A Look Back at 2018
As a newspaper it’s a yearly tradition to look back through the editions of the newspaper over the last year and do a “recap” for all of the readers. It’s been a few years since I’ve been tasked to do this, as it’s a bit of work. Over the last week I’ve tried to recap in my mind what the “theme” for this year’s story would be, and an overarching difference from past years kept popping up. Good news! Yes, good news was the most common headline that kept reappearing.
Good news is not always the best thing to report in the newspaper business, and I have to admit that it’s an unspoken rule that “bad news sells.” When I thought back to previous years stories, it was filled with a recap of fires, wrecks, and misfortune. While there was some of that throughout this year, it was not the over-arching theme that appeared.
The past year’s front pages displayed pictures and stories of hope, travel, events, and fortune. It seemed that this year good news sold! Look at all that happened in and around this town in the last year. Hopefully this good news trend will continue into 2019. Happy New Year everyone!!
The front pages of The Monticello News have focused on the local community and those in it. At times the pages reflect local persons that are doing great things in other communities. Many groups have supported others through giving, doing and honors.
The news pages showed many features on local citizens that were struggling with disease, sickness, and other unfortunate events. With these unfortunate circumstances come those that want to help. A huge supporter of local people and charity this year was Monticello Kart Racing (MKR). MKR was started by the McMichael family as something for locals to do here. They have since used their racing to support those in need and have raced to donate to several people and organizations.
Another huge news item this year was the Never Too Late home for boys opening. John DeGarmo, local foster advocate, applied for the home and numerous local clubs, citizens, and others donated funds and labor for getting the house renovated and opened. The home is a place for young men ages nine to 18 and has the capacity to house 16.
The news started this year with a huge spread that showed two local college students, Anna Parker and Clay Evans who participated in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. as members of the Redcoat Marching Band with the University of Georgia. There was also a snow day which is rare for this area.
Also, in January Janet Davis was named Citizen of the Year at the annual dinner of the Monticello-Jasper County Chamber of Commerce. She was joined by the Bank of Monticello being honored as Business of the Year.
The Downtown Development Authority started the year giving facade grants to local businesses for renovations and improvements to businesses in and around the city of Monticello.
There were several news stories about the city and county governments with the topic of the year being the Service Delivery Strategy (SDS). The SDS is reviewed every 10 years, and was a hot topic at city council meetings. The city had much controversy about what services to keep and which the county was to provide.
One of those was the magistrate court which refused to hear city code enforcement cases last year and the city council wanted to take a closer look at the services provided through the SDS. The council approved the SDS in October with few changes.
Another large topic amongst the city officials was that the city purchased Mines Lake that houses a 58 acre lake and six groundwater wells.
Toward the end of this year the city hired local man, Roger Harrison, as city manager after months of searching.
The county made several headlines that coincided with the Joint Development Authority and Stanton Springs. One big announcement was that Facebook would locate to the Stanton Springs area and will create at least 100 full-time jobs and will also invest $750 million on a new data center over the next five years.
The commission also received a $250,000 check from the Four County Development Authority. The check was for money returned to the county by the authority now that it is self-sufficient since Shire and Facebook came in.
The county invested about $900,000 in the development, and anticipates millions in return over the next 20 years. It was also announced this year that Shire, another large business in Stanton Springs, received FDA approval. This approval enables Shire to increase production, create additional jobs and increase revenue.
The Jasper County Board of Education had a huge year with academic improvements being headlined along with a $2.6 million athletic complex being approved. Superintendent Dr. Mike Newton also announced his plans to retire at the end of the current school year.
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Also, during budgeting for the JCCS, safety was a huge concern and priority for the system. Now in place are safety precautions such as locked doors at every entrance, and the Raptor visitor management system for visitation at the schools. The new system will check the visitor’s name and date of birth for comparison with a national database of registered sex offenders. The system also allows for a more thorough tracking of visitors in and out of the buildings.
