Newspaper Page Text
'TFTBATI, STANDOUTS
The PCHS Lady Pirates softball team finished the season
#4 in the state and were honored at the annual banquet.
See page 7 A
PIKE COUNTY
JOURNAL REPORTER
ONE DOLLAR
www.pikecountygeorgia.com
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2021
Christmas
Craft Market
open Saturday
The Christmas Craft
Market will be open
from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
on the ground floor
of the 1828 Coffee
Company on the court
house square. Shop
pers can park behind
the building and enter
the Market using the
rear entrance located
at the patio of the Cof
fee Company.
“Come and discover
one-of-a-kind gifts in
wood, stained glass,
jewelry, and other nat
ural materials. 1 know
that many of the gifts
made in Pike County
were purchased and
sent to friends and
family all over the
United States,” said
ZDDA member Chris
Curry.
Molena man
dies in single
vehicle wreck
A 32-year-old Mo
lena man lost his life
after his truck over
turned Monday, Dec. 6.
The wreck was report
ed around 7:30 a.m.
Ryan Richmond
was headed north
on McCrary Road in
Williamson when he
left the east shoulder
of the road in a curve.
According to GSP
public information
director Lt. Mark Riley,
Richmond overcor
rected and the truck
flipped and he was
thrown from the 1998
Ford F-250, sustaining
fatal injuries. There
were no other vehicles
involved and no other
injuries.
Omicron variant detected in Georgia
SPECIAL PHOTO
The Omicron variant has been detected in several individu
als in Georgia and the Department of Public Health is asking
citizens to take steps to prevent its spread and future variants.
The Georgia Depart
ment of Public Health
(DPH) confirmed the
Omicron variant in an un
vaccinated metro Atlanta
resident with no recent in
ternational travel history
on Dec. 9. The individual
had mild COVID symp
toms and was isolating
at home. Contact tracing
is underway to identify
close contacts at risk of
COVID-19 infection.
According to Hayla
Folden of District 4 Pub
lic Health, the DPH did
not share the location of
the individual.
“It is especially im
portant for people to be
mindful of washing hands,
maintaining physical dis
tance and masking when
indoors regardless of vac
cination status,” she said.
Previously, two cases
of the Omicron variant
were confirmed in metro
Atlanta residents.
The omicron variant
has now been detected
in patients in at least 21
U.S. states and in dozens
of countries around the
world.
“Preliminary data
show that Omicron may
cause less severe illness
but may spread more
easily than the Delta vari
ant. Scientists are still
researching how well the
current COVID vaccines
or natural immunity hold
up against Omicron, and
caution that it is too ear
ly to make conclusions
about Omicron because
there is not enough data
available,” said Folden.
More than 1,000 new
cases of COVID are report
ed daily in Georgia, 99%
of which are Delta variant
and predominantly in
unvaccinated individuals.
Vaccination is crucial to
stopping transmission of
COVID and preventing the
emergence of variants.
All Georgians over the
age of 5 are now eligible
for COVID vaccination.
Booster doses of vac
cine are recommended
for adults 18 and older
who completed their
first series of Pfizer or
Moderna vaccine at least
six months ago or two
months ago for J&J vac
cine. (CDC recommenda
tions for booster doses of
Pfizer vaccine are cur
rently pending for 16- and
17-year-olds.) The CDC
also recommends gen
eral prevention measures
such as wearing a mask in
public settings, staying 6
feet from others, avoid
ing crowds and poorly
ventilated spaces, and
frequently washing your
hands to protect against
COVID-19.
Those who have symp
toms of COVID-19 or who
may have been exposed
to someone with COVID
should get tested. To
find a COVID vaccine or
COVID testing location
log on to dph.ga.gov.
There were 15 con
firmed COVID-19 cases
over the past two weeks
according to DPH, with
no additional deaths in
Pike. As of Dec. 9, there
were 8 confirmed cases
in Pike County schools
and 13 quarantined.
PHOTOS BY RACHEL McDANIEL / PIKE COUNTY JOURNAL REPORTER
The Pirate Regiment marched in the annual Pike County Christmas Parade around the square.
