Newspaper Page Text
'LENA
See Santa at Christmas in the Molena City
enjoy family fun, music and a Christmas
from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1 6.
ON A ROLL!
Both basketball teams start strong
and earn a three-game winning streak!
See page 1B
PIKE COUNTY
URNAL REPORTER
ONE DOLLAR
www.pikecountygeorgia.com
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2023
Former school
board member
sentenced, will
serve 3 years
Gregory Ryan Edge,
a former member of
the Pike County Board
of Education, entered a
non-negotiated plea to
24 counts of Theft by
Taking by a Fiduciary
on Dec.
6. It was
alleged
that Edge,
the vice
president
and senior
regional
manager
of South
ern Credit Union, used
his position of trust in
order to steal money
from friends and
customers. The mat
ter was investigated
by Georgia Bureau of
Investigation Special
Agent Adam Thomp
son, who discovered
that between 2013 and
2019, Edge stole more
than $40,000 from bank
customers.
During the sentenc
ing hearing before
the Honorable Chief
Judge W. Fletcher
Sams, Edge’s attorney
pointed to his lack of
criminal history, his
remorse and good
deeds he has done
in the community to
mitigate his sentence.
Edge addressed the
court, his family and
his victims when he
expressed his remorse
over his actions. Assis
tant District Attorney
Adelle Petersen argued
that Edge preyed upon
people who trusted
him, and his behavior
merited a prison sen
tence. Edge was sen
tenced by the court to
20 years, with the first
three to be served in
prison and the balance
on probation. He is
required to surrender
himself to the Spalding
County Sheriff on Jan.
3, to begin his prison
sentence.
RYAN EDGE
Holly Jolly parade, market is Dec. 15
The 2023 Holly Jolly
Lighted Christmas Parade
will take flight Dec. 15
with festive floats and
brightly decorated
vehicles traveling from
the schools past the
courthouse square to
Williamson-Zebulon Road
and then to County Farm
Road and ending at the
Pike County Community
Center where the Holly
Jolly Market will be held
from 5 to 10 p.m. The
high school theater group
will perform songs from
their upcoming musical.
“We will have a huge
variety of craft vendors
and food trucks. Santa
will be coming in to do
pictures and the Grinch
will also be running
around causing mischief,”
said Recreation Authority
assistant Victoria Bryan.
The parade will start
at 7 p.m. and feature Pike
County’s Joy Walker as
grand marshal. She was
the first female pilot for
Delta Airlines and in her
honor, all proceeds from
the parade fees will be
split between the Kiwanis
and the Lion’s Club.
“Joy has donated much
of her time to these two
wonderful civic clubs and
the Pike County Chamber
of Commerce is pleased
to be able to support
them in this way. Any
one can sign up for the
parade up until the day
before, Dec. 14 at 5 p.m.,”
said Chamber of Com
merce executive director
SPECIAL PHOTOS
Last year’s Christ
mas parade had
both Santa and the
Grinch. This year’s
parade starts at 7
p.m. Friday, Dec. 15
and travels from the
schools to the rec
reation authority’s
Community Center.
Meredith Maddox. “As a
chamber we want to work
with the Parks and Recre
ation Authority to host an
amazing event and parade
for our community and
the Community Center at
the recreation fields has
much more space than
the downtown area.”
For more on the Holly
Jolly Christmas Market,
contact Victoria at 770-
567-2027. For more on
the Holly Jolly Lighted
parade, call 770-584-5638
or email info@pikecoun-
tygachamber.com.
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DEDICATED TO THOSE WHO
GAVE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE
Hall
PHOTOS BY RACHEL McDANIEL / PIKE COUNTY JOURNAL REPORTER
The sign for the entrance of the Pike County Memorial Hall of Heroes was unveiled by Post 197 commander Paul Chatter-
ton (left) and Zebulon mayor Joe Walter during the official dedication of the Hall of Heroes at Zebulon City Hall Dec. 2.
Hall of Heroes dedicated; four more inducted
American Legion Post 197’s Tim Dukes plays Taps at the
end of the Last Call for fallen officer Sherry Lyons-Williams
who grew up in Pike and lost her life as a police officer.
The late Sherry Lyons-Williams and Vincent Williams were
married in 1998 by a Police Chaplain. Vincent attended the
Dec. 2 ceremony inducting her into the Pike Memorial Hall of
Heroes and (above) holds the plaque made in her memory.
BY RACHEL McDANIEL
news@pikecountygeorgia.com
The walls of Zebu
lon City Hall tell of the
bravery, dediation and
selflessness of local Pike
County heroes who gave
the ultimate sacrifice
in laying down their
lives in the line of duty
as they served in the
military or law enforce
ment. Pike County
American Legion Post
197 recently dedicated
the new location of the
Memorial Hall of Heroes
at Zebulon City Hall as
they inducted four new
members on the tenth
anniversary of the pro
gram. The Hall of Heroes
is open to the public
during business hours
and honors 41 heroes
from Pike County who
gave their lives in mili
tary or first responder
service.
