A lot of people are complaining about their bills for electricity and trying to put the blame hither and yon. It seems to me that a simple explanation for the high cost is that it has been cold – much colder than anything that we have seen in recent years and we’re using a lot of electricity to keep our heat running and keep warm. This winter reminds me of the winters we used to have in the 1930s and 1940s when we had below freezing temperatures for a prolonged time and also had lots of ice and snow. . . . When I was looking through last year’s bound copy of The News- Reporter this week. I was reminded that it was the last week in February last year when we had that tornado that did damage here and the next week we had snow.

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I had planned to say this week that a sure sign of spring is the six beautiful bluebirds and two fat robins that I saw in my backyard Saturday after we had raked and cleaned under the pecan trees. But today we have a forecast of rain starting after midnight tonight (Monday) and turning to sleet and snow tomorrow. . . . We'll see.

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Sonny Johnson says that on Monday and Wednesday of last week he got a total of .59 of an inch of rain which makes for a total of 4.49 for the month. Last February’s total was 4.6 inches. . . . Norris Ware didn’t have any rain during the past week and says that he had 3.1 inches for February, which is about average.

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For reasons of production, The News-Reporter will have new deadlines for news and advertising beginning Friday of this week. Deadline for classified and legal advertising will be Monday at 3 p.m. All other advertising and news will be due by Monday at 5 p.m. Preprinted inserts should be in by 5 p.m. Thursday. If you are advertising in The News-Reporter AND The Lincoln Journal, the deadline is 5 p.m. Fridays. . . . You will be able to buy both papers at The News- Reporter offices by around noon on Wednesdays.

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Greg Callaway, a student at Washington-Wilkes Comprehensive High School, showed the grand champion steer at the 56th annual Washington Area Steer and Heifer Show held Saturday at the McGill- Woodruff Ag Center on the North By-Pass. Greg is the son of Brian and Tonya Callaway, and grandson of Otis and Pat Callaway and Leon and Linda Aycock. . . . There were just four Wilkes County students who participated in this year’s show. Besides Greg they were Cody Boatwright, Brett Lunceford, and Gabe Strother.

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Gas prices are on the rise again. Monday morning, from west to east on U.S. 78, prices were $2.65, $2.69, $2.68, and $2.74.

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H oppy (Marvin) McAvoy brought me a copy of Country Extra, a magazine “For those who live in or long for the country.” In a feature called “The Way It Was” in the magazine, there is a picture of two little boys in overalls, standing barefoot in front of a swing at a country house. The picture was submitted by Almond Standard of Tignall. The information under the picture reads: “Barefoot brothers. This is my brother Gene and me at Grandma’s house at age five. I cut off Gene’s thumb while chopping kindlin’ for Mama’s wood stove when we were four, so he put that hand in his pocket to hide it (when the picture was made). We looked so much alike, most people had to see our thumbs to tell us apart.”

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The movie "Pushing Up Daisies" which was made at Wills Memorial Hospital has been chosen for inclusion in the Atlanta Film Festival in April. The film is produced by

Patrick Franklin and the showing at the film festival will be its first public showing.

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Lawrence Burton brought me some additional information on a front page article that appeared in the Athens Banner-Herald last week. The article was about James and Meredith Atwood III who were his neighbors in Upton Mill for about two years before moving to Atlanta in 2007. James, a research scientist at the University of Georgia, along with three partners, founded a company called BioInquire, which developed a computer software program for use in analyzing proteins. The program assists in complex scientific research conducted worldwide. BioInquire is being acquired by an Australian company, NuSep, for approximately $4 million. After the acquisition, James will join as vice-president of sales. He and his partners will remain in Athens and work toward developing other product lines. Meredith continues to practice law and is now associated with the firm of Aldridge Connors, LLP, in Atlanta. Since leaving Wilkes County, the Atwoods have added James IV and Stella Rae to the family.

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Contemporary Gospel Singer Ty Herndon presented a free concert of his very popular music Sunday afternoon at the First Baptist Church. The concert was sponsored by the church’s Relay For Life Team and brought in $600 through love offerings. There was a very good attendance.

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F&M Bank (Farmers and Merchants) is celebrating its 60th birthday this month. The bank was founded in 1950 by Henry G. Garrard who served as the first president. The bank was located in the building adjoining Boots Gunter’s Kettle Creek Sporting Goods in Downtown Washington. I was there at the ribbon-cutting and even as just an 18-year-old, I realized that it was a significant occasion for the county. Frank Arnold was executive vice-president; Edwin M. May, cashier; and Clifford Latimer Arnold (mother of Milton Roberts), was the only woman on the administrative staff as assistant cashier. Directors were Frank Arnold, Henry G. Garrard, Walter Burdette, John Wright, C.R. Jackson, Dr. A.C. Van Saun, and O.S. Dyson, The bank’s beginning assets was $84,656.26. . . . The bank is still going strong with Jack Harvey as president, two locations in Washington, and branches in Tignall, Lincolnton, Crawfordville, and Martinez.

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The Washington-Wilkes Humane Shelter Association is in need of “enlisting board members who are willing to make a difference in the lives of stray and abandoned animals.” According to board member

Jacquelyn Johnson, the only qualification is that the person must be “passionate about animals.” Anyone who is interested in such a position is invited to the meeting of the association at the Mary Willis Library on Thursday, March 25, at 6:30 p.m. Call Jacquelyn, 706-318-0556, for more information.

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The Tiger Band had tryouts for colorguard and majorettes Monday after a long week of strenuous practice. Fourteen girls participated in the tryouts. The majorettes for 2010- 2011 are Grace Ann Branch and Jesse Echols. The colorguard will be Aliyah Allen (captain), Deaundra Blackmon, Mary Clark, Shakelia Mahoney, Maci Smith, Yasmin Turner, Shelby Wall, and Amanda Wood.