Newspaper Page Text
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“Your Newspaper Since 1876”
(Publication Number USPS 534-720)
146th YEAR, NO, 18 THURSDAY, MAY 4,2023 1 SECTION, 8 PAGES $1.00 PER COPY
Check out The Bentleys on Family Feud Monday, May 8th,
The Bentleys (1-r) are: Karnetria, Karmishala, Kartisha, Karprice, and Karlcshia.
The Bentley Family From Reynolds
To Appear On Family Feud May 8th
Rogers and Mary Bentley of
Reynolds, along with the entire
Taylor County Community, arc
eagerly awaiting the Monday,
May 8th episode of Family
Feud Season 24. Five of Rogers’
and Mary’s daughters will be
contestants on the popular
game show, hosted by Steve
Harvey. The contestants are:
Karnetria Bentley Barnett,
Karprice Bentley Brown,
Karmishala Eentley-Cuyler,
Kartisha Bentley, and
Karleshia Bentley,
Initially, Karnetria applied to
become contestants on Family
Feud as a joke, but the joke
quickly became reality. The
Bentleys played with the
show’s producer on Zoom, due
to COVID, and they were se
lected as contestants. In an
interview, The Bentley’s said
their selection was all about the
energy. They said/‘If you want
to be on Family Feud, think
about personality and energy.”
The Bentley’s episode of Fam-
ily Feud was taped in
Fayetteville, GA, in August.
Preparing for the taping was a
full work day of practice and
direction, then the competition
began. They said, “We were
celebrities for two seconds, and
it was great/
All live of the Bentley sisters
were reared in Reynolds and
are Taylor County High School
graduates. They have two
other sisters, Tia and Lisa, who
were unable to appear on the
show, since the team is limited
to five family members.
So, w hat have The Bentley’s
been up to since leaving Taylor
County?
Karmishala Bcntley-Cuyler, a
19% graduate of TCHS, re
sides in Atlanta and is an In
structional Coach of an elemen
tary school in the Atlanta area
and a licensed real estate
agent.
Karlesha Bentley, a 1998
TCHS graduate, resides in At
lanta and is an employee with
the Fulton County Govern
ment.
Karnetria Bentley Barnett, a
2000 graduate of TCHS, re
sides in West Melbourne, FL
and is a Quality Assurance
Engineer with General Elec
tric.
Kartisha Bentley, a 2002
TCHS graduate, resides in At
lanta and is an Assistant Prin
cipal with the Fulton County
School System.
Karprice Bentley Brown, a
2003 graduate of TCHS, re
sides in Columbus and is a
Principal with the Muscogee
County School District.
The Bentley sisters are affili
ated with Bentley’s Funeral
Home in Reynolds and Sisters
Kitchen in Fort Valley.
The Bentleys send special
thanks to all of their support
ers for cheering them on. They
said, “We arc very happy and
blessed to represent Taylor
County on Family Feud!' 1
Watch the Bentleys Monday,
May 8th at 6 p.m. on WGXA
(Fox 24) of Macon and WLTZ
(NBC 38} in Columbus and at
7 p.m. cm WUPAfCW 09) in At
lanta.
Unauthorized Car Show/Stunt Fest
Draws Large Crowd To Robinson Road
Sunday, April 30th, things
were roaring on Robinson Road,
about five miles north of But
ler, as around 1,000 people gath
ered in a hay field for a car
show/stunt fest that was not
permitted by the County. The
large crowd, heavy traffic on a
country road, and noise from the
event created a nuisance for
residents in the area.
The event organizer, who re
ported that the hay field/prop-
erty was recently purchased by
his mother, called Taylor
County Sheriff Jeff Watson,
prior to the event, and asked for
help with security. Sheriff
Watson referred the organizer
to the county’s Planni ng & Zon
ing (P&Z) office.
The organizer misrepresented
the event to P&Z as a smaller
birthday/car show event, and
asked for the limit on the num
ber of people allowed to attend.
Since the event was represented
as a smaller event, no permit
was issued.
Later, County Manager Lenda
Taunton contacted the event
organizer and discovered that
the event would include an en-
try fee and food trucks. She
advised the organizer that he
On May 12th, MCN Club, Inc.
(DBA Friends of Old Mauk
School house) is celebrating the
86th Anniversary of the Old
MaukSchoolhouse with an open
house and concert at the historic
building, 34 GAHwy, 127 West,
Mauk, The School house has
been on the National Register
of Historic Places since 2008.
