Newspaper Page Text
Wednesday, September 22, 2021 - Pike County Journal Reporter - Page 5A
SPECIAL PHOTO
National Merit Scholarship semifinalist William Gray during
the grand opening of the RockHammer Disc Golf Course he
created in memory of Riley Nuce.
William Gray is National Merit
Scholarship semifinalist
William R. Gray of
Zebulon was recently
named as a semifinal
ist in the 2022 National
Merit Scholarship
Program. He is among
around 16,000 semifinal
ists in the 67th annual
National Merit Scholar
ship Program. These
academically talented
high school seniors have
an opportunity to con
tinue in the competition
for some 7,500 National
Merit Scholarships worth
nearly $30 million that
will be offered next
spring. To be considered
for a Merit Scholarship
award, semifinalists must
fulfill several require
ments to advance to
the finalist level of the
competition. About 95
percent of the Semifi
nalists are expected to
attain finalist standing,
and approximately half
of the finalists will win a
National Merit Scholar
ship, earning the Merit
Scholar title.
NMSC, a not-for-profit
organization that oper
ates without government
assistance, was estab
lished in 1955 specifically
to conduct the annual
National Merit Scholar
ship Program. Scholar
ships are underwritten
by NMSC with its own
funds and by approxi
mately 400 business
organizations and higher
education institutions
that share NMSC’s goals
of honoring the nation’s
scholastic champions
and encouraging the
pursuit of academic
excellence.
High school juniors
entered the 2022 Na
tional Merit Scholarship
Program by taking the
2020 Preliminary SAT/Na-
tional Merit Scholarship
Qualifying Test (PSAT/
NMSQT), which served
as an initial screen of
program entrants. The
nationwide pool of semi
finalists, representing
less than one percent of
U.S. high school seniors,
includes the highest-
scoring entrants in each
state. The number of
semifinalists in a state
is proportional to the
state’s percentage of the
national total of graduat
ing seniors.
To become a final
ist, the semifinalist and
a high school official
must submit a detailed
scholarship application,
in which they provide
information about the
semifinalist’s academic
record, participation in
school and community
activities, demonstrated
leadership abilities,
employment, and honors
and awards received. A
semifinalist must have
an outstanding academic
record throughout high
school, be endorsed and
recommended by a high
school official, write an
essay and earn SAT or
ACT scores that confirm
the student’s earlier per
formance on the qualify
ing test.
Three types of Nation
al Merit Scholarships will
be offered in the spring
of 2022. Every finalist will
compete for one of 2,500
National Merit $2,500
Scholarships that will be
awarded on a state-repre
sentational basis. About
1,000 corporate-spon
sored Merit Scholarship
awards will be provided
by approximately 220
corporations and busi
ness organizations for
finalists who meet their
specified criteria, such as
children of the grantor’s
employees or residents
of communities where
sponsor plants or offices
are located.
In addition, about 180
colleges and universities
are expected to finance
some 4,000 college-spon
sored Merit Scholarship
awards for finalists who
will attend the sponsor
institution.
Meghan Smith earns degree
from Valdosta State University
Valdosta
State Univer
sity recently
announced the
members of its
graduating class
of Summer 2021,
including one
student from
Pike County.
Meghan
Smith of Concord earned
the Master of Education
in Elementary Education.
She and more than 550
students completed their
degree requirements
during Summer Semester
2021.
“1 am incredibly proud
of our graduates for
having the dedication
to overcome countless
fe.—. Aj
\Ai nos iA
STATE
UNIVERSITY
obstacles,
including
this ongoing
global health
crisis, and to
finish strong
and reach this
significant
milestone,”
said Dr. Rich
ard A. Carva-
jal, president of VSU. “1
am similarly so proud of
the world-class faculty
and staff who supported
these students through
life-changing teaching,
mentoring, advising,
research, community en
gagement opportunities,
and much more on their
journey to this special
day.”
Public meetings
The next scheduled meetings in Pike County are:
• Pike County commission, Tuesday, September 28, 6:30
p.m. in the main, upstairs courtroom of the courthouse.
• Concord city council, Tuesday, October 12, 7 p.m., city hall
• Meansville council, Monday, October 11,7 p.m.,
Meansville city hall, 6:45 p.m.
• Molena city council, Monday, October 11, 6 p.m.,
Molena city hall
• Pike County agribusiness authority, Thursday, October
21, 7 p.m., Farm Bureau office.
• Pike County board of appeals, Thursday, October 21,6 p.m.
• Pike County board of education, Tuesday, October 5, 6 p.m.,
Board Room at the Pike County Schools Memorial Annex.
• Pike County library board, Thursday, October 14, 4:30
p.m., J. Joel Edwards Public Library.
• Pike planning commission, Thursday, October 14, 6:30
p.m.
