The WSGC Senior Expo will be held at the Elbert County Senior Center located at McWilliams Park in Elberton coming up soon on May 21, 2009 from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm. There are already over 20 businesses signed up to participate. Last year around 400 people participated in the Senior Expo. This year we hope to have at least 500. There will be food, many informational booths, health screenings by Elbert Memorial Hospital and free items to be given away by participating businesses.

The Senior Center delivers 70 meals to seniors and feeds anywhere from 45 to 100 plus inside the center. There are currently 18 people on the waiting list for Meals on Wheels and Rebecca Stephens of the Senior Center says more volunteers are needed. “We just need you to come in and sign up. We have two small routes. One route goes to Petersburg Towers. All the meals are inside and there’s around seven. Then we have a small route we call Jones St. It doesn’t take but around 30 minutes to do it.”

Stephens also said that donations of prizes for Bingo would be greatly appreciated as well as some exercise equipment needed at the center. “We are trying to get treadmills donated as well. If someone has a treadmill that they aren’t using, we would greatly appreciate the donation. If they would like to donate, I will be glad to give them a receipt for it so they can use it on their 2009 taxes.”

If you are age 60 or over and would like to eat at the Senior Center its $3.00 per home cooked meal or if you would participate in the calendar of activities just come by the center. If you would like to donate your time or items, just come by or call the center at 706-283-2033.

Coming up May 2nd is a chance to protect your pets and yourself at several rabies clinics that will be held all over Elbert County. With recent rabies outbreaks in this area and a case affecting a horse and exposing a family in Franklin County, the County Extension office is proud to announce that you can get your dog or cat vaccinated for only $7.00.

Clay Talton, County Extension Director stresses the need to get your pets vaccinated especially now since there have been so many cases in the area. He advised that from what he has been told of the human treatment for rabies, “it is a very painful series injections if you are ever expose and have to go through treatment. Not something you want to participate in.”

Several clinics will be held throughout Elbert County to make it easier for pet owners. They will be held at all the Volunteer Fire Departments and at the I.V. Hulme 4-H Center. For times please log on to our website or call the County Extension Office at 706-283-2037.

Talton wishes to thank sponsors for the clinics. They are Elbert County Board of Commissioners and Dr. Ed Phillips.

Tomorrow morning, volunteers will be on the roads of Lincolnton and Lincoln County in an effort to clean up the city.

The city of Lincolnton and the Lincoln County government will be hosting “Peachy Clean Day” along with the "Keep Georgia Beautiful" initiative taking place around the state on the same day.

“The whole idea is to coordinate it throughout the state and pick trash, and garbage, and refuge.” Said Lincolnton Mayor Dwaine Biggerstaff.

“The plan is to pick up trash around the city and county and make it look presentable and make the community more presentable and clean.” He added.

Peachy Clean Day will start tomorrow morning at 8:30 and end at 12:30, but volunteers are encouraged to keep cleaning after the event’s end.

Volunteers will meet at the Lincoln County Courthouse at 8 a.m. to receive assignments. The city and county are providing water, gloves and trash bags to all volunteers.

There’s still time to take place in this event. To register to take part in the event, contact City Hall at 706-359-3239 or the Lincoln County Waste Department at 706-359-4414.

The Elbert County 4-H program is not just about animals and gardening. A brand new program has captured the attention of many 4-H members. It’s called Pysanky Art. Lauren Dye, County Extension Agent says “We have a 4-H program we call the ABC program which is Art for a Better Community. This program is supported in part by the Grass Roots Arts Program of the Georgia Council for the Arts through an appropriation of the Georgia General Assembly in partnership with the Madison Morgan Cultural Center. We applied for a grant to fund the project and received the grant and we have been able to allow 4-Hers to take completely free art classes.”

The Ukrainian word pysanky means "to write.” The artist themselves are called “writers” because the art form carries messages, and the artist is "writing" these messages on the egg as she or he creates them.

A local artist Stephanie Astalos Jones from Carlton was chosen by 4-H to instruct the class. Jones has taught the students ancient symbols used in the technique. Each and every egg holds symbolic meanings in both the geometric forms and the colors of the dyes that are used. The 4-H students have learned the ancient symbols and meanings, but have pretty much come up with symbols of their own.

