AC repair inRiceboro, GA

RICEBORO, Ga. (WTOC) - A large childcare provider in Liberty County reached a huge milestone Wednesday.

The head start program through the Coastal Georgia Area Community Action Authority now has a permanent home. It’s in Riceboro, just off of Highway 17.

It was an important and exciting morning for parents in Liberty County, as they got to drop off their children at Liberty County Head Start’s new, permanent location.

Children under 5 stepped off the bus and said goodbye to their parents before entering their first day of early learning in a brand new building.

“I cannot contain our excitement, we are elated. We waited for a while. The parents are excited. The community has supported us through these years, because we’ve been waiting a while,” Liberty Head Starts Center Supervisor Teddra Jakes said.

The facility serves children ages 6 weeks to five years. It’s funded through federal grants and provides early education to qualifying families at no cost. Parents say this program is already making a big difference.

“Childcare can be very expensive. They can come in as young as two years old to do head start.. and I think that’s awesome. It’s free. That helps the community a lot,” Parent Regina Brown Betts said.

And the students say it’s giving them something to look forward to.

“I’m excited to have new friends,” Student Annalise Betts said.

This facility now serves about 60 new friends, to be exact. The program has existed in Liberty County for decades, but has moved around numerous times adding to the significance of this new building.

“It’s like going out, it’s almost like renting someone else’s car, you finally get your own car, and get a chance to drive it,” Liberty Co. Commissioner Marion Stevens said.

The building expands the program’s capacity by four classrooms with the ability to serve more than 100 kids. Jakes says the organization has a focus on helping families holistically.

“Sometimes, you bring us in with your kid needing an education, but you need a job. We can help. Maybe you bring your kid in and you live with your mom, and you can’t feed her in the summer, well we have meals on wheels, we can help there too.”

This serving as the first day of the future of Liberty County Head Start.

Staff members with the school say there’s still room for more students, if you’d like to enroll your child here at the head start program.

Copyright 2022 WTOC. All rights reserved.

RICEBORO, Ga. (WTOC) - The mayor of Riceboro has passed away due to COVID-19, according to the mayor pro tem.

Mayor Pro Tem Pearlie Axson said she was informed Tuesday morning that Mayor Joseph “Joe” Harris had passed away from COVID 19 at Liberty Regional Hospital in Hinesville.

Mayor Harris was elected in 2019. He was 35-years-old.

Service arrangements have not been finalized by the family.

“We’re deeply saddened by the loss of of our mayor who was a young man who was very ambitious, had a lot on his plate. We were working hard to improve life here in Riceboro,” said Mayor Pro-Tem Pearlie Axson.

Joseph “Joe” Harris was 33 years old when he was sworn in as mayor of Riceboro in 2019. The youngest mayor, but he was a mayor with a vision.

“When I started as state representative 20 years ago, Joe wasn’t old enough to vote. To see him come along and pledge his efforts, his work and his time - it’s inspiring,” said Rep. Al Williams, (D)-Ga.

Mayor Harris worked closely with the Coastal Georgia Minority Chamber, as he wanted to see Riceboro grow and flourish.

“He had a vision of making the city a place where people actually lived, worked and played,” said Sabrina Newby, CEO of Coastal Georgia Minority Chamber.

A leader who saw potential in his community and his students.

A community that, Sabrina Newby says, now has hope due to Harris’ leadership.

“He had a tremendous belief that the city of Riceboro can be more.”

A community leaders hope will continue his legacy.

“It should inspire someone want to step up and fill those shoes.”

The City of Riceboro released the following statement regarding the death of Mayor Joe Harris.

State Representative Al Williams (GA-168) released the following statement:

“Mayor Harris was my friend and a dedicated public servant who loved his community. I watched his development and his love for Riceboro. He was very involved in the community and could be counted on to be present and vocal throughout Liberty County. We have lost a leader with a great future. My prayers are with his family, and his service will be recognized in the next session of the Georgia General Assembly.”

State Representative Carl Gilliard (GA-162) released the following statement:

“Today we have truly lost the greatness of possibilities in the passing of Mayor Joseph Harris. Mayor Harris was a hardworking public servant who served to the best of his ability, and gave so much of his time and heart to this community. Mayor Harris’s mission, vision and goals were designed to make the city a desirable place to live and visit. The entire state and nation mourns in his passing and we offer our sincere condolences and prayers to the Harris family.”

The City is asking everyone to respect his family’s privacy right now before any more details are released.

