Items that can be recycled at the Pike County Transfer and Recycling Center include plastics, newspapers, magazines, and phone books, cardboard, boxboard like cereal boxes, steel cans, aluminum cans, green/brown and clear glass--soon to be 3 types of glass--junk metal and shreddable metal like old refrigerators and lawn mowers, and batteries of all types from car batteries to cell phone batteries and even small batteries. Carpet and electronic waste--anything with a cord--recycling are coming soon to the Recycle Center.

No more sorting slick papers from the newspapers. Simply gather up magazines, newspapers, junk mail, and old phone books for a trip to the Recycling Center.

And the Transfer Station takes yard debris. Other items that are accepted for recycling with a fee include car tires, semi tires, and tractor tires.

The Pike County Transfer and Recycling Center is open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. each day. It is closed on Sunday. 770-884-3000.

The Georgia Forestry Commission would like to remind landowners that the EPD summer burning restrictions go into effect May 1st of each year. The annual restrictions remain in place for 54 counties through September 30.

Please obtain a permit before you burn. The GFC issue permits seven days a week unless the weather dictates poor air quality or high fire danger.

Permits can be obtained in 3 different ways. The easiest way for most landowners is the automated phone system. The phone number to obtain an automated permit is 1-877-652-2876. The 6x6 size limit applies to counties with a population of 65,000 or more only.

The second way to obtain permits for small leaf and limb piles smaller than 6x6 is on the Georgia Forestry Commissions web page. Daily or annual permits can be obtained at www.gfc.state.ga.us and then follow the link to burning permits. Please take the time to read all the information concerning outdoor burning and understand the rules. If you are burning acreage call the office at 770-227-5522 or 770-229-3005.

CONCORD - REACH Inc., located at 480 Second Street Concord, Georgia 30206, is blessed to announce an extension of services provided to the community. Although our food needs may vary, we are now able to offer assistance to our ill, needy, and senior members of the community. Click here for more.

The regional public transportation program provides public tranportation for residents of Butts, Lamar, Pike, Spalding, and Upson Counties and has operated in this region since 1999. The regional public transportation program is administered by the McIntosh Trail Regional Development Center, and is one of two suburban regional public transportation systems approved by the Georgia Department of Transportation.

The regional public transportation plan operates under a "demand response" model which means that there are no fixed routes, bus stops, or pick up times. With a deman response model, residents call in and order a trip 24 hours in advance, and daily routes are generated based on the destinations requested. The transportation operator will attempt to accommodate all callers for the times they request.

In order to schedule a trip on the public transportation system, please call 770-229-4885 or in Upson County call 1-800-906-3257. The service is offered Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Call for pricing information.