Newspaper Page Text
December 30, 2009
PAGE IB
^Reporter
2009:Year in Review
Sudden end
for daycare
Just seven months after
the brand-new facility
opened, parents were given
just a day's notice that
Bright Beginnings was clos
ing. Owner Connie Roberts
said that "unforeseen
changes in funding and the
major economic downturn"
forced her to close.
Devereaux, White
STAR students
Lauren Devereaux of
Mary Persons and Blake
White of Monroe Academy
were named Monroe
County’s STAR students.
Devereaux chose her sixth
grade Project SOAR teacher,
Helen Anderson, as her
STAR teacher. White picked
his AP U.S. history, Mark
Johnson, as his STAR
teacher.
FEBRUARY
Bowdoin shoots
at intruder
Marvin Bowdoin, owner of
Bowdoin's Grocery in
Juliette, narrowly missed
shooting a masked gunman
who forced his way into
Bowdoin's home on Feb. 3.
Later this month requests
for gun permits were on the
rise.
Wal-Mart to
open in fall?
The new Wal-Mart
Supercenter in Forsyth was
set to open its doors by
Thanksgiving. However,
record rainfall throughout
the spring pushed the open
ing date to Spring 2010.
Developer
bails on school
Six months before
Katherine B. Sutton
Elementary School was set
to open, developer Larry
Brown, who sold the BOE
the land and agreed to pro
vide water and sewage,
abandoned the project, cost
ing the school sytem
$500,000.
Truck hit by
train in Smarr
Johnny Wynes Jr. of
Macon miraculously escaped
serious injury after his
delivery truck was struck by
an oncoming train at a
Rumble Road crossing.
Residents called the acci
dent "a wake-up call" for the
railroad because empty box
cars parked along the tracks
created a hazard.
Officers Perry,
Phillips resign
Maj. Matt Perry and drug
investigator Gregg Phillips
resigned from the Forsyth
Police Dept, in a year of per
sonnel losses there.
County workers
get raises
Monroe County employees
received 3 percent cost-of-
living raise under a $21.8
million budget for 2009.
Booker resigns
After four years as CEO of
Monroe County Hospital,
O.J. Booker called it quits.
Former administrator Buzz
Tanner was tapped to serve
as interim administrator
until a permanent replace
ment could be found. Booker
received $41,412 in sever
ance pay.
Burruss names
new warden
The A1 Burruss
Correctional Facility hired
Vanessa Hester-O'Donnell to
serve as warden.
MARCH
In like a lion
Monroe County relished
its first significant snowfall
in years on March 1 as Old
Man Winter dumped 2-6
inches of white stuff across
the area.
Weather blamed
for accident
Twelve-year-old Ivey
Weldon was critically
injured in a car accident on
March 1 on Maynards Mill
Road during the snowstorm.
Ivey spent months in the
Children's Hospital in
Macon but has made an
astounding recovery.
Bank robber
caught in Forsyth
Police say money to buy
drugs was the motive for a
Florida man accused of rob
bing eight banks in recent
weeks, his last two being
the Forsyth BB&T and
United Bank in Barnesville
on March 4.
No Forsythia?
Controversy erupted in
the weeks leading up to the
Forsythia Festival as it was
revealed that the new land
scaping at the courthouse
would not include Forsyth's
signature Forsythia plant.
Small potted Forsythias
were placed around the
courthouse for the Festival.
Flooded festival
For the second year in a
row, precipitation and cold
marred the Forsythia
Festival as rain fell
throughout the day
Saturday and Sunday.
Trophy Ford
opens
David Sperau purchased
the Davis-Cooper Ford deal
ership in Barnesville and
re-opened it as Trophy Ford
in Forsyth.
Pippin teacher
of the year
Hubbard Middle School’s
eighth grade science and
math teacher Jennifer
Pippin was announced as
the 2008-09 Monroe County
system teacher of the year.
House OKs final
Tift funds
Moving the Georgia
Department of Corrections
to Forsyth took another step
toward completion when the
state House of
Representatives approved
the final $15.65 million for
renovations to Tift College.
Lawmakers have already
approved $33 million over
the past two years for mov
ing the state DOC head
quarters to Forsyth.
County line
survey final?