Copyright 2021 WTOC. All rights reserved.

Getty | Momodu Mansaray

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck doubled down on their marriage vows with a decidedly more elaborate affair in Riceboro, GA (a small town just outside of Savannah), on Saturday, Aug. 20. The couple — who were officially married at a Las Vegas wedding chapel on July 17 — celebrated their love with their friends and families in Georgia.

The couple's second ceremony was a star-studded event. Affleck's longtime friend Matt Damon was in attendance alongside his wife, Luciana Barroso. Other guests included director Kevin Smith and his wife, Jennifer; "Clerks" star Jason Mewes and his wife, Jordan Monsanto; and model Pia Miller and her husband, Patrick Whitesell. Meanwhile, photos indicate the wedding party included Lopez's children with Marc Anthony, 14-year-old twins Max and Emme, as well as Affleck's children with ex Jennifer Garner: Violet (16), Seraphina (13), and Samuel (10).

Lopez walked down the aisle in a white Ralph Lauren wedding gown with a long train, while Affleck wore a Ralph Lauren tuxedo with a white jacket. It seems white was the theme of the wedding, as the guests were also all decked out in their best white ensembles. Podcaster Jay Shetty was the officiant for the ceremony.

Ahead of the festivities, a source told People that the weekend would consist of a prewedding party, a ceremony, and "lots of fun." Photos of Affleck's Riceboro home shared by the happy couple showed a white outdoor structure with floral trees and other rustic yet glamorous decor.

The wedding celebration has been a long time coming for Affleck and Lopez, who initially dated in the early 2000s and were set to tie the knot in 2004 before breaking up. They rekindled their romance in 2021 and got engaged this past April.

In her On the JLo newsletter entry opening up about their Vegas nuptials — which POPSUGAR had independently confirmed via a marriage license — Lopez said it was "the best possible wedding we could have imagined. One we dreamed of long ago and one made real (in the eyes of the state, Las Vegas, a pink convertible and one another) at very, very long last."

"When love is real, the only thing that matters in marriage is one another and the promise we make to love, care, understand, be patient, loving and good to one another. We had that. And so much more. Best night of our lives," she wrote.

In the Sept. 1 edition of her newsletter, the "Marry Me" singer added that the beautiful Georgia ceremony had its fair share of setbacks, including a stomach bug that affected the entire wedding party and the looming threat of rain and thunder. Still, Lopez knew their wedding day would be perfect. "The truth is, I never had one doubt," she wrote. "All week I felt the calm and easy certainty that we were in God's hands . . ." The day of the wedding, the sun peeked through the clouds and the ceremony continued as planned.

When it came time to choose their wedding music, Affleck and Lopez were set on Marc Cohn's "True Companion" as the "perfect wedding love song" — something they'd agreed on two decades earlier, when they were first engaged. Lopez even asked Cohn to surprise Affleck by singing the song during their nuptials. But the first song she walked down the aisle to was actually Cohn's "The Things We've Handed Down," which Lopez described as "a song about the wonderful mystery of children."

"The twenty years between those dreams of youth and the adult world of love and family we embraced that day, brought more to this marriage than either of us ever could have imagined."

"It was the perfect choice as our five children preceded me on the walk," she wrote. "The twenty years between those dreams of youth and the adult world of love and family we embraced that day, brought more to this marriage than either of us ever could have imagined. We weren't only marrying one another; we were marrying these children into a new family. They were the only people we asked to stand up for us in our wedding party. To our great honor and joy, each one did."

Reflecting on the initial start of her relationship with Affleck, Lopez added that the time between their 2004 breakup and eventual reunion gave them time to grow and form a bond stronger than ever before. "Nothing ever felt more right to me, and I knew we were finally 'settling down' in a way you can only do when you understand loss and joy and you are battle tested enough to never take the important things for granted or let the silly insignificant nuisances of the day get in the way of embracing every precious moment," she wrote. "We find ourselves in that long-desired time of life: having gratitude for all that life has shown us, even its trials and tribulations. That night really was heaven."

Closing out the newsletter — which included more wedding photos — Lopez added, "Years ago, we had no idea the road ahead would mean navigating so many labyrinths and hold so many surprises, blessings, and delights. It all culminated in this moment, one of the most perfect of our lives. We couldn't have been happier. I wish all of you the same kind of happiness . . . the hard-earned kind that's all the sweeter for the journey that came before it."

