Newspaper Page Text
Page 4B
AReporter
November 2, 2022
The Bank of Dudley greets Monroe County
By Diane Glidewell
news@mymcr.net
Monroe County’s new
bank, The Bank of Dudley,
hosted the community for
lunch on Tuesday, Oct.
25 as it introduced itself
and its officers and staff
to Forsyth and Monroe
County The Bank of Dud
ley opened its Forsyth
location on Oct. 17 at
48 N. Jackson Street.
The Bank of Dudley
already has strong ties
to Monroe County and
customers throughout
Middle Georgia. Beth
Vaughn, wife of former
Monroe County
commission chair
James Vaughn, is the
principal owner of the
bank and the fourth
generation of her fam
ily to lead the Bank of
Dudley, which opened
in 1905. Beth Vaughn’s son,
Ben, who is the attorney
for Monroe County com
missioners and Monroe
County Board of Education
and has an office on the
square, is on the Bank of
Dudley’s board of directors.
Beth and James Vaughn
have two other sons, Mat
thew and Jordan, and oper
ate a cattle and timber farm
in Monroe County.
The Bank of Dudley has
five other locations, four in
Laurens County and one in
Twiggs County. The bank
prides itself on offering the
products of a large bank
while maintaining the
personal relationships with
its customers that are char
acteristic of small-town
banks.
The community meet
and greet luncheon was
held on North Jackson
Street, where there is a
Farmers Market on Fri
days from Spring through
Fall, a couple of blocks
from its location just off
the square. The Bank of
Dudley is planning to
move to a larger building
within about a year and a
half but hasn’t announced
that location, yet.
Representatives of the
bank, from the Vaughns
s*SpP§Ti!!
Hi'"
Above, local citizens streamed toward the Bank of Dudleys tents and tables on Oct. 25,
chatting with the bank's staff and with each other.
Left, baby Merritt, center, seemed content to enjoy the sunshine and cuddle up to mom,
Bank of Dudleys marketing director Piper McAfee, as Monroe County commission chair
Greg Tapley signed up for the raffle.
to eight-week-old Merritt,
the daughter of Bank of
Dudley marketing direc
tor Piper McAfee, were on
hand to introduce them
selves. Bank employees
served lunches of thick
barbecue pork sandwiches,
chips, pound cake and soft
drinks. Those present were
invited to enter a raffle for
$117 in honor of the Bank
of Dudley’s 117 years of
service.
The Bank of Dudley in
vites everyone to stop by 48
N. Jackson Street to meet
its Forsyth team and learn
about what they have to
offer, including mortgages,
mobile deposit and on-line
banking.
Mary Persons is 2nd overall in Central Ga.
Skills Challenge with two first place individuals
Mary Persons placed sec
ond overall in the Central
Georgia Skills Challenge
held on Thursday, Oct. 27
at the Macon State Farm
ers Market. This event
included construction stu
dents from 19 high schools
competing in a variety of
trade competitions.
West Laurens High
School placed first overall,
and Jefferson High School
placed third. Individual
winners from Mary Per
sons included Mackenzie
Cruz, who placed first in
Blueprint Reading, and
Zachary Speir, who placed
third in Blueprint Reading.
Dylan Ivey took home the
first place trophy in plumb
ing. Drew Grant earned
the third place award in
Carpentry.
Other categories of
competition were electri
cal, masonry, roofing and
welding.
The Associated General
Contractors of Georgia
(AGC Georgia) partnered
with Sheridan Construc
tion to host the Central
Georgia Workforce De
velopment Alliance Skills
Challenge, one of seven
regional events through
out Georgia that will host
95 schools and over 2,000
students.
“As the host contractor,
our team understands the
importance of the AGC
Georgia Skills Challenge
series to our construction
industry’ Sheridan Con
struction President Christy
Kovac said. “This is a great
way for our company to
help young people learn
more about the numerous
career paths within the
construction industry while
we also educate teachers,
parents, school administra
tors, government officials
and more at this incredible
event.”
With over 200 students
competing in the Central
Georgia Skills Challenge,
an additional several hun
dred students observed,
possibly to compete in the
future. These students will
benefit from conversations
with construction industry
professionals who host
interactive activities for
students to become more
familiar with specific con
struction trades.
