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By Bill Bishop and Roberto Gallardo

Appling County has experienced a brain gain in the last 40 years, joining the rest of the country in what has been a massive increase in the number of adults who have earned college degrees.

In 1970, 2.9 percent of those over 25 years of age had college degrees in Appling County. By 2010, 8.3 percent of adults here had completed college. [Full Story »] 

As part of his/her continuing education and training in the administration of law enforcement, Chief James Godfrey, of the Baxley Police Department, recently attended the 2012 Annual Summer Training conference sponsored by the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police. Heads of law enforcement agencies from throughout the state participated in the four-day conference. The Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police is responsible for the delivery of training to the chiefs of Georgia’s police departments and law enforcement agencies. [Full Story »] 

At the August 1 Countywide Meeting for all school system employees, the Appling County Retired Educators Association honored those educators who had completed their 25th year. Certificates of appreciation were presented by former ACREA President Patsy Buchannan and James Twiggs, GREA Membership Director. [Full Story »] 

The Appling County Midget AllStars baseball team placed second in District and placed sixth in State. [Full Story »] 

Bryson Bell has recently signed a scholarship to play basketball with Emmanuel College. [Full Story »] 

Kandiss Sharpe Miles of Baxley was wed to Carlas Ryan Taylor of Hazlehurst on May 20. The wedding was held at El Bethel Church in Hazlehurst, where Ryan is a worship leader. Pastors Brett and Kim Roberts officiated the ceremony. [Full Story »] 

Jerry and Karen Lowther of Baxley announce the engagement and upcoming marriage of their daughter, Anna Danell Lowther, to Jason Daniel Wetherington, son of Charles and Lorrie Wetherington of Valdosta. [Full Story »] 

Ernie Prencke and Helen Burkett Prencke are thrilled to announce the birth of their daughter, Emma Christine Prencke. [Full Story »] 

Last April this newspaper started a paper recycling program through SP Recycling at our office. At the same time, SP Recycling entered into a partnership with the Appling County School System, the City of Baxley and the Appling County Commissioners to provide recycling containers at schools and various public locations within the community. [Full Story »] 

Once upon a time, back in the ‘good old days’, my Mother was washing clothes, which back then was an outdoor affair. The washpot had to be kept boiling for hot water and the really dirty spots on our everyday clothes had to be battled out on a washboard. My Momma was blessed in that she had a washing machine that was motorized. I used to watch that old blade swishing back and forth until I was hypnotized. Of course, one yell from Momma was enough to break any spell no matter what or who had cast it. [Full Story »] 

We have wild grapevines growing all over our property. A fruit-bearing one grows high in the oak tree by the hammock. One’s trying to climb the sycamore, but I keep discouraging it by cutting it back. Just the other day we found behind the azaleas another one loaded with fruit. Our domestic vines out front that Larry’s dad planted long ago are full this year, too, but the grapes are not quite ripe. I hope to make jelly with some of them in late summer. When I was a child, it seemed that everyone had huge grapevines. Our next door neighbor, Aunt Jincey, my father’s aunt, had a huge vine and welcomed us to pick whenever we wanted to. During the dog days of summer, I especially anticipated visits to Grandma Nichols’ house and grapevine, too. Her grapes were especially succulent and we always came away with big bags full. [Full Story »] 

Nowadays it is not uncommon for each member of the family down on the farm to have his or her own transportation by age sixteen. Televisions and entertainment centers have become part of the furniture of every family farm home. Nothing is denied in the way of recreation. If your car battery is dead, or there is nothing interesting on TV, or if you don’t have the latest CD or DVD by your favorite star, you can call your friends on your cell phone or get together with them on the Facebook chat line. [Full Story »] 

Jim Bush, Sr., died July 24, 2012 at his residence at 331 Yellow Pine Circle in Baxley. Jim was born Jan. 26, 1939 in Appling County and had resided in Lakeland, FL for 33 years before moving to Baxley in June of 2012. He was a retired truck driver and was employed with Inicial Uniform Company before his retirement. Jim was of the Church of God Faith. He was the son of the late Major Bush and the late Hattie Lou Hutcheson Bush. [Full Story »]