Pike County is among dozens in Georgia declared federal disaster areas and eligible for funding for up to 75% of damages associated with winter weather.
[Full story »]
Entries by Walter Geiger
A preview of the 3.5.2014 edition of The Journal Reporter
Historic season:
Lady Pirates fight their way to Final Four before bowing out of state basketball tourney.
About face:
After citizens revolt, Molena decides to reopen police department and rehire chief Jim Roberts.
Settlement?:
Proposal would pay Callaway-Ingram $10,000 in damages and $18,000 in attorney's fees.
Tour de Pike:
Kiwanians prepping for big bike ride and lamenting the loss of inmate litter crew.
Spring forward:
Change your clocks and lose an hour of sleep Saturday night.
Lady Pirates fight their way to Final Four before bowing out of state basketball tourney.
About face:
After citizens revolt, Molena decides to reopen police department and rehire chief Jim Roberts.
Settlement?:
Proposal would pay Callaway-Ingram $10,000 in damages and $18,000 in attorney's fees.
Tour de Pike:
Kiwanians prepping for big bike ride and lamenting the loss of inmate litter crew.
Spring forward:
Change your clocks and lose an hour of sleep Saturday night.
Epic fail at the Social Security Administration
By Walter Geiger
You’ve all been there.
You’ve seen the person in front of you in the grocery checkout line with a vast array of expensive items pay for them with an EBT card or voucher or both but have plenty of cash to spend on beer and cigarettes before walking out to a car nicer than yours. [Full story »]
You’ve all been there.
You’ve seen the person in front of you in the grocery checkout line with a vast array of expensive items pay for them with an EBT card or voucher or both but have plenty of cash to spend on beer and cigarettes before walking out to a car nicer than yours. [Full story »]
A preview of the 2.26.2014 edition of The Journal Reporter
Tough day at city hall:
Molena fights to fend off EPD, shuts down police department and appoints former chief city manager.
Bond denied:
Jeffery Ellis Jr. will sit in jail for awhile on charges of child molestation.
Rectified:
Film crews in Pike shooting scenes for hit series 'Rectify'.
Swing music:
Night Train Swing Band to perform at fundraiser for local library.
Icy aftermath:
Ice storm cleanup goes on as costs continue to rise.
Molena fights to fend off EPD, shuts down police department and appoints former chief city manager.
Bond denied:
Jeffery Ellis Jr. will sit in jail for awhile on charges of child molestation.
Rectified:
Film crews in Pike shooting scenes for hit series 'Rectify'.
Swing music:
Night Train Swing Band to perform at fundraiser for local library.
Icy aftermath:
Ice storm cleanup goes on as costs continue to rise.
Failure to execute
The Augusta Chronicle
The 3,000 U.S. prisoners on death row used many methods to kill, torture or maim their victims.
Yet when their day of reckoning comes, final justice likely will come in the same form it has for the past 30 years – a needle prick followed by a sedation from which they will not wake. [Full story »]
The 3,000 U.S. prisoners on death row used many methods to kill, torture or maim their victims.
Yet when their day of reckoning comes, final justice likely will come in the same form it has for the past 30 years – a needle prick followed by a sedation from which they will not wake. [Full story »]
Local attorney Johnston to seek senate seat
Local attorney Bill Johnston has announced his decision to seek election to the District 16 seat in the Georgia State Senate being vacated by Sen. Ronnie Chance who is stepping down.
[Full story »]
Arrests made in Liberty Technology burglary
On February 18, 2014, the Griffin Police Department arrested Joseph Love, Ke’onta Deon Glass and a juvenile all from Griffin, Georgia in connection with two burglaries that were committed at Liberty Technology located at 120 E. Taylor St. in downtown Griffin, Georgia over the past weekend.
[Full story »]
A preview of the 2.19.2014 edition of The Journal Reporter
One tough Pirate:
Tybee Stanley qualifies for state wrestling meet in the 120 pound classification.
Iced in:
Old Man Winter brings his best punch; power outages biggest problem here.
