Newspaper Page Text
VOL. 105, NO. 35, MARCH 18, 2009 LEGAL ORGAN OF JENKINS COUNTY MILLEN, GEORGIA • 75 CENTS
County ranks No. 1 in unemployment
By Deborah Bennett
Millen News Editor
Figures recently released by the
Georgia Department of Labor
shows that Jenkins County’s un
employment rate continues to
rank in the top position statewide.
For January, the 19.9 rating
earned the county the number one
position. However, this was down
slightly from December 2008’s
rate of 20.5, which was also the
state’s highest ranking for the
month.
Approximately 551 persons
were unemployed during the
month of January as compared to
610 unemployed in December
2008. Initial claims fded in Janu
ary numbered 417.
Other counties topping the
chart for the month of January
were: Hancock, 19.8; Warren,
16.8; Irwin, 14.8; Davis, 13.4;
Hart, 13.6; Chattahoochee, 13.1;
and Screven, 12.8.
The nation’s unemployment
rate for the month was 8.5, and
the state’s rate was 8.6.
There is, however, a silver lin
ing not revealed by the grim sta
tistics.
Many of the county’s unem
ployed have elected to continue
theh education or to get their Gen
eral Education Diplomas, which
translates into a better trained
workforce.
Jenkins County is also a pilot
community for the Georgia Work
Ready Program, an initiative
comprised of a skills assessment
and certification for job seekers
and a job profiling system for
businesses. The certificate indi
cates that job applicants have the
necessary skills to serve as a foun
dation for training and that they
are willing and able to work and
learn.
In addition, the county has
earned the “Entrepreneur
Friendly” designation by the
Georgia Department of Economic
Development. In connection with
this, the Jenkins County Devel
opment Authority was recently
awarded a $99,000 grant from the
USD A Rural Development to
construct an entrance to the En
trepreneur Park located off Geor
gia Hwy. 21.
Local leaders state that they are
continuing to work on a daily
basis to bring jobs to Millen and
Jenkins County.
A CROWNING MOMENT
Winners in the Miss Jenkins County School Pageant are, from left, Camry Meeks, Miss Jenkins County
Elementary School; Brittany Johnson, Miss Jenkins County High School; and Kayla Kirkland, Miss Jenkins
County Middle School. (Photo contributed)
Miss Jenkins County Schools
Pageant winners announced
The Miss Jenkins County Schools Pageant was held Sat
urday, March 7.
Miss Jenkins County Elementary winner was Camry
Meeks, daughter of Dewayne and Julie Meeks; 1 st runner
up, Maggie Searles, daughter of David and Nan Searles: 2 nd
runner up, Yasmine Reynolds, daughter of Nicholas and
Jasmia Howell; and America’s Choice, Lakeeba Lake,
daughter of Anthony Prescott and Tiffany Lake.
Miss Jenkins County Middle School winner was Kayla
Kirkland, daughter of Joseph and Lisa Kirkland; 1 st runner
up, Amanda Harden, daughter of Bobby Harden and Lotice
Reed; 2 nd runner up Jonquette Sanders, daughter of John
and Patricia Sanders; and America’s Choice, Kayla Hendley,
daughter of Ronnie and Rhonda Hendley.
Miss Jenkins County High School winner was Brittany
Johnson, daughter of Marshall and Alivia Johnson; 1 st runner
up, Krislynn Royal, daughter of Henry Royal and Karen
Worman, 2 nd runner up and America’s Choice, Margaret
Dickens, daughter of David and Lela Dickens; and Miss Con
geniality, Voshti Sheppard, daughter of Vincent Robertson and
Tamera Sheppard.
The pageant committee expressed appreciation to the con
testants, parents, and all those who supported, donated, or
helped in any way to make the pageant successful. Proceeds
will go to help with the 2009 Jenkins County High School
Prom.
Chamber ‘Gala’
set for March 26
By Deborah Bennett
Millen News Editor
Tickets are now on sale for the Millen-Jenkins County Cham
ber of Commerce’s "Gala” to be held 7 p.m. Thursday, March
26, at the Old Pal Theatre on Cotton Avenue. The cost is $10
per ticket.
Dr. Wayne Ates will provide entertainment
and hors d’ oeuvres will be served.
Dr. Ates is an educator, having taught high
school and college levels for 14 years. He is a
humorist who believes that people should
laugh more if the laughter is appropriate and
healthy. He is convinced that humor is good
medicine and tries to help people overlook the
unbecoming, understand the unconventional,
tolerate the unpleasant and outlast the unbear
able.
He is a professional public speaker who speaks all over the
United States and has been doing so for 30 years. He is a gradu
ate of Brewton-Parker College; Louisiana College and New
Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He has also studied at
LSU and Georgia Southern University.
Another highlight of the event will be recognition of local
businesses that have made improvements to their properties
during the past year.
Tickets may be purchased at the chamber office on Cotton
Avenue or from any chamber director.
