Balloons were launched by students at Morrow Middle School as part of an Earth Day Project and classroom studies on wind and the atmosphere. Sixth grade student Julie Nguyen released her helium balloon with high hopes the balloon and an attached message would travel far and be mailed back to her. Police Officer Joseph Genson did more than mail the message back. He drove more than 40 miles from his Oxford, Ga., home to return the message to Nguyen. Two other messages were later returned to the school from Forest Park, Ga., and Social Circle, Ga. “This project provided a better understanding of the power of wind currents,” said Deon Pennyman, a sixth grade teacher and coordinator of the project.

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