The earth moved:
Valentine's earthquake rattle Pike County.
Fashion fun:
Paris in Pike celebrates local special needs children.
A cold start:
PCHS soccer teams begin regular season play in frigid conditions.
Tybee Stanley qualifies for state wrestling meet in the 120 pound classification.
Iced in:
Old Man Winter brings his best punch; power outages biggest problem here.
The earth moved:
Valentine's earthquake rattle Pike County.
Fashion fun:
Paris in Pike celebrates local special needs children.
A cold start:
PCHS soccer teams begin regular season play in frigid conditions.
SRE whittling away at outages; now under 3500
SRE crews and additional personnel have restored power to more than 5300 members in less than two days. Less than 3500 outages remain as of 9:15 a.m. Crews have been working steadily around the clock trying to restore power across seven counties. Some individual outages will last into the weekend. Members with medical conditions that require a constant supply of electricity are urged to make other arrangements immediately.
Over 80 additional linemen and contractors are helping with the process but it is a daunting task based on the devastation. There is a method for restoring power safely and effectively so just because you have not seen a truck in your neighborhood does not mean they aren’t working on your outage. Crews must start working from the substation that feeds a circuit and work their down to tap and service lines at residences.
Some areas in SRE’s territory are extremely rural with lines running cross-country. In many cases there are massive trees and limbs that have fallen across roads and rights-of-way that must be cut and removed before trucks can even get to the poles and lines that have been torn down. Clearing paths to the damage is extremely time consuming. Meriwether County in particular has been described as "Armageddon" because of the number of fallen trees and extensive damage to our system. Progress is being made now but some individual outages will go into the weekend. If individuals have damage to their equipment (meter base or conduit on the side of the house) or home, they are responsible for making those repairs before SRE can safely reconnect service.
Work is expected to continue through the weekend. The Civic Center in Barnesville and the Pike County Senior Center on Hwy 19 in Zebulon have been designated emergency shelters and will remain open as needed for anyone in need of relief. Residents in Pike County can call 770-567-3857 for transportation to the Senior Center.
Everyone’s patience and cooperation is appreciated. Members should continue using the outage hotline for first-time outage reporting: 1-866-244-4890. The operators are responsible for taking calls and reporting outages but they do not have access to information that allows them to give estimates on restoration times or dispatch schedules.
Over 80 additional linemen and contractors are helping with the process but it is a daunting task based on the devastation. There is a method for restoring power safely and effectively so just because you have not seen a truck in your neighborhood does not mean they aren’t working on your outage. Crews must start working from the substation that feeds a circuit and work their down to tap and service lines at residences.
Some areas in SRE’s territory are extremely rural with lines running cross-country. In many cases there are massive trees and limbs that have fallen across roads and rights-of-way that must be cut and removed before trucks can even get to the poles and lines that have been torn down. Clearing paths to the damage is extremely time consuming. Meriwether County in particular has been described as "Armageddon" because of the number of fallen trees and extensive damage to our system. Progress is being made now but some individual outages will go into the weekend. If individuals have damage to their equipment (meter base or conduit on the side of the house) or home, they are responsible for making those repairs before SRE can safely reconnect service.
Work is expected to continue through the weekend. The Civic Center in Barnesville and the Pike County Senior Center on Hwy 19 in Zebulon have been designated emergency shelters and will remain open as needed for anyone in need of relief. Residents in Pike County can call 770-567-3857 for transportation to the Senior Center.
Everyone’s patience and cooperation is appreciated. Members should continue using the outage hotline for first-time outage reporting: 1-866-244-4890. The operators are responsible for taking calls and reporting outages but they do not have access to information that allows them to give estimates on restoration times or dispatch schedules.
EMA to open shelter, 8,400 without power
There have been more than 171 calls to the Emergency 911 Center since the storm hit with reports of trees in the roads, power lines down and other weather-related incidents. The Pike County Sheriff's Office is encouraging citizens to stay off the roads even though the temperature will rise above freezing because of the possibility of trees falling and ice accumulation on roadways.
