Newspaper Page Text
MONROE COUNTY
Community Calendar
Calendar items run free
of charge as a communi
ty service each week as
space allows. Mail items
for the Community Cal
endar to Diane Glidewell
at news : -mymcr.net by 8
a.m. on Monday.
Feb.4-6
See "Spreading it
Around” at The Rose
The Backlot Players will
present “Spreading it
Around" at The Rose Theatre
on Friday, Saturday and
Sunday, Feb. 4-6. Order
tickets online at www.
thebacklotplayers.org/tick-
ets or call the Box Office
at 478-0443. The play is
a family comedy about a
wealthy widow who starts a
plan to give to those truly in
need instead of to her unap
preciative children, which
panics her greedy son.
Feb. 6
Informational meeting
about proposed crypto
mining farm
There will an informationa
meeting on Sunday, Feb. 6
from 2-6 p.m. at the LaQuin-
ta Inn, 400 Russell Parkway
for citizens of Forsyth to
learn more about the crypto
mining farm proposed for
Berner Ave. Attendees may
ask questions of Nathaniel
Persky about crypto mining
and what the project could
mean for Forsyth. Coffee &
doughnuts will be provided.
Attendees are encouraged
to wear masks and adhere
to social distancing.
See CALENDAR
Page B
Bolingbroke home to new Macon-Bibb fire chief
By Sloan Oliver
sloanoliver@earthlink.net
ast month Shane
Edwards, a resident
of Bolingbroke, was
promoted to Fire
Chief of Macon-
Bibb County. Sunday
past I texted Chief
Edwards and asked him
for an interview to talk
about his firefighting
career and the route
that he’s traveled.
For several hours I
heard nothing. Then
Edwards sent me an
apology text for not responding
earlier, explaining he d been out
since 2:30 a.m. assisting with the
search for missing teenager Jorja
Ethridge. Yes, Jorja was missing in
Monroe County, and Macon-Bibb
authorities have no jurisdiction.
However, Jorja is the daughter of
a Macon-Bibb firefighter; she was
missing, so, as Edwards tells it, the
daughter of a family member was
missing.
Like you, if a family member
goes missing, Edwards was there
to assist in any capacity possible,
if nothing else, to be there for his
firefighter during a stressful time.
(Note, two days later, Jorja was
found and safely returned to her
family.)
After talking to Chief Edwards,
his reaction to and assistance in
helping to find Jorja, is not surpris
ing. He considers every Macon-
Bibb firefighter part of a large
family. Firefighters are together
24-hours a day, for years on
end, in the worst (and best)
situations possible.
Around the firehouse
kitchen table, they share
good news and bad. They
celebrate together and cry
together. Like a father
to his family, Edwards
said, “It’s not about
me, it’s about the fire
fighters.” Soldiers will charge into
battle for a commander who puts
them first; firefighters will charge
into burning structures for a chief
who makes it about them. And
Edwards does.
He talked extensively about the
family nature of firefighters. There’s
a bond that forms among men
and women who share common
dangers and who put their Eves on
the line for one another. Yes, a lot
of joking goes on back at the fire
station but out on a call firefighters
know that every one of them will
risk their life to save one another.
That’s how bonds of camaraderie
Macon-Bibb Fire Chief Shane Ed
wards is pictured with wife, Mickie,
and daughter, Emily.
are formed, and how the firefight
ing family is built. Edwards knows
it and promotes it.
Edwards always knew he would
be in public safety in some capac
ity. For years his mother worked in
the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office
for Sheriff Cary Bittick. A native of
Macon, Shane thinks he was hired
as a firefighter just so he’d stop
pestering the firemen who came
into the Piggly Wiggly where he
worked.
He followed them around and
hounded them about joining the
fire department (FD). Obviously,
the FD got the message and hired
him in August 1988. For the next
25 years, Edwards was on the front
line as he rode the firetruck to
countless calls.
As in all professions, the com
petent are promoted; and Edwards
was promoted out of the job he
loved (firefighter), to administra
tion as an assistant/deputy fire
chief. When the previous chief re
tired, Edwards was named interim
Fire Chief while Mayor Lester
Miller interviewed applicants. Dur
ing Chief Edwards’ appointment
ceremony, Miller said he had a year
to observe Edwards and chose him
because of his competency, and for
attributes you cannot see on an ap
plication - integrity and character.
You can train to competency but
integrity and character are lifelong
endeavors.
