Newspaper Page Text
\ I
TOWN!
See photos from the Holly Jolly parade!
See page 3A
PIKE COUNTY
INAL REPORTER
www.pikecountygeorgia.com
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2023
o ...
PIKE'S PEEK
Newspaper
to continue
publication,
office to close
The Pike County
Journal Reporter
office on the square
in downtown Zebulon
will close Dec. 29.
The newspaper will
continue to operate as
it does currently but
composition and other
pre-press work will be
consolidated with its
sister publication, The
Herald Gazette.
Staff members
Rachel McDaniel and
Jennifer Taylor will
continue with their
present responsibilities.
The phone number
will remain same at
770.567.3446. Mail will
continue to be received
at RO. Box 789,
Zebulon, Ga. 30295.
“We are not going
anywhere. Our
reporters will still
cover all the meetings
and events they
currently cover and
the Journal Reporter
will remain a local
fixture,” Geiger said.
E-mails will also
remain the same.
McDaniel can be
reached at news@
pikecountygeorgia.
com. Taylor’s
e-mail is jennifer@
pikecountygeorgia.com.
Those with
questions regarding
the change may
contact Geiger at
news@barnesville.
com or by calling
770.358.6397.
County to hold Dec. 21UDC workshop
BY RACHEL McDANIEL
news@pikecountygeorgia.com
Pike County
commissioners will
meet with experts
in agricultural, real
estate and property
development during
their UDC (Unified
Development Code)
workshop Thursday, Dec.
21. The public is invited
to attend. The meeting
will start at 9 a.m. and
will be held in the main
courtroom of the Pike
County courthouse.
Those who will be
speaking include Matt
Bottoms, Kacie Edwards,
Benny Evans, Steve
Reeves and Brooklyne
Wassel.
During their Dec.
13 meeting, board of
commission members
and the public heard
about the Dec. 21
UDC workshop.
Commissioners
discussed the
moratorium which is set
to expire Dec. 31. Since
the board must have a
first and second reading
before final adoption,
it was noted that the
earliest that could
happen would be the
Jan. 30 meeting.
“I would like to have
this all cleared up in
January if possible,” said
commissioner Tim Guy
who made a motion to
extend the moratorium
until Feb. 1. The
decision was approved
unanimously.
PHOTO BY RACHEL McDANIEL / PIKE COUNTY JOORNAL REPORTER
Santa arrived via firetruck due to bad weather and visited with boys and girls of all ages at
the annual Lighting of Concord. See local letters to Santa in our special section on 1B-8B.
Letters reveal top toys, trends of the season
For yet another year,
children in Pike County
asked Santa for popular
toys with Barbie and
RC cars leading the
requests. There were
many requests for
gaming systems and
VR headsets as well
as sports equipment
- mainly baseball and
softball - as well as
hunting gear.
Odin of Mandy
Reeves’ kindergarten
asked for, “a lego set,
cleats, Nike shoes and
to go hunt with Paw.”
There were many
requests for ATVs and
four wheelers and
Russell Elliott of Dana
Sage’s fourth grade
wrote, “My name is
Russell. 1 am nine years
old. 1 want a skateboard.
Can 1 get a Tony Hawk
game? 1 want more
sweat pants and 1 really
want a tractor, make it
real too, so 1 can make a
track.”
Several children
asked for toys for their
siblings and family,
including Annabella
in Mrs. Woodall’s
Pre-K who wrote, “For
Christmas, 1 would like
a hard book because
I want to share with
my sister and read
together.”
Aubrey Neath wrote,
“I want a few things,
not for me but for a few
other people. 1 know
that it’s a little weird
to ask that, but 1 am. 1
would like to give all
the poor people money
so that they all have
homes.”
Avery Owens also
asked Santa to give gifts
at shelter homes and to
help homeless people
and kids in need.
See LETTERS page 3A
New superintendent,
school board member
resignation announced
At their Dec. 12
meeting, board of
education members
welcomed Shane
Williamson as
the county’s new
superintendent.
He will get to work
early in 2024 with
a Jan. 3 start date
and a Meet and
Greet event set for
Thursday, Jan. 4
at the auditorium
for members of
the community.
During the
meeting, interim
superintendent
Ross Iddings’
was moved
back to deputy
superintendent.