There have been 171 calls for service made to the pike county 911 center since the winter storm hit Pike County.
"This number does not reflect the high volume of calls that have been made requesting weather information," said Maj. David Neal. "A large number of calls have also been made to road department personnel and reported in person by citizens. The current estimates are that Pike County Emergency Services and road department employees have assisted and/or responded to approximately 300 incidents across the county."
Pike County and the American Red Cross have opened the senior citizens center , 9716 highway 19, to any persons needing shelter during the power outages. There will be personnel at that location to help anyone needing assistance. Citizens can call 567-3857 for further information.
The Pike County EMA and the American Red Cross have opened a shelter for anyone without power at the senior center on Highway 19 in Zebulon. Cots will be delivered by this evening. Bring anything you would need to stay the night, including medications and comfort items. No pets allowed. More details as they become available.
SRE THURSDAY MORNING UPDATE:
As of 11:00 a.m. over 8400 of our members remain without power. We have an additional 41 workers helping with restoration efforts now and 30 more are on the way from Alabama. The safety of our linemen and those who have come to our aid continues to be our top priority. The ice is beginning to melt which will help us make progress but the damage is extensive and repairs are time consuming. Please remember that there is a method to restoring power safely and effectively. There is no point in repairing a tap line at a residence when the substation that feeds it is out. View a diagram of the process on the Storm Center page of our website: http://www.southernriversenergy.com/Storm%20Center/4777_Restore_Power.pdf
We expect to work through Friday making repairs, possibly into Saturday. The Civic Center in Barnesville and the Pike County Senior Center on Hwy 19 in Zebulon have been designated emergency shelters and will remain open as needed for anyone in need of relief. We cannot guarantee a time frame in which your power will be restored so please, we urge you to make other arrangements if you have any conditions that require a constant supply of electricity.
We appreciate your patience and cooperation as we work toward safely restoring power for all our members. Please continue to use the outage hotline for outage reporting: 1-866-244-4890 but if you have already reported your outage, PLEASE DO NOT CONTINUE CALLING. This ice storm has moved across the southeast and our call center is now overwhelmed with handling outage reports from numerous cooperatives. If you have already reported your outage, we have it in the system and will get to it as soon as possible.
We will continue updating our website, Facebook and Twitter throughout the duration of this event. Outages can be tracked in real-time with our live outage viewer: http://68.208.12.169:82/.
As of 6:45 a.m. nearly 9000 of our members are without power. We do not yet know the extent of the damage but will be able to make a better assessment after daylight. Once crews have taken inventory of the damage to the system we will make our best estimate as to how long we anticipate restoration efforts will take. We have 7 additional crews to help with restoration efforts for a total of approximately 35 extra workers and have asked for more from any co-op that can spare them. The safety of our linemen and those who have come to our aid is our top priority as they work in these dangerous conditions to restore power. It will be difficult to make progress until the temperature gets above freezing and the ice begins to melt off the trees. The lines are being torn down by falling trees and limbs as fast as our crews can put them up. Please be patient; this is not a quick process. Also keep in mind that there is a method to restoring power safely and effectively. There is no point in repairing a tap line at a residence when the substation that feeds it is out. This diagram explains the process in detail.
We will continue updating our website, Facebook and Twitter throughout the duration of this event. Outages can be tracked in real-time with our live outage viewer: http://68.208.12.169:82/
We appreciate your patience and cooperation as we work toward safely restoring power for all our members. Please continue to use the outage hotline for outage reporting: 1-866-244-4890.
There have been 171 calls for service made to the pike county 911 center since the winter storm hit Pike County.
"This number does not reflect the high volume of calls that have been made requesting weather information," said Maj. David Neal. "A large number of calls have also been made to road department personnel and reported in person by citizens. The current estimates are that Pike County Emergency Services and road department employees have assisted and/or responded to approximately 300 incidents across the county."
