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PIKE'S PEEK
Grand Jury's
True, No Bills
The October 2021
term of the Pike
County Grand Jury
convened Oct. 20 and
returned the following
presentments. A no bill
is a legal procedure
dismissing charges
against a defendant
because the grand jury
does not find enough
evidence to charge the
defendant with violat
ing a law.
A true bill is a bill
of indictment found
by a Grand Jury to be
supported by sufficient
evidence to justify the
hearing of a case.
See TRUE BILLS page 3A
Letters To
Santa wanted
Santa’s helpers at
the Pike County Journal
Reporter want to make
sure your letters get to
the North Pole before
Christmas.
Letters may be
mailed to P.O. Box
789, Zebulon 30295,
dropped off at the
office on the square in
Zebulon or emailed to
news@pikecountygeor-
gia.com.
Letters will be pub
lished in the Wednes
day, Dec. 22 edition.
The deadline for
letters is 5 p.m., Friday,
Dec. 3.
Lighting of Concord, Craft Market, parade
PHOTO BY RACHEL MCDANIEL / PIKE COUNTY JOURNAL REPORTER
The Lighting of Concord was alive with the sounds of Christmas last year as the Pike County Arts
Council Junior Players performed carols for visitors. This year’s event is set for Friday, Dec. 3.
As Thanksgiving cel
ebrations end this week,
Christmas festivities will
start with several events
across Pike County,
including the Lighting
of Concord on Friday,
Dec. 3, the Christmas
Craft Market on Satur
days from Nov. 27 to
Dec. 18 and the annual
Pike County Christmas
Festival and Parade on
Saturday, Dec. 11.
CHRISTMAS CRAFT
MARKET
Local artisans will
return to the courthouse
square to sell their one-
of-a-kind, hand crafted
items on the lower floor
of the 1829 Coffee Com
pany starting Saturday,
Nov. 27 and continuing
Dec. 4 and Dec. 18 with
vendors moving to the
courthouse square for
the festival and parade
Dec. 11. Shoppers can
enter the Market through
the rear entrance on the
back patio of the 1828
Coffee Company.
LIGHTING OF
CONCORD
The city of Concord
invites visitors to gather
around crackling fire
boxes in downtown, sing
along with holiday enter
tainment and enjoy pony
rides and festival foods
along Market Street start
ing at 5:30 p.m. Friday,
Dec. 3. Visits with Santa
will start at noon with on
line registration required.
CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL
AND PARADE
The annual Christmas
Festival and Parade will
start at noon Dec. 11
with kids activities, live
entertainment, a vendor’s
market and festival foods
starting at noon with the
parade set for 3 p.m.
Kyle Beck was recently honored as the 2021 Pike County Vet
eran of the Year. Pictured are (l-r) his daughters Mary Kellen
Beck and Vivi Kate Beck, Kyle Beck and his wife April Beck.
SPECIAL PHOTOS
SPC Grayson Child was recently honored as the 2021 Pike
County Soldier of the Year. He serves with The Old Guard.
Coat drive
planned
Nov. 27,
Dec. 11
Soldier of the Year honored
Veteran,
Each year Pike
County Middle School
honors a Veteran of the
Veteran of the
Kyle Beck served in
the U.S. Air Force and
Army, was Airborne and
was a member of the
Army Special Forces
(Green Berets) and was
recently announced as
the Pike County Veteran
of the Year.
“He is always ready
and available to help in
anyway needed both
with his family and his
work. He is a dedicated,
loving Christ follower,
husband and father of
two daughters,” said
his nomination. “He has
held several positions in
his life after the military
and they all involved
helping others. He
completed his degree
in exercise science and
owned a gym where he
was able to help/en
courage others to get in
better physical shape,
he really enjoyed this,
but he wanted to also
be equipped to help
them get into better
spiritual shape.”
To prepare himself to
help others spiritually,
he attended seminary
and earned a Master
of Divinity. Since then,
he has used his degree
in various settings. He
served in Ecuador on
the mission field as a
chaplain in an orphan
age for abandoned
and abused children,
Year and Active Military
member of the Year
based on nominations
showing them Christ
and teaching them daily
what a redeemer they
have in Christ. He also
used this position to
let the children know
they are loved and not
forgotten.
