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Local businesses and the Journal Reporter
wish you a safe and happy Independence Day!
See page 7 A
Due to the Independence Day
holiday, all submissions are due
by noon July 1 for the next edition
PIKE COUNTY
(URNAL REPORTER
ONE DOLLAR
www.pikecountygeorgia.com
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 30, 2021
PIKE'S PEEK
COVID-19
cases drop
below 10
Pike County had
seven confirmed cases
of COVID-19 in the
past two weeks. Since
the pandemic started,
there have been a
total of 1,104 con
firmed cases in Pike,
28 deaths, 15 probable
deaths and 78 hospital
izations.
In Pike, 24% of resi
dents have received
the full vaccine with
26% having at least
one dose. Statewide,
38% of residents are
fully vaccinated with
43% receiving at least
one dose.
Football
registration
ends July 2
Registration for
the fall Pike County
recreation football
season is underway
at pikecoga.org. Flag
football is offered for
ages 5 and 6 years old
and tackle football is
offered for ages 5 to
11 years old. Registra
tion will close on July
2 or when teams fill
up.
The registration fee
for tackle football is
$137 by check or cash
and $141.97 by credit
card and includes
rental of helmet and
shoulder pads and
game jersey.
The registration fee
for flag football is $72
by check or cash and
$75 by credit card and
includes game jersey.
For more informa
tion, contact Larry
Moss at 770-567-2027.
E-SPLOST upgrades coming soon
BY RACHEL McDANIEL
news@pikecountygeorgia.com
Superintendent Dr. Mi
chael Duncan and school
board members heard
an overview and history
of Pike County E-SPLOST
during a called meeting
June 22. Pike County
has had five Education
Special Purpose Local
Option Sales Tax collec
tions since the program
started in 1997 and the
most recent was ap
proved in April 2018 and
will run through March
2023.
“This is a good time
in a lot of ways for Pike
County Schools. You
have a unique blend of
board members who are
all committed to seeing
the school system suc
ceed,” said Frank King
who addressed the board
about E-SPLOST funding.
“You have maturity in
leadership that is about
as good as there is in
Georgia and you’re the
best off financially that
you’ve ever been. But
you have the uncer
tainty of growth - what
to do with it and how
to finance it. You have a
tremendous responsibil
ity as a school board.”
At an April board
of education meeting,
members discussed an E-
SPLOST project list which
would include summer
projects replacing HVAC
equipment, mechanical
room equipment and
HVAC controls for the
middle school which has
air but no heat currently.
The proposed project list
has an estimated total
cost of $10,970,550 and
items may be removed or
added as the board final
izes the list.
Board chairman Allen
Edwards noted that many
Pike citizens help other
counties build new fa
cilities by spending their
money outside of Pike
County and he encour
aged everyone to buy
local whenever possible.
The E-SPLOST 2023
proposed priority list
includes $725,000 in
upgrades at the audito
rium for a new entrance,
concessions area, ADA
compliance, rest room
and power upgrades for
sound and lighting, $1.2
million for middle school
HVAC, $213,390 for SNP
kitchen equipment, $1
million for paving and
ADA accessibility on
school campuses, $2.3
million for carpeting,
paintings, new doors and
rest room upgrades at
school facilities, $500,000
for buses, $1.3 million
for a new elementary
school roof, $1 million
for land acquisition,
$356,000 for a new floor,
bleachers, goals and
scoreboard for the high
school gym, $250,000 for
field house and weight
room upgrades, $200,000
for technology improve
ments, $456,160 for
tennis courts, $50,000 for
high school windows and
$120,000 for softball and
baseball bleachers.
See E-SPLOST page 3A
PHOTOS BY RACHEL McDANIEL / PIKE COUNTY JOURNAL REPORTER
Pike residents and visitors are invited to take part in the annual Concord’s Independence Day
Children’s Parade set for 10 a.m. Saturday, July 3. Last year’s parade drew nearly 100 children
and parents decked out in their patriotic outfits and riding well-decorated wagons and bikes.
