AC repair inLudowici, GA

The small town of Ludowici, incorporated in 1905, remains the only incorporated municipality in rural Long County, located in east Georgia. It was designated the county seat in 1920, when Long County was created from the western portion of Liberty County. Located between Hinesville and Jesup, Ludowici is accessible by U.S. highways 25, 84, and 301.

Development progressed slowly in this agricultural region until the 1840s, when the Atlantic and Gulf Railroad, running from Savannah to the western sections of the state, cut through the area. Near the cotton plantation of Allen Johnston, the railroad established a stop referred to as “Four and a Half.” A railroad station was built across the tracks from Johnston’s home, and a small village known as Johnston Station developed around it. The Johnston Station area remained heavily agricultural into the twentieth century, with farms and timberlands owned primarily by the Johnston, Baggs, and Chapman families.

In the early 1900s the Ludowici-Celadon Roofing Tile Company of Chicago, Illinois, began purchasing land along Jones Creek, a tributary of the Altamaha River, on the western side of Johnston Station. Chosen for its supply of quality ceramic clay, mild winters, and transportation facilities, the land became the site of a new “Dixie” plant for the production of ceramic roofing tiles. Under the direction of German native William Ludowici, the plant covered more than 1,100 acres and was built at a cost of about $75,000. The company employed around 100 local laborers, who produced a daily average of 10,000 tiles, each stamped “Ludowici Dixie.” “Dixie” tile can still be found throughout Georgia and Florida on such prominent buildings as the U.S. Federal Building in Savannah and Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida. In 1905, when the town erected a new high school, the Ludowici family donated $1,000 toward its construction and provided the roofing tile. In honor of the family’s generosity, the citizens renamed their town Ludowici that same year.

In 1914 the tile company closed the plant in Ludowici and moved its operations to a plant in New Lexington, Ohio. The plant’s closing has been attributed to the failure of a strong market to materialize, the decline of the local clay source, and anti-German sentiment prior to World War I (1917-18). This latter argument is supported by the renaming of the town to Liberty City briefly during the war. Traces of the old plant, known as “the factory,” still exist untouched by town expansion. During the short period of the plant’s operation, the town of Ludowici saw its greatest period of growth. After its closing, the local economy declined, and the area reverted to a rural, agricultural community. The town still heavily identifies itself with the manufacture of the Ludowici tiles and is distinguished from surrounding communities by a high concentration of ceramic tile roofs on a variety of vernacular-, Queen Anne –, and bungalow-style structures. Of particular interest is Joseph Bruce Daniel’s Queen Anne house at Celadon and Gill streets, whose original roofing material was replaced with an experimental green, or celadon, glazed tile.

The community enjoys two important landmarks from its Johnston Station period: Allen R. Johnston’s home (circa 1850), the oldest structure in Ludowici, and “the Depot,” the third railroad station built after the first two burned. After the railroad company discontinued use of the station, the building was deeded to the town and has since served, among other functions, as the site of the 1976 Bicentennial celebration and as the city hall during the late twentieth century. In 1905 Mary McQueen, Johnston’s daughter, donated land in the center of town for the placement of an artesian well to provide a pure water source to the community. An open, octagonal wood pavilion, covered with Ludowici tile, was erected for the public’s use and served as a town square where farmers and residents gathered to share stories, hear political candidates, and attend socials. The well flowed freely until the 1920s, when the water pressure dropped and a hand pump was installed. Today the Ludowici Well Pavilion, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, serves as a public park.

Across the street from the Depot stood Ludowici’s business district, where customers frequented Branch’s Pharmacy, the Rimes Brothers Store, and the Ludowici Hotel. In December 1970 an entire block of commercial stores was devastated by fire and never rebuilt. Newer businesses are now concentrated along the highways rather than the railroad. Many local residents have found employment outside of the local community at nearby paper mills and at Fort Stewart. During the mid-twentieth century, Ludowici attracted national attention and negative publicity as a speed trap that snared tourists on their way to and from Florida. In recent years, however, the town has enjoyed increased notice as a tourist destination along the Wiregrass Trail.

The Altamaha Technical College operates a satellite campus in Ludowici.

According to the 2020 U.S. census, the population of Ludowici was 1,590. The local government is led by a mayor and five-member council.

An article on the front page of Sunday’s edition incorrectly spelled the name of a real-estate agent representing the buyer for a proposed Ludowici McDonald’s. The agent is Jimmy Shanken. The Coastal Courier regrets the error.

Ludowici leaders recently learned that there would be a few changes to the planned McDonald’s restaurant.

