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www.MyMCR.net • Vol. 51 • No. 34
Reporter
Warning: This
newspaper has not
been certified by
President Biden’s
Disinformation
Governance Board
4 Sections, 28 Pages • Wednesday • August 24,2022 • $2.00
INSIDE >>>
Meet the MP
Cheerleaders
SEE SPORTS PAGE 2-6C
NEW SUBSCRIBERS
OF THE WEEK
Maricha Fry
Stephen Bentley
Nikki Sowell
Elaine Cooper
Piper McAfee
Trevor & Tammy
Barnett
Hattie Malone
Walter Jones
Eagle Point Accounting
DEATHS »>6A
Armesha Owens
Edna Gordon
Jacks, a fast-food
chain with 220 res
taurants around
the South, is
negotiating to
put a franchise
on one of the
hottest vacant lots
left in Forsyth, on
Lee Street next to Dairy
Queen.
Jacks has recently
put restaurants
in nearby towns
like Gray (April
2022), Barnes-
ville (January
2021) andMonti-
cello (March 2022).
The Birmingham, Ala.-
based restaurant is adding
about 15 stores per year.
The Reporter has learned
that Jacks is negotiating
to build a store on the
1,7-acre lot in front of the
old Walmart and next to
Dairy Queen. That’s the
lot real estate broker Dale
Washburn bought from
Atrium Health for $1 mil
lion in April. Sources added,
however, that no deal has
yet been reached. There are
reportedly other prominent
fast-food chains interested
in the property, but Jacks
has shown the most interest.
Washburn said he could
not comment at this time
but would have more to say
when a deal is reached and a
new tenant is committed to
coming to the site.
When Washburn bought
the site in the spring he said:
“We are excited about the
possibilities of what will
See JACK S Page 6A
Baby OK after wreck on Shi Rd.
A Macon woman and her baby escaped serious injury
when they wrecked on Shi Road on Monday night. Aleah
Thomas was traveling north on Shi Road near its inter
section with Moore Road, going toward Hwy. 41, when
she lost control on the wet surface and wrecked into the
woods. Her Toyota Four Runner crossed into the oncoming
lane and crashed into some trees on the opposite side.
Thomas said she couldn’t open the drivers side rear door
to get her daughter, Aria Thomas, out of her baby seat, so
she had to pull her daughter out from the passenger side.
But both mom and daughter were OK. Monroe County
EMS and deputies responded to the scene.
MP eyes ban
on unwatched
kids from hill
at The Pitt
By Will Davis
publisher@mymcr.net
Monroe County school
officials plan to bar unsuper
vised children from the hill at
Dan Pitts Stadium, forbid fans
from returning to the stadium
once they leave and to require
clear bags.
Those are three of the biggest
changes in a list that Superin
tendent Mike Hickman will
present to the school board
at their Sept. 13 meeting. The
rules will not be in effect for
See BAN Page 5A
Monroe County
schools may ban un
supervised kids from
the hill, like those
seen above.
County auctioning land for unpaid taxes;
scofflaws include Dem Party of Virgin Islands
fl DfifiD5
Kroger, CVS
fi
8 *0 4879 16264
3
Publix, Dollar General, Circle K
Monroe County is advertising 35
properties to auction off for unpaid
taxes on Sept. 6, including two parcels
on Moreland Road behind Hubbard El
ementary School owned by the Demo
crat Party of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The Moreland Road parcels are a
2-acre and 3-acre tract that are nearly
landlocked, only accessible by a pri
vate road. Gavi Inc., a now-defunct
Forsyth-based corporation owned by
Leslie Milliner, deeded the properties to
the Democrat Party of the U.S. Virgin
Islands and its representative Randolph
Bennett in 2014. Gavi Inc. was dissolved
in 2018.
Tax commissioner Lori Andrews
said the Democrat Party of the Virgin
Islands hasn’t paid property taxes on the
parcels since it paid the 2019 taxes in
2020. Bennett is apparently an official in
the Democrat Party of the U.S. Virgin
Islands who has a radio show. The radio
show’s Facebookpage shows photos
of Bennett, including one with former
First Lady Hillary Clinton.
Andrews said the owner owes $1,325
in taxes on the 3 acre tract and $1,049
on the 2-acre tract for a total of $2,374.
Andrews said she has had a phone
call about the taxes owed but they still
haven’t been paid. All properties whose
taxes are not paid in full will be auc
tioned off on the Monroe County court
house steps at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept.
6. See all the properties up for auction in
the D section of this week’s Reporter.
Buyers have to pay for the properties
with cash or certified funds plus a $ 12
recording fee after the auction and then
wait 366 days during which the previ
ous owner could reclaim the property
by paying 120 percent of what the buyer
paid. Then they are the unencumbered
owners.
Randolph
Bennett, left,
is listed as
the contact
for Monroe
County prop
erties owned
by the Demo
crat Party
of the Virgin
Islands. The
parcels are
slated to be
acutioned for
unpaid taxes.
He is shown
with former
First Lady
and presiden
tial candi
date Hillary
Clinton.