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Hilda Burke, 80, of Jesup, died Tuesday, April 10, 2012 in Wayne Memorial Hospital after an extended illness. The Appling County native had lived in Jesup the past 56 years. She was a member of Jesup First Baptist Church and the Retired Educators Association. She volunteered with the Wayne Memorial Hospital Auxiliary and the Wayne County Peachy Clean Committee for many years. Her husbands, Watson Burke and Rufus Roberson preceded her in death along with a daughter-in-law, Willeen Burke. [Full Story »] 

Rose Mary “Peaches” Smith, daughter of the late Walter and Ola Mae Smith, born on June 2, 1960 in Baxley, died Thursday, March 22, 2012. She grew up in Appling County. Her fellowship with Christ began at First African Missionary Baptist Church, Baxley, where she was a member of the Singles Ministry and a very proud member of the Total Adoration Praisers (TAP). Rose Mary “Peaches” also had the same love and commitment for the Family and Friends Day Rally as her father. She was educated in the Appling County public schools where she graduated in 1978. Peaches continued her education at South Georgia College in Douglas. The two loves of her life were her children, Brian and Amy. Ms. Smith was employed by Alco in Hazlehurst for many years and later she became a dedicated employer of Fred’s Dollar Store where she worked until her health failed. The joys and pleasures of her life were her children, sisters, brothers, relatives and friends of whom God had given her. In addition to her parents, a sister, Barbara A. Johnson and a brother, Elder Norman J. Smith, also preceded her in death. [Full Story »] 

Henry Damon Tillman, 72, of Surrency, died April 14, 2012 at Appling Healthcare System. Tillman was born March 9, 1940 to the Rev. Henry Curtis and Runell Kimbrel Tillman. He was a member of Bethel United Methodist Church. Tillman proudly served his country as a member of the United States Army and the United States Marines from 1957 to 1986. He was a Sergeant Major E9 82nd Air Borne, SERE, Delta Force and two tours in Vietnam. Tillman was a member of the National Rifle Association and an avid outdoorsman. [Full Story »] 

By Matt Gardner

The Appling County Board of Commissioners held a called meeting on Monday, April 9 to discuss the Appling County Health Department Building that has many issues, including the need for a new roof over the older half of the building that was built around 1950. Two rooms in the old half of the building has had to be shut off due to the condition of the roof and possibility of collapse. There have also been concerns with mold and the lack of insulation in the outside walls. The cost of the repairs needed for the building is estimated to be $150.000.00 or more. After a lengthy discussion the commissioners decided to get estimates of the cost to replace the building to evaluate if it would be more economical to replace rather than make the costly repairs that may not solve the problems due to trouble with the foundation. [Full Story »] 

Officials of Satilla Rural Electric Membership Corporation, (EMC), Alma, recently presented a representation of a check for $4,234,280.08 to Appling County Tax Commissioner Debra Carter. The check represents 2011 ad valorem taxes paid by Oglethorpe Power Corporation for its share of the Edwin I. Hatch nuclear plant near Baxley. Oglethorpe Power owns 30 percent of the plant on behalf of its member electric cooperatives. [Full Story »] 

According to Baxley Police Chief James Godfrey Baxley Police officers answered a call on April 1, at approx. 11:50 p.m., for a possible suicide attempt at a 2nd Street address. On arrival the complainant told officers he had come home and could not get in and had to force his way into the house, where he discovered the victim dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. The EMS and coroner were called to the scene, along with the G.B.I. to assist in the investigation. The body of April Lee Keller, 26, of Baxley, was transported to the Appling Healthcare System and later transferred to the state crime lab for further forensic investigation. After an investigation it was determined that Keller had died as a result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. [Full Story »] 

On Tuesday, March 27, Governor Nathan Deal signed legislation that outlaws all forms of synthetic marijuana in the state of Georgia. The law went into effect upon the Governor’s signature this week. Although Georgia banned synthetic marijuana in 2010, manufacturers tweaked the formula to get around the law. Upon Governor Deal signing SB370, that loophole is now closed. [Full Story »] 

Don’t forget that Dr. Maxwell Taylor Courson, author of Dixie Mafia Gangster, The Audacious Criminal Career of Willie Foster Sellers, will give a reading and autograph copies of his book on Thursday, April 19. Reading at Library from 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. followed by a reception and book signing at the Lions Club Building at 8:00 p.m. [Full Story »] 

The Annual Tree Fest was held in Baxley this past weekend. Thousands turned out for events such as the Friday night Street Dance featuring the Swingin Medallions, arts and crafts, and various events held throughout the day on Saturday. [Full Story »] 

By David Miller

The Appling County Pirates (21-0, 13-0 Region 2AA) continued their record breaking start winning all three games during the week. The Pirates started the week hosting the Pierce County Bears (16-5, 10-3) on Tuesday, April 10 picking up the win 10-9. The Pirates would then travel to face the Long County Blue Herons (6-14, 2-10) on Friday, April 13 with the Pirates winning 4-3. The Pirates would end the week hosting non-region opponent Calvary Day Cavaliers (13-7, 9-1 Region 3A-A) with the Pirates winning 8-3. [Full Story »] 

Spring break yielded little rest for the Appling Christian Academy baseball team this past week. Their first series began at eleven o’clock on Monday morning. The matchup featured a double header with the Crusaders of Faith Baptist from Ludiwici. The Eagles of ACA had two very good offensive games with the bats coming alive up and down the order. The pitching was also outstanding. Rex Cox would pick up the first win with out yielding a run and allowing only one hit as the mercy run was applied in a four-inning contest. [Full Story »] 

Memphis, Tennessee, is the city that riverboats, B.B. King and Blues Music and Elvis Presley and Rock and Roll Music built.
In addition to ocean cruises, river cruises are a large part of my and B. J.’s travel adventures. However, until the past week, we had never cruised the Mississippi on a genuine Mississippi River paddle wheeler. Memphis would be the place. [Full Story »] 

Sheriff Benny Deloach would like to report the following activity of the Appling County Sheriff’s Office.

Apr. 4, answered a call to Murphy Road in reference to a theft. A complainant stated his storage building had been broken into and several items were taken, valued at approximately $500.00. Investigation continues.

Apr. 5, answered a call to Nails Ferry Road in reference to a vehicle in a pond incident. A complainant stated while driving his vehicle, he dropped his cell phone and while trying to retrieve it, he ran his vehicle in the pond. [Full Story »] 

Did you hear the one about the personal injury lawyer that was injured in an accident? He was hurt when the ambulance he was chasing stopped suddenly. This joke is funny, especially when you consider that there are attorneys out there who do in engage in the practice of trolling around hospitals looking for clients that have been injured and I’ll discuss these characters on a later date. However, there are many reputable attorneys who represent clients who have been injured in accidents involving cars, machinery, trips to the grocery store and mishaps at work. Personal injury law is vitally important for several reasons. First, it designs remedies for those who have been injured due to the negligence or intentional acts of another, and a second important function is that personal injury law helps to assign risks and spurs the development of safety measures in all facets of our lives. For example, personal injury lawsuits have led to safer designs of cars, trucks and machinery, exacting standards on the testing of prescription medication, and more stringent regulation of tobacco products. [Full Story »]