LumpkinSunshine.com

Hemlockfest is an annual benefit music festival, held the first full weekend of November, to increase public awareness and generate funds to save Eastern and Carolina Hemlock trees.  Three days of music, good food and fun for a great cause.  Families with children are especially encouraged to come.  For more information.

Even in a down economy, it is apparently important for government to be concerned about the spiritual welfare of public property.

Lumpkin County is currently advertising for the position of “Park Beautification Technician.” Now, for most people that’s just a glorified title for a pine straw spreader, but this is government, after all…

Even funnier, though– the job title is misspelled. The county is looking to fill the position of “Park Beatification Technician;” in other words, somebody whose job it is to make sure that all parks make it into heaven! (If the PBT does his job really well, will we have to change the name to “Blessed Blackburn Park”?)

The “Park Pastor” must know how to drive a tractor and spread weed killer. $7.25 an hour, 30 hours a week maximum.

Sheriff Jarrard and Captain Scott of the Lumpkin County Detention Center appeared before the Lumpkin County BOC during the September Work Session reporting the questionable and possibly dangerous state of the security system at the county jail.

Major problems include: a failing system, no service manual, manufacturer gone out of business and parts not available.

There are great potential liability issues for both the Sheriff’s Department and the BOC.  It is one thing to be between a rock and a hard place on the budget; but lawsuits you could not win would only make matters worse.  The Sheriff and the BOC owe a duty to maintain a reasonably safe environment for incarcerated persons.

If your son or daughter were locked up for a traffic violation, you would expect them to be safe in jail.  Just think about that. Continue reading »

Enotah Family Drug Court

The Enotah Family Drug Court with mandatory treatment and counseling has proven to be amazingly successful at keeping families together when they are about to lose custody of their children to the Department of Family and Childrens’ Services. Twenty young people who live in Lumpkin County are currently enrolled. Since the program began a year ago, no participant has been terminated from the program or been arrested for an alcohol or drug abuse related offense. This is one great success story! Continue reading »