Here’s another round of applause for individuals and organizations doing great things in the community.

 When Joyce Evans was elected to the Lowndes County Commission in 1998, she traveled out to the small town of Naylor to meet with six gentlemen. The group laid out more than two dozen things they wanted to see done in Naylor. One of the projects was a new community center, a place for residents to gather, to play, to mark big moments. Almost 20 years later, the request is being granted. Wednesday, Evans joined other county officials and Naylor residents to break ground on a new community center in Naylor Community Park on Savannah Avenue. Commission Chairman Bill Slaughter praised Evans at the ceremony for her work to make the center a reality.

 Barnes Healthcare Services annually hosts a 5K fun run to raise money for a community charity. More than $28,000 was raised earlier in the year during the Ninth Annual 5K Fun Run, according to organizers. Every cent of the proceeds were donated to QUOLA (Quality of Life Association of Lowndes County and Valdosta), a community charity in the southside historic district. “I love your vision and your passion. It has touched a chord with us and inspires me more,” said Charlie Barnes IV, Barnes Healthcare Services CEO. He said the selection committee reviewed four to five charities, and for the first time in a while the committee made a unanimous decision in selecting QUOLA. The mission of QUOLA is to identify and develop educational programs that focus on human and economic development for a diverse audience that includes the disadvantaged, the unemployed, the disabled and the youth.

 A Lowndes County judge has been re-appointed to a state judicial council. Chief Judge John K. Edwards Jr., State Court of Lowndes County was appointed to a second term on the Judicial Council of Georgia, along with Cheryl Gilliam, court reporter for the Atlanta Judicial Circuit, according to an organizational press release. The appointments were recommended by the Judicial Council’s Court Reporting Matters Committee, chaired by Chief Judge Stephen Louis A. Dillard, Court of Appeals, according to the press release. The General Assembly established the Board of Court Reporting to ensure the integrity and competency of the court reporting practice. The board establishes and enforces standards that govern court reporters and provides a forum for an exchange of ideas and educational services. It is comprised of five certified court reporters, two attorney representatives from the State Bar of Georgia, and two representatives from the judiciary, one state court judge and one superior court judge.

 Javier Duarte, a member of the Brooks County High School FFA chapter, began his term as the Area 5 Sentinel on Aug. 4, when the Georgia FFA area officers met for the area officer training conference. Forty-eight new area officers from six areas of the state attended the two-day training conference held at the FFA Camp John Hope near Fort Valley, according to an organizational press conference. The objective was to orient the new officers to their position as area leaders. Each area team met with a member of their regional agricultural education staff, as well as the Georgia FFA leadership program specialist, FFA executive secretary, and state FFA advisor to discuss their roles and responsibilities. The officers explored their decision-making process, developed a team philosophy of leadership, discovered what it means to be an ambassador for the FFA, and began setting goals for the coming year, according to the press release. Throughout the school year, Duarte and his fellow officers will have the opportunity to represent Area 5 FFA members at a variety of teachers meetings, career development events, leadership conferences and area training activities. Duarte’s FFA advisors are Matt Howell and Mack Ross.