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A YEAR IN RE
'Top \£) List of 2017
Reporter Stories
1. ) Hurricane Irma Hits Monroe County
2. ) Christopher Calmer Convicted of Murder
3. ) 12-year-old Drowns at High Falls Park
4. ) Sheriff Bittick a Finalist for U.S. Marshal
5. ) Voters Save Monroe County Hospital
6. ) Rowland Defeats Ham by Eight Votes
7. ) Bulldogs Win Third Straight Region Title
8. ) BOE Leader Grant Dies
9. ) Swingers Invade Forsyth Motel
10. ) City Splash Pad Saga Complete
Head heads
to Louisville
page IB
to the Family...
Bobby Hicks
Ann Jones
Phillip & Courtenay Bunn
Tony & Kathy Anthony
Virginia Liles
Anita Cravens
Belinda Ward
NEW SUBSCRIBERS
OF THE WEEK
DEATHS ►►► 6A
Elizabeth Croft Garvin
Lula Mae Perkins
Jan. 4
• Several hundred
Forsyth citizens ring in
the new year at the city’s
inaugural midnight ball
drop on the courthouse
square. Despite rains
that, limited turnout, the
city vowed to continue
the Forsythia Ball drop
annually.
• New Culloden
mayor Lynn Miller is
sworn in after winning
election as the town’s
first-ever female mayor
in December 2016.
Miller won a runoff over
Melvin James after the
initial election ended in
a tie.
Jan. 11
• Three teenage duck
hunters spend more
than 90 minutes in the
43-degree waters of
Lake Juliette clinging to
their upside-down boat
before being heroically
rescued in dense early
morning fog by two
Monroe County EMTs.
The EMTs, paramedic
Jesse Suggs and Cpt..
Eric Tully, later received
Georgia Governor’s
Public Safety Awards
from Gov. Nathan Deal.
• In new Monroe
County commis
sion chairman Greg
Tapley’s first, meeting,
commissioners name
county administra
tor Anita Buice as the
county’s first, manager.
Commissioners also
remove the interim tag
for road superintendent.
Junior Watts, making
him the department’s
permanent, head man.
Jan. 18
• Six candidates
qualify to run for the
District 2 county com
mission seat, vacated in
December 2016 upon
the death of longtime
commissioner Jim Ham.
The candidates include:
Georgia Power retiree
Chris Ham, store owner
Earl Jackson, communi
cations specialist Jimmy
Jones, railroad retiree
John Martin, attorney
Jay Patterson and
real estate and small
business owner Eddie
Rowland.
• Monroe County
Commissioners approve
holding a referendum
on March 21 for citi
zens to decide whether
to impose an addi-
VIEW
t.ional $1.2 million in
taxes annually to keep
open Monroe County
Hospital. About. 71 per
cent. of citizens approved
the tax, and the hos
pital remains open
with Macon’s Navicent
Health managing opera
tions.
Jan. 25
• The National
Weather Service con
firms a tornado sliced
through Monroe County,
tearing down trees and
cutting power to dozens
of homes. The EF-1 tor
nado traveled northeast,
first, appearing in the
Maynards Mill Road
area before continu
ing through Smarr and
into Juliette. Among
the damage, the storm
destroyed a bam on Hill
Road and turned over
a pump house on Old
Macon Road.
• Monroe County
Schools celebrate the
grand opening of their
new $8.3 million Fine
Arts Center. In addition
to the many school con
certs and productions,
the Fine Arts Center
has played host, to many
major recording art
ists during its first, year
of existence, including
John Berry, Peter Noone
and the Ten Tenors.
Feb. 1
• Forsyth eatery
Ann’s Deli owner Ann
Mat.ich announces her
popular restaurant will
close its doors later in
the month after serv
ing customers at. the
corner of North Jackson
and West. Johnston
streets for more than
15 years. Forsyth coun
cilman Greg Goolsby
later reopened his own
restaurant at. the same
location called “Pickled
Okra.”
• Save A Pet. founder
Pat. Corley is named
Monroe County Citizen
of the Year at. the
Forsyt.h-Monroe County
Chamber of Commerce’s
annual banquet.. Corley,
who has lived in Monroe
County most, of her life,
started her non-profit,
in 1998, spending many
years raising funds for
a new dog shelter that,
became a reality in 2016.
Feb. 8
• Monroe County
Sheriff John Cary
Bittick travels to
Washington, D.C. to
meet, newly-inaugurated
President. Donald Trump
in the Oval Office.
Bittick, the head of gov
ernmental affairs for
the National Sheriffs
Association, has met. five
of the past, six presidents
but. had never before
been inside the Oval
Office.
See REVIEW. Page 2A
INDEX
MCRVENT. 3A
Opinion & Letters 4A
Sports 1B
Community Calendar. 4C
Church News 5D
Public Record 6C
Classified 1D
Legals 2D
Ofl
05
341b
‘0 4879 16264
3
County weighs Dollar General in Rum Creek on Tues.
By Richard Dumas
forsyth@mymcr.net
Monroe County
Commissioners are
expected to decide at. 6
p.m. on Tuesday, Jan.
2 whether to allow the
rezoning of a 3.55-acre
tract, at. the intersec
tion of Hwys. 18 and
87 to make way for the
county’s fourth Dollar
General store.
The landowner,
Jonathan Carver, first,
asked commissioners on
Aug. 1 to rezone a por
tion of his 23.59-acre
tract, at. 8738 Hwy. 87
from agricultural to
commercial in order for
a 9,100 square-foot., full
masonry Dollar General
to be built, at. the site,
which is just north of
Hwy. 18 and west, of
Hwy. 87.
After a contentious
Aug. 1 public hearing
that, lasted more than an
hour, District. 3 commis
sioner John Ambrose,
in whose district the
proposed store would be
built., motioned to table
commissioners’ vote until
all five commission seats
were filled. The District.
4 seat., held currently
by George Emami, was
vacant, at. the time of
the initial hearing, but.
Emami took office last,
month after winning a
special election.
More than 100 per
sons, mostly opposed
to the proposed store,
attended the first, public
hearing. Members of the
public are also invited to
attend the Jan. 2 meet
ing.
While no Dollar
General representatives
were present, at. the
Aug. 1 hearing, three
representatives from the
proposed store developer,
Teramore Development.,
LLC, of Thomasville
were on hand as was
A standing-room-only
crowd attended the last
time the county considered
a request to put a Dollar
General in Rum Creek.
Teramore’s attorney,
John F. Kennedy, a
state senator who rep
resents Monroe County.
Teramore representa
tive Tom Hodges said
in August, that, the
proposed store is pro
jected to generate about.
$24,000 in annual sales
taxes and about. $17,000
in annual property taxes
for Monroe County.
The Monroe County
Planning & Zoning
board previously
approved Carver’s
request, at. a July 24
meeting, but. commis
sioners have the final
say on the matter.
Cut out this Free Ticket
Good for four (4) complimentary
general admission tickets!
Can be claimed at Arena Box Office starting
90 minutes prior to game. Or email
athletics@mercer.edu to request
your tickets No cash value.
j!0
