Newspaper Page Text
April 9, 2008
tReporter
PAGE 3A
Local News
Have local news to report? Call 994-2358 or email wpdavis@bellsouth.net.
Forsyth man confesses
in ‘drive-by shooting’
If anyone has any information about
a silver Nissan Sentra in the area
with damage to the rear window,
please call Inv. Aldridge at 994-7043.
BY WILL DAVIS
A Forsyth man has con
fessed to being the
trigger man in a
drive-by shooting
on Indian Springs
Drive around
10:45 p.m. on
Tuesday, March
25. Investigators
are still looking for
his accomplices.
Cordarrel
Deandra
Woodward, 20, of
816 Indian Springs Drive,
Forsyth, is accused of firing
three rounds from a .380
handgun into the parking
lot of the BV Tire Shop on
Indian Springs Drive, send
ing two men scrambling for
cover and riddling a parked
truck with holes.
One of those men, Lennis
Clark, 29, of Shaw Avenue,
Forsyth, said he had to duck
for cover after bullets start
ed whizzing past him and
blistering the truck he had
just exited. He
said he saw the
shooter behind
him and then
watched him flee
the scene in a car.
Monroe County
sheriff’s investiga
tor Beverly
Aldridge said
deputies found
three bullet holes
in the truck.
Witnesses said Woodward
fled the scene in a silver
Nissan Sentra but no other
suspects have been arrest
ed. Forsyth police arrested
Woodward on Friday, March
28 after receiving a call
reporting a suspicious per
son in a Cabaniss Avenue
yard. When police arrived
Woodward fled into Monroe
County Hospital. Sgt.
Darryl Bittick of the
Monroe County Sheriffs
Office found Woodward sit
ting on the toilet in the hos
pital bathroom. He was
arrested and charged with
obstruction. Then he was
identified as being wanted
by the sheriff’s department
for aggravated assault for
the shooting. Deputies have
not been able to locate the
gun.
Inv. Aldridge said
Woodward lived next door
to the tire shop, which is a
regular hangout. One wit
ness said earlier in the day
there was an argument
between two men in front of
the shop, and that the sus
pected shooter had gone by
in a vehicle at the time of
the dispute.
Woodward told police he
wasn’t trying to hit anyone,
he was just trying to scare
them because he feared he
was going to be jumped.
If anyone has any infor
mation about a silver
Nissan Sentra with damage
to the rear window, please
call Inv. Aldridge at 994-
7043.
WOODWARD
Quarry expansion OK’d
Commissioners vote 3-1 to let
rock quarry mine new land
despite neighbors’ protests
BY WENDELL RAMAGE
The Monroe County Commission
approved a rezoning and a conditional use
permit Tuesday, April 1 for Hanson
Aggregates, the new owners of the rock
quarry between Smarr and Bolingbroke.
Hanson is planning to expand its rock
quarry operations onto a recently pur
chased 99.5 acre tract next to the 430 acre
tract it currently mines, and the commis
sion's approval gives the go ahead for that
plan.
The commission's two approvals came
over strong encouragement from
Commission Chairman Harold Carlisle,
Commissioner Mike Bilderback and Hale
Almand, Jr., a Macon attorney represent
ing the quarry residents, not to rush into
a decision. "We don't need to rush into
this thing. We can give everybody a
chance to explore the options. We can
give a continuance up to six months if
need be. They won't start mining rock for
another five years," Carlisle commented.
Almand emphasized that the new quar
ry sited "is a very significant project. It
should not be rushed into." He added
that his interpretation of law governing
such a project would require a
Development of Regional Impacts study
which would have to be completed by the
Middle Georgia Regional Development
Center. Failure to get the impact study
would likely nullify the commission's
actions Tuesday, he said.
Commissioners Jim Ham,
Jim Peters and Larry
Evans, who voted for the
approval, said they did not
believe the RDC study was
necessary. Ham said he
had talked with RDC
Director Ralph Nix and
that Nix was not certain
the study was required in
this particular case because
the proposed expansion is
less than 50 percent of the
total acreage and will be
operating under its current
permits.
Almand responded that
he doen't interpret the law
to mean acreage but rather
the increase in actual pro
ductivity. He again warned
that failure to go with the
impact study and to pro
ceed slowly would end up
in a lawsuit. Ham, howev
er, said he believes there
would probably be a law
suit by someone no matter
what the commissioners
did. He added that he sees
no need to delay the issue
anymore and that it was
best "to go ahead and get it
done."
Jeff Miller, Georgia sales manager for
Hanson, reviewed much of what he had
told the group a month ago when a deci
sion was delayed to give opponents time
to "get everything together." He said that
Hanson has purchased the 99.5 acre tract
from Oglethorpe Power Company. He said
the reason for the purchase was that the
quality of rock it is able to mine from its
existing quarry no longer meets
Department of Transportation standards
for road construction. The new tract will
provide a much higher grade of rock and
will last up to 40 years.
