Newspaper Page Text
Page 2A - Pike County Journal Reporter - Wednesday, July 28, 2021
Scholarships awarded to Pike,
DEAF: Resourses sought
Upson students
SUBMITTED PHOTOS
Students from PCHS and Upson-Lee High School who earned the Pike County Branch NAACP
scholarships include (l-r) Ma’Sherie Blackmon, Zykia Buffin, Tayla Moreland and Jada Willis.
FROM PAGE ONE
Vancil was serving
as a page at the micro
phone and his mother,
who was also attending
the meeting, is deaf.
“As someone with
a deaf parent, I have a
heart for this,” he said.
“My mom thought it was
awesome, so I made it a
point to introduce her to
John afterwards.”
Blackmon gave two
key motivations for his
motion. The first had
to do with the number
of deaf in the United
States, which Gallaudet
University places at
600,000. According to a
2011 American Commu
nity Survey of the U.S.
Census Bureau, there
are 11 million in the U.S.
who consider them
selves deaf or have seri
ous difficulty hearing.
The other regarded
a lack of resources. Life
way phased out its Ex
plore the Bible: Deaf cur
riculum last November.
In December 2019 NAMB
honored longtime South
ern Baptist Deaf ministry
leader Carter Bearden,
but since passage of
the Great Commission
Resurgence Task Force
Report in 2010, NAMB
focused primarily on
church planting.
Mark Sauter has
worked alongside his
wife Vesta with the IMB
for the last 25 years
in deaf ministry. He
credited the MB’s work
alongside those such
as Brentwood Baptist
and Union University in
Jackson, Tenn., in pro
viding more opportuni
ties not only for deaf
Southern Baptists, but
those wanting to reach
the deaf community.
“Pastor Blackmon
affirmed those efforts
... but his motion is
timely in that it pushes
forward a real need
for access to training
and resources by deaf
Americans, many of
whom are seeking to fol
low God’s call on their
lives to take the gospel
to the deaf nations of
the world,” he said.
The Concerned
Citizens for Pike County,
supported by the Pike
County Branch NAACP,
awarded scholarships to
five high school seniors
from Pike County High
School and Upson-Lee
High School. A committee
selected students based
on grade point average
(GPA), SAT or ACT score,
letters of recommenda
tion and a biographical
essay. Each student was
awarded a scholarship in
the amount of $500.
“These students are to
be commended for the
stellar academic excel
lence exhibited during
their high school career,”
said Patricia Beckham
who is the president of
the Pike County Branch
of the NAACP.
Rev. Herman Lucas is
the president of the Con
cerned Citizens for Pike.
Zykia Buffin is an
Upson-Lee High School
All-A Honor graduate. She
is a member of the Beta
Club and National Honor
Society. Zykia plans to
attend Gordon State Col
lege to pursue a degree
in nursing. She aspires to
become an obstetrician-
gynecologist nurse and
one day own and operate
an OB-GYN facility in her
hometown. She is the
daughter of Eddie Raven
Parks, 111 and Sharon
Parks.
Jada Willis is a Pike
County High School Hon
or Graduate. She plans to
attend Kennesaw State
University and major in
middle grades education
with a concentration in
mathematics. Jada plans
to teach math to middle
grade students because
she sees a need in this
age group. She enjoys
playing basketball, shop
ping and riding horses.
Jada is the daughter of
Roosevelt and Manika
Willis.
JaVion O’Neal is a 2021
Pike County High School
Honor Graduate. He plans
to attend the University
of West Georgia in the fall
to purse a degree in busi
ness with a minor in elec
trical technology. JaVion
plans to own his own
business after he finishes
college. He enjoys spend
ing time with friends and
playing basketball. JaVion
is the son of Andre John
son and Maurice and
Janelle Ogletree.
Ma’Sherie Blackmon
is a senior at Pike County
High School. She is a
member of the Beta
Club. After graduation
Ma’Sherie plans to attend
Gordon State College
to pursue a degree in
computer science and
become a software en
gineer. She enjoys shop
ping, cooking, playing
card games and taking
care of her puppy, Pedro.
Ma’Sherie is the daughter
of Marcus and Kimberly
Blackmon.
Tayla Moreland is a
senior at Pike County
High School. She is an
athlete who excels in
track and has won many
awards in the region and
Javion O’Neal earned one of
the Pike NAACP scholarships.
at the state level. Be
cause of her astounding
track abilities, she was
awarded a track scholar
ship from Kennesaw State
University. Tayla plans to
pursue a degree in physi
cal therapy and aspires
to be a fitness trainer.
Tayla is the daughter
of Reginald and Tammy
Moreland.
Local young
athletes
enjoy camp
Pirates assistant coach
Blake Parrott said all of
the 77 camp participants
loved working with the high
school players throughout
the camp.
They were in charge of
running the various stations
as the students learned dif
ferent baseball skills.
