Newspaper Page Text
January 5, 2022
Page 5A
ON THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN
by Don Daniel
Suspects split
evenly by race
in Monroe Co.
ith the shooting at
our local Walmart
on the second day
of the New Year that
left one dead and the shooter ar
rested, I hope this is not going to be
an ominous sign of what we should
expect
for the
next 360
days.
I am
work
ing on
a story
with
infor
mation
from
our
District
Attorney
Jona
than Adams about the number of
crimes committed here in Monroe
County Adams said in 2021 his
office handled cases for 451 black
defendants and 472 white ones.
Does that surprise you? Monroe
County is about 70 percent white.
Last year, Bibb County turned
into a battle zone with over 180
homicides. That’s not as bad as
Chicago which up until a month
ago had 1,000 murders, according
to The Wall Street Journal. Roughly
80% of the victims were African-
Americans. I don’t have the
statistics for Atlanta, but Atlanta is
getting a reputation of not only the
capital of Georgia, but the murder
capital of Georgia.
We all have to admit we are living
in a state of fear not only from CO-
VID but fear of each other with no
end in sight. I ask myself what has
happened to our country and am
amazed that the value of a human
life is less than the cost of a bullet!
THE BOE says it has the money
on hand for the new Mary Per
sons’ $1-million concession stand
and bathrooms project at the sta
dium. Then, if we approve another
tax—E-SPLOST--this November
our paying more taxes will fund
and pay for the additional stadium
and field house repairs. Don’t guess
the school board will raise the price
of a Bulldog football ticket. That
might cause a riot.
OVER THE Christmas holidays,
I attempted several 994 telephone
calls and received this automated
message “Your call cannot be
completed as dialed”. I had forgot
ten or may not have remembered
that now we have to dial the 478
prefix if you are calling a local 994
number. I remember when it was
long distance to call Macon from
Forsyth or from 994.
THE ANSWER to last week’s
The Question was sent in by Jamie
Stull with the answer: bathrooms.
She was half correct but still gets
the certificate for a dozen Dunkin
Donuts, Whistle Stop fried green
tomato appetizer, Big Peach Car
was car wash, single dip at Scoops,
slice of Shoney’s strawberry pie,
Dairy Queen Blizzard, a Reporter
and Forsyth Main Street t-shirt.
Here’s The Question for this
week: name the family pictured on
the cover of the “Welcome Home”
magazine included in The Reporter
Edition a couple of weeks ago.
You can get a copy of the maga
zine at The Chamber of Commerce
office at 57 North Jackson across
the street from The Reporter or at
the Reporter office itself.
First correct answer after 12
noon on Thursday gets the goodie
certificate.
THE FIRST meeting of the New
Year was held last night (Tuesday)
with commissioners making old
and new appointments to the
boards and authorities the com
missioners think they control. I am
sure Will should have the complete
list, maybe in today’s edition but I
am sure in next week’s edition.
YOU can contact Donald Jackson
Daniel, the founder of this newspa
per, at tullaybear@bellsouth.net
^Reporter
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Kudos MCSO for finding lost package
To the Editor:
uring the Christ
mas holiday I had a
package delivered by
FedEx to my house
while we were were out of town.
When I returned home, the
expected package was not there.
I contacted FedEx and con
firmed the package had been
delivered. I figured it had been
stolen. I reported the loss to the
sender and FedEx. I figured I
should report it to the Sheriffs
office so there would be a record
of it. When i reported it to the
Sheriffs office I was expecting
an “OK, we got it” and maybe a
little sympathy since the missing
package was only worth around
$85. Instead, within a few hours,
deputy Ramsey came to the
house and filed a report. A few
days later I was contacted by
Investigator Marshall who took
more information and said she
would follow up on the theft. A
few days later I was contacted by
Ms. Marshall who said she had
contacted FedEx and discovered
they had delivered the package
to the wrong town, something
FedEx failed to tell me.
I was pleased and surprised
with the attention the Sheriffs
department gave my problem.
Its nice to know they have your
back with little and big issues.
Thanks to Sheriff Freeman and
his great crew.
Bill Shaw
Bolingbroke
JUST THE WAY IT IS by Sloan Oliver
Don’t wait til it’s too late to appreciate
Y ears ago, running the
Marine Corps Mara
thon, I was completely
blown away by a runner
I passed around mile 24. Actu
ally, he wasn’t a runner because
he wasn’t running. He had NO
legs. Instead, he was strapped to
a board and propelled
himself forward using his
arms and padded gloves
covering his knuckles.
Arms swing, propel for
ward; arms swing, propel
forward; again and again
and again for 24
miles. Suddenly, my
knee pain and tired
feet seemed insig
nificant compared
to the efforts being put forward
by this guy. Later on, I discovered
he had lost both legs in Vietnam.
Race officials allowed him to start
two days prior so he could finish
all 26.1 miles on time. Wow, talk
about motivation! He refused to
be a victim and never quit.
