Newspaper Page Text
January 12, 2022
Page 8C
^Reporter
Tapley honors Bolingbroke
Monroe County Com
mission Chairman
Greg Tapley presented
on Tuesday, Jan. 4 his
Citizen Service Award to
Bolingbroke-based com
munity outreach group
F.A.T. (Faithful. Available.
Teachable.) Ministry.
F.A.T. Ministry repre
sentatives Tommy Camp
bell, Ronnie Combs and
Richard Smith accepted the
award on the groups be
half, which included lapel
pins and a plaque. A fourth
member, Travis Miller, is
also an integral part of the
group but was unable to
attend on Tuesday.
Tapley quoted an Ella
Wheeler Wilcox poem that
stated there are two types
of people in the world,
“those that lift and those
that lean.” Tapley said the
F.A.T. Ministry members
are local examples are “lift
ers.”
Tapley said of F.A.T. Min
istry: “Y all make me proud
to represent this county on
a local, state and national
level. Obviously again to
night is one more example
of what we can accomplish
when we work together to
lift others up.”
Tapley said Campbell,
who has owned and
operated Tommy Camp
bell Collision Center in
Bolingbroke for more than
30 years, felt called to serve
the local community upon
hearing a sermon by Jewish
Rabbi Greg Hershberg of
Beth Yeshua International.
Hershberg preached about
how you don’t have to be
a missionary to spread the
gospel but that it can be
done by the simple act of
giving someone a sand
wich. From that sermon,
Campbell founded the
F.A.T. Ministry with three
friends, Combs, Miller and
Smith, to provide help to
community members in
need by giving food, cloth
ing, shelter and monetary
assistance while sharing
the Word of God. Chair
man Tapley said over the
past several years, F.A.T.
Ministry and the Monroe
County Sheriff’s Office
have teamed up to dis
tribute thousands of food
boxes to Middle Georgia
citizens in need.
Campbell said upon
receiving the award: “We
do it all in the name of the
Lord Jesus Christ. That’s
who we serve today. And
we’re just real thankful
that we can go out and
help somebody and go buy
somebody a sandwich.”
Campbell said the group
has also assisted those suf
fering from cancer as well
as started scholarship funds
for children in need.
Campbell said, “It’s just
real glorious to help some
one. That’s what we like
to do. We like to serve the
Lord.”
Combs said the group be
gan with just a few friends
who talked about cooking
one meal a month for the
homeless and has expand
ed tremendously.
Combs said, “We sit
around and ask sometimes.
We pinch ourselves and
say, ‘Can you believe what
the Lord has done through
this group?”’
Lamarcus Davis thanks
Men Making a Difference
Monroe County District 1 Com
missioner Lamarcus Davis presented
on Tuesday, Jan. 4 a Citizen Service
Award to local community outreach
group Men Making A Difference
(MM AD).
MMAD representatives Antonio
Allen and Tim Stokes accepted the
award on the group’s behalf, which
included lapel pins and a plaque.
Commissioner Davis said for the
last 11 years MMAD has organized a
free family day on the Saturday before
Father’s Day in June and MMAD,
along with Commissioner Davis,
recently held a Christmas Eve chil
dren’s toy drive at the Monroe County
Clubhouse.
Commissioner Davis said of
MMAD: “Your dedication and com
mitment is immensely appreciated.”
Rowland cites
Bentley Cox
came out of retirement to Rowland said Cox is a
Monroe County District
2 Commissioner Eddie
Rowland presented on
Tuesday, Jan. 4 a Citizen
Service Award to county
water consultant Bentley
Cox.
Cox and his wife Susan
accepted the award, which
included a lapel pin and
plaque.
Rowland said he sug
gested turning to Cox,
the county’s former water
and building department
supervisor, for help with
overseeing the construc
tion of the new fire station
headquarters as well as
managing the ongoing
water line expansion in
Juliette, and Cox willingly
assist Monroe County.
“We needed someone
there to be a liaison be
tween the contractors and
the citizens,” Rowland said.
“I knew Bentley could do it
and do a great job... That
was the best move that we
could have done as a Com
mission.”
good friend who is always
willing to listen and give
advice, even if it’s not what
you want to hear.
