Newspaper Page Text
VOL. 106, NO. 16, NOVEMBER 4, 2009
LEGAL ORGAN OF JENKINS COUNTY
MILLEN, GEORGIA • 75 CENTS
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Students escape school
By Deborah Bennett
Millen News Editor
Students were safely evacu
ated from a Jenkins County
school bus that caught fire
Wednesday. Oct. 27, in the
Palmer Row area of the city.
Jenkins County School Su
perintendent Melissa Williams
said approximately 35 stu
dents were still onboard when
substitute driver Charles
Anfield saw smoke coming
from the dash of the vehicle.
He quickly stopped the bus
and escorted the students off
the vehicle to an area of safety,
following safety and evacua
tion procedures established by
the school system. As he
looked back, he said he saw
flames engulfing the vehicle.
Superintendent Williams at
tributed the safe outcome of
the potentially disastrous situ
ation to Anfield’s “calm de
meanor and level head.” She
also called attention to the
quick responses of Transpor
tation Coordinator Talmadge
Fries, who was on the scene
almost immediately, and that
of the Millen Police Depart
ment and Millen Fire Depart
ment.
“The neighborhood resi-
This Jenkins County
school bus caught fire
Oct. 27 as it was
transporting students in
the Palmer Row area
of the city. Students
were safely evacuated
with no injuries. (Photo
contributed - staff
photo by Deborah
Bennett)
bus fire
dents were also outstanding in
their cooperation and support
as well as several employees
of the school system who
stopped on their way home to
offer assistance,” Mrs. Will
iams said.
Students were quickly trans
ported to their homes on an
other bus with very little de
lay, and the cause of fire re
mains under investigation.
JROTC Raiders win state championship
The Jenkins County High
School Army JROTC Raider
Team traveled to Fort Yargo
State Park in Winder Saturday,
Oct. 24, to compete in a 33-
school 66-team State Raider
Championship. The Jenkins
County Male Mixed Team
(four females and six males)
outscored Paulding County, the
defending National and State
Champion, by six points to cap
ture the overall State Champi
onship in the Male Mixed Di
vision.
JROTC competitions are all
“open-class” meaning there is
no distinction between schools,
regardless of the number of stu
dents enrolled in the school.
Unlike football, basketball or
other Georgia High School As
sociation sports, JROTC teams
compete against all classifica
tions to determine the
champion.The only other team
from the area competing was
Richmond Hill. The Richmond
Hill Female team finished sec
ond in the Female Division, 10
points behind first place Cedar
Shoals. Richmond Hill’s male
team finished fourth overall in
the Male Division, 19 points
behind first place Paulding
County who was the defending
State Champion in that division
last year.
Members of the Jenkins
County State Championship
Male Mixed Team are:
Rubicela Delgado, Keondra
Members of the Jenkins County Army JROTC Raider Male and Male Mixed Teams
shown are, from left, front row: CSM Hayward Thompson, Dwayne Snelling, Jerome
Taylor, Jose Solis, Yahnchelle Scott, Brittany McKinney, Marquis Moody, Keondra
Kelly, Rashon Brady, Tay Taylor and COL Ken Wade; and second row: Chris Simmons,
Juan Jeronimo, Ayana Walker, David Guzman, Keith Heggs, Fernando Gomez,
Bernard Thompson, Quentin Williams, Paul Dieteman, Justin Ellis, Rubicela Delgado,
Trenton Polk, James Amerson, Anthony Sea and Andres Jeronimo. Not pictured: Irene
Dieteman, Brittany Singer and Candice Waters. (Photo contributed)
Kelly, Brittany McKinney,
Ayana Walker, James Amerson,
Fernando Gomez, Andres
Jeronimo, Marquis Moody,
Jerome Taylor and Tay Taylor.
The third National Raider
Championship competition
will be held at Thunder Scout
Boy Scout Reservation in
Molena, Saturday, Nov. 7, and
Sunday, Nov. 8, beginning at 8
a.m. on Saturday. There is no
admission charge and conces
sions are available. Molena is
approximately 50 miles West of
Macon and North of
Thomaston. Additional infor
mation may be found at:
www.thenationals.net (Sports
Network International,
Daytona Beach, Florida is the
venue director with the United
States Army Cadet Command
as the sponsor).