Two weeks later, on Sept 13, pal Kevin Smith shared even more details about Lopez and Affleck's nuptials on "The View," per People. "He's one of my favorite writers on the planet. He wrote his vows — they [both] wrote their vows, but he wrote a big speech that he read to her at the wedding, which was breathtaking," he said. "And it was long. That's one of my favorite things about Ben; he's his own biggest fan, so he wrote like a 12-page speech. I was like, 'Keep talking, keep talking.'"

He added, "It was wonderful. Very inspiring. I was happy for them. They deserve it."

RICEBORO, Ga. — A month after tying the knot in Las Vegas, Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck celebrated their wedding with a ceremony in Georgia attended by family and friends.

>> Read more trending news

The couple’s party was held at Affleck’s 87-acre estate in Riceboro, located 36 miles southwest of Savannah, WJCL-TV reported. The ceremony was part of a three-day party at the Georgia estate. Affleck owns a secluded 6,000-square foot home that can only be accessed by boat, plane, or a secured entrance, according to the television station.

In July, the couple wed in a midnight ceremony at a Las Vegas drive-thru wedding chapel, The Associated Press and Harper’s Bazaar reported.

Some of the stars in attendance for Saturday’s bash included Affleck’s longtime friends -- actor Matt Damon, director Kevin Smith, “Clerks” actor Jason Mewes and top Hollywood talent agent Patrick Whitesell, People reported.

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck Celebrate Wedding in Georgia Ceremony with Friends and Family https://t.co/egt3WHb0eQ

— People (@people) August 21, 2022

Affleck, Smith and Mewes starred in “Clerks” together, according to Fox News.

Lopez wore a white Ralph Lauren gown with a long, flowing train and veil at Saturday’s ceremony, with Affleck decked out in a tuxedo with a white jacket and black pants, according to People. Podcaster Jay Shetty officiated the ceremony.

‘We did it!’: Jennifer Lopez, Ben Affleck wed in Las Vegas ceremony

The “Marry Me” singer/actress and the “Good Will Hunting” actor/director rekindled their romance last year, announcing their engagement four months ago.

Lopez, 53, and Affleck, 50, were among the most prominent celebrity couples in the early 2000s, even making two films together: 2003′s “Gigli” and 2004′s “Jersey Girl.” They had split before the latter hit theaters, according to Variety.

During their roughly 17 years apart, Lopez married singer-songwriter Marc Anthony in 2004 before divorcing him in 2014. Meanwhile, Affleck married actress Jennifer Garner in 2005, but the couple divorced in 2018, the news outlet reported.

Affleck is preparing to direct, write, co-star and produce a film about former Nike executive Sonny Vaccaro’s life, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Damon, his childhood friend, is also scheduled to star, help write and co-produce the film.

Riceboro has a population of 577 with only one gas station in town, WJCL reported.

Owners Nick and Heidi Patel said the event had residents buzzing with anticipation.

“It’s exciting, yes, I wish they would come to this side of town,” Heidi Patel told the television station.

We learned two things this weekend: love is real, and Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez are legally married now. Mrs. Jennifer Lynn Affleck shared the happy news on her blog, On the JLo, revealing that she and her beloved tied the knot at the Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas. Some avid Bennifer watchers were stunned to learn that J.Lo opted for a small private ceremony instead of a 500-person blowout in Miami or whatever, but it turns out Vegas was just the start of Ben and Jen’s wedding season. TMZ reports that the newly married couple is planning a second celebration at Affleck’s faux plantation house in Riceboro, Georgia.

Fun? TMZ thinks so anyway, noting that Lopez and Affleck have invited friends, family, and their all-important “celeb pals” to join them at a “big bash” on the property in the next few weeks. According to a source, Lopez visited the home with her manager, Benny Medina, last month to plan.

The Riceboro mansion is an interesting location to mark such a sacred occasion. Affleck originally bought the 87-acre property back in 2003, just before he and Lopez called off their first engagement. Since then, he’s spent time there with his ex-wife Jennifer Garner and his most recent ex-girlfriend Ana de Armas. He’s also been trying to sell it since 2018 with little success.

It seems that in 2022, there may no longer be a market for this, hm, unique property, which was built as a “remarkable imitation” of a plantation. In real estate marketing materials, the primary mansion on the property is literally referred to as “The Big House,” just like it would have been in antebellum times. You can see photos of it here. Pretty bold purchase for someone who would later go to great lengths to bury the fact that one of his “distant relatives” owned slaves.

But perhaps all the media coverage surrounding the wedding will be the final push to get this thing sold. Best wishes!