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Page 2 — Wednesday, December 30, 2009, The Millen News Library News Work Ready certificate presented The Southeastern Technical College Jenkins County Center is a test center for the Work Ready program. Students who recently earned the Work Ready certificate are, from left, first row: Ella Thompson; and second row: Daphne Young, Della Wiggins, Freda Talton and Sheila Wilson. (Staff photo by Deborah Bennett) The Mi Hen News goes to New York City The Millen News recently traveled with students to New York City on the Alternative Winter Break Trip sponsored by Georgia Southern University. From left, are Kristen Hartley from Warner Robins, Danielle McBride, Jessica Murray and Jamie Herrmann, all from Millen. (Photo contributed) By Sharon Blank The library will be closed on Friday. Jan. 1, to allow our staff to celebrate the New Year. We will be open again on Saturday, Jan. 2, from 10:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 9. at 12 p.m. we’re going to be doing Saturday Cinema! We’ll have a great time watching a cool movie on the big screen. Wednesdays are wonderful if you’re a kid or a parent of one! Every Wednesday at 4 p.m. starting Jan. 13 we have a great Storytime for the little ones. Children can listen to a story, create cute art or craft projects to take home, and generally have a re ally fun time, so don’t miss it! Want to get out and enjoy the cool weather? Come to the li brary and check out a Georgia ParkPass kit! You get free parking and free entry into most of Georgia’s State Parks, including the lovely Magnolia Springs, right next door in Jenkins County! It’s a great time to enjoy nature without all the crowds and distrac tions, so pick up the ParkPass today! Want to cut down on those electric bills? The Department of Energy has given the Kill-A-Watt kit to public libraries all over the state to help you do just that! All you need to do is to plug in your appliances, and the Kill-A-Watt unit will figure out how much energy it uses for you. New at the library: The Mayo Clinic Diet: Eat Well. Enjoy Life. Forget about food scales and calculators. The doctors at the Mayo Clinic have helped literally thousands of people lose weight and get healthy. Here, they boil down what they have learned in helping others into five simple rules that help you lose the weight - and five habits to break to keep the weight off. Links to these and other great sites can be found at www.sjrls.org: WebMD: Energy Every Day Winter blahs and the after-Christmas letdown got you down? WebMD has great ways to pep you up and get you living at top speed again. Well, that’s all for now - see you at the library! HAWK & ASSOCIATES, RC. Victor C. Hawk Melissa Detchemendy Need Help? Call: 478-982-4226 (day) or 706-294-4447 (night) American Trial Lawyers Association Southern Trial Lawyers Association Georgia Trial Lawyers Association Office located in The Millen News Building 856 E. Cotton Ave., Millen, GA Modern Woodmen ^ sm FRATERNAL FINANCIAL Touching lives. Securing futures.® Supporting the community starts at home Why does your Modern Woodmen repre sentative live and work here? Because that's the best way to know you ... and the best way to touch lives and secure futures. Our financial services can protect your loved ones and help you reach your financial goals. Our fraternal benefits support families and your community. Call today to learn more. Linda.F.Bragg@mwarep.org modern-woodmen.org 2008 Modern Woodmen of America President’s Club Linda Bragg, FIC 121 Terri Dr. Millen, GA 30442 478-982-1824 706-871-0914 Willing Hearts, LLC In Home Help and Care For The Elderly Errumls/ Cot&amonship/Light Housekeeping Phone: (7(16) 955-7528 mYw.wiJJi ugh carts, v'piveh.com Serving Burke, Columbia, fenkim it Richmond Counties it lake* Willing People With Willing Hearts > SOUTHEASTERN OR I HOPED 1C CENTER 16915 Suite A, HWY 67 South Statesboro, 6A 30458 800-827-6536 www.orthocentersau.com Traffic safety a priority for holiday patrols Traffic safety is the priority for holiday patrols by Georgia State Troopers and officers with the Motor Carrier Compliance and Capitol Police Divisions of the Georgia Department of Pub lic Safety. Both the Christmas and New Year’s holiday periods are 78 hours long this year. Last year, traffic crashes claimed the lives of 46 people in Georgia during the two holi day periods. “Now through the first week end of the new year is when troopers see an increase in the number of vehicles on the roads and an increase in the number of impaired drivers as well,” Colonel Bill Hitchens, Commis sioner of the Georgia Depart ment of Public Safety said today. "’Stepped up patrols will be conducted in an effort to keep the number of traffic crashes as low as possible.” The Christmas holiday traffic count began Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, at 6 p.m. and ended at midnight Sunday, Dec. 27. Dur ing the 78-hour period, the Georgia State Patrol and the Crash Reporting Unit at the Georgia Department of Trans portation estimated that 2,226 traffic crashes would occur on Georgia roads. The estimates were also for 976 injuries and 18 fatalities. The New Year’s holiday travel period begins at 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 31, and ends at midnight Sunday, January 3, 2010. Estimates for the New Year’s holiday travel period are for 2,330 traffic crashes, 1,004 injuries, and 16 fatalities. Last year during the Christ mas holiday travel period, Geor gia recorded 24 traffic deaths during a 102-hour holiday period. There were 1,261 inju- ries and 2,783 crashes reported. During the 102-hour New Year’s holiday period, there were 2,998 traffic crashes resulting in 1,222 injuries and 22 traffic deaths. Earlier this month, the Geor gia State Patrol announced a month-long crackdown on im paired drivers to reduce the number of impaired-driving fa talities on the state’s roads. Road checks, concen trated patrols, and high visibil ity patrols are planned through out the holiday periods. ”An al cohol or drug impaired driver will go to jail and their vehicle impounded on the spot,” Colo nel Hitchens added. During the Christmas and New Year’s holiday periods last year, nine traffic deaths in volved an alcohol impaired driver. Additionally, 31 of the 46 people killed over the two holiday periods were not wear ing their seat belt. Eight of the victims were pedestrians. “The traffic crash facts show why enforcement is so impor tant this time of the year,” he said. "We certainly want every one to enjoy the holiday festivi ties but everyone must keep traffic safety in mind while op erating a motor vehicle.” The Commissioner reminds drivers to make sure everyone is wearing a seat belt and chil dren are properly restrained at all times and on every trip. He emphasizes the importance of designating a sober driver in advance if alcohol consumption will be in your party plans. The highest number of Christ mas holiday period traffic deaths occurred in 1971 when 36 people were killed and the lowest occurred in 1982 and 2002 with five deaths reported. For New Year’s, the highest occurred in 1981 and 1987 with 23 deaths and the lowest occurred in 1947 and 1958 when Georgia recorded only three deaths. expert ^care 1 - in your backyard