“The kids have gotten to learn the whole process, like I said we did keep it very local, so we used local farmers to produce our chickens, we bought eggs from people right here in Elbert County. The kids have learned how to pick out which eggs are going to make good decorating eggs, how to prepare the eggs for decorating and how to blow out the yolk and albumen out, wash it and get it ready. They’ve learned all the different steps of using the kiosk, the beeswax, the candles, decorate the egg and dye it, then wax it, then dye it to get their final finished product.” Dye says.

The work of the students will be on exhibit at Blue Frog Arts located on Heard Street in Elberton on Saturday, May 16th from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm. Some will even be available for purchase.

If you are not a 4-H student and want to learn the art of Pysanky, call Blue Frog Arts at 706-283-3933.

The 21st Annual Big Iron Crank-Up, a two day event held in Bowman is set for this Friday and Saturday. This is a family event sponsored by the Georgia Antique Engine Club and is held each spring in the Bowman City Park. This year there will also be an Antique Fest and other activities on the square.

Darlene Waters, Event Coordinator would like to welcome everyone to come out this weekend. “I hope it’s a nice day and you all can come out and shop around and watch the Big Iron Crank-Up down there. We have a new restaurant on the square. We also have a special sale going on by Ray’s Grocery. There’s a lot there to do.”

Vendors and exhibitors will be setting up on Friday and visitors are welcome to walk through and look around. The Big Iron Crank-up officially kicks off at 7:00 am on Saturday.
Come out and hear the antique engines of tractors, farm equipment and unusual contraptions. See restored automobiles and antique equipment. Shop the yard sales, craft and food vendors and show your support for this hometown event.

Well I think last year we had over 6,000 people come through and every spot filled. This year we’re not going to have every spot filled and I assume it’s due to the economy. What we have got is variety.

To reserve your space or for more information contact Darlene Waters at 706-245-0583.

A would-be rum runner runs into trouble in Washington.

An alert Wilkes County driver noticed an erratic driver on the Athens Highway coming into Washington on Friday. They followed the driver and led Washington Police to him where he'd pulled into a yard at Poplar Drive and the North Bypass.

Washington Police officers suspected the driver of the vehicle, 69 year old Thomas Stephens of Crawfordville, was only driving under the influence at first. A search of the vehicle revealed two cases of Mason jars full of suspected clear corn liquor - 24 quart jars of moonshine.

Georgia State Patrol arrived on the scene, performed field sobriety tests on Stephens, and placed him under arrest. He was charged with DUI, and with possession of untaxed distilled spirits, a misdemeanor. Stephens was transported to the Wilkes County Detention Center where he was released on bond.

At this past week’s Elbert County Board of Commissioners meeting, County Administrator Bob Thomas presented the finance report.

It was all good news, as Thomas said the county was still in the black, and had yet to borrow money this fiscal year. This trend should continue for the rest of this fiscal year.

“Based on our projections, we’ll be able to go through May, and June, and maybe even farther than that without borrowing money.” Said Thomas.

In January, the yearly audit revealed the county finished on a positive note for the first time in many years, finishing Fiscal Year 07-08 at over $200,000 dollars in the black. Just three years ago it was revealed the county was operating with 1.1 million dollars in bad debt, the majority of that coming from interest on borrowed money.

Representative Paul Broun, M.D. (GA-10) will tour Central Granite Company, Inc. located at 55 West Railroad Street in Elberton, GA on Friday, April 17. He plans to learn more about the company, meet with employees, and discuss how to put America on the path towards economic recovery. Join Dr. Paul Broun for a press conference at 10:00am as he highlights how the President’s budget will affect local businesses.

A group of nine churches and ministries in Hart and Elbert Counties have come together to create a youth revival event beginning this evening and going through Saturday named “Power Surge.” Attendance is expected to be 500-700 strong and will be held at the Elbert County Middle School. Services will begin at 7:00 pm each night.

Area enthusiasm grew rapidly after youth ministries celebrity Jamie Austin was announced as host for the community event. Jamie is a nationally recognized youth communicator with a passion for reaching students and equipping leaders. He has been the Youth and Young Adult Pastor at Lawton First in Lawton, OK since 1999. When he started, Jamie could drive the youth around in a van. Today, Lawton First is home to more than 1,000 students and young adults and more than 100 volunteer leaders.

For more information on this event, please call 706-283-1245.

Some Elbert County 4-H’ers will be heading to Cloverleaf Camp on Tybee Island in June and there’s something you can do to help them go at a lower cost. The Elbert County 4-H will have a Cake and Pie Fundraiser. All you have to do is come by the 4-H office and buy your ticket to win a cake or pie before April 30th.