• Pike County tax assessors, Tuesday, October 5, meeting at
9 a.m., Pike EMA/Storage Facility, 1132 Twin Oaks Road.
• Pike County water authority meeting, Thursday, October
21, 7:30 a.m., authority building.
• Williamson city council, No meeting will be held in Sep
tember, next meeting is Thursday, Oct. 14, 7 p.m.
• Zebulon city council, Tuesday, October 12, 6 p.m.
• Zebulon Downtown Development Authority, Tuesday,
October 19, 7 p.m., A Novel Experience, 426 Thomaston St.
• Board of elections and registration, 4 p.m. Tuesday, Octo
ber 19, in the commissioners’ conference room.
• Pike County Parks and Recreation Authority, 6 p.m.
Tuesday, October 19, EMA facility.
Pike County American Legion Post 197 Member
ship Drive: Contact the Post 197 commander at 762-
207-8327 or Post 197 Adjutant a 404-790-6609.
Williamson Music Barn: Open Fridays at 6 p.m.
Bookings: Donna, 770-375-8490; Info: Sandra, 770-595-
6947.
Pike County Retired Educators Association:
Holds its first meeting of the new school year at 11
a.m. Sept. 27 in the fellowship hall of Mount Olive
Church on Highway 109 near Molena. United Bank
will host the first meeting.
Pike County Republican Party meetings: 6 p.m.
on the second Tuesdays of the month at the Strick
land Building, 144 Concord Street.
Pike County Tax Assessors: Re-open to the public
on Wednesdays at 8 a.m. at 73 Jackson Street.
Pine Mountain Holiness Church: Monthly food
bank every third Saturday, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. A short
application must be filled out for patrons. Open to
anybody.
Grace To Glory Church: Needs musician for Sun
day services, 770-314-8959.
Mt. Hope Baptist Church History Books: For sale
for $30, includes church history and photos and bios
of many of Pike County’s pioneer citizens who helped
build the community. To find out more or purchase a
book, call Rufus Clemmons at 678-544-1218 or email
rufusclemmons@yahoo.com.
ARREST REPORT
Between Monday, Sept. 6, and Sunday, Sept. 19,
Pike County law enforcement agencies made the fol
lowing arrests:
PIKE COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE:
Brandon Mark Bridges, 32, probation violation;
Fulton Leon Smith, 51, probation violation (when
probation terms are altered) for fingerprintable
charge;
William Robert Cupp, 41, defective equipment, pos
session and use of drug related objects, possession
of methamphetamine and windshield and windshield
wipers;
Steven Ellis Davison, 29, here for court;
Anthony Hill Folds, 45, brake lights and turn
signals required, defective equipment, driving with
out headlights when required, driving while license
suspended or revoked, expired tag or decal, no insur
ance, standards for brake lights and signal devices,
tag light illumination required and tail lights required;
Daniel Graziano, 63, criminal trespass family vio
lence;
Eddie Raven Parks, 39, criminal trespass, failure to
appear for fingerprintable charge, probation violation
(when probation terms are altered) for fingerprint
able charge and willful obstruction of police officers;
Yonathan Philip Southwick, 21, driving without a
valid license, failure to dim headlights and tail lights
required
Fredrick Lewis Williams, 51, driving while license
withdrawn and driving while tag is suspended;
Cole Lewis Medve, 19, possession and use of drug
related objects and possession of methamphetamine,
Kraig Lee Mincey, 33, simple battery family vio
lence;
Brian Jeffrey Soares, 37, simple battery family
violence;
Kenneth Hickox, 61, failure to drive within single
lane and two counts DU1;
Raytreshia Anatasia Walton, 21, aggravated assault.
ZEBULON POLICE DEPARTMENT:
Roderick Xavier Brown, 32, driving while license
suspended or revoked and loud radio/tape player
audible 100 ft.;
Domonic Charro Geis, 45, probation violation;
William Anthony Kendrick, 57, failure to appear;
Stephen Elijah Searcy, 25, first degree forgery and
prescribing or ordering dangerous drugs;
Richard Allen Ward, 27, DU1 alcohol.
Locals earn honors at Georgia State
Students earn degrees from
Georgia College & State University
Vassili Winkler of
Molena and Ginger Dan-
ser of Williamson were
recently honored on the
Summer 2021 President’s
List at Georgia State
University.
To be eligible for the
President’s List during
the summer semester,
degree-seeking students
with a minimum Georgia
State University cumula
tive grade point average
(GPA) of 2.00 must earn a
4.0 GPA for the semester
and complete at least
6 semester hours of
academic credit with no
incomplete courses.
Dr. Steve Dorman,
president of Geor
gia College and State
University, recently
awarded degrees to the
graduating class of Au
gust 2021, including to
Lydia Deel of Meansville
and Kristen Ragsdale of
Meansville.