Mayor James Fuller said McDonald’s spokesman Jason Horne informed the city July 2 that instead of the combined McDonald’s and Flash Foods being built as originally planned, the restaurant and gas station/convenience store will now be two separate businesses.

“Now, it looks like we’ll be getting a new McDonald’s and a Flash Foods,” Fuller said.

Horne told Fuller that the size of the new McDonald’s will be around 3,000 square feet and that the site plan for the restaurant should be completed sometime around the first week of August, the mayor said.

Conversation for the McDonald’s began in April 2014, when liaison Mike Riddle contacted Horne on behalf of City Council and the mayor about the possibility of bringing a restaurant to Ludowici. After two months of dialogue between the two, Horne met with representatives from the city in July 2014 to explain the process of bringing the restaurant to Ludowici.

In August 2014, Hinesville-based real-estate agent Jimmy Shanken appeared before Ludowici City Council on behalf of a proposed buyer for the project. Shanken told the council and mayor that the buyer would be willing to provide a “good-faith letter” stating that construction would begin on the project as soon as possible, but no later than 12 months from the day the buyer closed on the purchase of the land.

On Jan. 22, the Jonas Company, based in Waycross, purchased the final tract of land where the McDonald’s was proposed to go. That piece of property was a 1.79-acre parcel is at the corner of Highway 84 and Mitcham Road Northeast.

On March 18, the Georgia Department of Transportation approved a final easement that was required for the project.

“There has been a few glitches along the way,” Riddle said. “But according to all of the information we’re getting, the McDonald’s is still on its way.”=

Saturday, Feb 17, 2024

RJ Legette Game Report

Saturday, Feb 17, 2024

Lex Bowen Game Report

Saturday, Feb 17, 2024

Faith Baptist Christian Academy triumphant thanks to a strong effort from RJ Legette

Saturday, Feb 17, 2024

Congratulations to RJ Legette for being selected the Faith Baptist Christian Academy player of the game

Saturday, Feb 17, 2024

Congratulations to Austin Massey for being selected the Faith Baptist Christian Academy player of the game

Friday, Feb 16, 2024

Stats have been entered for the Faith Baptist Christian Academy vs. Victory Christian Academy on Friday, Feb. 16, 2024.

Friday, Feb 16, 2024

On Friday, Feb 16, 2024, the Faith Baptist Christian Academy Varsity Boys Basketball team won their SECC Tournament Second Round game against Victory Christian Academy High School by a score of 71-51.

Friday, Feb 16, 2024

Stats have been entered for the Faith Baptist Christian Academy vs. First Assembly Christian Academy on Friday, Feb. 16, 2024.

Friday, Feb 16, 2024

On Friday, Feb 16, 2024, the Faith Baptist Christian Academy Varsity Boys Basketball team lost their SECC Tournament Second Round game against First Assembly Christian Academy High School by a score of 30-41.

Friday, Feb 16, 2024

Congratulations to Jeff Weaver for being selected the Faith Baptist Christian Academy player of the game

Thursday, Feb 15, 2024

Stats have been entered for the Faith Baptist Christian Academy vs. Northside Christian Academy on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024.

Thursday, Feb 15, 2024

On Thursday, Feb 15, 2024, the Faith Baptist Christian Academy Varsity Boys Basketball team won their SECC Tournament First Round game against Northside Christian Academy High School by a score of 55-27.

Tuesday, Feb 13, 2024

Congratulations to John Robinson for being selected the Faith Baptist Christian Academy player of the game

Tuesday, Feb 13, 2024

John Robinson commands the offense for Crusaders win

Thursday, Feb 8, 2024

Stats have been entered for the Faith Baptist Christian Academy vs. Berean Christian Academy on Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024.

Thursday, Feb 8, 2024

On Thursday, Feb 8, 2024, the Faith Baptist Christian Academy Varsity Boys Basketball team won their game against Berean Christian Academy High School by a score of 50-45.

Schedule at a Glance

Fri, 2/16vs First Assembly Christian AcademyL 30-41Sat, 2/17vs Victory Christian AcademyW 71-51Sun, 2/18vs Brunswick Christian AcademyL 32-33

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FFaith Baptist Christian Academy 12 S. McDonald St.Ludowici, GA 31316

LUDOWICI, Ga. - When Bubba and Jenna Parker learned last year they were having quadruplets, it took some time for the shock to wear off. After all, the Ludowici couple hadn't had any fertility treatments - which is the case in 90 percent of quadruplet births - and there was no history of multiples in the family.

The couple already had two daughters, Reagan and Riley, when they decided to try once more because "Bubba so wanted a boy," Jenna said.

"Turns out, God has a really good sense of humor."

