Newspaper Page Text
Wednesday, February 17, 2021 - Pike County Journal Reporter - Page 3A
INTERNET: Access plan is in the works for Pike
FROM PAGE ONE
The project will pro
vide new broadband ser
vice to more than 15,000
unserved locations where,
currently, there are no
options for connectivity.
Southern Rivers Energy
will invest approximately
$53 million to construct
more than 2,100 miles of
fiber that will strengthen
their electric grid and
improve reliability Con-
exon will invest a total of
$6.5 million in electronics
to provide broadband
service to all of SRE’s
members. SRE will own
the fiber and lease excess
capacity to Conexon
which has agreed to serve
every SRE member with
fiber-to-the-home internet
speeds up to 1 gigabit
per second. The internet
service will be powered
by EMC fiber, but Conexon
Connect will provide the
retail service to homes
and businesses, managing
account set-up, customer
service and billing.
“We are confident that
we found the best part
ner in Conexon and the
best business model that
will allow us to continue
focusing on our core mis
sion of providing reliable,
affordable electric ser
vice while Conexon uses
its expertise to provide
quality high-speed inter
net to all of our members
at a cost they can afford,”
said McMillan.
Details are still being
finalized, including a
construction timeline but
coordination and plan
ning for the network is
already underway. Go to
SouthernRiversEnergy.
com or follow them on
Facebook, Twitter or
Instagram for the latest
broadband news.
The partnership
includes a capital invest
ment of more than $210
million overall. Central
Georgia EMC (CGEMC)
will invest $135 million,
SRE will invest $53 mil
lion, and Conexon will
contribute $21.5 million.
Monroe County has also
committed $1.3 million in
local funds to incentivize
the EMCs to start their
projects in Monroe.
Pike County commis
sioner Jason Proctor
noted at the Feb. 10
meeting that steps need
to be taken to ensure
Pike County will not be
the last county to receive
internet access.
“I’m not saying we
can give $1.3 million but
we need to try to ensure
that we will be second in
line if possible,” he said.
“We need to see what we
can do to be prepared
and move up the list so
we don’t end up being
the last county to have
access.”
Under terms of the
agreement, the EMCs
will partner with Con
exon, a full-service fiber
broadband provider, to
design and build a 6,890
mile fiber network that
will serve two strategic
purposes: provide im
proved electric service
and increased reliabil
ity through smart grid
capabilities, and provide
high-speed internet
access to all 80,000 of
the two EMCs’ members
within the next four
years, beginning as early
as June 2021. Conexon
works exclusively with
electric cooperatives and
is considered one of the
pioneers in the electric
cooperative broadband
movement.
“We know electric co
operatives play a critical
role in connecting under
served areas and we are
proud to partner with
Conexon to help bridge
the digital divide for
our communities. This
partnership will enable
thousands of rural Geor
gians to finally access the
same online connections
as those in more urban
areas, while allowing us
to maintain focus on our
core mission - provid
ing reliable, affordable
electricity to our mem
bers,” said McMillan.
Candler Field Museum dissolved; Youth
Aviation Program named for Ron Alexander
PHOTO BY AEROGRAPHS
The Ron Alexander Youth Aviation Program was renamed
after its founder (above) recently as the decision was made to
dissolve the Candler Field Museum and focus on the program
that encourages and helps youth to find careers in aviation.
A Friends of the Ron Alexander Youth Aviation Program was
started with a $35 membership fee per year.
It was recently an
nounced that the Candler
Field Museum board of
directors unanimously
decided to disband and
focus on sustaining the
Youth Aviation Program
which provides learning
opportunities to youth
interested in all areas of
the aviation industry.
“After the untimely
passing of the museum’s
founder, Ron Alexander,
and the challenges that
followed, the board deter
mined the museum was
no longer sustainable and
have decided to divest
the museum’s assets and
pursue a different path,”
said a statement to mu
seum members. “Instead
of focusing on history, we
will focus all our energy
on continuing Ron’s pas
sion, the Youth Aviation
Program.”
The board renamed
the program the Ron
Alexander Youth Aviation
Program (RAYAP) start
ing Feb. 1.
“The crown jewel at
Peach State Aerodrome
has always been the
Youth Aviation Program,”
the statement said. “In
honor of Ron Alexander
and his shared vision of
the future, the board is
proud to announce the
new name for the pro
gram.”
In the past, Candler
Field Museum supporters
contributed $35 per year
to be a museum member.
While that program is
discontinued, the mem
bership for the Friends of
the Ron Alexander Youth
Aviation Program is also
$35 per year.
“The membership fee
will go directly to sup
port RAYAP. We hope you
will continue to pledge
your support to the
mission started by Ron
Alexander, Jim Hoak and
all the mentors who have
guided the youth over
the last several years.”
