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The Winner may back a loser
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For a guy more uptight than a bullfrog in boiling water, State Sen. Majority Leader Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock) can be a hoot. I first discovered this when he and another senator named Chip (Pearson, from Dawsonville) teamed up a few years ago to pass a bill in the Senate banning our body parts from being micro-chipped without our permission. I thought that was pretty funny: Chip, Chip and Microchip. Get it?


I wrote that when the bill passed the Senate, Rogers was so ecstatic, he was seen running up and down the halls at the capitol yelling, “I am Mork from Ork. Nanoo! Nanoo!”


Alas, Mr. Rogers didn’t find that remark funny. “My problem with the quote is that in this age of electronic media it will be attributed to me forever, long after people realize it was in jest,” he sniffed.


He should be so lucky. It turns out that Mork from Ork was really “Will (the Winner) Rogers,” a slick-talking cable TV sports handicapper who for a decade guaranteed bettors a whopping success with his picks on selected college and pro games. And all of this for a fee of only $10 to $25. I think even Mork was shocked to hear the news.


Will the Winner was outed by the investigative Web site, Atlanta Unfiltered, operated by former Atlanta newspaper editor Jim Walls and ably reported by David Michaels, a member of The News Enterprise, a group of journalism students from Emory University. Atlanta Unfiltered has given a lot of self-important politicians the hives recently with their focus on everything from political skullduggery and questionable ethical behavior to identifying former sport handicappers enthusiastically trying to separate fools from their money.


Some of Rogers’ former colleagues wonder what the big deal is. Joe Duffy, CEO of Offshoreinsider.com and himself a sports handicapper, has mounted a spirited —if somewhat weird — defense on Will the Winner’s behalf. Mr. Duffy helpfully suggests on YouTube that we “shut our pie holes” about his buddy, Chip Rogers. (I think that means “hush, already,” but I’m a little rusty on my gambling vernacular.)


Duffy says, sure, Mr. Rogers wasn’t necessarily a “reputable sports handicapper, but more out a tout” and, yes, he was in the “kind of seedy end of the industry.” But, so what? With his own pie hole at full throttle, Mr. Duffy thinks none of this should impact Rogers’ future political career, assuming he chooses one day to run for, say, U.S. senator. He’s kidding, right?


As usual, Will the Winner is blaming everyone but himself for the mess he is in and which he seems to have created on his own. It seems that nothing is ever his fault. He is being attacked by “Democrats” and “the left,” he says. Rogers claims he was just an “actor” and had no part in the gambling enterprise. If he wanted to scratch his acting itch, he would have done better to have joined the local Woodstock drama group where he could have played the real Will Rogers, lariat and all. (“Howdy, folks. I never met a man I didn’t like and I guarantee the Patriots to beat the spread handily this week. Now watch this neat rope trick. That’ll be $15, please.”)


The Georgia Christian Coalition, which doesn’t strike me as your typical bunch of left-wing Democrats, has called for Rogers’ resignation as majority leader. Public school advocates are enjoying watching him twist in the wind, given his back-of-the-hand treatment of public schools in the state, including his own Cherokee County school system.


If all this wasn’t bad enough, now UGA and Georgia Tech are on his case for his using their logos on his yard signs without permission. His supporters have been told to remove them pronto. It’s just hasn’t been a beautiful day in Mr. Rogers’ neighborhood recently.


Chip Rogers has competition in the Republican primary this year from Brandon Beach, president of the North Fulton Chamber of Commerce. As usual, the big money is with the incumbent. Thanks to lizard-loafered lobbyists, Mr. Chips has over $300,000 in campaign contributions. Beach has a whopping $1,853. But how badly will his stumbling and bumbling over these recent revelations about his career as a sports tout hurt Chip Rogers’ reelection chances? Voters in the 21st district will let us know that this July.


In the meantime, stay tuned for the next exciting episode of Will the Winner. Dick the Dauntless is betting it will be a hoot. Nanoo! Nanoo!



You can reach Dick Yarbrough at yarb2400@bellsouth.net or P.O. Box 725373, Atlanta, GA 31139.