Defying odds of more than 700,000 to 1, the Parkers went from a family of four to a family of eight - with three boys and three girls - in the span of three minutes on July 18, 2014, at Memorial University Medical Center.

Arriving by cesarean section were, in order: Bowen Harrison (Bo), Robert Charles (Charlie), Walter Dale Parker III (Tripp) and Ellie Reece. They ranged in size from 4 pounds, 14 ounces to 3 pounds, 7 ounces.

This weekend, the quads celebrated their first birthday with a barbecue for more than 100 people at their grandfather's Dorchester Shooting Preserve in Midway.

"It was really a party to thank everyone who helped us survive this first year," Jenna said. "We sent out 200 invitations, that's how much help we had - whether it was monetary, volunteer time, food or baby supplies.

"There is just no way we could have done this without them - they are the reason I'm still relatively sane," she said, laughing.

A year of changes

Today, the Parker quads are healthy, happy and strong, ranging from 17 to more than 20 pounds. They spend most of their awake time in the family room, where they started out in a little play yard. The play yard has grown with the quads and now encompasses the entire room.

Each quad has his or her own personality and preferences.

"Tripp is my little daredevil," Jenna said. "He was the most active in the womb and certainly hasn't slowed down. He was the first to crawl, the first to walk. He's fearless.

"Charlie is Mr. Social. He loves to cuddle and is almost always smiling," she said. "He's also our little Mr. Cautious. He's very content to watch his sister and brothers try something scary - like walking.

"Bo is quiet, but he can fool you. If he gets hold of something he knows he's not supposed to have, he immediately heads for a quiet corner with his prize," Jenna said. "He puts everything in his mouth, and he's our messiest eater by far."

Jenna's aunt, Kathy Dyches, who spends a lot of time with the quads, agreed.

"You can always tell which high chair belongs to Bo," she said, laughing. "Some days, there's not a square inch that isn't covered in food. And what's not on his high chair is in his hair."

Ellie has claimed her rightful place as the princess, Jenna said.

"She recognizes her special status and lets us know if we forget. At the same time, she's a patient soul - unlike her brothers. She waits her turn, knowing that we'll get to her," Jenna said.

"But she's no pushover, either. She has the most teeth - four already - and knows how to use them in self-defense."

For the most part, the quads get along well, Jenna said.

"One may occasionally swipe a toy or another gets feelings hurt, but that usually means they're getting tired. They seem to genuinely like each other's company. And, just in the last few weeks, I've noticed that they are starting to babble at each other," she said. "I can't wait to see that develop."

Interestingly, each quad also has a favorite family member.

"Bo always gravitates to Riley and Ellie to Reagan," she said. "Tripp is a mama's boy and Charlie is definitely Bubba's. Bubba comes in the door from work whistling and Charlie waits for it. They all go to meet Bubba, but Charlie is always first."

Finding a rhythm

To understand the challenges of raising quads, just ask Jenna about her routine.

"Feeding was crazy in the beginning because they had to be fed every three hours," she said. "Getting bottles ready, getting them all up, changed, fed and burped took about an hour and a half. Then I would have 90 minutes to sleep before it started over."

The process also called for creativity.

"I got those little neck pillows, turned them around and propped their bottles with them. Then I'd burp them halfway through and do it again," she said.

"Oh, it was a glorious day when they learned to burp on their own. And when they learned to hold their own bottles, I swear I heard angels singing," she said.

Bath time is strictly an assembly line event, requiring no fewer than four people.

"They go one at a time, directly from their high chairs after supper," Jenna said. "One person stays with the babies in the kitchen while one person brings a baby to the bathtub, does the washing, hands the baby to the next person for drying and goes back for another. The person who dries hands off to another for diapering. It's very efficient."

Eating is easier now, as they have their own high chairs, have taken to finger foods - Goldfish crackers are a favorite - and just recently switched from formula to whole milk.

Still, the numbers are staggering.

Until recently, the quads were going through a gallon to a gallon and a half of formula every day. Now they drink about 10 gallons of whole milk a week. For the first six months, daily diaper changes averaged 35 to 40. Today, that number ranges between 25 and 30.

"We stockpiled everything we could before they were born," Jenna said. "We watch for sales and won't buy anything without a coupon."

The extra-large laundry room in their new home - "the one we were going to build five years down the road," Jenna said with a wry smile - houses two large capacity washers and matching dryers.

"The laundry is endless."

These days, the hardest thing is taking the whole family out, she said.

"We've gone out shopping to Bass Pro and Walmart and such, and we quickly learned it's better to take the two twin strollers and split up," she said. "When we have them in the quad stroller, we can't go 2 feet without stopping to answer a million questions. It's fun, but it makes for a very long shopping trip."

