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PAGE 2A
BANKS COUNTY NEWS
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2023
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Jackson EMC linemen joined linemen from other Georgia EMCs to bring electricity to a community in Guatemala. The trip
was sponsored by the NRECA International Foundation. The EMC crew joined a local Guatemalan electric association, Aso-
ciacion Para El Desarrollo Sierra De Las Minas, to help set wire and run secondary power to homes and schools.
Jackson EMC linemen help bring
electricity to village in Guatemala
Four linemen from Jack-
son EMC volunteered with
other linemen from Geor
gia’s electric cooperatives
to bring electricity to a re
mote village in north central
Guatemala.
In just 17 days, the line
men built four miles of
electric lines to bring pow
er to Sesaltul, a village that
had never experienced the
benefits of electricity. The
linemen brought electricity
to approximately 90 house
holds, two schools and two
churches.
Jackson EMC journey
men linemen Pete Arteaga,
Ben Campbell, Michael
Fraser and Corey Willard
joined forces with linemen
from Cobb EMC, Cowe-
ta-Fayette EMC, Grey-
Stone Power Corporation,
Habersham EMC, Snap
ping Shoals EMC and Wal
ton EMC. The project was
sponsored by the National
Rural Electric Cooperative
Association International
Foundation.
Arteaga, a Jackson EMC
lineman in Gainesville, said
the project initially seemed
daunting — until the volun
teer linemen from the partic
ipating cooperatives learned
more about each other.
“Once we started working
together and realized what
each other knew and were
capable of, and what each
person was good at doing,
that really helped out a lot,”
he said.
The linemen didn’t have
the benefit of the tools and
equipment they typically
use for line work.
“Here at home, we have
bucket trucks and line
trucks and various battery
tools. There—there’s noth
ing. It’s all on hooks and
hand tools and very physi
cal,” said Willard, a Jackson
EMC lineman in Jefferson.
Their work included
building power lines along
paved roads in Sesaltul.
However, the real challenge
arose when they extended
electric service to homes,
navigating through difficult
terrain along trails in heavy
vegetation leading to the
villagers’ homes. Local vil
lagers helped the linemen
find each home.
“I’d say 99% of the huts
were dirt floor,” said Fraser,
a Jackson EMC lineman in
Lawrenceville. “They had
bamboo walls or big palm
leaves [on roofs]. And some
of the huts had tin roofs
with block walls. They slept
in mainly hammocks or a
makeshift little bed.”
Each village home re
ceived lour lights, two
switches and two outlets.
Turning on the lights in the
homes for the first time was
an unforgettable and heart
warming experience.
“You would flip the break
er on and turn the switch on
and they would look at the
light, just look at it. Then,
immediately they would go
over there and turn it off like
they were going to run out
of power if they left it on,”
Fraser said.
For Arteaga, the expe
rience also brought back
memories of his childhood.
“When I was growing up
as a kid, I didn’t have elec
tricity until I was 9 years
old,” he said. “So, I knew
what it was going to feel
like for these people. It was
very emotional for me be
cause I was anxious to get
it done so they could experi
ence what I went through.”
Campbell, a Jackson
EMC lineman in Neese,
said having electricity in
their homes will make it
easier for villagers to expe
rience modem life.
“There was a lot of joy, a
lot of smiles,” he said. “You
could almost see it in their
faces the ideas they had and
what they could do in their
homes now [with electrici
ty] and the things they can
do with their lives moving
forward.”
Prior to the project in
Guatemala, Jackson EMC
employees also contributed
to the efforts to support the
community in Sesaltul.
“In addition to the four
guys who actually went to
Guatemala to work on the
project, we knew that the
rest of our employees would
want to help if given an
opportunity,” said Tommy
Parker, Jackson EMC’s vice
president of operations.
Employees at the cooper
ative raised almost $7,000
for supplies and equipment
at two schools in the village,
including ceiling fans the
volunteer linemen installed
at the schools during the
project.
“I will never forget this
opportunity and taking part
in it,” Campbell said. “It
was a long 17 days. It was
well worth the experience.”
Since 1962, NRECA In
ternational has empowered
more than 160 million peo
ple worldwide to improve
their quality of life by pro
viding them access to safe,
reliable and affordable elec
tricity.
The NRECA Internation
al Fund has helped establish
more than 250 electric util
ities and electric coopera
tives in 48 counties.
Jackson EMC journeymen linemen Michael Fraser and Ben
Campbell climb a pole while volunteering to bring power to a
village in Guatemala.
Jackson EMC journeymen linemen Ben Campbell climbs a
pole while volunteering to bring power to a village in Gua
temala.
%
ARNELL
DESIGNS
EMORIALS
An MED Enterprises Co.
Serving this community since 1962.
Ask about
the FREE
gift with
purchase.