“Every year, AGC Geor
gia is proud to host seven
Skills Challenges alongside
our member contractors,”
AGC Georgia CEO Mike
Dunham said. “These
events provide high school
students with the oppor
tunity to showcase what
they’ve learned in the class
room and apply it through
real-life competitions.
Contractors also enjoy
participating because this is
a tangible way to continue
enhancing the industry's
talent pipeline.”
AGC Georgia’s Skills
Challenges are a great
primer for students who
compete in their region’s
SkillsUSA competition that
will take place in January.
Winners from those re
gional events then partici
pate in the state SkillsUSA
competition in late March
at the Georgia World Con
gress Center.
For more information
about Skills Challenges,
please visit www.agcga.org/
skills.
CALENDAR
continued from Page 1 B
Citizen's Firearms Course
Monroe County Sheriff’s Office
will host a Citizen's Firearms
Course on Saturday, Nov.
12 starting at 8 a.m. It will
cover firearm use, proficiency
and safety. There is no cost,
but participants must provide
their own legal handgun,
belt, holster, eye & ear safety
eguipment and at least 100-
150 rounds of ammunition. The
course is limited to 30 partici
pants, age 21 and older, who
ive or work in Monroe County.
Applications are available
at Monroe County Sheriff’s
Office; the deadline is Nov.
4. Applicants must provide
two forms of identification and
submit to a background check.
For more information, contact
Sgt. Kevin Williams at 478-
994-7048.
Nov. 5
3rd Annual Celebration of
Angels on Earth recog
nizes caregivers
Wings and Words of Hope will
recognize caregivers at its 3rd
Annual Celebration of Angels
on Earth on Saturday, Nov. 5
at The Pond Restaurant, 2407
Moody Road, Warner Robins.
Nominations for caregivers to
be recognized are now being
accepted by the Joseph A.
Finney Sr. Foundation, which
is based in Monroe County.
For more information, contact
Cheryl Finney at 478-394-
3831.
Nov. 6
Mary Person's Women’s
Choir performs in collab
orative concert
"Treble Voices Unite,’ a col
laborative concert between
Mary Persons Intermediate/
Advanced Women's Choir, Far-
ragut High School Advanced
Women’s Choir and Mercer
Women’s Chamber Choir, will
be Sunday, Nov. 6 at 5 p.m.
at Mercer University's Fickling
Hall.
Nov. 7
Historical Society to hear
about Bessie Tift
Dr. Lettie J. Watford will focus
on Bessie Willingham Tift in
remarks to the Monroe County
Historical Society on Monday
night, Nov. 7 at 7 p. m. Dr.
Watford has recently done
extensive research on Tift in
preparation for her nomina
tion to the Georgia Women
of Achievement Hall of Fame.
Monthly meetings of the His
torical Society are held at the
Conley Building, 104 East Ad
ams Street, on the first Monday
of each month and are open to
the public.
Nov. 11
Pregnancy Center offers
free professional hair cut
& style
The Pregnancy Center of
Monroe County, 562 N. Lee
Street, Forsyth will have a
special event on Friday, Nov.
11 at 10 a.m. Come get your
hair cut and styled for free
by professional stylists. The
Pregnancy Center offers free
pregnancy tests, information
on all options, pregnancy and
parenting classes, free diapers
& wipes, support & referrals.
Ultrasounds are coming soon.
For more information, call 478-
994-3173.
Nov. 12
1st Annual Fall Back Folk
Festival
The 1st Annual Fall Back Folk
Festival will be Saturday, Nov.
12 from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. at 5047
High Falls State Park Rd. In
High Falls. There will be folk
art, food and friends.
Nov. 15
Veterans Night
The Lt. James Monroe Chapter
DAR will sponsor a free event
for all local veterans on Tues
day, Nov. 15 from 6-7:30 p.m.
at the Forsyth Depot/Conley
Building. Local veterans are
invited to drive through the
depot parking lot to receive
a goody bag of treats and
prizes.
Holiday Hope program
for those grieving loss of
a loved one
Crossroads Christian Counsel
ing Center will sponsor the
Holiday Hope program for
those facing the holidays after
the loss of a loved one on
Tuesday, Nov. 15 from 6:30-8
p.m. at Vineville Baptist Church,
2591 Vineville Avenue,
Macon. Clinicians will offer
practical tips and insights about
understanding grief during the
Thanksgiving and Christmas
season, including a special
session for children ages 5 and
up. The program is free, but
please RSVP to Crossroads at
478-475-4608.
