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THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS • THE COMMERCE NEWS
WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 2016
Seven join Silver Shoals Baptist Church
Silver Shoals Baptist Church
had seven new members join the
church by baptism on Sunday. They
were: Levi Poole, Aden and Chloe
Pritchett, Gavin Ward, Lane Fergu
son, Freddy Standridge and Neil
Standridge.
There has been a little male white
dog with black ears dog found
around Rock Springs Church. If you
are missing a dog, contact me and I
will get you in contact with the lady
that found the dog.
The community was saddened to
hear of the death of Vonda Jane Hebb Tan
ner, the mother of Gary Tanner of Hickory
Flat. She leaves her husband, Randy Eller,
daughters, Judy Strickland, Donna Cheek,
step-children, grandchildren,
great-grandchildren, sister and
brothers. Remember her family in
your prayers.
Remember the family of Paulina
Garrison Casper. She passed away
on Friday. She leaves her husband,
Dwayne Casper, daughter, Melo
dy Cochran Fowler, and husband,
Wayne, grandson, mother, and step
dad, Doyle and Betty Strickland,
sister, Donna Payne, and brothers,
Herbert “Bo” and Oscar Garrison,
nieces and nephews, other family
and a host of friends. She will be greatly
missed.
Remember on July 26th there will be a run
off election for the office of Probate Judge
with Keith Gardiner and Helen Hewell and
Coroners office with Mark Savage and Bobby
Eubanks. Everyone needs to remember to
vote.
Happy Birthday to: Ira Jackson, Brittany
Roberts, Tyler Beatty, Caleb Boyle, Daniel
Farmer, Troy Jones, Bryson McCoy, Laney
Faye Minish, Mike Queen, Jordan Waters,
Todd Harris, Eric Herbert, Howard Harris
and Kathleen Pruitt “92.”
Happy anniversary to Gary and Carol
Williams and Kenneth and Betty Parson,
“49”years.
Those who are sick in our community
include many who have cancer and need
our prayers. Those on the sick list are: Bar
bara Lucas, Greg Crane, Kevin Fowler, Taylor
Rogers, Libby Tanner Davis, David Bond,
Justin Denton, Barbara Jones, Perry Smith,
Doug Standridge, Ellie Mae Herbert, Dan
Boling, Helen Scales, Addison Turner, Chad
Standridge, Jeremy Gaddis, Johnny Small
wood, Jimmy Roberts, Frank Jarrell, Bobby
Simonds, Shirley Simonds, Alex Strickland,
Amy Brown, Harold Hill, Hawk Harrison,
Mary Parson, Frank Gordon, Barbarann Gor
don, Claudette Griffin, Edwina Holcomb,
Alan Purcell, Jerry Payne, Carolyn Stan
dridge, Kenneth Parson, Betty Parson, Kim
Crane, Tony Massey, Billy Massey, Chester
Hewell, William Harris and Edith Goodson.
Willene Boyle compiles community news
from Banks County and Commerce. To get
an item listed, email it to her at willene.
boyle@windstream.net or call her at 706-
677-4200.
q i
willene
parson
boyle
Mosquitoes in
summer and fall
Announcements
Lanier Tech
orientation
ahead Aug. 24
The Adult Education Center, located
in the Lanier Technical College campus
in Commerce, will hold a new student
registration and orientation for the GED
program on Wednesday August 24.
The event will be held in the Com
merce campus and is scheduled from
9 a.m through 3 p.m.. Guest speakers
throughout the day will include repre
sentatives from Lanier Technical College,
as well as community based partners
showcasing programs to cover tuition
for specific college programs leading to
a certificate for jobs in demand in our
county and surrounding areas.
Those enrolling in the class will be
required to attend a minimum of six
hours per week for Adult Ed/ GED classes
in Commerce or the class in Braselton.
Participants qualifying for college classes
will be required to meet the specifications
of the program.
Students enrolling will be assessed
using the TABE test. A state issued ID
will be required to participate. For more
information or to register, contact the
Adult Education Center at 770-535-6277.
Banks County
4-H plans
summer camps
The Banks County 4-H will offer sum
mer camps for fourth through 12th grade
students who are members of 4-H.
The camps include the following:
•Chelsea’s Cake Creations: Monday
July 18, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. for grades
fourth and up. The cost is $5. Students
will learn traditional cake decorating tech
niques and how to work with fondant.
•Junior/Senior Kayaking Trip: Tues
day July 19, from 9:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. for
grades seventh and up. The cost is $25.
Students will spend the day kayaking up
the Broad River. Students are asked to
bring swimsuit, towels, change of dry
clothes, snacks, drinks and a sack lunch.
• Keeley’s Cloverleaf Project Achieve
ment Tips: Thursday July 21, from 1 p.m.
to 5 p.m. for grades fourth through sixth.
