During a recent visit to Albany, Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler shared his thoughts on the impact the new Georgia Pacific lumber production facility would have on the local economy.
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(File Photo by Walter L. Johnson II)
Press Release courtesy of Phoebe Putney Health System
Albany, Ga. – Phoebe’s Main and North Campuses are now officially recognized as StormReady Supporters by the National Weather Service (NWS) and the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA). To earn the designation, an institution must prove it has a means to receive and relay severe weather warnings, maintain a hazardous weather response plan, have a safe sheltering location and conduct preparedness activities and drills.
“In Phoebe’s 107-year history, we have served this community through numerous natural disasters, including the flood of 1994 and the twin storms in January 2017,” said Joel Wernick, Phoebe Pres. & CEO. “Phoebe is a vital part of every disaster response in our area. The community expects us to step up and meet their healthcare needs in times of crisis, and this designation shows our commitment to making sure we can do that,” Wernick added.
Phoebe regularly conducts disaster drills both internally and in conjunction with multiple community partners. As part of our communication plan, any time severe weather threatens our area, we have a system that automatically sends an email to all employees whenever the NWS issues a severe weather warning for their work location. “Our workforce must be ready to respond immediately if a weather disaster strikes,” said Gary Rice, Phoebe Manager of Security and Emergency Preparedness. “We do all we can to keep them informed and safe when severe weather is possible and to make sure they are ready to put our disaster response plan into effect any time it is needed.”
Phoebe maintains a strong partnership with the NWS, including active participation in any conference calls and webinars when severe weather is forecast for our area. The NWS office in Tallahassee, FL recently sent Phoebe a StormReady supporter certificate in honor of the hospital’s proactive approach to emergency communication and preparedness. In a letter announcing the certification, NWS Warning Coordination Meteorologist Mark Wool wrote, “This recognition clearly indicates this hospital’s dedication to providing its patients, employees and visitors with the best possible emergency preparedness. The community is well served by these capabilities.”
September is National Preparedness Month, a time to remind you of the importance of preparing for a potential disaster by learning lifesaving skills, making an emergency plan for your family, putting together an emergency kit and reviewing your insurance policies.
“We are proud to have earned this StormReady designation,” said Rice, “and during National Preparedness Month, we encourage all southwest Georgians to think about their readiness to deal with a disaster and to prepare accordingly to keep their families safe.”
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Editor’s Note: Any and all historical information is courtesy of the Georgia High School Football Historians Association at http://www.ghsfha.org/. All games listed are played on Fridays unless otherwise indicated.
FIRST DOWN: Sherwood Christian (0-2) at Pataula Charter (0-2)
The Eagles travel to Edison to play against the Panthers in a GICAA vs. GHSA battle between winless teams. SCA has lost 29 straight games dating back to the beginning of the 2015 season, with their last win coming in the 2014 GICAA Class AA state championship game. On November 21 of that year, the Eagles beat Calvary Christian for their lone state title in their inaugural GICAA campaign, finishing at 10-1 overall.
As for Pataula Charter, the Panthers have been outscored 106-14 in both games, both losses. Pataula opened their 2018 season with a 54-14 loss to fellow charter school rival Baconton Charter, followed by a 52-0 shutout loss to Aucilla Christian (Fla.) last week.
SECOND DOWN: Pelham (2-0) vs. Baconton Charter (1-0)–at Centennial Stadium, Camilla (Thursday, August 30)
Speaking of the Blazers, they had a bye last week after pounding Pataula in their opener on August 17. They hope to start a season at 2-0 for the first time in their program’s nine-year history against a Hornets squad that has pitched shutouts in their first two games. Pelham crushed Macon County 41-0 in the season opener for both teams two weeks ago, followed by a 57-0 rout over Randolph-Clay last week.
THIRD DOWN: Peach County (1-0) at Lee County (2-0)
“Trojan Bowl II” takes place at Trojan Field in Leesburg, as the defending GHSA Class 6A state champion Lee County Trojans play host to last year’s GHSA Class 3A state runner-up Peach County Trojans from Fort Valley. While the Trojans from Leesburg have outscored their first two opponents in Dougherty and Dr. Phillips (Fla.) 82-9 in their first two games, the Trojans from Fort Valley pulled off the upset over Region 1-6A Northside-Warner Robins 27-24 at the Macon Touchdown Club Kickoff Classic in Macon. So far, Lee County’s defense has held its opponents to minus-39 yards of total offense.
FOURTH DOWN (GAME OF THE WEEK): Westover (0-1) vs. Monroe (2-0)–at Hugh Mills Stadium, Albany
The Patriots and Tornadoes will square off for the 49th time this week, with Monroe leading the all-time series 30-17-1. Monroe has won the last four meetings over Westover, with the Tornadoes last loss to the Patriots coming in 2013. Both Albany-based programs have played each other every year since 1970, Westover’s second year of varsity football.
The inaugural meeting that season ended in a 14-14 tie, with Monroe winning 30 of the next 47 meetings. The main match-up to watch for in this year’s contest will be between Tornadoes quarterback David Dillard and Westover linebacker Jamie Pettway. According to maxpreps.com, Dillard has passed for 482 yards and four touchdowns in wins over Jordan and Terrell County, while rushing for 231 more yards and eight touchdowns. Meanwhile, Pettway has drawn interest from multiple SEC and ACC schools on the recruiting front. He helped the Patriots take Cook to the limit before losing 14-10 in their season opener on the road two weeks ago.
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