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HEALTH CHECK Learn how to check radon levels in your home and about getting the COVID-19 vaccine on this special Health page. See page 7 A PIKE COUNTY REPORTER ONE DOLLAR www.pikecountygeorgia.com WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2021 Early voting underway in DA race Early voting is underway for the Feb. 9 election for District Attorney of the Griffin Judicial Circuit which includes Pike, Spald ing, Upson and Fayette counties. Early voting started Jan. 19 and will con tinue on week days through Feb. 5 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the elections office in Zebulon on Jackson Street. Citizens may also cast their ballots from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day Tues day, Feb. 9. See VOTING page 2A Deadline is Jan. 31 for YSP program BY ASHLEY BILES UGA Griffin The University of Georgia Young Scholars Internship Program (YSP) began on the UGA Griffin Campus in 1989. It is an internship program for high school students interested in agricultural, food and environmental sciences. Participants conduct hands-on research with world-renowned scientists through the UGA College of Agricul tural and Environmental Sciences. YSP is a paid six-week summer intern ship where students are actively engaged in research under the guid ance of a faculty mentor. The program will be offered this summer to students from Pike and surrounding counties. See UGA page 2A COVID-19 claims another life Confirmed C0V1D-19 cases in Pike decreased slightly with one ad ditional death as the number of cases dropped from 142 to 109 over the past two weeks accord ing to the Georgia Depart ment of Public Health. The number of deaths has increased to 16 with nine probable deaths from the virus and a total of 58 hospitalizations since March. The Pike County Health Department held a vaccine clinic by appointment only for Jan. 19 and will announce future clin ics as the vaccine becomes available. The Phase 1A rollout includes healthcare work ers in clinical settings, staff and residents of long term care facilities, all law enforcement and fire personnel and adults 65 and older (and care givers as applica ble). Citizens can visit any county to get the vaccine and appointments must be sched uled from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday by calling 762-888-8180. / To find out which counties still have ap pointments available, go to district4health.org/ covid-19-vaccine/. Upson Regional Medi cal Center will offer free COV1D-19 vaccines in Barnesville at the Upson Regional Medical Cen ter Barnesville Medical Office building at 100 Highway 18 west starting Jan. 21. Appointments must be made to get the vaccine by calling 770- 872-5015. As of the last update at pike.kl2.ga.us, there were 17 positive students and 10 positive adults with 120 quarantined for close contact with positive students and 11 quarantined for close contact with adults with the virus. Since March, there have been a total of 116 COV1D-19 positive cases for students and 60 positive cases for adults in the school system and a total of 1,310 students and 117 adults who returned to school from a positive result or from quarantine. SPECIAL PHOTOS District 131 Rep. Beth Camp (center) holds the Bible she was sworn in with on the Capitol steps with her daughter Meredith Camp (left) and husband Mark Camp (right). Pike County's Beth Camp sworn in as District 131 Representative for Georgia Beth Camp speaks after being sworn in as the District 131 Representative at the state Capitol. She represents citizens in Pike, Lamar and Upson counties. Pike County’s Beth Camp was sworn in as the District 131 Repre sentative at the Georgia Capitol on Monday, Jan. 11 when the state’s leg islative session started. The legislature will adjourn on April 2. “Being sworn in to serve the great people of Famar, Pike and Upson counties was one of the most powerful moments in my life,” said Camp. “It is my great honor to represent the wonderful people who sent me and the citizens of Georgia. Important work will take place over the next sev eral months.” Due to COV1D-19 restrictions, groups of 45 legislators and one person of their choice were allowed in to swear oaths to the Georgia and U.S. Constitutions. Beth’s husband Mark Camp was present and her daugh ter Meredith was able to watch via television at the Capitol. GA Tech is conducting surveillance COV1D-19 testing twice weekly for all legislative members and staff along with so cial distancing and mask being required in the House