Pike County and the American Red Cross have opened the senior citizens center , 9716 highway 19, to any persons needing shelter during the power outages. There will be personnel at that location to help anyone needing assistance. Citizens can call 567-3857 for further information.
The Pike County EMA and the American Red Cross have opened a shelter for anyone without power at the senior center on Highway 19 in Zebulon. Cots will be delivered by this evening. Bring anything you would need to stay the night, including medications and comfort items. No pets allowed. More details as they become available.
SRE THURSDAY MORNING UPDATE:
As of 11:00 a.m. over 8400 of our members remain without power. We have an additional 41 workers helping with restoration efforts now and 30 more are on the way from Alabama. The safety of our linemen and those who have come to our aid continues to be our top priority. The ice is beginning to melt which will help us make progress but the damage is extensive and repairs are time consuming. Please remember that there is a method to restoring power safely and effectively. There is no point in repairing a tap line at a residence when the substation that feeds it is out. View a diagram of the process on the Storm Center page of our website: http://www.southernriversenergy.com/Storm%20Center/4777_Restore_Power.pdf
We expect to work through Friday making repairs, possibly into Saturday. The Civic Center in Barnesville and the Pike County Senior Center on Hwy 19 in Zebulon have been designated emergency shelters and will remain open as needed for anyone in need of relief. We cannot guarantee a time frame in which your power will be restored so please, we urge you to make other arrangements if you have any conditions that require a constant supply of electricity.
We appreciate your patience and cooperation as we work toward safely restoring power for all our members. Please continue to use the outage hotline for outage reporting: 1-866-244-4890 but if you have already reported your outage, PLEASE DO NOT CONTINUE CALLING. This ice storm has moved across the southeast and our call center is now overwhelmed with handling outage reports from numerous cooperatives. If you have already reported your outage, we have it in the system and will get to it as soon as possible.
We will continue updating our website, Facebook and Twitter throughout the duration of this event. Outages can be tracked in real-time with our live outage viewer: http://68.208.12.169:82/.
As of 6:45 a.m. nearly 9000 of our members are without power. We do not yet know the extent of the damage but will be able to make a better assessment after daylight. Once crews have taken inventory of the damage to the system we will make our best estimate as to how long we anticipate restoration efforts will take. We have 7 additional crews to help with restoration efforts for a total of approximately 35 extra workers and have asked for more from any co-op that can spare them. The safety of our linemen and those who have come to our aid is our top priority as they work in these dangerous conditions to restore power. It will be difficult to make progress until the temperature gets above freezing and the ice begins to melt off the trees. The lines are being torn down by falling trees and limbs as fast as our crews can put them up. Please be patient; this is not a quick process. Also keep in mind that there is a method to restoring power safely and effectively. There is no point in repairing a tap line at a residence when the substation that feeds it is out. This diagram explains the process in detail.
We will continue updating our website, Facebook and Twitter throughout the duration of this event. Outages can be tracked in real-time with our live outage viewer: http://68.208.12.169:82/
We appreciate your patience and cooperation as we work toward safely restoring power for all our members. Please continue to use the outage hotline for outage reporting: 1-866-244-4890.
Road conditions expected to deteriorate overnight
As night fell, road conditions in Pike County were deteriorating. Sleet was slicking roads and making bridges dangerous.
Those conditions are expected to worsen as temperatures fall to 27 degrees overnight. Freezing rain is forecast to continue through 11 p.m. followed by a mix of sleet and snow which should end by 3 a.m. Thursday. Temps will be eel above freezing at 44 degrees by mid afternoon Thursday.
UPDATE: SRE outage numbers increase:
Southern Rivers Energy has over 3400 members without power as of 8 p.m Crews are still working steadily although work has become somewhat counterproductive as lines are coming down as fast as they as they can put them up. Please be patient with all the utility workers as they have quite a task ahead of them. The Civic Center in Barnesville is open for anyone in need of a comfort station. Again, SRE members are asked to call 1-866-244-4890 to report outages.