State-appointed surveyor
Terry Scarborough of
Warner Robins determined
the Monroe-Bibb county
line, but the fight has only
begun. The new line would
move about 400 parcels
from Bibb into Monroe
County, and would cost Bibb
about $1.3 million in prop
erty tax revenues.
Heavy rains
wipeout roads
After five inches of rain
fell over the weekend of
March 26, eight roads were
closed due to flooding in
Monroe County.
APRIL
Fire guts
Mid-Ga Auto
In the early morning
hours of Easter Sunday a
fire totally destroyed Mid-
Ga Auto Repair on Hwy. 41
in Forsyth. Owner Jimmy
Atkinson vowed to rebuild.
City approves
streetscape
After six years of waiting
and debating, Forsyth's city
council approved plans for
Streetscape improvements.
Work was expected to begin
in the summer.
148th deploys to
Afghanistan
On April 23 crowds gath
ered on the Forsyth square
to send off members of the
148th Brigade support bat
talion, part of Georgia’s
48th Brigade, as they head
ed to Fort Atterbury,
Indiana to train for a tour
in Afghanistan.
Pregnancy Center
marks 20th
Over 300 people gathered
on April 23 to mark the
20th anniversary of the
Monroe County Pregnancy
Center. Since 1989 the
organization has helped
nearly 6,000 women.
Day care reopens
Just three months after
Bright Beginnings abruptly
shut its doors, the facility
had a new owner and a new
name. Sarah Eidson, owner
of Little Angels Learning
and Daycare Center in
Bolingbroke, purchased the
building and opened Little
Angels in Smarr.
Lundy is
mother of year
Dorothy Lundy of Forsyth
was chosen as the county’s
Mother of the Year for 2009.
Lundy was nominted by her
daughter, Janet Massey.
Industrial park
plans halted
The Monroe County
Development Authority
decided against locating an
industrial park at the cor
ner of Hwy. 42 and Fairview
Church Road after residents
opposed the plans to develop
the property.
MAY
Relay raises
$120,000
The annual Relay for Life
event was held May 1 and 2
at the Mary Persons track.
Despite the current econo
my, Monroe County raised
more than $120,000 for can
cer research.
County agrees to
plant Forsythia
Commissioner Larry
Evans assured members of
the Town and Country
Garden Club that the court
house lawn would be
replanted with Forsythia.
County mourns
Parsons
The Rev. Adolph Parsons,
pastor of St. James Baptist
Church for 61 years and an
icon in Forsyth, died on May
11 at the age of 91.
New auto parts
store opens
Forsyth celebrated the
grand opening of a new auto
parts store, O'Reilly Auto
Parts, on Lee Street on May
7.
MP aces grad tests
Mary Persons' juniors
improved the school's test
scores in every category of
the graduation test and beat
the state and regional aver
age in every subject except
one, and that one was a tie.
Monroe
graduates 31
What would become
Monroe Academy's final
graduation ceremony was
held on May 21 with 31 sen
iors receiving diplomas. MA
alumnus John Cary Bittick,
the Monroe County sheriff,
gave the commencement
address.
City hires
administrator
For the first time in five
years, Forsyth has a city
administrator. Greg
Popham, 57, of Macon, is
hired for a reported $82,500
per year.
MP graduates 236
All 236 members of the
Mary Persons class of 2009
received diplomas at the
school's graduation ceremo
ny held May 29 on Mitchell
Field at Dan Pitts Stadium.
County says bye
to Mama Jo
Hundreds gathered to say
goodbye to Jo Shipman as
she was laid to rest on May.
31. Shipman died on May 28
at the Medical Center fol
lowing surgery to repair her
heart, which had been dam
aged from complications
from lupus.
JUNE
New riverside
S ark opens in
uliette
A new public park opened
on the Ocmulgee River this
summer at little cost to tax
payers thanks to a develop
er, county commissioners
and a few hard-working
Eagle Scouts.
Jason Lott
father of year
Forsyth firefighter Jason
Lott was selected as Monroe
County’s Father of the Year
for 2009. Jason was nomi
nated by his wife, Misti, his
son, Chris, step-daughters
Jordan and MyShell Cox,
and other relatives.