Clay Talton, Elbert County Extension Director advises that “this fundraiser is benefiting the kids going to 4-H camp and also for the spring banquet. This helps defray some of the costs.”

The Banquet is the yearly event to give recognition to all the 4-H’ers for their hard work this year.

Also, any person interested in baking cakes or pies as a donation may do so, just call the 4-H office at 706-283-2037 for more information on where to deliver your dessert.


We just encourage anyone interested in participating to come by and purchase a ticket. They are $1.00 each” Talton said.

Winners will be contacted by phone and do not have to be present to win.

Boats are beginning to hit the water more frequently and will have more water to navigate this year in Savannah District especially in Lake Hartwell and J. Strom Thurmond than in the past couple of years. Billy Birdwell of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has announced that the water level has improved greatly.

Birdwell states “In some cases there are levels we haven’t seen in a couple of years. The last time Lake Hartwell was seen at this level was back in August of 2007 and the last time that J. Strom Thurmond was at this level was in late June of 2007. So we have recovered significantly. At the beginning of this calendar year we were hoping we were at least to the level we were last summer when we began the summer season last year, but we are already significantly higher than that and we are significantly gaining water into the reservoirs.”

Although this is good news, there are safety hazards that still lurk in the waters of our lakes.

“Now even though the reservoirs have come up, they have still not reached the point where we would like for them to be, but we are hoping they will get that way. We are still urging everyone to use the reservoirs with extreme caution. There are still underwater hazards that a few days ago may have been outside the water that are now just underneath the surface and not visible. So I want everyone to be very careful when they are boating and always wear their life jackets” says Birdwell.

Boating on Lake Russell is made safer and easier by an extensively marked navigation system. The system consists of markers in the lake. Reflective tape is used to make them highly visible day and night. Solar-powered flashing lights are included on poles at strategic points. Navigation charts and contour maps are also available to assist boaters and anglers in locating the marked channel, potential underwater hazards and prime fishing areas.
Remember to always follow navigation rules of the road, buoys, and other aids to navigation and watch out for other boaters, personal watercraft, skiers and swimmers.

The date has been set for the execution of an Oconee County man found guilty of murder over a decade ago.

52-year-old William Mark Mize will be put to death by lethal injection on April 28th at 7 p.m.

Mize was convicted in Oconee County Superior Court for the 1994 murder of Eddie Tucker, a prospective member of the National Vastilian Aryan Party, a white supremacist group Mize ran.

Tucker’s death at Mize’s hands stemmed from a failed order from Mize to burn down a house in Athens in October of that year. Mize shot Tucker execution style with a shotgun a few days later along with Chris Hattrup and Terry Mark Allen, members of Mize’s group.

Hattrup and Allen pled guilty to murder and were sentenced to life in prison with no parole eligibility until twenty years. The State Board of Pardons and Paroles will conduct a clemency hearing next week and hear from Mize and his attorney.

Mize has filed several unsucessful state and federal appeals since his December 1995 sentencing. Most recently, the U.S. Supreme Court refused on March 23 to review the case.

If executed on April 28th, Mize will be the second person executed in the state of Georgia this year and the 45th person executed in Georgia since the US Supreme Court resumed capital punishment in 1976.

Currently there are 107 inmates on Georgia’s death row.

Taxpayers who owe taxes and don’t file their tax return by today may face interest on the unpaid taxes and a failure-to-file penalty. Interest and penalties add to the total amount a taxpayer owes.

Taxpayers who can’t file their return today can request an extension of time to file. However, an extension of time to file is not an extension of time to pay.

Taxpayers who file on time but don’t pay all or some of their taxes by the deadline could face interest on the unpaid amount and a failure-to-pay penalty. Taxpayers who can’t pay the full amount should pay as much as they can by the deadline to minimize any interest and penalties due. In addition, taxpayers may take advantage of a variety of electronic and other payment options, such as using charge or debit cards to pay their taxes, to make it easier.
For more information visit www.irs.gov

A new volunteer fire department will be coming to Elbert County in the near future.

A 0.73 tract of land on the Athens Highway was approved to serve as a new firehouse for volunteer fire fighters. The land is being donated free of charge.

“Miss Hazel Johnson Dickerson is donating this land to us. And, it being on the Athens Highway, it is a better location for coverage down in that area. This will get us that five-mile coverage all the way to the county line.” Said Elbert County Administrator Bob Thomas.

ISO Mitigation, a company that works with insurance companies to help establish appropriate fire insurance premiums for residential and commercial properties, states that there must be a fire department in a five mile radius of every home in the county.