After returning to the
United States, he served
at the Georgia Baptist
Children’s Home where
he worked with vulner
able children at two
different campuses.
“Kyle took this job
beyond the job require
ments, mentoring the
children and developing
relationships that help
them to improve their
personal lives. Kyle
has always gravitated
toward those in need.
No matter where he is,
he continues to share
Christ’s love and give
hope to everyone he
encounters. Leading by
example is something
Kyle demonstrates on a
daily basis. Whether in
the military or in civil
ian life, Kyle has always
served a cause greater
than himself,” said the
nomination.
He has also served as
a hospice chaplain and
is currently teaching
high school students at
Rock Springs Christian
school where he contin
ues to positively impact
the lives of children.
from local citizens. The
winners are presented
with a trophy in honor
SPC Grayson Child
was recently named the
Pike County Soldier of
the Year. He reported
for duty in the U.S.
Army in January 2020
after graduating from
Pike County High School
in 2019. After com
pleting Basic Infantry
Training at Ft. Benning,
GA, he was assigned
his duty station with
the 3rd Infantry Regi
ment (The Old Guard)
at Ft. Myer at Arlington
National Cemetery. He
serves with the 4th Bat
talion Alpha Company
(Commander-in-Chief’s
Guard). His company
performs ceremonial
duties, as well as search
and rescue operations.
The Old Guard is a
distinguished regiment
known for its attention
to detail and precision.
Child was scheduled to
be posted at the White
House on Inauguration
Day but was reassigned
at the last minute be
cause of the fear of vio
lence in Washington and
the potential need for
search and rescue. His
tasks also include flag
folding ceremonies, put
wreaths on the graves in
the Arlington National
Cemetery at Christmas,
ceremonial detail for for
eign dignitaries, etc. To
earn the Old Guard Buff
of their service to our
nation and to our com
munity.
Strap (awarded to those
who qualify for the Old
Guard), Grayson had to
go through a series of
tasks and performances
that tested his attention
to detail and execution
of ceremonial details.
His final task was to be
able to stand at atten
tion for 90 minutes.
In the past six
months, Child has been
promoted from private
to private first class to
specialist and in Febru
ary will be up for pro
motion to sergeant.
“He was unanimously
selected as team leader
(all the other team
leaders are sergeants).
His squad won the Best
Squad Competition with
SPC Child earning the
MVP of the competition.
His company won the
Warrior Cup for best
company. He was named
Soldier of the Month
for October. Child was
also awarded the Army
Achievement Medal and
has already been nomi
nated for a second AAM,”
said his nomination. “A
couple weeks ago, Child
earned his Expert Infan
try Badge (E1B). To earn
the E1B you must demon
strate expert level on all
the skills an infantryman
might use.”
See SOLDIER page 3A
A Winter Coat Drive
is planned for Nov. 27
and Dec. 11 at Fuller
Chapel UMC to help
local families in need.
Those in need can find
warmth for the winter
at Fuller Chapel UMC at
134 Meansville Street in
Zebulon from 10 a.m. to 2
p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 27
and Saturday, Dec. 11.
“1 was cleaning my
daughters closet and
the holy spirit placed
it on my heart to do
something for the com
munity and 1 thought of a
coat drive, with it being
fall and winter soon,”
said Karen Alexander.
“1 reached out to my
church family and it was
a go! Fuller Chapel actu
ally had a community
cookout a few weeks
ago which was free of
charge for the communi
ty and we had a good re
sponse with people pick
ing up to go plates.
We want the community
to know that we’re here
for them in any aspect.
This is another way for
us to show love and give
hope to people. We’re
living in desperate times
and people are hurting. 1
feel a need to do more for
others and not only say
we love them, but show
them too! We would like
for those who are receiv
ing and in need of a coat
to be present at the coat
drive.”
New or gently used
coats can be dropped off
at the church. For more
information or drop off
times, call 770-468-3481.
SPECIAL PHOTO
Those in need of warm winter
coats can visit Fuller Chapel
UMC at 134 Meansville Street
in Zebulon from 10 a.m. to 2
p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 27 and
Saturday, Dec. 11. To donate
new and gently used coats,
call 770-468-3481.
Year - Kyle Beck
Soldier of the Year - Grayson Child