Hwy. 515/Antioch Church project near completion

L to R: Tony Young, asst. superintendent; Rick Jasperse, state representative; Dr. Carlton Wilson, superintendent; Jennifer Halko, principal; Sonia Chapman, Ag Ed teacher; Tucker Green, board chairman; Donna Enis, board member; Tim Baisden, director of CTAE; Angela Kretschmar, assistant principal.

By Destini Shope

Director of Community Engagement

Pickens County Schools

Several members of the community, local dignitaries, Mrs. Phelps’ second grade students, kindergarten teachers and students, along with school and district leaders, gathered at the revived gazebo in the outdoor agriculture area of Hill City Elementary to kick-off the pilot agriculture program. The program at Hill City is one of 20 across the state. This year’s kindergarten students are the first to have agriculture education offered from their kindergarten through 12th grade school career.

     Actors (L to R) Keith Galligan, Andy Kippenhan, and Eric Reinhardt preparing for the upcoming production of “Art” at The Conservancy. This popular comedy attempts to answer the question, “What is art?” Buy tickets at www.cherokeetheatre.org or at the door. Art runs Friday, Aug. 16 and Saturday, Aug. 17, & Friday, Aug. 23 and Saturday, Aug. 24. All shows are at 8 p.m.

How much would you pay for a white painting? Does it matter who the painter is? Would it be art? 

Those are the questions that frame Yasmina Reza’s comedy Art, which the new Pickens-based theatre troupe The Gaslight Players will open this week in downtown Jasper.

The French play debuted in Paris 25 years ago and has since been translated and performed around the world including on Broadway. It also won a Tony for best new play.

Art, which offers hilarious commentary on modern art, opens with an exchange between Marc (played by Keith Galligan) and Serge (played by Eric Reinhardt), the latter of whom has just purchased an all-white painting for 200,000 francs from an

Newly paved and stabilized section of Jones Mountian Road that collapsed ealier this year. 

By Tucker Green

Pickens County Government

Notice: The Jones Mountain Road stabilization project is now complete and both lanes are open to traffic. GSI (contractors) and EXP Services Inc. (project engineers) completed the project and final inspections have been approved. This project, which was caused by a natural disaster landslide earlier in the year, was declared a local emergency by the board of commissioners. The declaration allowed the county to receive emergency grants from the state to minimize the burdens on local taxpayers. 

      Youth from the Jasper First Baptist worked at the  Black Mountain Home for Children, Youth, and Families. Projects included maintaining the bike trails, building decks, building a playground, and sanding and staining the hardwood floors of some of the cabins. 

The planning for the annual Youth Mission Trip at First Baptist Church of Jasper is essentially year-round and nonstop. This is evidenced by the efficiency of this trip. Through trial and error, the Youth Mission Trip has continuously evolved and now operates as a well oiled machine. This is how FBCJ is able to report that this year marked the 43rd year of this annual trip, and the success of this year’s trip to the Black Mountain Home for Children in Black Mountain, North Carolina.