Home Care in Juliette, GA

Juliette, Georgia and Romeo, Michigan Post Offices to provide romantic postmark

GEORGIA — The Juliette, Georgia Post Office and Romeo, Michigan Post Office have restored their celebrated alliance, which offers the country and parts of the world a unique dual Valentine’s Day pictorial cancellation.

Hopeless romantics can have their Valentine cards cancelled in Juliette, Georgia with this year’s official dual pictorial cancellation postmarks. The cancellation highlights a silhouette of sweethearts expressing their love and affection for the holiday. This same unique cancellation will be applied on letters mailed in Romeo, Michigan.

To receive this special cancellation (available until March 1, 2024), enclose your stamped, addressed cards in a larger envelope, and mail to:

Expressing Love and Affection Station Postmaster 356 Bowdoin Juliette, Georgia 31046-9998

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Both of Georgia Power's coal plants were ranked in the top 25 most deadly coal power plants. It compared mortality risks due to pollution from the plants.

JULIETTE, Ga. — American Association of the Advancement of Science published a list that showed the most dangerous coal power plants in the Southeast.

Of the five coal power plants in the region, Plant Scherer was ranked the fourth most deadly. This wasn't breaking news to people in Juliette.

People in the area have complained about the effects of living near the plant even filing a lawsuit against Georgia Power in May of this year. The suit is currently in the expert discovery phase according to attorney Stacey Evans.

Gloria Hammond has lived next door to Plant Scherer since the 70s. Since then, she said almost all of her neighbors have sold their land to Georgia Power.

"I don't blame them cause everyone that they bought out needed to go cause they were already sick," Hammond said.

The national report looked at mortality risks from coal pollution. The study ranked 480 coal power plants across the country. Georgia Power's Plant Bowen ranked second-deadliest overall and Plant Scherer ranked fourth-deadliest within the southeast.

Andrea Goolsby was born in Juliette and is worried about her family.

"The majority of my family are still in Juliette so to know they're at a higher risk of being exposed versus someone who doesn't live around the power plant," Goolsby said. "It's concerning."

Hammond said she's struggling to get clean water and that's her biggest frustration.

"Going down has ash 85 feet in the groundwater… all I ever asked them to do was get the coal ash up," Hammond continued. "But no they gone leave it here with a plastic top and that's it…that makes me mad because that means that groundwater will never ever be any good."

Despite her concerns, Hammond is staying put.

"I told my husband I wouldn't sell and I love the place too," Hammond said. "But I mean, you know, we have a lot of good memories here."

Goolsby said the plant won't get rid of Juliette.

"Nobody should have to give up their home or part of their family history to a power company," Goolsby said.

We reached out to Georgia Power. They sent us the following statement:

"We have invested billions of dollars at our power plants, including Plant Scherer and Plant Bowen, to add environmental controls and continue to reduce emissions. In addition, our investments in our generation fleet have reduced carbon emissions from our power plants by more than 60% since 2007, and other emissions by more than 95% since 1990, while providing reliable service to a growing population in the state. We are proud of our operations at our plants, and to have been a part of local communities - including Juliette and many others around Georgia - for decades. We take our responsibility as a trusted neighbor to operate safely and in compliance very seriously."

According to a list, there are 219 operational coal fire plants in the U.S.

RELATED: Lawsuit filed by 45 neighbors to Plant Scherer says coal ash pond is 'poisoning' residents

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Artists trek to the home of ceramist Roger Jamison to use the anagama kiln, an ancient technique that originated in fifth century East Asia

June 26, 2023

One clear night a few months ago, fire roared out of the chimney of an ancient kiln in Juliette, Georgia, the flames drawn lengthwise along the furnace’s huge belly until they burst into the air. Opening the small metal doors to add wood was blinding. Sixteen potters, often wearing sunglasses or welder’s goggles, were rotating shifts, feeding the fire, 24 hours a day for five days straight, until the temperature in front reached 2,400 degrees.

The anagama-style kiln originated in East Asia in the fifth century. The technique has never changed: Extraordinary heat, smoke, and ash act on mostly unglazed clay creations within, melting into a glaze crafted by the elements themselves. That means the burnished hues and ripples produced by the fire are unique to each individual piece. Anagama kilns are a lot of work, but they have a devoted following around the world. This past March, the artists gathered at the Juliette home of ceramist Roger Jamison had trekked not only from across Georgia, but from Kentucky and the Carolinas as well. Many have made the journey every year since 2001 to participate in this rite of spring, occasionally staying as houseguests or camping in tents on Jamison’s property. This year, about 600 pieces from 17 artists and writers were stacked inside the kiln, which is shaped like a gourd laid on its side and, at its tallest, rises just over five feet.