Grand Jury hands
down indictments
DR. WAYNE
ATES
The Jenkins County Grand Jury convened in Jenkins County
Superior Court this month and handed down the following in
dictments and accusations.
• David Lee Bostic, possession of cocaine.
• Bryan Matthew Boings, aggravated battery, family vio
lence battery-second or subsequent offense and obstruction of
officers-misdemeanor.
• James Henry Hardaway, burglary.
• Jeffery Ronaldo Cooper, armed robbery, kidnapping, bur
glary and four counts of aggravated assault.
• Lessie Monike Lee, forgery-first degree and obstruction
of officers-misdemeanor.
• Michael Paul Pettite, burglary.
• Camron Blake Walker, possession of marijuana-more than
an ounce, driving under the influence of drugs and speeding.
County urges department heads to tighten budgets
By Deborah Bennett
Millen News Editor
“Sliding in under the wire,”
was the description Chairman
James Henry gave the state of
the county’s budget in the
Tuesday, March 3, meeting of
the Jenkins County Commis
sioners.
He noted that most county
departments were within their
budgets, but that special care
was needed to remain that
way. The commissioners ap
proved a letter to department
heads and elected officials ad
vising them of the importance
of staying within their budgets
and expressing appreciation
for all they had done in the
past to accomplish the task.
Chairman Henry also re
ported that Special Purpose
Local Option Sales Tax
(SPLOST) revenues were
down the last few months. The
one-cent sales tax was previ
ously expected to generate up
to $6 million over a 6-year
period for county and city
projects. With current revenue
collections, however, it was
doubtful if that goal would be
met, Chairman Henry re
ported.
In other matters, Lillian
Caraway and Beulah Allen ad
dressed the commissioners
with two concerns: a tax break
for senior citizens and the lo
cation of a dumpster in the
Barfield Road area of Perkins.
The commissioners ex
pressed understanding for the
need of a tax break by senior
citizens but noted that the
county was not in a financial
position to offer one. Atten
tion was also called to the fact
that the county has not raised
property taxes in several
years.
The county’s Field Director
was instructed to investigate
locating a dumpster in the area
requested. It was noted, how
ever, that landowners are re
luctant to allow the county to
place a dumpster on their
property.
Other actions taken by the
commissioners included the
following:
• Tabled appointment of a
member to the Jenkins County
Tax Assessor Board;
• Approved a resolution in
favor of changing the name of
Landfill Road to Pine Avenue;
• Authorized Commissioner
Tommy Lane to investigate/
handle complaints concerning
stray dogs in the landfill area
of the county;
• Approved the expenditure
of $5,265 to the CSRA Rural
Development Center for the 5-
year review of the county’s
10-year Comprehensive Plan,
as required by the state; and
• Appointed Commissioner
Domingo Green to serve on
the Jenkins County Board of
Health.
Cong. Barrow announces Recovery Funding for Millen
Congressman John Barrow
recently announced that the
Millen Housing Authority and
City of Millen are the first lo
cal recipients of the 2009 Re
covery Act funding.
The Department of Housing
and Urban Development
(HUD) will be allocating
$166,478 from the 2009 Capi
tal Fund Program to the City
of Millen for use by the
Millen Housing Authority.
According to HUD, “Capi
tal Fund awards will be used
to provide funds to Public
Housing Agencies eligible for
Capital funding as authorized
under Section 9 of the United
States Housing Act of 1937,
with the exception that funds
cannot be used for operations
or rental assistance. The funds
will be used for capital and
management activities, in
cluding modernization and
development of public hous
ing.”
“It is great that local com
munities like Millen are al
ready getting their economic
recovery funds,” said Cong.
Barrow. “Folks here have
been hit hard by the recession,
and this money couldn’t get
here a minute too soon. These
funds will grow the local
economy in a lasting way
through infrastructure
projects that will hold their
value in the long run. More
importantly, it will be used to
put folks to work.”
In total, communities in
Georgia’s 12 th District will re
ceive close to $14.5 million
in 2009 Recovery Act grants
from HUD.
The City of Millen will re
ceive $18,702 for law en
forcement assistance through
the Edward Byrne Justice As
sistance Grant (JAG) pro
gram.
“During times like these,
the last thing we need is fewer
cops on the streets,” said
Cong. Barrow. “But budget
cuts could force some of our
communities to cut back on
the things we need most, like
fighting crime. This money
will save some jobs and cre
ate others, which is critical
right now, but it’ll also make
our kids and families safer,
which is the most important
thing we can do now and in
the long run.”
The JAG program is admin
istered by the Department of
Justice’s Bureau of Justice
Assistance, and supports a
broad range of activities by
state and local governments
to prevent and control crime
and improve the criminal jus
tice system.
Georgia’s 12 th Congres
sional District will receive
close to $2.3 million for law
enforcement assistance
through the JAG program.