Newspaper Page Text
Page 8C
December 28, 2022
^Reporter
Tree damages Juliette home, cars
A Juliette man lost his master bedroom and three vehicles when a large pine tree fell on them
after frigid, gusty winds descended on the area last Friday, Dec. 23. Michael Scarbary, 61,
of East River Mist Court told the Reporter he had just left his master bedroom to go into his
bathroom at around 1 p.m., and hes thankful he did. Because then he heard what sounded like
an explosion outside and piece of the ceiling in his bedroom went flying. The tree left a large
hole in the roof, and totaled three vehicles parked in the driveway. Scarbary said despite the
setback, his ALFA insurance company has been very responsive and his family still made the
best of the holidays and enjoyed their Christmas celebration. Several homes lost power and/
or water due to the cold front that pushed low temps into the single digits overnight for most of
Middle Georgia last week.
2022
Continued from Page 7A
ly re-electied over PTO pres
ident Melissa Mixon by 77
votes. Robert Jenkins ran as a
conservative and easily beat
Bibb County teacher Kristi
Varnadoe by over 300 votes.
He will replace Nolen How
ard. The board went ahead
and seated District 1BOE
winner Sherrye Battle, who
replaced the late JP Evans.
The new majority will take
office until January 2023.
• A Thomaston Road man
was arrested on May 24 for
continuing to operate his
AT V trails business on Low
er Simmons Road despite
a judges order that he stop.
Haywood Simmons Jr., 49, of
8659 Thomaston Road, was
arrested and charged around
5:30 p.m. on Saturday, May
24 with violating a court
order by operating the track.
Monroe County deputies
went to the property after
neighbors complained the
noise was back in defiance
of the judges order. “They’re
sick of it,” said sheriff Brad
Freeman. “You would be
too.”
• A Monroe County
mother, Katherine Davis,
loses her 8-year-old son to
her ex husband in England
after the Georgia Court of
Appeals reversed a decision
by Towaliga District Court
Judge Bill Fears that upheld a
Child Arrangements Order
giving the mother custody of
her son to bring him to the
U.S. Davis is devastated.
• Mary Persons seniors
pull one last prank on out
going principal Jim Finch at
graduation May 23. As they
approach to receive diplo
mas, many seniors handed
Finch, a noted Alabama fan,
a small note inscribed 33-18,
the score of the National
Championship game in Jan
uary when the Tide lost to
the Georgia Bulldogs. Finch,
who’s now the new assistant
superintendent, seemed to
take it in stride.
• One of the nation’s top
experts in school safety lives
in Monroe County and says
local schools are doing a
good job at security in the
wake of the murder of 19
students and two teachers
at a Uvalde, Texas school in
May.
“Our schools in Monroe
County are much better
prepared than schools I’ve
worked in any other county’
said Michael Dorn of
Bolingbroke, executive direc
tor of Safe Havens Interna
tional. “Eve got a child in the
district, so I take it seriously’’
• Mary Persons boys
basketball coach Greg Nix
announces in May he’s
retiring after 10 years at the
helm. He is replaced by MP
football offensive coordina
tor Jason Morrow. Nix winds
up taking the same job at
FPD in Macon.
June
• A Forsyth woman is
charged with a drive-by
shooting that happened at
apartments on Freeman
Avenue around 5:05 a.m.
on June 4. According to the
sheriff’s office, deputy Chris
topher Marsh responded to
the call at 333 Freeman Ave
nue where Miranda Alexius
Watkins, 29, told him that
Clarissa Andrea Freeman,
37, of Forsyth, had just shot
up her apartment and fled
in a 2014 maroon Chevrolet
Camaro.
• The Monroe County Re
porter is again named one of
the best weekly newspapers
in the state at the Georgia
Press Association’s annual
convention at the Jekyll
Island Club on June 3.
The Reporter won second
place in the overall Gen
eral Excellence category
among weekly papers its size
after being honored with
10 awards for journalistic
excellence. That’s the most
awards the paper has won
since it was returned to local
ownership in 2007.
• County commissioner
George Emami warns coun
ty manager Jim Hedges on
June 7 that he’s had enough
of his big spending and
manipulative ways.
“I consider this the sternest
of warnings that I can give,”
Emami announced at the
close of Tuesday’s regular
commission meeting.
Emami detailed a pattern
of Hedges using county
employees to try to ram
through more spending
and across-the-board pay
increases. He also lamented
Hedges’ failure to follow the
law when the county sold
100 acres on the Ocmul-
gee River for $100,000 last
summer.
But chairman Greg Tapley
said he disagreed and that
Hedges has the county in
great shape with $7 million
in reserves.
• A Monroe County dep
uty broke his back when a
Florida suspect rammed into
his patrol car during a high
speed chase that covered two
counties on June 9.
Sgt. Kirk Seckinger had
joined the pursuit of a
Dodge Challenger that had
refused to stop for deputy
Larry Sullivan around 8:48
a.m. near the Johnstonville
Road exit on 1-75 south in
Monroe County. The driver,
later identified as Sergio
Marquise Flagler of Sanford,
Fla., sped south topping
speeds of 130 mph and took
the 1-475 exit.
There, a 94-year-old driver
who had swerved to get out
of Sullivan’s way ran into
deputy John Thompson,
who had also joined the pur
suit, causing him to wreck.
Then just past the Musella/
Hwy. 80 exit, Flagler was
flying down the right-hand
emergency when he came
upon an abandoned car on
the roadside. Sheriff Brad
Freeman said rather than
stopping or simply changing
lanes, Flagler rammed into
the 56-year-old Seckinger’s
car, who was chasing. The
collision violently jarred
Seckinger and sent his patrol
car into the grassy medi
an and it came to a stop.
