Smoke House Barbecue Pub & Bar, 118 N. Jackson St., is a wholesome environment where customers can have a great time and enjoy great food, according to owner Jessie Anthony

The United States, after hundreds of years of legal history, has implemented a system that makes sure everyone who comes through the court system gets a voice. There seems to have been, until recently thanks to such programs as CASA and others, a forgotten group of citizens who have not been allowed that voice. Children get their “best interests” represented by well meaning adults, and when those adults have their own ideas, children have no choice.
Our children seldom get the opportunity to speak for themselves, and sometimes, what they have to say is well worth hearing.

The Sumter County Board of Elections & Voter Registration voted at a special-called meeting Saturday to purchase a new electronic voting machine for approximately $2,800 for the office of Elections Supervisor Sherry Ratliff.

• Name: Greg E. Hancock
• Age: 43
• Residence: Leslie
• Education: graduate of Southland Academy in 1982 and a graduate of Gupton-Jones College of Funeral Service in Decatur in 1993.
• Family: wife is Lisa Hancock; two children, Gregory Hancock and Nicki Bennett.
• Experience: eight years experience as the coroner of Sumter County, attended over 500 hours of training in death care, homicide, suicide, child deaths, mass fatality, bio-hazard deaths, pandemics, and ethics.

• Name: Bobby Harris
• Age: 46
• Residence: 427 S. Lee St.
• Education: Atlanta Area Technical School (certification for private security and private detective), Berean College – diploma in specialized ministry and a certificate in ministerial studies, South Georgia Technical College – GED, Gupton-Jones College of Mortuary Science – diploma in funeral service (honor graduate), Georgia Emergency Management Agency – seminar in mass casualty and terrorism preparedness, Federal Emergency Management Agency – certificate of mass fatalities incidents, completed training prescribed by State of Georgia as a life insurance agent, Georgia Eye Bank – certified trained enucleator
• Family: wife, Lynn Hancock Harris; children: Angela, Jairus, and Tatum; grandchildren: Gabe, Nikki, Riley
• Experience: Previously registered with Secretary of State Board of private security/private detective and have work experience as a private security officer, is a licensed funeral director and embalmer, and have 26 years of service in death care, worked with the state of Georgia with special needs and mental behavior individuals for several years, have held Insurance license 10 years and held ministerial credentials for many years.

Brett Murray of Americus, chief investigator/jail administrator for the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, has joined South Georgia Technical College (SGTC) as its new Law Enforcement Academy program director, announced South Georgia Technical College President Sparky Reeves.

The following health inspections were recently conducted by the Environmental Health Services Offices, Sumter County Health Department.

Southwest Georgia CASA (Court-Appointed Court Advocate) announces three new board members. Plez Hardin, David Garrison and Jolie Ledger were appointed by the existing board in August and were eligible to vote at meetings starting September.

The Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) met Thursday and approved the following items

The Albany Marine Corps Band is scheduled to present a free concert at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in Jackson Performance Hall, Georgia Southwestern State University (GSW).

The annual Existing Industry and Business Appreciation Fish Fry is an opportunity for the Sumter County community show its appreciation to its major employers.

Cookies and Girl Scouts go hand in hand.

The phones at the office of Sherry Ratliff, Sumter County’s supervisor of elections, were ringing off the hook Thursday morning. Voters had received two voter registration cards in the mail presenting them with different locations to vote.
Confused, residents wanted answers as thoughts of possible voter fraud and more ran through their heads.

On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, approximately 1,000 model airplane pilots and spectators will gather at Hodges Hobbies’ Field for the Dan Stevens Memorial Fly In.
The event, which has been held for the past several years, was renamed this year for Stevens, a model airplane enthusiast, who died Sept. 2.
Born in 1935, Stevens loved airplanes and started building models at an early age. A crew member with the Thunderbirds during his time in the U.S. Air Force, Stevens was called “Mr. Airplane” because, according to friend Mac Hodges, “he knew more about building, finding the center of gravity on complicated planes or anything you wanted to know.”
Hodges said that “Dan could identify any World War II-era military plane. Not only could he identify it, but he could tell you all about it. Dan was a smart guy with loads of common sense and always had the most practical answer to any problem or situation.
“He won many fun fly contests over the years, and designed the Stick-It which was kitted and became a popular fun fly plane. He had the never-give-up attitude when just flying around or in competition,” said Hodges.
“Dan and I go back a long way,” said Hodges. “I first met D

Mike Leeder, Georgia Southwestern State University (GSW) men’s basketball coach, said at the Rotary meeting Tuesday that any business must effectively sell their products or services to be successful.