PHOTOS BY DONNA KENNEDY
At left, Jackson Moulder rounds
the bases as the young athletes
test their base running skills at
camp recently.
At right, PCHS Pirates outfielder
Jaden Bone teaches young
athletes about playing in the
outfield during the baseball
camp. He ran the outfield drills
for all of the young athletes.
PHOTO BY RACHEL McDANIEL / PIKE COUNTY JOURNAL REPORTER
Students in the summer reading club open eggs to learn about the developing stages of chickens.
Young readers learn about chickens
Students show the
stages of chicken
development, including
(l-r) Eli Clower, Grayson
Pennington and Harper
McEntyre.
QUALIFYING: Dates, info announced
FROM PAGE ONE
The qualifying fee for
Williamson council seats
is $25 and the city clerk/
qualifying officer for the
city of Williamson is Karen
Brentlinger.
The city of Zebulon will
hold a general election
Nov. 2 for the District
1, Post 1 seat currently
held by William Thomas
and the District 2, Post
2 seat currently held by
incumbent Anthony Nalls.
Qualifying will be held
from 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon
and 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Aug. 16-18 at Zebulon City
Hall. The qualifying fee for
council seats if $35.
The city of Concord
will hold a general elec
tion on Nov. 2 for mayor,
council seat Post 1 and
council. If needed, a runoff
election will be held Tues
day, Nov. 30. Candidates
may qualify for the posi
tions from Monday, Aug.
16 to Wednesday, Aug.
18 in the office of the city
clerk at Concord City Hall
from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
each day. The qualifying
fees are $18 for mayor and
$9 for council seats.
The last day to register
and be eligible to vote in
the November general
election is Oct. 4, 2021.
County discusses growth, impact;
American Rescue Plan Funds
Pike commissioners
discussed growth in the
county and the impact
that is having on county
offices as well as $3.5
million in American Res
cue Plan Funds during
their Wednesday, July 14
meeting. Chairman Briar
Johnson said as the
county grows, several
county offices are expe
riencing growing pains
and asked the county
manager to do a needs
assessment to see what
the county needs to do
to plan for the future
and whether a munici
pal building or justice
building may be needed.
County manager Bran
don Rogers said several
offices are suffering from
the growth and that
changes and quick fixes
have been attempted
in the past to alleviate
issues.
“There was a plan a
couple years ago that
was worked out with
the school system to
move to another build
ing. That plan has not
moved forward. The
needs assessment
would just be a study
to see what it will take
from the county to move
forward,” said Rogers.
He was asked to move
forward with the study
and discuss issues and
needs with the sheriff’s
department and consti
tutional officers in the
county.
Commissioners also
discussed the $1,841,573
the county has received
in American Rescue Plan
Funds and heard the
other half of the fund
ing will be received next
year. The county has
until 2024 to obligate the
funds to specific proj
ects and until 2026 to
complete the projects.
The funds can help with
infrastructure projects
such as broadband and
water improvements.
Some of the projects
considered by the coun
ty include installation
and extension of water
lines from McKinley
Road to the subdivision
being built at the corner
of Drew Allen Road and
Williamson Road. The
Pike County Water and
Sewer Authority recom
mends using a 10 inch
pipe and continuing ex
pansion down William
son Road. Installation
and grading of pipes for
the excess storm water
that creates a hazard
and floods property at
Owens Street, grading
work to redirect storm
water at Second Street
and grading and instal
lation of pipe to control
storm water run off at
Fourth Street, all in the
Hill Top Community of
Concord were all consid
ered as well as $11,000
to complete other
projects in the Hill Top
Community.
Rogers noted that
Southern Rivers Energy
will help with broad
band expansion in the
county in the coming
years and commissioner
Jason Proctor asked for
information on ways to
help non-SRE customers
with broadband.
THE COUNTY ALSO:
• Heard that Kevin
Teate resigned from the
Parks and Recreation
Authority and thanked
him for his years with
the county. It was also
noted that job vacan
cies for that job as well
as the fire department
chief and senior center
site manager have been
posted and advertised
in the Journal Reporter.
• Approved first
reading of bereave
ment policy for full-time
employees with at least
30 days of continuous
employment or more.
• Approved a revision
to the 2021-22 budget
to include LM1G grant
revenues in excess of
$25,000 that was left out.
• Approved the first
reading of a Whistle
blower policy as part of
the county’s anti-fraud
policy in Chapter 37 of
the county ordinance.
• Reduced a new
building permit fee to
half cost at $631 since
COV1D-19 delayed con
struction and a second
building permit was re
quired to complete the
wedding venue buildint
on Highway 19 north.
• Approved $15,000
from the Economic
Development Authority
budget to purchase a
new sign for the Busi
ness Park.
• Approved annual
Three Rivers Area Agen
cy on Aging contract.