Jamison named the kiln Juliette, after the town, but sometimes calls her Giulietta, referring to the late Italian actress Giulietta Masina. “Before we start firing, I give her a Shinto-style votive offering, an arrangement of flowers, sake, fruit, water, and rice,” he said. “Potters are a superstitious lot.”

Jamison shares his midcentury-modern home with wife, Sherrie, and their two dogs. The house, with soaring picture windows, is perched over a burbling creek on 12 acres, a 20-minute drive from Mercer University in Macon, where Jamison taught art, ceramics, drawing, design, and crafts until his retirement. He moved from a historic home in town to the countryside in 1988, precisely to build this and two smaller kilns. When I visited, endless pallets of wood were stacked in high piles—hewn from dead or storm-damaged trees with Jamison’s chainsaw and a hydraulic wood splitter. “He spends all year preparing the wood,” a bit at a time, said Sherrie, who’s also an artist. I watched as they stacked pots on shelves rising from bottom to top, and stretching from front to back. When I visited again a week later, the kiln had reached 2,100 degrees. One of the artists sat me in a director’s chair—wearing a leather apron that had been a prop on The Walking Dead—and, with a flourish, opened the door. It was like looking into the sun.

One more week passed, and the kiln cooled down. It was time to see what the fire had wrought. Crouching inside, artists tenderly lifted each piece and handed it down the line. Soon pots, vases, urns, casserole dishes, plates, cups, even clay tablets had found their way to long tables. The day was balmy and clear. Smoked salmon, bagels, and cream cheese were laid out. Murmurs of delight filled the air. Each pot and cup was beautiful, each in its own surprising way. “A village potter,” Jamison said, looking at the fruits of all this labor. “That is all I ever wanted to be.”

This article appears in our June 2023 issue.

In September, Rep. Dale Washburn said he would meet with Norfolk Southern. Five months later, he says he's made only one call to the railroad.

JULIETTE, Ga. — It's been five months since Representative Dale Washburn said he planned to introduce a bill to solve Juliette's often blocked train crossing.

Norfolk Southern trains stall on the tracks weekly and sometimes daily for minutes to even hours.

13Investigates reported on this story last fall, showing how the headache caused a public-safety problem that delayed life-saving medical attention.

With this legislative session set to end this month, Washburn has not filed a bill -- and now it's too late to pass a bill that could pass this year.

So, 13Investigates' Ashlyn Webb followed up with the state representative and asked what's the holdup.

Rep. Washburn says he no longer plans to introduce a bill.

He stood by his statement in October saying Norfolk Southern blocking the crossing is a problem.

People in the small town of Juliette say they're still wrestling with the train problem.

"It hasn't changed," said Kathy Dean.

"Still blocking the tracks for hours. Even just this morning, it was blocked," said Andrea Goolsby.

Since our story in October, Norfolk Southern trains have blocked this crossing at least 40 times, according to the Federal Railroad Administration's database.

In that time, dozens of people reported the crossing being blocked for anywhere from 15 minutes to more than six hours.

"They need to come up with a solution to stop it," Goolsby said.

Rep. Washburn told 13WMAZ he planned to introduce a bill limiting the time a train can block the tracks to 15 minutes or requiring the railroad company to pull the train cars apart.

But after five months, he says he has no draft.

"I have investigated that, but the news is not good. I had a long conversation, today actually, had to prepare for our interview. With Rick Jasperse who is the chairman of the Georgia House Transportation Committee," Washburn said. "He says there's nothing we can do that the railroad owns the railroad. They own the access to the railroad, which is the crossing, and he says there is nothing we can do but ask for their help."

30 of the 50 states have laws limiting trains from blocking crossings for more than 10 or 15 minutes.

"So why is it that other states have laws on the book and Georgia can't?" 13WMAZ's Ashlyn Webb asked.

"I do not know the answer to that," Washburn said.

We spoke to the House Transportation Committee Chair, Rick Jasperse, by phone. He claims the other states' laws won't stand. He says an Ohio court ruled in August that states can't prosecute railroads because federal law overrules state law.

Now, Ohio and 18 other states are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to hear that case.

