The Monroe County reporter. (Forsyth, Ga.) 1972-current, May 14, 2008, Image 1

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Newspaper Page TextInside Check out the sheriff’s office annual report Crime stats from 2007 Inside Sports Dogs begin spring practice See page B1 Deaths could’ve wiped this mouse off the mapM - John Harris»jPine Church Road home CLOSE CALL: John Harris stands in front of a felled pecan tree just feet from his Pine Grove Church Road rental home Sunday. The storm did damage to the roof and de stroyed a nearby workshop and abandoned home. Harris said the storm was 20 feet from obliterating his house. (Photo/Will Davis) Monroe dodges Bibb’s bullet 66 We were very, very, very lucky. 99 - EMA director Matt Perry BY WILL DAVIS Deadly storms that rav aged Middle Georgia Sunday appear to have gotten their start in Monroe County, damaging homes and cutting power to homes in the Russellville area. Straight line winds of up to 100 mph snapped trees like toothpicks, but no torna does and no serious injuries were reported in the county. Sharon Brantley of Dyas School Road, near the intersection of Hwys. 42 and 74 in southern Monroe County, said she heard the storm come through her trailer around 5:30 a.m. Sunday. “I just held onto my mat tress and said ‘Oh, Jesus,’” said Brantley. Brantley’s trailer sustained damage to the siding but was still livable, she said. Matt Perry, who returned as the county’s part-time EMA director two weeks ago, said the Russellville area was the worst hit in the county. Dozens of trees were snapped into two pieces at the intersection of Hwy. 42 and Dyas School Road, blocking both roads for several hours Sunday morning. But Perry said only as the storm passed into Bibb County did tor nadoes develop. “We were very, very, very lucky,” said Perry. See STORM page 5A THE FAITHFUL: Despite having no power and no water Sunday morning, Willie Myrick and son Emanuel get ready to go to church from their Dyas School Road home. The home sustained only mi nor damage even though the storm destroyed a long, wide swath of old hardwoods mere feet from their trailer. (Photo/ Will Davis) Bruce Dennis Cabral Ellen Mixon Gunnells Flora Ann Sosebee Guined Joseph Jackson Ryle Mary Eugenia “Jean” Smallwood Sarah Miller Dungan See obituaries page 2A <D 5 ^ & <C O co CD O Q_ S5 « 3 I a s 5 « o ^ ^ 2 > o m co W !t « CM M to O k(A(A Monroe County’s new school superintendent Anthony Pack, wife Rebecca and sons Taylor and Drew. BOE signs deal with Pack BY GINA HERRING “We believe we found the right fit for Monroe County schools,” said board of education chair man Dr. J. Ray Grant Friday as the board voted unanimously to hire Anthony D. Pack as the new superintendent, beginning July 1. “He is very driven, has a strong work ethic and is very honest. He immedi ately built a sense of trust with [the board],” said Grant. “It’s been a bless ing working with Scott [Cowart] and not having to look over his shoulders all the time. We believe that’s the kind of relation ship we will have with Mr. Pack as well.” Pack and his family, including wife Rebecca and sons Taylor and Drew, were also at the meeting. Pack says he is excited about coming home to Georgia and looks forward to working with the administration, faculty, staff and students in the Monroe County school sys tem. See PACK page 7A e is very driven, has a strong work ethic and is very honest. - Board chairman J. Ray Grant, on Anthony Pack County moves voting office f ""M Ramage objects 1 t° Evans’ tirade against paper, page 3A RAMAGE EVANS BY WILL DAVIS Monroe Countians will soon have a new place to reg ister to vote and cast early ballots. County commissioners voted at their May 6 meeting to move the board of registrars to an office building on Hwy. 42 owned by Jimmy Pace. The move gets county voting services out of the crowded office it currently shares with the tax commissioner on West Main Street. Commissioners also approved funding for two new full-time registrar positions to operate the office. Tax commissioner Patsy Miller, who has supervised the registrars, had been using per diem (not full-time) employees as registrars but said those employees would leave if they couldn’t get on full-time with coun ty benefits. The county will pay $800 per month in rent, which will include all the utilities, until it can complete a county administration building. That will be at least 18 months, said commission chairman Harold Carlisle. Commissioners approved the temporary move by a 3-1 vote, with only commissioner Larry Evans opposing. Evans said he doesn’t think the U.S. Justice Department will approve it. See COUNTY page 7A

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The Monroe County reporter. (Forsyth, Ga.) 1972-current, May 14, 2008, Image 1