CCG Insight Newsletter
July/ August 2019
CCG Insight Newsletter Staff
Aron Torbert
Sheila Risper 
Vickie Hughes
Carmen D. Hood
Welcome and Congrats to Our
Promotions, New Hires
& Retirees.
Promotions
May :
Demareo Copeland- MEO I
Jaylen Culver -FL/M TH I
Arthur Davis- Fire SGT
Tammy Foster -Deputy Sheriff MD
Jacob Hopkins- MEO I
Rodney Huling -Sergeant AD
Amanda Hill -PEER MNT COOR
Sonya Kibble- Jury Manager
Janet Kromrich- Bobo- Sergeant AD
Victor McCalister -DS Tech
Clayton Moore -LT Train BD
Kathleen Mullikin- Confr FAC
Nixon Patterson -Events CD
Angel Reyes -DS FTO AD
Tanya Rios -COMM Prop Manager
William Scott -Waste Equipment Manager
John Tarpley- DS FTO
Ryan Toelle -DS Lieut MD
Shane Walker- AP D&S MGR
Brandon Willis- Sergeant

June :

Gregory Anderson -Police CRPL
Mary Curlee -EM CM TH III
David Dansby- PS Crew LDR
Braden Dobbins- Police CRPL
Kortnai Fortson -Deputy Sheriff
Boris Hamler- EO III
Robert Hill -Head Lifeguard
Lacresa Holloway- SHR CORR OFF
Evon Hromy -Police CRPL
Danyelle Ingersoll- Deputy Sheriff
James Jenkins -Police Corporal
Jermaine Jones- Deputy Sheriff AD
William Lewis- Deputy Sheriff
Andrew Lockett- Equip OP II
Vincent Lockhart- Police SGT MD
Sabrina Millison- Deputy Sheriff
Jeremiah Peters- Deputy Sheriff
Marc Schubert- Deputy Sheriff
Amanda Sharpe- Payroll Cord
Charles Tate- Deputy Sheriff
Tena Welling- Deputy Sheriff


New Hires

May:
Keesan Boykin -MCP
Crystal Chalcraft- CPD
Thomas Delong -Sheriff's Office
Ryan McCann -Finance
Chrysta Pierce- CPD
Xavier Richmond -Parks and Rec
Selena Stanfield -Sheriff's Office
Abby Thomas- CPD
Khalifani Walker -Miscellaneous
Janay Williams -JTPA
Skyler Palumbo -Parks and Rec
Josiah Smith -Parks and Rec
Mehgan Adams -Public Works
Stephanie Cooper- Public Works
Lequesia French- MCP
Francisco Perez -Public Works
George Blanton -Trade Center
Margaret Cook -Parks and Rec
Ronald Fordham- CPD
Davis Henderson- WIA
Tiffany Ingram- Bull Creek
Sha'Quey Jarrett- Parks and Rec
A'Miracle Johnson- Parks and Rec
Jerrika Kight - State Court
Bryant Register- Fire and EMS
Matthew Smith- Parks and Rec
Juanita White- Finance
Kristen Whitten- Smith - Parks and Rec

May:
Desmond Gomilla- Transportation
Maria King- Parks and Rec
Bradley Perry- MCP
Jamondis Powell- Public Works
Royal Westbrooks- Public Works
Jhaniya Evans- Parks and Rec
Joshua Figueroa- Parks and Rec
Katelyn Johnson- Parks and Rec
Ericka Lavergne- WIA
Krystal McElrath- Superior Court
Lamont Jones- Engineering
Emanuel Carbelo- Parks and Recreation
Alexander Dumas- Parks and Rec
Olivia Hamilton- Parks and Rec
Kayle Lewis- Parks and Rec
Juliana Porch- Parks and Rec
Cynthia Teall- Parks and Rec
Kierston Weaver- Parks and Rec
Tiffany Arnold- Bull Creek
Ronnie Cantrell- Public Works
Nathalia Glenn- Parks and Rec
Dauturi Pollard-MCP
Jasmine Walker- Parks and Rec
Gretchen Meisch- Parks and Rec
Zachary Plazas- Parks and Rec
Avery Tramel- Parks and Rec
Titeana Wright- Parks and Rec
Natalie Murphree- Public Defender

New Hires

June:
Marissa Gleason- Public Defender
Jacob Elliott- Executive
Kristie Gramling- Parks and Rec
Mitianna Holt- Parks and Rec
Barbara Hugley- Parks and Rec
Raymond Keeler- Miscellaneous
Tracy McPherson- Parks and Rec
Gabrielle Monroe- Parks and Rec
Joseph Porter- Parks and Rec
Hasana Reed- Parks and Rec
Montoya Reyes- Sheriff's Office
Quinton Walton- CPD
Kylie NG -Parks and Rec
Hailey Norbeck- Parks and Rec
Clinteshia Retic- MCP
Donovan Wright- Parks and Rec
Christian Burdeshaw- Parks and Rec
Jamil Merritt- Public Works
Natishia Brown- Superior Court
Alana Folds- CPD
Taylor Woods- Information Technology
Jalen Earl- Parks and Rec
Tamika Tanis






