Despite a quiet, unassuming manner, Justin Weegar invites admiration, maybe even hero-worship. And it’s for all the right reasons.

The image of Justin breaking down and hugging Aimee Copeland’s dad after the Run for Aimee 5K in June as he won the race and handed back the prize money is indelibly etched. Add to that a similar image of Justin bringing everyone to tears, himself included, on Saturday in Evans as he blistered through the Jingle Jam 10K in just more than 35 minutes to take the top prize.

One photo put things into perspective.

As Saturday’s Jingle Jam 10K approaches, I’ve admittedly been getting a little obsessive. After years of letting my health and fitness decline, I made a turnaround and earlier this year ran in my first 5K race. I’ve since run two more, and several months ago decided to up the ante by running in the Jingle Jam.

It’s tough, everyone told me. The 6.2 mile course starts and ends at Evans Towne Center Park, but to get back to the finish it follows mostly residential streets with lots of hills.

Some people around the country this past week, upset at the re-election of President Obama, were organizing petition drives to gather signatures for secession from the United States.

Here in Georgia, a couple of Republican state lawmakers organized a meeting to discuss what they believe are the administration’s United Nations-affiliated “mind control” techniques.

Fortunately for us in Columbia County, our citizens and elected officials seem to be a wee bit less loony.

When asked why they believe Lee Anderson on Tuesday lost his first election, ever, in his bid to take the next step up the political ladder, most people seem to blame it on Anderson’s refusal to debate John Barrow.

I still think it all started with the tractor.

See, everyone who knew, or knew of, Anderson was well aware that he’s a country boy. Not a thing wrong with that; I’m a country boy, too. In the primary Anderson was going up against three Republicans, two of whom looked like Hollywood images of congressmen.