Newspaper Page Text
Coach
Walker
aims for
300th win
Friday
eJOJULULU? LIU
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the Monroe Counrv
Serving the Public Safety Capital of Georgia
3 sections, 52 pages * Forsyth, GA * Wednesday, October 26, 2011 * 75c
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Join Scarlett,
Superwoman
and friends
on Square
Monday
See Halloween
details, PAGE 2A
Sports
Amazing:
C team wins
title with
stunner Fri.
See PAGE 1B
Deaths
Alice ‘Jean’ Grier Jones
Patricia Gibson Tucker
James Randy Johnston
William Robert Taylor, Jr.
See Page 6A
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Governor cans Mann
Deal taps lawmaker to replace long-time director
BY WILL DAVIS
Dale Mann, the long-time
director of the Georgia Public
Safety Training Center in
Forsyth, was replaced last
Thursday with a state legislator
and former police supervisor
from Villa Rica.
Gov. Nathan Deal's office
announced last week that state
Rep. Tim Bearden (R-Villa Rica)
will replace Mann. The Georgia
Board of Public Safety finalized
the appointment on Monday.
Bearden will begin Nov. 1.
Mann said he was summoned
to Atlanta to meet with Deal's
top staff on Wednesday and was
not expecting
what he heard.
"It was a
shock," said
Mann. "It still
is a shock to a
lot of people."
Mann, who's
been director
since 2003, said
he had planned
to retire in
about 11 months, not expecting
to be replaced. However, he said
he's gotten along well with Gov.
Deal and understands it's fully
within his rights to appoint a
new director.
"It’s not
Rep. Tim Bearden
unusual,"
(R-Villa Rica),
said Mann.
above, will become
"It (the
the new director of
director's
the training center
job) is a
in Forsyth, replac
political
ing director Dale
appoint
Mann (right)
ment."
Mann said
the gover-
nor's chief of staff and attorney
informed him of the decision
See MANN page 2A
Wilder is the Queen...
Senior Charslyn Wilder smiles after being named the Homecoming Queen at halftime of Mary Per
sons’ game against Central Friday night. The senior is the daughter of Charles and Debra Wilder, and
her father, at left, escorted her. Mary Persons beat Central 28-6, setting up the two final games of the
regular season with the playoffs on the line. MP capped its Homecoming Week celebration with a
dance on Saturday night. (Photo/Will Davis)
Council
candidates
skip out
on debate
Mayor's race fills void in
lone debate before Nov. 8
BY RICHARD DUMAS
The four candidates for Forsyth city
council decided not to attend a candidate
forum Monday night at Alderman Hall, but
See DEBATE page 7A
Mayor Tye Howard, middle, and challenger John
Howard, right, exchange views at Monday’s debate
as moderator Todd Tolbert looks on. (Don Daniel)
County cool to motocross school
BY WILL DAVIS
Monroe County's zoning board
waved a caution flag on Monday
night over plans to put a private
motocross school at an
abandoned ATV track in
Culloden.
The zoning board recom
mended on Monday that
county commissioners
reject a conditional use
permit for Matt Walker of
McDonough to operate a
motocross school on a 154-
acre tract of land he wants
to buy. Located at the corner of
Hwys. 341 and 74, the property
was the former home to the
Rocky Creek ATV track, and is
now bank-owned.
Walker, 30, has been one of the
top motocross racers in the U.S.
After a career as a factory racer
for Kawasaki, he said he now
wants to help other
young kids who want to
be professional racers. He
retired after suffering an
injury at age 24, and says
he wants to build a home
where he can raise his
family, including a 3-
year-old boy, and teach
other kids how to
motocross. Walker is rec
ognized as one of the best
motocross trainers in the coun
try, as his riders have won hun-
See MOTOCROSS pg 5A
Motocross legend Matt Walker, shown tutoring youngsters on the track, wants to
bring his family and his school to Culloden. But nearby residents are asking county
officials to stop him.
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