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APRIL 6, 2023
Madison County Journal
Merged with The Comer News and The Danielsville Monitor, 2006
MadisonJoumaITODAY.com
Vol. 40 No. 10 • Publication No. 1074-987 • Danielsville, Madison County, Georgia 30633 • A Publication of MainStreet Newspapers Inc. • 16 Pages, 2 Sections Plus Supplements
$1.00
NEWSPAPERS
Barron named next MCJ editor
Hannah Barron is the next
editor of The Madison County
Journal.
Barron, who will take over
the position June 3, covers the
Madison County Board of
Education, while also reporting
for Tire Jackson Herald and
Barrow News-Journal since
April 2022. All three papers are
part of Mainstreet Newspapers,
the five-paper, family-owned
company based in Jefferson.
She writes about govem-
HANNAH BARRON
ment, education and communi
ty. wlie also photographing a
number of community events,
banquets and ceremonies.
Before joining Mainstreet
Newspapers, she worked for
The Anson Record in North
Carolina as its sole reporter,
also covering a variety of top
ics.
Barron graduated from
UGA in 2021 with a bache
lor’s degree in entertainment
and media studies. While at
UGA. she contributed work to
student films and publications
that included the alumni Geor
gia Magazine and Her Campus
UGA.
"While we hate to lose Zach
Mitcham from our newspaper
organization, we’re excited to
promote Hannah Bairon to
editor of The Madison Coun
ty Journal,” Mainstreet News
papers co-publisher Mike
Buffington said about the
promotion. “Hannah has been
with us for the past year cov
ering a wide variety of news
and feature beats across three
counties, including beats in
Madison County.”
"I'm so excited to work with
Madison County in this role
and build upon my relation
ships with the community,”
Barron said. “I have loved get
ting to know the county so far
and hope to continue Zach's
legacy of fostering both caring
and accurate journalism.”
FATALITY
COMMUNITY
INSIDE
Braswell signs
scholarship
— Page IB
Man killed
in Hwy.
106 wreck
A 78-year-old Madison
County man died March
31 when he drove his red
1986 Chevy S10 truck off
the roadway on Hwy. 106
and into the porch of a
home on Griffeth Road.
No one in the home was
injured.
According to a report
from the Georgia State
Patrol. Bobby Daniel
Scoggins died in the sin
gle-vehicle accident. He
had been traveling south
on Hwy. 106, then failed
to maintain his lane,
crossed the centerline,
left the roadway on the
east shoulder, continued
over a gravel driveway
and struck the porch of a
house on Griffeth Road,
which is located approx
imately 177 feet from
Hwy. 106.
"A witness stated that
the truck drifted off
the roadway and never
stopped,” the GSP troop
er wrote in the accident
report. “There was one
resident inside the house
at the time of the collision
and he was unharmed.”
Index:
News — 1-3A
Opinions — 4-5A
Crime — 6A
Social — 7-8A
Schools — 3B
Sports — 1-2B
Church — 3B
Obituaries — 4B
Classifieds — 5B
Legals — 6-8B
Contact:
Phone: 706-367-5233
Web: MadisonJournal
TODAY.com
News submissions:
zach@
mainstreetnews.com
A little appreciation for
‘Meals on Wheels’
Senior center, delivery drivers help make sure homebound are nourished
The Pilot Club of Madison County is pictured with “pick-me-up”
packages the club prepared for Meal-on-Wheels clients and delivery
drivers. Pictured (L-R) are Linda Guest, driver; Kelsey Tyner, senior
center director; Kevin King, driver; Karen Westbrook, Pilot Club;
Karen Fitzpatrick, Pilot Club; and Krystal Sexton, driver.
Want to help?
Call Madison County Senior Center Director Kelsey Tyner at 706-795-6250 to
donate to the Meals-on-Wheels program or volunteer your time.