Office located at 220 Hwy. 441 S.
in Commerce, GA. 706-335-4066
Hours: Monday - Friday 9 a.m.-12 p.m. and 1 p.m.-5 p.m.
Saturday By appointment only • Closed Sunday
**We accept M/C, Visa and offer a lay-a-way plan.
Jackson EMC journeyman lineman Ben Campbell poses with
local children in Sesaltul, Guatemala, while volunteering to
bring power to their village.
Fun By The Numbers
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19 charged by Banks
County Sheriffs Office
The Banks County Sheriff’s Office charged 19 people
last week, including the following:
•Kenneth Ray Barnhart, 34, 105 Oak Hill Drive, Athens,
probation violation.
•Brandon Christopher Markus Spencer, 24, 205 Old Hull
Road, Athens, probation violation.
•Brandon Charles York, 32, Homer, pedestrian under the
influence of intoxicants.
•Fuquan Terrell Hardy, 30, 24 Apartment Street, Homer,
family violence battery and obstruction of a law enforce
ment officer.
•Kelcey Salazar, 38, 4100 Falcon Drive, Austell, traf
ficking illegal drugs, possession of methamphetamine with
intent to distribute, possession of cocaine with intent to dis
tribute, possession of marijuana and possession of a weap
on during the commission of a crime.
•Patricia Naomi Turpin, 34, 145 Homestead Road, Dan-
ielsville, failure to appear.
•Dionna Davis, 43, 1635 Montanzia Hwy., Ray, obstruc
tion of a law enforcement officer and trafficking in illegal
drugs.
•Anthony Bryson Ewing, 21, 819 Russ Rumsey Road,
Maysville, failure to appear and possession of a drug-re
lated object.
•Onix Fuentes-Godinez, 20, 1670 Hunt Club, Norcross,
driving without a valid license and speeding.
•Gary Murphy, 52, 950 Hudson Road, Marietta, traffick
ing in illegal drugs.
•Deborah Nix, 62, 445 Chinch Street, Pendergrass, pos
session of methamphetamine, possession of a controlled
substance and possession of marijuana.
•Rebecca Ann Norville, 49, 669 Moss Mill Road, Bald
win, possession of methamphetamine.
•Homer Thomas Barry, 47, 180 Wessex Court, Dahlone-
ga, driving while license suspended or revoked and follow
ing too closely.
•Tyran Carruth, 45, 143 Carruth Road, Homer, posses
sion of methamphetamine.
•Alfredo Lopez-Morando, 23, Cla Vista 112C Loc Cha
pala, Guadalajara, driving without a valid license and al
lowing unlicensed driver to drive.
•Clyde Ray Nix, 36, 88 Oak Chrest Lane, Pendergrass,
possession of methamphetamine and possession of a con
trolled substance.
•Marcus Grizzle, 49, Lula, possession of a controlled
substance.
•Calvin W. Rylee, 62,1410 Donaldson Road, Greenville,
S.C., driving under the influence of intoxicants (DUI),
open container violation, driving while license suspended
or revoked and impeding traffic flow.
•Joshua Bello-Hemandez, 26, 211 Settlement Road,
Commerce, probation violation.
Event held to meet
Maysville candidates
A “Meet the Candidates” event for candidates in the
Maysville town election will be held from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
on Friday. Oct. 20, at 192 South Main Street Maysville.
“Come out and meet the candidates and enjoy free hot
dogs and beverages,” organizers state.
Voting will be held from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday,
Nov. 7, at Stonepath Independent Church, Maysville.
GOP to hold fundraiser in
Gillsville for indicted Trump
associates legal expenses
The Banks County Republican Party is hosting a fund
raiser in a bid to raise cash to help several of the defendants
charged in the Trump RICO case with their legal expens
es.
The Banks GOP’s event will be Nov. 2 in Gillsville with
tables starting at $400 up to $1,600.
The event will feature several activist GOP members,
including the following: failed gubernatorial candidate
Kandiss Taylor; Sen. Colton Moore who has tried to rally
legislative support to investigate the Fulton County District
Attorney who indicted Trump and others from 2020 efforts
to overturn the state’s election results; and Lt. Gov. Burt
Jones who has been leading the state’s right-wing of the
Republican Party.
Reports indicate that many of the defendants in the con
troversial Fulton County case are having trouble paying
their legal expenses and have turned to online fundraising
efforts in a bid to raise funds.
The state GOP party is also reportedly raising funds to
help defendants pay legal expenses.
ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS
The City of Maysville will be accepting
applications for a full-time Water Clerk
in the Utility Department. Must have ex
perience in customer service, utility bill
ing, finance, and computer skills. Appli
cation deadline November 30, 2023.
Position to be filled by January 2, 2024.
Apply at City Hall
4 Homer Street
Maysville, GA 30558
706-652-2274
City of Maysville is a drug free workplace and
Equal Opportunity Employer