Schley County’s new board of education member sworn in
On Sept. 25, Leandra R. Lumpkin was sworn in by Schley County Probate Judge Mitzi Way as the new Schley County Board of Education member.
Leandra is the wife of R.T. Lumpkin. They have two children Trypp, a seventh-grader and Kylee, second-grader.  Both Lumpkin children attend Schley County Schools.
Leandra  was raised here in Schley County and was educated in the Schley County School system as well. She has a degree in computer information system and  she is employed with People’s Bank of Talbotton.
Leandra is very excited  to have been appointed to this great position as she will represent the district she live in. Knowing Leandra the way that I know her she will be a real asset to the school system as she serves on the board of Education.
Congratulations.

River Valley  Regional Commission meets on comprehensive plan
On Oct. 1, the River Valley Regional Commission (RVRC) held a special meeting on the comprehensive plan for the city and county. This was for the Ellaville and Schley County residents  to come together to give suggestions and ideas about what we can do as a whole to help the betterment of our community, city and county.
The meeting was led by Gerald Mixon of the RVRC in Americus.
This is a state-mandated plan. This is how our local government and others can get help with grants and loans. This is planning for the future.
Mixon asked questions, wanting input from all. For example, what about housing for the public, downtown and businesses. How great out schools and how we can improve our community. The plan will be active for five years when we decided on which ones to have as projects.
We were told that Schley County was growing in population more than Macon, Marion, Sumter or Taylor counties. This is due to the excellent school system here and for seniors retiring here.
It was told that public services were cutting back, like postal service, and mobile home manufacturing has gone. We need places like assisted living here since a lot of our residents have to go to Americus. We could have a motel here on the new U.S. Highway 19.
There will be two or three more meetings. The next is at 7 p.m. Oct. 19 at the Board of Commissioners Conference Room. Come and bring some ideas about our community.

Alaskan Tundra  Mission Team has returned
This special mission team left on Sept. 18 for another trip to Alaska. They arrived in Nome, Alaska, around midnight Friday where they were met by Aaron Cooper, their missionary in Nome  and the Tundra Region. They stayed at the Nome Community Baptist Church Friday and Saturday nights.
They worked at the church on a project on Saturday and worshipped there on Sunday morning before packing up and heading to the village of Teller.
While in Teller, the men worked on construction projects to help the locals get ready for the cold weather, the team hosted afternoon and night games, hair cuts, crafts and food. The natives were introduced to pecan bars and peach cobbler and loved them both.
While in Teller, art of the team got to fly to Brevig Mission, which is another village about six miles  away. The only access to this village is by plane or boat. They were able to make some contact and talk about Vacation Bible School in the summer.
The mission team arrived back home on Sept. 26.
The  team consisted of Mack and Bebe Herrington, Eddie and Sharon Watson, John and Dawn Knapp, Ken McKenny, Duane Register, Gwen Smith, Martha Arrington, Susan Johnson and George Handley.
It was a great trip and they are looking forward to moving into another village to share the  love of Christ  along with their continued efforts in Teller. Their next trips will be planned for March and June of 2016.

Ellaville Methodist choir sings at Perfect Care
On Oct. 1, the Ellaville United Methodist Church Choir sang for the residents of Perfect Care in Americus. This choir enjoys visiting once a month to sing.
Those who were Wayne and Nora Morrow, Jody and Donna Dillard, Kiley, Judah and Benjamin Rayburn, Judy McClellon, Maci Lawhorn, Evelyn Stembridge, Jonathan Beckum, Lee Ann Morris, Olivia Mallicheck, Sharon Wall, Judy Gattis, Jenny Frantz, Ty Gill and choir director Mary Nan Pilcher. Wayne Morrow played his harmonica and Jonathan Beckum sang, and closed with prayer.

Schley County 4-H meets for leadership training
Schley County 4-Hers and three other counties came together to attend a 4-H Leadership Training Class. This was held in Taylor County.
The students from here that attended were Anna Trussell and Maribeth Arthur. The courses were designed to give 4-Hers skills needed to have specific responsibilities and leadership roles at 4-H events. Topics discussed were What is a Teen Leader?,  How to Handle Conflict, communications, activities to keep them busy and what is expected at 4-H camps.
After completion of this training each teen will be given a Teen Leader Certificate and a name badge. This will enable each one of them to help with overnight trips and other 4-H events in a leadership role.
The counties that participated in the training were Schley, Marion, Taylor and Peach. They all appreciated the Taylor County 4-H for hosting this great training session. Those that taught were Brenda Welch, Schley; Joan Rogers, Marion; Sherry Wallar, Taylor; and Kate Whiting, Peach.
If any child would like to be active in 4-H contact your local Extension Office for more information.