Southern Pines is known as an area where children, teens and adults play athletics, watch rodeos, swim and even take a stroll on one of its two walking trails. The park has been a staging site for Georgia Power and its contractors since Sept. 28. Almost 24 hours after Hurricane Helene tore through Laurens County, Georgia Power began setting it up for linemen to have a place to live while they worked to return power to where it belonged.