SEVERAL YEARS later, I was
running the Army 10-Miler and
came upon a woman with what
looked like an MIA t-shirt that
read “Missing in Action.” Only
upon closer look did I see the
small print that read “body parts.”
This woman had a leg blown
off by an IED and was missing
a body part. Yet there she was,
running on one leg. Again, reality
slapped me upside my head. I was
reminded that my little “oowwie”
was insignificant compared to the
pain and suffering this woman
must be experiencing, not only
during the race but every day.
EVER SINCE, I have used
both those individuals as positive
motivation. If a guy can complete
a 26-mile marathon using only
his arms and knuckles to propel
forward or a one-legged woman
can rim 10 miles; then I have no
excuse and nothing to complain
about. Occasionally, we need
such reminders that our own little
problems, social media hurts, and
personal oowwies are tiny
issues compared to real
problems faced by others.
We need reminders that
we shouldn’t take good
health for granted; that life
is precious, and health is
fragile. Last month,
I had two such
reminders.
DRIVING
HOME from church, my wife and
I started talking about godparents;
the who and whys of being a god
parent. If asked, it’s an honor to be
a godparent. It shows the parents
of a newborn place trust and
confidence in you, should some
thing happen to them. During
our conversation, I told my wife
that an Army buddy had asked
me to be a godparent to his son.
Brian and I had been stationed
together in Italy. After he got out,
I stayed in touch with him and
his wife - visiting them in Atlanta
and Phoenix. Several moves, by
both of us, and his divorce, we lost
contact. I hadn’t talked to him, or
about him, in years. But over the
years, I thought of Brian frequent
ly, knowing I should, and eventu
ally would, reach out and try to
find him. His friendship meant a
lot but, our actions towards each
other said otherwise.
LATER ON that day, I received
a personal message from his
brother (whom I’d never met)
telling me that Brian was dead.
He had taken his own life. I was
blown away. If I’d been asked to
name one person who would
never commit suicide, I would
have picked Brian. He seemed to
have it all - good looks, intel
ligence, cool, calm, responsible,
level headed, and a great family.
Such was his outward demeanor.
However, we never know the
demons being faced by others.
Unfortunately, on this side, well
never know why someone com
mits such an act. It seems selfish
but Brian was anything but. If I’d
reached out sooner, would that
have made a difference? That’s my
arrogance speculating because
he had immediate family right
there with him, and they were just
as shocked by his death. I hate
that I allowed our friendship to
wane. Yes, it’s a 2-way street and
Brian had equal responsibility.
That means nothing now. I took
it for granted that I had years to
re-establish contact and kept put
ting it off, finding one excuse after
another. Now, I have regrets about
not having tried harder. I don’t like
feeling guilty, and I feel guilty of
quitting on a friend and, by exten
sion, on myself.
THEN CLOSER to home, we
have Sherrill Henderson. Sherrill
is the wife of Allen Henderson,
retired Monroe County sheriff’s
deputy. She is one of MC’s most
beloved women. You won’t find a
more caring person than Sherrill.
Nobody is a stranger at the Hen
derson household; everybody is
welcome. At one time or another,
it seems like half the county kids
have called the Henderson’s house
their home. Our grandson is en
gaged to Taylor Brown, Sherrill’s
daughter. Whenever Taylor starts
talking about her siblings I get lost
at around 20. Between natural
children, adopted children, and
foster children, I still have no idea
how many children Allen and
Sherrill call theirs, it’s easily in the
dozens. If a child needs a home,
Sherrill and Allen provide one
with warmth and love.
NOW THAT Allen is retired
from the sheriff’s department,
and most of the kids are out of
the house, if anyone deserves a
well-earned rest, it’s Sherrill. Sadly,
last week, she suffered a massive
stroke. I won’t go into the medical
specifics, just know that as I write,
Sherrill is in a medically induced
coma, fighting for her life up in
Atlanta. She, and her family, is in
need of prayers for the miracle
recovery needed. The important
reminder is that we can never
take good health for granted. In a
mere instant, any one of us can go
from completely healthy to total
incapacitation. Also, life has no
guarantees - never has and never
will.
THESE RECENT reminders
reinforce that life and health are
fragile and fleeting; here today,
gone tomorrow. If you have good
health, treasure it and maintain
it. Reach out to others and don’t
allow small issues to interfere with
what’s really important. Once
someone is gone, it’s too late. That
tiny quibble will seem insig
nificant. Get right with the Lord.
I know Sherrill is but were not yet
ready for her to go.
A retired Army officer, Sloan
Oliver of Bolingbroke is a columnist
for the Reporter. Email him at
sloanoliver@earthlink. net.
MURDER
Continued from 1A
in the produce section and
continued to the frozen food area.
