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Wednesday, December 15, 2021 - Pike County Journal Reporter - Page 7A
Lady Pirates softball team, athletes honored
The Pike County High
School Lady Pirates
played a dominating
season of softball, finish
ing in the top six in the
state playoffs and ranked
#4 in the state and the
team’s individual accom
plishments were recently
celebrated, including four
college scholarships.
Bailee Brown, Shelby
Duncan, Emma Smith and
Madi Neal all took part
in scholarship celebra
tions on College Signing
Day Nov. 29 at the high
school. Bailee Brown and
Shelby Duncan signed
scholarships to play with
Young Harris and Madi
Neal and Emma Smith
signed scholarships to
play with Gordon State
College.
“These four ladies
have worked hard over
the past four years on the
field and in the classroom
to earn this opportunity
to continue their playing
careers at the next level. 1
know they will represent
Pike County and our soft-
ball program well as they
move on to these two col
leges,” said head softball
coach Kevin Mobley.
The Lady Pirates were
rewarded for their hard
work all season long at
the team’s annual end of
year banquet recently.
“It has been a special
two seasons with back-
to-back trips to Colum
bus. We have had a third
and sixth place finish
and these girls have been
amazing. We graduate
nine girls from this year’s
team, and even though
they are great athletes
and softball players they
are even better people.
We have a solid core
group returning next year
who were on this team
and will be looked upon
to provide leadership
SUBMITTED PHOTOS
Among the members of the Pike County Lady Pirates softball team who earned honors at the annual banquet include (above l-r) Emma Smith, Bailee Brown,
Shelby Duncan, Madi Neal and Alana Crenshaw. The Lady Pirates were AAA Region Champions and they finished the season ranked #4 in the state.
Above, Callie Williams earned the Lady Pirates’ Silver Slugger
Award, Quality At Bats Award and was named Region 2-AAA
First Team All-Region and Georgia Athletic Coaches Associa
tion AAA 1st Team All-State. At left, Jamie Corbin was named
to the 1st Team All-Region.
into the off-season and
over the summer as we
prepare to defend our re
gion championship,” said
coach Mobley. “1 want to
thank the community for
their support of our girls
and our program. There
is not a better community
to work in.”
Junior Callie Williams
earned the team’s Silver
Slugger Award, Quality
at Bats Award and was
named Region 2-AAA
First Team All-Region and
Georgia Athletic Coaches
Association AAA 1st
Team All-State. She also
made the GACA Jr. North/
South All-Star Game that
will be played at the Uni
versity of West Georgia
on June 6-7.
“Callie had an excep
tional junior campaign
and was rewarded for it.
She led our team with
a .500 batting average
and hit .700 throughout
the playoffs,” said coach
Mobley.
Senior Bailee Brown
was named 1st Team
All-Region and GACA 1st
Team All-State.
“Bailee was a terror
all season for our oppo
nents on the bases. She
achieved a goal she set
of stealing a 100 career
bases this season when
she swiped base 30 on
the season. She ended
the season with 32 steals
and 102 for her career,”
said coach Mobley. “She
finished this season with
a .467 average, .443 (177
for 399) batting average
for her four years, and hit
.833 in Columbus going
10 for 12 with six stolen
bases.”
Senior Madi Neal was
named Region 2-AAA Of
fensive Player of the Year
which placed her on the
1st Team All-Region.
“Madi is the picture of
consistency at the plate
and in the field,” said
coach Mobley. “She hit
.463 for her senior season
and .435 (156 for 359) for
her four year career.”
Senior Emma Smith
was named 1st Team All-
Region.
“Emma finished her
season with a .410 batting
average and provided
great defense in the out
field,” said coach Mobley.
Senior Shelby Duncan
was named the Region
2-AAA Player of the Year
which placed her on
the 1st Team All-Region
and she was also named
GACA 2nd Team All-State.
“Shelby has truly de
veloped into a true power
threat at the plate. She
finished with a .407 aver
age, 6 homeruns, and 42
runs batted in. Shelby
ended her career at Pike
County with a .419 (121-
289) average and 100
RBI,” said coach Mobley.
Senior Jamie Corbin
was named to the 1st
Team All-Region.
“Jamie finished the
season with a .319 BA.
She also went 8-1 with a
3.31 ERA in the circle for
the Lady Pirates,” said
coach Mobley.
Senior Alana Crenshaw
earned the PC Softball
Gold Glove Award and
was named the Region
2-AAA Defensive Player
of the Year which placed
her on 1st Team All-Re
gion and GACA 2nd Team
All-State.
“Alana changed the
game from the defensive
side of it. She was our
standout catcher for the
past four years. She hit
.376 on the season and
.338 for her career. The
amazing stat is teams
only attempted 14 stolen
bases all season and she
threw out 8 of those of
ficially (we have picture
proof that two who were
called safe were actually
out),” said coach Mobley.