Chamber. Volunteers needed at health department; impact fee ratios change BY RACHEL McDANIEL news@pikecountygeorgia.com Pike County com missioners heard from county manager Bran don Rogers at their Jan. 13 meeting that the Pike County Health Depart ment is seeking volun teer workers to help in the office. “There is a tremen dous outpouring of people who want this vaccination,” he said. “Angela Farr, the nurse at the health depart ment, said they are in need of volun teers at the office. You don’t have to be a nurse or have any medical ex perience to help. They need pretty much any body willing to help.” Those interested in volunteering at the health department can find out more at dph. georgia.gov/georgia- responds. Rogers also noted that every other Tuesday the health department offers free testing for COV1D-19 with the next date for testing set for Jan. 27. Those who would like to receive a free COV1D-19 test can call 770-567-8972. Commissioners voted to change the residen tial and commercial impact fee ratios during the meeting. Impact fees are one-time fees charged to land devel opers to help defray the costs of expanding capital facilities. The fees themselves were not changed but the ways the funds will be distributed to county departments were changed. The new residen tial impact fee ratios reduced fees for the Parks and Recreation Authority from 43.69% to 3.51% and increased impact fees for roads from 22.4% to 6.44% and for the jail from 12.01% to 35.77%. The new residential impact fee ratios are 8.44% for the sheriff’s office, 35.7% for the jail, 14.58% for the fire department, 8.82% for E-911, 22.4% for roads, 3.51% for Parks and Recreation and 6.48% for the public library. The old residen tial impact fees gave 7.1% to the sheriff’s office, 12.01% to the jail, 16.42% to the fire de partment, 1.1% to E-911, 6.44% to roads, 43.69% to Pike County Parks and Recreation, 13.24% to the J. Joel Edwards Public Fibrary, 3% to ad ministration and 2.31% to C1E preparation. The commercial impact fee ratios were changed by commis sioners as well. The new commercial impact fee schedule reduced the fire department to 21.1% from 31.8% and increased the jail from 23.3% to 32.73%. The old commercial impact fee schedule and the newly approved sched ule gives 0% of fees to parks and recreation and the library. See IMPACT page 3A IMPACT FEES Tom Morton has served as attorney for 7 2 years BY RACHEL McBANIEL news@pikecountygeorgia.com Tom Morton is 98 years old and has served as an attorney for an incredible 72 years - including nearly 30 years as attorney for the county and city governments in Pike. In 1991, he became a law partner in the law firm of Crawford and Morton in Zebulon. After his son Rob ert F. Morton was admitted to the practice of law, Tom founded the law firm of Mor ton & Morton Associates. In addition, Tom became the city attorney for Zebulon and Meansville. He also served as county attorney for Spald ing County and Meriwether County. Over the years, he and Rob have served as interim county manager several times in Pike. Tom was honored by the Meansville City Council for 23 years of service recently. “We do proclaim that we are thankful to God for having blessed us with such a gracious and faithful example of Christian witness and public servant,” read the proclamation approved by council members in Means ville. The award presented to him said, “In honor of your dedication and service to the city of Meansville and Pike County, your military service during World War 11, serving as city attorney for many years, leading and serving in numerous civic organiza tions, being instrumental in bringing the Nelson Memo rial to Pike County and other accomplishments which are too numerous to be listed.” In addition to helping the county and cities of Pike with legal, community and development issues, Tom is a leader in the area and has been a member of many different civic organizations over the years, including the Fions Club, Kiwanis Club, Pike County Historical Soci ety. He was named the first ever Zebulon, GA, Citizen of the Year in 2017 and was presented with a key to the city. Tom was instrumental in the creation of the Pike Fire fighter’s Museum, Inc. which includes several fire engines as well as hundreds of items from across the world, dat ing back as far as the early 1800s and telling the his tory of firefighting over the centuries. See MORTON page 3A SPECIAL PHOTO Tom Morton (seated) in his Zebulon office with his son Rob and wife Sonya. He has served as an at torney for a total of 72 years and 29 years in Pike.