Newspaper Page Text
VOL. 106, NO. 6, AUGUST 26, 2009 LEGAL ORGAN OF JENKINS COUNTY MILLEN, GEORGIA • 75 CENTS
Work on Cotton Avenue is underway
By Deborah Bennett
Millen News Editor
Cotton Avenue may look
like a natural disaster hit it re
cently. but the destruction is
man-made. Two separate
projects are currently under
way on the City of Millen’s
downtown street.
Work began on the city’s
Transportation Enhancement
(TE) grant project in June.
The Georgia Department of
Transportation awarded the
city a $500,000 TE grant in
2004 for the purpose of reno
vating and promoting eco
nomic development in down
town Millen. An additional
$350,000 TE grant was
awarded the city in 2005. The
two projects were later com
bined, with Ellis Wood Con
tracting, Inc. being the suc
cessful low bidder.
Phase I of the TE grant
project will incorporate green
space into Cotton Avenue, en
hance lighting, make the side
walks handicap accessible
and initiate parallel parking
on the store side of the street.
Phase II provides for con
struction of additional park
ing lots on the railroad side
of the street, among other
things.
Work will be completed on
each block before proceeding
to the next block. The follow
ing schedule was presented as
a timeline for the progression
of work: Hendrix St. to Gray
St., June 15-July 30 (46 days);
Gray St. to Daniel St., July
30-Sept. 16 (48 days); Daniel
St. to Harvey St., Sept. 16-
Oct. 10 (25 days); Harvey St.
to Masonic St., Oct. 10-Nov.
10 (32 days); Masonic St. to
end of project, Nov. 10-Dec.
12 (33 days). It was noted,
however, that should a block
be completed ahead of sched
ule, construction would im
mediately begin on the next
block.
In connection with the TE
grant project, Millen City
Council voted in June to pro
ceed with the installation of
an 8-inch water main on Cot
ton Avenue. The new water
line will replace the existing
line which is estimated to be
over 100 years old. It will be
funded with Special Purpose
Local Option Sales Tax IV
revenue.
Work on this project is tak
ing place the full length of
Cotton Avenue, resulting in
different portions of the street
having to be temporarily
closed to travel.
Although the two projects
make traveling Cotton Av
enue a little inconvenient,
most merchants and their pa
trons have expressed an atti
tude of tolerance in the name
of "progress.”
The City of Millen’s water line on Cotton Avenue, estimated to be over 100 years old, is currently being replaced
ahead of work on the TE-grant project. (Staff photo by Deborah Bennett)
School enrollment is up
By Deborah Bennett
Millen News Editor
Student enrollment in the
local school system is up for
the new school year. The
Jenkins County Board of
Education (BOE) was in
formed during the Monday,
Aug. 17, meeting that total
enrollment at the beginning
of school term was 1,572 stu
dents. This represents an in
crease of 31 students over
the end-of-school figures for
May.
Enrollment at the schools
was noted as follows: Jenkins
County High School (JCHS),
435, an increase of 18 stu
dents; Jenkins County Middle
School (JCMS), 340, an in
crease of 10 students; and
Jenkins County Elementary
School (JCES), 79, an in
crease of three students.
It was also noted that JCES
had been approved for an ad
ditional Prekindergarten
class, bringing the total num
ber of pre-k classes to five for
the new school year.
Jenkins County School Su
perintendent Melissa Will
iams informed BOE members
of the need to have in place a
$500,000 line of credit with
Queensborough bank.
“I do not see that we will
need to use this line of credit.
We just need to have it in
place just in case,” she ex
plained.
A motion to establish the
line of credit was approved.
OTHER ACTIONS TAKEN:
• Approved Board Policy as it pertains to the Federal Family and
Medical Leave Act;
• Approved Board Policy/Loss Prevention;
• Approved Precipitous Decline Form relating to stimulus funding;
• Approved revision to school calendar to include three furlough
days for school staff;
• Approved fundraising activities for JCHS and JCMS;
• Approved the resignation of Betty Sue Royal, Jenkins County
Food Service technical assistant;
• Approved the employment of Shirley Newton as a full time bus
driver;
• Approved additions to the substitute bus drivers' list, substitute
teachers’ list and school food service substitutes’ list;
• Approved Anthony Dixon as assistant varsity football coach;
• Approved Pam Luke as varsity softball coach; and
• Approved a club advisor supplement.
Hometown doctor
returns to area
Dr. Angela Davis, a lifelong resident of Jenkins County, has
returned to the area and joined a local medical practice.
Dr. Davis is the daughter of Joseph and
Mable Davis of Millen. She is a 1996 graduate
of Jenkins County High School and received
her bachelor of science degree in Chemistry
from Augusta State. She attended the Medical
College of Georgia where she received her
M.D. which was followed by a one-year in
ternship in Anniston, Ala. Dr. Davis completed
her residency in Spartanburg, S.C. and now
resides in Statesboro with her daughter.
Dr. Davis states that she became interested
in pursuing a career in medicine following her
grandmother’s contraction of cancer.
She is employed at Family Health Care Center, Statesboro, where
she specializes in Family Medicine. She also has a special interest
in women’s health and pediatrics.
Dr. Davis enjoys spending time with her daughter and many
forms of water sports, including fishing and scuba diving. She has
been enthusiastically welcomed by the community.
DR.
ANGELA
DAVIS
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Eagle football kicks off Friday night
The Jenkins County High School varsity Eagle football team will travel to Hawkinsville Friday night for the first game of the season. Game time is 7:30 p.m. Team members are, from left,
first row: Akeem Young, Deyshon George, Marvin London, James Prescott, Tyrone Brown, Spencer Clark, Will Brinson, Jake Ports, Steven Edwards, Jeremy Stripling and Jake Knight;
second row: Chris Roberson, Lavontay Evans, Dag Gay, Ricky Evans, Dondre Dejesus, Frank Hagins, Jerome Young, Bryan Weatherford, Donnie Gay, Lavonete Lovett, Josh Sipes and
Quamaine Lane; third row: Damon Elmore, Jonathan Taylor, Tyler Kirkland, CJ Elmore, Tyrell Brown, Cody Johnson, Jay Bowers, Bobby Boone and James DeLoach; and fourth row:
John Hodges, Chuck Conley, Anthony Dixon, Chuck Sanders, Matt Smith, Zac Clark and Wendell Clark. (Photo contributed)