If the county fails to build this new volunteer department, their ISO fire protection rating will fall.

The rating, which is based on a scale of 10, will drop from its current 5 rating to a 9. A higher ISO rating means higher fire insurance premiums for Elbert County home and landowners.

These pictures illustrate the damage done by Friday night’s storm:

 

Millions of Americans suffer from sneezing, coughing, itching, runny noses, and watering eyes when the pollen starts to fly. Each spring tiny particles are released from trees, weeds, and grasses and enter human noses and throats. At these sites, the pollen can trigger the allergic reaction that doctors call pollen allergy, or seasonal allergic rhinitis, and that many people know as hay fever or rose fever

The pollen count was exceptionally low yesterday. Following the drenching storms of the weekend, reports in Elbert, Wilkes and Lincoln Counties were at only 1.1. Predictions for today are at a much higher count. For Elbert and Wilkes the count is at 9.6. The pollen count for Lincoln County is predicted to be lower at 6.8. It will be close to 10 for all three counties through Thursday.

According to pollen.com high levels are considered from 9.7 to 12.

Many people with pollen allergies reduce their exposure by remaining indoors during hay fever season, particularly in the morning and evening, when outdoor pollen levels are at their highest. Closing all the windows and doors prevents wind-borne pollen from entering the home or office.

When traveling in a vehicle, closing all the windows reduces exposure.

Because many allergens cling to clothing, skin, and hair, regular cleaning reduces exposure and therefore symptoms. Many people bathe before sleeping, to minimize their exposure.
Frequently cleaning floors and washing bedding can significantly reduce local irritants such as dust, as well as those tracked in by family, pets and visitors.
Several drugs are used to block the action of allergic reactions or prevention. The most common are antihistamines.

The Elbert County Emergency Services Center is celebrating the second full week of April as National Public Safety Telecommunications Week. This week honors the thousands of men and women who respond to emergency calls, dispatch emergency professionals and equipment, and render life-saving assistance to the world’s citizens.

Elbert County’s Communications Officers must complete the POST Basic Communications Officer Course. Most dispatchers are also certified as a Fire Fighter, First Responder, and/or capable of using the Project Lifesaver Electronic Search Responder and certified in CPR.

Elbert County Central Communications Department handles emergency and non-emergency calls, as well as, requests received by radio, for the City of Elberton Fire and Police Departments and the Elbert County Fire, Sheriff, and Emergency Medical Services Departments. In 2008, Elbert County Central Communications answered approximately 53,000 calls, and additional requests received and handled via radio for all area public safety agencies.

We depend upon public safety telecommunicators to dispatch and coordinate emergency personnel promptly, clearly, and calmly. We depend upon them for their guidance in our most frantic moments.

Join us this week in honoring the men and women who respond to emergency calls, dispatch emergency professionals and equipment, and render life-saving assistance to the citizens of Elbert County. Thanks to Missy Cobb, Kathy Chitwood, Lucinda Saddler, Cheryl Betts, Emmett Harris, Darren Sartain, Lisa Barnes, Sonya Lunsford, Julie Moss, Julie Lunsford, Gina Witcher, Eric Lovin, Sandi Childs, Justin McCalla, and Mary Toney for all your hard work, dedication, and a job well done,

At last night’s regular meeting of the Elbert County Board of Commissioners, they approved the paving of Johnson Drive, a dirt road that runs behind Elbert Comprehensive High School that is jointly owned by the county, Elbert County school board, and City of Elberton.

The road suffers wear and tear due to the traffic of buses leaving the high school and cutting through to Elbert County Middle School and Doves Creek.

The paving of Johnson Drive, which the school board owns 50% with the county having a 40% stake, and the city at 10%, will be a joint effort by the board of education and the county, the city will not pave their portion due to budget constraints. The school board is expected to pick up the city’s slack.
“If the city doesn’t pay, the school board should take up their end, provided we take the 40%.” Said Elbert County Administrator Bob Thomas.

The commissioners chose E.R. Snell to do the paving; the cost of the paving will be $88,676.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 will pump billions of stimulus dollars into Georgia and its local governments.

Wilkes County could possibly receive some of that stimulus money.

“Right now, there is stimulus money out there, as far as roads and jobs. Right now we’re going to have to wait and see what’s out there.” Said Wilkes County Board of Commissioners Chairman Sam Moore.

