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A man and woman were killed when the 18 wheeler they were in ran into a Dodge County trash truck. The accident happened at approximately 11:23 a.m. on Tuesday, September 26 at the intersection of the Chauncey Rhine Highway and the Milan Eastman Highway at Mt. Ararat Church. It appeared that the trash truck was headed toward Milan on the Milan Eastman Highway and failed to yield the right of way to the 18 wheel truck that was headed toward Chauncey on the Chauncey Rhine Highway at the stop sign at the intersection of the two roads. The man driving the 18 wheeler and a woman passenger were killed. The driver of the trash truck was injured and was taken to Dodge County Hospital by Dodge County Emergency Medical Services (EMS). The 18 wheel truck had a Randall Stubbs Trucking, Inc. logo on the door. The names of the deceased were not given out due to next of kin being notified. Dodge County EMS, the Chauncey Fire Department, the Milan Fire Department, Dodge County Sheriff’s deputies and the Georgia State Patrol responded to the accident. Full details of the wreck were not available from the Georgia State Patrol as of presstime. (Photo by Chuck Eckles)

Kencoa Group, LLC, a strategic aerospace holdings company, announced on September 15, 2017 that it has completed the acquisition of Heart of Georgia Metal Crafters, LLC (HGMC), an Eastman based tier-1 supplier of precision machined and sheet metal fabricated components for the aerospace industry. The acquisition was effective January 1, 2017 and moving forward, the company will be officially conducting business as Kencoa Aerospace, LLC.

HGMC began serving customers in 1998 with a vision of manufacturing advanced fabricated components for the aerospace industry and serving as an economic development driver for the Middle Georgia community of Eastman-Dodge County. Over that time, the company forged many long-term partnerships with customers such as Boeing Defense and Space, Lockheed Martin, Gulfstream Aerospace and many others requiring creative solutions, on-time service and quality excellence.

Commenting on the acquisition, Kencoa Aerospace President and native of Georgia, Jason Premo said, “As part of Kencoa Group, we are now able to further advance the vision to achieve even greater opportunities for our employees, community and most importantly, our customers. We intend to enhance and expand these relationships by further investing in our people, capabilities and capacity, providing even greater added value and extraordinary service.”

Kencoa Aerospace also collaborated with Georgia Economic Development to explore available incentive programs and has committed to adding 100 new jobs over a four-year period, in addition to $2 million in capital investment. At the time of this release, the company is ahead of schedule, having already hired 16 new employees and installed over $1.6 million in new advanced manufacturing equipment.

“Kencoa Aerospace has unlocked an incredible opportunity to capitalize on Georgia’s strong manufacturing and aerospace industries,” said GDEcd Commissioner Pat Wilson. “Aerospace products are the number one export from Georgia, and our leadership position in this sector will help maintain a competitive edge in the global market. I look forward to the success Kencoa will have in Dodge County.”

Tropical storm Irma made a large impact on Dodge County on Monday, September 11. High winds and stronger wind gusts toppled many trees and broke off limbs in Dodge County, including this large Oak tree at 5225 Main Street in Eastman that fell on an apartment house owned by Terry Niblett. Several other houses in the county also had trees fall on them. Many people were without power from early Monday into Tuesday. Before Irma arrived, people in Dodge County filled up their cars and cans with gas in anticipation of the storm, causing gas shortages. Many gas stations were out of gas. Grocery stores also ran out of many food items as people prepared for the worst. Power company and clean up crews were out Monday and Tuesday trying to get power restored and move trees and debris from roadways. (Photo by Chuck Eckles)

Eastman and Dodge County officials are asking that everyone stay at home and do not get out on the roads. There are many power lines down and it is dangerous if you encounter one. Please be safe and stay at home until the power companies can clear the downed lines.

Dodge County Schools will be closed on Monday, September 11, 2017 and Tuesday, September 12, 2017 for students and staff, due to inclement weather expected from Hurricane Irma.