OBITUARIES
Jean P. Copeland
Jean P. Copeland, age 88, of Griffin, Georgia passed
away peacefully at her home on September 14, 2021.
She was born in Winder, Georgia to John T. and
Julia Perry. Jean attended
Lagrange College and gradu
ated from the University of
Georgia. She was a lifelong
educator and lover of Geor
gia history. She will forever
be known to her students
for her perfect cursive pen
manship and ability to fill
an entire chalkboard with
detailed notes. Jean retired
from Flint River Academy,
in Woodbury, Georgia,
after over three decades of
teaching.
Jean and her late hus
band, Ronald, were long
time residents of Pike County before re-locating to
her hometown of Winder in the mid-1990s. After
Ronald’s passing she moved to Griffin to be closer
to family. A voracious reader, she enjoyed her daily
crossword puzzles and matching wits nightly with the
Jeopardy contestants. Jean was a member of Griffin
First United Methodist Church.
She is survived by her four children Suzie Mc-
Quilken (Mike) of Braselton, Raymond Copeland,
Chuck (Teresa) Copeland, and Phil (Angie) Copeland,
all of Griffin. Grandchildren, Stephen Rios (Jessica),
Lindsay Rios Corbin (Thad), Julia M. Elliott (Sean),
Anna Copeland, Margaret C. Kloser (Stephen), John
Copeland, Taylor Copeland, and Spencer Copeland. In
addition, Jean had four great grandchildren, Emerson,
Harper, Sullivan and Elliot, along with several nieces
and nephews.
There will be a gathering to celebrate Jean’s life at
a later date.
Conner-Westbury Funeral Home 1891 W. McIntosh
Road in Griffin is in charge of arrangements.
Please join the family and friends in honoring the
life of Jean P. Copeland by visiting www.conner-west-
buryfuneralhome.com and posting your tributes and
memories.
Lewis Lester “Buck”
McCrary, Jr.
Lewis Lester “Buck” McCrary, Jr., age 92 of Molena,
GA, died on Thursday, September 16, 2021, at Bright-
moor Hospice in Griffin, GA. Funeral services
were held on Monday,
September 20, at 11:00 a.m
at Mt. Olive Baptist Church,
in Molena. Reverend Mark
Harris officiated. The fam
ily received friends at Mt.
Olive Baptist Church from
10:30 a.m. until the service
hour. Interment was in the
Mt. Olive Baptist Church
Cemetery.
Buck was born in Mo
lena, GA to Lewis Lester
McCrary, Sr. and Martha
Mattox McCrary on July 10,
1929. He graduated from
Molena High School in 1946
and from the University of
Georgia in 1950. Upon graduation he was commis
sioned a Lieutenant in the United States Army and in
1951 was stationed in Germany with the 4th Armored
Division as part of the post-World War 11 occupation
and reconstruction effort. Before shipping out he
married Betty Anne Daniel of Thomaston on May 5,
1951. After his tour of duty, he and Betty returned
home to Molena in 1953 and began working on the
family farm raising turkeys and cattle. Before leaving
the turkey farming business in 1985, Buck and Betty
made fresh-dressed turkeys from McCrary Turkey
Farm into cherished holiday table fare at Thanksgiv
ing and Christmas. In retirement Buck enjoyed gar
dening, fishing, growing vegetables, pecans, fruit and
flowers. He was an excellent jam and jelly maker.
Buck was a member of Mt. Olive Baptist Church of
Molena for over 80 years.
He was a Deacon and had served as the Church
Treasurer. He supported the Church in a variety of
ways, but his most visible contribution were the flow
ers he planted for many years.
Buck was an avid supporter of the Georgia Bull
dogs. He recently celebrated his great grandson’s
admission to the University, representing the fifth
generation of his family to matriculate there.
Buck and Betty celebrated 70 years of marriage
this year.
Buck was preceded in death by his parents, and his
sister and brother-in-law, Jean and Marshall Callaway.
He is survived by his wife,
Betty Daniel McCrary; his children Steve (Patsie)
McCrary, Luanne (David) Fowler, Tim (Christy) Mc
Crary, Amanda (Rob Sanford) McCrary, and Mike
(Shannon) McCrary all of Molena; nine grandchildren;
17 great grandchildren; four nephews and a niece;
and numerous grand and great grand nephews and
nieces, and cousins.
Fletcher Day Funeral Home of Thomaston, GA is in
charge of all arrangements.
Condolences and remembrances may be expressed
at www.fletcherdayfuneralhome.com.
BARNESVILLE MARBLE &
GRANITE COMPANY
Serving Middle Georgia For 110 Years
Designers & Manufacturers of
Marble, Granite & Bronze Since 1908
George & Janice Moore
770-358-1470
124 Railroad St., Barnesville, GA 30204