Meanwhile, Southern Rivers Energy continues to battle outages. More are expected overnight as icy limbs fal, taking down power lines
From Erin Cook at SRE:
As of 5:00 p.m. we have 2318 members without power. We anticipate conditions to worsen overnight. Again, we have 6 additional crews to help with restoration efforts for a total of approximately 35 extra workers. SRE members should call the new outage hotline to report their outages at 1-866-244-4890. We will continue updating our website, Facebook and Twitter throughout the duration of this event. Outages can be tracked in real-time at southernriversenergy.com with our live outage viewer: http://68.208.12.169:82
Those conditions are expected to worsen as temperatures fall to 27 degrees overnight. Freezing rain is forecast to continue through 11 p.m. followed by a mix of sleet and snow which should end by 3 a.m. Thursday. Temps will be eel above freezing at 44 degrees by mid afternoon Thursday.
UPDATE: SRE outage numbers increase:
Southern Rivers Energy has over 3400 members without power as of 8 p.m Crews are still working steadily although work has become somewhat counterproductive as lines are coming down as fast as they as they can put them up. Please be patient with all the utility workers as they have quite a task ahead of them. The Civic Center in Barnesville is open for anyone in need of a comfort station. Again, SRE members are asked to call 1-866-244-4890 to report outages.
Meanwhile, Southern Rivers Energy continues to battle outages. More are expected overnight as icy limbs fal, taking down power lines
From Erin Cook at SRE:
As of 5:00 p.m. we have 2318 members without power. We anticipate conditions to worsen overnight. Again, we have 6 additional crews to help with restoration efforts for a total of approximately 35 extra workers. SRE members should call the new outage hotline to report their outages at 1-866-244-4890. We will continue updating our website, Facebook and Twitter throughout the duration of this event. Outages can be tracked in real-time at southernriversenergy.com with our live outage viewer: http://68.208.12.169:82
DOT: Situation deteriorating; stay at home
Trees and power lines were icing in earnest at mid-morning Wednesday. Temperatures were hovering right around or just above freezing. By noon, those temps should drop to 31 degrees or colder., exacerbating the problem.
DOT authorities say stay at home…
DOT roads alert at 10:30 a.m.:
With the threat of a “dire” storm looming, Georgia DOT dump trucks mounted with snow plows and spreaders are treating West Central Georgia’s state routes and interstates. A mixture of winter precipitation is now falling throughout Central Georgia.
“This is a very dangerous ice storm and we strongly encourage the public to stay off the roads unless it is an extreme emergency” said Georgia DOT Commissioner Keith Golden.
Crews are plowing and spreading salt and gravel on state routes and interstates throughout the region. Roadway conditions are treacherous. Roads in Butts, Henry and Lamar Counties are becoming icy but still passable. Do not travel in these counties – please stay put. Additional traffic on the roads will compound already perilous conditions.
At approximately 4 am this morning, Georgia DOT crews began a systematic treatment and retreatment of area interstates.
Latest weather predictions call for a “dire ice storm” that could include extreme black ice; 7+ inches of snow across Northeast Georgia; freezing rain with up to 1 inch of ice accumulation north and south of the I-20 corridor; and 20 -30 mph winds which increase the threat for widespread downed limbs, trees and power lines.
The Department is working with the Outdoor Advertising Association of Georgia (OAAG) to post advisories and messages on over 250 electronic billboards across the state. Information will also be posted on Changeable Message Signs in the metro area.
Georgia DOT continues to coordinate with all state agencies at the Emergency Operations Center and Special Operations Center which will remain active throughout this winter storm event.
DOT authorities say stay at home…
DOT roads alert at 10:30 a.m.:
With the threat of a “dire” storm looming, Georgia DOT dump trucks mounted with snow plows and spreaders are treating West Central Georgia’s state routes and interstates. A mixture of winter precipitation is now falling throughout Central Georgia.
“This is a very dangerous ice storm and we strongly encourage the public to stay off the roads unless it is an extreme emergency” said Georgia DOT Commissioner Keith Golden.
