The Monroe County reporter. (Forsyth, Ga.) 1972-current, January 08, 2014, Image 1

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Newspaper Page TextLet tlie vttiiiQ besin! till cut the test cf Aicnrce Ccunty ballet cn oase /I Serving the Public Safety Capital of Georgia the Monroe County www.mymcr.net • VOL. 43 NO. 2 • USPS 997-840 2 sections, 24 pages Forsyth, GA • Wednesday, January 8, 2014 Inside Mayor under fire for slow-paying bills BY DIANE GLIDEWELL Forsyth’s city council will take steps to make Mayor John Howard sign checks on time after city cable customers lost service on Friday because Georgia Power disconnected service. Council has been questioning Mayor John Howard’s habit of not signing checks for as long as two weeks, putting the city behind on bills. The questions got more pointed last Friday when Georgia Power cut service to one of the city’s cable nodules due to non-payment. Some Hwy. 42 customers lost cable for sever al hours at mid-day. See SLOW page 3A With Howard’s trouble, just what is city’s cutoff policy? BY WILL DAVIS The sheriffs inves tigation into Mayor John Howard keep ing city utilities despite not paying his bills for seven months will take at least another month, but city officials say the prac tice doubtless violat ed city policy. See MAYOR page 11A One of 64 new homes built in Monroe County in 2013 is this one in Essex Place off Hwy. 41 near Smarr. New home permits up in 2013, first time in 7 years Restaurant closes in Forsyth See Pages 10A APicroaui Huron* of Mnnrnc fountv, GEORGIA VoL I! Readers rave about new history book See Page 5A Deaths Williams. ‘Bill’ Hodges Robert Eugene ‘Bobby’ Kirby Jimmy Lee Mitchell Deborah Ann Thompson BY RICHARD DUMAS Monroe County report ed in 2013 its first increase in new homes since at least 2006. The number of new home permits issued in 2013 in Monroe County was up a healthy 36 per cent from 2012. There were 64 new home per mits issued in 2013, compared with only 47 new home permits issued in 2012, the same number as in 2011. The 47 issued in 2011 and 2012 were an all-time low for the depart ment, which has only been tracking the data since 2006. While the 2013 is an improvement over the two previous years, it See GROWTH page 9A City now plans 9 percent hike in power bills BY DIANE GLIDEWELL Forsyth city customers will see a 9 percent hike in power rates, a 5 per cent hike in water rates and a 10 percent hike in sewer rates under Forsyth's new budget pro posal. A public hearing on the $12.4 million budget was set for 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 7 at city hall. The water and sewer increas es are added to the annu al 3 percent increases in October. It's bad for city resi dents, but not as bad as an earlier proposal which included 181 percent hikes in sewer rates for commercial customers. City administrator Thomas White said the proposed budget is bal anced, with $264,000 more in revenues than See HIKES page 11A Hansford reports to federal pen in Ky. Rev. Johnny O. Baswell See page 6A WELCOME Jt/o £hsM Dennis Wiggins Jeff Sanchez Ben Hinson Stephanie Hardigree Brett Craine Get your name on this list by subscribing today. 52 issues just $35 in Monroe County. Call 994-2358 or go to wvm.mymcr.net. Walmart, Dollar General Apologizes to council before leaving for prison BY WILL DAVIS AND DIANE GLIDEWELL Former city council mem ber Desi Hansford was expected to report to the Manchester Federal Correctional Institute in Manchester, Ky. on Tuesday to begin serving his 18- month prison sentence for a bribery conviction. Hansford was sentenced to 18 months in prison, three years probation and fined $3,000 in U.S. District Court in Macon on Dec. 3 after pleading guilty to taking bribes while on city council. Former council member James Calloway was sen tenced to two years in prison but a snag in the paperwork means he doesn't have a surrender date yet, accord ing to the U.S. probation serv ice in Macon. Calloway was also fined $7,500 and given three years probation. Calloway resigned his post while See PRISON page 10A HANSFORD Hansford will be here, the federal prison in Manchester, Ky., for the next 18 months. Monroe County Residents... gggar off right with Countywide Waste Systems! • Serving residential homes, trailer parks and small businesses 96 gallon cart on wheels provided or you may choose a pink cart supporting breast cancer awareness Prompt, on time and dependable • Fast and friendly phone service Ranked #1 in customer satisfaction Most inexpensive prices in Monroe County guaranteed • Everyday low rates off-set other companies’ special offers • Elite fleet of radio dispatched trucks • No pick up trucks or trailers which violate the Department of Natural Resources rules and regulations on handling solid waste • Serving South Metro & Middle Georgia • Locally owned & operated • In business since 1966 DON’T BE FOOLED BY IMITATION HAULERS! (/{/& hope, tpoo. hoc/a eafie, andheppep hofl'c/atp eeagon/ K;ountvwide Waste Systems ^&70-775-0505 p> mYn fl Kroger and CVS

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The Monroe County reporter. (Forsyth, Ga.) 1972-current, January 08, 2014, Image 1