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FALL FUN!
Find info on fall fests,
Halloween celebrations.
See page 3A
PCMS softball earns
indefeated championship!
See page 1B
KE COUNTY
REPORTER
ecountygeorgia.com
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2021
PIKE'S PEEK
COVID-19
cases down
to Mover
past 2 weeks
The number of
confirmed COVID-19
cases in Pike County
dropped to 14 over
the past two weeks ac
cording to the Georgia
Department of Public
Health as of Oct. 25.
There have been a
total of 48 confirmed
deaths, 20 probable
deaths and 117 hospi
talizations with a total
of 1,853 confirmed
cases since the
pandemic
started.
The num-
F w ber of con-
^ firmed cases
in the Pike
County school
system was down
to three as of Oct. 22
with only five under
quarantine.
More than 11 million
vaccine doses have
been administered in
Georgia so far with
49% of citizens fully
vaccinated in the state
and 33% fully vaccinat
ed in Pike County.
To make an ap
pointment to get the
vaccine at the health
department, go to dis-
trict4health.org or call
888-457-0186 Monday
through Friday from
8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and
Saturday from 8 a.m. to
5 p.m.
Lady Pirates headed to Elite 8
BY RACHEL McDANIEL
news@pikecountygeorgia.com
The Pike County High
School Lady Pirates
swept Oconee County in
two games to earn their
spot in the Elite 8 with
5-4 and 7-2 victories on
Wednesday, Oct. 20.
“This team has been
consistent all season.
They have shown up
daily ready to work and
they do what needs to
be done. 1 know that we
have the talent to win
this state tournament,
but you also need some
things to go your way
once you get to Colum
bus. As coaches we
just hope to put these
student athletes in the
right positions to suc
ceed,” said head coach
Kevin Mobley. “We had a
couple of goals coming in
and one was to win the
region championship.
These nine seniors had
not won a region crown,
but they have now
achieved that goal. Our
second goal was to get
to Columbus ... and they
have achieved that goal.
Our last goal is to win the
state championship. We
leave Wednesday to ac
complish that goal.”
Fans and the com
munity can support
the team as they leave
for the state champion
ship by gathering at
the courthouse for the
team’s bus to pass at 6:15
p.m. Wednesday, Oct.
27. The Lady Pirates will
play Thursday at 11 a.m.
against Dawson County.
See LADY PIRATES page 6B
PHOTOS BY KELLY CRENSHAW
Above left, Shelby Duncan and Bailee Brown jump into the air on Lady Pirate Field. Above right,
Haley Perkins delivers a pitch as she earned the victory in the first game against Oconee.
PHOTOS BY JOHN ELLIS
Several of Pike County’s outstanding first responders were honored recently by the American
Legion Post 197 Family, including (l-r) 2021 Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Clay Tillery,
2021 Pike County Firefighter of the Year Quentin Rouseau and 2021 Pike County Emergency
Medical Technician of the Year Brittany Hammond.
Top first responders honored
BY RACHEL McDANIEL
news@pikecountygeorgia.com
The American Legion
Post 197 Family recog
nized Pike’s top first
responders during a
special ceremony on Oct.
13. Sergeant James ‘Clay’
Tillery was honored as
the 2021 Pike County
Law Enforcement Officer
of the Year. Lieutenant
Quentin Rouseau was
honored as the 2021 Pike
County Firefighter of the
Year. Paramedic Brittany
Hammond was honored
as the 2021 Pike County
Emergency Medical Tech
nician of the Year.
“As we all know, first
responders are essential
to the enforcement of our
laws, security and protec
tion of our citizens and
property, the safety of
our public and the quick,
lifesaving actions required
to get patients to medical
facilities,” said Post 197
commander Paul Chat-
terton. “This ceremony is
dedicated to recognizing
stellar performance as law
enforcement officers, fire
fighters and emergency
medial service members
either as a Pike County
resident or whose duty
assignment is in Pike.”
Nominations for the
awards are submitted by
members of the commu
nity. This is the second
year Post 197 has hon
ored the county’s top
first responders.
2021 LAW ENFORCEMENT
OFFICER OF THE YEAR:
Clay Tillery started his
career with the Lamar
County Sheriff’s Office and
started with the Zebulon
Police Department in May
2007 and he has since
been promoted to his cur
rent rank of Sergeant over
Patrol. In addition to 17
years of law enforcement
experience, he also has
10 years of fire and rescue
experience and eight
years of first responder
and medical experience.
He is currently coroner in
Lamar County after being
elected in November 2020.
He serves as coordinator
of the Governor’s Office
of Highway Safety Central
Georgia Traffic Enforce
ment Network.
In his 17 years of
service, Clay has logged
more than 1,000 hours of
training and has helped
the ZPD receive grants for
new equipment, brought
recognition to the depart
ment at conferences while
encouraging others to
keep learning and training.
“I began working with
him in September 2009.
When 1 met him the first
time, he had his arm in a
sling from recent surgery
and he was still trying
to make sure shifts were
covered and everyone
had what they needed.
Clay can always make
things come together,
whether it’s install
ing equipment in a car,
striping a car or putting
brakes and tires on a car.
He has always been my
go-to and has never, not
one time, made a negative
comment or complaint
about anything asked
of him. You won’t find
another officer in Pike or
our surrounding counties
who does as much for his
city and county and loves
the citizens of Pike any
more than he does.”
Post 197’s Bryan
Richardson noted that in
addition to helping the
department and citizens,
he makes time to be an
amazing husband to his
wife Nicole and a loving
father to his three daugh
ters, Dakota, Christina and
Brylee and grandfather to
his grandson James.
See FIRST RESPONDERS page 3A
Zebulon Postmaster
retires after 32 years
with U.S. Post Office
Tony Fogarty will
officially retire on Oct
29, 2021 with 36 years
of government service,
including 32 years with
the United States Postal
Service and four years
in the U.S. Navy.
Tony began his
postal career at the
Thomaston Post Office
in 1989 as a part-time
window/distribution
clerk and was later
promoted to bulk mail
technician assigned to
Quad Graphics.
After completing
management training in
1999, Tony managed two
Postal Stores in the city
of Atlanta and worked
as acting delivery
supervisor in several At
lanta units. He was later
promoted to supervisor
of the Barnesville Post
Office for more than five
years prior to promo
tion to Postmaster. He
served on numerous
detail assignments
throughout the district
on various audit, inspec
tion, training, classroom
facilitating and varied
investigation teams
throughout his career.
He also served as the IT
subject matter expert
for the 302 zip code
area. Tony independent
ly served as nationally
recognized webmaster
for the GANAPUS organi
zation that represented
Postmasters in the state
of Georgia for many
years. During his tenure,
the website was award
ed Website of the Year
for 2012 at the NAPUS
National Convention in
Ohio.
He has served as
Postmaster of Zebulon
and RMPO manager of
Meansville since 2013.
Other assignments
include Postmaster of
Williamson, Milner and
Officer-in-Charge of
Barnesville, Molena and
Senoia.
“I was so fortunate
to be able to finish my
career so close to home
with the added benefit
of the great employees
of the Zebulon/Means-
ville post offices. Four
consecutive Certified
Engaged Team awards
for our office confirm
we have a great team,”
he said. “1 am grateful to
have served and it was
a pleasure to be a part
of this team. 1 feel cer
tain that this exception
al team will continue to
provide great service to
Zebulon, Meansville and
The Rock.”
PHOTO BY RACHEL McDANIEL / PIKE COUNTY JOURNAL REPORTER
Tony Fogarty recently retired as Zebulon Postmaster after
32 years with the U.S. Postal Service.
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