Newspaper Page Text
PXAYOEFI
PCHS baseball and both soccer
teams advance in the state playoffs
See pages 8A-9A
PIKE COUNTY
www.pikecountygeorgia.co
COVID-19
cases down
in county
Confirmed cases
of COVID-19 have
dropped to only 8 in
Pike County over the
past two weeks, ac
cording to the Georgia
Department of Public
Health as of May 3.
In the Pike County
school system, there
were zero confirmed
cases in adults and
students for the
second week in a row,
according to data
updated April 30.
See COVID-19 page 2A
Intervention
training set
for May 15
Take the Intervene
Challenge and Save
Someone’s World is
a community-wide
suicide intervention
training opportunity.
Nearly 19,000 people
have taken the train
ing since it was first
offered in 2012.
“Thousands of car
ing individuals have
gained skills to coura
geously intervene for
those at risk. 1 invite
you to take the Inter
vene Challenge,” said
Kevin Sorbo.
The class will be
held locally from 9
a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Satur
day, May 15 at Church
of Joy, 3080 Highway
362 west in William
son.
To register online,
go to eventbrite.
com/e/i-will-inter-
vene-challenge-save-
someones-world-tick-
ets-152512421759.
For information con
tact Michael Powell at
michael@connectup.
info or 770-295-9208.
State champ earns perfect 10
BY RACHEL McDANIEL
news@pikecountygeorgia.com
Madelynn Crow and
the Pike County High
School gymnastics team
made school history re
cently as she became the
first athlete to earn three
state championship wins.
She earned First Place All
Around, First Place on Un
even Bars and First Place
on Floor competition.
“1 knew after having a
fall on beam that 1 had to
pull it together. 1 knew 1
needed a high score on
floor to keep myself in for
the All-Around competi
tion,” she said.
And she did just that,
earning an incredible 10.0
score for her floor rou
tine and setting another
record for the PCHS
team. Her mom said she
started in gymnastics at
age 7 and she has worked
hard over the years.
Getting a 10.0 is unusual
but Madelynn has done
it several times, once in
2019 on floor and two
times this year, one dur
ing a high school gym
nastics meet and once in
the state championship.
“Some of her goals were
to win a State Champion
ship in high school and
to compete at the college
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Madelynn Crow earned a per
fect 10 and earned the state
championship title recently.
level. She currently trains
at GA Elite in Athens for
20 hours per week,” she
said. “She’s an extremely
determined and persistent
athlete. Over the last two
years she has had to
overcome a fractured el
bow and foot as well as
a knee injury to be ready
for recent state and re
gional meets for her club
team and the GHSA State
Championship. She’s done
well to maintain a 4.3 GPA
while being dual enrolled
in high school and at Gor
don College and working
part time on the weekends
when not competing.”
Gymnastics coach
Shannon Turner started
the PCHS Gymnastics
Team in 2009 and has
been the coach ever
since. The team includes
Madelynn, Claire Osbolt,
Madisyn Oskey and Sid
ney Trawick.
“For our division (1A-
5A), we ended up ranking
11th out of 29 teams. 1
feel like this is excellent
since we have such a
small team. We out-ranked
teams who are much
larger than us and have
more depth in their line
ups. Everyone on the team
gave their personal best
at each meet by adding to
our team scores,” she said.
See PERFECT 10 page 2A
SPECIAL PHOTOS
Pike County’s Callista Clark (center) performed on Live with Kelly Ripa (left) and Ryan Seacrest
(right) as the co-stars said she is the “next big thing in country music” on the April 30 broad
cast of the show. She recently released her debut album titled Real to Me.
Callista Clark performs on live TV
Local teen Callista
Clark is continuing to
make a splash in the
country music scene as
she recently performed
her original songs on
Live with Kelly and Ryan
on April 30.
“Thank you Live with
Kelly and Ryan and to
everyone that tuned in,”
said Callista. “This was
my first national TV per
formance. I’ll never forget
this day! It was super
amazing to be able to
do something in person
again after a whole year
of being home. I’ve never
been to New York before,
so it was also really cool
to be able to travel some
where I’ve never been.
Stay tuned for news about
upcoming shows!”
The two co-hosts of
the popular show were
impressed with Callista’s
talent and called her
“the next big thing in
country music.”