JULY
Floyd hired as
hospital CEO
Monroe County Hospital
hired Kay Floyd of Macon
as its new CEO. Floyd
served as the assistant
administrator for patient
services at Monroe County
Hospital from 1994-2005.
City grows 25%
in two years?
Forsyth’s population
reached 5,000 residents,
according to census esti
mates released on July 1.
Forsyth's population grew
from 4,055 to 5,022. The
estimate prompted city
clerk Janice Hall to wonder
whether they all were.
Department of Corrections
commissioner Brian Owens
said the jump may include a
large increase of inmates at
Burruss Correctional
Training Center.
Forsyth hosts
fireworks show
Forsyth started a new
Independence Day tradition
with a well-attended and
widely-hailed fireworks
show at the Monroe County
Recreation Department on
July 3. Crowd estimates
ranged from 3,000 to 8,000.
Schools pass $33
million budget
The Monroe County Board
of Education approved a
$33.3 million budget for the
2009-10 school year. Over 66
percent of the budget is for
instruction.
Fire destroys
daycare
R&C Day Care, located in
High Falls, caught fire early
in the morning on July 18,
displacing 32 local children.
Schools make
AYP for fourth
straight year
For the fourth year in a
row every Monroe County
school made adequate year
ly progress or AYP. Monroe
County is one of only 49 of
180 systems that made AYP
this year and one of only 18
that has achieved AYP four
years in a row.
Monroe Academy
closes its doors
After 43 years of opera
tion, Monroe Academy
announced on July 20 that
the school would not be
open for the 2009-10 school
year. The decision came
after all efforts to raise
enough money and attract
enough new students were
exhausted.
Dr. Smith retires
Dr. Patton Smith was
greeted by over 300 well-
wishers at a retirement cel
ebration on July 26. Smith
hung up his stethoscope
after 43 years serving the
county.
Another industrial
park blocked
Plans to put a 190-acre
industrial park on
Johnstonville Road were
squashed after the county's
zoning board recommended
against a rezoning for the
property.
Ben Spear dies
Monroe Uounty mourned
the death of long-time pro
bate judge and former coun
ty commission chairman
Ben Spear, who died on July
29 at the age of 80.
Gracey's opens
in Forsyth
Gracey’s Southern Grill,
located near the Georgia
Public Safety Training
Center, celebrated its grand
opening in July.
Jobless rate hits
10 percent
Monroe County's jobless
rate hit 10 percent in July.
The labor department
reported there were 1,369
local people out of work in
July, up from 908 last year.
AUGUST
BOE buys MA
The Monroe County Board
of Education purchased
Monroe Academy's 24-acre
campus for $2.4 million.
Central Georgia Technical
College and Macon State
announced plans to offers
general education classes at
the campus beginning in
Jan. 2010.
Sutton opens
Monroe County's
sparkling new $14 million
Katherine B. Sutton
Elementary School opened
its doors on Aug. 7. The
school was named for a for
mer school superintendent.
Marshall takes
healthcare heat
More than 600 people
filled the board of education
auditorium and spilled out
onto the lawn on Aug. 19 in
Forsyth to speak with con
gressman Jim Marshall at a
town hall meeting.
An overdue
honor
Thirty-six Monroe County
residents who made the
ultimate sacrifice for their
nation finally have a place
of honor. Five marble walls
— the first phase of the new
Monroe County Veterans
Memorial — were installed
on the Monroe County
courthouse square on Aug.
26 listing the county resi
dents who gave their lives
in each of the wars of the
past century.
County buys land
for new offices
Monroe County commis
sioners purchased a 1-acre
lot on Chambers Street next
to the old jail for $110,000
from Mike and Jennie Dodd.
The property will make
room for a $3.5 million
administration building.
SEPTEMBER
BOE approves
tax hike
The Board of Education
voted Sept. 3 to set the 2009
millage rate at 13.7, an
increase of .6 of a mill over
2008, but lower than the
14.2 tentative rate passed
last month.
County line gets
Hundreds line the streets of Forsyth to send off members of
Forsyth’s 148th Brigade Support Battalion on April 23.
and loses hearing
A preliminary hearing
was set before an adminis
trative law judge but was
later postponed so that Bibb
attorneys can question the
state-appointed surveyor.
