Newspaper Page Text
VOL. 105, NO. 47, JUNE 10, 2009
LEGAL ORGAN OF JENKINS COUNTY
MILLEN, GEORGIA • 75 CENTS
Kristy Wallace, JCES “Teacher of
the Year”
Loretta Fleming, JCMS “Teacher of
the Year”
Jean Gay, JCHS “Teacher of the
Year”
LEADING LADIES
Jenkins County names “Teachers of the Year”
BOE:
No tax increase
The Jenkins County Board of Education (BOE), at a special
called meeting Monday, June 8, unanimously approved its FY10
tentative budget in the amount of $11,256,419. Jenkins County
School Superintendent Melissa Williams stated, “I am extremely
pleased that we were able to develop a budget that provides for
the instructional needs of students and is within defined pa
rameters, thus, no tax increase. This was not an easy task as the
community has been greatly affected by the economic climate.
The local fair share, which is the amount that the state with
holds from the total amount earned through the QBE formula,
increased by $180,847 for a total of $1,016,729. Austerity re
ductions in the amount of $618,668 will also impact the FY10
budget. Even with all of the apparent decreases in funding, we
will stand with the community and operate on what the state
and federal agencies provide and not request additional assis
tance from the community.”
She added, “I appreciate the cooperative spirit of the com
munity as we stand together during this financial crisis.”
Cost for firearm
license increases
By Deborah Bennett
Millen News Editor
Three educators in the local
school system have been hon
ored with the “Teacher of the
Year” designation. The official
announcement was made Mon
day, June 1, during the school
system’s post-planning meeting
held at the Jenkins County High
School cafeteria.
Kristy Wallace was named
Teacher of the Year for Jenkins
County Elementary School
(JCES). She holds a degree in
Mental Retardation from Geor
gia Southern University (GSU)
and a master’s degree in Teach
ing and Learning from Nova
Southeastern University. She
has additional certification in
Early Childhood, Interrelated
Special Education. She has
taught in the local school sys
tem since 1999.
Loretta Fleming was chosen
as Jenkins County Middle
School’s (JCMS) Teacher of the
Year. She holds an associate of
arts in Teacher Education from
East Georgia College, a bach
elor of science in Education
Middle Grades from GSU, a
master’s degree in Education in
Middle Grades from GSU, and
specialist degree in Curriculum
and Instruction Management
from Nova Southeastern Uni
versity. She has been employed
by the local school system since
1996.
Jean Gay was named Teacher
of the Year at Jenkins County
High School. She holds a bach
elor of science in Computer Sci
ence from the University of
Georgia and teaching certifica
tion in Middle Grades Education
and Secondary Math Education.
She has been employed with the
local school system since 1994.
Retirees recognized included:
JoAnn Shumake, central office;
Betty Jean Burke, Ivelyn Cobb,
Loretta Brinson, Loretta Hands
Reynolds and Frank Mack,
JCES; and J.C. Paulk and
Marian Pennington, JCMS.
Georgia Association of Edu
cators retirees recognized were
Marian Pennington, Ivelyn
Cobb, Loretta Brinson, Loretta
Harris Reynolds and J.C. Paulk.
Betty Jean Burke was recog
nized as a PAGE retiree.
Also recognized were the
school system’s Partners in Edu
cation: Bethany Home Nursing
Center, BI-LO, Dairy Queen,
Jenkins County Farm Bureau,
Georgia Power Company,
Huddle House of Millen, K &
K Antiques and Soda Shop,
Modern Woodmen of America,
Papa’s Pizza-to-Go, Planters
Electric Membership Corpora
tion, Queensborough National
Bank, Regions Bank, Superior
Alarm of Millen and The Cot
ton Gin.
Sheriff Oglesby, deputy
complete training
Last week, during the seventh
week of Basic Mandate Train
ing, Jenkins County Sheriff
Robert Oglesby and Deputy
Wesley Aaron traveled with the
class to the Georgia Public
Safety Training Center
(GPSTC) in Forsyth, for Emer
gency Vehicle Operations
Course (EVOC) Training. On
Monday, the training was in the
classroom; Tuesday was driving
practical with instructors; and
Wednesday was written and
driving qualification. This class
of cadets, on both written and
practical exams, had a 100 per
cent passing and qualifying rate.
Due to the fact that this was
the first class of cadets in the
history of regional academies
sending cadets to the GPSTC for
EVOC Training to achieve a
100 percent pass rate, the group
was awarded on behalf of the
Augusta academy an orange
traffic cone used in the training
as a trophy.
Sheriff Oglesby reports that
he has learned a lot in the seven
weeks he has trained in Au
gusta; however, he is more than
ready to come back home and
get to work. The Basic Mandate
Training which he and Deputy
Aaron are attending will con
clude with graduation Friday,
June 19.
From left, Jenkins County Sheriff Robert Oglesby and
Deputy Wesley Aaron will complete training at the
Georgia Public Safety Training Center in Forsyth on June
14. (Photo contributed)
By Deborah Bennett
Millen News Editor
Jenkins County residents who may be thinking of purchas
ing a Firearm License or who will soon need to renew their
license can save a little money if they do so before July 1.
