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The Monroe County Reporter
marks 50th birthday
1972-2022
First editor: Working at the Reporter
was most interesting job I ever had
By Shelley Shuman
shellysaltershuman@gmail.com
I n the fall of 1972, as I
was considering my
options for returning
to work after a two
year hiatus, Don Jackson
Daniel, a fast-paced public
relations specialist from Six
Flags Over Georgia came
to Forsyth
with plans for
starting a new
weekly newspa
per in Monroe
County A
mutual friend,
Jimmy Lawson,
recommended
me to him.
I was Dons
first “hire” as
the Reporters
News Editor,
then was named Editor
three months later. I was
excited to be a part of the
project- Monroe County
was an up-and-coming
area and writing news fit
my interests and talents. I
had a BA in English from
Tift College and after a
couple of years of teaching
school had retired from the
classroom. I was excited
to be on the front line of
events in our growing and
prosperous county.
Don and I worked well
together, knocking heads at
times. A dedicated news
man at heart, I thought
Don envisioned the
Reporter as AJC South. He
reported all the small town
hard news with the vigor of
a trained professional. He
wrote thought-provoking
and oftentimes controver
sial editorials, and enthu
siastically put his public
relations skills to work on
ad sales.
Meanwhile my job was
to write person
als, to report on
childrens birthday
parties, baby and
bridal showers and
to find human in
terest stories from
throughout the
county- Boling-
broke, Culloden,
Juliette and High
Falls. My favor
ite stories were
“Profiles” I wrote of
many memorable Monroe
Countians.
I felt that we provided a
good blend of what was
newsworthy in Forsyth and
Monroe County, and gave
citizens a viable newspaper
for the first time.
There are several events
which I considered high
lights of my two years at
the Reporter-
•We set up shop an in a
few small rooms on West
Main Street downstairs
under Trio Manufacturing
offices. We hired Debbie
Ware and then Janice Redd
(Crook); both served as
typesetters, proof-readers
and worked on ads with
Don. After sometime,
Hugh Mercer Sr., a re
cent retiree, worked with
Don on sports reporting
and other responsibilities
around the office and
Debbie Bazemore Melton
worked as my assistant
reporting on events. Morris
Smith also worked part-
time in the early years.
•We published our first
issue, Nov. 8,1972- Head
lines reading “Nixon, Nunn
take county” What a thrill
for a news editor who be
gan her journalistic career
in the third grade with
a poem published in the
Garden Hills “Get About!”
Other front page stories
revealed Rosemary Alexan
der (Walker) crowned MP
Homecoming Queen and
plans that were underway
for our city and countys
150th Anniversary/Sesqui-
entennial Celebration.
•As our community
began making plans for
our Sesquicentennial in the
spring of 1973, the Re
porter was at the forefront,
keeping the countians in
formed about plans for this
special celebration- pro
moting and reporting on
all Sesquicentennial events
as they occurred.
•In July 1973, following
a lead that was called in to
us, Don and I jumped in
his truck, heading south on
Hwy. 41 to cover a possible
murder in the county. Be
side a barn near Smarr, we
stopped a man to ask di
rections to our destination.
This same dairy worker
was later convicted of the
murder of the young bride,
Sheila Hunnicutt, in a sen
sational trial at the Monroe
County Courthouse.
•And of course, there
was the February 1973
snowstorm which para
lyzed middle Georgia and
left many 1-75 motorists
stranded in Forsyth.
Some humorous events
of those early years includ
ed....
•The day our photog
rapher and I were out a
dirt road in the southeast
corner of the county,
interviewing a couple
celebrating their 50th
wedding anniversary: She
had just taken a photo of
the happy elderly couple
as they sat side by side on
their worn living room sofa
and they were answering
my questions about their
long years together. In the
middle of my interview, a
mouse ran across the floor.
It took all the control we
could muster to keep from
jumping up and screaming,
but we maintained our
professional demeanor and
finished the interview like
nothing ever happened.
•Another time, in writing
the weekly article “Para
graphs from the Past” with
news items gleaned from
old newspapers, a personal
was selected from years
before- It mentioned,
by name, a man in the
county jail who had been
allowed to go home for the
weekend.... We found the
account amusing, as did
many readers, except for
those who knew the man,
an upstanding citizen in
Forsyth- He and his wife
were embarrassed to be
reminded of his youthful
transgressions. They were
respected citizens in For
syth at the time. Needless
to say, we had lots of apolo
gizing to do....
•In November 1973, for
our first year anniversa
ry, we planned an open
house- We ordered cheese
straws and cucumber sand
wiches from Mrs. Mary
Lou Webb- had punch and
welcomed everyone to our
office. One local business
man and supporter of the
Reporter, who was also a
good friend of Dons, pro
vided some champagne for
our private celebration after
hours. That night, he and
Don caused quite a stir in
our small town with their
after-hours antics.
•Our employees cele
brated boss-man Dons
birthday with lunch at the
Farmhouse Restaurant on
the Square-1 “baked” a de
licious-looking sheet cake,
just for the occasion. It was
a metal pan turned upside
down, iced, decorated, with
lots of candles added. Don
was thrilled that we gave
him special attention until
he tried to cut the cake! It
was not often we saw him
speechless, so everyone
really enjoyed the occasion.