Nov. 17
Mary Persons presents "A
Disney Cabaret”
Mary Persons will present "A
Disney Cabaret" on Thurs
day, Nov. 17 at 6 p.m. and
Saturday, Nov. 19 at 2 p.m. at
Monroe County Fine Arts Cen
ter, 27 Brooklyn Ave., Forsyth.
Admission is $10 cash only.
Until Nov. 18
4-H Poinsettia Fundraiser
The Annual Monroe County
4-H Poinsettia Fundraiser will
be Oct. 3-Nov. 18. Poinsettias
come in red, pink and white.
Large are $20 and medium
are $15. Order through a
4-H'er or through the M.C.
Extension/4-H office, 484 Hwy
83 S, Forsyth. All orders are
due by Nov. 18. Pick-up is first
week of December at the of
fice. All proceeds go to support
the 4-H program.
Nov. 20
Seasonal Show at 1823
Artisan Guild
The 1823 Artisan Guild will
have its first show at its new
location (30 East Main St.,
Forsyth—across from City Hall)
on Sunday, Nov. 20 from 2-5
p.m. There will be Artisan cre
ations with an emphasis on gift
giving and decorating. Artisan
demonstrations, hot apple cider
and other holiday goodies.
Dec. 3
Rotary sponsors Commu
nity Clean Up Day
Forsyth Monroe County Rotary
Club will sponsor a community
clean up day on Saturday,
Dec. 3 from 9-11 a.m. The
public is invited to join in keep
ing Forsyth beautiful. Rotary
Club will furnish pick up sticks,
trash bags and gloves.
Dec. 6
Empty Bowls
Mary Persons Visual Arts will
host Empty Bowls on Tuesday,
Dec. 6 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at
Monroe County Fine Arts Cen
ter, 27 Brooklyn Ave., Forsyth.
All proceeds will benefit Mon
roe County Backpack Buddies.
Tickets are $20 and include
admission, one student-made
ceramic piece, a soup dinner
and entry into a raffle for as
sorted prizes. Attendees are
invited to wear "ugly sweaters.’
Dec. 7
Hospital Authority to
combine Nov/Dec meet
ings
The Hospital Authority of
Monroe County will combine
its November and December
meetings because of the holi
days and will hold one meeting
on Wednesday, Dec.7. The
regularly scheduled meetings
will resume on Jan. 26.
Dec. 11
Wings & Words of Hope
holds benefit dinner
Wings and Words of Hope
will have a benefit dinner on
$unday, Dec. 11 from 5-9 p.m.
at the Harriet Tubman Museum
in Macon to raise money to
help caregivers and their loved
ones. The benefit will also
honor the founder the late
Joseph A. Finney $r of Juliette.
There will be resources to help
other foundations continue their
work in blessing others.
The formal event will feature a
ive band, stand-up comedian
and a catered meal. All pro
ceeds benefit the foundation.
Tickets are available on-line.
For information, contact Cheryl
Finney at 478-394-3831.
Nov. 1-Feb. 28
DNR will lower
High Falls Lake
Georgia Department of
Natural Resources (DNR) will
lower the level of High Falls
Lake approximately 2-3 feet
between Nov. 1 and Fell
28 to let residents perform
dock repairs. Residents should
make arrangements for boats
while the lake is lowered and
should plan for necessary
repairs to maintain compli
ance with requirements of
dock permits. Repairs must be
within DNR specifications. Any
new construction or changes
to a current permitted dock
that require more than a 50
percent rebuild will required
a new permit. Get applica
tions at the park office. For
more information, contact High
Falls resource manager Taylor
Geonis at 478-993-3053.
On-Going
AA meetings
AA meetings are held at Christ
United Methodist Church, 417
N. Frontage Road, Forsyth on
Tuesdays, Thursdays & Sundays
at 7 p.m.
Story Time
at M.C. Library
Monroe County Library $tory
Time has favorite books, crafts
and surprises each Wednesday
at 10 a.m. at the children's
corner in the library at 62 W.
Main St., Forsyth.
Monroe County
Amateur Radio
Monroe County Amateur Ra
dio Society meets the second
Monday of each month at
6:30 p.m. at Monroe County
Fire Station 1, 693 Juliette
Road, Forsyth.