Entries from May 2015
Dr. Frank Bunnell (05-28-15)
DANIELSVILLE - Dr. Frank Morrow Bunnell, 81, passed away on Thursday, May 28, 2015, at the St. Mary’s Hospital in Athens. Dr. Bunnell was born in Orlando, Fla., on March 17, 1934, the son of the late Maurice Frank Bunnell and Genevive Morrow Bunnell. He was a Doctor of Veterinarian Medicine and of the Episcopalian denomination. Dr. Bunnell ...
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OPINION: Some musings on Memorial Day
There are certain dates that beg for perspective taking, when really participating means considering your own position within the greater context of your country and your world, your now and your past.
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Homegrown power: Local man works for energy independence
Correll Dillard’s dog, “Hank,” keeps the deer from eating up the garden, while Dillard works on a bigger issue at his Madison County boyhood home and farm — creating energy independently.
Dillard is by profession, a “problem solver.” The Madison County High School graduate has made a good living helping the U.S. Defense Department tackle its computer issues, often traveling from one military base to another, working on developing efficient technological systems.
But the current Gwinnett County resident prefers the open green pasture and quiet of his childhood home where his mother lives, working outside with Hank and his hands on being energy independent at a small-scale level. Dillard said he watched James Burke’s BBC documentary series “Connections” in 1978, which included episode #1, “The Trigger Effect,” detailing the world’s dependence on complex technological networks.
“That had a profound effect on me,” said Dillard. “I saw that we live in a technological society that cannot sustain itself.”
Dillard said he’s not a “doomsdayer,” but said he wants to put his problem-solving skills to a really big task — how can a society prepare for an energy systems failure? And he sees his work and his family property as part of the answer.
So he’s invested thousands of hours and dollars over the past four years on a “pilot project” to establish a self-sustaining farm that generates its own energy. This has included creating his own ethanol and biodiesel fuel, as well as his own solar energy. All of this, is at a small-scale level. He’s not at a point where he could pull the property off the power grid. For instance, Dillard has two solar panels running into a workshop that produce 100 watts of electricity each. He said it would take about 30-to-40 panels for a household to be able to pull off the power grid.
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Dillard is by profession, a “problem solver.” The Madison County High School graduate has made a good living helping the U.S. Defense Department tackle its computer issues, often traveling from one military base to another, working on developing efficient technological systems.
But the current Gwinnett County resident prefers the open green pasture and quiet of his childhood home where his mother lives, working outside with Hank and his hands on being energy independent at a small-scale level. Dillard said he watched James Burke’s BBC documentary series “Connections” in 1978, which included episode #1, “The Trigger Effect,” detailing the world’s dependence on complex technological networks.
“That had a profound effect on me,” said Dillard. “I saw that we live in a technological society that cannot sustain itself.”
Dillard said he’s not a “doomsdayer,” but said he wants to put his problem-solving skills to a really big task — how can a society prepare for an energy systems failure? And he sees his work and his family property as part of the answer.
So he’s invested thousands of hours and dollars over the past four years on a “pilot project” to establish a self-sustaining farm that generates its own energy. This has included creating his own ethanol and biodiesel fuel, as well as his own solar energy. All of this, is at a small-scale level. He’s not at a point where he could pull the property off the power grid. For instance, Dillard has two solar panels running into a workshop that produce 100 watts of electricity each. He said it would take about 30-to-40 panels for a household to be able to pull off the power grid.
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OPINION: What is the Fourth Amendment in the digital age?
“The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”
— The Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution
When you boot up your computer or talk on your cell phone, should you have any expectation of privacy?
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— The Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution
When you boot up your computer or talk on your cell phone, should you have any expectation of privacy?
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Schools seek input on planning
Madison County School System officials invite citizens to give their input on Madison County School System’s 2015-2016 Comprehensive Local Education Agency (LEA) Implementation Plan (CLIP) and the accompanying CLIP descriptors.
In these plans, the school district proposes how it will budget and spend federal money to enhance the academic achievement of our students. In addition, officials are seeking input for the 2015-2016 Madison County School System Parent Involvement Policy. The plans will be available for review in the Professional Learning Center from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday, June 8, 2015.
The Professional Learning Center is located in the Board of Education Office (old middle school) at 800 Madison Street in Danielsville. Parents who review these plans will be encouraged to provide written feedback. In addition, plans may be viewed on the Madison County School System website in late July at www.madison.k12.ga.us. Comments using the e-mail address provided on the website are welcomed, officials said.