Seniors Madison Neal,
Alana Crenshaw and
Shelby Duncan were also
selected to play in the
GA Dugout Club Senior
All-State Game at Buford
High School on Nov. 13.
Williamson approves
zoning change for vet
clinic, office space
BY DWAIN W. PENN
news@pikecountygeorgia.com
All five Williamson
council members at
tended a special called
meeting December 2
to consider a rezoning
request for a GA 362
property. Mayor pro tern
Carol Berry presided
in mayor Steve Fry’s
absence.
The Williamson plan
ning commission met
two weeks earlier on
Nov. 18 and made recom
mendation for council
to approve the zoning
change for 904 GA 362
property to C-l neighbor
hood commercial con
tingent on amendment
of the ordinance prior to
approval.
Those two amend
ments were: (a) outpa
tient veterinary clinic
with no overnight park
ing and no facility for
the outside keeping or
overnight boarding of
animals; and (b) office
space; multi-use office
space for uses which
comply with the intent
of the described zoning
classification.
Council approved the
amendments unanimous
ly followed immediately
by approval to rezone
the property C-l neigh
borhood commercial.
The sale of the property
was pending awaiting
confirmed rezoning.
The time and effort
invested in the Dec. 2
called meeting produced
many benefits for the
city of Williamson ap
propriate for the recent
season of Thanksgiving.
Preserving the Blanton
cottage allows it to con
tinue sharing the rich lo
cal history that included,
for a time, housing the
Williamson Learning Cen
ter where educators Joan
and Carol Berry and Julia
Walrath taught children.
The new business, an an
imal clinic, to occupy the
cottage will increase city
budget income through
annual occupational per
mits and property taxes.
The services provided
by the clinic are dedi
cated to the treatment of
pets, referred to by most
“parents” as fur babies.
Distilling the essence
of the called meeting
prophetically fulfills the
city’s motto adopted
March 1997, “Cherish our
past, plan our future.”
Pike County American Legion Post 197 Member
ship Drive: Contact the Post 197 commander at 762-
207-8327 or Post 197 Adjutant at 404-790-6609.
Meansville Volunteer Fire Department: Accept
ing applications for volunteer firefighters. All training
will be provided. Apply in person, 40 Means Street,
Meansville.
Pike County Republican Party meetings: 6 p.m.
on the second Tuesdays of the month at the Strick
land Building, 144 Concord Street.
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
Public meetings
The next scheduled meetings in Pike County are:
• Pike County commission, Wednesday, January 12, 9 a.m.
a.m. in the main, upstairs courtroom of the courthouse.
• Concord city council, Tuesday, January 11,7 p.m., city hall
• Meansville council, Monday, January 10, 7 p.m.,
Meansville city hall, 6:45 p.m.
• Molena city council, Monday, January 10, 6 p.m.,
Molena city hall
• Pike County agribusiness authority, Thursday, December
16, 7 p.m., Farm Bureau office.
• Pike County board of appeals, Thursday, December 16,6 p.m.
• Pike County board of education, Tuesday, January 11,
6 p.m., Board Room at the Pike County Schools Memorial Annex.
• Pike County library board, Thursday, January 13, 4:30
p.m., J. Joel Edwards Public Library.
• Pike planning commission, Thursday, January 13,6:30 p.m.
• Pike County tax assessors, Tuesday, January 4, meeting at
9 a.m., Pike EMA/Storage Facility, 1132 Twin Oaks Road.
• Pike County water authority meeting, Thursday, Decem
ber 16, 7:30 a.m., authority building.
• Williamson city council, Thursday, January 6, 7 p.m.
• Zebulon city council, Tuesday, January 11, 6 p.m.
• Zebulon Downtown Development Authority, Tuesday,
December 21,7 p.m., A Novel Experience, 426 Thomaston St.
• Board of elections and registration, December meeting
cancelled, next meeting set for 4 p.m. Monday, January 18,
in the commissioners’ conference room.
• Pike County Parks and Recreation Authority, 6 p.m.
Tuesday, December 21, EMA facility.
ARREST REPORT
Between Monday, Dec. 6, and Sunday, Dec. 12,
Pike County law enforcement agencies made the
following arrests:
PIKE COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE:
Thomas Jasper Beavers 111, 27, probation viola
tion (when probation terms are altered) for finger-
printable charge;
Jimmy Lamar Glanton, 53, probation violation
(when probation terms are altered) for fingerprint-
able charge;
Jarvis A. Allen, 38, probation violation (when
probation terms are altered) for fingerprintable
charge;
Asheley Adam Taliaferro, 33, here for court;
Samuel James Turner, 17, criminal trespass fam
ily violence act;
Quintavius Marcel Williams, 27, probation
violation (when probation terms are altered) for
fingerprintable charge.