County approves Air Methods contract
for life flight emergency transports in Pike
During their Wednes
day, Feb. 10 meeting,
commissioners approved
a contract with Air
Methods Corporation
for life flights in Pike and
agreed to allow a $100
per month stipend for
county manager Brandon
Rogers until the Econom
ic Development position
is filled. Rogers has been
overseeing the IDA since
former director Ginny
Blakeney was sworn in
as the new Probate Judge
in Pike.
Commissioners heard
from Nick Proenza of
Air Methods who said
the county has had an
automatically renewing
contract for years that
states Air Methods will
get the first call when
life flights are needed in
Pike. AirLifel is located
in Griffin and if it is
unavailable, Air Methods
will find the next closest
flight. County attorney
Rob Morton noted that
stipulations were added
to the contract regard
ing issues that may
arise from the COV1D-19
pandemic.
Commissioners heard
from chairman Briar
Johnson that the Local
Option Sales Tax was
up $45,000 and SPLOST
was up $61,000 from the
previous year.
“This shows people
are shopping more at
home and we need to
continue to do that,” he
said. “It really makes a
difference.”
Commissioners
discussed a Notice of An
nexation of 15.07 acres
from the city of Zebulon.
The property is owned
by the city and it is the
old water treatment
plant on the left side of
Highway 18 heading out
of the city limits.
County manager
Rogers requested the
item be postponed as
the county has many
responsibilities to fulfill
for the annexation and
would like to provide the
board with the necessary
information to make a
decision at the Feb. 23
meeting. Commissioner
Proctor opposed the
postponement but it
passed by a 3-1 vote.
THE COUNTY ALSO:
• Heard the Pike
County Extension office
is trying to plan for a
2021 shotgun team sea
son and are needing help
with ammunition and a
practice field location.
• Heard from county
attorney Morton that
out of more than 1,000
appeals, the chief ap
praiser and his team got
contested matters down
to 40 and over two days,
37 were resolved, leav
ing only three hearings
with the board of equal
izations, at which all of
the assessments by the
county were sustained.
• Approved offering
new Human Resources
employee Kelly Wall at
the commissioners office
40 hours of vacation
since she will have to for
feit 98 hours of personal
time to leave her current
job.
• Heard that tax as
sessors office employee
Melissa Connell was
unable to take vaca
tion last year due to the
workload in the office
and will lose 113 hours
of vacation. Commis
sioners voted to extend
the timeline to use the
vacation to July 23.
SPECIAL PHOTO
A box with back
up ballots and
poll pads fell off
the back of a
truck while benig
transported to the
Pike County elec
tions office. It was
hit by a different
vehicle, scatter
ing the contents,
but all votes were
already county
electronically.
ELECTION: Transport
issue reported, resolved
FROM PAGE ONE
The election night
process ran smoothly
other than an unusual
accident in which a
box with back up bal
lots and poll pads fell
into the road during
transportation to the
elections office. Accord
ing to Pike’s election
supervisor Lynn Vick
ers, the tailgate of the
truck transporting the
box came unlatched
and the box dropped
onto the highway. When
the poll manager real
ized the box was not
in the truck, they went
back to retrieve it and
a vehicle hit the box,
scattering its contents
across the highway.
“The sheriff’s office
was called, a report was
filed and the Secretary
of State was notified,”
said Vickers. “The elec
tion data was never
compromised.”
Marie Broder has
served as District At
torney since June 2,
2020 when former DA
Ben Coker became a
Superior Court Judge.
Prior to that she served
as Assistant DA for the
circuit.
Democratic can
didate Rev. Dexter
Winbush is a private
attorney in criminal and
civil litigation and prac
tices law in Fayetteville
and Griffin.
Friday, April 2nd poo p.m.
Benson Hilley Walking' Trail Park
All Family-Friendly Acts Welcome!
Got talent? $100 prize!!
Very limited vendor spots still available!
770-227-8380 or cityofwilliamsonga.org
for information/applications.
Arts & Crafts, collectibles, antiques, children's activies, and
delicious food and drink!
ARREST REPORT
From Feb. 8 to Feb. 15, local law enforcement officers
made the following arrests:
PIKE COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE:
James Dempsey Bethune, 60, DU1 - alcohol, concen
tration of .08G or more, too fast for conditions, failure to
drive in single lane, open container, drugs not in original
container, possession of a Schedule II controlled sub
stance;
Randarious Evans, 25, warrants out of Henry County;
Sarah Rebecca Gravitt, 35, permitting unlicensed
driver to drive;
Shae Nathaniel Myers, 28, driving while license sus
pended or revoked;
Jamal Marvin Parks, 47, warrants out of Murray Co.;
Micheal Lamar Prince, 57, terroristic threats and acts.
ZEBULON POLICE DEPARTMENT:
Andrew Blake Carmichael, 29, knowingly driving
vehicle on suspended, canceled or revoked registration,
marijuana less than an ounce, possession of metham-
phetamine;
Jose Garcia, 45, brake lights and turn signals re
quired, driving without license, expired vehicle tag or
decal, windshield and windshield wipers required;
Christopher Tyrone Walters, 37, driving while license
withdrawn, speeding.
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