Newspaper Page Text
PIKE COUNTY
JOURNAL REPORTER
ONE DOLLAR
www.pikecountygeorgia.com
WEDNESDAY, MAY 24, 2023
PIKE'S PEEK
CORRECTION:
Proctor not in
office when
donation
accepted
In the May 17 edi
tion of the Pike County
Journal Reporter, it
was stated that all five
county commissioners
were in office when the
$225,000
donation
was ac
cepted
for an
animal
shelter.
That
JASON was in-
PROCTOR correct,
however, as commis
sioner Jason Proctor’s
first board meeting
was Dec. 12, 2019 and
the donation was ac
cepted by commission
ers Sept. 24, 2019.
Early deadine
for Memorial
Day holiday
Due to the Memorial
Day holiday on Mon
day, May 29, the Pike
County Journal Re
porter will go to press
early.
Please submit news
and advertising before
noon Thursday, May
25, to be included the
May 31 edition.
Hats off to 2023 graduates
BY RACHEL McDANIEL
news@pikecountygeorgia.com
Around 295 Pike
County High School will
graduate this Friday, May
26 with gates opening
at 5:30 p.m. See all Pike
grads on pages 1B-9B.
The Class of 2023 vale
dictorian for PCHS is Kaci
Wadsworth and Callie
Williams is the Salutato-
rian. Mr. and Miss Pike
County are Luke Woerner
and Savannah McBrayer.
At the commencement
ceremony, Bethany Barn-
er will offer a Moment
of Reflection, Savannah
McBrayer will give the
welcome, Makenzie Fox
will introduce the theme,
Callie Williams will give
the Salutatorian address,
Kaci Wadsworth will give
the Valedictorian address
and Kadence Smith will
provide closing remarks.
The Pike County High School Class of 2023 Valedictorian is The CrossPointe Christian Academy Class of 2023 Valedictori-
Kaci Wadsworth (left) and the Salutatorian is Callie Williams. an is Ella Fulop (right) and the Salutatorian is Isaac Walraven.
“The Class of 2023 is
an excellent, well-rounded
representation of the Pike
County Schools Portrait
of a Graduate. The class
of 2023 excels both in the
classroom and in extra-
curriculars, with almost
60 percent earning the
HOPE Scholarship,” said
PCHS principal Kevin
Huffstetler. “This class
includes student athletes
who have earned scholar
ships in almost all sports
that we offer and owns
several Region and State
Championships. We are so
proud of these young men
and women, and they will
be missed by all!”
All are invited to at
tend. Balloons, noise
makers, alcohol, tobacco,
vapes and weapons of
any kind are not allowed
on campus at PCHS.
“Staff at PCHS will be on
site to provide directions
for parking for all partici
pants, families and friends.
We will use golf carts to
provide those in need of
assistance a ride to the
stadium. Please have all
handicap passes visible
for staff to assist with
parking,” said Huffstetler.
See GRADUATES page 3A
COACHING
LEGEND
HOME OF THE 2019
■ AAA BASEBALL
STATE CHAMPIONS
PHOTO BY RACHEL McDANIEL / PIKE COUNTY JOURNAL REPORTER
In his 20 years at the helm of Pirates baseball program, head coach Don Hanson has earned
two state championships and six consecutive region championships.
Don Hanson retires as Pirates coach
For 20 years, coach
Don Hanson has been at
the helm of the Pirates
baseball program and he
recently announced his
retirement from coach
ing baseball. In addition
to earning two AAA State
Championship titles, he
was named the 2021 and
the 2022 AAA Baseball
Coach of the Year. In May
2021, he won his 400th
game as baseball coach
for the Pirates.
“I have been so
blessed to have had the
opportunity to coach
baseball here at Pike for
20 years. When I started
here, I just wanted to
represent Pike well. I
wanted to leave it better
than I found it. I wanted
to make it a program that
others would respect
because we do things
the right way. The sup
port from Pike County
Schools, our community,
parents and players have
made this job an abso
lute joy to be a part of,”
said coach Hanson.
