Newspaper Page Text
VOL. 105, NO. 41, APRIL 29, 2009
LEGAL ORGAN OF JENKINS COUNTY
MILLEN, GEORGIA • 75 CENTS
A beautiful day
The annual Keep Jenkins Beautiful Day, sponsored by Millen Better Hometown (MBH), was a great success. Ap
proximately 85 persons participated in the event, picking up close to 100 bags of trash. Also, several groups under
took projects that contributed to the beautification and appearance of the community. Participants shown above are,
from left, kneeling: McKenzie Walker, Emily
English, Margaret Dickens and Whitley Clark;
and standing: Jean Skinner, Jane Johnson,
Callie Dailey, Shimante Grimes, Jonathan
McBride, Mary Wasden, Paula Herrington and
Bobbie Reid. At right, members of Jenkins
County High School’s Interact Club are shown
painting the shelter and benches at the farmer’s
market on Cotton Avenue as part of the Keep
Jenkins Beautiful campaign. Below, members
of the Jenkins County High School JROTC also
participated in the event. From left, are first
row: T J Flakes, Summer Flanagan, Paul
Dieteman, Andres Jeronimo, Juan Jeronimo,
Anthony Sea, Quamaine Lane and Command
Sergeant Major Hayward Thompson; and back
row: Lewis Williams, Jerome Taylor, Nigeria
Cooper, Tay Taylor, Brittany McKinney,
Keondra Kelly, Ra’Shon Brady and Chris
Simmons. Not pictured: Cassandra Lake and
Cory Ward. (Photos contributed)
School councils ask for stricter dress code
Anthrax exercise
to be held May 30
Is Jenkins County ready?
It is 3 a.m. in Millen. The sound of a freight train with over
150 freight and tank cars roaring through the freight yards
disturbs no one as the community has become so accustomed
to the sound. However, this morning there is a much more
sinister sound piercing the city. The roaring and crashing of
freight and tank cars leaving the railroad tracks and piling up
in the freight yards awakens the community.
Unknown to the residents, there are four cars of toxic chlo
rine in the derailment of the train. These tank cars jump the
track and are pummeled by dozens of cars behind them. Two
of the tank cars are pierced by metal from freight cars follow
ing them, and the noxious green cloud of chlorine begins to
fill the air around the freight yard. A north wind carries the
toxic cloud across the residential community on the south side
of Millen.
Disasters can happen at any time, crippling communities
and challenging local response systems. The volunteers of the
Jenkins County Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) unit support
local response organizations and are trained in advance to as
sist if a disaster or public health emergency should strike this
community.
“The MRC appreciates all those who have already signed
up as volunteers in the MRC, but many more are needed to
have an effective unit ready to meet any challenge this com
munity faces. In addition to medical personnel of all special
ties, the MRC needs non-medical personnel such as track driv
ers, warehouse personnel, administrative assistants, transla
tors and volunteers to fill many other roles,” said Emmett
Walker, East Central Health District public relations informa
tion coordinator.
Plans are in place for a full scale Anthrax exercise May 30
to evaluate Jenkins County’s readiness to respond to a major
medical emergency or bio-terrorist act. The public can help
the community by joining the Jenkins County MRC unit. Over
200 volunteers will be needed to respond to such an emer
gency. The public can also join by contacting the Jenkins
County Health Department at (478) 982-2811 or Jenkins
County Family Enrichment at (478) 982-8004.
“Your help is needed! Join the many volunteers who are
building strong, healthy and prepared communities. You may
also participate by bringing your family and participating as
victims by simply driving through the Point of Distribution
and receiving mock medicines at the Jenkins County High
School at 10 a.m. May 30,” added Mr. Walker.
For more information on the MRC. visit the national website
at www.medicalreservecorps.gov. Citizens can register for the
MRC at www.ecphd.com by clicking on “volunteer.” Volun
teers are categorized according to how much training they wish
to take and the level of their participation in exercises and
drills.