Jasper County Charter schools have focused on many STEAM and STEM programs with students and club activities gracing many of the pages this year. Elizabeth Proctor, teacher, received a $5,000 STEM grant in May.
There has been an increased interest and investment in BioTech within JCCS with students getting a new lab for studies and those students traveling to tech fairs and finishing well. The focus on BioTech within the schools is another way to get students ready for after high school. The location of Shire in Stanton Springs was a huge impetus for this program.
The school also introduced digital learning for days that are missed by students due to weather or other obstruction.
A special team of professionals put together an enrichment program by grade level that will allow students to get a set amount of instruction while out of school.
JCCS received a literacy grant that will provide $2.1 million over the next three years for literacy. Dr. Kristie Brooks, Executive Director of Instructional Support Services assisted with the grant application process and shared that, “With the resources this federal grant provides students in JCCS, our community, will have access to high quality books, instruction, and technology that allows students in Jasper County to become nationally competitive. Language and literacy development are critical for success and JCCS is excited to have this opportunity to significantly impact our children.”
In May it was announced that Jasper County native and longtime football coach Rydell Jackson would be head coach for Jasper County High School. He took the Hurricanes to 5-6 on the season. The school also hired a new athletic director, Matthew Martin. He and Coach Jackson will fill the vacancies left by Doug Huff.
Several JCCS athletes traveled to compete in region and state tourneys. The Diamond Canes got to play a game at Suntrust Park. The Lady Canes softball team finished in the final four for the season in the state competition. The JCMS track team took second place in the PAC Championship in April. The JCHS track team made it to state competition in May.
Speaking of competition, and being from rural Georgia, students in 4-H and FFA with both JCHS and Piedmont Academy have earned several honors over the last year with dairy shows. There are two names that have become well known for these events, Lawton Harris and Trent Maddox. In February, Ms. Harris was named Grand Senior Showman.
In March, the dairy team won big at state competition. In March, Mr. Maddox was named Georgia Farm Bureau Grand State Champion. In July, the Jasper Co. FFA Livestock Team competed at the Junior Beef show in Perry.
Several local clubs hosted events and also placed well in those events. Keri Roach was the National winner in FBLA. Miss Roach placed first in the nation in the Health Care Administration competition at the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) National Leadership Conference in Baltimore, MD.
Miss Roach advanced to the national contest by virtue of her fourth place win at the Georgia Leadership Conference in March. She received a $1,200 prize from the event sponsor, Destinations Career Academies and Programs. Taylor Wages traveled to the HOSA national competition as well after finishing third in the state.
The Marching Hurricanes fared well at competitions throughout the year. They also traveled to Universal Studios to perform in April.
JCHS FBLA hosted the Region Conference here in January. The JCHS Literary team brought home three third place finishes in state. The JCHS Beta Club and Robotics team excels at state competition in February. The JCMS FBLA took home bronze at the state leadership conference.
Other JCCS school activities included students of the month, WPES Read Across America, 100 days of school, and more.
JCCS was not the only school to be displayed throughout the year, as Piedmont Academy graced the pages of the News quite frequently as well. The PA varsity baseball team won their fifth consecutive state title in May with a win over Windsor Academy. The Cougar track team also finished well with a showing at the state track meet. J.T. Webb was state runner-up in shot put.
In September the Lady Cougar softball team clinched the region title in their division. They went on to be the runner-up in state. In February, the PA wrestling team went to state with all five members competing. Logan Conner was the state runner up at 195 pounds, losing in overtime in the finals.
Piedmont also hired a new football coach for the 2018 season, Mike Parris. He took the team to the state playoffs but lost in the first round. Piedmont coaches, Colt Spivey and Wes Tanner were both named GISA Coaches of the Year. Mr. Spivey is the current coach for the Cougar baseball team. He replaced Mr. Tanner this season.