See HANSON page 2A
Memorial Day event
planned for May 29
^twoRini 0/j,
Pike County Ameri
can Legion Post 197
will host the Pike
County Memorial Day
Observance Program
starting at 10 a.m.
Monday, May 29
on the south
side of the
court- - <
house
square in
Zebulon.
“The program
theme for this year is
“Our Flag - A Sacred
Memorial”. A Sheriff’s
office escorted hearse
with a flag draped
casket will be used to
reinforce the theme as
well as full final mili
tary honors with three
round volley, Taps,
the flag folding and
presentation to Mayor
Joe Walter of the city of
Zebulon,” said Post 197
event director Bryan
Richardson.
“A secondary pro
gram theme is ‘Our
Youngest Generation.’
The program in its
entirety will be infor
mative, patriotic,
inspirational and
moving. We
encourage all
veterans to
8S)r attend as
they will be
acknowledged
as part of the pro
gram.”
Seating is limited and
citizens are encouraged
to bring a chair. In case
of inclement weather,
the program will be
held at the Zebulon
Christ Chapel outdoor
pavilion.
“Help us acknowl
edge our veterans and
those military who
died establishing and
defending the freedoms
we enjoy today,” said
Richardson.
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SPECIAL PHOTO
Many Memorial Day packages were delivered to deployed troops from the Pike community.
Memorial Day packages delivered
Members of the com
munity rallied to provide
items and funds to send
packages to military mem
bers overseas for Memo
rial Day. The first round
of care boxes has been
received by deployed
service members. Ac
cording to Mary Cooper,
her son Cam was among
those who received boxes
and while he is not able to
share pictures or videos,
he did describe the excite
ment and thankfulness of
his fellow Airmen.
“I am so grateful!
Thank you to the fol
lowing who made this
possible: Double P Grad
ing, Inc., Law Office of
Kevin Hurt, Jason Proc
tor with Southside Steel,
McLeRoy Realty, Inc.,
the Pike County Journal
Reporter, Pike County
Primary School students
and Cassie Pierce, Sally
Nealis, Priscilla McHan,
Lisa Henderson, Sherylee
Blohm, Stephanie Elder,
Nick Clark, Stephanie
Clark, Arlene Wright,
Linda Swetmon, Beth
Park, Leslie Crowder,
Tina Turner, Terri Pat
terson, Donna Brown,
Tanya Bouchard, Marie
Conley, Amanda Wester,
Tori Heath, Lisa Evans,
Autumn Ogilvie, Trisha
Dabbs, Elizabeth Porter,
Lindsey Huff, Laura and
Ryan Edge, Karen Ben
nett, Vikki Nichols, Susan
Burke, Teri Totten, Jenni
fer Bartlett, Becky Watts,
Mary Kay Odum, Danni
Banks, Kim Murphy and
Wendy Moulder.”
Taco Tuesday ruined
by kitchen lire at
Georgia Taco
A kitchen fire at Geor
gia Taco in the Fresh
way Market shopping
center was doused
May 16. [
According to Lt. }
Keith Jackson, the ?
fire was contained
to a cook top/
oven on wheels
that fire personnel
rolled outside and
extinguished. The
call went out at 5:54
p.m.
Pike County Fire
Department public in
formation officer Anita
Neath said a customer
leaving China House,
the adjacent restaurant,
saw fire inside the build
ing. Georgia Taco
was closed at the
, _ time. The fire
^ was contained
to its point of
origin, an oven
cooktop in the
/ kitchen. PCFD
personnel checked
for extension of the fire
in the attic of the store
and other buildings all
the way to Freshway.
Personnel from Fire
Stations 1, 2, 3, 4, 7 and
8 were on scene.
35-year-old dies in single
vehicle wreck on Highway 362
Pike County Sheriff’s
Office deputies respond
ed to a single vehicle
accident at 2:21 a.m.
May 20 on Highway 362
near the Opry House
and Kings Bridge Road.
A Jeep Grand Chero
kee had been traveling
eastbound on Highway
362 when it left the
roadway, overturned
and struck a fence.
The driver of the
vehicle, Ahmed Mclel-
land, 35, from Concord,
was deceased at the
scene. The cause of this
incident is still under
investigation.