The Chatter Box
By Deborah Bennett

Rain fell over the weekend in Jenkins County - finally. It has been so long since we have had a drenching rain that I kept going out onto my front porch to make sure I was not imagining it.

We had almost five inches in the rain gauge at my home while others across the county reported varying amounts from 2½ inches to 4 inches. Every drop that fell was a welcomed relief from the Level-II drought that has gripped the state. But by noon Sunday there were few puddles to be seen. The thirsty ground absorbed the moisture very quickly.

The rain was also welcomed by those fighting wildfires in South Georgia and Florida. I heard on the news that the fire in Waycross is now 85 percent contained, but thousands of acres have already burned.

While the rain was a welcomed relief, it should also be noted that the drought has not ended, and water restrictions still apply.

******

We welcome Field Manley as our summer intern this week. Field is a journalism student at Georgia Southern University and will be working with us through a grant program provided by the Georgia Press Association.

Welcome to Jenkins County, Field.

******

Happy birthday this week to: Sarah Jenkins, Allyson B. Williams, Marissa Murphy, Tori Smith, Debbie Richards, Kimberly Godbee, Ginger D. Lanier, Robert Pierce, Shirley Dwight, Trevor Weathersby, Susan D. Godbee, Gayla Landing and Bryan Weatherford.

******

Celebrating wedding anniversaries this week are: Mr. and Mrs. Alvin Burke.

******

Military Active Duty List: Capt. Andrew P. Thomas, U.S. Marines, 2nd Marine Division, F.A.S.T. Company, Bahrain, Persian Gulf; Stuart Burrus, U.S. Air Force, BAFB, LA; SPC 4 Travis D. Motes, 1st Calvary Division, Camp Taji, Iraq; Capt. Donald Slade Burke, Travis Air Force Base, Fairfield, Calif.; SPC Grade E4 Arthur Lamont Milton Jr., HHC 1-36 Infantry Support, Friedberg, Germany; Staff Sgt. Gilbert C. Sheppard III, 48th Brigade, 118th Field Artillery, Ft. Stewart; Petty Officer 2nd Class Jamie A. Yager, U.S. Navy, Maryland; Petty Chief Officer Andy D. Crosby, U.S. Navy, Elroy Destroyer, Norfolk, Va.; Stephanie Crosby, R.N., U.S. Navy, Lafayette Destroyer; LCPL Dwain "Cade" Lee, 1st Marine Division Combat Service Support Group II Security Element, ArRamadi, Iraq; Jimmy Cooper, U.S. Army National Guard, 878th Engineering Battalion Augusta, Persian Gulf ; 1st Lt. J.R. Taylor, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Iraq; SPC. Daniel Stuart, 18th MEDCOM, 121 General Hospital, Seoul, Korea; Sgt. 1st Class Steven Yager, 362nd Sig. Company, Korea; MM3 Jeffrey Sweat, U.S. Navy, USS Kauffman, MM3 59/E-Division, A-Gang, Norfolk, Va.; Cpl. Larry Lamont Clark, U.S. Marine Corp, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C. Bagdad, Iraq; Khan Young, U.S. Navy, U.S.S. Kitty Hawk, Persian Gulf; Robert Milton Jr., E-3, U.S. Army, Ft. Stewart, Hinesville, Ga., Mission Kuwait; SFC Ronnie Perryman, E-7, Georgia Army National Guard, Battery A, 118th Field Artillery Regiment, 48th Brigade Combat Team; Arnold R. Mosley, 2nd Lt., U.S. Air Force, Randolph AFB, Texas; and Debra A. Mosley, Tech. Sgt., U.S. Air Force, Randolph AFB, Texas.