Newspaper Page Text
September 10, 2008
PAGE 11A
^Reporter
Smoke alarms save Forsyth family of 7
BY GINA HERRING
A little after 5 p.m. on
Thursday, Sept. 4, the smoke
alarms in the Eckelbarger home
on English Road in Forsyth
began to scream. It was the
warning that saved the lives of
Samantha Eckelbarger and her
five kids. An electrical fire broke
out in the family’s basement.
Samantha’s husband Jason
Eckelbarger was at work at the
time of the fire and says he is
very thankful the smoke alarms
were working.
“It was in the basement. No
one could smell it or knew it
was there until the smoke alarm
went off,” said Jason.
“Thankfully all the important
stuff was saved - my wife and
my kids. The smoke alarm saved
their lives.”
However, Jason says, most
everything else in the house was
destroyed by the fire or smoke.
“We’ve salvaged as much as we
can, but everything I got out of
the house will fit in the back of
my pickup truck.”
The Eckelbargers were renting
he home and did not have insur
ance. Jason has been renovating
his mother’s house in Forsyth
and was planning to move in
there, but for now he is unsure
what the family is going to do.
The Eckelbargers have
received some donations from
churches and the Red Cross
paid for a motel for a few
nights.
Monroe County Emergency
Services Chief Ronald Norris
said the fire was caused by an
electrical short in a bedroom in
the basement. He said the house
s not a total loss but that there
was extensive smoke and heat
damage throughout.
Jason and Samantha have five
children, ages 1, 3, 10,11 and 13.
The school-age children attend
Hubbard Elementary and
Hubbard Middle.
Jason said the fire puts things
in perspective.
“You often look down on the
stuff you have, wishing you had
a better couch or a better TV,”
said Jason. “But when you lose
everything, you sure do wish
you could just have your old
stuff back.”
Donations may be taken to his
mother’s home at 241 W. Main
Street in Forsyth.
“I appreciate all the help,” said
Jason.
The Monroe County Fire
Department urges everyone to
get a smoke detector and a fire
extinguisher for their home.
Kingdom builders
This summer Rocky Creek Baptist Church sent a mission team to Statesboro to
work with the Kingdom Builders organization. The team did repair work on an eld
erly widows home, installed a handicap ramp on the home of a lady confined to a
wheelcahir, worked in the Boys and Girls Club, senior citizens’ center, Brown’s
Nursing Home and led a community fair. Team members included; Dana Bittick,
Michelle Bittick, Tess Hammock, Joshua Harrell, Lydia Harrell, Lynn Harrell,
Sarah Harrell, Scott Harrell, Jackie Padgett, Jim Padgett, Matthew Padgett, Ken
Smith, Autumn Turner, Janice Winters and Larry Winters.
First Assembly of God taking
Angel Food orders Saturday
Pastor’s Column
Who is God?
T housands of years ago,
pharaoh, asked a ques
tion people are still ask
ing today: “Who is the
Lord that I should listen
to him?” That’s a good
question. One day, Scrip
ture promises, everything
about God and His charac
ter will be made perfectly
clear to us. (I Corinthians
13:12) But until then, we
will find everything we
need to know about Him
in His Word.
God is all-knowing,
ever present, and all-
powerful. When looking
at Psalm 139, you see that God
knows every intimate detail
about His creation. Scientists
tell us there are about 100 bil
lion stars, and the scripture
tells us that God counts them
and calls them by name. (Ps
147:4)
God is holy. The Bible states
that God’s eyes are too pure to
look on evil (Habakkuk 1:13).
Unlike God, we all are flawed
by sin. We are not perfect as he
is. We are full of impure and
selfish motives while no impure
of selfish motive exists in him.
He is absolutely pure and flaw
less. Scripture says, “God is
light and in him is no darkness
at all.” (I John 1:5)
God is loving and
just. 2 Peter 3:3-9 says
God’s love is often mis
understood. Many
think that because he
loves us, he won’t
judge us. But his love
for us does not negate
the fact that he is also
just. Scripture clearly
and repeatedly makes
the point that only the
Godly will see his face (Psalm
11:7) therefore we can be cer
tain that our sins must be dealt
with.
God is personal. He tells us to,
“Cast our cares on Him, for He
cares for us.” I really call that
personal. Who wants to carry
someone else’s problems, we
have enough of our own. Right?
But God is personal that way.
He wants to be our strength
and our help. He is never far
away from us. Again, the Bible
says, he is only a prayer away.
God of the Bible is the one,
true God. Many insist on the
existence of other gods, only the
God of the Bible is the True, liv
ing God, worthy of our devotion.
(Isaiah 45:23) Ephesians 4: 6
also tells us that there is, “One
God and Father of all, who is
above all, and through all, and
in you all.” (KJV) Jesus said in
John 14:6, “I am the way, the
truth and the life: no man
cometh to the Father but by
me.” (KJV) Someone told me
that one of our presidential
candidates said that there were
many ways to interpret that
scripture. I think a first grader
could tell you what that scrip
ture means. What about you?
(I borrowed some of these
thoughts from the New
Believers Bible, copyright 1996.
I thought it was put in the best
way it could be said. I hope you
enjoy all of it.)
Shirley Watkins is the pastor
of the Lighthouse of Prayer.
SHIRLEY
WATKINS
First Assembly of God, located
at 962 Juliette Rd., is taking
orders for Angel Food Ministries
from 9 a.m. to 12 P.m. Saturday,
Sept. 13.