Christmas cheer
The courthouse square was packed
for the Pike County Christmas Festi
val and Parade on Saturday. See more
parade pictures in next week’s special
Letters to Santa edition.
Above, this Volkswagen was decorated with
a manger. At right, the Grinch was popular in
the parade through downtown Zebulon.
Tom Morton laid to rest
after years of service in
Pike County community
Earlier this year, Tom
Morton was still active
as an attorney, having
practiced law for an
incredible 72 years. He
served nearly 30 years
as an attorney for Pike
County and several city
governments in the
county. He died Dec.
9 at his home. Funeral
services will be held
Saturday, Dec. 18, at 2
p.m. at Oak Hill Church
in Griffin with visitation
from 1 to 2 p.m. See full
obituary information on
page 7A.
The Pike County
commission declared
Dec. 9 as Tom Morton
Day in his honor.
Morton was a leader
in the community
through several civic
organizations including
the Lions Club, Ki-
wanis Club, Pike County
Historical Society and
others. He was named
the first ever Zebulon
Citizen of the Year in
2017 and was instru
mental in the creation
of the Pike Firefighter’s
Museum, Inc. He also
helped establish the
Good Citizenship
/.A
PHOTO BY RACHEL McDANIEL
Tom Morton was named Ze
bulon Citizen of the Year and
was given a key to the city.
Recognition and Award
Program with the city
of Zebulon in 2016. He
served in the U.S. Navy
from 1942 to 1945 and in
the U.S. Army from 1949
to 1955 as a Captain.
He was involved in five
major campaigns, 29
engagements with the
enemy and he earned
eight Battle Stars for
WWII while in the Navy.
See MORTON page 2A
Bright Ideas grants energize innovative lessons in Pike schools
PHOTOS COURTESY OF SOUTHERN RIVERS ENERGY
Several teachers were presented with Bright Ideas grants at the Pike County Elementary
School for submitting innovate lesson ideas. Southern Rivers Energy (SRE) and the Southern
Rivers Energy Trust Inc. presented them with the funds to purchase items needed for the spe
cial lessons. Pictured are (l-r) superintendent Dr. Michael Duncan, Josh Hendricks of SRE, fifth
grade teacher Kim Carden, PCES principal Dr. Melissa Smith accepting the check on behalf of
Jenny Fellows, PCES teacher Meghan Smith and Erin Cook of SRE.
Southern Rivers En
ergy (SRE) and the South
ern Rivers Energy Trust
Inc. awarded a total of
$15,286 to area teachers
to fund innovative lesson
plans for students, includ
ing three grants at Pike
County schools. A $604
Bright Ideas grant was
awarded to Amy Boynton
at Pike County Middle
School, Kim Carden, Jen
ny Fellows and Meghan
Smith received a grant
for $995 at Pike County
Elementary School and
Ashley Wright received a
$779 grant at Pike County
Elementary School.
From a pool of 49 ap
plicants, 19 teachers were
surprised with gifts and
checks ranging from $604
to $1,000 by members of
the Bright Ideas Brigade.
This year, 13 different
schools in Lamar, Meri
wether, Monroe, Pike,
Spalding and Upson
counties received grants.
SRE’s annual Bright Ideas
program gives educa
tors the opportunity to
apply for special project
funds, not often avail
able in tightly budgeted
school systems. Since the
program’s inception in
2007, more than $215,000
has been awarded to lo
cal teachers, giving them
the power to put their
creative teaching ideas
into action.
Earlier in the year,
certified teachers in pre-K
through 12th grade (pub
lic or private) were asked
to submit proposals for
classroom projects. With
out knowing the names
of schools or the educa
tors involved, two retired
teachers rated requests
according to creativity,
uniqueness of experi
ence, teamwork, goals
and learning objectives,
potential to benefit future
students and student
involvement.
Bright Ideas is funded
through SRE’s Operation
Round Up program, in
which members volun
teer to round up their
monthly electric bill to
the nearest dollar. The
extra change collected
from each participating
member goes to Southern
Rivers Energy Trust Inc.
and is distributed by a
volunteer board in the
form of community and
individual grants, as well
as Bright Ideas grants
and scholarships for local
students.
See GRANTS page 2A