A year of exhausted gratitude

Despite the perpetual sleep deprivation, Jenna said she and Bubba have nothing but gratitude - for family, friends and the kindness of strangers.

Riley, 13, and Reagan, 8, have stepped up to help without a complaint, giving up much of their free time to be with the quads.

"And Riley's friends Kylie Brady and Ainsley Dawson have been unbelievable, especially this summer," Jenna said. "They just show up - sometimes with their suitcases - and stay for days, pitching in wherever needed.

"Kylie even brought along her big sister, Makaylee Fowler, who's 18. She's become a regular, too, and has been a huge help."

Jenna's aunt Kathy, Bubba's aunt Debbie Wilson and Courtney Wilkes, a longtime friend of Jenna's and first-year teacher, round out the core of Jenna's volunteer help.

"They are all my lifesavers," she said.

Friends and family also have pitched in to help raise money for the new house and other expenses, she said. They have brought casseroles and other food for the family, helped clean the house and dropped off formula and diapers.

Several companies - including Hasbro, Playskool, Gerber and Triple Paste - also provided toys, bibs, onesies, diaper bags and body wash and diaper cream.

Then there were the complete strangers.

"People who have never met us or the babies, responded with donations, supplies and prayers," she said. "It certainly reminds us how many truly good and caring people are out there."

Even with all the help, the cost of four babies at once can be overwhelming, Jenna said.

"Since the quads came home, Bubba has been working two, and sometimes three, jobs," she said. "He works his regular job with the Department of Transportation, then cuts lawns in the summertime until dark. In the fall and winter months, he also works at the shooting club.

"He works so hard for us," she said. "That's why, when he's home, I insist his only job is to play with the children."

But Jenna is clear that her main source of strength is her faith.

"All of our prayers have been answered," she said. "When the babies were small and I was getting up in the middle of the night, so tired I was reeling, all I had to do was remind myself I was getting up to four healthy babies. One healthy baby is a blessing, and I have four.

"I'm so much stronger than I thought, but no stronger than the Lord knew I was all along."

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Several foreign students taken from a Christian school in southeast Georgia remain in state custody after a juvenile court hearing Friday morning in Long County. Meanwhile, federal immigration authorities say they are continuing an investigation following a raid at Faith Baptist Christian Academy in Ludowici, Ga., on Wednesday night.

Pastor Terry Sellars’ office at Faith Baptist Church is filled with Civil War memorabilia, a bouquet of tiny flags emblazoned with the Confederate Stars and Bars, and shelves lined with Christian books. There’s even an old-school wooden paddle on one of the bookshelves by his desk.

Sellars says the church-run school began its international student program about four years ago as an offshoot of its religious mission.

"These students would have an opportunity to get an education, participate in extracurricular activities, but it would also provide us an opportunity to share the gospel with them," Sellars says.

About 30 students – most of them older teenagers – were living in the school gymnasium’s second floor until this week’s raid by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE. Sellars says they came from countries including the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and the British Virgin Islands, although he says some were U.S. citizens.

His son Matthew Sellars, the school’s athletic director, says international students come to Faith Baptist to get an education and, in some cases, hoping to earn an athletic scholarship for college. They pay tuition on a sliding scale based on family income, he says, often around $250 a month.

Georgia foster care authorities seized eight children who were under 18 after the fire marshal and local code inspectors found safety violations, cramped living conditions, and dirty restrooms.

Sellars says the school is working to fix all of that.

"No one has been mistreated," he says. "We just genuinely love them, they love us, and I think they all are excited to get right back to things as they used to be."

Sellars declined to make students available for interviews, citing school policy. He says 22 students who are 18 or older are living with host families and are back in school.

A Long County Juvenile Court Judge Linnie L. Darden III has given permission for four of the minors to be released to relatives or returned home, while the state works to make contact with the families of the rest.

Shawn Brown is the Liberty/Long County Director for the state Department of Family and Children Services.

"I want to remind everybody that these are kids," Brown says. "The same standards that a resident of the US that lives in Long County has are the same standards and expectations that are in place for these children."

ICE Special Agent Scott McCormack said in Long County Court that the raid was prompted by the discovery of several foreign students living in Florida who were supposed to be attending another Christian school in Georgia with apparent ties to Faith Baptist in Long County.

ICE spokesman Vincent Picard says the second school, Faith Baptist Christian Academy North in Stockbridge, appears to have shut down. He says immigration authorities are following up on leads and talking with people connected to both schools.

Tags: Long County, immigration, Faith Baptist Academy, Ludowici, Sarah McCammon, GPB Savannah, GPB News, ice