The Macon-Bibb FD is a large
organization, budgeted for 438
firefighters and 22 fire stations. The
FD is broken down into admin
istration, training, fire preven
tion/community risk reduction
and suppression. Unlike smaller
FD’s, Macon-Bibb conducts all its
training in house, to include new
recruits. As with most organiza
tions (especially during Covid),
they have manpower issues, and
See Bolingbroke • Page 2B
To advertise your business, call Donna Wilson at 478-993-5085, or e-mail her at ads@mymcr.net.
...
-A
MLNRY’S
of £>o!mgf>roke
New Merchandise
Arriving Daily
• Antiques
• Home Decor
• Clothing
• Accessories
• Gift Certificates
Tuesday - Saturday: 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
6009 Hwy. 41 S. • Bolingbroke, GA • 478-992-9878
/'-N 1-75 N„ Exit 175 • 1-475, Exit 15 ^
www.henrysofbolingbroke.com
AOTY CAMPBELL’S
COLLISION CENTER, INC.
“ByAccidentWe Meet”
• CERTIFIED COLLISION REPAIR
9 - m -4 WHEEL ALIGNMENT
£2
SUSPENSION / BRAKES /TIRES
Hwy. 41 • Bolingbroke, GA
Fax: 478-992-8411 • tommycampbell@bellsouth.net
Hours: Monday-Friday: 1:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
^0/DONNY'S
+(p PROPANE
T CLEAN AMERICAN ENERGY~
Residential • Commercial • Agricultural
“LARGE ENOUGH TO SERVE YOU, SMALL ENOUGH TO KNOW YOU”
• Locally Owned & Operated
• Over 33 Years Experience
• Experienced Drivers
• Prompt and Friendly Customer Service
• We sell BROILMASTER & BLAZE GRILLS
(Limited life long warranty on both grills)
• Gas Heaters & Gas Logs
Gas Cylinders Refilled at
Country Oaks in Bolingbroke
Competitive Pricing *
24-HOUR
EMERGENCY
SERVICE
1
LOCATED IN DOWNTOWN BOLINGBROKE
8323 Rivoli Road • Juliette, GA 31046
Forsyth: 478-992-8326 • Macon: 478-474-9773
Office Hours: Monday - Friday: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Donny McKinney, Owner - dmckinney@dmkpg.com
VOTED BEST PROPANE 2021 BY READERS OF THE MONROE COUNTY REPORTER
WWW.DONNYSPROPANEGAS.COM
Collins Home Inspection, Inc.
FOR HOME BUYER
AND SELLER
Psalms 91
AHIT Certified • Insured
Electronic Reporting
(478) 447-9055
Fax: (478)994-0980
eic1250@gmail.com
CollinsHomelnspectionlnc.com
—
“The Professional Choice for Landscape
Materials in Middle Georgia"
6109 US Hwy 41
Macon, GA 31210
Downtown Bolingbroke
WE DELIVER OR YOU PICK-UP
Bobby Smith, Jr.
Broker
478-731-3828
maconrealestate_bobbylee@yahoo.com
[ROPERTIES PLUS
REALTY
m 478-474-7320 ms ,
6241 Hwy. 41S. Macon, GA 31210
Office 478-474-7320
www.propertiesplusga.com
Are you thinking about buying a
home in the near future? We can
open doors for you! Call us! We
sell in Monroe, Bibb, Jones, Houston
& more!
Vicki Q. Smith
Associate Broker
478-747-7743
vickiqsmith@yahoo.com
Mid Georgia
MLS Located in Beautiful Downtown Bolingbroke
03
HUNT
DEVELOPMENT
INC.
“WE WANT TO HELP YOU
BUILD OR REMODEL YOUR HOME!"
Residential /Ugh! Commercial
Locally Owned and Operated
Est. 2003
Specializing in
Customer Satisfaction
Qualifying Agent RLQA003330
License ARLC0003308
P.0. Box 525
Bolingbroke, GA 31004
(478) 256-5668
. P* „
\ *
994-2803
5877 Hwy. 41
Bolingbroke, GA
Owners:
Morgan & Nancy Harvey
BIBB TOOL ANB CUTTEB
www.bibbtool.com
6221 Hwy 41 South • Bolingbroke, GA
• Tablesaws * Planers * Bandsaws * Shapers
Drill Presses * Jointers * Lathes * Milling Machines
* New & Used Machinery * Abrasives * Cutting
Locally Owned & Operated
Idus David Smith & Adam Maynard
,Glass
Technologies
I 11r**r A f T ■ r.-'it-l 1 ,l\inMil
Over 50 years combined experience
8499 Rivoli Road • Juliette GA 31046
www.glasstechmacon.com
478-993-2101 -Office
478-338-4003 - Nick
478-832-9507 - Keith
Call Us For.....
• Shower Enclosures
• Mirrors
Aluminum Storefronts
1 Glass Replacements