Wheeler County Celebrates Excellence and Change in 2025
mrandolphadvance@gmail.com
Wheeler County has celebrated a lot of victories and achievements throughout 2025 – citizens winning awards, teenagers giving back to the community, local agencies being recognized by the state, etc. – but has also undergone a lot of change, as new leaders arose, a new solar panel company planned to enter the area, an autonomous railcar was tested, and more. Throughout it all, Wheeler County citizens showcased not only their excellence but their resilience, as they continue to grow and invest in their community.
In January, CoreCivic announced that Wheeler County Resident and Chamber of Commerce President Tommy Spell had been named the 2025 CoreCivic Companywide Employee of the Year.
Spell has worked at the CoreCivic Wheeler County Correctional Facility for 13 years in various capacities, but currently serves as a maintenance supervisor. He was nominated for the company’s award by Facility Warden Shawn Gillis, who emphasized Spell’s willingness to do whatever the facility needs.
“He’s ‘Mr. One-Call-That’s-All,’” Gillis said. “You can call on him anytime and he’s going to be there, and that’s regardless of whatever he’s got going on.”
The most recent and poignant example of Spell’s dedication came before, during, and after Hurricane Helene. The storm that made landfall last September left a sweeping trail of devastation from Florida to Tennessee and North Carolina to Georgia, ultimately killing more than 230 Americans and causing billions of dollars in damage. The town of Alamo and surrounding communities were heavily impacted by the storm, with Gillis, a military veteran, referring to the aftermath as being comparable to that of a “war zone.”
So as the storm approached the Alamo community, Spell made sure his wife was safe and then headed to Wheeler to give his support. The power went out at the facility, so he stayed on for days to manage the generators and address any other issues that arose, including an HVAC unit that was impacted on the roof. When Spell, whose background is primarily in mechanical work and heavy equipment, discovered roads that were impassable to the facility and around town, he grabbed his own tools and began clearing debris — all before addressing the damage at his own home.
Gillis said that this instance was just one example of Spell’s willingness to serve. “Tommy is definitely a servant leader, and he sets an example amongst his peers that everyone can follow and recognize,' said Gillis. 'He’s that guy.' New Tax Commissioner
In March, former Wheeler County Tax Commissioner Kim Clark resigned from her position to take a job in the private sector. Clark served the public as the tax commissioners for two decades before accepting a job with a private sector.
In her resignation letter to Governor Brian Kemp, Clark stated, “Serving in this capacity for the past 10 years has been a profound honor, and I have dedicated myself to the responsibilities of this office with the utmost commitment and fairness, transparency, and efficiency. However, after careful consideration, I have concluded that it is time for me to step down and pursue other opportunities.”
She continued, “I am truly grateful for the support I have received from my colleagues, staff, and the community throughout my tenure. It has been a privilege to work alongside such dedicated individuals, and I remain confident that they will continue to serve the public with excellence.”
Until a special election could be held, Wheeler County Interim Tax Commissioner Ryan Dixon was appointed and sworn in by Probate Judge Jolinda Harrelson. Dixon served the public from April until November 4, when an official election was held.
Four citizens – Logger Bradley Davis, Medical Assistant Whitney Clark Griffin, Project Manager Curtis Hay, and Mortician Dr. Marvin Howard — threw their names into the hat for the position, but ultimately, it was Hay who came out victorious after both a special election and run-off election.
In a Facebook post following the election, Hay stated, “Wow is all I can say! I am excited to announce that I get to have the honor of serving you all as your next Tax Commissioner. The support that you all have given has been nothing short of amazing. I am excited to continue meeting you all as you come in and out of the office.”
He added, “As promised, I will continue with the progress that has been made, ensuring the same standards that are already in place are upheld. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out [through] my cell phone 478-2981665, or the office phone. I look forward to being able to serve you all. Once again thank you all for your continued support and prayers as I take on this role.”
Hay was sworn in shortly after and has been continuing to serve in the role since then.
Alligator Creek Solar Farm In March, Wheeler County officials signed a memorandum of understanding with Heelstone Renewal Energy to establish a solar farm on a 600-acre site off U.S. Highway 280 in Wheeler County.
