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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