Crews are plowing and spreading salt and gravel on state routes and interstates throughout the region. Roadway conditions are treacherous. Roads in Butts, Henry and Lamar Counties are becoming icy but still passable. Do not travel in these counties – please stay put. Additional traffic on the roads will compound already perilous conditions.
At approximately 4 am this morning, Georgia DOT crews began a systematic treatment and retreatment of area interstates.
Latest weather predictions call for a “dire ice storm” that could include extreme black ice; 7+ inches of snow across Northeast Georgia; freezing rain with up to 1 inch of ice accumulation north and south of the I-20 corridor; and 20 -30 mph winds which increase the threat for widespread downed limbs, trees and power lines.
The Department is working with the Outdoor Advertising Association of Georgia (OAAG) to post advisories and messages on over 250 electronic billboards across the state. Information will also be posted on Changeable Message Signs in the metro area.
Georgia DOT continues to coordinate with all state agencies at the Emergency Operations Center and Special Operations Center which will remain active throughout this winter storm event.
SRE outage update
**********************************
2 p.m. UPDATE from Erin Cook:
We have 1929 members without power now and an additional 6 crews from fellow co-ops in Alabama will be here this afternoon for a total of 25 extra crew members to assist with restoration efforts.
Wind gusts are snapping limbs and trees and taking down power lines. We're dealing with broken poles and downed lines throughout our system. This is shaping up to be a multi-day event and we are asking for patience and cooperation as we work toward safely restoring power for all our members. Please continue to use the outage hotline for outage reporting: 1-866-244-4890.
***********************************As of 10:22 a.m. we have 1508 members without power across parts of Meriwether, Pike, Lamar and Monroe counties. We already have two broken poles which are time consuming to replace. The ground is so heavily saturated from all the rain we had leading up to the ice that the trees have become top heavy with all the ice that has accumulated and the wind is literally uprooting trees that are then tearing down our lines. It is typical in ice storms like this for crews to spend hours replacing a broken pole and repairing a line only to have it torn down again from another tree or limb just minutes after they get it restored.
We have additional help on the way and urge our members to call the new outage hotline: 1-866-244-4890 to make sure their outage is reported. Posting an outage on Facebook is not a guarantee that it will be reported in a timely manner because Facebook is not manned 24-7. We encourage members to be prepared for extended outages, meaning it could take several days to completely restore power depending on the extent of the damage to our system. Current outages can be viewed live on our website at: http://68.208.12.169:82/ and updates will also be posted on Facebook and Twitter throughout the day.
-Erin Cook, SRE
2 p.m. UPDATE from Erin Cook:
We have 1929 members without power now and an additional 6 crews from fellow co-ops in Alabama will be here this afternoon for a total of 25 extra crew members to assist with restoration efforts.
Wind gusts are snapping limbs and trees and taking down power lines. We're dealing with broken poles and downed lines throughout our system. This is shaping up to be a multi-day event and we are asking for patience and cooperation as we work toward safely restoring power for all our members. Please continue to use the outage hotline for outage reporting: 1-866-244-4890.
***********************************As of 10:22 a.m. we have 1508 members without power across parts of Meriwether, Pike, Lamar and Monroe counties. We already have two broken poles which are time consuming to replace. The ground is so heavily saturated from all the rain we had leading up to the ice that the trees have become top heavy with all the ice that has accumulated and the wind is literally uprooting trees that are then tearing down our lines. It is typical in ice storms like this for crews to spend hours replacing a broken pole and repairing a line only to have it torn down again from another tree or limb just minutes after they get it restored.
We have additional help on the way and urge our members to call the new outage hotline: 1-866-244-4890 to make sure their outage is reported. Posting an outage on Facebook is not a guarantee that it will be reported in a timely manner because Facebook is not manned 24-7. We encourage members to be prepared for extended outages, meaning it could take several days to completely restore power depending on the extent of the damage to our system. Current outages can be viewed live on our website at: http://68.208.12.169:82/ and updates will also be posted on Facebook and Twitter throughout the day.
-Erin Cook, SRE
Comments