About The Madison County journal. (Hull, Ga.) 1989-current | View Entire Issue (March 12, 2025)
MARCH 12, 2025 Madison County Journal Merged with The Corner News and The Danielsville Monitor, 2006 • MadisonJournalTODAY.com Merged with Vol. 42 No. 10* Publication No. 1074-987* Danielsville, Madison County, Georgia 30633 * A Publication of MainStreet Newspapers Inc. *16 Pages, 2 Section Plus Supplements $1.00 Scarborough sworn in as Comer police chief By Caleb Rollins caleb@mainstreetnews.com Comer Mayor Jimmy Yarbrough announced the hiring of Darren Scarbor ough as police chief of Comer at a Feb. 24 city council meeting. Scarbrough was sworn in at the meeting and intro duced himself to the coun cil. OTHER BUSINESS In other business, the council: • announced the moves of the Community Clos et to the Depot located at 2180 Spring Circle, and of the Police Department back to City Hall. • approved a request for beer and liquor licenses for Laura Abbott. Abbott intends to lease a location at 1926 Madison Street and the incoming business will serve southern style food and grill items. The new business is scheduled to open on April 3. • introduced Ash Dave, the new owner of the Vale ro Gas Station at 25 GA-72, Comer. The council dis cussed the idea of approv ing the sale of liquor by the store. Mayor Yarbrough asked council members to consider amending the city code to legalize such sales and seek public opin ion from constituents. The discussion was tabled until March. • discussed the Comer July Fourth celebration. The event will be held on Saturday, July 5, and will feature a car show, chil dren’s activities, live music and fireworks. All proceeds from the car show will go to support Nell Browne’s Sharing and Caring com munity outreach programs. • heard an announce ment from City Clerk Mary Anderson about the first installment of plants at the Community Or chard, located in the field next to the water tower See Comer, page 3A Comer Mayor Jimmy Yarbrough swears in new Police Chief Darren Scarborough. R. G. Strickland Mercantile: Reviving tradition and community in Danielsville MOAS welcomes new director Juli Huth By Michael Lafountain A beloved piece of Mad ison County history has been restored and reimag ined with the opening of R.G. Strickland Mercantile, a locally owned sandwich shop and retail gift store in Danielsville. Since its grand opening in November 2024, the shop has quickly be come a gathering place for the community, offering a nostalgic charm that brings people together. A LEGACY REBORN The story of R.G. Strick land Mercantile is one of heritage and perseverance. Deep family ties and a com mitment to preserving a his toric local staple motivated the owners, Trip and Carl ton Strickland, to embark on a three-year restoration journey. Once a well-known hub in Madison County, the shop had faded into memo ry—until now. The revital ization of the space ensures that it continues to serve as a local hangout where neighbors can swap stories and share a meal. MISSION AND VISION See Mercantile, page 8A DRINK Photos by Michael Lafountain R.G. Strickland owners Carlton and Trip Strickland. Index News — 1A, 3A, 5A Opinions — 4A Crime — 6A Socials — 2A, 7A Schools — 5A, 8B Churches — 7A Obituaries — 4B-5B Sports —1B-3B Classifieds — 3B Legals — 6B-7B R.G. Strickland Mercantile. After a lengthy search, the Madison-Oglethorpe Animal Shelter’s Board of Directors and staff are welcoming Juli Huth as the new shelter Di rector. Huth grew up in the Mad ison County area and has worked with animals from a very young age until now. Huth started working with MOAS as a volunteer many years ago and joined the team officially in 2020, according to MOAS leadershipl. First joining the team as a kennel tech working with the shel ter’s most “at risk” dogs, she later served as shelter manag er, interim director and now officially Executive Director. “Over the past five years Juli has shown us and the community that MOAS has a special place in her heart,” shelter leaders said. Speaking about her time at MOAS, Huth stated, “It has shaped me into who I am today, introduced me to my husband and guided me into my passion for animal wel fare.” Huth said she looks for ward to making the shelter part of the community’s heart too. “Juli brings an exceptional balance of professionalism and passion to the shelter,” Board President Dani Bur gess said. “Juli goes above and beyond to ensure that the shelter animals receive both the best care possible as well as the consistent advocacy