Vice president expected in Dalton on Thursday for Kemp rally

DALTON, Ga. — Vice President Mike Pence is expected to be in Dalton on Thursday for a rally on behalf of Republican gubernatorial candidate Brian Kemp, Kemp tweeted Thursday. “I am honored to have @VP’s strong support and look forward to having him back in Georgia for events in Dalton, Grovetown and Savannah. #gapol,” Kemp tweeted. Tickets for the Dalton rally are available at https://tinyurl.com/DaltonRally for the event at the Dalton Convention Center from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Valdosta school seeks 5K sponsors

VALDOSTA, Ga. – A 5K and fun run will raise money to benefit S.L. Mason Elementary School’s quest for new playground equipment. The event will be held Saturday, Nov. 17, at S.L. Mason Elementary School, 821 W. Gordon St., school officials said. The 5K run/walk starts 8 a.m. and the kids fun run will follow 9 a.m. Awards will be given to the top qualifiers of each race. For more information, contact Tyra Howard 229-269-9886 or Nina McMillan 229-251-0329, or email slmasonpto@yahoo.com. Sponsorship and registration forms are available online, https://bit.ly/2EACc3i.

Georgia Military College assists in Hurricane Michael cleanup 

A group from Georgia Military College in Milledgeville, Valdosta and Albany, traveled Tuesday to south Georgia to assist in Hurricane Michael cleanup. GMC-Milledgeville professor Robert Sherwood organized the trip. 

In just 24 hours, 39 student volunteers had signed up for the day of service. Lt. Gen. William B. Caldwell, IV, president of Georgia Military College, Col. Steve Pitt, commandant of GMC Corps of Cadets, operations officer for the corps, Col. Duane Clayton and his wife, executive campus directors, Melanie King, from GMC-Albany, and Billie Washburn, from GMC-Valdosta, and faculty members from those campuses, all attended the trip as well. 

The group from GMC tarped a number of homes and cleaned debris from fallen trees, blown branches, and damage from the storm.

Washburn said she and her Valdosta campus were prepared to take the hit that Albany experienced. She said after learning what happened in Albany, she was eager to help. 

“Although we suffered widespread power outages and tree and property damage, these were mere inconveniences compared to the effects the Albany area experienced and continue to struggle with today,” Washburn said. “It’s very important to GMC-Valdosta to show, in a tangible way, that we care about our neighbors. If we had been in their shoes, I know they would have come to help us. It was a privilege to watch three of our campuses work together, especially the students. They jumped in with both feet, doing every level of work to accomplish a common goal for the good of their community. Watching these kids embody the ideas of ‘Duty, Honor, Country,’ gives me great hope for the future leaders of our country.”