Newspaper Page Text
VOL. 117 NO. 14 Millen, Ga. 30442 LEGAL ORGAN OF JENKINS COUNTY SINCE 1903 Wednesday, October 4, 2023 • 750
48th F air-
DEBORAH BENNETT
Millen News Editor
The 48th annual Fair-on-the-
Square, sponsored by Main Street
Millen will be held this Saturday,
Oct. 7th 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Vendors,
craftsmen, food booths, entertain-
on-the-Square will be held this Saturday
ment and other activities will be set
up on the lawn of the Jenkins County
Courthouse.
A highlight of the activities is the
Fair-on-the-Square parade through
downtown Millen at 10 a.m. And,
if that doesn’t get everyone on the
courthouse square, there is also en
tertainment!
The entertainment schedule is as
follows: 11-11:30 a.m. - Spotlight
Dance Academy; 11:30 a.m.-12:30
p.m-Mary Parker solo gui- SEE
tar; 12:30-1:30 p.m.-Aidan FOTS
Cooper solo guitar; 1:30-2 ^
p.m. - Hank Arnett; and 2-3
Students and teachers at Jenkins County Elementary School are getting some
“Eagle spirit” this week for Homecoming by dressing in different costumes
throughout the week. Shown is Racheal Johnson with her students Ethan Miles,
Irvin Martinez and Giiberto Hernandez. The JCHS Eagles will take on McIntosh
County Academy 7:30 p.m. this Friday night with Homecoming activities taking
place during halftime.
JCES celebrates Homecoming Week
Commissioners adopt
budget; set millage rate
DEBORAH BENNETT
Millen News Editor
During a called meeting held
Sept.28th, the Jenkins County Com
missioners adopted the county’s FY
2023-2024 budget and set the mill-
age rate for the year.
The General Fund budget was re
ported to be $7,800,479 with a total
budget of $18,683,669. The total
budget amount approved includes
grants that the county has received
for various projects.
The county’s rolled back millage
rate was adopted at 7.695 mills. The
Jenkins County Board of Education’s
millage rate of 14 mills was also ap
proved and adopted.
This sets the county’s total millage
rate at 21.695 mills. One
mill is expected to generate
approximately $306,448 in
revenue. 3
CANDIDATES FORUM
Candidates for Mayor
of the City of Millen
(Editor’s Note: The Millen News
did not receive a response from
Mayoral candidate Terry Hearn.
Responses from Millen City Council
candidates will appear in next week’s
issue.)
MIKE DANN
Tell us a little about yourself
(New candidates) The description
of who I am is giving you His story.
I was born in Bradenton, Florida
in 1971. I grew up in Jesup, and
graduated from Wayne County High
School. We moved to Millen in 1989
when my father became the pastor of
Green Fork Baptist Church. I mar
ried Allison Brinson in 1994 and she
has been by my side ever since. God
has blessed us with a house on Bar
ney Ave, and three amazing children.
He called me to be a pastor, and has
provided wonderful churches for me
in which to serve.
Why did you decide to run for
office? After much prayer and dis
cussion with my family, I decided
to offer the citizens of this town a
choice. When I take my family out to
eat, I like to have choices in the food
I'm about to purchase. When I shop
for a vehicle, I generally seek out a
dealership that has more than one
automobile on the lot. When people
visit our church, I tell them to take
their time, visit around, and make sure
this is the place God is calling them
to join. I want the people in this town
to have a choice.
Previous experience that quali
fies you for the position you are
seeking?
I have led the members of Botsford
Baptist Church in Burke County for
the past nine years. It is humbling to
be used by God, and to experience
His faithfulness in our lives. I have
worked at Metal Industries, Burke
County EMA, Lowes, Neal Hard
ware, and even Rocker Supply. I have
driven a school bus, student coached,
and even worked in the lunchroom at
Jenkins County Schools.
I believe in working hard
for what I have and will
work hard for the citi-
Ss *aesBiSS35&S
DEBORAH BENNETT
Millen News Editor
Twenty-five years ago, Oct. 1,1998,
Roy F Chalker, Jr., owner/publisher of
The True Citizen in Waynes
boro, became the new owner
of The Millen News.
Roy purchased the Millen
newspaper from long-time
editor/owner Frank Edenheld
when Frank decided to retire,
and he published his first is
sue the following week, Oct.
8,1998.
Roy is no stranger to the news
paper business. His dad, Roy
Chalker, Sr., owned The True
Citizen for many years. Roy, Jr.
started out sweeping floors at the
Waynesboro paper for 25 cents an hour
when he was eight years old. At 24, he
assumed publisher’s responsibilities.
Today, at 77, he still personally de
livers newspapers every Wednesday
morning for The True Citizen.
Wlillen
v EzmU
£ UrCt ^nv d and The True Cm v/rtUngness to se siQn o{ his confr- edilor for mote
now, but I love the work of local jour
nalism and I think it’s important. The
internet and social media are here to
stay, and they are good
tools for information,
but they will not replace
homegrown reporting
and investigating.”
Roy’s purchase of
the newspaper was
not the beginning
of his relationship
with The Millen
News or Frank. For
-V" r,s u
whip-. Tay'« ' #ul iSIpW chsme® “f/Svcfthe n«t»
’ .chasing
“The newspaper business
is really all I know,” he said recently.
“I probably should have retired before
many years prior
the newspaper was
printed by Chalker
Publishing Company.
Roy and Frank developed a close
friendship during those years, and he
was Frank’s choice as the new owner
when he decided to retire.
“Newspapers may have an owner
from a legal standpoint, but I believe
a local newspaper really belongs to
the community. We publishers come
and go over the years, but The Millen
News will always be the newspaper
of record for Jenkins County,” he
said. “It is the best record of the
community’s history and will be
here for research for decades to
come.”
The change in ownership
brought subsequent changes
to The Millen News. Readers
immediately noticed the use of
color in the newspaper. Previ
ously, everything was printed
in black/white. The design
and make-up
r <JFF
of the news-
paper went 25YEARS,
from a cut- 5
