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PAGE 6A - THE COMMERCE (GA) NEWS, WEDNESDAY. JANUARY 23. 2008
Army Sgt. Justin M. Edmondson, son of a Nicholson man,
was one of 91 soldiers honored before the Army-sponsored
“All American Bowl” all-star high school football game at the
Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. Photo by Daren Reehl
Nicholson Man's Son
Among Soldiers Honored
Sometimes when the son of
a Nicholson man is asked why
he was awarded the Bronze
Star Medal for his efforts in
Operation Iraqi Freedom his
response is “I was just doing
my job.” But the 36,534 fans in
attendance at the Alamodome,
San Antonio, Texas, for the
Army-sponsored “All-American
Bowl” high school all-star foot
ball game knew that the sol
diers on the field were being
honored for far more than “just
doing their job.”
Army Sgt. Justin M.
Edmondson, son of Michael
Edmondson of Nicholson, was
one of 91 Army active duty,
Reserve or National Guard sol
dier heroes who earned a Silver
Star, Distinguished Flying
Cross, Bronze Star Medal or
Purple Heart for their efforts
in Operation Iraqi Freedom or
Operation Enduring Freedom,
honored shortly before the kick
off of the nationally-televised
game. Prior to kick-off, each
soldier hero was matched to an
All-American high school ath
lete, who represented the East
or West squad on the field.
The soldiers were presented
various awards and decorations
for their dedicated service to
our country, leadership abilities
and teamwork skills throughout
the past year.
“I was awarded the Bronze
Star Medal for diving into a
canal and extracting three
soldiers from an overturned
Humvee and providing car
diopulmonary on them,” said
Edmondson.
Throughout the week, the sol
diers and players were able
to learn about each other and
develop camaraderie by attend
ing the various events of the
week, which included a rodeo
and barbeque.
“This was a great opportunity
and an honor to be able to meet
some of my fellow soldiers and
the great young American high
school football athletes,” said
Edmondson, who graduated in
2001 from Harker Heights High
School, Texas.
Representing the Army in
this way only brings home the
importance for young people
to serve in the military today.
“I feel that it is important to
serve in the military today in
order to provide a safe environ
ment for my children to grow
up in,” he said.
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Apple Specialist
Perdue Awards Jackson, 9 Other
Counties $500,000 'Work Ready' Grant
Ultimate Goal Is To Improve High School Graduation Rates
Jackson and nine other coun
ties will share a $500,000 “Work
Ready” grant to help attract life
science-related business and
industry to the area.
Gov. Sonny Perdue announced
$3.5 million in grants to seven
Georgia regions in the Work
Ready Program. Jackson’s in a
region — the governor calls it
“the Innovative Crescent” —
with Barrow, Clarke, DeKalb,
Gwinnett, Madison, Morgan,
Oconee, Oglethorpe and Walton
counties.
Most of the emphasis, and thus
the spending, will be in educa
tion, aimed at keeping kids in
high school, in part by improv
ing their performance in life
science classes, says Howard
Ledford, campus coordinator
for the Commerce campus of
Lanier Technical College, who
has been involved with the Work
Ready Program on behalf of the
Jackson County Area Chamber
of Commerce.
“We are going to work in life
sciences,” Ledford said. “It used
to be ‘biotechnology,’ but we’ve
broadened the concept. It’s really
the same, but a lot of people
thought ‘biotechnology’ was nar
rowly defined. It covers every
thing from agriculture to advanced
medical research.”
Under the program, certain
existing jobs will be “profiled” and
employees will be encouraged to
become certified as “Work Ready”
in those fields. It’s a means of help
ing existing and future employers
in those areas more quickly find
competent employees.
Much of the grant money, how
ever, is expected to be used to help
shore up high school programs.
Ledford said the Jackson County
funds could be used “to work
in the programs” of Commerce,
Jefferson and Jackson County’s
high schools “offering credit
recovery or different courses to
supplement what they’re already
doing, or anything that Lanier
Tech might partner with them to
increase the curriculum.”
The money will be divvied up
among the counties by a yet-to-
be established formula. Divided
among 10 counties, it’s not exactly
a windfall, Ledford notes, point
ing out that Gwinnett alone could
have absorbed the entire grant.
Ledford anticipates that much
of the money will go toward com
puter software to offer credit
recovery — help for failing or
almost failing students in science
classes.
“All of the counties will be try
ing to help encourage what the
governor wants, and that is to
increase the high school gradu
ation rate,” he said. “The grant
will specifically target life science
areas, but once they purchase
the software, it will benefit other
areas too.”
County School Board Announces New Hires
By Brandon Reed
The Jackson County Board of
Education approved several new
hires Monday night, Jan. 14. Those
hired were:
• Pamela Ballenger, childcare
paraprofessional, Gordon Street
Center (GSC)
•Amanda Barnett, food ser
vice assistant, West Jackson
Intermediate School (WJIS)
•Alice Cancel, Spanish teacher,
Jackson County Comprehensive
High School (JCCHS)
•Wanda Denton, food service
assistant, JCCHS
• Karen Feick, special education
paraprofessional, West Jackson
Middle School (WJMS)
•Melissa Haynes, parapro
fessional, Kings Bridge Middle
School
•Mary Hix, childcare parapro
fessional, GSC
•Carole Holcombe, food
service assistant, East Jackson
Elementary School (EJES)
• Raylene Howington, food
service assistant, West Jackson
Middle School (WJMS)
•Tiffany Jones, special edu
cation paraprofessional, West
Jackson Primary School
•Catherine Lee, third grade
teacher, Maysville Elementary
School (MES)
•Christopher Malcom, special
education teacher, MES
•Celeste Momin, bus driver,
system.
• Barbara Thompson, special
education paraprofessional, East
Jackson Comprehensive High
School (EJCHS)
Resignations
The following resignations were
approved:
•Ruth Bogner, special educa
tion paraprofessional, JCCHS
• Mikki Clark, special education
paraprofessional, WJMS
•Gary Lester, business educa
tion, EJCHS
•Matthew Parr, health occupa
tions, JCCHS
•Lisa Davis, employee child
care, GSC
• Emma Mullis, bus driver, South
Jackson Elementary School
•Susan McDaniel, custodian,
WJIS
•Cassandra Stephens, spe
cial education paraprofessional,
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