This online news website is owned and operated by Becky Watts. The Editor can be reached at 770-468-7583 or at editor(at)PikeCountyTimes(dot)com. Pike County Times is a website for citizens to keep up with local events and stay informed about Pike County government. It began on November 13, 2006 as a watchdog on county government and has turned into an online newspaper.

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Barnesville Nazarene Church is the Salvation Army drop-off site for tornado victims in our area. Donations of clothing, non-perishable food, household items, clothing, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, shampoo, towels, toilet paper, soap, disposable razors, pet food, ibuprophen, children's tylenol, plastic eating utensils, children's underwear, diapers, etc. are needed.

Volunteers are also needed to sort donations.

You don't have to call, just come by. Barnesville Nazarene Church is located at the corner of Hwy 341 and Thomaston Road just past Ingles by the railroad tracks.

Donations accepted from 8 am to 4 pm on Saturday and all through next week beginning Monday morning. Tornado victims can come by and get what they need during these hours.

Update 4.30.11 9: p.m. - The outpouring of support from the community has been phenomenal. If you know someone who is in need of support, please let them know to come by the church.

[Note from the Editor: The Tornado Relief Facility is now closed.]

Day 3: Barnesville Nazarene Church is the Salvation Army drop off site located at 744 Veterans Parkway just past Ingles at the corner of Hwy 341 and Thomaston Road and the West Central Pre-Release Center located at 1070 County Farm Road in Zebulon is a local drop off point. It is located beside the Pike County Recreational Facility. They are delivering items to Barnesville as they come in. Delivery hours at the Pre-Release Center are any time during daylight hours. Deliveries are being accepted at Barnesville Nazarene Church from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. every day this week. Those needing assistance can come by the church from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. and can call a number for assistance after hours. [Note from the Editor: The Tornado Relief Facility is now closed.]

Day 3: A blessing bucket. These were just cool. Complete with a picture and the names of those who helped make that bucket possible. People from all over the Southeast touched victims of the tornado here in Barnesville, Georgia.

For those who want to help and you want a local drop point, you can bring tornado relief supplies to the West Central Pre-Release Center located at 1070 County Farm Road in Zebulon. It is located beside the Pike County Recreational Facility.

Ring the buzzer at the front door of the Release Center, tell the person who answers that you are here for tornado relief and someone will come outside to get it.

West Central Pre-Release Center will sort items and deliver to the EMA drop off and pick up point at Barnesville Nazarene Church.

Items needed are: clothing, non-perishable food, household items, clothing, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, shampoo, towels, toilet paper, soap, disposable razors, cat and dog food, ibuprophen, children's tylenol, plastic eating utensils, children's underwear, and diapers.

Please deliver during daylight hours only. Deliveries are being accepted through Thursday for now and the schedule will be adjusted according to the schedule at the drop off point for tornado victims in Barnesville.

[Note from the Editor: The Tornado Relief Facility is now closed.]

Georgia State Defense Force Members volunteered their time to help those in need on Grove Street in Barnesville. Their skills cutting up trees, helping move items from homes into pods for homeowners, and other ways that they helped was very much appreciated. So many people from all walks of life showed up to help too. It was amazing!

Whether they were from a Boy Scout Troop or just people who wanted to help someone else out in their time of need, their love for others showed in their hard work and kind words. Simply amazing and very much appreciated.

The night of April 27th and early morning hours of April 28, 2011 were tragic hours in counties surrounding Pike County, but the actions that went on in Pike County were heroic. There was more activity in Pike County than citizens realize.

Pike and all surrounding counties went under a tornado watch at 9:29 p.m. according to E911 Dispatch records. One tree had already fallen on a power line two hours prior to this alert. By the end of the night, there were 138 calls for service and Pike E911 assisted Upson County E911.

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Life seems a little more precious after helping my sister and brother in law clean up after the tornado that swept through Barnesville. I was never one to take life for granted, but after looking at that devastation all around them, I am sure that I haven't told them and all of my loved ones "I love you" enough.

The pictures of the devastation can't really tell the entire story because I am still in shock after being on Grove Street for two days. I see neighbors hugging each other, talking, and even smiling some as they clean up a mess that has been left behind. Disbelief is still evident as they look around them and at the damage down the street.

I took a walk through the woods today looking for photos and other precious items that were sucked up by the tornado. There were broken trees and pieces of people's lives scattered during the entire half mile trek in the woods. It made me think how small I am in the midst of this thing we call life.

But then I realized, as I watched my sister and her husband interact with their neighbors, how big of a difference we can make in the lives of those around us.

We are here for a purpose and there is more to life than just existing in our own little world.

I'm going to hug on my family a little more. (My kids will squeal because they're getting older and probably won't appreciate it, but I'm good with that!) I will be reaching out to others a little more. And I am going to be sure that I tell people how much appreciate what they are doing when they impact my life.

It doesn't take a lot of effort to make a difference in the lives around us. All it takes is time. How much we impact others is up to us. And the fun part is that our efforts will come back to us as we begin reaching out to those around us.

I love you or I appreciate you is a great starting point.