June:
Rebekah Wulff - Parks and Rec
Denise Dykes- Superior Court
John Redmon- Information Technology
James Richardson- Transportation
Michael Wooddell- Finance
Clarence Buford- Public Works
Dominique Johnson- Public Works
Trevor Matthews - Public Works
Zachary Abney- Sheriff's Office
James Decker- Parks and Rec
Matthew Gilbert- Parks and Rec
Kevin Johnson- JTPA
Andrew Lesh- Information Technology
Ana Landeros- MCP
Makayla Coachman- Parks and Rec
Octavia Sims- MCP
Lorenzo Young- Public Works
Admetus Johnson- Transportation
Jeramy Stark- CPD
Timothy Woods- Information Technology
Jason Brimhall-Miscellaneous

Retirees
May :
Pinkie Echols- Public Works
Johnny Watts- Transportation
John Williams- Public Works
Frederick Tucker- Fire and EMS

June :
Tometo Anderson- MCP
Susan Cook- Tax Commissioner
Ronald Habersham- MCP
Nathan Largent- Transportation
Audrey Cooper- CPD
July is Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month.

August is National Immunization Awareness Month
Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), previously known as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, is the most common type of arthritis in children. Arthritis is a long-term condition characterized by stiffness, swelling, and pain in the joints.
Feature Heading
National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM) is an annual observance held in August to highlight the importance of vaccination for people of all ages.  

Upcoming Holidays
Labor Day
September 2nd Monday

The first U.S. Labor Day was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882 in New York City, planned by the Central Labor Union. The Labor Day parade of about 10,000 workers took unpaid leave and marched from City Hall past Union Square uptown to 42nd street, and ended in Wendel’s Elm Park at 92nd Street and 9th Avenue for a concert, speeches, and a picnic.

Oregon was the first to declare Labor Day an official holiday in 1887.

 June 28, 1894, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday in the District of Columbia and the territories.
 



2019
United Way Kickoff Breakfast
and
CCG Department Coordinator Training
Elected Officials, the Mayor, Department Directors, United Way Staff, and special guests met on Thursday, August 8, 2019 for this year’s CCG United Way Kickoff Breakfast at the Trade Center- Outside Foundry Room. Following the Kickoff Breakfast, training was provided for the CCG United Way Department Coordinators from 10:30 am – 1:00 pm at the City Services Center. This training was a collaborative effort with the Human Resources Department and the United Way to provide more support to our City Department United Way Coordinators.  
CCG United Way Campaign 2019
All pledge forms are due to Human Resources: Attn- Amanda Jamieson on Monday, September 30th, 2019.
If you have any employees that are interested in designating their contribution to a specific United Way Agency, please specify on the form.

Thanks for your continued support of the United Way of the Chattahoochee Valley.
The Columbus Consolidated Government has begun its 2019 United Way Campaign.
The Human Resources Department is holding a Gift Tree Raffle. Prices of tickets are $20.00
Please see flyer below for more details on purchasing and points of contact.
Beards and Badges
Participating male employees of the Muscogee County Sheriff's Office will forego shaving for the months of August and September for the United Way. All proceeds from these FUNdraisers will contribute to our United Way goal.  
Going RED for Girls, Inc.
The Muscogee County Sheriff's Office will be kicking off our annual United Way Fundraiser August 1, 2019. Our participating female employees will be "Going Red for Girls, Inc." and will be wearing Red T-shirts and accessories for the months of August and September.  
Attention!!!!

Veterans: You may be eligible for On The Job Training Benefits.
 The Georgia State Approving Agency for the GI Bill wishes to spread the word about an On-The-Job Training Program. It seems that most people, including veterans, are nor aware of this benefit. Recently hired
(up to 36 months ago) Columbus Consolidated Government employees who are Veterans may be eligible for the GI Bill benefits. Veterans must have left the service with an honorable discharge no more than 10 years ago. Members of the Reserve Component may be eligible also.

More information may be obtained by calling the Georgia Department of Veterans Services at:
404-656-2306/2322 or email saasmb@vs.state.ga.us

Additional information is available at the following website:
www.sdvs.georgia.gov- then select "State Approving Agency".

