I think this might be a record corn operation for Wilkes County. Brothers Roger and David McAvoy have 200 acres of corn planted on their farm off the Greensboro Road in the Happy Hollow Road area. One of those fields is 85 acres -- all planted in corn. They are raising the corn for silage for their dairy herd of cattle, but it makes for good “people” eating, too. I’ve had some. . . . Roger and David are sons of Marvin (Hoppy) and Oleta McAvoy.

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Now that members of the First United Methodist Church have retired their $600,000 debt for the cost of a new fellowship hall, they are expanding their ministry “outside the box.” The pastor, Gale Seibert, says that many people did not believe that a church with 300 members and just 125 in attendance on Sunday could pay off a $600,000 debt in four years. Her answer to them was, “We couldn’t, but the Lord could.” The note was burned in a special service on June 27. . . . On Wednesday, July 14, eight members of the church left Washington-Wilkes at 4:30 in the morning to go to Atlanta for a flight to San Salvador where they would spend a week working with the people there and organizing a “God’s Marketplace.” Each person took two large bags (for which they had to pay, according to new airline rules now). One had their clothes and personal items in it; the other had clothes and personal items for people in El Salvador. They have painted, repaired, and done many other jobs. On the trip were Gale and Rick Seibert, Ralph and Kay Bray, David Jones, Chris Fisher, Tina Blakey, and Todd Lewis.

ƒ Don’t miss our feature on “Where in the world is The News-Reporter.” Lots of people are traveling and taking vacations. . . . Sparky and Mary Newsome took a Disney cruise to Key West, Nassau, the Bahamas, and in between, during the Fourth of July week and we have their picture swimming with the dolphins at Nassau. . . . We don’t have a picture yet, but I heard that Tracy and Trevin Burriss swam with the sharks near St. Augustine, Fla., last week. If I could swim, I might try to swim with the dolphins, but there’s no way I’m going to get near a shark! . . . Be sure to let us know when you take a trip, and be sure to take your News-Reporter with you and take your picture.

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Chris Townsend, First Baptist Minister of Students, has a knack for finding Wilkes County connections just about any time he goes out of town. Last week he took a group of boys to CentriKid Camp at Norman Park. During registration he met one of the camp staff members who said she lived in Washington as a young child. Her name is Laura Register. Her parents are Rob and Denise Register who lived in Logan Woods, but moved away. . . . Evan Harrison, son of Bud and Ann Harrison, also served on the staff and as church group host for the campers.

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Linda Smith was the winner of the $100 gasoline gift card which Fievet Pharmacy gives away every month. All you have to do to have a chance to win is register at the pharmacy.

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’Tis the season for church homecomings, revivals, and reunions. We have lots of them in The News- Reporter. Check them out.

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Herbert Bailey brought me some information on a Bailey family connection who has just written a book and it is published by Random House. She is Donny Bailey Seagraves and is a native of Athens and longtime resident of Winterville. Her debut children’s middle grades novel is titled Gone From These Woods and is about an 11-year-old boy and a hunting incident. . . . Herbert is hoping she might attend the Bailey family reunion set for Saturday, August 7, at the old Metasville Schoolhouse.

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We got a little rain last week, and a promise of rain almost every day, but it just passed us by. The clouds and thunder seemed as if the Tignall area was getting some rain several times, but I don’t have anybody who reports rain from there. Hill Street got 1.1 of an inch; Tyrone, 1.6 in.; and Lexington Avenue, 1.1.

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Susan and Edward Pope Jr.’s daughter, son-in-law, and two granddaughters were featured on the front page of the Athens Banner-Herald Sunday. John Gentry (the dad) has served in Iraq and Afghanistan, and Desert Storm, three times in the past seven years. He is home in Oconee County now and is the director of the Oconee County Parks and Recreation Department. The article told about how his wife Katherine (Pope) and their two daughters,

Anna and Caroline, managed to cope with things while he was away for at least a year each of those three times. Through the Georgia National Guard John served with Desert Storm in 2003; 13 months in Iraq in 2005; and returned in April from a year in Afghanistan.

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An extensive article in Monday’s Augusta Chronicle was about

Sharon, our neighbor in Taliaferro County. The article told how “peace and quiet abound” in Sharon which once had 12 businesses, a cotton gin, and a train depot in its heydey Today, Sharon has about 100 people. The article says, “Today the most striking thing about this tiny town is the silence that shrouds it. There’s not much happening in Sharon and that suits residents just fine.” Renee Brown is the mayor and was quoted several times. The article also told about Deerlick Astronomy Village, the small collection of comfortable homes spread out over 100 acres enjoying the lack of light pollution. But that’s another story.

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Dan Coxwell has been named new president and CEO of the F&M (Farmers and Merchants) Bank. Jack Harvey has retired after serving the bank for 30 years. I will miss him.

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Just when I thought all the hummingbirds (except a few) had gone south, Kay Nelms, who has more hummers than anybody else, tells me that she has dozens of the beauties and is putting out about a gallon of nectar a day.

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