So far, the stimulus projects are going to counties in metro Atlanta, something Moore pointed out.

“Right now it seems that a lot of bigger counties are getting this money, but hopefully we’ll be on the shortlist. We hope a lot of the resurfacing money comes to help us on our roads, that’s something we can really benefit from” He said.

One Wilkes County road project is currently on the shortlist of those eligible for stimulus money. The repaving of Highway 378 to Lincolnton, which will cost approximately 4 million dollars, was one of the 135 separate stimulus projects approved by the Georgia DOT. Work on the 18 mile project could take eighteen months if started and should begin this July once Governor Perdue approves the work to start.

A Royston man was arrested Wednesday afternoon on drug related charges.

In a press release from Elbert County Sheriff Barry Haston, he advised that investigators were conducting surveillance on suspicious individuals after field complaints about drug activity in the area of Auld Avenue. On Wednesday, investigators approached an individual sitting in a car on Auld Avenue; he was discovered to have a large quantity of marijuana and digital scales. The weight of the Marijuana was over a half pound and had been packaged for sale.

Deputies arrested 30 year old Antonio Gray of a Royston address and charged him with possession of Marijuana with the intent to distribute and felony possession of Marijuana. Gray was transported to the Elbert County detention center for a bond hearing.

Multiple thunderstorms and tornadoes tore through parts the Southeast Friday night. Nine tornadoes have been confirmed in North and Central Georgia so far.

In Elbert County, golf ball sized hail, plenty of rain and a possible tornado took a route from Bowman to Dewy Rose, then on to Ruckersville, Lake Russell and into South Carolina. The National Weather Service is yet to confirm that this was an actual tornado, but has confirmed that there was rotation in the storm system. Wilkes and Lincoln counties report no damage as the storm system was considerably milder in those areas.


The National Weather Service confirmed that a tornado did in fact touch down in northern Franklin County overturning a fifth wheel, destroying a chicken house and causing damage to homes and structures throughout this area as well.

Two South Carolina counties were pummeled by the storms and a confirmed tornado. In Anderson County, trees were toppled by wind. The most damage reported along a stretch of highway 28.

Duke Power reports that 2600 of their customers in South Carolina were without power as a result of the storm. As of Sunday afternoon, some sections of Abbeville County were still without power as Abbeville County was the hardest hit. Winds in excess of 100 mph tore through the town uprooting trees, knocking down power lines and ripping of roofs of houses and causing severe damage in throughout the area. Quarter sized hail was reported in Calhoun Falls with damage also reported on structures there.

More confirmation that the economy is still struggling. The Georgia Department of Labor released its initial unemployment claims for March. Last month, just over 96-thousand laid off workers filed for first time unemployment benefits. That’s an increase of 126% from a year ago.

In March, the labor department also processed almost 21-thousand first-time claims for emergency unemployment compensation.

Most of the state’s initial claims were filed by laid off workers in trade manufacturing, construction and administrative and support services. The metro areas with the highest increases include Gainesville, Rome, and Brunswick, Georgia.

Meantime, state labor commissioner Michael Thurmond is urging jobseekers to continue to look for work, explore training and education opportunities and to make full use of the reemployment services at the department’s 53 career centers around the state.

The locations of the career centers are available at www.dol.state.ga.us

The Elberton Police Explorers Program is now accepting applications. The program exposes youth to realistic work situations that a police officer may confront while on duty.

To qualify you must be between the ages of 14-20, male or female, already graduated eighth grade, maintain a C average or better in school and be of good moral character. Explorers can remain in the program until the age of 21 or until they gain employment.

Explorers will participate in regional competition with skills and training learned within the program. There are year round activities and the Explorers will go on trips with law enforcement to destinations such as Gatlinburg TN in January.

Applications can now be picked up at the Elberton Police Department.

Last week during their regular meeting, the Wilkes County Board of Commissioners took time to update an old ordinance.

The county’s building permit ordinance, which requires that anyone constructing any sort of structure in Wilkes County have a building permit, did not have a clear cut punishment for persons violating the ordinance.

Wilkes County Charlie LeGette suggested the punishment fit the same punishment for violators of other Wilkes County ordinances.

"Our other ordinances state that the punishment for an offense is a $1000 fine and up to twelve months in prision." said LeGette after the meeting.

According to LeGette, the fine and prison time are maximums, with the Magistrate Judge Rosa Lee Martin using her discretion to decide the appropriate punishment.

After a motion and a second, the change to the building ordinance was unanimously approved, 5-0.