The Chatter Box
By Deborah Bennett

Christmas is over, and 2008 is looming on the horizon. Hopefully, the new year will be kinder to Jenkins County than 2007.

In 2007, we lost numerous jobs due to plant closings, saw an unexpected Easter freeze devastate crops, endured the worse drought in 100-year period and saw the price of gasoline, milk, bread, eggs, and just about everything else, skyrocket. However, Jenkins County still has a lot going for it, and I hope that we will be able to capitalize on our assets in the coming year and overcome the hardships of 2007.

No, everything is not perfect, but that is true of all communities. So, let's bid farewell to 2007 and welcome 2008 with enthusiasm, believing it is going to be a better year for all of our citizens.

Happy New Year!

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The Millen News will be closed Monday, Dec. 31, and Tuesday, Jan. 1. News items for inclusion in the Jan. 2, 2008 edition should be submitted by noon, Thursday, Dec. 27. We appreciate your cooperation in this matter.

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Happy birthday this week to: Angie Wilkerson, Tejas Sardar, Alistair Campbell, Carrie Cook, Wally Sasser Sr., Charlie Davis Jr., Hud McTeer, Charlie Davis Jr., Al Knight, Mary Hydrick, Horace Weathersby III, Megan Johnson, Chester Joyner, Nicole Wilson, Sandra McNeely, Roger Green and Debbie Davis.

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Celebrating wedding anniversaries this week are: Mr. and Mrs. Glen Wilkerson.

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Military Active Duty List: Petty Officer 3rd Class Eric B. Kelsey, U.S. Navy, NSA Bahrain; PV2 Ashley Clifton, U.S. Army, Yongsan, Korea; Airman First Class Charles F. Woods, Moody Air Force Base, Valdosta, GA; Capt. Andrew P. Thomas, U.S. Marines, 2nd Marines, F.A.S.T. Company, Yorktown, VA; Stuart Burrus, U.S. Air Force, Ali Al Salem AFB, Kuwait; SPC 4 Travis D. Motes, 1st Calvary Division, Camp Taji, Iraq; Capt. Donald Slade Burke, Travis Air Force Base, Fairfield, Calif.; Staff Sgt. Gilbert C. Sheppard III, 48th Brigade, 118th Field Artillery, Iraq; Petty Officer 3rd Class Jamie A. Yager, U.S. Navy, Marine Corps Base Hawaii; 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; Jeffrey Sweat, U.S. Navy, USS Kauffman, MM3 59/E-Division, AGang, 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; 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.