Bent Tree now top-rated fire station

       Featured vendor Michael White has a variety of hand-made items for sale - some that are perfect for the Fourth of July.

        Hang on to your hats! A lot of info in this report. It was a great market day with good weather, lots of customers, and lots of veggies, crafts, baked goods, and information available. 

First up is the PAR, Pickens Animal Rescue, tent with plants, art, magnets, butterfly houses, and even a bat house for sale - 100 percent of proceeds go to PAR. And they really need it. (See below)

The PAR volunteers brought two great dogs, Pumpkin and Kendra, hoping to find them a forever home. Pumpkin has been featured before in the Progress. Pumpkin has been with PAR for a long time and is really very ready for a permanent home. 

Angela Reinhardt/photo

Muralist John Christian at work on the prominent Coca-Cola mural in downtown Jasper. 

Mid-afternoon Saturday, June 29, motorists in downtown Jasper may have noticed the Coca-Cola mural at the prominent Main Street/Highway 53 intersection was getting a much-needed revamp, which includes the addition of the iconic Sprite Boy and a classic Coke bottle. 

Professional muralist John Christian, owner of John W. Christian Studios, was commissioned for the job by the Coke company, which he said has taken a more active role in freshening up their murals that appear on the sides of buildings across the nation. Christian has done several Coke murals recently, and estimated that the original mural on

Lee  Heisman shows a group from Talking Rock where the proposed range would be.

By Ralph O. Dennis

Contributing writer

In an unusual example of open government/business, a company seeking to locate an executive firearms training facility in Talking Rock invited local residents and government officials out for a sound test Thursday.

And, when complete, the spokesman for Executive Firearms said they could tell noise from their range would be too loud at several residences and withdrew their application.

       See full story in this week's print or online editions. 

Donna Enis, longtime teacher and coach, has been appointed to fill the unexpired term of school board member Katherine White, who announced her resignation at this month's regular board meeting. Here, Enis coaches the 'Nettes.

     Press Release Pickens County School System - In a called Board of Education meeting this morning, Ms. Donna Enis was selected to fill the remaining term of the vacated seat of Katherine White. Ms. Enis was among five candidates who expressed their interest in serving our community in this capacity.

     Ms. Enis brings 30 years of educational experience to the position, which includes working in two systems outside of Pickens County. In her teaching and coaching experiences, she has held various positions including that of assistant