Schools gear up for first day with Open Houses

       New hours, facility improvements, new adoption rates are some of the changes coming to the Pickens Animal Shelter.

Submitted by Tucker Green, Pickens County PIO

As part of their efforts to continually make improvements throughout county operations, the Board of Commissioners recently prioritized improvements at Pickens Animal Shelter. These improvements came in the form of revised policies to best serve the needs of both the animals and the public. Additionally, investments were made to improve conditions at the facility. The BOC believes these improvements will benefit the animals who seek refuge at the shelter and will aid the public in finding their next pet. It will also improve the overall health and safety for both the animals and staff. 

By Angela Reinhardt and Larry Cavender

Staff & Contributing Writers

The condition and quality of parks in Pickens County has been a topic of much debate over the last few years, with many people calling for improvements and additions. The following is a guide to parks in our county and in immediate surrounding areas like Ball Ground, which are easily accessible to Pickens residents. Brief descriptions about what is available at each is listed, including unique features/information people might not know about. [Note: No it’s not a typo - there are two “Peace Parks,” and three parks with the word “Eagle” in the name]. See full description of each park on pages 10-11A of this week's print or online editions. 

Dan Pool / Photo

Poured concrete borders and landscaping stones were washed away along with plants and pine straw from water that flowed through Terry New’s backyard on Connell Street. The water came from a drainage easement during heavy rains on July 19.

       “If water fell out of the sky and tore stuff up, I’d fix it and never say a word,” said a Connell Street homeowner whose immaculately landscaped backyard suffered extensive damage following the heavy rains on July 19.

But the water that surged through the backyard of Terry New and his wife’s home in Stafford Manor didn’t just fall onto his yard. Their home sits directly in the path of a drainage easement, likely deeded to the city of Jasper, where stormwater runoff from two different directions comes together.

        See this week's print and online editions. 

photos/Dan Pool Rene Salvador, the owner, styles a beard, while his apprentice, Leo Aulturo, gives a haircut in the rear at the new barber shop on West Church Street.

      [Made in Jasper is an occasional series that looks at things made or people working right in our own backyards. Got an idea of something interesting made here, let us know, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , 706-253-2457.]

       When you walk into Rene’s Dominican Barber Shop, 938 West Church Street, your first thought might be, this can not be Jasper.

Painted in bright colors, with 10 barber chairs, mirrors lining the walls and two fast-moving Dominican barbers, it’s a barber shop like we have not seen before in this town.