Rowland said, “I have a
great deal of respect for Mr.
Bentley Cox.”
John Ambrose commends
Steve Reece for citizen service
Monroe County District
3 Commissioner John
Ambrose presented on
Tuesday, Jan. 4 a Citizen
Service Award to Monroe
County Reporter colum
nist Steve Reece.
Reece received a lapel pin
and plaque for his work in
the local community.
Commissioner Ambrose
said Reece was an active
volunteer participant in
organizing the Monroe
County Bicentennial Cele
bration, including creating
countless promotional vid
eos featuring local citizens
and historic locations.
Commissioner Ambrose
said of Reece: “I appreciate
what he did with his videos
and also he loves to protect
the citizens of Monroe
County!’
Reece said upon receiv
ing his award: “When I first
came here I was told that if
you’re new to this county, if
you weren’t born here, you
wouldn’t be accepted. Well
that’s not true. I’m totally
accepted, and I’m going to
be here til the end of my
days and y’all are just going
to have to put up with it.”
MACON REGIONAL
CRIMESTOPPERS^
Emami
Monroe County Dis
trict 4 Commissioner
George Emami presented
a Tuesday, Jan. 4 a Citizen
Service Award to High
Falls resident Harvey Ellis.
Ellis received a lapel pin
and plaque for his work in
the local community.
Emami said Ellis is well-
known for assisting his
High Falls neighbors in a
myriad of ways, including
changing tires for an older
couple during a rain
storm last week and doing
frequent electrical work
on local homes and for his
church, High Falls Baptist
Church. Emami said Ellis
also keeps the church
buses running safely and
helps coordinate a regular
Red Cross blood drive
at his church. He said a
few years ago Ellis sold
enough advertisements
for a local cookbook to
pay the whole printing
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Most Wanted in Monroe County
The Monroe County Sheriffs Office is looking for the following suspects through the Macon Regional
Crimestoppers. If you have information on their whereabouts please call Crimestoppers at 478-752-8355.
Edward
Rolen
Age 51, w/m,
5’6 @ 185 lbs.
Wanted by
Monroe County
Sheriff’s Office
for Criminal
Trespass.
Antonio
Butler
Age 41, b/m,
6’3 @210 lbs.
Wanted by
Monroe County
Sheriffs Office
for Entering
Auto and
Superior Court
Violation of
Probation-
Possession of
a Firearm by
Convicted
Felon.
Eugene L.
Davis, Jr.
Age 34, b/m,
63 @ 205 lbs.
Wanted by
Monroe County
Sheriff’s Office
for Sup. Court
Violation of
Proba-
tion-Theft-
Possession
with Intent to
Distribute Other
Drugs.
Brett M.
Mitchell
Age 52, w/m,
6’0 @ 185 lbs.
Wanted by
Monroe County
Sheriff’s Office
for Criminal
Damage to
Property, Cruelty
to Children,
Disorderly
Conduct, Simple
Assault, and
Simple
Battery-Family
Violence.
Tempest K.
Fowler
Age 31, b/f,
57 @ 140 lbs.
Wanted by
Monroe County
Sheriff’s Office
for Criminal
Damage to
Property and
Simple Assault.
Adan
Garcia
Age 40, him,
5’10 @ 195 lbs.
Wanted by
Monroe County
Sheriff’s Office
for Failure to
Register as
Sex Offender.
costs of450 hardback
copies. Emami said sev
eral weeks ago Ellis even
helped a friend with an
injured child get into her
home when she inadver
tently locked her keys
inside.
Emami said of Ellis:
“Sir, your character shines
through from what I’ve
just read. One thing I love
about this county and
this particular day is that
we don’t honor people
like you enough. All of
those that were awarded
tonight, y’all make up
the fabric. We (Commis
sioners) get paid a little
something to do some of
this stuff, but you do not.
And we are thankful and
grateful to know that we
have people such as y’all in
this great county!’
Emami said he’s rode
around High Falls with
Ellis on multiple occasions
to keep himself informed
on what issues his district
most needs assistance.
Emami said, “He (Ellis)
has done an incredible job
with helping me become
aware of some of those
things.”