The cost is free. Students will get tips on
preparing Project Achievement presen
tations. They will learn how to choose a
project, research, prepare a speech and
put together visual aids.
• Kara’s Krazy Kamp: Wednesday July
27, and Thursday July 28, from 1 p.m. to 5
p.m. for fourth through sixth grades. The
cost is $20.
• Project Achievement Portfolio Work
shops: Students will begin work on Proj
ect Achievement. There is no cost to
attend this camp. The schedule will be
Aug. 1 for seventh grade, Aug. 2 for
eighth grade and Aug. 3 for ninth through
12th grades. Hours will be 1 p.m. to 5
p.m. Lunch and drinks will be provided.
Students are asked to bring their laptop/
tablet. Portfolios will be due Dec. 22.
Tea Party to
meet July 26
The Tea Party of Northeast Georgia will
meet on Tuesday July 26, at 7 p.m. at the
Holiday Inn Express at Banks Crossing.
All voters and concerned citizens are
invited.
For more information, call 706 654
8292.
Teen driving
class offered
A “PR.I.D.E Driving Class for Par
ents and Teens will be held at Harold
S. Swindle Library (5466 US Hwy 441,
Nicholson) on Tuesday, July 26, from 6
p.m.-8 p.m. The class is free to attend
but registration is required.
Call Rhonda O’Keeffe at 706-757-
3577 to register.
Art activities
planned at
Banks library
“Art with Mrs. Whitney” programs are
planned this summer at the Banks Coun
ty Public Library.
Art activities for ages 5 to 12 will be
held on the following dates:
• July 26, magnetic frames.
The programs will be held at the library
at 3 p.m.
Activities for ages 13 and up will be
held on the following dates:
• July 15, loom bracelets.
• July 29, button frame.
The programs will be held at the library
at 3 p.m.
Space is limited. Call 706-677-3164 to
reserve a seat.
Banks Co.
library offers
summer
programs
The summer reading program is
underway at the Banks County Public
Library and special events are lined up in
June and July.
The program will be held through July
30. Students will receive prizes for read
ing.
Special programs planned include the
following:
• July 18, Cliff Patton, ventriloquist.
• July 25, meet a llama and other spe
cial guests.
These programs will be held at 2 p.m.
at the Banks County Primary School gym.
OTHER PROGRAMS
Several other family programs are
planned at the library this summer,
including the following:
• July 16,2 p.m., design your own race
car (register in advance for this program).
•July 19, 5:30 p.m., Smithgall Wood
Outreach with animal adaptations.
You're right; it has been hotter than normal
Now that we are
right in the middle
of all the summer
fun activities, the
battles with mos
quitoes have been
ongoing, especial
ly during the eve
nings and at night.
Being outdoors
on a warm eve
ning is great until
you begin getting
a lot of mosqui
to bites and you
hear those irritating, high
pitched humming noises
buzzing around your ears.
Many years, the worst mos
quito problems arise at the
end of the summer months
because the populations
have built up over the sum
mer, and a lot of people
think they are less of a
problem when the cooler
temperatures come in.
And to add to our wor
ries, the news of the mos
quito-transmitted Zika virus
has us all paranoid about
getting any kind of mos
quito bite. The Centers for
Disease Control (CDC)
reports have stated that in
the U.S. there is no real
concern of getting the Zika
virus, and only pregnant
women traveling to other
countries should be con
cerned about being infect
ed by the Zika virus.
The mosquito present
ly carrying the Zika virus
is the Aedes aegypti, also
called the yellow fever
mosquito. This mosquito
is found in South America
and other foreign coun
tries. In Georgia, the main
mosquito we have to battle
is the Asian Tiger mosqui
to. It can spread several
encephalitis viruses, yel
low fever, dengue, West
Nile Virus, and heartworm
in dogs. If the Zika virus
makes its way into the U.S.,
we may then have to be
concerned about the Asian
Tiger mosquito spreading
it. The Zika virus symp
toms are not that severe,
consisting of fever, rash,
joint pain, red eyes, muscle
pain, and headache. The
illness usually lasts for sev
eral days to a week. Once
again, the main concern
is with pregnant women
contracting the Zika virus
resulting in possible birth
defects.
How can you reduce
the population of mosqui
toes around your home
and avoid getting bitten?
First, look for and remove
any standing water where
female mosquitoes can lay
their eggs. Anything from
birdbaths, clogged gutters,
wading pools, and
wheelbarrows
to something as
small as a water
bottle cap lying
in the yard. Next,
you can either get
rid of the source
of standing water,
change out the
water on a regular
basis, or treat the
water to kill the
mosquito larvae
once they hatch
out from the eggs. Standing
water can be treated with
small briquettes that con
tain a bacteria, BTI, that
kills the mosquitoes and
larvae but will not harm
humans, pets, or wildlife.