Four local heroes
were inducted during
the Dec. 2 ceremony,
including Marine Private
Lee R. Todd who was
killed in action in WWI,
Army Technician Fifth
Grade Grier H. Blanken
ship who was killed in
action in WWII, Army
Private First Class Mar
tin Eppinger who was
killed in action in the
Korean War and At
lanta Police Department
investigator Sherry E.
Lyons-Williams who was
killed in the line of duty.
SHERRY E.
LYONS-WILLIAMS
Sherry Elizabeth
Lyons-Williams, ‘Tootie’
as she was nicknamed,
was born on Oct. 11,
1961 to Lena Mae Hunt
and Walter Lyons in
Miami, Florida. She was
the youngest of eight
children. When she was
two, her father passed
away and she and
several siblings joined
her other older siblings
already living with her
grandparents, Walter
Lee and Ruby Hunt
in Pedenville in Pike
County. Sherry attended
Pike County schools
from kindergarten to
high school and gradu
ated in 1979. Sherry
was a standout athlete
at the Pike County
High School, excelling
in track as a sprinter.
She also excelled as a
power forward on the
varsity basketball team.
She was a member of
the student council and
drama club and gradu
ated 18th out of 116 in
her class.
After high school, she
attended Gordon College
in Barnesville for two
years while there she
worked as an intern at
the Pike County Sheriff’s
Office. Occasionally,
she was allowed to ac
company a deputy on
patrol. After two years
at Gordon, she attended
the University of Georgia
in Athens, graduating
in 1984 with a Bachelor
of Arts Degree in Politi
cal Science. Sherry was
known as an avid Geor
gia Dawg fan. From 1984
to 1988, she worked at a
law firm in Atlanta.
She decided to join
the law enforcement
profession and on April
1, 1988, she joined the
Atlanta Police Depart
ment (APD). She was
assigned as a Patrol
Officer working in Zone
4 which is located in
Southwest Atlanta.
Officer Lyon’s badge
number was 4030.
Having been recog
nized for her excellent
police work, she be
came the first woman
assigned to the Zone 4
Field Investigating Team
where she worked as
an undercover officer
throughout the district.
On March 23, 1993,
Sherry was promoted to
the rank of Senior Patrol
Officer with an assign
ment of training new of
ficers. On Jan. 24, 1995,
Sherry was promoted to
the rank of investigator
where she worked as a
Narcotics Investigator
in the Narcotics Divi
sion located at the main
APD Headquarters in
downtown Atlanta. She
was further assigned
to Narcotics Team 3
responsible for South
east Atlanta. As a police
department narcotics
investigator, Sherry’s
duties included provid
ing narcotics controlled-
buys, street interviews,
examining records,
monitoring drug sus
pects, obtaining war
rants, and participating
in raids and arrests.
Throughout her years
in the department,
investigator Lyons-
William’s character was
described as fearless,
punctual, confident,
responsible, jovial,
never turning down a
challenge and leading
by example.
See HALL OF HEROES page 3A
REV. ROBERT
HODO
Rev. Hodo
served
church for
52 years
The late Rev. Robert
Hodo spent 52 years of
his life ministering at Mt.
Hope Baptist Church and
he recently died.
On his 45th anniver
sary, the road adjacent
to the
court was
renamed
Hodo
Court and
on his
50th an
niversary,
the church
hosted a
parade
that
included churches from
surrounding areas and as
far south as Roberta.
Wayne Lucas, chair
man of the board of dea
cons at Mt. Hope Baptist
Church, said Rev. Hodo
led the church through
many difficult times,
including the pandemic.
“Going through the
pandemic and hav
ing virtual church was
something new to him
but nevertheless he led
us through those chal
lenging times. He had a
great deep impact on his
deacons and everyone he
helped,” said Wayne Lu
cas. “For many of us, he
was the only pastor we
ever had. He was there
for 51 years and nine
months and he baptized a
lot of us, our children and
our grandchildren. He
devoted most of his time
to the church and he was
there when people need
ed good spiritual and
sound advice. He always
consulted God before he
would help people with
their life’s decisions.
Sister Gwendolyn and
the entire congregation
is deeply saddened. Our
church family is show her
our love and sympathy
for her loss which is our
loss as well. She has been
in Pike all of her life and
she is very well loved and
respected.”
Emma Jean Taylor at
tended Mt. Hope Baptist
since the Rev. Hodo
started his ministry
there and she said he
was known for his hum
bleness and his dedica
tion to serve mankind.
“He was a giver and
he treated everyone with
respect and dignity. He
was a God-fearing man
who loved the Lord. He
only missed four Sundays
out of those 52 years and
of course we had other
programs and different out-
reaches as well,” she said.
See REV. HODO page 2A