Miller also explained that the processing
plant which breaks granite into different
sizes will remain where it is now. Granite
coming from the new site would be
trucked about a half mile from the new
pit to the plant, he added.
Miller also told the commission that
Hanson has agreed to build a berm along
the south side of the property to help cut
down on noise and dust.
Ham added as a stipulation to his
motion that Hanson agree to the berm,
that it work with the county to get the
DOT to add a turning lane on U.S. 41 at
the quarry entrance, that it work to have
a caution light installed there and that it
work to use new technology to eliminate
the loud back-up alarms now used on its
trucks and that it agree to operating
hours of 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Miller said
Hanson would agree with the require
ments.
Ham made the motion to approve both
issues. Commissioner Jim Peters second
ed. The vote was 3-1, with Commissioner
Mike Bilderback voting against.
Monroe County Opinion Poll
What do you think about the owners of the High
Falls Supercross track confronting a 75-year-old
neighbor at her home?
A. It was very rude and
shows a lack of class. (20 Votes, 49%)
B. They were just trying to
protect their right to do what they
want on their property. (2 Votes, 5%)
C. It probably will cost them any
public support they had. (16 Votes, 39%)
D. I sure hope their mamas
taught them better than that. (3 Votes, 7%)
Question of the Week:
Who will you vote for in the race for Monroe
County sheriff?
Go to www.mymcr.net to vote. Results will be in
this spot in next week’s Reporter.
Your l-ocaI Phone Book
IIY
PUBLISHING
(ALL NEW)
The
Red Book
(ALL NEW)
Dear Customers & Long-time Friends:
THE STRENGTH OF A YELLOW PAGE AO
FORSYTH AND ALL OF MONROE COUNTY
The ALL NEW RED BOOK - Trinity Publishing
The Dynamic 21st Century Telephone Directory A Book Of Information Includes:
•911 Page With Extensive Emergency Numbers
•Government Listings Conveniently Up Front
•Complete Area Code And Zip Code Pages
•White Page Listing With Large Print and Yellow Highlight
•Community Information and Maps
•Caller I.D. Section (Number and Name)
•Yellow Page Advertisement - Full Color Restaurant Menu Section
Listings for Macon, Barnesville and Jackson In Back of Book
Delivered To All Homes and Businesses Throughout Monroe County
FOR MORE INFO OR TO ADVERTISE CALL
478-994-6371 • 478-394-3154
PQ DQX 5077 ■ FORSYTH, GA31Q29-5&77
Hubbard Celebration!
April 5-21,2008
Hubbard Founder’s Day Celebration • on the grounds of the National Historical Hubbard
Dormitory (grounds facing Hwy 83 South) • Unveiling the garden and serving refreshments
Wednesday, April 16 • 3 p.m. • Admission is free.
Contact: Lillian Davis: 404-863-2952.
Annual Banquet-Friday, April 18 • William M. Hubbard Middle School Auditorium *7 p.m.
Guest speaker is Dr. Ralph Simpson, Area Superintendent of Dekalb County Schools.
Tickets: $35.
Contact: Annie McCray: 478-994-4600
Hubbard Annual Parade, Entertainment & Concessions • Saturday, April 19
Parade begins at 10 a.m. (plans include out-of-town band with majorettes);
Concessions & Entertainment on the National Historical Hubbard Dormitory grounds.
Parade entry $35; booths $50.
Contact: Parade entries - Lois Allen: 478-994-8856;
Concessions - Juanita Pitts: 478-994-5112;
Entertainment - Barbara Shannon: 478-992-9268
Hubbard T-shirts available April 5
Hosted: by Hubbard Alumni Association; Sponsored
in part by the Forsyth-Monroe County Chamber of Commerce.
% f
Relay for Life Team
Proudly presents
Th* Look, tho Spirit, tho Cun’
Get Ready To “Wig Out”!
Join us for an evening of
fun, fashion, elegance and
giving. The Monroe County
Hospital Relay for Life Team
will be ‘puttin’ on the Ritz
with a fashion show
extravaganza. Great food
and a few surprises!
All models will be Monroe
County Hospital
employees...many of whom
you may not recognize!
This private affair will be
held at:
Royal Palm Cafe
(On the Square Forsyth)
Saturday, April 26, 2008 • 7:30 PM
Monroe County
“ Hospital
Catmg is our way ot fife
Tickets $40 per person. All proceeds will go to the
American Cancer Society.
Call Monroe County Hospital at 994-2521, Dept. 211
for tickets. Ask for Ellen.
Tickets will go fast. Limited seating. Tickets sold on a first
come, first serve basis.
So get yours now!
www.mymcr.net