Newspaper Page Text
GO TO HAMLIN HILLS!!!
THIS WEEK’S INSIDE DEALS ►►► ingles . save . smartsource
REAL BBQ
MUSIC EVERY SUNDAY
(844) FUN-FARM
•1-75 EXIT 185*
INSIDE ► ►►
MP track wins
region again
SEE PAGE 6C
Pray for U.S.
at courthouse
noon Thursday
SEEPAGE 1C
WELCOME
TO THE FAMILY
Scot & Becky Cauley
David Jones
Dr. Rick Lanford
Stephanie Ard
Denise Moxley
Kristina Tench
India Crumpton
NEW SUBSCRIBERS
OF THE WEEK
DEATHS »>6A
Eric Porter
Angela Jackson
DeAutra Ponder
Patsy Clark
Report: Arson claims over
$2 million at Walmart
That's the fire
By Steve Reece
and Will Davis
The Forsyth Walmart hopes to
reopen its entire store on Friday,
May 6 after removing $2 mil
lion worth of merchandise lost to
smoke and chemicals following
last weeks suspected arson. A
quick-thinking Walmart manager
and an off-duty fireman used
15 fire extinguishers to stop last
Wednesdays blaze before it did
more damage. Police say Jasmine
Miley, 31, of Forsyth, a masked
mother of four with a record of le
gal troubles, set the fire in the back
corner of the store, in the hard
ware section. Miley was captured
after fleeing to the Days Inn and
faces multiple felony charges.
Forsyth fire chief David Hern
don said Miley made a make-shift
torch using flammable bug spray
and a lighter to set air condi-
Forsyth police say Jasmine Miley (inset, in mask in store and later in mugshot) set the fire (back corner) that de-
See ARSON Page 7B stroyed $2 million in merchandise. (Photos courtesy Forsyth Police Department/Walmart)
Monroe County Mother of the Year Ashley Cohran with her children
Jasmyn Porter and Brayson Jones.
‘Selfless’ Ashley Cohran is
county’s Mother of Year
Ashley Cohran has
been named Monroe
County’s Mother of
the Year for 2022. She
was nominated by her
daughter Jasmyn Porter,
a senior at Mary Per
sons. Jasmyn noted that
her mother didn’t have
the best life growing
up and had her when
she was just 17. Yet she
doted on her daughter,
left a life surrounded
by drugs, earned an
accounting degree and
has provided a stable
family life for her and
her brother. As Monroe
County’s Mother of the
Year, Cohran will receive
gift certificates from The
Pickled Okra, Fox City,
B. Monroe, Big Peach
Car Wash, Coutique
Boutique, and Magnolia
Medspa, and a bou
quet from Flowers By
Helen. See more terrific
nominations for some
great Monroe County
moms on pages Cl -5.
Happy Mothers Day to
all. Here’s the winning
nomination:
M
y name is
Jasmyn
Porter
and I
am a senior at Mary
Persons High School.
My mother s name is
Ashley Cohran, and I
think she just might be
the best mom ever. Just
for some background
information, my mom
did not have the best
life growing up. She had
me at 17. At the time
she had dropped out
of high school due to
family issues. My mom
had plenty on her plate,
but welcomed me with
open arms and made
me the center of her
world. We struggled
financially for years, as
my father was not pres
ent often. Despite drugs
and bad deci
sions surround- See
ing her, she separated
herself, and I received
everything that I need
ed. She had my brother
at 23. Regardless of the
uncertainty she had
for our future lives, she
pushed through.
As a child, I never
wanted for anything.
When I wanted to
cheer, she made it hap
pen. When I wanted
an iPod, she made it
happen. We might have
been struggling, but we
were fed and loved with
a roof over our heads
and a stable mother
who loved us. To better
our lives, she went to
college and studied
accounting as a single
mother when I was 7
and my brother was 2.
She received her associ
ates degree, and worked
her way up the work
force to provide a better
life for my brother and
MOTHER Page 5C
BOE candidates debate masks, CRT and growth
6 06605 1341b
Kroger, CVS
6
B ‘0 4 8 7 9 16264
Publix, Dollar General
3
By Diane Glidewell
news@mymcr.net
Monroe County Board of Ed
ucation candidates shared their
thoughts on COVID masks
and closures, CRT and how to
protect students from predator
teachers during a 90-minute
debate on Thursday.
The Reporter invited all local
candidates in contested races
to a debate on Thursday, April
28 at the new Forsyth City
Hall. The public was invited
to submit questions for the
candidates, and the questions
submitted filled the two hours
of the event with thought-pro
voking information that should
help voters in their decisions at
See DEBATE Page 6B
Kristi Varnadoe, left, and Robert Jenkins debate whether Varnadoe as a teacher can be objective on the BOE.