They can usually be found
at the local garden supply
or farm supply stores.
Mosquitoes like to hide
out in thick cover of shrubs
and trees where it is cool,
moist, and dark. So, be
sure to keep shrubs and
trees pruned and thinned
and keep ground covers
cut short. This will allow
sunlight to penetrate the
plant cover, causing the
mosquitoes to leave the
immediate area. Spraying
or fogging an insecticide
for mosquitoes around the
yard in shrubs and under
decks will help, especially
when sprayed prior to hold
ing an activity outdoors.
Since you cannot keep
all mosquitoes away or kill
them all, you will inevi
tably be attacked by one
if you venture outside in
shady areas or during the
evening. So, what is the
best repellent when out
doors? Be sure to wear
light colored clothes and
use a spray-on or rub-on
repellent containing DEET.
Always follow the direc
tions on the label of the
products you purchase.
Be careful of some of
the home remedies that
have supposedly worked to
repel mosquitoes. Accord
ing to university research,
home remedies, such as
garlic, bananas, Listerine,
dryer sheets, Vitamin-B,
and wristbands will not
repel mosquitoes.
Continue to enjoy the
outdoors for the rest of the
summer and into the fall.
But, if mosquitoes become
a deterrent for your fam
ily and friends activities,
follow these guidelines for
controlling and repelling
them. Contact the Exten
sion office (706-677-6230
or bwaldorf@uga.edu) for
more information.
Bob Waldorf is the Banks
County extension agent.
BY PAM KNOX
University of Georgia
Summer began in Georgia
with warmer than normal tem
peratures throughout the state
and shows no signs of relenting
before fall.
The hotter than normal tem
peratures with low rainfall led to
an expansion of drought over
the month and the introduc
tion of extreme drought to two
regions in northern Georgia by
June’s end.
Because of the hot tem
peratures and lack of rainfall,
drought expanded across the
northern half of the state. By the
end of the month, nearly half
the state was in abnormally dry
conditions or drought. Severe
drought increased from 4 to 25
percent of the state, and two
small areas of extreme drought
were added. The last time Geor
gia had any extreme drought
was in February 2013.
The dry conditions had
many impacts on agriculture.
Pastures essentially shut down
in northern parts of the state,
and cattle farmers were feeding
cattle hay because the grazing
was so poor.
Dryland crops suffered from
the lack of moisture and the hot
conditions, particularly corn in
higher locations. Some areas
were so dry that late soybeans
and other crops could not be
planted. Some farmers report
ed having trouble producing
enough vegetables for local
markets.
Urban landscapers report
ed that lawns were getting
“crunchy” and required extra
irrigation. Wine producers,
however, noted that the wine
grapes this year are almost free
of fungal diseases due to the
low humidity and there are less
mosquitoes than usual due to
the lack of rain.
Georgia temperatures were
well above normal in June,
ranging from one to almost four
degrees above the 1981-2010
average. The hottest areas were
in the northern part of the state.
In Atlanta, the monthly
average temperature was 81.0
degrees Fahrenheit, 3.7 degrees
above normal; in Athens, 80.7
F, 3.2 degrees above normal; in
Columbus, 81.2 F, 1.4 degrees
above normal; in Macon, 81.3 F,
2.4 degrees above normal.
Macon set a new record high
temperature of 101 F on June 17,
breaking the old record of 100 F
set last year. Brunswick also set
record highs of 98 F on June 13
and June 17 breaking the old
records of 97 F set in 1998 and
1964, respectively. Several other
high temperature records were
tied during the month.
The highest monthly total
precipitation recorded by the
National Weather Service was
8.40 inches in Valdosta, at 2.34
inches above normal, and the
lowest was in Macon at 1.87
inches, 2.17 inches below nor
mal. Atlanta received 3.26 inch
es of precipitation, 0.69 inches
below normal; Athens received
4.09 inches, 0.09 inches below
norma.
The southeastern part of the
state was the wettest, where
rainfall from Tropical Storm
Colin fell June 67. In those
areas, that single day of rain
made up 30 percent or more of
their monthly total. Conditions
were even wetter in Florida,
where the center of the storm
passed.
The highest single-day rain
fall, according to Community
Collaborative Rain, Hail and
Snow Network volunteers, was
5.62 inches, measured north of
Boston in Thomas County on
June 7, followed by 5.27 inch
es at Thomasville on the same
date Colin passed. The highest
monthly rainfall, 11.23 inches,
was measured northwest of
Savannah in Chatham County,
followed by 10.75 inches south
west of Bloomingdale, in the
same county.
July showed a continuation
of above-normal temperatures,
starting with a very hot week.
Rain may pick up in the last
two weeks. The outlook for July
through September shows that
above-normal temperatures
are likely to continue. The best
chances of rain will be near the
Gulf of Mexico due to tropical
activity which is expected to
be more active than usual this
season.
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