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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