GSCS Nutrition Manager Supervisor Anita Berry with the Gold Scroll Award

Griffin-Spalding County School System (GSCS) nutrition professionals attended the Annual Georgia School Nutrition Association (GSNA) Conference in Augusta, GA on April 18-20, 2024. The GSCS Nutrition Program was recognized among the best of the best in the state by receiving the prestigious Gold Scroll Award. The Gold Scroll Award is the highest honor a school nutrition program in Georgia can receive.

In addition to receiving the Gold Scroll Award, numerous schools were recognized for consistently high and increasing breakfast and lunch participation.

GSCS Superintendent Dr. Keith Simmons stated, “We are proud of our GSCS Nutrition Department for the work they do every day, which has led to this important recognition.”

“I appreciate the leadership from GSCS Nutrition Director Robert Wheeler, GSCS Nutrition Manager Supervisor Anita Berry and GSCS Nutrition and Wellness Coordinator Janet Clowers for offering new and tasty menu options to increase student participation in breakfast and lunch,” stated GSCS Deputy Superintendent Dr. Donald Warren.

GSNA is the state’s professional organization of school food service employees. GSNA is affiliated with the School Nutrition Association, a national nonprofit organization that represents school nutrition professionals across the nation.

Have we in Griffin and Spalding County lowered our standard by honoring Doc Holliday with a festival and promoting, what is presumed to be fact but not sure, that Griffin is the place where the worst womanizer, drunk and killer is buried?

I am afraid that someone may hold a festival honoring the killers of Timothy Coggins.

Looking deeper, have we lowered our standard more recent than the Doc Holliday days by electing a person to serve as sheriff who has admitted to stealing from the evidence room when working as a city police officer. He also resigned a position of jailer, years ago, for having sex with a female inmate which is criminal.

Have we reached the bottom of the barrel for promoting Doc Holliday a killer and womanizer and electing Darrell Dix who admitted stealing from the Griffin Police evidence room and having sex with an inmate?

According to the US Census Bureau in 2022, Spalding County was more diverse than it was in 2010.

In 2022, the white (non-Hispanic) group made up 54.8% of the population compared with 60.9% in 2010.

Between 2010 and 2022, the share of the population that is Black (non-Hispanic) grew the most, increasing 3.6 percentage points to 36.4%.

The white (non-Hispanic) population had the largest decrease dropping 6.1 percentage points to 54.8%.

How old is the population in Spalding County?

Among six age groups — 0 to 4, 5 to 19, 20 to 34, 35 to 49, 50 to 64, and 65 and older — the 65+ group was the fastest growing between 2010 and 2022 with its population increasing 50.5%. The 35 to 49 age group declined the most dropping 7.7% between 2010 and 2022.

It appears your Griffin City Commissioners do not want you to know the number of contaminated water service lines that cause health hazards to children, babies, and the old.

We at griffinjournal have asked your Mayor on several occasions for the number of water service lines that are contaminated with lead, he said he would see to it and that was 3 weeks ago. Why do they refuse to reveal that number?

Millions in the U.S. could currently be at risk of consuming toxic material through their drinking water, according to a new survey released by the Environmental Protection Agency. The report found there are more than 9 million lead service lines – known to be a "significant source" of lead contamination – used to carry drinking water to homes throughout the nation.

Every state has at least a few thousand lead pipes, but two states stand out for their estimated numbers. Florida leads the nation with an estimated 1.16 million lead pipes, accounting for 12.62% of the country's total makeup. Illinois ranks second, with a little over 1 million pipes.

Lead pipes are known to pose a health hazard to those who rely on them for water, and are "typically the most significant source of lead in the water," according to the EPA.

"In homes with lead pipes that connect the home to the water main, also known as lead services lines, these pipes are typically the most significant source of lead in the water," the EPA says, adding that it's believed no amount of lead contamination can occur without health effects.

"Lead is a toxic metal that can be harmful to human health even at low exposure levels," the agency said. "Lead is persistent, and it can bioaccumulate in the body over time."

Children, babies, and fetuses are most at risk of being impacted by lead exposure, with even low levels being linked to nervous system damage, learning disabilities, hearing impairment, and other complications. Adults who are exposed could see cardiovascular, kidney, and reproductive problems.

