The Monroe County reporter. (Forsyth, Ga.) 1972-current, July 13, 2011, Image 1

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Newspaper Page Text1B 11A S Locals start farm in Haiti to feed orphans Former MP star follows father into firefighting Serving the Public Safety Capital of Georgia Inside Forsyth man finds an unlikely mission, in a cemetery SEE PAGE 2A Rowland is first Dawg to be invited to Elite 80 Stars out in High Falls Did Kevin Bacon pick up a bag of crickets at Kelly's Bait and Tackle? Or was that Robert Duvall ordering jambalaya at Maw Maw Jo's Cajun Shack? No one is saying exactly which stars are where in High Falls this week, but one thing's for sure: As of Monday, a large film crew had set up shop in the middle of town. At least 12 travel trailers lined the parking lot where Maw Maw Jo's sits off High Falls Road Monday morning as busy producers and technicians worked to prepare for filming (shown above). They're in town as actor/director Billy Bob Thornton is shooting part of his new movie, “Jayne Mansfield’s Car,” set for release in 2013. Part of the filming was expected to be done near the old mill just below the falls along the Towaliga River, but the movie crew was expected to move on to Covington on Wednesday. A green Ford truck with 1969 Alabama plates (shown at right) was in place near the mill as an apparent part of the movie. Filming has already been taking place in Cedartown in north Georgia. They had some problems there with gawkers and the movie company closed the set, telling locals that they will not be allowed near the filming location. Other actors in the movie include Dennis Guaid (“The Parent Trap”) and John Hurt (“Harry Pot ter”). Thornton told Reuters that his movie is set in 1969 in Alabama and is a comedy drama about human relationships that examines the “randomness of life and death” and how different generations view war. The movie’s namesake, Jayne Mansfield, was a Broadway actress from the 1950s-60s renowned for her large bosoms and her death in a tragic car accident in which she was decapitated after being driven under a semi truck on a foggy night in 1967. Thornton’s no table movies include “Sling Blade”, “Bad Santa” and “Friday Night Lights”. (Photos/Don Daniel and Laura Corley) Final OK for new county offices BY RICHARD DUMAS Construction could begin on the new $4 million Monroe County administra tion building as early as next month after commissioners approved final plans on Tuesday. Representatives from the Fry Design Group and Renfroe Construction were on hand at the Monroe County Commission meeting to show off the final design renderings for the new See BUILDING page 7A Plans approved Tuesday for the new coun ty administrative building show the exist ing county offices at left with a new pitch roof, plus the 3-story addition extending to Chambers Street in the rear. (Plans cour tesy Scott Fry/Fry Design Group) SEE PAGE 1B Pack: We’ve made Monroe County Schools 2011 CRCT Scores Deaths Janice M. McDaniel See Page 6A WELCOME to £h& G^S^^DflilEOS fjtfflsgascea Jarod Kilgore Sammy Edge Ruth Sullivan Rhonda Michael Kenneth Britt Sandy Lawrence Gef your name on this list by subscribing today. 52 issues just $35 in Monroe County. Call 994-2358 or go to www.mymcr.net. some massive gams But grad rate likely to cost schools A YP again BY WILL DAVIS Monroe County students performed well on CRCT tests in the spring, but it appears that Mary Persons' gradua tion rate will pre vent the school system from reclaiming the coveted Adequately Yearly Progress designation for a second year. "All of our data looks very good," said superin tendent Anthony Pack. "We've made some mas sive gains in Monroe County. We are very pleased with the scores." Like students in the rest of Georgia, Monroe County kids performed best on the reading and English/language arts por tions of the test, which was administered to grades 3-8 in April. Also like the rest of the state, local students didn't do as well in science and social studies. Still, Monroe County students outper formed the state average in most grades and sub jects (see results break down at right). The test results are the main measurements used in the federal No Child Left Behind law, which employs standardized tests and other data to judge whether school sys tems are making adequate yearly progress (AYP) in student achieve ment. In 2009, Monroe County became one of just 17 systems in Georgia to earn the AYP designation for five years in a row. But last year the streak was snapped because of a 76 percent graduation rate at Mary Persons, just below the standard. This year MP improved its graduation rate to 81.2 percent, but the standard went up as well, to 85 percent, leav ing the county short, said See TESTS page 7A We are very pleased with the scores. - Anthony Pack, superintendent of Monroe County schools Numbers are percentage of students meeting or exceeding state standards. T.G. Scott Wm. Hubbard K.B. Sutton Jones County 2011 Georgia Average Scores 2010 MC Scores 3rd Reading ELA Math Science Social Studi es 98 97 94 95 93 93 93 89 87 83 94 95 92 81 80 97 94 82 87 88 91 89 81 81 81 95 92 92 84 80 4th Reading ELA Math Science Social Studies 98 96 92 89 88 88 90 85 70 69 83 90 87 81 77 91 89 82 80 80 88 88 81 79 78 93 93 85 63 73 5th Reading ELA Math Science Social Studies 96 97 93 82 80 95 96 89 77 74 91 98 94 85 71 97 97 95 81 80 90 93 87 77 71 94 93 86 75 66 Source: ajc.com and William Banks Jones 2011 2010 MC Ga. DOE Hubbard Stephens County Georgia Scores Middle Middle Scores 6th Reading 94 98 95 94 94 ELA 93 96 94 91 96 Math 80 90 86 76 87 Science 78 85 72 71 76 Social Studies 81 87 75 71 77 7th Reading 91 95 94 91 94 ELA 92 98 97 93 96 Math 93 97 93 89 95 Science 82 92 90 82 87 Social Studies 70 95 91 75 84 8th Reading 98 98 98 96 98 ELA 94 99 93 93 95 Math 77 91 77 78 88 Science 80 76 73 68 77 Social Studies 69 88 78 73 74 2011 scores in yellow meet or exceed state average. JOIN THE REPORTER: ON-LINE AND PRINT SUBSCRIPTION JUST $35. CALL 994-2358.

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The Monroe County reporter. (Forsyth, Ga.) 1972-current, July 13, 2011, Image 1