Publisher’s Thoughts

PUBLISHER Jan Southern Jan@JDelSURMarketing.com 912-318-8645

CLIENT SERVICES Christie Wilson, Account Executive Christie@JDelSURMarketing.com

DESIGN Laura Zielinski

DISTRIBUTION Penny Redmond

Effingham Magazine is proudly produced by:

135 Goshen Rd. Ext., Suite 251 Rincon, GA 31326 (912) 295-5406 EffinghamMagazine.com

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Write to us and tell us what you think. Effingham Magazine welcomes all letters to the editor. Please send all letters via email to Jan Southern at Jan@ JDelSURMarketing.com. Letters to the editor must have a phone number and name of contact. Phone numbers will not be published.

ARTICLE SUBMISSIONS Effingham Magazine welcomes story ideas from our readers. If you have a story idea or photo essay you would like to share, please submit ideas and material by emailing Jan Southern at Jan@ JDelSURMarketing.com. Stories or ideas for stories must be submitted by email. Only feature stories and photo essays about people, places or things in Effingham County will be considered.

CIRCULATION: Effingham Magazine is published bi-monthly and distributed to more than 250 locations throughout the area, as well as mailed to thousands of homes. The full magazine is available online at EffinghamMagazine.com.

Views expressed in editorial or advertising do not imply endorsement by J. DelSUR Marketing Group.

VETERANS/FIRST RESPONDER ISSUE

Now and always, we recognize and appreciate the incredible work of our military, the sacrifice our veterans have made, and the continued efforts of our community first responders. We celebrate them all in this issue of Effingham Magazine.

Our community is better because of the men and women we salute in this issue. And what a fun way to salute them by having Sonic the Hedgehog® on the cover, illustrated by Effingham’s very own Tracy Yardley!

In this issue, you can read about Dr. John Wesley Odom and his trip to the war zone in Ukraine to provide medical relief.

We get to learn more about the Port Wentworth Fire Department, the group of men that share a passion for fitness and faith in Effingham in F3 Group, a brand new and unique gym coming to Rincon—Empire Gym, and Darrell Dasher from Yates Astro who spends his free time giving back to his community.

We also get to read about Effingham’s oldest African American owned business—Smalls Funeral Home—a legacy of leadership in the community.

And if you’ve ever wondered what all those booms are in the middle of the night around here, we have those answers for you in “The Sound of Freedom” on page 42.

This issue is packed with the stories of inspiring people and organizations that make me so proud of our community. I hope you enjoy reading each page just as much as we enjoyed creating them for you.

Jan Southern

CEO/Publisher Effingham Magazine