Newspaper Page Text
THE MADISON COUNTY (GA) JOURNAL. THURSDAY. AUGUST 27. 2009 — PAGE 11A
JEMC warns
about new
phone scam
Jackson Electric Membership
Corporation (EMC) is cautioning
members to be aware of a new phone
scam that's tricked some Georgia
utility consumers into compromising
their credit card numbers in an effort
to keep their power on.
Though Jackson EMC custom
ers so far appear unaffected, some
Georgia utility customers are reporting
fraudulent phone calls from persons
claiming to be utility employees and
demanding credit card information
to prevent immediate disconnection.
In a few instances, customers have
provided tire perpetrator with credit
card information that was then used to
fraudulently wire money to Alabama.
Though Jackson EMC has yet to
receive reports of any similar calls
placed to members, employees were
recently advised to remain alert to sus
picious activity and report any similar
customer complaints or inquiries to
their supervisors.
"Our members should be aware
that Jackson EMC employees never
call customers to ask for a credit card
number or make any similar demand
of payment," said Brent Cochran,
Jackson EMC's director of customer
service.
When a Jackson EMC members
are past-due and scheduled for discon
nect, they receive a pre-printed notice,
and an automated phone call with a
pre-recorded message infonning the
customers that they are scheduled for
disconnect. Tire call instructs mem
bers to contact their local office to
make payment arrangements.
Cochran said that if a member calls
to inquire about or report a suspi
cious activity regarding an account,
a "fraud alert” can be placed on the
account to help protect them in the
future. “If anyone has a question or
concern about their account, or some
thing they're hearing from someone
claiming to represent Jackson EMC,
the best thing they can do it is just con
tact their local Jackson EMC office
directly for assistance," Cochran said.
To contact your local Jackson EMC
office, visit: www.jacksonemc.com/
contact.
WOOD HILL EDWARDS
Three elected to Northeast
4-H Junior District Board
Isabelle Edwards, Jessica Hill,
and Julie Wood were all elected
to serve on the Northeast District
4-H Junior Board of Directors
for 2009-10.
During the coming year they
will be responsible for planning
and conducting district events
for the 39-county Northeast 4-H
District.
Edwards, daughter of Scott
and Ginni Edwards, will serve
as president of the Northeast
4-H District Junior Board.
She attended Georgia Officers
Training held at Rock Eagle and
will be presiding over numerous
4-H events.
Edwards is an honor student
at MCMS, where she is in the
eighth grade.
Hill, daughter of David and
Gail Ragland, will serve as a
district board member as will
Wood, granddaughter of Wade
and Judy Miller. Both are eighth
grade students at MCMS.
Livestock Shn
FIRST IN SHOWMANSHIP
Lily Crane attended the Hart County Invitational
Goat and Lamb Show Aug. 8, winning first place
in showmanship. She is shown here with her goat
Showmetha-Money. Her next show will be in Athens.
MCHF SEEKING
REVISIONS TO
CEMETERY BOOK
Madison County
Heritage Foundation
members are cur
rently working on a
revised edition of the
1986 Madison County
Cemetery Book. The
group is seeking cor
rections and revisions
to the book, as well
as cemeteries/graves
(before 1986) that were
left out of the original
cemetery book. Please
mail corrections/
revisions to Madison
County Cemetery Book
Revisions/Corrections,
P.O. Box 222, Ila, GA
30647. Shown are three
members of the origi
nal cemetery book staff
(L-R) Gwen and Randy
Moore and Charlotte
Bond. Margie Richards/Staff
Flu ..cont’dfrom 1A
of parents calling and telling us
that that's what doctors were
saying,” Superintendent Mitch
McGhee said.
Also known as “swine flu,”
H1N1 can’t be confirmed with
out a test, and unless someone is
hospitalized, they're usually not
tested. But several students are
being treated by doctors as if
they have H1N1, based on the
belief that seasonal flu isn’t pres
ent now.
"(District health director) Dr.
(Claude) Burnett told us today
(Tuesday) that basically if a kid
goes to the doctor and has flu
symptoms, they’re being told they
have H1N1," McGhee said.
The recent rash of absences
seems to stem from a combina
tion of stomach virus, strep throat,
the onset of fall allergies and
the reports of suspected H1N1.
Absentee figures at the middle
school and high school were
roughly double the normal rates
on Tuesday.
“It’s kind of a lot of things hit
ting at once .... nobody believes
all these absences are H1N1,"
McGhee said.
McGhee has heard from health
officials who say that H1N1
isn’t as severe as tire standard
flu but that school-age kids don't
have immunities yet to combat
it either.
“It’s milder, you don’t get quite
as sick with this ... but it's easier
to catch,” McGhee said.
That means schools are bracing
for more absences this year.
Campuses will provide hand
sanitizer — which kills H1N1
— for students before they go to
lunch and take other precautions,
like keeping kids with tempera
tures over 100 degrees off buses,
where sickness is easily spread.
double reverse, quarterback sneak or
STRAIGHT UP
THE MIDDLE
we’ve got you covered
Proud to support the
Madison County Red Raiders
Merchanttf^Fartriers Bank
! GEORGIA METALS
I
Fabricators of Metal Roofing, Siding,
'■ and Steel Building Components
|
|
\
\
I Offering a wide variety of profiles
( and colors for residential
! as well as agricultural purposes.
\ WE MANUFACTURE! j
' 706-795-3144 j
! 539 General Daniel Ave. N. • Danielsville, Ga. '
j Oust past redlight) j
ALL Our Paints
Now Meet
ENERGY STAR
Standards!
Shingles prices are
UP
but
Metal prices are
DOWN
r. J :M6ERFD[C
Merc ha nt5 AndFarmersh anf. n;T