Children's Independence Day parade is July 3
Concord’s Independence Day
Children’s Parade is set for Satur
day, July 3, starting at 10 a.m. Riders
of all ages are invited to participate
and are encouraged to wear red,
white and blue as they ride bikes,
trikes, skateboards, skates, wagons
or any other non-motorized vehicles
in the parade. Pets are welcome as
well.
“Please dress in your most
patriotic attire and decorate your
bikes as well,” said organizer Cherie
Holmes. “Be sure to register your
rider in the appropriate age group
and prizes for each of the three age
groups will be presented after the
parade.”
Refreshments will be served at
the city park pavilion as the prizes
are awarded. Participants are asked
to line up at the Concord Cafe at
9:45 a.m. behind the fire truck.
Above, Kacey Herschberger smiles as
she rides in last year’s Independence Day
Children’s Parade in downtown Concord.
At right, last year’s parade was a family
event for (l-r) Lucy, Drew, Aubree (front)
and Kaylan Smith.
This year’s parade is set for 10 a.m. Sat
urday, July 3 with line up set for 9:45 a.m.
Brayden and Adyson Norris prepare to ride in last
year’s Children's Parade. Line up starts at 9:45
a.m. for this year’s parade on Saturday, July 3.
Vietnam vets
to be honored
The DAR chapter in
Thomaston is planning
an event to honor veter
ans of the Vietnam War
on the 50th anniversary
of the hostilities. The
ceremony will take
place at 11 a.m. Au
gust 28 at First Baptist
Church in Thomaston.
Veterans will be indi
vidually recognized and
receive a certificate of
honor and a lapel pin.
The deadline to reg
ister is August 24. For
more information, call
706-647-9145.
Jobless rate static
The adjusted job
less rate for the Three
Rivers region, which
includes Pike County,
remained static in May.
The rate was 3.8% com
pared to 9.9% in May,
2020.
Initial unemployment
claims in May were
down by 10% from April
and were down by 88%
from a year ago.
In addition to Pike
County, the Three
Rivers region includes
Butts, Carroll, Coweta,
Heard, Lamar, Meri
wether, Spalding, Troup
and Upson counties.
Georgia's burn notification
law to change on July 1
Changes are coming
to laws affecting Geor
gians who burn outdoor
yard debris. As of July
1, landowners will no
longer be required
to notify the Georgia
Forestry Commission of
their intention to burn
hand-piled vegetative
matter. However, the
legal responsibilities of
those burning outdoor
yard debris will be
strengthened.
Under Senate Bill
119, GA code section
12-6-90 was changed to
eliminate the notifica
tion requirement to
burn hand-piled natural
debris. Agriculture, silvi
culture and land-clearing
burns for residential or
commercial develop
ment will continue to re
quire notification to the
county forest ranger and
a permit is still required
for these activities.
“Escaped debris
burning is the number
one cause of wildfire in
Georgia,” said Georgia
Forestry Commission
Director Tim Lowrimore.
“The Georgia Forestry
Commission responds to
more than 3,500 wildfires
a year. With a strong
focus on individual burn
ing safety as required
with these new changes,
we can bring that num
ber down significantly,
together.”
The Georgia For
estry Commission has
launched a communica
tion campaign emphasiz
ing the new changes that
must be taken before
burning: adequate space
between fire and wood
lands/structures; sunrise
to sunset time frame;
person on site respon
sible until fire is extin
guished; and reasonable
precautions to prevent
escaped fire. As always,
household garbage
and man-made waste
products may not be
burned and it is unlawful
to move debris from one
location to another for
the purpose of burning.
Local burning ordi
nances supersede the
code requirements. In
addition, restrictions on
burning in 54 northern
Georgia counties under
the Environmental
Protection Division
summer burn ban from
May 1 through Sept. 30
continue to be in effect.
Burning of debris gen
erated by machine clear
ing of an area for the
purpose of establishing
a small garden spot or
land clearing is consid
ered a land type change.
These are subject to
the EPD land clearing
burning rules and may
require the use of an
Air Curtain Destructor
(ACD), depending on the
county in which you live.
To clear land with or
without an ACD, or burn
off acreage or under
story, contact your local
GFC county office.
For more, go to Ga-
Trees.org.
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