Headlines

Preparations are underway for the 43rd annual Concord Country Jubilee, the largest festival held in Pike County each year. This year’s event will get kicked off early Saturday with the Jubilee Jaunt 5K. The event will include a car show, antique tractor show, parade, train rides, a Sunday morning outdoor church service, arts, crafts and antique vendors, hand crafted items, all sorts of foods and drinks, pony rides, inflatables for kids, a petting zoo and musical entertainment. [Full story »] 

The Pike County Bible Reading Marathon will be held on the south portico of the courthouse from Sunday, October 2 to Saturday, October 8.  [Full story »] 

Tammy Adams of Meansville, a parapro at Pike’s pre-k program, was recently diagnosed with Stage 2 adenocarcinoma cervical cancer. Members of the community are holding a raffle to help the family with medical expenses, with the raffle winner getting a $500 store credit at PC Pawn in Zebulon. An account has also been set up at gofundme.com/26e6p7ecfor donations. Tammy has two sons age 7 and 14 and is married to Sam Adams. [Full story »] 

By Dwain W. Penn

When mayor Gayle Burden called the Sept. 12 meeting of council to order, the city was experiencing a water crisis with all three wells disabled and the water tank empty.

“Lightning from a passing thunderstorm this afternoon has crippled all three well houses,” reported water superintendent Scott Huckaby. “Fortunately the damage at the city hall well was in the electrical panel and not the pump.” [Full story »] 

The J. Joel Edwards Public Library will give away tickets to the Georgia National Fair in Perry to young readers. Provided via a partnership between Georgia Public Libraries, the Georgia National Fair and the Georgia Farm Bureau, one ticket will be awarded each week for four weeks, beginning with the first drawing on Saturday, Sept. 10. [Full story »] 

The Georgia Commission on the Holocaust recently donated an artifact trunk to Pike County Middle School. The trunk contains various artifacts and resources to be used by students and teachers so they might enrich their understanding of the Holocaust. [Full story »] 

Foster parents are urgently needed for Pike County children who are removed from their homes by the Department of Family and Children Services for various reasons. Many of Pike’s children who end up in foster care are taken out of their schools and away from their friends and family since there are very few foster homes in the county.

“We are in desperate need for foster homes. Our agency must reach out to surrounding counties almost on a daily basis for foster families to care for Pike’s children. About 50% or more are placed out of their home county. They not only lose their family, but they lose their home, neighborhood, schools and teachers,” said Neche Harden, Resource Development Case Manager for Pike and Upson County DFCS. “We need families for sibling groups, teens and babies. You don’t have to be married, you don’t have to be rich and you don’t have to own your own home.” [Full story »] 

A Pike resident and his Border Collies - which are world traveling, championship disc dogs - will perform on the field during the break between the Lady Pirates varsity softball games Sept. 13 and 15. Mark Muir and his Georgia Irish Frisbee Dogs and a guest, Carla Zinga of Argentina, will perform a local show. Their dogs will showcase their speed, agility, tricks and more for free. [Full story »] 

Members of the community stepped up to help local teachers through the Pick Your Pirate program organized by Dawn Bell, Cathy Nichols and Angi Pilkenton of McLeRoy Realty. Citizens picked a teacher to help with classroom supplies and provided the items on each teacher’s needs list. [Full story »] 

Pike County recently received a check in the amount of $20,244 representing the local share of a $5 million, one-time special return from the ACCG Group Self-Insurance Workers’ Compensation Fund (GSIWCF). ACCG is Georgia’s county association and works on behalf of county officials and their communities by providing public policy and legislative advocacy, leadership development, civic and community engagement initiatives, insurance and retirement programs that specialize in local government needs and other cost-saving programs. [Full story »] 

Pike County FFA chapter are feeding two black Angus steers at the high school FFA barn as part of the group's big fundraiser for the year. [Full story »] 

By Dwain W. Penn

A new business may open soon in downtown Concord behind the Strickland building. The idea was discussed at the Aug. 9 meeting of council. [Full story »] 

A Prayer Walk around the Pike County schools will start at 9 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 20 at the school campuses off Highway 19 south. The event is hosted by Prayer Power of Georgia. [Full story »] 

Summer has been a busy time for construction crews working on the many different bond projects on Pike County Schools campuses. The current projects include a new area for pre-K classrooms, a complete overhaul of the Pirates stadium, construction of a track at the Pike County Middle School as well as an upgraded webpage at pike.k12.ga.us and more.

Middle and high school open house will be held from 3 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 17.

Pre-K, primary and elementary school and Ninth Grade open house will be held from 3 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 18.

The first day of school will be Monday, Aug. 22. [Full story »]