The new voice you hear answering the telephone at the news office is that of Melissa Grier. We welcomed her to our staff Oct. 1 through the Experience Works program.

Melissa is a recent graduate of Swainsboro Technical College with a diploma in Business Office Technology, and she holds a Microsoft Office Specialist certificate. She will be working the front desk which means that I will be able to get out and about again covering the news.

Welcome, Melissa!

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Those attending the Oct. 1 town meeting received some encouraging news from local leaders with the announcements that Doctor's Hospice of Georgia, Inc. has signed a Letter of Intent to locate a hospice hospital here and that the Corrections Corporation of America was bidding on the location of a 1,000 bed facility in Jenkins County.

With so many of our citizens out of work, this was hopeful news. I look forward to hearing more about both projects.

A public meeting has been scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 12, at the new school gymnasium to discuss the "prospect" of the location of the prison in Jenkins County. This is a very important meeting, and everyone is encouraged to attend.

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The annual Fair-on-the-Square was another success story. Attendance was good, and all reports indicate that it was a day of fun-filled activities. Kudos to all involved.

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Happy birthday this week to: Howard Siebert, Shirley Herrmann, Kim Garvin, Johnny Thomas, Harold Moore, Jay Bowers, Shirline Dudley, Jody Bowers, Gail Bassett, Nancy Blanchard, Caroline McTeer, Kristby W. Wallace, Johnny Becton Jr. and Daniel Smith.

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Celebrating wedding anniversaries are: Mr. and Mrs. Charlie Jones, Mr. and Mrs. Bobby James, Mr. and Mrs. Roy Cook, Mr. and Mrs. Dana Edenfield and Mr. and Mrs. Midge Chance.

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Military Active Duty List: PV2 Brianna Joiner, U.S. Army National Guard, Ft. Leonardwood, MO; PV2 Jeremy Johnson, U.S. Army, 59th Quartermaster Company, Ft. Carson, Colorado; Ronnie Perryman, Charlie Troop, 108th Calvary Division, 4th Platoon, Afghanistan; Lance Cpl. Adam Lanier, U.S. Marines, 8th & I Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C.; E-4 Sr. Airman Roy Davis, U.S. Air Force, RAF Molesworth, United Kingdom; Lance Cpl. Patrick Barnette, U.S. Marines, Baharia, Iraq; Sgt. Adam Demshar, 44th Signal Battalion, Baghdad, Iraq; Cpl. Lee Ogden, U.S. Marines, Camp Pendleton, CA; E5 Petty Officer 2nd Class Eric B. Kelsey, U.S. Navy, NSA Naples, Italy; Senior Airman Charles F. Woods, Moody Air Force Base, Valdosta, GA; Stuart Burrus, U.S. Air Force, Osan AFB, Korea; SPC 4 Travis D. Motes, 1st Calvary Division, T. Hood, Texas; Capt. Donald Slade Burke, 735th Air Mobility Squadron Detachment 1 Commander, Richmond Royal Australian AFB, Richmond, Australia; 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; 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, 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; 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; and SPC Charles "C.J." Amerson, U.S. Army, Camp Adder, Iraq.