Newspaper Page Text
STRONG START
The Lady Pirates volleyball teams started
the season strong with wins at home.
See page 1B
PCI IS PRIDE
Friday night lights are shining
once again on the Pirates!
See page 1B
COUNTY
REPORTER
ONE DOLLAR
www.pikecountygeorgia.com
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2023
Early deadline
due to Labor
Day holiday
Due to the Labor
Day holiday, the Pike
County Journal Re
porters deadline for
the Sept. 6 edition will
be 1 p.m. Thursday,
Aug. 31.
Packed with
a purpose
Local ministry Just
Because United, Inc.
was able to distribute
around 200 bookbags
filled with school
supplies as well as
bags full of hygiene
items for local stu
dents in need. Read
more about those who
brought it all together
on page 4A.
SPECIAL PHOTO
Around 200 bookbags
were packed with school
supplies and distributed
to local student by Just
Because United, Inc.
Invasive hornet confirmed in Georgia
The Georgia Department of
Agriculture (GDA) announced
Aug. 14, in coordination with
USDA and the University of
Georgia, that the presence of a
Yellow-Legged Hornet in Georgia
has been confirmed for the first
time. GDA is asking the public
to report any sightings of the
Yellow-Legged Hornet, a non
native hornet species, that, if
allowed to establish in Georgia,
could potentially threaten honey
production, native pollinators
and our state’s number one
industry - agriculture.
Earlier this month, a beekeep
er in Savannah found an unusual
hornet on his property and
reported it
to the GDA.
The U.S.
Department
of Agricul
ture’s Animal
and Plant
Health Inspec
tion Service (APHIS)
confirmed the University of
Georgia’s (UGA) identification
of the insect as a yellow-legged
hornet (YLH; Vespa velutina).
“Georgians play an impor
tant role helping GDA identify
unwanted, non-native pests, and
1 want to thank the beekeeper
who reported his sighting to us,
as well as our partners at Uni
versity of Geor
gia and USDA
Animal and
Plant Health
Inspection Ser
vice for working
swiftly to confirm
its identity,” said
Agriculture Commis
sioner Tyler Harper. “Our experi
enced team of professionals will
continually assess the situation
and are working directly with
USDA APHIS to trap, track, and
eliminate the Yellow-Legged Hor
net in Georgia. “
GDA’s website has more in
formation on the yellow-legged
hornet and an easily acces
sible form to report potential
sightings. This information is
displayed on the homepage of
the website. Georgians with
additional questions or con
cerns are encouraged to email
us at yellow.legged.hornet@agr.
georgia.gov.
When submitting a report,
including name and contact
information, the location of the
sighting/attack, date of sighting/
attack, any photographs that
can be safely taken, the location
and altitude of a nest if found or
a description of the insect and
what it was doing.
See HORNET page 3A
PHOTOS BY RACHEL McDANIEL / PIKE COUNTY JOURNAL REPORTER
Above, a Spalding County firefighter (left) and PCFD’s Lt. Phillip Baker (right) work together at a detached garage that
burned Aug. 15. The home behind them was saved from the fire as well as a tractor but everything in the garage was lost
as were nearby vehicles. The firefighters fought extreme heat as well, getting checked out regularly in the August heat.
Below, firefighter and paramedic Jeremy Strader listens to another firefighter about the location of flames under debris.
Firefighters battle flames and heat
BY RACHEL McDANIEL
news@pikecountygeorgia.com
Firefighters were
alerted of a fully-engulfed
structure on Highway 19
north Aug. 15 and they
were able to save the
owner’s nearby home
and move an antique
tractor. The garage was a
total loss, as were some
of the vehicles parked
nearby.
In addition to the
flames, firefighters were
fighting extreme heat and
humidity as they took
water breaks and under
went medical checks.
See FIREFIGHTERS page 3A
Patriot Day
display on
square Sept. 77
On Monday, Sept. 11,
Pike County American
Legion Post 197 will set up
a Patriot Day static display
in memory of those lost
on Sept. 11, 2001. The 9-11
Memorial will be on display
from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on
the south side of the Pike
County courthouse.
“The Patriot Day Memorial
will honor the 2,977 individu
als who perished that fateful
day 22
years ago,
including
343 fire
fighters,
60 law en
forcement
officers,
eight
emer
gency
medical
service
and 55
military,”
said Post
197’s Bryan Richardson.
“The memorial will also
honor those individuals who
perished with no trace of
their remains found and no
closure to their families; and
those service members who
died defending our nation in
the resulting war on terror
ism. The event of Sept. 11,
2001 was the largest loss of
life by a foreign attack on
American soil. The public is
highly encouraged to stop
by and see the 9-11 Memo
rial and reflect on this tragic
event that affects our coun
try even today.”
Pike NAAGP holds annual Freedom Fund banquet
SPECIAL PHOTOS
The Outstanding NAACP Leadership Award was presented to (l-r) Patricia Beckham by Brenda
Mathis, Edward Alexander, Veronica Evans and Annie Hines of the Pike NAACP branch.
The Pike County
Branch NAACP hosted
their ninth Freedom Fund
banquet at Life Springs
Church on July 22.
Patricia Beckham has
served as president of
the organization for 21
years. The theme for
the event was Strength
Behind Us, Greatness
Ahead of Us. The keynote
speaker was Dr Marian
Terrell an Alumnus of
Pike County Consolidat
ed High School.
“Since our found
ing in 1909, the NAACP
envisions an inclusive
community rooted in
liberation where all per
sons can exercise their
civil and human rights
without discrimination.
To realize that vision,
we still work every day
to achieve that vision
by striving to realize
our mission: to achieve
equity, political rights
and social inclusion by
advancing policies and
practices that expand
human and civil rights,
eliminate discrimination,
and accelerate the well
being, education and eco
nomic security of black
people and all persons of
color,” said Beckham.
“We’ve all heard these
words so many times
that our eyes may glaze
over like they do some
times in church at words
like, ‘Love one another.’
How many times have we
heard that? We succeed,
but we fail too! Just as
living out Christianity
is hard, so is living by
the tenets of the NAACP.
We are not political. We
work to achieve eq
uity among people - legal
equity - political rights
and social inclusion and
work to expand human
and civil rights. We’ve
accomplished so much in
the last 134 years of our
existence.”
Pike’s Patricia Beckham was
awarded with the Outstand
ing NAACP Leadership
Award. She has been NAACP
president for 21 years.
