Newspaper Page Text
—
THE MONROE COUNTY FINE ARTS CENTER
SANDI PATTY
SATURDAY, AUGUST • 28TH - 7:30 PM
GREAT SEATS AVAILABLE AT MONROEFINEARTS.ORG
'
GRAMMY
&
DOVE
AWARD
WINNER
THIS WEEK’S INSIDE DEALS ►►► cvs • INGLES • SAVE • smartsource . p&g brandsaver . sears
www.MyMCR.net • Vol. 50 • No. 34
BICENTENNIAL
R5 *
STILL JUST $1 IN RACKS
* CELEBRATING 200 VERR5 *
E5T. 1821
BUT ONLY 77 CENTS FOR HOME DELIVERY usps997-84o
4 Sections, 32 Pages • Wednesday • August 25,2021
INSIDE ► ►►
1’BJUDtCnD
MP cheer ready to defend state title
fill Jit
Sllii
wiw!>
assEg? jgjSgm
SsgSjr £spu
E£§jjj£ eSSSj
j§§
Here comes
MP’s Band
and Cheer
SEE PREVIEW INSIDE
Overrun hospital asks for help
Dr. Billy Taunton
leaves Forsyth
family practice
Dr. Billy Taunton has left Central
Georgia Family Medicine in Forsyth
where he has practiced for 10 years with his father and
sister.
No reason was given for the departure.
Central Georgia Family Medicine is owned by
Atrium Navicent.
Taunton had been noted for offering his COVID
patients early treatment with Ivermectin, Hydroxo-
chloroquine and Z pack. In an article in the Sept. 16,
2020 Reporter, Taunton also questioned some of the
restrictive COVID policies being imposed by local
government.
By Will Davis
publisher@mymcr.net
Monroe County Hospital
is asking for volunteers to
help take care of an over
flow of COVID patients.
The hospital is set up to
have 25 beds but had 31
patients on Saturday, 26
of them with COVID. In
addition on Saturday there
were 30 patients in the
emergency room waiting
for treatment.
“It was really bad,” said
Mac Brown, a member of
the Hospital Authority of
Monroe County. “We had
three doctors and every
available nurse in the ER
trying to sort it out.”
Typically, said Brown,
Monroe County Hospital
sends patients to other hos
pitals for serious issues. But
now, all the other hospitals
are full too.
Three of those 31 patients
were on ventilators but two
of them were not COVID
related, according to hospi
tal personnel.
One patient coded, or
stopped breathing, in the
hallway.
“It’s terrible stuff” said
Brown, “were not equipped
to deal with it. Our nurses
and staff are absolutely
exhausted.”
The hospital put out a
call for volunteer help over
the weekend and county
commission chairman Greg
Tapley was able to get four
Monroe County EMTs
there to assist, while Med-
Pro co-owner and Forsyth
mayor Eric Wilson sent two
paramedics as well.
“They didn’t think they
were helping, but the staff
said they were lifesavers,”
said Brown.
To add to the problem, the
hospital ran out of oxygen
on Saturday. Brown said the
hospital had to use its re
serves of oxygen until finally
a truck from their provider,
AirGas, delivered more
around 11 p.m. on Saturday
night. Brown said they’ve
ordered a large oxygen
tank to hopefully shore up
their supply. Brown said the
hospital would like to talk to
anyone willing to help who
has medical training.
Call Monroe County
Hospital at 394-6211. The
hospital does not require
vaccinations for employees.