By Zach Mitcham
zach @ mainstreetnews .com
There’s a homebound, elder
ly Madison County woman who
lives by herself, and Krystal Sexton
knows exactly where she’ll be when
she delivers food for the Meals-on-
Wheels Program.
“It does not matter if it is rain or
shine, cold or freezing, she is sitting
on her porch with a blanket and she
is waiting on her delivery so she
can talk to you and have somebody
spend time with her for a little bit,”
said Sexton. “She will give us little
gifts. She’ll give us little Coca Colas
and little candy bars. And she is the
sweetest lady.”
Sexton is one of three part-time
employees for the Madison County
Senior Center who delivers meals
on weekdays to approximately
70 homebound county residents,
though that number fluctuates.
“Right now, we have 70 Meals on
Wheels clients,” said senior center
director Kelsey Tyner, who over
sees the program. “That ebbs and
flows. Sometimes we’ll have 50.
Back during covid, we were serving
almost 120 people. It was crazy.”
The senior center also has vol
unteers from Fine Finish and the
Rotary Club who deliver meals for
the program.
“We can always take volunteers,”
said Tyner. “It does require the use
of your own vehicle. We do drive all
over the county. And you do have to
do a background check.”
Tyner said Madison County is
generous to its seniors. She said
people frequently donate to the
senior center members so they can
enjoy activities with their friends at
the center.
“If you can think of it. it’s been
given to our senior center members,”
said Tyner.
But the senior center director said
the homebound residents served by
Meals on Wheels are not always
on the minds of those seeking to
donate.
“A lot of times our home-delivery
meal clients are forgotten about just
because they’re not the face of our
senior center,” said Tyner. “They’re
at home. And there’s a confidential
ity portion of that. It’s just nice for
someone to think about them.”
See ‘Meals’ on 2A
COUNTY GOV’T
BOC talks
historic
structures
By Zach Mitcham
zach @ mainstreetnews.com
Madison County's his
toric old courthouse in the
center of Danielsville is sit
ting dormant, but county
commissioners noted Mon
day that the county land
mark is not forgotten.
Commission vice-chair
man Derek Doster, who
sat in the chairman’s seat
Monday due to the illness
of chairman Todd Hig
don, said the commission
ers recently toured the old
See ‘BOC’ on 3A
CRIME
Church
bell stolen
The church bell from
historic Waggoner’s
Grove Baptist Church in
Colbert has been stolen,
and Madison County law
enforcement is seeking
information leading to
the arrest of whoever is
responsible.
“We don’t have a lot of
information right now,”
See ‘Bell’ on 2A
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
‘State of the County’
Local leaders offer outlook at annual Chamber event
By Zach Mitcham
zach@mainstreetnews.com
So, what’s the state of Madison County, Georgia?
Well, it’s busy.
That was apparent at the annual Madison County Cham
ber of Commerce “State-of-the-County” program March 28
in the board of education’s Professional Learning Center.
Representatives from the county government, school
system, agriculture community, industrial authority and
the cities of Carlton, Colbert, Comer, Danielsville and Ila
addressed a room full of people seeking an overview of local
happenings.
Here’s a recap:
COUNTY GOVERNMENT
County commission chairman Todd Higdon spoke on a
variety of county topics.
He noted that the year-long update to the county compre
hensive plan, facilitated by Hall Consulting, is complete and
now being reviewed by the state.
“It was the most extensive plan ever done in the county,”
he said, adding that 20 meetings were held with the public
See ‘State of the County’ on 3A
Madison County Commission Chairman Todd Higdon (standing) addresses the
crowd at the Chamber of Commerce’s annual “State-of-the-County” program last
week. Also pictured (L-R) are Comer Mayor Jimmy Yarbrough, Danielsville Police
Chief Cleve Williams, Ila Mayor Mike Coile, Madison County ag teacher and local
ag leader Cindy Jones, IDA Chairman Ben Morris and Madison County School
Superintendent Michael Williams.