experience as an “abstract curator” with Exxon also added to his knowledge and experience. Yelverton is married to the former Donna Whittington. He is a member of Victory Baptist Church where he teaches Sunday School and Discipleship Training. He is a past president of the Tifton Exchange

Club and served on the board of directors of Brother Charlie’s Rescue Mission. He currently serves as treasurer of the Mell Baptist Association.

Jones, whose wife Deborah is a nurse at Tift Regional Medical Center, is a member of the American Legion, Masonic Orders, Elks, serves on the Shriners Hospital committee, is a past local Jaycee president and served as a past state Jaycee vice president and as the organization’s national director. In the past, he has been a licensed private investigator in Georgia and Florida.

Magistrate court jurisdiction includes civil claims of $15,000 or less; certain minor criminal offenses; distress warrants and dispossessory writs; county ordinance violations; deposit account fraud (bad checks); preliminary hearings; and summonses, arrest and search warrants. Magistrates may grant bail in cases where the setting of bail is not exclusively reserved to a judge of another court. No jury trials are held in magistrate court.

To contact senior reporter Angie Thompson, call 382-4321.