Newspaper Page Text
Inside
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Racing to
the cure
Relay for Life raises
over $134,000
See page 1C
Mom’s Day
Use our
Mother’s
Day gift
guide
See pages 6-7A
Deaths
Bamie Rivers Cook
Edwina Enfinger
Dennis Gordon
Ronald J. Hardcastle
Robert Jones
James "Bubba" Thomas
See obituaries
page 2A
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The best crowd in years, more than 70 Monroe Countians representing many different churches and de
nominations, met on the courthouse square on Thursday, May 1 to pray for local, state and federal leaders.
Leaders also asked God for a spiritual awakening. At left, Jennifer Presley of Forsyth prays while her son,
Jarett, watches. The Monroe County observance was part of the National Day of Prayer. The local service
on the courthouse steps was sponsored by the Monroe County Ministerial Association and led by associa
tion president the Rev. Chris Mullis of Mt. Zion United Methodist Church. The Rev. Ken Stephens of Forsyth
UMC prayed for U.S. leaders and the military, the Rev. Shirley Watkins of Light House of Prayer prayed for
state leaders, the Rev. Brian Moore of New Providence Baptist Church prayed for county leaders and the
Rev. Renfroe Watson of Christ United Methodist Church prayed for city of Forsyth leaders. The theme of
this year’s observance was “Prayer! America’s Strength and Shield,” and the verse was Psalm 28:7, “The
Lord is my strength and shield; my heart trusts in Him and I am helped.” (Photos/Will Davis)
Green makes it 3-man
race for chairman
Surprise late entry for former mayoral candidate
BY GINA HERRING
James Green qualified to run
as a Republican for county
commission chairman last
week. But, he says he hopes to
reach across party lines and
earn the trust and support of
everyone, “for the sake of the
county’s future.”
“It’s election time and it’s
time for a change,” said Green.
“I believe all the commission
ers, including chair
man Harold Carlisle,
have done a good job,
but they are not work
ing as a team. They
are all very skilled
and committed, but I
don’t think they’re lis
tening to each other.”
Green says he is the
man to help lead the board of
commissioners and move the
VAUGHN
GREEN
CARLISLE
county forward.
See GREEN page 7B
Hampton takes on Ham
Charles Hampton of Culloden
has signed up to challenge
District 2 com
missioner Jim
Ham in the
November elec
tion.
Hampton said
county govern
ment needs a
new direction
and after several HAM
potential chal
lengers opted not to run, he
decided he’d be the one to do it.
“They all backed out so I said
I guess I’ll go ahead because we
need some
changes,” said
Hampton, a
Republican. Local
insurance agent
Eric Bunn said
he was consider-
/ ■ ing a run but
a-—in IH decided not to
HAMPTON qualify.
Hampton, a
member of the Monroe County
Hospital Authority, qualified to
run for commission chairman
12 years ago as a Democrat
against Butch Copelan.
Copelan later withdrew and
Tommy Wilson qualified to run
against Hampton and won.
Hampton said he’s not so con
cerned with who he’s running
against. He said he gets along
fine with Ham, a Democrat,
and said Ham’s been around so
long that most voters either
like him or don’t like him.
See HAMPTON page 8B
Get ready for tax
sticker shock
New assessments go to entire county next week
BY GINA HERRING Alveno Ross, the county-wide
More than 76 percent of Monroe revaluation is complete and 2008
County property owners will find property assessments will be
an increased property assessment mailed May 15.
in their mailboxes this month.
According to chief appraiser See TAX page 5B
Let the races begin
County commission chairman:
Harold Carlisle, 77 (R) incumbent
James Green, 59 (R)
James Vaughn, 51 (D)
County commission District 1:
Larry Evans, 58 (D) incumbent
Bill Myers, 49 (R)
County commission District 2:
Jim Ham, 46 (D) incumbent
Charles Hampton, 70 (R)
Tax commissioner:
Lori Andrews, 31 (D)
Joy Phillips, 57 (D)
Barbara Baswell, 57 (R)
Chief magistrate judge:
Jeffery Davis, 37 (R) incumbent
Mark Goolsby, 49 (D)
Sheriff:
John Waldrop, 53 (D)
John Cary Bittick, 53 (D) incumbent
Towaliga Circuit District Atty.:
Richard Milam, 59 (R) incumbent
George Hartwig, 49 (R)
Karen Martin, 69 (D)
U.S. Congress, 8th District
Jim Marshall, 60 (D) incumbent
Robert Nowak, 59 (D)
Rick Goddard, 63 (R)
Uncontested
The following appear to have won new
terms in office without opposition:
Coroner: Joey Proctor, 53 (R) inc.
Surveyor: Hugh Mercer, 61 (D) inc.
Probate judge: Karen Pitman, 44 (D)
Superior court clerk: Lynn Ham, 53 (D)
Georgia House of Representatives
District 125: Jim Cole, 37 (R) incumbent
Georgia Senate
District 16: Ronnie Chance, 39 (R) inc.
District 18: Cecil Staton, 50 (R) inc.
District 136: Tony Sellier, 63 (R) inc.