Headlines

SlowExposures will be Sept. 19-22 and this year, the annual photography show will feature photos from the Historic Rural Churches of Georgia in one of Pike County’s own historic churches - New Hebron Baptist Church.

“This September marks the 17th edition of SlowExposures, the annual photography festival that celebrates the beauty, the complexity and the contradictions of the rural American South,” said Chris Curry. “Through the course of the show’s four days, Sept. 19-22, visitors will tour a dozen juried exhibitions, and take home memories, genuine experiences, inspiration, and, maybe, challenges to long-held assumptions of what constitutes this region.” [Full story »] 

The Pike County American Legion Family will host the annual Patriot Day Observance Program at the south side of the courthouse square in Zebulon on Wednesday, Sept. 11. The public is invited to attend the event which will start at noon. [Full story »] 

The Pirates football team is collecting gently used and new shoes for Funds2org.com to help others in need as well as the team. The community is asked to donate gently worn, new and used shoes to the fundraiser. [Full story »] 

Pike County Extension is seeking to improve water quality throughout the Pike County community, and is hoping citizens will take care of an opportunity to collaborate with Adopt-a-Stream.
Improving water quality describes a wide range of water sources and corresponding issues. Steps are being taken to help homeowners with well water quality concerns through testing, consultations, and even well water camera use, but well water is not the only source of water in the county that needs help. [Full story »] 

Pike Historic Preservation is a nonprofit organization committed to preserving the landscapes and historic buildings that define the county’s unique “sense of place.” PHP recently created pikepreservation.org which features many of its activities. Visitors can discover the buildings that have been chosen for its annual Preservation Award and learning about the group’s activities and mission. [Full story »] 

The Parks and Recreation Authority’s 10-year Master Plan - created by Root Design Studio - was unveiled last week and includes many additional recreational areas for citizens to enjoy as well as updates to all existing fields and soft surface trails that would connect the entire complex.

“These improvements are critical since none of the baseball or softball fields are USSSA compliant, handicapping our park’s ability to be included in tournament ball circuits. Having a tournament ready park would provide more opportunity for our kids and would have a significant economic impact on our community,” said Parks and Recreation chairman Chris Childress. “As PCPRA Chair and a baseball and softball coach for over a decade, I know the park is a place where kids become good citizens. Having been the juvenile public defender in several counties, including Pike, I have rarely represented a child who had a background in youth sports. In my experience, a child’s involvement in youth sports translates into less of a likelihood of delinquent behavior. Pike is growing. Plan accordingly. Fund appropriately.” [Full story »] 

Pike County commissioners heard from Tim Cannady about reviving the Tour de Pike in 2020 during their Aug. 14 meeting. Tim Cannady, of Get Set Grow, addressed the board at the beginning of the meeting and said he would like to revive the Tour de Pike event in Pike County. It has been two years since the county has hosted the Tour de Pike. He said the event would be similar to past events, except the new start and finish location would be at the new Christ Chapel building on Highway 19, which is currently under construction. He said ride distances of the Tour de Pike routes would be 20 miles, 35 miles, 65 miles and 100 miles. The date of the event is planned for March 21 from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and proceeds will benefit the Pike County Backpack Program. [Full story »] 

In honor of what would have been his 20th birthday, work started on a cross-country trail to be called Jacob’s Way in memory of Jacob Woerner who passed away when he was 13. When finished, Jacob’s Way will be a 3.1 mile track that circles the school campuses and will allow the schools to host cross country events.

“The idea for Jacob’s way was originally proposed by Ken Smith, the cross country coach who wanted to do something to honor Jacob. The name of the trail has double meaning. Along the trail, there will be inspirational messages that captures the spirt of Jacob Woerner and who he was,” said Jacob’s father and PCHS track coach Clay Woerner. “The trail will enable our cross country team to be able to host events. Our middle school and elementary running club will use the trail to practice on. Other teams will also use the trail for training." [Full story »] 

In May 2018, the Pike County Parks and Recreation Authority (PCPRA) Board selected Root Design Studio, LLC from several qualified firms to produce a 10-year Park Master Plan. The final Master Plan that was developed by Root Design Studio will be presented during the regular monthly meeting of the PCPRA board at 6 p.m. Monday, Aug. 19. The public is welcome to attend and the meeting will take place in the upstairs courtroom at the Pike courthouse. [Full story »] 

Recently, Jimmy Novak walked across Pike, meeting many new friends along the way. As a 21-year recently retired veteran of the U.S. Army Chemical Corps., he started his journey in DuPont, Washington with the goal of walking more than 3,000 miles across the United States to Orlando, Florida. He is raising awareness to prevent suicide for veterans and others. To find out more or support his mission, go to JLNovak.com. [Full story »] 

Members of the Georgia National Guard’s 48th Brigade recently returned home from deployment in Afghanistan, including soldiers from Pike County who were among the more than 2,000 guardsmen who helped train that country’s military and police. [Full story »] 

The American Legion Post 197 will host a 5K / 10K walk and run on Aug. 10 in Williamson to honor locals who were Killed in Action defending their country. Runners and walkers are encouraged to start the courses early due to heat and they will be open starting at 7:30 a.m. The event t-shirt will feature Williamson’s recently renovated historic red caboose. [Full story »] 

The annual Prayer Walk will start at 9 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 3 in front of the Ninth Grade Academy on Highway 19 south. Everyone is invited to attend as prayers are said for students, teachers, staff, administrators and bus drivers. [Full story »] 

Local citizens looking to recycle old electronics instead of throwing them away - to eventually be dumped into landfills - can drop their items into the Ecyclers bin at Williamson City Hall in the carport area. The city has an agreement with Ecyclers USA who recycle old electronics. [Full story »]