Newspaper Page Text
lALUTE TO VETS!
Local businesses honor our local veterans
as they recognize their sacrifices.
See page 6B
PIKE COUNTY
JOURNAL REPORTER
ONE DOLLAR
www.pikecountygeorgia.com
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2021
PIKE'S PEEK
Join Willow
Strong corn
hole tourney
Williamson resident
Willow Crowe has spent
most of her young life
fighting Langerhans cell
histiocytosis and mem
bers of the community
are hosting a Nov. 13
corn hole tournament
to help raise funds for
her family
The event will be
held from 11 a.m. to 4
p.m. and include the
tournament with prizes,
vendors and food.
See WILLOW page 3A
COVID-19
cases still low,
another death
The number of
confirmed cases of CO
VID-19 in Pike stayed
low at 10 for the past
two weeks, according
to the Georgia Depart
ment of Public Health.
See COVID-19 page 2A
Highway 109 East bridge reopened
The bridge over Gola
Creek on Highway 109
- one mile east of Means-
ville - is now reopened
after it was closed in May
for a $1.4 million bridge
replacement project. The
new bridge is expected
to last for 50 years or
more, according to Kyle
Collins of the Georgia
Department of Transpor
tation.
The work was com
pleted by McCoy Grading
of Greenville and in addi
tion to removing the old
bridge and building the
new bridge, the project
included installing a
drainage system at end
bents, adding approach
slabs, creating a concrete
barrier, roadway grading,
asphalt paving, installing
a guardrail, adding con
crete spillways, finishing
grading, striping, adding
raised pavement mark
ers, rumble strips and
signs and planting grass.
The total length of
the project is around
1,365 feet. The bridge is
a one-span bridge, ap
proximately 90 feet long
by 39.08 feet wide over
Gola Creek. Traffic was
detoured for six months
during the process.
PHOTO BY RACHEL McDANIEL / PIKE COUNTY JOURNAL REPORTER
Work on the new Highway 109 East bridge was completed Friday and it is now open to traffic.
PHOTOS BY JOHN ELLIS
Keith Lewis (left) stands at the raising of the U.S. Air Force flag as the service song was played
at Peachstate Airport during their annual Veterans Day event. The Color Honor Guard included
(l-r) SFC Eric Loving of the U.S. Army Recruiting Station in Griffin, historian and financial officer
of American Legion Post 197 Bryan Richardson, Stefan Huckaby of American Legion Post 197
(not visible), commander Paul Chatterton of American Legion Post 197 and chief mentor of the
Youth Aviation Program at the Doug Davis Hanger Jim Hoak.
Veterans honored in Pike
Williamson man shot
during child trafficking
investigation in Symrna
Post 197's
program set for
11 a.m. Nov. 11
Pike County Ameri
can Legion Post 197 will
host the annual Pike
County Veterans Day
Observance program at
11 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 11
on the south side of the
Pike County courthouse
square in Zebulon.
“The Veterans Day
program recognizes and
honors America’s mili
tary veterans, extends
our nation’s appreciation
and pays tribute to all
deceased veterans,” said
Post 197 event coordina
tor Bryan Richardson.
“The theme for this
year’s program is “Veter
an Opportunities to Con
tinue Serving America.’”
Highlights of the
program will include
the Pike County Middle
School eighth grade band
playing the National
Anthem, Armed Forces
Medley and Stars and
Stripes Forever, a multi-
organizational Color
Guard and the posting of
the colors, guest speaker
Sergeant Major (retired)
Carl Johnson, the post
ing of a memorial wreath
at the base of the Pike
County Veterans Memo
rial and honoring our
deceased Veterans with
the playing of Taps.
“Please join the com
munity as we say ‘Thank
you’ and show our appre
ciation to current active
duty military, and veter
ans past and present, for
defending the freedoms
that we enjoy today,”
said Richardson. “Seating
is limited, so the public is
encouraged to bring their
lawn chairs.”
The inclement weather
location for the event will
be at Mount Gilead Bap
tist Church on Highway
19 north.
The GB1 is investigat
ing an officer-involved
shooting after a Wil
liamson man fled from
a hotel room as officers
investigated a child traf
ficking case in Smyrna.
On Nov. 2, the GB1 was
requested by the Cobb
County Police Depart
ment to investigate an of
ficer involved shooting.
The CCPD Internet
Crimes Against Children
(1CAC) Unit was con
ducting a child traffick
ing investigation that
led them to the possible
location of a victim at
the Red Roof Inn, 1190
Winchester Parkway in
Smyrna, Cobb County.
At around 7 p.m.,
investigators were
outside a hotel room
at the Red Roof Inn.
Investigators knocked
on the door and a
young female opened
the door. Inside the
room were two young
females with Atwon
White, age 29, of Wil
liamson. When White
saw the investigators,
he pointed a handgun at
the officers and ran out
the room and into the
parking lot. In the park
ing lot, he pointed the
handgun at a uniformed
CCPD officer, at which
time, the officer shot
White once with his
issued rifle. White was
treated on the scene
and transported to Ken-
nesaw Hospital. White
is reported to be in
critical condition, but is
expected to survive.
No officers were
injured during the
incident. The two
females were success
fully rescued and are
being assisted via ICAC
resources by CCPD.
CCPD will also continue
to conduct the traffick
ing investigation.
The GBI will conduct
an independent investi
gation. Once complete,
it will be turned over to
the Cobb County Dis
trict Attorney’s Office
for review.
ESPLOST passes in
Pike, city council
members elected
Members of the Color Honor Guard fold the flag during a special ceremony, including (l-r)
American Legion Post 197 commander Paul Chatterton, SPC Eric Loving of the U.S. Army Re
cruiting Station in Griffin and Stefan Huckaby of American Legion Post 197.
With only 8% of vot
ers turning out to the
polls, the Education
Special Local Option
Sales Tax
passed by
a total of
871 yes
votes to
352 no
votes.
Out of
13,992
registered
voters,
only 1,226
ballots
were cast in the local
Nov. 2 election.
The election includ
ed a close race for the
Zebulon District 2, Post
2 seat in which 22% of
voters turned out with
98 casting ballots of the
442 registered Zebulon
voters. Challenger Em
ily Morris received 46
votes and incumbent
Anthony
‘Mark’
Nalls won
with 51
votes.
There
was an
other close
race in Wil
liamson for
the Post 2
seat with a
nearly 16%
turnout as 72 citizens
cast ballots out of the
465 registered voters in
the city. Angela Martin
received 41 votes, win
ning by just 10 votes
over Miranda ‘Randy’
Martin.
CALL US NOW, YOU MAY BE ENTITLED TO COMPENSATION
MMa
ASLEY
ALLORY&
Nui
& JD
CE,
AVIS.llc
ATTORNEYS AT LAW
706-646-3200
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