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jJl f'rw'pwqg^ 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.