Washburn said in September that he planned to meet with Norfolk Southern.

"We need to ask the question and start talking to leadership," Washburn said then.

So, did Washburn ever try to talk solutions with Norfolk Southern?

Washburn: "No.. actually, I called, but I didn't get a callback."

13WMAZ: "How many calls?

Washburn: "I don't know that I called them several times, but I did call, and I do know my contact with them. Now, I don't have extensive contacts with Norfolk Southern."

13WMAZ: "So, just one call?"

Washburn: "I called the one person I knew to call. To be fair, I did not call repeatedly. I did not hear back."

13WMAZ: "Is it that big of a problem to your district then if you only call them once?"

Washburn: 'Well, I mean, I've made a call and didn't hear back from them. I'm trying to be responsive."

We let people in Juliette hear Washburn's answers.

"That is totally not responsive. You work for us, the people in Monroe County and Jones County that elected you to help your constituents. You don't work for Norfolk Southern," Goolsby said.

"I'm so emotional, it's hard to organize my thoughts. I'm so emotional about this," Dean said.

"All we have to do is follow the money trail. Money talks in more ways than one," Goolsby said.

13WMAZ pulled Washburn's campaign contribution reports. They didn't mention Norfolk Southern.

But the railroad company reports that they gave Washburn two $500 checks in 2021 and 2022, totaling a thousand dollars.

Senator John Kennedy, who also represents Juliette, received $1,250 in the last two years. Transportation Chairman Rick Jasperse, who told us the bill wouldn't stand in court, received $1,500.

"A $500 contribution is not keeping me from dropping legislation that would help the system in Juliette," Washburn said.

"Do you think that money is swaying anybody on the transportation committee?" 13WMAZ asked.

"I would not expect that it is," Washburn replied.

But Dean said, "Once you accept money from somebody, you're partisan, whether you really are or not, it looks that way and to make everything above board. You don't have anything to do with it, and you tell your constituents someone else will have to deal with Norfolk Southern because they support my candidacy."

People in Juliette who deal with the blocked crossing say while politicians get a check, they're paying the price.

"It takes me an extra 30 minutes to go around. So I'm paying for gas to drive 30 minutes plus my time," Dean said.

"We're sick of the excuses. We want a solution. Now... Yesterday...Two years ago when I reached out to Dale," Goolsby said.

Washburn says he believes there are no legislative solutions to the problem, but he suggested building an overpass in Juliette. He says that could cost around $10 million.

Rep. Jasperse told 13WMAZ that's just not in the state's budget and he suggested local government needs to devise a solution.

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MONROE COUNTY, Ga. (WGXA) -- After six hours of searching on Tuesday, windy conditions and low visibility forced crews to reel it in for the evening.

The winds were so strong that waves were actually breaking over the open waters further offshore and currents created even more danger for those assisting in the efforts to find the man who was never seen after going under the water.

With vegetation, rocks, and even trees obscuring visibility even in the brightest of daylight, it makes it all the harder to see at night.

More: Crews searching for missing person at Lake Juliette

On Wednesday morning, crews from the Department of Natural Resources as well as Monroe County EMS and Fire-Rescue deployed for another attempt to bring closure to the family who is missing their loved one.

Mark McKinnon of the DNR spoke with our Ereina Plunkett and shared details about the search efforts and what goes into the process and how it affects those involved.

Mark McKinnon - DNR | Source: Ereina Plunkett (WGXA)

He says that it is very tough on the responders, emotionally, in that the hardest part of their job is to tell a family that their loved one isn't coming home.

He says that, even though they can't bring that family member back, they can, at least, offer closure and a chance for a proper goodbye.

McKinnon tells us that the crews are making every effort to recover the victim sooner rather than later.

Those efforts include using side-view sonar to get imagery from the lake's bottom, but the debris can cause shadow effects, blind spots in the sonar's images. That's where the ROV comes in. A remote-operated submarine outfitted with cameras that can maneuver around these obstacles and reach areas that may be unsafe for divers.

If weather conditions allow, aviation will be deployed, allowing a top-down view of the lake that affords less reflection and glare than you would see from a boat.

McKinnon warns that preparedness can be the difference between a great day on the lake and drowning. "Every lake is safe and every lake is dangerous," he says, stating that making sure you have a life vest, floatation devices, proper outfitting, et cetera and being as prepared as you can possibly be can save your life.

McKinnon also asks that anyone visiting the lake today avoids areas where crews are searching.