Employee Spotlight
Carolyn Tidd
District Attorney's Office
Carolyn Hall Tidd began her career with the Columbus Consolidated Government in 1973 as a records room clerk, with a salary of $325.00 monthly. She later transferred to data entry, before becoming a sworn officer in 1974, assigned to the patrol division. Next, she worked in the detective division before transferring to the District Attorney’s office in 1977 as an investigator.   In 1989, she transferred to a state paid investigator position with the D.A. office. She worked with cases from law enforcement agencies in six counties of the Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit for 25 years; and was the sole D.A. investigator for the five other counties of the Circuit. In 2013, she retired as an investigator, and District Attorney Julia Slater asked her to stay on as office manager. She remained in that position since November of 2013. In total, she’s worked for CCG and the State of Georgia for over 40 years.
               Carolyn has witnessed a great deal of change over the years. For example, at her first job with law enforcement, data entry meant clerks were constantly building the information base for CAJIS (Columbus Area Justice Information System). Court cards were pulled and typed with arrests, then retyped with court dispositions. Data entry was tedious at best. In the patrol division, reports were hand-written. Detectives still used manual typewriters.  The D.A. office had electric typewriters, but not a case management system. In the early 90’s, the DA office finally got desktop computers, making work easier and more efficient.
               Carolyn has always loved helping people.  Therefore, she sometimes found her job difficult due to her awareness of the pain inflicted by criminals on innocent victims. However, knowing their pain would be eased, when those responsible were successfully prosecuted, was satisfying. She was able to work with many of the families victimized by crime and help them through difficult situations.
From the time she was given her first job with Chief Curtis McClung at the Police Department, Carolyn has worked with great leaders. Julia Slater was the 5 th District Attorney to hire her. She thanks each one of them for trusting her to do the tasks assigned and for sharing their knowledge and insight. She has advice for others hoping to work 40+ years as well. “Come to work with a positive attitude and make each day a good day for someone – for yourself. If you are constantly worried that someone else is getting what you think you deserve, you will always be unhappy. Working for the government won’t make you wealthy, but you will be rich in friends and colleagues for life.” 
Employee Spotlight
Anne-Marie Amiel
Risk Management
The Columbus Consolidated Government would like to recognize Anne- Marie for her contributions and tremendous feat participating in the United Way 1000 Crunches Competition.

1000 Crunches was thought up by Public Works Director Pat Biegler last year. She challenged people to sponsor her to do 1000 crunches on the crunch machine at the Public Works gym to raise funds for United Way. She met her goal, and now the idea has spread. Anne Marie states, " I wanted to do it because I think it’s a fun way to get people engaged in doing something healthy while, at the same time, raising funds for a worthy cause".
 
As the second person to do this she felt absolutely that she had to achieve the 1000 crunch goal and actually ended up doing 1200 and raised a little under $200 for United Way in the process.
 
Her advice to others would be to make sure you work your way up to doing this many crunches. If you try to do too many too soon your midriff will talk to you for days! Crunches on the machine are a great way for people with back issues to do the exercise and, as part of an exercise program, they are great. Don’t just do it one time, though. Have fun raising funds but keep the exercise momentum going!
 
Avocado Strawberry Mango Salsa

INGREDIENTS
1 cup diced strawberries (a little more than a half pound of strawberries)
1 cup diced ripe mango (from 2 large mangoes)
1 avocado, diced
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
2 tablespoons finely diced red onion
2-3 tablespoons diced cilantro
1 small lime, juiced
1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
For serving:
Multigrain pita chips, for serving/dipping

INSTRUCTIONS
Place all ingredients in a medium bowl and mix to combine. Garnish with extra cilantro. Serve with pita chips for dipping. Also great served on salmon, fish tacos or shrimp. Serves 4-6. Double the recipe to serve 10-12.

Weight Loss Detox
Lemon Cayenne Pepper Water - Serves 1
INGREDIENTS
1 cup water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon  apple cider vinegar
3 pieces fresh ginger small slices
liquid Stevia few drops to sweeten to desired taste
Ice
In a glass add ice, water, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, apple cider vinegar, fresh ginger and a few drops of liquid Stevia (to sweeten to desired taste). Mix well and enjoy! If you like ginger, eat it after finishing the water. For more ginger flavor, after mixing the ingredients together let the water set for 1 hour in the refrigerator before drinking. Add more ice if preferred.  
Raspberry, Almond Butter & Banana Oatmeal Muffins


INGREDIENTS
1 cup white whole wheat flour (can also use whole wheat pastry flour)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 medium extra ripe bananas
3/4 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 cup plain nonfat greek yogurt
1/3 cup natural creamy almond butter (use your favorite brand!)
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (any milk will work)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 heaping cup fresh or frozen raspberries

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffins tins with muffin liners and spray the inside of the liners with nonstick cooking spray to prevent sticking (yes, this is an important step!).
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In a blender, add bananas, oats, greek yogurt, almond butter, honey, almond milk, eggs and vanilla. Blend about 30 seconds. Pour wet ingredients into a large bowl, then add in dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Fold in raspberries.
Fill muffin cups 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 20-23 minutes until tops are lightly golden brown. Transfer muffins to wire rack to cool. Enjoy with extra nut butter on top!
Avocado on toast with smoked salmon

Ingredients
avocado 1
fat-free yogurt 2 tbsp 
lemon ½, juiced
rye bread 2 slices, toasted 
cayenne pepper a pinch
smoked salmon 75g
cucumber 1/4, ribboned with a veg peeler
salad cress a handful 
DRESSING
red chilli ½, seeded and finely diced
mint finely chopped to make 1 tbsp
lemon ½, zested and juiced
tomato 1, finely diced
white wine vinegar 1 tsp

INSTRUCTIONS
Make the dressing by mixing all the ingredients together with some seasoning. Halve the avocado, remove the stone and scoop the flesh into a bowl.Add the yogurt and lemon juice and mash everything with a fork. Season well with salt and black pepper. Divide the avocado between the toasted rye bread, sprinkle over a little cayenne pepper and add the smoked salmon and cucumber. Spoon over the dressing, then top with the cress.