This online news website is owned and operated by Becky Watts. If you enjoy reading Pike County Times, consider buying an advertisement for your business or sending a donation to support the only free online newspaper in Pike County. Donations can be sent to: The Pike County Times, PO Box 843, Zebulon, Georgia 30295. Click here to donate through PayPal. Thanks for supporting Pike County's only free online newspaper!
By Editor Becky Watts
MOLENA - Around 5:25 p.m. last night, The Pike County Emergency 9-11 Center received a call from a North Madden Bridge Road residence to help find three boys who had run away. The boys, aged 13, 13, and 9 were found safely after a four-hour search last night.
The Pike County Sheriff’s Office, Pike County Fire Department, Georgia State Patrol helicopter with thermal imaging, Upson County Emergency Management Agency, and the Georgia Piedmont Region K9 Search and Rescue was on the way when the call was given that the children had been found. DFACS was involved last night as well.
The children had walked to the Molena Food Mart which is located several miles from the residence. The search was called off shortly around 9 p.m. last night, and the children were returned to the residence.
Pike County Times was advised by law enforcement that there have been multiple search and rescue calls from this residence over the past several years. Pike County Times has requested the number of times and dates that search and rescue has been conducted from this residence over the past 5 years.
In the interest of child safety, Pike County Times made some inquiries to the Department of Family and Children’s Service (DFACS) today in regard to this article. When the call was made to the Pike County DFACS office, Interim Director Susan Boggs returned my call.
Today was Interim Director Boggs’ first day at Pike County DFACS. Interim Director Boggs advised that she could not speak specifically about this or any incident because it concerns juveniles and the protection of juvenile privacy is required.However, she listened to my questions and concerns. And when Pike County Times inquired about how long she has been working with DFACS, she advised that she has been a part of DFACS for 30 years. She also worked here in the Pike County Office up until ten years ago, and she has lived here in Pike County for close to 25 years so she has ties to our community.
[Note from the Editor: According to Open Records obtained from the Pike County Sheriff's Office, deputies have been called to this residence 3 times in 2017, 1 time in 2018, 2 times in 2019, and 1 time so far this year.Thank you to First Bank of Pike for sponsoring Pike County Times’ Breaking News Alerts! First Bank of Pike has been serving customers in Pike County and the surrounding area since 1901 and offers Personal and Business banking with a personal touch. Services include checking, savings, money market, certificates of deposit, and IRA’s. Mobile Banking and Bill Payment services are also available! Click here for more. Please let First Bank of Pike know that you appreciate their sponsorship of Breaking News Alerts on Pike County's only FREE online newspaper!
If you want to find out about how you can get Breaking News Alerts, click here. Thanks for reading and supporting Pike County Times.com!