WELCOME
TO THE FAMILY
Gloria Rivers
Michael Medlin
Ashley Bird
Mickey Jackson
NEW SUBSCRIBERS
OF THE WEEK
DEATHS >»6A
John Jackson
Donald Lindsey
Brian McLaurin
Makiera Johnson
Brenda Perkins
Holly Leaptrop
Alyvia Slaton
Ella Mae Evans
\: MP:
i * * *
1
Phil Walker enters Hall of Fame
Phil Walker of Forsyth was inducted into the Forsyth-Monroe County Sports Hall of
Fame on Saturday not only for being co-captain of the 1963 Mary Persons foot
ball team but also for going on to be an instrumental leader in the development of
a youth recreation program in the county. Walker began coaching and referering in
the late 1960s (inset) and was named the countys first recreation chairman in the
mid 1970s. Walker, who also refereed high school football games, was a member
of the Monroe County school board for more than two decades. The Monroe
County Recreation Park is named in his honor. Other inductees were Danny Adams,
a former Mary Persons and Georgia Tech football standout; Jep Castleberry, a
former Mary Persons and Auburn football standout; Rose Colvin, a former Mary
Persons girls basketball standout; J.R Evans, a former Hubbard High and Fort Val
ley State University basketball standout who has served on the Monroe County
school board for more than 40 years; Mario Harvey, a former Mary Persons,
Marshall University and Indianapolis Colts football standout; Vernon Sanders, a
former Mary Persons and Clemson football standout who later became MPs home
announcer; Si Simmons, a four-sport star at Monroe Academy and basketball
standout at Western Carolina. Two historic teams, the GHSA AAA state champion
2004 Mary Persons boys track team and the 1955 Hubbard High School football
team, was also recognized at this years banquet. Forsyth Dairy Queen owner Ron
nie Daniel was the recipient of the first-ever Extra Mile Award for his work in the
community to support local sports. In addition, two MP 2020 graduates, Taylor
Buffington and Trippe Moore, and two MP 2021 graduates, Madalynne Scott and
Justin Wachtel, all received Marcus Whitehead Scholar-Athlete Awards for their
efforts in the classroom and on the playing field. This was the first Hall of Fame
induction ceremony in two years due to COVID. Hall of Fame board members in
clude: K.B. Ayer, Mary Frances Chambliss, Steve Coleman, Richard Dumas, Herbert
Gantt, Jim Hardin, Bob Harris, Nolen Howard, Bobby Melton (chairman), Ralph
Moore and Penny Mitchell (secretary/treasurer). (Photo/Richard Dumas)
6 06605
6
County delays High Falls truck stop
A Monday hearing on a controversial
truck stop planned for High Falls has
been postponed until September.
County zoning official Kelsey Fortner
said the hearing had to be postponed
because a required Development Re
gional Impact study cannot be finished
in time for Monday’s hearing. She said
it’ll likely be re-scheduled for the next
zoning meeting, set for Monday, Sept.
27.
Even before the delay, commissioner
George Emami said he doesn’t think
there’s a chance in he— the county will
approve a proposed truck stop in High
Falls. “I don’t think it’ll go through,”
Emami told the Reporter.
Kevin Fields and Latasha Watkins
of AVH Properties in Stockbridge are
asking for a conditional use permit to
build a truck stop on a 15-acre lot at
5065 High Falls Road. The proposal
has drawn intense opposition from
residents in that area. A large crowd was
expected at the meeting Monday and
will likely return on Sept. 27.
The property owners need a condi
tional use permit in commercial zoning
because the tract is within 300 feet of
properties zoned agricultural and/or
residential. Fields and Watkins want
to create 192 truck parking spaces, a
guard shack with security, an office,
restrooms, showers and possibly a
garage area for tire and brake changes.
The plans call for 104 short-term and
88 long-term parking spaces and 38
car parking spaces. The applicants have
proposed 75-foot property buffers as
required by the county.
Emami, who represents High Falls,
said High Falls Road is not graded for
heavy trucks and said people in the area
are adamantly against it.
“My folks up there, they almost
burned me in effigy before he put in an
application,” joked Emami. “I haven’t
heard one person in favor of it. If he
bought the property, he boo-booed.”
County mourns
Alyvia Slaton
Alyvia Slaton, the 16 year
old Monroe County girl
whose valiant fight with
cancer inspired the com
munity, succumbed to the
disease on Sunday. See
her obituary page 6A.