The Alligator Creek Solar project is located between Erick Road and Highway 280, involves the design, construction, and equipping of a solar, photovaltaic electrical generating system having an estimated production capacity of approximately 80 MW. The project will include installation and use of photovoltaic panels, racking systems, inverters, breakers, switches, cabling power transformers, an electric substation and generator tie-in, and related equipment.
According to the agreement, “neither the project nor the personal property shall include the land upon which the project is installed.” The real property on which the farm is to be located is owned by an LLC.
Wheeler County Attorney Perry Avery said the project is being “sold” by the company to the Development Authority, which shall then lease back the project to the company in a “bond lease” arrangement. With respect to personal property, the company will receive an ad valorem property tax abatement over a 17-year term. In lieu of taxes, the company will make an annual payment to the County.
Proceeds from the project are expected to earn the county almost $4.5 million in the next 17 years, benefiting both the County and School District coffers.
Autonomous Railcar
In May, Parallel Systems began testing an autonomous electric railcar in Wheeler County. Representatives of Parallel Systems, the Californiabased company developing battery-electric railcars that operate autonomously, met in April with public safety officials in Alamo where they outlined plans for the first phase of testing that will begin within May in Wheeler County. A specific date for testing was not announced.
The seven-phase testing program on the two Genesee & Wyoming short lines began with testing on two miles of track near Stuckey. The tests were conducted on a Heart of Georgia line that was disconnected from the rest of the railroad. The test section is west of Stuckey Church Road and east of Forestry Road and has no crossings or switches.
Ethan Weil, program manager for Parallel, said the tests involved a single car that was not carrying any cargo, and was monitored by crews on site and from a remote location based in Pitts in Wilcox County. The cars have multiple, on-board sensors which activate in emergencies, and which can bring the car to a stop, but during testing a support team with emergency stop capabilities followed the test car.
Alamo Election
A new Alamo City Council member was elected in November, after the election separated two candidates by a single vote.
Incumbent City Councilwoman Patricia Woodard and Councilman Geoffrey Villegas, Angelia Wright, and Ty’Quez Smith threw their names into the hat to represent the citizens of Alamo during the recent election. Wright received 102 votes (36.69%), Woodard received 77 votes (27.70%), Villegas received 50 votes (17.99%), and Smith received 49 votes (17.63%).
Because of the singlevote margin between Villegas and Smith, a recount of the ballots was held on Friday, November 14, at the Alamo Service Center at the Board of Elections office, but the result remained the same.
Because Alamo City Council members do not represent specific wards, these leaders are voted on by all citizens within the city. With three seats up for grabs on the Council, the three individuals receiving the most votes will represent the city – meaning, unless overturned by the recount, Wright, Woodard, and Villegas will begin their new terms at the beginning of the year. Forestry Unit of the Year
In November, the Georgia Forestry Commission commended the Telfair/ Wheeler Forestry Unit for their tireless efforts to help the counties recover from Hurricane Helene, as the Commission announced the Unit as this year’s Unit of the Year for Landowner Service.
Each year, the Georgia Forestry Commission Unit of the Year award recognizes one of the Commission’s units that have gone above and beyond in their efforts to serve their county and community. These units are celebrated for their service and dedication to their communities and counties, as each unit works to ensure that their region is supported in their efforts to maintain and cultivate excellent forests. Over the last year, members of the Telfair/Wheeler County Forestry Unit have spent thousands of hours cleaning up forest areas within the county that were damaged during Hurricane Helene, even while experiencing loss themselves. Telfair/ Wheeler Forestry Unit Chief Ranger Tim Hartley lost 5,000 acres of timber during the storm – yet, even amidst the loss, recognized his and his team’s duty to serve. “It’s our job, and we’ve got a great bunch to work with. We take it day by day and just keep going,” he emphasized.
The team invested nearly 300 hours in plowing/ burning, and more than 5,200 acres were burned prescribed over the year. At the same time, the unit’s average equipment inspection score was over 97 percent.
