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VOL. 117 NO. 22 Millen, Ga. 30442 LEGAL ORGAN OF JENKINS COUNTY SINCE 1903 Wednesday, November 29, 2023 • 750
Norfolk Southern awards grant to City of Millen
DEBORAH BENNETT
Millen News Editor
The City of Millen is the recipient
of a Safety First Grant from Norfolk
Southern in the amount of $54,000
for the purchase of public safety
equipment.
The city will use the money to re
place its dispatch radio system which
was recently destroyed by a lightning
strike and replace a computer server
for the Millen Police Department that
can no longer be updated. The radio
system is used by the city dispatcher
to communicate with the police and
fire departments.
The City of Millen expressed appre
ciation to Norfolk Southern for their
support of the city’s Public Safety
Department. This grant will greatly
improve the safety of the police and
fire personnel. The new system allows
the city dispatcher to hear multiple
conversations at one time, and ef
ficiently dispatch needed personnel.
Mayor King Rocker’s repeated
contact with the Norfolk Southern
governmental relations advisor Con
nor Poe over the last year for various
reasons was instrumental in the grant
award.
“I just want to thank
Norfolk Southern and
Conner Poe for bring-
SEE
GRANT,
3
Natalie Hendley, 2, was amazed by the pink Christmas tree at Weaver’s Christmas
Tree Farm in Sylvania on Saturday. She and her parents, Dustin and Allison
Hendley of Sylvania, went to the farm to pick out a Christmas tree. Natalie is the
granddaughter of Ronnie and Rhonda Hendley of Millen and Ira and Skeeter
Godbee of Sylvania. (Photo courtesy of Allyson Williams)
Early voting underway in
Dec. 5th City Runoff Election
DEBORAH BENNETT
Millen News Editor
The seat of Mayor of the City of
Millen will be decided next week
when city voters go to the polls
to cast their ballots in the city’s
General Runoff Election. Incumbent
Mayor King Rocker and former City
Councilman Giovanni R. Shumake
are seeking the seat.
In-person advance voting began
on Monday of this week and will
continue until 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 1st.
All advance voting is taking place at
the Jenkins County Courthouse. The
hours of voting are 9 a. m. until 5 p.m.
daily. On Election Day, all voting
will take place from 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.
at the Millen City Hall.
The last day registrars may accept
a voted absentee ballot is 7 p.m. on
December 5th. Early processing of
these ballots will take place on Dec.
4th.
A drop box for Absentee Mail-Out
ballots has been established at the
office at the Board of Registrars in
Jenkins County Courthouse, 611 E.
Winthrope Avenue. The drop box will
be available from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.
Monday-Friday, Nov. 27- Dec. 1. The
drop box will be closed when advance
voting is not being conducted at this
location.
The computation and canvassing of
ballots in the General Runoff Election
will take place in the office of Election
Superintendent Wanda Burke located
in the Jenkins County Probate Court
at the Jenkins County Courthouse on
Dec. 6th beginning at 9 a.m.
Anyone who was registered to
vote as of Oct. 10th may vote in this
election.
Bonner Jones is new
landfill manager
DEBORAH BENNETT
Millen News Editor
The Jenkins County Landfill
has a new manager. Bonner Jones
of Sandersville was employed for
the position earlier this month by
Atlantic Waste Services (AWS).
AWS manages the landfill for the
county.
Bonner is a graduate of the
University of Georgia with a degree
in Landscape Agriculture. He is has
been employed in the landfill industry
for 15 years. His last position was in
Texas, and he says he was ready to
“come back home” when he received
the job offer with AWS.
He and his wife, Molly, and
their children, Grady,
12, and Emersyn, 7,
reside in Sandersville,
which is about an hour
Bonner Jones is the new Jenkins
County Landfill manager for Atlantic
Waste Services.
SEE
JONES,
3
B&T Fresh Food Market - founded upon friendship
DEBORAH BENNETT
Millen News Editor
Founded by childhood friends
John Triplett and Clark Brunson,
in Mt. Vernon, GA in 2017, B&T
Fresh Food Market is now one of
the fastest-growing grocery chains
in the state. With the company’s
recent acquisition of five Bell’s Food
Stores, the duo now own and manage
10 stores, including the Millen store
which they purchased from BI-LO
in 2020.
The relationship between John and
Clark, however, began much earlier.
“We grew up together, went to
school and church together and had
other investments together,” John
said. “Our families are friends.”
John and Clark grew up and
attended school in Sylvania where
they still reside. John began his
career working at a grocery store in
Sardis around 2009. Clark worked at
Gulfstream for a while after college
and, then began farming.
John and Clark eventually bought a
grocery store in Twin City. And since
they had already made some mutual
investments, it seemed only natural
that they also jointly venture into the
grocery business in 2017 with B&T
Fresh Food Market.
“It’s a hands-on business for us. We
do all the maintenance at all of the
stores,” John said.
They are known for doing
everything from painting the stores,
cutting meat, and stocking shelves
to mopping the floors. ggg
There is no task they are g&y
not willing and capable
of doing.