Speaking of sports, the Jasper County Recreation Department hosted opening day in April, always drawing a large crowd to the ball fields. The nine and 10 year old All-Star team from the department traveled and earned the state runner-up spot this season.
What this newspaper prides itself on is support of local people and civic clubs. Here are just a few of those that were published this year:
The Monticello Garden Club – this group of ladies meets monthly and works to educate on any and all things garden. They also keep the city beautiful with their cleanup of the local cemeteries.
Jasper County 4-H – Kasey Hall is a regular contributor of news about what’s going on in and around 4-H. From events such as DPA and state challenge bowl to sporting events such as archery and shotgun this club is very active in this community and they stay on the go.
Monticello-Jasper County Chamber of Commerce – the “Chamber” supports local businesses and has boasted numerous ribbon cuttings this year for new businesses. They also have just recently hired Mandi Tanner as the President/Executive Director. Some of the new businesses in the city include: Peebles Antiques, Tenley’s Tomatoes, Pizza, Wings & Things. The chamber also oversees the Market on the Square which runs from May – September each year, as well as the Annual Deer Festival in November.
Monticello Civic Club – Formerly named Kiwanis, honors a student of the month each month and hears from a local entity at their monthly meetings. They also host the Talent and Art Show each March with all monies going back into the community to benefit children.
Girl and Boys Scouts – Hezekiah Hamblin earned his Eagle Scout badge in August. The Girl Scouts celebrated World Thinking Day in March. One headline read that Krista Steele joined the Cub Scouts. This headline mirrored national news stories that girls would be allowed to join the Boy Scouts of America.
For such a small town there are many events and celebrations held. Some of those include – Martin Luther King (MLK) Day in January. The News also features historical features for the month of February in honor of Black History.
The Monticello Community Band performs two to three times per year for the public. The band is made up of local musicians. The annual rodeo held in Shady Dale draws a huge crowd each June. Also, an annual Tractor and Truck Pull is held in the spring..
There are also local citizens that were recognized throughout the year and include achievements, graduates of the armed forces and universities. Some of those featured this year include:
•Matt Chastain – Mr. Chastain produced the movie, “Small Groups,” that was released in theaters.
•Peter Card has been featured on the News pages throughout the year. Mr. Card teaches and lives in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and shares his travels with readers.
•Sergeant-Major Billy Connelly traveled to Fort Benning to be recognized for his efforts by the Department of Armor for the U.S. Army with the Armor Award
•Clifford A. Padgett Receives Wright Brothers’ Master Pilot Award
•Woody Rae Placed First in Duathlon
•Will Robinson was Inducted into the New England Conservatory
•J’Quavious Thurmond was named Player of the Year at New Hampshire Technical Institute
•Randy Jenkins was a finalist in the National Geographic State Bee
•Denise Driskell celebrated 20 years with Jasper County 911
•Alice Wade and Odessa Bryant each turned 100 years old in May
•Howard Smith was honored for 50 years as a musician for the Union of Churches
•Maximillian Hess was part of the UGA Honor Guard
As with any town you have to take the good with the bad. There was a prominent theme this year of crime that had huge numbers of burglaries, thefts, and drugs with the main drug reports being those that included methamphetamine.
While it seemed that structure fires and wrecks were down, thefts of guns, jewelry and tools, and entering autos were up. There were also an alarming number of financial transaction card frauds that were investigated and prosecuted in the county.
In other news and maybe just need to know from the last year:
•Ameris Bank acquired Hamilton State Bank
•ELOST was passed here
•Television show Crime Watch Daily aired with some action filmed via the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office
•A new gated subdivision, the Peninsula at Jackson Lake was approved
•Georgia Pacific closed its Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) plant in Monticello
•Monticello Drugs relocated from the Square to W. Washington Street
•Brian Kemp won the Governor race in Jasper County and statewide.
•EMC donated money for local causes
•The Hands-Free Bluetooth law went into effect
•A pilot episode for Showtime was filmed locally