Jenkins County Probate Judge Wanda Burke notes that the
cost of a Firearm License will be $60, effective July 1. Cur
rently it is only $40.
The increased cost is due to a rise in the cost of the Georgia
Criminal Background Check which is required to purchase a
Firearm License. The current cost is $19.25. Beginning July
1, the cost will be $40.
For additional information, you may call the office of the
Jenkins County Probate Judge at (478) 982-5581.
Preservation group
recognized by state
By Jim Hite
On June 3, Friends of Magnolia Springs State Park was recog
nized as a Chapter Friends Organization by the Friends of Georgia
State Parks and Historic Sites, Inc. (Friends) Board of Directors.
Andy Fleming, executive director of Friends, acknowledged the
application made by the Steeling Committee of the Magnolia Springs
Chapter which included the Chapter’s by-laws and elected officers.
Jenkins County citizens interested in preserving Magnolia Springs
State Park met twice with park staff Andy Barrows, Wade Huffman,
Tony Gay, Connie Fitch and Robert Reynolds earlier this year and
selected the Steering Committee which wrote the by-laws for the
Chapter, a necessary first step. Officers were elected at a meeting
held May 21 as follows: Jim Hite, president; Tommy Lane, vice-
president; Veronica Cowart, secretary; Virginia McBride, treasurer;
and Ray Miller, project chair. Hite, Cowart and Miller had served
on the by-laws committee.
With budget cuts being made across the entire state of Georgia,
including the Department of Natural Resources, the need for a lo
cal Friends Chapter is evident. Fortunately, the pool was spared and
is one of only six state-owned pools open this summer. North Jenkins
and Millen Fire Departments assisted in the pool preparation.
The Friends of Magnolia Springs State Park is in great need of
members willing to raise funds and work on preserving and im
proving this treasure in our own backyard. Shortly, an announce
ment will be made of a meeting to really get the ball rolling. Every
one in the county will be invited.
Local leaders graduate from Georgia Academy for Economic Development
The Board of the Georgia Acad
emy for Economic Development
(GAED) announced that Mandy
Underwood and Julie Chance of
the Jenkins County Family Enrich
ment Center took part in the 2009
Region 7 Multi-Day Training Pro
gram.
Class participants represented a
number of professional and non
professional economic develop
ment fields, including elected of
ficials, public servants, business
leaders, educators and social ser
vice providers, from 11 counties
in the Central Savannah River
Area. The Academy provided each
of the graduates an opportunity to
gain a unique understanding of the
complexities of economic and
community development on the
local, regional, and state levels.
Created in 1993 by then-Gov-
emor Zell Miller’s Development
Council, the Academy assembles
a cross section of economic devel
opment professionals and re
sources to provide this training in
all 12 service delivery regions in
Georgia. The Board of Directors
of the Academy consists of 21
members representing public and
private economic development or
ganizations and agencies from
across Georgia. Since its organi
zation, the Academy has provided
training for thousands of profes
sional and non-professional eco
nomic developers around the state,
and since 1998 the Academy has
been offered annually.
“One of the goals for the multi
day regional academies is to en
courage multi-county coopera
tion,” says Saralyn Stafford, Ex
ecutive Director of the GAED.
“Many times the participants dis
cover the issues facing their com
munity are the same as those fac
ing other communities in their re
gion, and can then combine lim
ited resources to address the issue.”
Georgia EMC and Georgia
Power provide facilitators for the
program, and the Georgia Depart
ment of Community Affairs pro
vides staff support to this impor
tant program. Financial support for
the regional leadership training
program is provided through the
Leadership Infrastructure Invest
ment Fund set up by the General
Assembly, which allows the pro
gram to be offered at an afford
able cost to all participants, with
funding provided through the
OneGeorgia Authority, and in
cludes scholarship funding for
those with demonstrated need for
this assistance.
The Academy’s multi-day pro
gram, taught in five days over a
four-month period, includes train
ing in the basics of economic and
community development, plus
specialized segments on entrepre
neur and small business support,
tourism product development,
downtown development, quality
planning, redevelopment and
other essentials for community
success. In addition, the curricu
lum features specific leadership
skills such as consensus building,
team work, ethics in public service,
collaborative leadership and other
segments needed for effective
community leadership in eco
nomic development. Local elected
officials receive certification train
ing credits through the Association
County Commissioners of Geor
gia and the Georgia Municipal As
sociation for completion of this
program, and the program is cer
tified for 3.25 CEUs through the
UGA Georgia Center for Continu
ing Education.
The next Region 7 Georgia
Academy for Economic Develop
ment will begin in February 2010.
For more information on this,
please contact Tina Hutcheson at
478.469.3751 or by email
tina.hutcheson @ dca. ga. gov.
Graduates at the Georgia Academy for Economic Development training program
included, from left, Niki Knox, Georgia Electric Membership Corporation; Mandy
Underwood, Jenkins County Family Enrichment Center, (JCFEC) Inc.; Winfred Owens,
Georgia Department of Community Affairs; and Jim Lovett, Georgia Power. Not
pictured: Julie Chance of JCFEC (Photo contributed)