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www.MyMCR.net • Vol. 50 • No. 6
4 Sections, 28 Pages • Wednesday • February 10,2021
INSIDE ► ►►
On the Porch 4A
On the Outside Looking In 5A
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3
Inmate roughs up jail captain
Deon Bowden awaiting trial for May shootout with authorities
By Will Davis
publisher'-mymcr.net
A Monroe County Jail
inmate awaiting trial for an
armed standoff with police
last spring faces additional
charges for trying to rough up
the captain who rims the jail
last Wednesday, Feb. 3.
Sheriff Brad Freeman
said that jail inmate Deon
Bowden, 28, hit Capt. Ben
Cook five or six times in the
face and head leaving him
with a black
eye and send
ing him to
the hospital.
Freeman said
Bowden was
returning
from court
and was in
the booking
area when
the incident
happened. Freeman said
Bowden wasn’t happy about
something and
attacked Cook.
Jailers had to
Taser Bowden
to subdue him,
said Freeman.
Cook down
played the
scuffle.
“I’ve been
doing this 34
years,” said
Cook. “It’s not the first time
somebody laid hands on me,
and won’t be the last.”
Freeman said Bowden is
not one of the county’s model
inmates.
“You wouldn’t want him
over for Thanksgiving dinner,”
deadpanned Freeman.
Bowden is awaiting trial
after surviving being shot
during a shootout with
Forsyth police and Monroe
See ATTACK . Page 7A
BOWDEN
COOK
You wouldn't
want him
over for
Thanksgiving
dinner
- Sheriff Brad
Freeman
Monroe County and state officials celebrate their high-speed internet project.
Monroe Co. internet
a ‘model for rural USA’
Divided BOE
delays return
to normalcy
Monroe County’s school board voted 4-3 not to return
to five days per week for grades 6-12 on Tuesday How
ever the board seemed to be leaning toward returning to
five days per week for grades 6-12 when the new quarter
begins on March 15, if not earlier. Board members Greg
Head, Stuart Pippin and Eva Bilderback argued for re
turning to normal effective Monday, Feb. 15, saying CO-
V1D cases were down and school spread not common.
But board members Priscilla Doster, Jeremy Goodwin
and Nolen Howard voted to stay at two days per week for
grades 6-12. So it came down again to board member JP
Evans, who hasn’t attended a meeting in a year, but votes
by phone. He didn’t seem to understand the motion,
only saying he wanted to vote with the majority. Finally
he voted no and the motion failed. Superintendent Mike
Hickman said they plan to return to 5 days on March 15.
By Will Davis
publisher'- 1 mymcr.net
ATLANTA - Almost all
Monroe County residents
are being promised high
speed internet by June 2022
under what’s being called
the biggest rural internet
project in Georgia history, a
project feted by top state of
ficials including Gov. Brian
Kemp on Monday.
Kemp hosted a celebration
at the capital on Monday
with Monroe County of
ficials and legislators, calling
it a creative solution to a big
rural problem. The solu
tion will include Central
Georgia EMC, Southern
Rivers Energy and Conexon
investing more than $210
million to design and build
a 6,890-mile fiber network
to provide both improved
electric service and high
speed internet access to all
80,000 of the two utilities’
customers.
Central Georgia EMC is
expected to be the first out
of the gate adding fiber
internet this spring, starting
at its four substations that
serve Monroe County. Ben
Thomason of Central Geor
gia EMC said those substa
tions are located off Pow
erhouse Road in Forsyth,
off Hwy. 41 in Smarr, on
Pate Road and one in Butts
County that serves northern
Monroe County. So homes
close to those substations
will be the first to have the
option to sign up for high
speed internet. Thomason
See INTERNET . Page7A
Cody Maples is county’s
Most Romantic man
Just in time for Valentines, Cody Maples of
Forsyth has won a $50 gift certificate to the new
Marrow 41 restaurant in Bolingbroke and $50
gift card to Walmart after he was named the
Most Romanetic Man in Monroe County. A
Forsyth police officer, he was nominated by his
wife Sarah Schaaff Maples. Saras first husband
was killed in a military plane crash. Sarah said
that Maples has lovingly cared for her and her
children, tearfully making vows both to her and
them. Here’s her winning nomination:
F irst, I would like to begin by saying that
it’s a little hard for me to write this. Being
that I am a really private person, with a
not so private life. I am no stranger to
having stories posted in the Reporter.
In 2017, something happened that would
change my life forever. Something so incred-
See ROMANTIC • Page 7A
Cody and Sarah Schaaff Maples
Ronnie Daniel, left, owner of Dairy Queen, holds the
Citizen of the Year award presented by Will Davis.
Ronnie Daniel is
Citizen of Year
Ronnie Daniel, owner of
the Forsyth Dairy Queen,
was named Monroe
County’s 2020 Citizen of
the Year on Friday by the
Reporter and the Forsyth-
Monroe County Chamber
of Commerce.
Daniel was honored
not only for owning and
operating a successful and
popular restaurant for
families, but also for host
ing Bible studies and being
See CITIZEN .
Page 7A
Citizen of Year
2006 Jo Anna Banks
2007 Jim Buff
2008 Jo Shipman
2009 Dr. Bob Fountain
2010 Carey Russell
2011 Bob Harris
2012 Movene Futch
2013 Brian Owens
2014 Jeff Wilson
2015 Lynn Davis
2016 Pat Corley
2017 Glover Stuart
2018 Tom Perry
2019 Donna Wilson
2020 Ronnie Daniel