[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 12 (Wednesday, January 19, 2022)]
[House]
[Page H222]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  HONORING THE SERVICE OF ELLEN WELCH

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Georgia (Mr. Carter) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the 
service of Ellen Welch, a crime scene specialist in Morgan County and 
founder of the Hero Tree.
  Ellen has exhibited an unwavering commitment to Morgan County's law 
enforcement as she works as a crime scene specialist and investigator.
  Each year, during the holiday season, Ellen takes on the role of 
lifting up the community's fallen law enforcement officers and K9s. 
2021 has marked the third year that Ellen has spearheaded this service 
to the community, and it continues to grow.
  Every year, Ellen, her mom, and her niece paint each ornament and 
write the name, death date, and agency of each fallen officer. Then 
they place the ornaments on a tree that stands in the Morgan County 
squad room until January.
  Unfortunately, this year was especially hard on law enforcement. 
Ellen had to get a much larger tree as violence against police officers 
spiked.
  Ellen has exhibited a selfless commitment to our police officers, and 
for that, we are very grateful. I thank Ellen for what she does and 
encourage her to keep it up.


                        Recognizing Ava Dorminey

  Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize an 
extraordinary student in my district, Ava Dorminey, for her work 
building the Students Helping Students Succeed mentorship program.
  Now a senior at Savannah Arts Academy, Ava founded the SHSS 
mentorship program in her junior year to help struggling students.
  The COVID-19 pandemic and related school closures, which proved 
difficult for many students, are what prompted Ava to take action. Her 
desire to help students' mental health and academic success culminated 
in the creation of the Students Helping Students Succeed mentorship 
program. Ava wanted to assist her fellow students while also working to 
instill essential qualities like confidence, teamwork, and leadership 
in our youth.
  Her work has been instrumental in helping students through these 
trying times. I am extremely proud to represent a district where young 
people's work, like Ava's, is on display for the whole Nation to see.
  She inspires me and gives me even more confidence in our future, and 
I want to thank her for the work she is doing in our community.

  I hope Ava's story and work inspire other young people to find an 
avenue that can help their communities be successful as well.


                     Congratulating Rincon, Georgia

  Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate 
Rincon, Georgia, for being recognized as one of 24/7 Wall Street's best 
cities to live in, in the South.
  Rincon is a gem of a town in the First District that is well 
deserving of this recognition. Its population growth, high median 
household income, and low unemployment rate are just some of the 
features that caught the attention of 24/7 Wall Street, an independent 
news organization that ranks cities based on affordability, quality of 
life, economy, and community.
  Incorporated as a city in 1927, Rincon has a rich history as a rail 
town in the 1800s. When World War II came to America, Rincon, like the 
rest of the First District, answered the call to arms. Due to its 
proximity to Savannah, Rincon citizens were instrumental in the 
construction of U.S. Liberty ships.
  Since then, the city has continued to grow and flourish into what it 
is today. I know the citizens of Rincon, Georgia, and myself are proud 
of this recognition.
  As someone whose grandparents lived in Rincon, I was in Rincon most 
Sundays every week as a young man. I can tell you how proud I am of the 
city of Rincon and Effingham County and the tremendous growth they have 
seen while still maintaining a great quality of life.

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