necessary to ensure that they find homes or can be placed with rescue groups. Juli has F thy lb Submitted photos New MOAS Director Juli Huth. also demonstrated her ability to manage and support the shelter team even during sig nificant adversity. The Board is confident that Juli will provide the leadership that the shelter needs as it moves forward into its 24th year of service to the Madison and Oglethorpe community.” Huth has been serving as MOAS’s Interim-Director while the Board looked for a permanent Director. “The Board would like to express our sincerest grati tude to Juli and all staff who stepped in to help when the shelter needed them the most,” Burgess said. “Her leadership has been invalu ¬ able. We are grateful that she has helped create a strong team and because of the leadership shown we can not think of a better person to lead the shelter.” MOAS is inviting every one to join in congratulating Huth on her new position by stopping by the shelter to get to know her, meet adoptable animals and find out how they can get involved. “The Board is certain that the shelter will continue to move forward under Juli’s leadership, and that, as al ways, MOAS’s focus will remain firmly fixed on the animals that depend upon our shelter,” MOAS leaders said. ^^ The brown marmorated stink bug 4879 1 4144 By Travis Tankersly UGA Extension Madison Co. ANR Agent The brown mannorated stink bug (BMSB), Halyomorpha halys, is an in vasive pest that has become a significant issue for both agriculture and landscap ing in the United States. Native to Asia, it was introduced in the mid-1990s and spread rapidly, largely due to its unique overwintering behavior. The BMSB seeks dark, dry areas like vehicles and buildings to overwinter, which has con tributed to its widespread distribution. In Georgia, the pest has been reported in 95 locations and is well-established in the Piedmont region. This pest feeds on over 170 plant spe cies, including fruits, vegetables and or namental plants, making it a major agri cultural and landscape threat. In addition to causing damage to crops, BMSBs are a nuisance as they aggregate and seek shelter in human-made structures during late fall. These bugs overwinter as adults in a state of diapause, remaining inac tive throughout the winter months. In spring, they emerge to feed on develop ing flowers and fruits before laying eggs. The eggs are typically laid in clusters of about 28, and the nymphs pass through five instars before maturing into adults. Adult BMSBs are shield-shaped, grey-brown insects with white bands on their antennae. They can live for up to 119 days and are capable of flying long distances—up to 3.7 miles in a month. In Georgia, BMSBs have two generations each year. The nymphs from overwinter ing adults mature into summer adults by late July or August, and these adults lay eggs that hatch into nymphs, which will eventually enter the overwintering stage. Highly mobile, BMSBs can walk long distances and fly significant spans. They attack a variety of ornamental plants and frees, such as tree-of-heav- en, flowering dogwood and sweetgum. BMSB feeding leads to direct damage, including wilting, discoloration and plant death. Indirect damage can also occur; as BMSBs fransmit diseases like witches’ broom disease, which can stunt plant growth and cause deformities. In the fall, BMSBs often invade homes and buildings, finding theft way inside through cracks and crevices in windows and doors. Once indoors, the insects become a winter nuisance as they become active in the warmth of homes. The BMSB’s spread is further accelerat ed by its ability to hitchhike on vehicles and shipping containers, allowing it to rapidly move across the country. Managing BMSB populations re- quires monitoring and confrol measures. Traps, including sticky traps and black pyramid flaps baited with specific chem icals, can help detect and reduce BMSB numbers in affected areas. If necessary, insecticide treatments may be used, but repeated applications are often needed since the residual effect of most insecti cides is short-lived. Overall, the brown marmorated stink bug is a pervasive pest that poses a sig nificant threat to agriculture, landscapes and homes. Effective management strategies are essential to controlling this invasive species and minimizing its impact on both the environment and human activities. For more information contact the Madison County UGA Ex tension Office at ugeif9i@uga.edu or 706-795-2281. Brown marmorated stink bug.
