About The Madison County journal. (Hull, Ga.) 1989-current | View Entire Issue (July 2, 2025)
THE MADISON COUNTY (GA) JOURNAL, WEDNESDAY, JULY 2, 2025 - PAGE 5A Social Iree giveaway program now underway in Comer The Perch, a non-prof it community center in Comer, was recently awarded $100,000 to plant and maintain tree cover in Comer, increas ing community access to nature while also helping to take care of our envi ronment. The Perch will implement this project in partnership with the Comer Community Mar ket, the City of Comer and the Comer chapter of Tree City, USA. As a result of this fund ing, residents in Comer and the immediate sur rounding areas will have access to improved green spaces and a community orchard. There will also be an opportunity for community members to get free trees to plant on their own property. The grant will fund na tive shade trees and fruit trees. A “wish list” is be ing compiled at the Com er Community Market on Saturday mornings from 9 a.m. to noon, and com munity members are in vited to stop by and add their names to the list. Trees will be available in the fall. “Trees help keep com munities cooler during the summer, and help the ground absorb more rainfall during severe storms,” said Corina Common, manager of the Comer Community Market. “Trees can also increase access to fresh seasonal fruit and be a great way for people of all ages to connect to nature and for our com munity to be more resil ient.” “This feels like an espe cially important time for the collective tree health of our community,” she continued. “Big trees are falling in storms, power companies are clearing around lines and summer days are so very hot. As a community, we can be mindful about what we plant in our yards and make our streets better for us, nature and future generations.” This project is part of the Rooting Resilience Kel-Mac Saddle Club , "letlse.-. ■ swol’a 19 w‘s 1 - From left, Jim Cumming, scholarship sponsor, and Valerie Puryear, scholarship chair, stand with scholarship recipients Kyra Barber on User Friendly, Nicole Galloway on Flash, and Kallie Casey on Can I Be a Cowgirl during the Kel-Mac Saddle Club horse show in May. Kel-Mac Saddle Club awards scholarships, announces upcoming events Three young equestrians were each awarded a $1,000 scholarship from the Barbara Reilly Cumming Memorial Scholarship Fund during the May Kel- Mac Saddle Club horse show. Nicole Galloway, Kallie Casey and Kyra Barber received the awards for their dedication and involvement in Kel- Mac. • Galloway, who has shown with Kel- Mac for more than 10 years, is current ly enrolled in a medical assistant pro gram and plans to continue pursuing her horsemanship goals. • Casey, also a longtime Kel-Mac par ticipant, is enrolled at Georgia Military College and hopes to share her equestri an knowledge with others. • Barber has shown with the club for four years and plans a career in equine dentistry and chiropractic care. The scholarship honors the late Bar bara Cumming, a vital member of the Kel-Mac Saddle Club for 40 years. An accomplished horsewoman, Cumming helped organize club events, horse shows, trail rides and camping trips. Do nations to the scholarship fund can be sent to Kel-Mac Saddle Club, PO Box 5474, Athens, GA 30604. ABOUT KEL-MAC SADDLE CLUB The Kel-Mac Saddle Club is Georgia’s longest-running saddle club and hosts four family- and beginner-friendly horse shows each year, along with monthly trail rides, camping trips, and educa tional workshops. All contributions to the club’s programs are raised through shows and sponsorships. Program, led by River Network and funded by the Urban and Commu nity Forestry Program of the Forest Service, an agency of the U.S. De partment of Agriculture. Rooting Resilience sup ports community-based forestry projects by fund ing programs and offer ing technical guidance to local organizations and Indigenous communities, helping build resilience against climate change. This program is specif ically meant to increase trees in communities that are marginalized, under- served and overburdened by pollution and underin vestment. To learn more about how this program will benefit Comer, visit the Comer Community Market on Saturdays be tween 9 a.m. and noon, at The Perch located at 1914 Madison St. More information can also be obtained by contacting treesincomer@gmail. com or farmersmarket- comer@gmail.com. Remaining 2025 show dates include Sept. 20 and Oct. 25, which will fea ture the annual horse and rider costume contest. Shows are held at the Morgan County Agricultural Center, 2380 Ath ens Highway (U.S. 441), Madison, GA 30650. The events are open to riders of all ages and experience levels. Classes are $12 each and include hunter, western, gaited, trail obstacles, ranch riding, ranch reining, dressage on the rail, hal- ter/showmanship, and “small fry” class es. General admission is free, and food and drinks are available from on-site concessions. Over the past 49 years, Kel-Mac has raised more than $170,000 for charitable causes, including: • Georgia Equine Rescue League •ReDux Equine Rescue • Sweet Olive Rescue • Morgan County Empty Stocking Fund •Barbara Cumming Scholarship Fund Equestrian facilities at state and local parks, such as Hard Labor Creek, A.H. Stephens, and Heritage Park UPCOMING EVENT Join Kel-Mac for a Meet & Greet Trail Ride on Oct. 4 at the scenic ReDux Res cue Farm. To reserve your lunch or for more information, contact Sharon Wood at bullet2525@aol.com. Monthly day rides and camping trips are also planned throughout the year. For