The Baxley News-Banner

At the request of CSX Transportation, the Georgia DOT announces S.R. 21 will be closed at the railroad crossing near the intersection with U.S. 341/S.R. 27 in Surrency. This road closure is scheduled between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Thursday, January 17, weather permitting. Motorists will be able to access businesses, schools, and residents in the area. Motorists are urged to drive carefully and stay alert as they travel near this work zone. [Full Story »] 

The Appling County Heritage Center invites everyone to attend its Annual Meeting on Thursday, January 24, at Mi Sombrero Restaurant in Baxley at 7:00 p.m. The Guest Speaker will be Norma Nunez-Cortes. The emphasis will be on the relatively new Hispanic Heritage here in Baxley. [Full Story »] 

Would you like to know how the teachers use benchmark information to help your student? Do you want some time to check your student’s progress with teachers? [Full Story »] 

The Appling County Middle School, Appling County Elementary School, Altamaha Elementary School, Fourth District Elementary School, and Appling County Primary School will send out parental involvement plans that have been in effect for this current school year during the week of January 22 through January 25. Each plan is developed by parents, teachers, and administrators to increase parent participation and promote parent-school interaction. [Full Story »] 

Appling County Primary School faculty and staff cordially invite you to attend their PTO meeting on Thursday, January 17, at 6:00 p.m. [Full Story »] 

Weighing in at seven pounds and one ounce, Baby Gunner Cole Dyson was born at 7:33 a.m. on January 2. Dr. Sandra Mager delivered him Wednesday, making him the first baby born of the New Year at Wayne Memorial. [Full Story »] 

Jason and Tiffany Lommel of Braselton are pleased to announce the birth of their daughter, Lucy Carolina Lommel. She was born at 11:40 a.m. on August 1, at Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville. Lucy weighed eight pounds, five ounces and was 20 inches long at birth. Dr. Jeffry Bizon was the attending physician. [Full Story »] 

Rusty and Cierra Turner are proud to announce the birth of their son, Coby Ruben Turner. Coby Ruben was born at 1:23 a.m. on October 24, 2012. He weighed eight pounds four ounces and was 20.5 inches long at birth. [Full Story »] 

From time to time a story comes along that a reader passes along to me. This is one story that is certainly worth sharing. It is lengthy, but so worth the read. [Full Story »] 

During the course of my reading career, I’ve read my share of horror stories. Even before I started high school, I discovered the frightful words of the ultimate master, Edgar Alan Poe. He terrified me with his black cat and his supernatural creatures, especially when the undead Madeline stood outside her living brother’s door and knocked in “The Fall of the House of Usher.” Right along with the protagonist of the “Telltale Heart,” I could hear that heart beating under the floorboard. Later on, Stephen King petrified me with his vampires under the house in Salem’s Lot and Christine, the monster car. Cujo, his mad dog, was just macabre icing on the ghastly cake. Many nights John Saul and Dean Koontz have left me quaking in my bed, burrowed deep under the covers and wondering what if . . . [Full Story »] 

I could hardly believe another year had come and gone but here it was, January 1, 2013. The sky was overcast, the wind cool but not cold. I was staying behind the trees as much as possible, trying to spy on a few wood ducks in the creek. I stood by a large pine with my binoculars and glassed the area but there were only Mergansers, fish ducks. [Full Story »] 

Everybody, even a preacher, has at least one pet peeve. “Peeve,” as defined by the dictionary, is anything that causes one to have a feeling of resentment, or be fretful, irritable, querulous in temperament, and etc.

Among my pet peeves is to spend a day or two preparing for a good fishing trip and on the big day hear someone say right off the bat, “Not much doing today. Y’oughta been here yestiddy.” [Full Story »] 

Dear Editor,

I don’t want to sound insensitive concerning the twenty-six innocent people murdered at the Newtown, Connecticut shooting, however, it was very peculiar to see our President “breaking up” when talking about it. [Full Story »]