A witness told the Reporter she
had been in the store for around 5
minutes when suddenly she heard
a dog growling and barking, and
5 seconds after that, she heard a
series of gunshots. She said people
started screaming and running
and shoving to get outside. She
said she waited to leave until the
rush was over because she was
afraid of being trampled.
Some customers left items
behind after paying and waited
in the parking lot for permission
to go back in while GBI and local
law enforcement investigated. A
couple who had just bought a pre
scription told the Reporter they
left $90 worth of medicine on the
pharmacy counter in their rush
to safety after hearing 5 or 6 loud
shots. They said the medicine was
needed and they had no choice
but to wait. Walmart employees
were not permitted to speak with
the Reporter.
Mayes’ family members were
also standing outside the store,
including his distraught mother
who was crying, “they killed my
baby... they killed my baby!”
while family members tried to
console her.
Around 10 minutes after the
shooting, Hawkins and Morgan
were blocking the entrance of
Walmart when she noticed two
men running up the hill from
Hwy. 42 N and Russell Parkway
and ordered them to stop. One of
the men, Jeremy Roshad Davis,
19, of Forsyth, feverishly told
Hawkins his brother was inside
the store, and he needed to get to
him. Hawkins told him he needed
to calm down while Morgan
went to the other man, Jermaine
Bernard Davis, 19, of Forsyth.
Suddenly, Jeremy snatched away
from Hawkins and tried to run
toward Walmart.
Hawkins tackled Jeremy to the
ground where he continued to re
sist and Jermaine broke away from
Morgan and jumped on her back,
trying to shove her off Jeremy.
After a short struggle, both men
were handcuffed. Jeremy had an
unloaded black Smith and Wes
son .380 in his right front jacket
pocket. Jermaine was carrying a
9mm Ruger Max with a round in
the chamber in his pants pocket.
The serial number on the pistol
was scratched off.
To separate the two men,
Jermaine Davis was put in the
back of deputy Ramsey’s patrol car
while Jeremy Davis was put into
Hawkins’ vehicle. While in her car,
Jeremy brought his handcuffed
hands in front of him and dam
aged the back windows by hitting
them with the handcuffs. He
also ripped out Hawkins’ radar an
tenna from its mount and yanked
out the wires. Hawkins will be
seeking warrants against him for
obstruction, interference with gov
ernment property, and receiving
stolen property. Warrants will also
be sought against Jermaine for
possession of a firearm during the
commission of a felony, altered ID
on the weapon, and obstruction.
Forsyth police turned the mur
der investigation over to the GBI.
Bowden is being held without
bond. His brother, Deon Bowden,
was just sentenced to 35 years in
prison for a May 2020 shootout
with local police and deputies.
District attorney Jonathan Adams
said his office had already had to
deal with TJ Bowden in juvenile
court. He commended Mrs.
Bowden for turning her son over
authorities. Because he’s just 17,
Adams said he cannot seek the
death penalty in the case. Mayes
was also familiar to authorities.
He was charged in August with
stealing a Monroe County school
bus with two other teens and tak
ing it on a joy ride. MP principal
Jim Finch said that Bowden was
enrolled in the Monroe County
Achievement Center, but Mayes
was not enrolled in school.
BENSON
Continued from 1A
evidence and have also asked
Instagram to send information
from Benson’s account and that
of his victim. He said it will take
about a month to find out if there
will be more charges. Adams said
they’re also investigating to make
sure there are no victims from
Benson’s time as band director at
Tattnall Square Academy before
he returned to MP, or as a church
worship leader at Mt. Zion UMC
in Smarr. Benson was also the
MCMS band director for one year
before being named the MP band
director in 2019.
Adams said he doesn’t think he
will present Benson’s charges to
the grand jury for indictment until
May 2022.
Benson graduated in 2014 from
the University of Georgia where
he marched in the Redcoat Band
and before that graduated from
Mary Persons in 2008. Monroe
County schools announced last
week that Benson was being put
on paid leave after an emergency
board meeting the day of Benson’s
arrest.
Adams, Freeman and superin
tendent Mike Hickman spoke to
parents and students about the
charges at a 20-minute Monroe
County community meeting at
the Fine Arts Center on Monday,
Jan. 3.
One band dad said students are
concerned that they will be stuck
with a non-musician substitute
teacher watching videos all semes
ter, including in a guitar class that
Benson was schedule to teach.
“Were all band geeks here,” said
the dad. “We don’t want them to
have a sub the rest of the year!’
Hickman said the school system
still has two band teachers it will
try to spread out through the
system. He said MP principal Jim
Finch is working to find other
solutions but conceded it’s hard to
find good band teachers.
Freeman said if anyone else has
information that their child was
victimized by Benson, call Inv.
Marilynn Fitts at 994-7043.
Benson was engaged to be mar
ried but the Reporter has learned
that the nuptials have been can
celled. Benson was released from
the Monroe County Jail on Friday
on a $12,000 bond. Adams said as
part of Benson’s bond he cannot
contact minors, the victim or be
on school property.