Burglaries
on rise in
Jenkins
County
Over the past several months, residential burglaries in Jenkins
County have increased at an alarming rate. The Jenkins County
Sheriff’s Office reports that since Julyl, deputies have investi
gated 25 residential and three business burglaries.
“This is not just a problem in Jenkins County; but is a very
serious problem in surrounding counties and especially in rural
areas. We have always had a low crime rate and have been a
quiet community. This is really upsetting to everyone, and it is
something I take very seriously,” commented Sheriff Robert
Oglesby.
During the months of July and August, six residential bur
glaries were investigated each month. Three incidents were in
vestigated during September, and 10 during October. Deputies
also investigated two business burglaries in August and one in
October.
Arrests have been made in three residential burglaries and in
one of the business burglaries with a portion of the stolen prop
erty being recovered. In another residential burglary, more than
half of the stolen property has been recovered, but no arrests
have been. This case remains under investigation.
The sheriff notes that since July, the Burke County Sheriff’s
Office has investigated more than 100 residential burglaries,
most of which occurred in areas bordering Jenkins and Screven
Counties. The Screven County Sheriff’s Office has investigated
69 residential burglaries and nine business burglaries during
the same period of time.
Sheriff Oglesby urges local citizens to take some precaution
ary steps to protect their homes and property and that of their
neighbors. These measures will also assist the Sheriff’s Office
in solving burglaries.
“Be observant - if you see something that doesn’t look right,
it probably isn’t. If you see something suspicious, please call
us so that we can check on it,” Sheriff Oglesby said.
The sheriff also offered the following suggestions, “Keep an
extra eye on your neighbors’ homes and property. Communi
cate with each other. If you are going out of town or will not be
home for a period of time, let your neighbors know what your
plans are and ask them to especially watch your place. Ask
someone to pick up your mail or have the post office hold de
livery until you return. Try to leave a vehicle parked close to
your home; and if possible, have someone move it daily. Call
or come by the Sheriff’s Office before leaving on a trip to re
quest that the department put the residence or business on the
checklist. The dispatcher or deputy will fill out a form with
important information about the location, dates and times the
owners will be gone and return as well as emergency contact
information. Make a record of the make, model and serial num
bers of all property in the home with special emphasis on ve
hicles, lawn equipment, weapons, power tools, electronics and
jewelry. It is also helpful in the event of a fire or theft loss to
have photographs of each room of the home kept with the list
of property.”
Most of the stolen property recovered from burglaries and
thefts by the Sheriff’s Office has been a result of victims fur
nishing the make, model and serial numbers of the property
stolen. The Sheriff’s Office enters the property into GCIC (Geor
gia Crime Information Center) and NCIC (National Crime In
formation Center). These entries require a serial number. When
the police in other jurisdictions have contact with the property
and check it on the system, they receive a “hit.” The local
Sheriff’s Office also receives that “hit”. Through this system,
many items of property have been recovered and returned to
the rightful owner.
A final tip, "When possible, have an alarm system installed,”
Sheriff Oglesby said.
Rain extends
harvest season
By Wade Parker
Jenkins County Extension Service Coordinator
This past growing season was one of the best in recent
memory for Jenkins County farmers. With the exception of a
dry spell in June, every time rain was needed it was received.
The June dry spell hurt dryland corn yields with some fields
averaging 25-40 bushels per acre, while some irrigated corn in
the county averaged well over 200 bushels per acre. Peanut,
cotton and soybean crops have major potential. However, it
seems as though the wetter than normal growing season has
spilled over to the harvest season.
As for now, peanuts are approximately 55 percent harvested,
and the cotton harvest has barely started. Only a very few soy
beans have seen a combine. If the wet conditions continue,
this spells trouble for local farmers. Peanuts are a very diffi
cult crop to harvest after repeated rain has fallen; cotton on the
other hand will dry out fairly quickly, but grade (quality) will
deteriorate.
Not only are farmers paid a base price for the quantity of
product produced, but the base price is either adjusted up or
down in relation to quality. In other words, if rain reduces qual
ity, then this adversely affects their bottom line.
Even with the rain experienced in the past few weeks, this
week appears to be drying out. Cautious optimism exists that
the harvest season weather will improve, and farmers will be
able to get their crops out of the field. Farmers cannot control
Mother Nature, therefore, they must play the hand out of cards
dealt to them.