Spanish pledge
halted at HES
Monroe County school
administrators ordered
Hubbard Elementary School
principal Kay Williams to
stop her morning recitation
of the Pledge of Allegiance
in Spanish on Sept. 11.
Trophy Ford
closes
Trophy Ford had its best
month ever in August, sell
ing 38 cars. Just a month
later, the dealership was
closed.
DQ shooter gets
life in prison
Joshua Rounsoville was
sentenced to life in prison
on Sept. 28 after a Monroe
County jury found him
guilty of shooting and para
lyzing Zapareo Glover dur
ing a carjacking at the
Forsyth Dairy Queen in
August 2008.
Devils defeat
Dogs again
The Mary Persons
Bulldogs lost 21-6 on Sept.
25. The Reporter also lost
its wager with the Jackson
Argus-Progress newspaper
and the Sept. 30 front page
was printed in red.
OCTOBER
County gets win
in border battle
The secretary of state
asked that the county line
dispute be removed from the
jurisdiction of administra
tive law judge Michael
Malihi and instead be reas
signed to a special assistant
administrative law judge.
Woman suryives
home invasion
A Jenkins Road wife and
mother endured about two
minutes of sheer terror on
Oct. 13 when a man kicked
in her back door, held her at
gunpoint and robbed her in
her home. The suspect and
his female accomplice fled
and were finally captured
after a high-speed pursuit
through three counties. The
couple was believed to be
responsible for about 20
home invasions in the area.
MP student
struck by car
Mary Persons freshman
Christina Ligeikis suffered
head injuries after being
struck as she crossed
Brooklyn Avenue on her
way to school on Oct. 27.
She makes a miraculous
recovery.
NOVEMBER
Banks, Wilson
and Dodd elected
Jo Anna Banks, Eric
Wilson and incumbent Mike
Dodd win four-year terms
on city council. Of the city's
2,600 registered voters, 828
cast ballots.
Bulldogs miss
playoffs
The Mary Persons
Bulldogs ended the 2009
season with a 7-3 overall
record and a 5-3 region
record, leaving them in fifth
place in region 4AAA and
out of the playoffs. Planned
region reclassification is
expected to take Mary
Persons out of the Atlanta
area region.
County plans for
new dog pound
Monroe County hoped to
create a new animal shelter
and recycling center on
Collier Road, but the plan
collapsed. Commissioners
had agreed at their Nov. 3
meeting to make an offer of
about $180,000 on a 3-acre
tract and building belonging
to Robby Whitehead. But
another party made a better
offer.
Williams out
Monroe County school
board members reassigned
controversial Hubbard
Elementary School principal
Kay Williams to a new cen
tral office position on Nov.
17. Sharon Hopper, assis
tant principal at T.G. Scott,
was named the interim
principal at Hubbard.
Williams was given the new
position of coordinator of
the 21st Century Learning
Center. On Nov 23 citizens
on both sides of the issue
attended a school board
meeting. About half, includ
ing some members of the
local Southern Christian
Leadership Conference,
wanted answers. The other
half included mostly parents
wanting to thank board
members for the decision.
New gym opens
The Georgia Athletic Club
in Forsyth held its grand
opening on Nov. 19, just in
time to work off that
Thanksgiving over-indul
gence. The club, including a
theater room where you can
watch movies on a big
screen while you work out,
can be used by members
around the clock.
Forsyth man
murdered
Robert "Wolf' Gresham
was shot and killed on Nov.
28. Anthony "Ant" Threatt
and Douglas “Trey” Davis
III were arrested and
charged with the murder.
Both have criminal histories
and have served time in
prison.
DECEMBER
Streetscape really
coming soon
City administrator Greg
Popham said work on
Forsyth’s long-awaited $1
million downtown
Streetscape project should
begin soon.
County weighs
building plans
Commissioners considered
six proposals for the new
county administrative build
ing.
Vaughn Lumber
catches fire
A dormant sawmill at
Vaughn Lumber Co. burned
to the ground. No injuries
were reported. The cause
may have been electrical.
Trophy Ford
back in business
After working out a new
deal, David Sperau reopens
Trophy Ford in Forsyth.
- Compiled by Gina Herring