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ONE DOLLAR
www.pikecountygeorgia.com
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2023
PIKE'S PEEK
Health fair is
Sept. 28 at
Church of Joy
The Pike County
Community Health
Fair and Blood Drive
is set for Thursday,
Sept. 28 at the Church
of Joy at 3080 Highway
362 in Williamson.
The Health and Well
ness Fair will be held
from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
and the blood drive will
be held from 1 p.m. to 7
p.m. Gift cards and free
gifts will be provided
for blood donors.
The Health and
Wellness Fair will
include a free health
screening and testing
(for HIV, COV1D-19),
health resources
and information (for
chronic diseases, HIV
and lead poisoning),
opioid abuse preven
tion education, health
insurance information
and resources, job
training and employ
ment opportunities and
COVID-19 vaccination.
Children can learn
how to be a teddy bear
doctor from Mercer
University School of
Medicine studetns at
the Teddy Bear Clinic.
Molena tank
work Friday,
Sept. 29
Due to necessary
tank maintenance
Friday, Sept. 29, city of
Molena water custom
ers may experience
a period of no water
lasting from three to
five hours between 8
a.m. and 5 p.m.
“We apologize for
any inconvenience,
please plan according
ly,” said Molena city
clerk Brighte Godfrey.
Concord bank robber sentenced to
life in prison three years after crime
On Sept. 20, a Pike
County jury returned a
guilty verdict in the State
of Georgia v. Howatdrick
Jamal Jones case. Jones,
a 31-year-old man from
Woodbury, was convict
ed of armed robbery.
The jury deliberated
for just under 15 minutes.
The case was tried by
Senior Assistant District
Attorney Michael Rogers,
and the lead investigator
was Leon Alpough from
the Pike County Sheriff’s
Office. Jones was sen
tenced to life in
prison with the
possibility of
parole.
Around 5
p.m. on Sept.
18, 2020, How
atdrick Jamal
Jones entered
the First Bank of
Pike in Concord,
wearing a red
baseball cap,
red shoes, a surgical
mask and gloves. He ap
proached the teller and
handed her a note that
read, “Give me
the money be
fore 1 shoot!!!!”
The terrified
victim complied
with his demand
as she believed
her life was in
imminent dan
ger. Jones left
the bank on foot
with approxi
mately $4,100.
Jones’s latent prints left
on the bank note were
the key piece of evidence
that led to his ultimate
Howatdrick Jones faces a life
sentence after robbing the
First Bank of Pike in Concord.
conviction.
Jones is also impli
cated in a bank robbery
in Meriwether County.
The FBI investigated that
case, and the charges are
pending in federal court.
Two FBI Agents did tes
tify at the trial.
“1 am so thankful to
Michael, my Pike County
office, the Pike County
Sheriff’s Office, the wit
nesses who testified and
all involved in this case,”
said District Attorney
Broder. “The jury’s
verdict sends a resound
ing message to those
who want to enter Pike
County to commit crime.
Stay out.”
HOWATDRICK
JAMAR JONES
PHOTO BY RACHEL McDANIEL / PIKE COUNTY JOURNAL REPORTER
Alice in Wonderland enjoys a book between visits with young princesses and superheroes at
the Pike County Journal Reporter office. Hundreds of kids got to meet with popular characters
including Alice, Aurora, Elsa and Anna, Cinderella, Captain America, Snow White, a Star Wars
stormtrooper, Darth Vader, Captain Jack Sparrow, Spiderman, Tiana, Moana, Cruella Deville,
Ursula and others! The event brought hundreds of visitors to downtown Zebulon businesses.
Princesses,
heroes & villains!
The Pike County
Chamber of Commerce
hosted a magical night
for the community with
character visits and a
storytime singalong.
Assessors meeting
gets out of hand
The Sept. 19 Pike
County Tax Assessors
meeting was out of
order several times as
the chair attempted to
control arguing board
members. Melissa
Connell of the Tax As
sessors office was out
unexpectedly as was
her backup employee
so board members had
differing versions of the
meeting’s agenda.
The meeting was con
ducted by chairperson
Jessica Rowell who had
to call the meeting back
to order several times.
Chief appraiser Greg
Hobbs reported that
Pike could face a $5 per
parcel penalty (around
$50,000) because the
county’s median ratio
was below 38% - at
29.63.