Callista recently re
leased her debut album
titled Real to Me. She co
wrote each song on the
album including her first
single It’s Cause I Am,
Heartbreak Song, Change
My Mind, Don’t Need it
Anymore and the title
track Real To Me. Find
out more about the local
musician at Callista
Clark.com.
Callista Clark, 17, is making a
name for herself with her CD
release and live performances.
National Day of Prayer
set for this Thursday
A local National
Day of Prayer program
will be held at noon
Thursday, May 6 on the
courthouse square. The
theme for the annual
day of prayer is “Lord
pour out your love, life
and liberty’ and it will
be hosted by Prayer
Power of Georgia.
“The National Day
of Prayer is a patriotic
and spiritual celebra
tion of our great na
tion, a time to join to
honor those who have
served in many differ
ent capacities and to
ask blessings for those
serving our community
and country as they are
called,” said chaplain
Ben Maxedon. “Com
munity leaders from
Pike County will offer
words and prayers for
seven different prayer
points, plus our com
munity, state, nation,
world, and all those
who need salvation.”
Locals will offer
invocations with seven
different prayer points,
including schools,
government, military,
media, business, church
and family. Pike County
school board member
Floyd Miller, District 131
Rep. Beth Camp, Prayer
Power of Georgia
chaplain Ben Maxedon,
Journal Reporter writer
Rachel McDaniel, John
son Battery Co. founder
Howard Johnson, the
Associational Mission
ary Centennial Baptist
Association’s Rev. Steve
Laughman and Mt. Gil
ead Baptist Church pas
tor Rev. Fred Thompson
will be speakers.
For more, contact
Ben Maxedon at Prayer
Power of Georgia at
prayer power4u@
bellsouth.net or online
at prayerpower4u.net/
event-single/events/.
PHOTO BY RACHEL McDANIEL / PIKE COUNTY JOURNAL REPORTER
A National Day of Prayer ceremony will be held this Thurs
day, May 6 on the south side of the courthouse square.
Saints in Light award presented to Sonja Morton
Prayer Power of Geor
gia Inc. recently honored
the 2021 Saints in Light
Award winner at the April
27 Pike County commis
sion meeting. Prayer
Power of Georgia chap
lain Ben Maxedon and his
wife Patti presented the
award to Sonja Morton
before the commission
ers and those in atten
dance at the meeting.
Chaplain Maxedon
said the Saints in Light
honor is a true communi
ty award because Prayer
Power asks the commu
nity for nominations each
year. The award is based
on Colossians 1:12-13
which says, “... giving
thanks to the Father,
who has qualified us to
share in the inheritance
of the Saints in Light.
Lor He rescued us from
the domain of darkness,
and transferred us to the
kingdom of His beloved
Son”
The Saints in Light
Award is presented each
year to an individual who
has been a “spiritually
inspiring, motivating and
encouraging influence in
the community.” The in
dividual works to better
the community and the
people that they help.
Prayer Power’s website
says the Saints in Light
Award goes to someone
who, “By reflecting the
true meaning of love and
service in the commu
nity, they inspire and
empower others to do
the same.”
“Unselfish service in
the community and a
deep spiritual life are
two of the requirements
for this annual award.
It is the hope of Prayer
Power of Georgia that the
efforts to reach out to
others in the community
will give renewed faith
and spiritual life to those
who are blessed by this
community service,” said
Chaplain Maxedon.
Sonja was surprised
with the award as she
thought someone else
would receive it. Her hus
band Tom and son Rob
were both in attendance
as well as many others.
Chaplain Maxedon
said Sonja is working
with and has worked
with many organizations
in Pike County to help
others and the commu
nity over the years. She
has helped the homeless
and people in need and
cooked countless meals
for those in need. She has
helped with her church
and helped in the Lion’s
Club. She was once Lion
of the Year with Lion’s
Club International for her
service. Chaplain Maxe
don described Sonja as
the kind of person who
works behind the scenes
to get things done.
Sonja’s husband Tom
has also received this
award. He was honored
in 2017 for his selfless
commitment to Pike
County.
This is the first time
that a husband and wife
have received the award
in separate years.
SPECIAL PHOTO
Sonja Morton (left) was honored with the Saints in Light
award from Prayer Power of Georgia. She was congratulated
by many in the community as well as her husband Tom Mor
ton (seated) and Rob Morton (standing).
