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www.MyMCR.net • Vol. 50 • No.21 5 Sections, 52Pages • Wednesday* May26,2021
INSIDE ► ►►
Salute to the
Class of 2021
INSIDE
WELCOME
TO THE FAMILY
Chuck Benson
Carrie Knott
Houston Boston
Delena Brown
Rachel Estes
Lisa Sassaman
Sherry Jones
James E Pace, Jr
Susan & Erik Lenford
David Micken
Deborah Simmons
Diane Behrens
Kelli Yountz
Terrie Lewis
Jacob Johnson
Alan Maxwell
Anthony Corbin
Joe Olden
Vicki Anderson
Clay Corley
Kathy Branch
Jason Holt
Katie Dougherty
Beverly Lammp
David Lowery
Heather deRojas
NEW SUBSCRIBERS
OF THE WEEK
DEATHS m7A
Cynthia Colbert
Willie Head
Billy Whatley
David Shaw
Larry Fitzgerald
6 06605 “1341b
6
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3
Scam-demic: Some Forsyth businesses
got thousands, but do they really exist?
By Steve Reece
stevereece@gmail.com
Details of700 Forsyth busi
nesses that got forgivable loans
totaling $24 million under the
Paycheck Protection Program
(PPP) last year during the
COVID shutdown are raising
questions about whether all the
money went to legitimate busi
nesses.
While most recipients appear
to be actual Forsyth businesses
that needed payroll help during
the nationwide shutdown, others
seem suspect. For instance, 20 of
those 700 businesses are appar
ently rim by former state inmates
who used 300 Patrol Road, the
Tiff College home of the Depart
ment of Corrections, as their
home address. And one $20,000
loan went to a Union Hill Drive
taxi business that doesn’t appear
to exist.
The federal government has
posted details about which busi
nesses in Monroe County got
the forgivable loans created by
the federal government in 2020
using the Coronavirus Aid, Relief
See PPP • Page 7A
The owner of this home at 324 Union Hill Drive, Jimmy Hansford, said he has no
idea why his address is on a $19,000 forgiveable loan for a taxi company.
By Will Davis
publisher™ mymcr.net
Elle Garrison with the six children she has adopt
ed, including two new ones at the Monroe County
courthouse on Thursday. (Photo/Shirley Duncan)
There was a large celebration on
the Monroe County courthouse
lawn on Thursday as a local mom
adopted her fifth and sixth child.
Elle Garrison, 28, of Charles
Johnson Road made it official by
giving Jax, 3, and Landon, 2, her
last name.
Garrison has always had a passion for
helping orphans. She was a student at
Mercer when she adopted Emma, then 8
years old, now 16 and a freshman at FPD
in Macon.
She also began fostering children and
took in three biological brothers whom
she later adopted. They are Ethan, 7, Ben-
See FAMILY • Page 8A
Seventh
Heaven:
Monroe
mother
adopts
2 more
Forsythia Festival
a smokin’ success
It was two months later and it felt like it, but organizers say
they’re still very pleased with the 2021 Forsythia Festival held
over the weekend.
“We had a great Festival,” said chamber of commerce
president Rebecca Stone. Stone said she spoke to every single
vendor on both days and everyone said they were pleased
and happy with the 34th Forsythia Festival. “The only
complaint was the heat,” said Stone. Temps rose into the 80s
on Saturday and into the 90s on Sunday, leading to a smaller
crowd than normal, said Stone. Still, Stone said they estimate
10,000 people attended over the weekend. “The heat is bad,
but at least it’s not raining,” said Stone. Stone said it was a
good reminder of why Forsythia is held the second weekend
in March, and said they will return to that date next year. See
a full page of Forsythia photos on page 6A and 6D.
The marquee at the Rose Theater said it was 103 Sunday.
K-9 Khan dies in ‘avoidable 5 accident
Khan
died after
deputy
Willie
Barkley
acciden
tally left
him in his
patrol
car.
By Will Davis
publisher'-mymcr.net
A Monroe County deputy
faces disciplinary action
after his K-9 “Khan” died
when he was accidentally
left in a pen in a hot patrol
car.
Deputy Willie Barkley
worked overnight on
Thursday, May 13, includ
ing staying at the schools
until the school resource
officer arrived for work
on Friday morning, said
sheriff Brad Freeman.
Here’s what happened next
according to Freeman: Bar
kley went home, completed
a few reports in his car and
then headed inside to get
some sleep. “Khan”, a four-
year-old Belgian Malinois,
was asleep in his pen in the
back. Barkley usually put
him in a pen in his yard,
but was tired and had for
gotten he was there. After
sleeping, Barkley returned
to the car later on Friday af
ternoon and found “Khan”
had died from apparent
overheating.
The high temperature on
Friday, May 14 was report
ed to be 79 degrees.
Freeman said Barkley was
very emotional about his
mistake and told the truth,
subjecting himself to an in
terview on the matter. As a
precaution Freeman asked
the district attorney’s office
to look into the incident
but said he didn’t think
criminal charges were war
ranted.
Freeman said after
researching it they found
out that such dog deaths
from being left in vehicles
happen more often than
one might think. While
it wasn’t a very hot day,
Freeman said it can be 20
degrees hotter in a car than
the outside temperature.
“Khan” was four years
old and had been assigned
to Barkley for about a year.
Four other Monroe County
deputies have dogs as well,
Wade Kendrick, Anthony
Thompkins, Kevin Wil
liams and Jake Justice. The
dogs are used mostly for
drug detection and for
tracking fugitives.
Freeman said that Barkley
will face some disciplin
ary action because it was
an avoidable accident, and
said he would not be issued
another dog.