full details, visit Kel-Mac on Facebook, Instagram or kel-mac.com. News JACKSON SISU of Georgia Submitted photo A $8,790 Jackson EMC Foundation grant to SISU of Georgia will help it provide education al, therapeutic, nursing and family support services for children. At the check presentation were, from left to right: Jennifer Agnew, lead teacher, classroom 1 of SISU of Georgia; Carla Brewer, family services coordinator for SISU of Georgia; Jana Hutson, principal of SISU of Georgia; Blythe Hammons, executive director of SISU of Georgia; David Lee, Jackson EMC Gainesville district manager; Phillippa Lewis-Moss, Jackson EMC Foundation board member; Megan Denington, occupational therapist at SISU of Georgia; and Kenny Lump kin, Jackson EMC Foundation representative. Rep. Mike Collins’ PERMIT Act passes the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee On July 25, House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Water Resources and Infrastructure Chairman Mike Collins (R-GA) announced that H.R. 3898, PERMIT Act, had passed the Trans portation and Infrastructure Committee. H.R. 3898, the Promoting Efficient Review for Modern Infrastructure To day (PERMIT) Act, is led by Water Re sources and Environment Subcommittee Chairman Mike Collins and Committee Chairman Sam Graves (R-MO) and in corporates many separate proposals that had been previously introduced by Col lins and other T&I Committee members. The provisions included in this combined legislation provide reforms intended to strengthen the permitting process for per mit seekers and holders, while providing clearer instruction and standards for per mitting agencies. “The PERMIT Act delivers much-need ed reform to the Clean Water Act that will overhaul permitting processes and reduce burdens on permit seekers. As we enter a JEMC Foundation awards $24K to agencies serving Madison County residents The Jackson EMC Founda tion board of directors award ed a total of $101,633 in grants for organizations during its recent meeting, including $24,593 to organizations serv ing Madison County. Grants awarded to county organizations included: • $8,303 to Love. Craft Ath ens, which serves adults with developmental disabilities for its music therapy program for residents in Clarke, Jackson and Madison counties. • $8,790 to SISU of Geor gia, Inc., Gainesville, which serves children through in novative educational, ther apeutic, nursing and family support services for its Thera- suit program for residents in Banks, Hall, Jackson and Madison counties. • $7,500 to Mercy Health Center, Inc., Athens, which provides healthcare services for underserved residents in Barrow, Clarke, Jackson, Madison and Oglethorpe counties to cover lab fees. Jackson EMC Foundation grants are made possible by the 221,697 participating co- operative members who have their monthly electric bills rounded to the next dollar amount through the Operation Round Up program. Their “spare change” has funded Region, state see slight rise in May unemployment The Georgia Department of Labor an nounced Thursday, June 26, that unem ployment increased slightly in all 12 of Georgia’s regional commissions in May. “Georgia’s strength isn’t measured in single months — it’s proven over time,” said Georgia Labor Commissioner Bar bara Rivera Holmes. “Even with slight unemployment increases throughout Georgia’s regions in May, most of our metropolitan areas are showing lower unemployment than a year ago. That resilience reflects our modern, adaptive workforce, which is what keeps Georgia the No. 1 state for business in today’s new era witli a renewed focus on domestic energy production and growth, this legis lation delivers the tools that our country needs to build faster, smarter and safer,” said Collins. “When I was appointed as Chairman of the Water Resources and En vironment Subcommittee, I put myself on a mission to make our government more efficient and productive for the American people. Witli Chairman Graves’ leader ship, and all members who introduced proposals, I am proud to say that we are doing just that witli the PERMIT Act.” “This bill will unleash America’s power to build by cutting red tape, streamlining permitting processes, and providing reg ulatory certainty, all while continuing to protect clean water,” said Graves. “The legislation does not overhaul or roll back the Clean Water Act; it instead makes targeted reforms to the law informed by on-the-ground feedback. I want to thank Chairman Collins and my other Commit tee members for their excellent work and contributions to this legislation.” 2,054 grants to organizations and 437 grants to individuals, putting more than $21.7 mil lion back into local communi ties since the program began in 2005. Any individual or chari table organization in the ten counties served by Jackson EMC (Clarke, Banks, Bar- row, Franklin, Gwinnett, Hall, Jackson, Lumpkin, Madison and Oglethorpe) may apply for a Foundation grant by completing an application, available online at jack- sonemc.com/foundation-ap- ply. Applicants do not need to be a member of Jackson EMC. competitive, global marketplace.” Highlights from the Northeast Georgia Regional Commission area include: • The unemployment rate was up two- tenths to 3.1% over-the-month, The rate was 3.3% one year ago. • The labor force was down 1,116 over- the-month and down 1,241 over-the- year, to 346,924. • The number of employed was down 2,033 over-the-month and down 566 over-the-year, to 336,022. • Initial claims were down 129 over- the-month and down 82 over-the-year, to 930.