For 86 years, the building has
served as a gathering place for
the community with the doors
opening in January 1937, Stu
dents in grades 1 through 9
from the Mauk, Norwich, and
Charing communities attended.
It continued to serve as a pub
lic school until 1956. From 1956
to 1970, the building served
community groups, including 4-
H Club and the Home Demon
stration Club. From 1970-1976,
the building housed Mauk Acad
emy a private school that leased
the building, doing needed re
pairs in lieu of rent, which ulti-
did not have a business license
to operate, and asked him to
cancel the event and return to
P&Z.
The organizer did not cancel
the event. The event was held
Sunday, which violated the
County ordinance.
State Representative Patty
Bentley went to the event to
cheek things out and spoke with
the organize]’. She said the or
ganizer told her that the land
was purchased because it is an
ideal place for this event, She
also noted that most of the at
tendees were from Atlanta and
out of state.
mately helped save the build
ing. In the early years, the
school served as a home for an
nual singing schools, piano les
sons, piano recitals, and com
munity Christmas plays. For
many years, an alumni meeting
was held annually. In recent
years, the building has been
used for weddings, birthday cel-
ehrations, and family reunions.
The Friends of Old Mauk
Schoolhouse hosts fundraising
events 2 or 3 times per year with
the centerpiece being the No
vember Fall Festival, The club
has presented plays, talent
shows, Easter events,
womanless weddings, and other
fun events. Recent activities
have focused on establishing an
Historic Classroom and com
pleting renovation and repairs
after extensive termite damage
was discovered in 2013.
The doors open for the celebra
tion at 5:30 p.m., May 12. Ev-
The Taylor County Sheriff’s
Office closely monitored the
event and surrounding area.
Sheriff Watson said the event
was held under the pretense of
a car show/birthday party. He
said the event was a violation
of the County ordinance, and
the organizer was told not to
hold the event by the County
Commissioners Office.
Sheriff Wat son said there were
no problems in the venue, but
there were some traffic and
marijuana violations on road
ways outside the venue. He con
cluded, "This won’t happen
again on my watch.”
eryone is invited to go and take
a tour. Enjoy homemade des
serts in the new r ly renovated
kitchen, while sharing memo
ries with friends and taking
time to meet some new 7 neigh
bors
At 7 p.m., the Back Porch Pick
ers will take the auditorium
stage for a concert of Gospc l and
Blue Grass music. This will be
a fun packed evening. The
evening is free, but donations
are always wel come to help with
the maintenance and ongoing
preservation of this piece of his
tory and important community
asset. All donations are tax de
ductible.
The MCN Club Inc., DBA
Friends of the Old Mauk
Schoolhouse, is a 501c3 non
profit organized for mainte
nance and preservation of the
building and its history for the
community and for future gen
erations.
Old Mauk Schoolhouse Celebrating 86 Years
Miss April
The Taylor County News Calendar Girl for April was
Madisyn Knight. Madisyn is a senior at Taylor County
High School, where she has been an Honor Roll and Dual
Enrollment student throughout high school. She volun
teers at the hospice house and for free tutoring. Following
graduation, she plans to attend Georgia Southwestern State
University to pursue a nursing degree. Madisyn is the
daughter of Michael Knight and has a brother, William
Knight. She is the granddaughter of Bill Knight and
Roberta Kn ight. The Calendar Girl is a mon thly feature of
Taylor County High School and The Taylor County News,
Calendar Girls are chosen based on academics, extracur
ricular activities, personality, and character.
VIMNU KKID
Mr. April
Marco Zepecla-Manzo was named The Taylor County News
Calendar Guy for April. Marco is a senior at Taylor Co (//try
High School, where he has served on Student Council and
is an Honor Roll student. He was a mem ber of the Home
coming Court, and is a member of the Varsity Golf Team.
Marco participates in the Dual Enrollment Program
through South Georgia Technical College. He attends
Turner’s Chapel Free Will Baptist Church. Following
graduation, he plans to enter the workforce immediately.
Marco is the son of Fernando Zepeda and Aurelia Manzo.
He has three siblings, Alex, Valeria, and David. The Cal
endar Guy is a monthly feature of The Taylor County News
and Taylor County High School, Calendar Guys are cho
sen based on academics, extracurricular activities, person
ality, arid character.