The school
board also
accepted the
resignation of board
member Denise Burrell.
“We will definitely
miss Mrs. Burrell and
she has decided to step
down due to health
concerns,” said board
chairman Allen Edwards.
“She is a beloved
member of our board and
the community and we
are going to miss her. It
is with much regret but
understanding
that we accept her
resignation.”
Interim
superintendent
RossIddings
noted that the
opening will be
posted for 30
days, followed
by interviews
with the
candidates and
an appointment
of a new board
member possible
in February. The
board appointed
the unexpired
term but the seat
will be on the
March ballot along
with board members
Emily O’Steen and Marcie
Bradberry.
An ad on page
5A advertises the
position and outlines
requirements for citizens
interested in filling the
board vacancy.
DENISE
BURRELL
Early deadline
set for Dec. 21
Due to the
Christmas holiday, the
Pike County Journal
Reporter will have
an early deadline of
Thursday, Dec. 21 at
noon for the Dec. 27
edition.
‘Last lap’ helps save FFA barn from heating lamp fire;
benefit concert to rebuild barn set for New Year’s Eve
PHOTO BY RACHEL McDANIEL / PIKE COUNTY JOURNAL REPORTER
Two school teachers and a school nurse decided to take one
last lap and noticed smoke coming from the high school’s
FFA barn. They were able to quickly alert authorities and
the fire was extinguished before the barn suffered heavy
damage. They were presented with Portrait of an Educator
coins at the Dec. 13 school board meeting, including (l-r)
middle school teacher Savannah Cain, middle school nurse
Amy Veal and elementary school teacher Amber Dean.
The Pike County High
School FFA livestock barn
caught fire just before
5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 3,
killing two pigs and one
goat. A special Dec. 30
concert in Concord will
help raise funds to repair
the damage to the barn
and allow animals to
once again be cared for
there. Three teachers
were exercising together
the morning of the fire
and they saw the smoke
and quickly alerted
authorities.
“Pike County
firefighters completing
extrication training nearby
were able to respond
quickly and extinguish
the fire and rescue other
animals from the barn.
Several pigs were treated
for smoke inhalation and
minor burns,” said Pike
County Fire Department
public information officer
Anita Neath.
The fire started from
a heat lamp keeping
the animals warm and
students are not able
to keep their show
animals in the barn
in the meantime. The
animals are cared for by
FFA students who show
them at competitions
throughout the year.
The New Year’s Eve
concert to benefit Pike
County FFA will feature
Montgomery Pike from
5 to 8 p.m. and Harrison
Pugh and The Kampfire
Collective from 8 to 11
p.m. at the Concord Cafe.
The event is hosted by the
Pike County FFA Alumni
group and donations are
requested to help with
FFA barn repairs.
During the Dec. 12
board of education
meeting, Pike County High
School principal Kevin
Huffstetler thanked the
teachers and presented
them with Portrait
of a Graduate coins,
including middle school
teacher Savannah Cain,
elementary school teacher
Amber Dean and middle
school nurse Amy Veal.
“As horrific as it was,
the fire could have been
much worse. It was three
ladies taking a leisurely
walk on a Sunday
afternoon and their
decision to take one more
lap that was the divine
intervention our barn
needed,” said Huffstetler.
“Because they took
that last lap that took
them right by the barn,
they noticed the smoke
and called 911. Fuckily,
firefighters were in
training nearby and were
quickly able to control
the flames. So instead of
having a devastating fire
that claimed the lives of
SPECIAL PHOTOS
Above, Walker Davis with show
pig Bill. At right, middle school
FFA member Kali Garner
shows her pig Bullet at the
Mid-Georgia Preview where
she took home the first Overall
Showmen Award Dec. 2.
all the animals, the barn
was saved and 10 pigs
and a goat were spared.”
FFA advisor and Ninth
Grade Academy ag
teacher Brandi Baade said
the barn is an important
part of the program. It
allows students who may
not otherwise be able to
do so to raise and show
animals in FFA programs
and competitions.
“Our FFA Show Team
becomes a family that
grows each year. It truly
is something special
when you get to have a
program that transcends
every grade level, from
our pre-k showmen
all the way up to the
high school level our
students work together
to care for their animals
and become the best
showmen they can be,”
she said.