The Biden administration announced in 2021 that it would use $15 billion from the bipartisan infrastructure bill to replace all of the lead water pipes in the country within the decade. Vice President Kamala Harris said at the time of the announcement that "there is no reason" millions of people should still be exposed. According to the White House, as many as 10 million homes rely on lead service pipes, and 400,000 schools and childcare facilities are also at risk of exposure.

Based on their findings, the EPA estimated that the nation will need $625 billion to revamp drinking water infrastructure, a 32% increase from the estimate determined in their last assessment four years prior. More than half of that money will need to go toward water distribution and transmission, the agency said.

With the release of the EPA's findings, the White House has already announced funding for states to improve their respective situations. In all, $6.5 billion will be provided to states for drinking water infrastructure upgrades, the White House said, with nearly $3 billion of that money going to "lead service line identification and replacement."

Florida – the state with the most lead lines in the nation – will receive more than $376 million, and Illinois will receive $332 million.

"Every community deserves access to safe, clean drinking water," EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in a press release. "...We have an unprecedented opportunity to revitalize America's drinking water systems, support the Biden-Harris Administration's goal of removing 100% of lead pipes across our country, and protect communities from PFAS pollution."

Last month, the EPA proposed for the first time a set of national standards for some per and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS), known as "forever chemicals" because of the significant amount of time it takes for them to break down. If approved, the standards would apply to six of the thousands of manmade PFAS, which have been linked to serious health issues, including cancer.

"EPA's proposal to establish a national standard for PFAS in drinking water is informed by the best available science, and would help provide states with the guidance they need to make decisions that best protect their communities," Regan said. "This action has the potential to prevent tens of thousands of PFAS-related illnesses and marks a major step toward safeguarding all our communities from these dangerous contaminants."

Doug Hollberg, Mayor of Griffin, seven city commissioners and your city manager Jessica O’Connor refuse to reveal the number of Griffin water service lines contaminated with lead.

Water flowing through those water lines fills your home with a deadly toxicity that is known to cause neurological problems in young children, behavioral disorders, and a low IQ. Lead is a dangerous thing.

Those people just named have made no effort to correct a problem that has lasted long enough which makes me wonder about the number of children and adults that have been affected by drinking contaminated Griffin water.

Should the Griffin service lines not be contaminated, then why has your mayor Hollberg not made a statement telling us so?

All old water service lines connected with lead should be removed from the earth, not only do they harm children and older people, but water service lines continue to contaminate the earth where they were placed.

It doesn’t make any difference if you have PVC water lines under your home; the city of Griffin continues using old outdated service lines pumping lead-contaminated water into your home.

Your city commissioners sit and do nothing.

At the recent Spalding County Commissioners meeting, Commissioner Taylor made a motion to approve $50,000 for District Attorney Marie Broder, a motion seconded by Dutton, for additional funds to be used to prosecute a capital murder case.

Broder, when making her request did not explain what the money would be used for, according to county reports. Nor did she offer to furnish the commissioners a running list of where each dollar would be spent.  In the commissioner's hast to give the 50,000 dollars to Broder, commissions failed to ask the DA to furnish the man’s name or an itemized list explaining where the money was spent and to whom received it.

Is that good government or not?

“VIII. NEW BUSINESS 1. Consider a request from Marie Broder, Spalding County District Attorney, for additional funding to prosecute a capital murder trial in response to the Marc McIntyre case.

Motion/Second by Flowers-Taylor/Dutton to approve $50,000 for the Spalding County District Attorney’s Office to prosecute a capital murder case involving Spalding County Deputy Marc McIntyre. Motion carried by a unanimous vote.”

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Spalding County Board of Commissioners Zoning Public Hearing scheduled for Thursday, April 25, 2024, 6:00 p.m., has been cancelled.

The Spalding County Board of Commissioners at their Zoning Public Hearing on March 28, 2024, cancelled the meeting due to attending the ACCG Conference. The Board further ruled that all agenda items that would have been scheduled for the April 25th meeting be heard at the May 23, 2024, Zoning Public Hearing.