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THIS WEEK’S INSIDE DEALS ►►► cvs. brandsaver . dollar general . family dollar
I/N/5IDE: Merry Christmas, saiiH
from Monroe County kids
www.MyMCR.net • Vol. 50 • No. 51
USPS 997-840
December 22,2021
INSIDE ► ►►
Murder suspect attacks jailers again
BOOZE
By Steve Reece
stevereece@gmail.com
A Monroe County inmate
awaiting trial for killing a
Bibb County jailer in April
is accused of a fourth attack
on a jailer on Dec. 10. Here’s
what happened, all according
to the sheriff’s report: inmate
Albert Booze was instructed
to back away from his cell
door while deputies Justyn
Weaver and Kent entered his
cell with his breakfast around
7:44 a.m. After receiving his
tray, Booze looked at Weaver
then turned and threw food
at Kent. He then swung at the
deputies with closed fists as
they tried to wrestle him to
the floor and left a two-inch
gash in Weavers forehead and
a bruise on his left elbow.
Weaver delivered five close
handed strikes to the inmate
and gave verbal commands
while Booze was trying to
grab Kent’s taser. She was able
to deploy her taser against
him and he was then rolled to
his stomach and cuffed.
Several other deputies
arrived on scene and escorted
Booze to booking area and
placed in holding cell 220.
Booze’s most recent inci
dent was on Halloween when
he was charged for striking
deputy Daniel Ahlstrom in
the face in a day room scuffle
when he also damaged a
See JAIL ATTACK Page6A
County
worker
escapes
tractor
on fire
PAGES 2A
WELCOME
TO THE FAMILY
Interstate Plumbing
Chris & Angela O Neal
Roger & Cheryl Bennett
Julie Hoots
Katie Copelan
Keith Kilgore
Tim Minor
Kevin Doehring
Roy Walker
Michael Plunkett
John Thomas
Payton Bobbit
Tom Sye
NEW SUBSCRIBERS
OF THE WEEK
DEATHS >»6A
Reba Grubbs
Robert Collum
Waffle House workers, from left, Shun Hicks, Margo Kenney, and Rose Nobles, have to work on
Christmas per company policy. (Photo/Steve Reece)
Christmas means work
for Monroe County elves
By Steve Reece
stevereece@gmail.com
On Christmas morning, some
Monroe County emergency
responders, hospital workers,
dispatchers and restaurant and
retail employees will be up early
not to watch their children open
presents or exchange gifts with
spouses, but to get ready for
work. One in four Americans
are expected to put in hours
this coming Saturday, a national
holiday. Here are a few examples
of local workers who continue to
take care of us while we take the
day off:
It is company policy for all
Waffle House employees to work
a shift on Christmas Day and
even though they don’t serve
turkey and dressing at the local
Waffle House #809 on Tiff Col
lege Drive, according to servers,
Christmas is their busiest day.
Single people and many local
families alike include a visit to the
popular restaurant as a part of
their holiday tradition. Also, a lot
of Northerners come to Monroe
County to visit relatives and since
they have no Waffle Houses up
North, they return for Christmas
every year. There are stock
ings hanging on the plate glass
window for the employees of the
restaurant where customers leave
gifts and cards during the season.
Usually, the workers never know
where they came from, but the
presents are always appreciated.
Nita Wesley, who moved from
Monroe County Ala. to Monroe
County Ga. 10 years ago, has
worked nearly 20 Christmases
at different Waffle Houses. She
currently does the overnight shift
4 days a week. This year she will
go in at 9 p.m. on Christmas Eve
until 7 a.m. Christmas Morn
ing. She has a young 6-year-old
son who she will wake when she
gets home from work and after
seeing what Santa brought, she
said she’s going to take a nap,
and her husband will take care
of young Wesley Ford, a student
at Hubbard Elementary Later,
after she wakes around 1:30 or 2
p.m., she plans on cooking a “low
country boil” dinner before she
must return to work again that
night where she expects there will
be a crew of five. Waffle House
employees receive time and a half
pay for working the holiday.
Folks always need gas and lotto
tickets so many convenience
store employees will be man
ning registers on Christmas
with business as usual except for
alcohol sales, which are not law
ful in Monroe County on Dec.
25. Paula St. Clair, a clerk at the
Rumble Road BP, which is open
24 hours a day, 365 days a year,
has been working on Christmas
Day for 3 years straight. She
spends Christmas Eve overnight
at her daughter’s house who lives
nearby so she can be with her
grandchildren when they wake
the next morning before she
leaves for work. She said busi
ness on the holiday is slower than
most days and the customers that
come in really appreciate that
the store is open except for those
who grumble because they can’t
buy beer. During the week
leading up to Christmas,
some locals bring in cookies,
presents and sometimes tip store
employees. Last year, a regular
customer showed his apprecia
tion by giving all employees who
were working that day a $100 tip
each.
Animal control officer Carlos
Santillan and Monroe County
Animal Services Director Becky
Gifford take turns on holidays
feeding and exercising dogs wait
ing in kennels for their owners or
to be rehomed. This is in addition
to wrangling up loose pooches
that decide to take a holiday of
their own. This year, it’s Carlos’
turn and he’ll be at the MCAS fa
cilities earlier than usual to work
half a day while his two daugh
ters, Abigail, 6, and Isabella, 3, are
still snug in their beds. He hopes
they’ll just be waking up when
he returns home, and the family
will exchange gifts then. Unfor
tunately, there’s always the chance
he’ll receive a call in the middle
of the festivities, and he’ll have to
dash back to his duties, leaving
his babies and wife behind. Car
los said the county recently hired
a part-time employee for MCAS,
Lisa Holthaus, who will be a big
help over the holidays.
Monroe County EMT Alice
Hoyt, a life-long Monroe County
resident, will be going in for her
24-hour shift at 8 a.m. on Christ
mas morning. Alice, who is also
cross-trained as a firefighter
and has an associate degree in
criminal justice from Gordon
State, lives with her parents in the
house she was bom in. The fam-
See CHRISTMAS Page7A
Stadium
may get
$1 million
concessions,
bathrooms
By Will Davis
publisher@mymcr.net
Dan Pitts Stadium is set to get a new $1
million restrooms/concessions building be
fore the 2022 Mary Persons football season.
Monroe County schools officials are calling
it a down payment on future improvements
to MP’s football facilities.
Superintendent Mike Hickman said they
See STADIUM Pa g e 4A
The orange rectangle shows where the new
$1 million concessions/restrooms will go.
Windham wins AR-15
The winner of the AR-15 and large box of
ammo in this years Reporter Christmas draw
ing said he has never won anything before.
Franklin Windham, 84, right, a retired high
school teacher who lives in the Providence
subdivision in Monroe County near the Bibb
County line, won the drawing after his name
was pulled from a spinning barrel. Windham
picked up the prize later that day from Red
Roo Defense owner Matther Sims, left, after
passing a background check and filling out
the proper paperwork. The Reporter thanks
all its loyal subscribers for a great 2021, and
welcomes new readers who joined the family
for a chance at the AR-15.