September Menu
Regular box: $30
1.5 lb. Top Sirloin Strip Steaks
2 lb. Boneless Skinless Chicken
Breast
3 lb.Breaded Chicken Chunks
1.5 lb.Boneless Pork Filet
20 oz. Supreme Pizza
1 lb.Ground Turkey
1 lb. Cheddar Cheese
Bratwurst Sausage
1 lb. Green Beans
1 lb. Stir Fry Vegetables
(Broccoli & Bell Peppers)
35 oz. Crinkle-cut Fries
32 oz.Borden 2% Reduced Fat
Shelf Stable Milk
7.5 oz.Mac & Cheese
15 oz. Pork & Beans
7 oz. Chicken-flavored Rice &
Vermicelli
1 lb. Pinto Beans
One Dozen Eggs
One Dessert Item
Senior box: $25
Chicken parmesan
Herb Roasted Chicken
BBQ Chicken dinner
Baked White Fish dinner
Chicken Cacciatore
Roast Beef and gravy
Meatloaf dinner
Beef Lasagna dinner
Roasted Turkey dinner
Chicken Stew w/ potatoes
Special additional boxes avail
able with purchase. To see the
specials and for more informa-
tiona about Angel Food
Ministries call Nancy Hart at
478-994-4015 or visit their web
site angelfoodministries.com.
Hospital offers $10 tests
September is
prostate cancer
awareness month and
Monroe County
Hospital is again
offering PSA screen
ing for $10 all month
long.
PSA stands for
prostate specific anti
gen, which is a pro
tein produced by the
prostate cells. A PSA
test is a simple blood
test that doctors use
to measure prostate
health. A high PSA
level can be a sign of
enlarging prostate or
prostate cancer
There is no appoint
ment needed to get
tested. Tests are
available Monday -
Friday between 7-11
a.m. or 4-7 p.m. Just
go to the outpatient
desk at Monroe
County Hospital.
Since 1990, the
numbers of prostate
cancer deaths have
dropped. Early detec
tion is still the key to
surviving. According
to the American
Cancer Society, it is
difficult to say what
type screening
has contributed
to this decline
since no single
test is 100 per
cent accurate.
However, approx
imately 217,000
men will be diagnosed
with prostate cancer
this year. Of those,
approximately 27,000
will die. To keep the
number of deaths on
the decline, it is
essential that men
continue to seek
screening but they
should stay in close
contact with their
doctor so as to deter
mine the best course
of action.
PREGNANT?
1 We care about you! 1
free pregnancy test
counseling & referrals
pregnancy, STD,&
abortion information
parenting classes
maternity clothes
& baby needs
All services are free and confidential
THE PREGNANCY CENTER
not a medical clinic
478-994-3173
Mon, Tues, & Thurs 10 - 4:30
www.pregnancycentermonroecounty.org
Rain
continued from the front page
60
VI
August. That makes it the wettest month since July
2005, when the county got an
average of 11.63 inches. Both
months saw visits from tropi
cal storms.
The Smarr recycling center
recorded by far the most rain
fall, 11.8 inches, in August,
while the Pea Ridge Road
recycling center recorded the
least at 5.2 inches.
The wet August means the
county is on track to have its
wettest year since at least
2005. The county has record
ed 9 more inches of rain than
it had at this same time last
year, and 12 more inches than
it had at this point in 2006,
according to the Monroe
County Extension Office,
which tabulates the rainfall
totals.
The rains have recharged
local lakes and streams. Lake
Juliette is up three feet from
one year ago, having been at
50
40
30
20
10
2002 2003
Wilson said it’s spilling over into the Towaliga River
again.
“It’s picked up significant
ly,” said Wilson.
Extension agent John
Pope said it was unusual to
have a wet August but he’ll
take it.
“Things have really turned
around,” said Pope. “We’re
in a lot better shape than
we were.”
The county had a wet July
too, getting about 4.7 inches
of rain. But August started
with very hot, dry condi
tions and Pope said he
feared the worst.
“I thought ‘this is going to
be tough’,” recalls Pope.
But like a fever breaking,
the hot spell gave way to
clouds and rain and show
ers which recharged area
streams, lakes and ponds.
Still, the state has not lift
ed restrictions that limit
Prime Home Mortgage Inc.
Your experienced provider of mortgage so lutions igftigy
Need to refinance your adjustable rate or interst
only loan? Call today for a 30 year fixed rate quote.
Let us pre-qualify you for your new
home purchase with one of our 30
year Fixed Rate Loan Programs.
CALL
478-993-1046
478-731-1808
rkinnas@phmga. com
Licensed Mortgage Banker
Ga Residential Mortgage Licensee #16986
Ronnie Kinnas
19 North Lee St.
Forsyth, Ga 31029
Call or Visit Us on The Square
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Inches of Rainfall Graphic/Denzil
January-August Hansford
427.5 feet last September and now at 430.4 feet, said
Plant Scherer’s Gary Gober. High Falls State Park man
ager Bobby Wilson said High Falls lake got so low it was
n’t going over the falls. But after the August rains,
outdoor watering to odd-numbered dates for odd-num
bered addresses and even-numbered dates for even num
bered addresses for those on government water systems.
Save A Pet
Because everyone needs a home...
Helping animals since 1998
P
im
P.0. Box 933 • Forsyth, Georgia 31209
478-994-3882 (Office) • 478-808-9472 (Kennel)
Please consider adopting your next four legged
family member from Save A Pet, Inc.,
a local nonprofit animal shelter
Dogs of all shapes, sizes and ages are available.
Visit www.saveapetinc.com or www.petfinder.com
to preview our wonderful pets awaiting a loving home,
or call 478-808-9474 to arrange a kennel visit.