For more information, contact curriculum Director Brittan Ayers at 706-795-2191, ext. 1430 or bayers@madison.k12.ga.us.
In these plans, the school district proposes how it will budget and spend federal money to enhance the academic achievement of our students. In addition, officials are seeking input for the 2015-2016 Madison County School System Parent Involvement Policy. The plans will be available for review in the Professional Learning Center from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday, June 8, 2015.
The Professional Learning Center is located in the Board of Education Office (old middle school) at 800 Madison Street in Danielsville. Parents who review these plans will be encouraged to provide written feedback. In addition, plans may be viewed on the Madison County School System website in late July at www.madison.k12.ga.us. Comments using the e-mail address provided on the website are welcomed, officials said.
For more information, contact curriculum Director Brittan Ayers at 706-795-2191, ext. 1430 or bayers@madison.k12.ga.us.
City of Carlton recognized as Firewise community
Mark Wiles presented the City of Carlton the Firewise Communities/USA status award at the May 5 Carlton city council meeting.
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Madison County Class of 2015 to graduate Friday
Madison County High School’s Class of 2015 valedictorian and salutatorian are excited for this next phase of life and all that it entails, but a little sad too.
“At the FFA banquet Tuesday night I cried and cried,” valedictorian Sarah Spradlin admitted. “I’m excited about moving forward, but I’m also torn to pieces about leaving this ‘family’ we’ve become with our class and with FFA.”
Salutatorian Anna Crouse agreed.
“I am excited too, but it is a little scary starting this new phase,” she said. “I’m going to miss my friends from this class and the underclassmen I’ve become friends with too.”
Spradlin and Crouse will both speak at the commencement ceremonies scheduled for Friday night at the Classic Center in Athens.
Spradlin will attend the University of Georgia this fall with a major in agriculture communications. She said she hopes to use her degree for a career in some type of international service, such as foreign service or foreign agriculture service.
“I’d like to be some type of ambassador either as a counselor (in foreign service) that helps provide aid and relief services to other countries, facilitates international adoptions or other types of services like this or if I work in the ag program, I’d like to help other countries with their agriculture production and help develop an ag program for them that would (ultimately) help the world economy,” she said.
She is also excited about the idea of traveling to different places in the world.
Crouse will attend Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville and live on campus there. She said she’s not quite sure what her major will be yet but is leaning toward either exercise science or physical therapy.
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“At the FFA banquet Tuesday night I cried and cried,” valedictorian Sarah Spradlin admitted. “I’m excited about moving forward, but I’m also torn to pieces about leaving this ‘family’ we’ve become with our class and with FFA.”
Salutatorian Anna Crouse agreed.
“I am excited too, but it is a little scary starting this new phase,” she said. “I’m going to miss my friends from this class and the underclassmen I’ve become friends with too.”
Spradlin and Crouse will both speak at the commencement ceremonies scheduled for Friday night at the Classic Center in Athens.
Spradlin will attend the University of Georgia this fall with a major in agriculture communications. She said she hopes to use her degree for a career in some type of international service, such as foreign service or foreign agriculture service.
“I’d like to be some type of ambassador either as a counselor (in foreign service) that helps provide aid and relief services to other countries, facilitates international adoptions or other types of services like this or if I work in the ag program, I’d like to help other countries with their agriculture production and help develop an ag program for them that would (ultimately) help the world economy,” she said.
She is also excited about the idea of traveling to different places in the world.
Crouse will attend Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville and live on campus there. She said she’s not quite sure what her major will be yet but is leaning toward either exercise science or physical therapy.
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MCHS holds annual Red and Gray game
By Dallas Bordon The Red Raider football team had one final warm up before breaking for summer last Friday night. The annual Red and Gray football game closed spring practice giving Raider faithful a glimpse at the upcoming season. This year’s squad lost 21 players to graduation from 2014 and is without key players Cameron Stevenson and ...
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Madison Co. BOC to meet June 1
The Madison County Board of Commissioners will meet at 6:30 p.m., Monday, June 1, in the county government complex.
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Nancy Nix (05-25-15)
ATHENS - Nancy Katherine Freeman Nix, 95, died Monday, May 25, 2015. Born in Madison County, she was the daughter of the late Grover C. and Carzzie Williams Freeman. She was retired from Cannon Mills and was a member of Prince Avenue Baptist Church. She is survived by her husband, Victor C. Nix. Graveside services were held Wednesday, May 27, ...
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