
Aviation Administration. The
FAA requires not only a Part
107 Certificate for a person
to get a drone pilot’s license,
but also a Part 137 Certificate
that allows the person to
apply pesticides using a
drone. Colbaugh encouraged
students to pursue getting a
drone license young to start
learning. Teens 16 and up can
apply.
Aerobotics Services is
now fully licensed to operate
in Georgia and South Car
olina, and they say they are
the only spray drone service
within 200 miles of Jasper.
The University of Georgia
Extension Service has its eye
on the new technology, and
has produced a few articles
about regulations and pesti
cide application considera
tions of spray drones. They
can be found at site.exten-
sion.uga.edu/precisionag/cat-
egory/drones.
That morning at JMS, the
Aerobotics team demon
strated how the drone would
treat crops or other agricul
tural areas. Instead of chemi
cals, the tank was filled with
water and sprayed the length
of the football field. The pro
pellers were surprisingly
powerful and made a deep
rhythmic sound as it sprayed.
One of the owners of the
business, Lindsey Schwartz,
said the drone was strong
enough to pick up a person,
“but of course you can’t do
that,” she said laughing.
Schwartz owns Aerobotic
Services along with Heather
Colbaugh. Their husbands
are in the tech and field side
of operations and worked to
gether in the IT field for
years before deciding to shift
gears.
“I was constantly on con
ference calls and in front of a
computer,” he said. “I wanted
to do something where I had
a change of pace and scenery.
Now we can be out in the
field and play with fun toys.”
Continued From 1A
Continued From 1A
Airport
Eberly said terminal site
preparation is behind but
plans are to begin January 8-
15th. The work will take 60
days, depending on the
weather.
As the FFA’s ACIP moves
forward in 2025 projections
are for Phase 2 Fencing and
Apron Rehabilitation. In
2026, Fencing Phase 3 South
Terminal apron rehabilita
tion. In 2027-28 runway ex
tension to 5,505’ and south
Continued From 1A
Chase
A PIT maneuver is a
technique used by law en
forcement to force a fleeing
vehicle to turn sideways and
stop.
No one was injured dur
ing the incident and Mc
Dowell was taken into
custody.
Arrest warrants for Mc
Dowell were related to do
mestic violence and
property damage.
The first chase on De
cember 17, FLOCK cam
eras alerted authorities
about a stolen car that en
tered the county. The 25-
year-olddriver eventually
crashed near Old Philadel
phia Road, juries.
hangar apron expansion and
2029 east and west property
acquisition.
Phase 1 Fencing of 5,000’
has been previously ap
proved and set for bid this
spring. According to Eberly,
“FFA sees fencing as a safety
issue, especially in rural air
port areas.”
Airport Manager Alexis
Walker said the second an
nual Airport Military Appre
ciation Day is set for May 4.
“We want the airport to be
supportive of the community
and open to visitors,” she
said.
In other news, Authority
Vice-Chair Ed Wood was
elected chair, Wendall
Turner, secretary and Jerry
Edwards, treasurer.
Board positions were
open due to longtime chair
Don Boggus’s and board
member David Johnson’s
resignations. Wood addressed
the attendees “thanking Bog-
gus and Johnson for their un
selfish, dedicated years
serving the airport authority
and community.” The Board
of Commissioners named
Chris Parris to the airport au
thority and still need to name
another authority member
who must be a pilot due to
regulations for a full board.
Chair Ed Wood suggested
that the board meet more
often and members voted to
hold their meetings “every
other month on the second
Tuesdays at 6 p.m.”
PICKENS COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION
2024 BOARD MEETING SCHEDULE
January 11, 2024
January 11, 2024
Called Board Meeting - 5:00 p.m.
Regular Monthly Board Meeting - 6:00 p.m.
February 8, 2024
February 8, 2024
Called Board Meeting - 5:00 p.m.
Regular Monthly Board Meeting - 6:00 p.m.
March 14, 2024
March 14, 2024
Called Board Meeting - 5:00 p.m.
Regular Monthly Board Meeting - 6:00 p.m.
April 11,2024
April 11,2024
Called Board Meeting - 5:00 p.m.
Regular Monthly Board Meeting - 6:00 p.m.
May 9, 2024
May 9, 2024
Called Board Meeting - 5:00 p.m.
Regular Monthly Board Meeting - 6:00 p.m.
June 13, 2024
June 13, 2024
Called Board Meeting - 5:00 p.m.
Regular Monthly Board Meeting - 6:00 p.m.
July 11,2024
July 11,2024
Called Board Meeting - 5:00 p.m.
Regular Monthly Board Meeting - 6:00 p.m.
August 8, 2024
August 8, 2024
Called Board Meeting - 5:00 p.m.