The state code re
quires that each coun
ty’s taxable tangible
property be assessed
at 40 percent of its fair
market value and is
taxed based on that.
He said the assessor’s
office is close to turning
the digest over to the
county but they face a
decision on a reprimand
from the state for hav
ing a low median ratio.
Hobbs also noted he
did not want to discuss
the issue in detail since
the attorney was not
present.
“On the 13th of Sep
tember, the Department
of Revenue came and
did our digest review,”
said Hobbs. “Their
report was 1,300 lines
and had a lot to do with
policies and procedures
that we already follow.
For the most part we
do, but there’s always
room for improvement.”
He noted that the
county could either
pay the fine of around
$50,000 or sign a
consent order and the
Department of Revenue
will direct the county
on the next steps they
need to take to stay
above the median
ratio. He said the issue
needed to be taken to
the county for them to
decide whether to pay
the fine or not.
“That’s not the com
missioner’s authority,
that’s our responsibility
and that’s spelled out
in Georgia code and in
this manual,” said new
board member Kristen
Cudnohufsky. “We all
took an oath to sit in
these seats and follow
these rules.”
See TAX ASSESSORS page 2A
BOE asks for input on Val and Sal selection policy
PHOTO BY RACHEL McDANIEL / PIKE COUNTY JOURNAL REPORTER
PCHS graduate McKenzie Fox (left) and PCHS senior Marissa Hanson requested a change in
the way the Valedictorian and Salutatorian are selected at a July school board meeting.
The Pike County board
of education is consid
ering a revision to the
board regulation which
determines the selection
process for Valedictorian
and Salutatorian. If ad
opted, this regulation will
impact this year’s ninth
graders and all graduates
after them. The board
is soliciting comments
which will be accepted
through 4 p.m. Monday,
Oct. 2. The board will
consider community
input and vote on the
proposed change at its
regularly scheduled meet
ing on Tuesday, Oct. 3.
There was a public
meeting for discussion
and input at the Ninth
Grade Academy at 4 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 26 and an
other public meeting will
be held at 6 p.m. Thurs
day, Sept. 28. Students
and parents are welcome
to attend.
Pike County High
School senior Marissa
Hanson and 2022 graduate
McKenzie Fox addressed
the board and requested
the change at the July 25
school board meeting,
making many different
points about the need for
the change. It was noted
that the Valedictorian and
Salutatorian are chosen
each year based on SAT
score and not GPA like
other school systems
in the state. Both young
ladies noted that students
with the highest SAT score
already earn the STAR
student recognition.
“This is something
completely out of my
comfort zone and 1 would
never do something like
this if 1 didn’t have to, but
1 am passionate about
this and feel the need to
speak up,” said Marissa
Hanson at the July meet
ing. “My hope is that you
reconsider the criteria
used to selected Valedic
torian and Salutatorian.
Most school systems in
the state of Georgia base
their choice based on the
highest GPA in the class.”
The new proposed
policy states, “To be
eligible for inclusion, a
student must enroll in Pike
County High School before
the end of the first six
weeks, fall semester of the
student’s junior year. Class
rankings for this purpose
shall be computed at the
end of the first semester of
the senior year. The rank
ings shall be determined
by using the Numeric
Grade Average (out to
the fourth decimal place
(97.3512) of all courses
taken in grades 9 through
12 in which high school
credit is awarded. An ad
ditional five (5) points will
be added to grades from
approved Dual Enrollment
Courses. An additional ten
(10) points will be added
to grades from Advanced
Placement (AP) Courses.
For the purposes of this
Administrative Rule: The
Student with the highest
Numeric Grade Average
shall be the Valedictorian;
The Student with the
second highest Numeric
Grade Average shall be the
Salutatorian. If there is a
tie for Valedictorian, the
student with the highest
Superscore* SAT will be
recognized for that honor
and the other student
will be named Salutato
rian. SAT scores shall be
reported to Pike County
High School no later than
the last school day of the
first semester of the stu
dent’s senior year. Pursu
ant to O.C.G.A 20-2-161.3, a
student must take at least
one course at Pike County
High School (on-site) to be
eligible for Valedictorian
or Salutatorian.”
The policy may be
reviewed and comments
submitted online at
https://simbli.eboardso-
lutions.com under Poli
cies tab and then Pend
ing for Public Comments.