In addition to these clean-up efforts, the team also continued to respond quickly and effectively to emergencies, keeping the average wildfire response time to around 4 minutes and the average fire size to 2.6 acres.
“Going above and beyond is truly the norm at this unit,” remarked Georgia Forestry Commission Director Johnny Sabo. “They consistently produce superior results for landowners, which has never been more evident than in the wake of this destructive hurricane. Telfair/Wheeler is especially deserving of this award.” Wheeler Teen Gives Back
A Wheeler County teenager made sure that the less fortunate citizens in his county were able to enjoy a Thanksgiving dinner, as he collected enough food to feed 150 families a meal.
Fourteen year-old Jack Nelson was inspired to do even more in the community, as he launched a food drive with the goal of providing complete, ready-tocook meals for those in need so that they may be able to enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving feast.
Nelson said that the idea came from worrying that some of his friends, teammates, or classmates might spend the holiday without a hot meal. He wanted to make sure that they had what they needed, but didn’t want to struggle with some of the issues that normally come with canned food drives, such as individuals needing several additional ingredients to add to the foods to make meals. “I didn’t want to collect a bunch of food that couldn’t really be used without other ingredients,” he explained. “I wanted to give a complete meal.”
He began hosting a food drive with the goal of collecting enough food to make 50 “meal in a bag” kits. Soon, donations poured in from throughout the region and beyond, with some goods even coming from out of state. These donations totaled enough for Nelson to prepare 150 full meal bundles – complete with the ingredients for either chicken-and-cornbread casserole or chicken-anddumplings, along with a complete cake kit and juice – as well as give several items to local food pantries.
Nelson delivered 85 of the meal kits to Wheeler County Schools to be shared with students’ families who could use a little extra support during the weeklong break. In total, Nelson donated 85 chicken and cornbread casserole kits (composed of a box of Stove Top dressing, can of chicken, can of cream of chicken soup, evaporated milk, can of mixed veggies, garlic and onion powder), 5 chicken and dumplings kits (composed of Bisquick biscuit mix, evaporated milk, a can of cream of chicken soup, can of mixed veggies, can of potatoes, 2 chicken bouillon cubes, and garlic or onion powder), 90 cake kits (made up of a box of cake, can of soda, and a container of icing), 90 bottles of juice, and 180 pans (2 for each family).
He then took the remaining kits to the Wheeler County Sheriff’s Office, so deputies may distribute the food to County residents with the greatest need. These donations included a total of 50 chicken and dumplings kits (a box of Bisquick or Red Lobster biscuit mix, evaporated milk, a can of cream of chicken soup, can of mixed veggies, can of potatoes, 2 chicken bouillon cubes, and a garlic or onion powder), 50 cake kits (made up of a box of cake, can of soda, and a container of icing), 50 juices, and 75 pans.
Ten complete meal kits were also kept by Nelson and given out anonymously to those in need. He also had an additional 300 ziploc bags donated to the cause.
Several leftover additional items collected were donated to local food pantries. These items included 24 cake kits, 6 boxes of cake mix, 20 bottles of juice, 25 cans of evaporated milk, 2 cans of vegetables, 38 cans of soup, 10 packages of onion powder, 75 chicken bouillon cubes, 50 cans of potatoes, and 2 cans of chicken.
Wheeler County Sheriff Glenn Giles spoke on the project. “This outstanding project is a testament to Jack’s character, dedication, and compassion. We want him to know how proud we are of his hard work, and how truly appreciative our community is of the time and effort he put into making a difference,” he emphasized.
Conclusion
Wheeler County showcased their ability to adapt to the changing times of society while also keeping their community-focused and kind culture. The County looks forward to what is to come throughout 2026.
MAKING A DIFFERENCE – Wheeler County Teenager Jack Nelson made it his mission to make a difference in his community this Thanksgiving, as he provided 150 full meal kits to families in need. (Shown) Nelson donates meal kits to the Wheeler County Sheriff’s Office to be distributed to families in need. L to R: Wheeler County Chief Deputy Jesse Webb, Jack Nelson.