In Effingham County, Progress Starts With a Plan
Guest Editorial by Susan Kraut, President/CEO of Effingham County Chamber of Commerce
Susan Kraut column
A sold-out crowd of more than 150 business and community leaders gathered at Effingham’s New Ebenezer Retreat Center Sept. 24 for the Chamber of Commerce’s annual State of the County Luncheon, hearing updates on economic growth, education, and infrastructure across Effingham County. (Submitted photo)

At last Wednesday’s sold-out State of the County luncheon, more than 150 business and community leaders heard a message that resonated throughout the program: We have a plan, and we’re sticking to it.

Effingham County City Manager Tim Callanan opened his remarks with that thought. It was simple, but powerful. In an era when news feeds churn with controversy and change, it served as a reminder that behind the scenes, steady planning is happening – and those plans are beginning to bear fruit.

Businesses and residents often express frustration about roads, zoning, parks, schools or economic development, feeling that growth is outpacing action. The truth, as Callanan underscored, is that many of those actions are already underway, rooted in master plans that cover everything from transportation and stormwater to parks, communications and public safety.

The challenge is that plans only matter if people know they exist. Too often, businesses and citizens forget these plans are in place, don’t know where to find them or don’t realize how to weigh in at the right moments. When that happens, the community loses the chance to shape its own future and to express the value of those plans – why they matter and why they’re worth supporting.

Planning delivers progress

Last week’s luncheon highlighted how “plans” translate into progress. Mayor Kevin Exley shared Rincon’s ranking as one of Georgia’s safest cities and the city’s launch of the Citizen Central app – a small but meaningful step toward accessible local government. Springfield’s new city manager, Lauren Eargle, outlined a capital improvement plan that includes sidewalks, drainage and playgrounds, along with the less glamorous but vital work of a $35 million wastewater plant upgrade. Guyton’s city manager, Bill Lindsey, discussed contracting with planning consultants, winning grants for sidewalks, and reinvesting in Bazemore Park and downtown revitalization. These aren’t random acts; they’re evidence of intentional planning.

The school district provided another example when Superintendent Yancy Ford noted that Effingham now serves nearly 14,500 students speaking 33 languages. That diversity is an asset – but it also requires careful, proactive investment to maintain the high standards families expect. His most powerful point concerned ESPLOST, the 1-cent Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax. Thanks to community support over the years, ESPLOST has built classrooms, purchased buses, enhanced safety measures, provided Chromebooks to all students, added security cameras and access-control systems, created inclusive playgrounds and athletic facilities open to the community, supported hands-on learning spaces like Honey Ridge, and established the College & Career Academy – a facility credited by Ford as helping lift the district’s graduation rate above 90% and expanding career pathways for a rapidly diversifying student body. And it has done so without incurring long-term debt.

Why ESPLOST matters

Among these examples of planning, none is clearer than ESPLOST — a long-term, voter-approved blueprint for funding education, renewed every five years to stay ahead of growth. The November ballot will again include the ESPLOST renewal, giving voters the opportunity to continue this proven approach to funding school facilities, technology, safety, transportation, inclusive playgrounds and community-accessible athletic fields. Renewing ESPLOST does not create a new tax; it simply extends the existing 1-cent sales tax, allowing residents, visitors and businesses to contribute to improvements that benefit every student. Without it, many of the projects parents and community members count on – such as new buses, safer schools, modern classrooms, career pathways and accessible playgrounds – would stall or require long-term debt.

Renewing ESPLOST is about more than bricks and mortar. It is not a reactionary measure but part of an intentional, ongoing plan to manage growth and maintain education – reinforcing the theme that plans become progress. As the district’s population becomes increasingly diverse and enrollment continues to rise, sustained ESPLOST funding is crucial to scaling programs, expanding facilities and maintaining the high graduation rates and opportunities that families expect. It is about protecting Effingham County’s tradition of educational excellence, maintaining property values and ensuring the workforce being prepared in our schools is ready to meet the needs of local employers. It is an investment in students, families and the future of our communities.

A call to the community

Effingham County is growing. Growth brings challenges, but it also brings opportunities. As the luncheon demonstrated, leaders at every level are working to guide that growth thoughtfully. The next step belongs to business owners, parents and neighbors – to lean in, stay informed and participate.

When hearing about a master plan, a referendum or a public meeting, don’t assume it is someone else’s job. Look up the plan, attend the forum, ask questions and cast a vote. That is how plans become progress – and how a yes vote on ESPLOST reaffirms and continues the community’s long-term plan for educational excellence, reinvesting in Effingham County’s future.