I’m not sure how long I
would have stayed at the
Reporter had my former
husband and I not bought
Star Printing Compa
ny from the late Mayor
Richard Truitt in the fall of
1973. (I eventually “retired”
from the Reporter in July
1974, weary from working
all day at the newspaper
office and all night at the
print shop!) Otherwise,
I guess I would still be
listening for interesting
stories that so richly bless
our hometown. I do know
that my tenure at the Re
porter was by far the most
interesting and challenging
job I ever had- And I am
thankful for the role I was
able to play in helping
create the Monroe County
Reporter.
Shelly Shuman worked at
the Reporter from Novem
ber 1972-July 1974 as news
editor and then as editor.
She retired as CEO/partner
of the now defunct Star
Printing & Office Supply
in Forsyth. E-mail her at
shellysaltershuman@gmail.
com.
Shelly Shuman
fbfk* Monroe County Reporter Timeline 1972-2022
Store had its grand opening;
April 2 1 • Lovena Trammell was
named Monroe County s Mrs.
Bicentennial.
April 28 • Donna Lynn Jones, 1 1,
dies in the fire that consumes her
parents home near Hwy. 41 in
Bolingbroke. Bicentennial activities,
including a parade, are in full swing
in Monroe County.
May 5 • The board of education
approves a 20 percent supplement
increase for teachers; those with
0-2 years experience will receive a
flat $200 supplement.
May 1 2 • In spite of complaints
about its funny taste, water from
Forsyth’s water plant, which opened
in 1 975, is declared safe. Jimmy
Carter and Ronald Reagan win
lop-sided victories in Monroe Coun
ty’s first presidential preference
primary in 40 years.
June 2 • The largest award ever
handed down in Monroe Superior
Court is $200,000 to a Florida
man injured in a car-truck collision
south of Forsyth on July 6, 1 973.
July 2 1 • The City of Forsyth discon
tinues use of parking meters.
July 28 • The Reporter receives six
Georgia Press Association Better
Newspaper Contest Awards for
1975.
Sept.l • Joe W. Proctor defeats Ru-
bye Lee James Watts for a commis
sion seat, and Benny Smarr defeats
Guy Vaughn for Monroe County
coroner in run-of elections.
Sep. 1 5 • Joe Evans is elected
president of the Monroe County
Chamber of Commerce.
Sept. 22 • Warrants are issued for
the Monroe County coroner and
justice of the peace following an
alleged assault on another person.
Oct. 20 • The only two members of
the High F alls Fire Department, Joe
Proctor Sr. and Joe Proctor Sr., re
signed, leaving the county respon
sible for high Falls fire protection.
Georgia Power moves 3 1 2 graves
from the Plant Scherer site.
Nov. 24 • Grand Jury recommends
increase in pay to $550 per month
for inside deputies and $650
per month for beginning outside
deputies.
1977
Jan. 5 • The worst winter storm
sinceFeb. 1 974 hits Monroe County.
John Wilson was elected chairman
of the new Monroe County Com
mission, and Jerry Garr was hired
as the county's first administrator.
The commission may have spent
the largest sum for legal fees in the
county’s history as it approved bills
from county attorney Charles B.
Haygood Jr. to bring the 1 976 total
to over $4 1,000.
Jan. 1 9 • Roosevelt Green, 20, will
be tried in Monroe County for the
murder of Teresa Allen.
Jan. 26 • Atlanta Gas Light Com
pany warns that unless everyone
cooperates to conserve, Forsyth and
Monroe County can lose natural
gas service.
1978
• Family members of Jessie James
Phillips say he died after being
refused treatment at Monroe
County Hospital, but hospital offi
cials note that Phillips walked out
of the waiting room before seeing
a doctor. Meanwhile doctors and
nurses exchange accusations and
the hospital continues to lose money
and cost taxpayers $300,000 per
year.
• Three Monroe County firemen are
accused of arson and one pleads
guilty, yet suspicious fires continue in
the autumn of 1 978. Sheriff L. Cary
Bittick said the FBI is doing to inves
tigate. Meanwhile, county fire chief
Bobb Goodpaster resigns and his
replacement, Warring Doles, is fired.
The Mary Persons gym sustains
serious fire damage.
• Commissioners John Wilson and
Tom Mitchell are defeated by
challengers Chafin Smith and Bill
Peters. A DOT weigh station opens
on 1-75 in Monroe County.
• President Jimmy Carter announc
es he’s considering locating his
Presidential Library at Great Hill
Place near Bolingbroke.
• Rep. Benson Ham s bill to ban
hunting on Sunday in Monroe
County and to give local school
boards a free hand in selecting
school sites are vetoed by Gov.
George Busbee.
1979
• Gov. George Busbee announces
that a 600-acre site in Monroe
County has been chosen as the
location for a unique Public Safety
Training Academy.
• Four Montpelier Road proper
ty owners compromise with the
Monroe County school board on
building a new Mary Persons High
School in their neighborhood, and
a bond referendum passes by a
3-to-l margin. Construction should
begin in two years.
• First Lady Rosalyn Carter gives
the June commencement address at
Tift College.
• Monroe County Bank opens its
sparkling new facility on Main
Street.
• Fire destroys the historic Forsyth
United Methodist Church, and
faulty air conditioning is blamed.
1980
July • Linda Arthur, head of the
JOHN
AMBROSE
MONROE COUNTY
COMMISSIONER
DISTRICT 3
I look forward weekly to reading
the Monroe County Reporter for
information pertaining to our
county and our residents,
whether it’s good, bad or ugly,
I get to find out about what’s
going on!
John Ambrose