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.