Regular Monthly Board Meeting - 6:00 p.m.
September 12, 2024
September 12, 2024
Called Board Meeting - 5:00 p.m.
Regular Monthly Board Meeting - 6:00 p.m.
October 10, 2024
October 10, 2024
Called Board Meeting - 5:00 p.m.
Regular Monthly Board Meeting - 6:00 p.m.
November 14, 2024
November 14, 2024
Called Board Meeting - 5:00 p.m.
Regular Monthly Board Meeting - 6:00 p.m.
December 12, 2024
December 12, 2024
Called Board Meeting - 5:00 p.m.
Regular Monthly Board Meeting - 6:00 p.m.
Pickens County Board of Education Central Office
100 D.B. Carroll Street
Jasper, Georgia 30143
Meetings
rather than the previous flat
fee, going to only one official
meeting will save some
money.
Under the new format,
commissioners will still
come together twice a month
but with the work session and
official meeting separated by
two weeks.
In theory, a work session
will be held on the first Mon
day of the month, beginning
at 4:30 p.m., where commis
sioners will hear department
head reports and discuss and
gather information. Then on
the third Monday of the
month at 5:30 p.m., they will
officially vote, recognize em
ployees and conduct formal
business.
The county’s rules that
govern commissioner meet
ings require the work session
to be more than a week be
fore a voting meeting. Stancil
said this is a good system as
it allows commissioners to
hear about upcoming issues
and business matters and
then have plenty of time to
conduct additional research,
ask questions of staff and dis
cuss issues with the public
before entering the voting
session.
For those unfamiliar with
the county government, the
commission chair works
daily at the county offices
while the two post commis
sioners (Josh Tatum repre
senting the eastern portion of
the county and Josh Tippens
representing the western por
tion) are mostly unpaid with
no offices or regular hours.
Stancil said the work session
will give a chance for the two
post commissioners to get up
to speed and ask questions of
staff regarding pending is
sues.
Under the open meeting
rules, at no point can two
members of a three-person
commission discuss business,
as that would constitute a
quorum and their discussion
would have to be advertised
in advance as an open meet
ing.
The chairman envisioned
the work sessions being held
in a smaller meeting space
than the regular meeting
room with commissioners at
a table to foster back and
forth dialogue.
He said there is no official
time allocated for public
input at a work session but he
says their history shows they
are open to taking comments
“as long as its within reason.”
The commissioners will
publish their agendas the
week prior to the meetings.
And while they can make last
minute additions, this would
be “rare” said Stancil as they
prefer to stick with set agen
das.
Stancil also noted that one
of their reasons to change the
meeting day is with Monday
night sessions, it allows re
porting to make the weekly
Progress within days instead
of the following week as it
has been with meetings on
Thursday.
BOC Meeting Dates - 2024
Work Session at 4:30 p.m.
& Regular Meeting at
5:30 p.m.
Schedule through
March
Thursday - January 4, 2024
Work Session
Thursday - January 18, 2024
Regular Meeting
Thursday, February 1, 2024
Work Session
Thursday, February 15, 2024
Regular Meeting
Monday, March 4, 2024
Work Session
Monday, March 18, 2024
Regular Meeting
PICKENS COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT
100 D.B. Carrol Street
Jasper, GA 30143
(706) 253-1700
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)
Pickens High School Renovation/Modification Project
RFP 24-003: Pickens High School Renovation/Modification Project
Issue Date: December 4 th , 2023
Closing Date: January 3 rd , 2024
INTRODUCTION
The Pickens County Board of Education (PCBOE) (Owner), is soliciting
proposals from Construction Firms interested in providing Construction
Professional (CP) services for the Pickens High School
Renovation/Modification Project #24-003 project.
Property Location: 500 Dragon Drive | Jasper, GA 30143.
To qualify for consideration, a firm must be able to provide proof that they
possess the expertise, resources, and experience necessary to complete this
project based on the requirements listed in the RFP.
A MANDATORY PRE-PROPOSAL MEETING WILL BE HELD AT 1:00 p.m.
ON DECEMBER 20 th AT THE PICKENS COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT
CENTRAL OFFICE, LOCATED AT: 100 D.B. CARROL ST. | JASPER, GA
30143.
For more information, please contact Chris Wallace, COO at:
chriswallace@pickenscountvschools.org or call 706-253-1700.
To obtain a copy of the RFP 23-001 Pickens High School Field House,
visit our school district webpage:
https://pickenscountvschools.org/communitv/bids-and-rfp-s/
Obituaries
Debra Grecol
Our most beloved Ms.
Debra Ann Grecol, 66, of
Ranger, GA, passed away
on Wednesday, December
13th, 2023 at the Piedmont
Mountainside Hospital in
Jasper.
