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4-Hers attend Junior Conference
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Local 4-Hers who attended the Junior Conference at Camp Rock Eagle were Jameasa Carter, Baleigh King and Dana Mincey. - photo by Photo provided

November was a busy month for local 4-H’ers.


More than 695 volunteers, teen leaders, junior participants, and 4-H staff attended the annual Georgia 4-H Junior Conference at camp Rock Eagle in Eatonton. The weekend event was filled with community service projects, workshops, and many other fun activities.


Junior conference is a statewide event designed for Junior 4-H’ers, (seventh-eighth graders) to experience belonging to a group of peers, perform service projects, and master certain communication skills.


4-H’ers attending Junior Conference took multiple classes on peer pressure, bullying, portfolio development, and robotics. A class called, “Be a Friend — Lend a Hand” was taught to encourage students to positively intervene when they witness bullying or other hurtful situations.


Students who witness hurtful behavior are encouraged to:
• Report concerns: Tell an adult who can help.
• Reach out: Reach out to be kind to the person being hurt.
• Say “stop”: Tell the person being hurtful to stop.


In addition to the service projects, 4-H’ers continue their 10-year tradition of collecting and selling pop tabs to benefit the Ronald McDonald Houses of Georgia.


This year 4-H’ers collected 13, 871.5 pounds of pop tabs for a total donation value of around $7,000, with the proceeds going to the local Ronald McDonald House of the Coastal Empire in Savannah. Since the project began in 2002, 4-H’ers have collected over 129,236 pounds of pop tabs, totaling over $70,000.


The conference also provided a variety of entertainment and recreation such as a dance; a scavenger hunt; a performance by Clovers & Company, the Georgia 4-H Performing Arts group; and multiple games such as miniature golf, flag football, ultimate Frisbee, relay races and a talent show.

Effingham School Board Approves $203M budget with Potential Property Tax Increase
2026 budget
This chart illustrates how the Effingham County School District’s $203 million general fund is allocated for fiscal year 2026, including spending on salaries, benefits, transportation, health services, and safety and security. (Courtesy of Effingham School District)
The Effingham County Board of Education approved a $203 million fiscal year 2026 budget Thursday night, reflecting an 11% increase over last year. The rise is largely due to an $8 million spike in health and retirement benefit costs for employees. To help cover the shortfall, the district may raise the property tax millage rate, potentially increasing homeowners’ taxes by up to 12 percent.
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