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Dear Editor and Community,

The Lord provided a beautiful day for the Walk for Jesus that was held on Saturday, May 5th. A big “thank you” to everyone who came out and supported the Walk and to the Pastors who prayed, First African Baptist Church for providing their trailer for people who could not walk to ride on, to Zion Church of God for providing bottled water along the way, to Baxley Church of God for the use of their fellowship hall for the service and the refreshments they provided, to Javan Anderson, Bonita Anderson and James Herrin for ministering in music, to Midway Baptist for the use of their bus and to Larry Tillman for driving the lead truck with the praise music. [Full Story »] 

Dear Editor,

With smoked chicken, potato salad, green beans, and scrumptious desserts, Fourth District teachers and staff dined on picnic tablecloths accented with Gerber Daisies for Teacher Appreciation Week.  Along with the delicious meal, the teachers and staff selected their daisies to take home and enjoy. Thank You Fourth District staff for all your hard work in educating our children.  [Full Story »] 

The National Peace Officers Memorial Day ceremonies will be held Thursday, May 17 at the Baxley Law Enforcement Center on West Parker Street in Baxley. [Full Story »] 

The American Legion - Altamaha Post #26 invites all Appling County veterans to celebrate Memorial Day Monday, May 28 at the post home, 265 Tippins Street in Baxley. [Full Story »] 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC) was put in place to provide a tax credit for lower income Americans with children. Unfortunately, because the law only requires an Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN) rather than a social security number, some illegal immigrants have used the ACTC to illegally obtain federal money. Congressman Lynn Westmoreland (GA-03) and Congressman Jack Kingston (GA-01) have been on top of this issue since it was first brought to their attention late last year and for that reason they introduced H.R. 3444, the child Tax Credit Integrity Preservation Act. This legislation would close the loophole being misused by many illegal immigrants to ensure that both the parent and the child must provide a valid social security number in order to be eligible for the Additional Child Tax Credit. [Full Story »] 

Navy Petty Officer Third Class Jessie L. Caulson, son of Lynne McNeal of Baxley, is currently deployed. Caulson along with fellow Sailors and Marines aboard the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN 65) and Carrier Strike Group (CSG) are conducting training and promoting the Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) campaign throughout the month of April. Enterprise Sailors are focusing on the awareness and prevention of sexual assault in support of the overall DoD theme, “Hurts One, Affects All.” [Full Story »] 

The Appling County Retired Educators met on April 4, 2012 at the Baxley Church of God Fellowship Hall. The meeting was called to order by President Patsy Buchannan. The inspiration was given by Carolyn Wade. She read “The 1915 Rules for Teachers”. James Twiggs led in the Pledge to the Flag. Carol Surrency and Carolyn Wade led the group in singing “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” and “The More We Get Together”. [Full Story »] 

Army Spec. Pamala D. Smith has graduated from basic combat training at Fort Jackson, Columbia, S.C. During the nine weeks of training, the soldier studied the Army mission, history, tradition and core values, physical fitness, and received instruction and practice in basic combat skills, military weapons, chemical warfare and bayonet training, drill and ceremony, marching, rifle marksmanship, armed and unarmed combat, map reading, field tactics, military courtesy, military justice system, basic first aid, foot marches, and field training exercises. Smith is the daughter of Darlene Heller of Old Surrency Road, Baxley, and sister-in-law of Lenora Smith of Greenwood, Miss. [Full Story »] 

Chloe and Eli Boatright are excited to announce the birth of their sister, Emma Faith Boatright. Emma was born Nov. 20, 2011 at 8:58 a.m. She weighed six pounds, 13 ounces and was 19-3/4 inches long at birth. Emma was delivered by Dr. Richard Lewis at Wayne Memorial Hospital. [Full Story »] 

In April Governor Nathan Deal signed HB 397 into law. HB 397 is an overhaul of the state’s Open Meetings and Open Records Acts that won bipartisan support within the state legislature this year and is now in effect.
Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens, the Georgia Press Association, the Georgia First Amendment Foundation and other key media and government associations worked hand-in-hand to rewrite this important legislation. So why is this legislation important? It protects the public’s right to know how its government is operating. [Full Story »] 

I must admit that I do no understand this tattoo craze. The only people that had tats when I was a boy were retired Navy Chief Bosun’s Mates and carnival workers. Now even the elderly are in the game, but I can understand their wanting to be young again. It is the already young I do not understand. [Full Story »] 

We rarely eat on a schedule at my house, and my mother would be horrified if she knew. She served breakfast at 6:30 sharp. If we missed it, too bad. The kitchen was closed until she served the next meal. Noon meant dinner, and supper came at 6:00 p.m. She never served lunch in her lifetime. It was nonexistent. She changed her schedule only if someone were drastically sick. Her other meals were varied, but breakfast always meant grits and eggs, maybe biscuits, sometimes sausage or bacon. She cooked everything from scratch except cakes. On those rare occasions that she baked a cake, she had Betty Crocker in the kitchen right beside her, taking a turn with the wooden spoon and the glass mixing bowl. [Full Story »]