ZEBULON POLICE DEPARTMENT:
Edward Pope, 64, probation violation (when pro
bation terms are altered) for fingerprintable charge:
Robert Alan Eggleston, 57, driving while license
suspended or revoked and open container in vehicle;
James Greany, 37, refusal to sign citation and
stopping, standing or parking outside of business
or residence;
Daniel Matthew Thompson, 17, two counts
possession of a Schedule I controlled substance,
brake lights and turn signals required and illegal
possession of a controlled substance.
MOLENA POLICE DEPARTMENT:
Kasey Albritton, 37, driving with no license on
person, failure to drive within single lane, open
container in vehicle, possession of marijuana less
than one ounce local ordinance and windshields
and windshield wipers.
QBITUAREE
Thomas H. Morton
Mr. Thomas H. Morton, 99, of Molena, GA, died Thurs
day, December 9, 2021, at his residence. Funeral services
for Mr. Morton will be held Saturday, December 18, 2021,
at 2 p.m. at Oak Hill Church in
Griffin, GA, with Rev. John Nance
and Rev. Vernon Ritchie officiating.
Interment will be private for fam
ily only at Westwood Gardens in
Griffin, GA. The family will receive
friends on Saturday from 1 to 2
p.m. at Oak Hill Church.
Mr. Morton was born May 29,
1922, in Fall River, MA, to the late
Russell Neely Morton and Lydia
Ann Shuttleworth Morton, and he
was raised in New York City. He
was a 1941 graduate of Jamaica
High School in New York, earned an AB degree from Mercer
University in 1949, and received a JD from Walter F. George
School of Law of Mercer University in 1949. He did post
graduate work at George Washington University in Labor
and International law, and attended Judge Advocate Gen
eral’s School at the University of Virginia. He also received
a graduate certificate in Government, Military and Contract
Law, a certificate in urban unrest and local government,
and an ABA Certificate in Modern Real Estate Transactions
from the University of Southern California. Mr. Morton was
admitted to practice law in 1949, and he opened his first
law office that year in Douglasville, GA. In 1950, he was
commissioned in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps of
the U.S. Army. In 1955, he joined the law department of the
Firestone Tire and Rubber Company and was assigned to
the company’s California Corporation. His area of responsi
bility included 10 western and three eastern states. In 1985,
he joined the law firm of Belcher, Henzie & Biegenzahn in
Los Angeles, CA, as a Senior member of the firm. In 1991,
he became a partner in the firm of Crawford & Morton in
Zebulon, GA, and in 1994, he founded his own law firm
there. After his son was admitted to the practice of law, Mr.
Morton founded the firm of Morton, Morton & Associates
in Zebulon, GA. In addition to the general practice of law
and representing many major clients such as Zamboni and
NE1SMA, he became City Attorney for the cities of Zebulon
and Meansville, GA, and he served as County Attorney for
Spalding, Meriwether and Pike County, GA. In addition to
helping the county and cities of Pike with legal, community,
and developmental issues, Mr. Morton was a member of
many civic organizations including the Lions Club, Kiwanis
Club, and Pike County Historical Society. He was named
Zebulon Citizen of the Year in 2017. Mr. Morton served
in the U. S. Navy from 1942-1945 as TM2C and in the U. S.
Army from 1949-1955 as Captain. He earned eight Battle
Stars for WW11 while In the Navy and was the recipient of
the Navy Ribbon of Commendation for Valor in the Battle
of Okinawa during WWI1, in addition to many other cita
tions. Mr. Morton was active in many sports and was a Boy
Scout in his younger days. He served on many Boards of
Directors, including many years at the First Bank of Pike.
He was actively involved in church all of his life, having
been ordained as a Deacon and later as a Southern Baptist
Minister.
Mr. Morton married Mary Elizabeth Mowell of Decatur,
GA, in 1942, and after her death in 1991, he married Sonya
D. Morton in May, 1992. He was also preceded in death by
a daughter, Cherry Lynn Morton, and a step son, Duane
Croom. In addition to his current wife, survivors include
daughter: Janice (John Yester) Morton of Jacksonville, FL;
two sons: Thomas H. (Kyoko) Morton, Jr., of Kailua-Kona,
HI and Rob (Deby) Morton, of Zebulon, GA; and two step
sons, Lonnie Croom of Windsor, CO, and Kevin Croom of
Henderson, NV. Thirteen grandchildren and seven great
grandchildren also survive.
Fletcher-Day Funeral Home of Thomaston, GA, is in
charge of all arrangements. Condolences and remem
brances may be expressed at www.fletcherdayfuneral-
home.com.