Ms. Grecol was born on
July 30th, 1957 in Cleve
land, Ohio to the late Paul
D. Grecol and the late Theda
Webb Grecol.
She worked in the banking business as a mortgage spe
cialist for over 45 years where she is remembered as a most
caring friend and mentor.
Debra loved helping others and had a servant's heart. One
of her most beloved past times was being with her grandchil
dren. Her passion and creativity for the arts can be seen in
each of them today. She planted seeds of knowledge and
wonder for the next generation to carry on her love and wis
dom.
She loved to cook and was very passionate about the arts
including pottery and the theatre. She performed in several
plays with the Tater Patch Players located in Jasper, GA and
loved every minute on stage.
She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Matthew
& Sylvia Fowler. Her daughter and son-in-law, Erin & Joshua
Low. Her four beloved grandchildren Arielle Fowler,
Gabriella Fowler, Kaden Glover and Kaleb Low.
She is also survived by several brothers and sisters.
A Celebration of life will be held at a later date.
Online condolences may be left to the family at
www.bemhardtfh.com
Bernhardt Funeral Home of Ellijay is entrusted with these
arrangements.
Mary Ellis
Mrs. Mary Ann Elizabeth Ellis, 58, of Fairmount, Georgia,
departed this life Monday morning, December 18, 2023, at
AdventHealth Gordon Hospital in Calhoun, Georgia.
Mary Ann was bom August 12, 1965 in Hawkinsville,
Georgia. She was preceded in death by her father, Jimmy
Dean McCraine, and a step-son, Matthew Ellis. She attended
the Fairmount First Baptist Church.
She is survived by her husband, Junior Allen Ellis of the
residence; daughter, Jessica Chavez of Dawsonville, GA;
sons and daughters-in-law, Tony Kimbral and Melissa Sam
ples of Canton, GA, Eric and Joslynn Chavez of New York,
Allen Ellis of Ludville, GA, and Junior Allen Ellis of
Kingsport, KY; mother, Hilda Musclewhite Dennis of
Gainesville, GA; sister, Deborah Swafford of Dahlonega,
GA; brothers, Jason Masters of Taccoa, GA, Dean McCranie
of Canton, GA, and Tom McCranie of Pensacola, FL; eleven
grandchildren, several nieces and nephews.
Services to celebrate the life of Mrs. Mary Ann Elizabeth
Ellis were held Friday evening, December 22,2023 at 7 p.m.
at Ponders Fairmount Chapel with Reverend Reggie Temples
officiating.
Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting
www.pondersfuneralhome.com.
Ponders Fairmount Chapel, 2566 Hwy 411, and Fair-
mount, Georgia. 706-337-3784.
Billy Goodwin
Billy Talmadge Good
win, 71, of Talking Rock,
passed away Thursday, De
cember 21, 2023 at Wild
wood Health Care. He was
born January 30, 1952 to
Mark and Lucille Goodwin
in Cartersville, Georgia.
Billy is survived by his
daughters and sons-in-law,
Karon and Jimmy Gerch-
man of Fairmount, Kristie and Clint Ponthier of Jasper,
Tammy Marceleno of Jasper; grandchildren, Bradley Pon
thier, Justin Ponthier, Anthony Gerchman, Tyler Gerchman,
Makayla Gerchman, Mathew Goodwin, Kimberly Goodwin;
sisters, Hazel, Dyan, Deana, and Alice; brothers, Marcus and
James.
He was preceded in death by parents, Mark and Lucille
Goodwin; son, Kelly Goodwin; and sisters, JoAnne, Jean,
Josephine, and Ida Mae.
The family accepted flowers or donations may be made
to Four Mile Baptist Church.
Funeral services were held at 12 p.m., Saturday, December
23, 2023 at Four Mile Baptist Church with Reverend Danny
Baker, Reverend Josh Mulkey, Brother Larry Beck and Rev
erend Curtis Roland officiating. Interment followed in the
Four Mile Baptist Church Cemetery at 2405 Four Mile
Church Road; Ball Ground, GA 30107.
Arrangements are entrusted to the staff of Roper Funeral
Home and Crematory.
www.pickensprogress.com
Pickens County Elections & Registration
3100 Camp Road Suite B
Jasper, GA 30143
Office: (706) 253-8781 Fax: (706) 253-8782
CANCELATION OF REGUI.AR CATTED MFFTTNG
The Pickens County Board of Elections and
Registration has canceled the January 2, 2024
meeting. The next regular meeting will be Tuesday
February 6th at 6:30 pm in the Pickens Room at the
County Administrative Building, 1266 East Church
Street, Jasper, GA 30143.
Stacey Godfrey, Supervisor
Pickens County Elections and Registration