Governor signs
Georgia Power
rate increase bill
Participants in the JROTC program were recognized for their accomplishments at the
state competition. Shown are, from left, front row: Brittany McKinney, Keondra Kelly,
Trevon Sanders, Ra’Shon Brady and Cassandra Lake; second row: Andres Jeronimo,
Ladeshia Simpkins, Anthony Ricks, Tay Taylor, Courtney Johnson; and third row:
Jerome Taylor, Lewis Williams, Paul Salter, Chris Hillis. Not pictured are Brianna Joiner,
Jared Hackworth, Latoria Wimberly and Willie Watson. (Photo contributed)
Winners in the Jenkins County Schools Beauty
Pageant were recognized during the April 20
meeting of the Jenkins County Board of
Education. From left, are Kayla Kirkland, Miss
Jenkins County Middle School, and Brittany
Johnson, Miss Jenkins County High School.
Not pictured: Camry Meeks, Miss Jenkins
County Elementary School (Staff photo by
Deborah Bennett)
By Deborah Bennett
Millen News Editor
Students at Jenkins County
High School (JCHS) and Jenkins
County Middle School (JCMS)
will have a stricter dress code for
the 2009-2010 school year. The
Jenkins County Board of Educa
tion (BOE) approved during its
Monday, April 20. meeting re
quests from the School Councils
that will require boys to wear
pants/shorts at the waist and with
a belt. Girls must wear clothing
that does not reveal any cleav
age.
The addition of these requests
to the students’ handbooks would
“tighten” the dress code, coun
cil representatives said.
Jenkins County School Super
intendent Melissa Williams
noted that while the schools al
ready had in place rales designed
to deal with these issues, it ap
peared that stricter regulations
were needed.
In other action, the BOE ap
proved moving school system
banking accounts to
Queensborough National Bank
& Trust after reviewing account
charges and interest options
available at local banks.
Business Manager Janet Fields
reported a general fund balance
of $1,454,315.32; capital im
provements account,
$61,314.29; and debt service,
$341,982.97.
Student enrollment was re
ported at 1.534 students, a loss
of two students over the previ
ous reporting period.
Winners in the recent schools’
beauty pageant were recognized:
Camry Meeks, Miss JCES,
daughter of Dewayne and Julie
Meeks; Kayla Kirkland, Miss
JCMS, daughter of Dr. and Mrs.
Joey Kirkland; and Brittany
Johnson, Miss JCHS, daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Marshall Johnson.
Members of the JROTC pro
gram, which is only in its sec
ond year at JCHS, were also rec
ognized for their accomplish
ments at the recent state compe
tition.
Teachers of the Year at the
schools were named as follows:
Jenkins County Elementary
School (JCES), Christy Wallace;
JCMS, Laurie Fleming; and
JCHS. Jean Gay. The system-
wide Teacher of the Year will be
announced at a later date.
It was also announced that
Sheila Boone has been named
valedictorian of the senior class.
Chester Joyner was named salu-
tatorian.
Other action taken by the BOE
included the following:
• Approved the resignations of
Lela Dickens, teacher at JCES,
and Anthoney Brown, assistant
principal at JCHS;
• Approved Josh Fleming as
assistant principal at JCHS and
Sandra Mason as math teacher
at JCHS;
• Approved Roger Williams as
custodian at JCES; and
• Approved several fundraising
activities.
By Deborah Bennett
Millen News Editor
Local Georgia Power customers, along with others across the
state, will see an increase in their electric bills beginning in 2011.
Gov. Sonny Perdue signed into law a bill last week that will al
low Georgia Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company, to begin
collecting early approximately $1.6 billion to pay for the con
struction of two nuclear reactors at Plant Vogtle in Burke County.
If construction goes as planned, the new reactors could go online
in 2016 and 2017. The expansion would create 3,000-4,000 con
struction jobs and then 800-900 permanent jobs when the plant
goes into operation.
Under the new law, Georgia Power customers will see their
electric bills increase by an average of $ 1.30 per month in 2011.
By 2017, the monthly increase will be $9.10.
The Public Service Commission has already approved the ex
pansion and financing plans. The plans must still be approved by
the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Royal court
A prom isn’t a prom without a king and queen and a
prince and princess. During the April 18 Jenkins County
High School (JCHS) prom, royalty was crowned amid a
beautiful castle theme “One More Night” at the JCHS
gym. From left, Dontavous Young claimed the king’s
crown, and Melissa White claimed the queen’s crown. The
king and queen title can only be worn by a senior at JCHS.
Dag Gay was named the 2009 prince and Jessica Head
was named princess. The prince and princess title belongs
to the junior class. To check out photos from the 2009
prom go to http://gallery.jchs.com/ and click on student
life and select the prom album. (Photo contributed)