James November-December 2024 web - Flipbook - Page 41
free entertainment, historical and educational displays,
food vendors and the Peanut Parade headlined by—
who else?—Mr. Peanut!
Savannah October marked Fort Pulaski’s 100th an-
Albany Flint River Fresh is a successful “Farm to
School” program in southwest Georgia addressing three
important priorities for local students: sustainable agriculture, food insecurity and education. A $25,000 grant
from Archer-Daniels Midland Company through the
ADM Cares initiative will expand the program to schools
in Dougherty and Sumter counties, developing curriculums for students of all ages as they get hands-on experience in backyard gardens to learn about agriculture,
cooking, conservation, and more. “ADM has been a consistent supporter of Flint River Fresh for several years
now,” the organization’s chairman, Marty McLendon,
said. “Investment from our local community through
volunteerism, donations, grants, and collaboration is
critical to the success of Flint River Fresh. ADM is a
prime example of this commitment.”
Macon Macon-Bibb County officials are launching an innovative new program to help clean up streets. MaconGigs.com is an online platform that allows residents to
apply for “side gigs” where they will be paid for cleaning
and maintaining certain county sidewalks and rights-ofway. Each Macon-Bibb commissioner has discretion over
$30,000 that can be used for public safety needs, and
that pool of funds can be used for MaconGigs to keep
streets and neighborhoods clean as well as a source of
extra cash for local residents or even vendors looking for
an entry point into county contracting work.
Plains The Sumter County city celebrated the 27th annual Plains Peanut Festival to mark the harvest of
South Georgia’s most famous cash crop—the peanut!
The home of former President Jimmy Carter—known
as the World’s Most Famous Peanut Farmer—and the late
First Lady Rosalynn Carter, Plains is the center of the
peanut farming world. Georgia leads the nation in annual peanut production, accounting for nearly half of
all the peanuts grown in the U.S. The festival included
niversary as a national monument—a fact celebrated
by the National Park Service as it looked back on the
fort’s important role in Georgia history. Pulaski, built
on tiny Cockspur Island between Savannah and Tybee
Island, was erected over 250 years ago to protect the nascent United States and the newly constructed Port of
Savannah from foreign adversaries. It was a key military
stronghold during the War Between the States—but became the victim of the first tests of the rifled cannon,
which rendered its brick fortifications obsolete. Following the war it became a national landmark. Overseen
by the National Park Service, it has been restored and
preserved to stand as a true Georgia cultural artifact for
future generations.
Senoia Few Georgia cities have seen more growth over
the past decade than this Coweta County city about
35 miles south of Atlanta. Sparked in part by virtue of
hosting the production of the hit TV series The Walking
Dead, local officials parlayed their good press into an
expansion of city limits and redevelopment of its Main
Street area. Now Senoia is asking residents to make
their voices heard by taking part in the Connect Senoia study that will examine all facets of the next decade regarding growth—from zoning regulations, housing developments and transit possibilities, while being
sure to protect the city’s small-town charm.
Whitfield County Obstacle course racing might sound
like a silly exhibition, but when the sport’s national
championships came to North Georgia the competition was deadly serious because a major prize was on
the line: a chance to qualify for the 2028 Olympics. The
2024 USA Obstacle Course Racing National Championship, known as the Phoenix Race, was held at Rocky
Face Ridge Park just north of Dalton. Competitors in
both professional and open heats faced a challenging
course, and winners earned a spot on the USAOCR
2025 Team to compete at the WO World Championship
where Olympic qualification is on the line. The Los Angeles 2028 Summer Games will include obstacle course
racing as a new event for the first time as part of the
Modern Pentathlon.
If you’ve got news from your local community
to share with our readers, please email us.
phickey@insideradvantage.com
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