Flagler’s vehicle also stopped
on the interstate and he got
out on foot and ran. Sullivan
later caught Flagler in the
woods and he was arrested
without incident.
• Seckinger was rushed to
Atrium hospital with a bro
ken back. He was released
the next day but had to stay
off the road for awhile.
• Harold “Unk” Kendrick
Jr. of Forsyth is named the
2022 Monroe County Father
of the Year in June. He is the
father of six children, Susan,
Jennifer, Wade, Georgia, Jeff
and John, the grandfather of
10 and great grandfather of
10. He was nominated by his
daughter Jennifer Hodges.
• The 12U Monroe County
All-Star baseball team heads
to the World Series in New
Orleans in July after going
undefeated and winning the
state USSSA championship
on June 19. It’s a first for
Monroe County. The boys
beat Newton County in extra
innings 19-16 and then beat
Spalding 11-10 to claim the
state title in thrilling fashion
on Sunday. The boys had ad
vanced to those state games
by beating West Walton and
the Newnan Gold All-Stars
earlier in the weekend.
• Monroe County Chris
tians celebrated the mon
umental Supreme Court
decision in June overturning
Roe v. Wade and allowing
states to regulate abortion in
a prayer service on Sunday
on the courthouse square.
“I’m just thankful,” said
Movene Futch, a founding
board member of the Preg
nancy Center of Monroe
County, which organized
the event. “That’s my biggest
emotion. Many felt it would
never happen. I didn’t know.
We just asked God, who is
over all, to bring it about,
and He did. That’s why I was
enthusiastic to say thank you
to God.”
July
• Monroe County 12U All-
Star baseball team heads to
New Orleans for the USSSA
World Series.
• The first Forsyth down
town fireworks and concert
get good reviews.
• Jury finds High Falls
man guilty of one of 11 child
abuse charges and the judge
sentences C.J. Hawley to 10
years in prison.
• A UGA professor says
the Supreme Court deci
sion ending EPAs effort to
regulate coal plant emissions
won’t have much impact of
Plant Scherer.
• The High Falls Boat
Parade was back with at least
25 decorated boats.
• Monroe County Schools
salute 25 retirees.
• Anonymous letter threat
ens Forsyth city manager
Janice Hall if she doesn’t
leave Police Chief Eddie
Harris alone.
• Motorcycle accident on
Zebulon Road takes the life
of Brandon Cox, 25
• Camp Kaleo welcomes
new director Luke Foster.
• Forsyth native Dr. Floyd
Willis receives Lifetime
Achievement Award from
Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville.
• Monroe County Board of
Education budget tops $50
for 2023.
• Driver, 25, sues Forsyth
for $1 million after wreck
with police officer Manuel
Barajas on the square.
• Monroe County Health
Dept, cuts ribbon for new
renovation and dedicates its
lobby to Dr. J. Ray Grant.
August
• City manager relieves
police chief Eddie Harris
and names Major Alexander
Daniels as interim chief
• More than 4,500 students
begin the school year of
Monroe County Schools.
• Miracle baby is bom in a
car on the side of High Falls
Road.
• Amanda Holloway of
K.B. Sutton Elementary is
Monroe County Schools’
Teacher of the Year.
• Monroe County Library
celebrates 100 years.
• Braves’ World Series
Trophy visits Forsyth.
• Grand jury indicts
former Mary Persons band
director Miles Benson on
22 counts related to sexual
contact with a minor girl.
• People fill the streets
around the square for the
2022 Summer Concert Se
ries on the evening featuring
INCIDENTS
Continued from Page 5D
in the Dunkin Donuts
parking lot on Dec. 17.
The woman had a male
juvenile in the vehicle with
her who was turned over
to the woman’s fiance after
Clayton County said they
wanted a hold placed on
her. She was taken to jail
to await a ride to Clayton
County.
Pair cited for marijuana
possession
Officer Richard Mad
dox spotted a gray Hon
da Accord on Shoney’s
Drive at Harold G. Clarke
Parkway on Dec. 17 with
a paper drive-out tag and
pulled the vehicle over in
the Circle K parking lot.
The driver was able to give
insurance information and
said he had not yet gotten a
tag for the vehicle.
Maddox could smell
marijuana coming from
the car and asked the man
if there was any inside.
He said there was, and his
female passenger reached
into her pants and pulled
out a clear plastic bag of
weed. They were both cited
for marijuana possession
and released to appear on
the citations.
the Swinging Medallions.
• Commissioners okay tiny
property tax rate cut.
• Former NFL and UGA
football star Malcolm
Mitchell gives inspirational
message to Monroe County
schools employees, families
and students.
• Jury decides Monroe
County water clerk Alleta
Mays Dent wrongfully
took the home of an elderly
Bolingbroke man and must
return it and pay $30,000 in
legal bills.
• Forsyth council gives
Otis Ingram six months to
resume work on his Forsyth
Station Senior Community.
• The Bank of Dudley
opens a branch in down
town Forsyth.
• Contractor Jimmy Col
lins, 55, of Choice Roofing
turns himself in in Louisiana
and will face fraud charges in
Monroe County.
• Monroe County Exten
sion welcomes Cliff Collins
and Amanda Gamer.
• Sarah Alford is new
principal of Monroe County
Achievement Center.
• Fast food chain Jack’s is
negotiating to put a franchise
on N. Lee Street.
• Monroe County adver
tises 35 properties to auction
off the unpaid taxes.
• Forsyth’s Hong Kong
Palace gets new owners.
• Forsyth deals with vehicle
problems and short staff on
police departments
• David Hunter pulls out
of Monroe County District
4 race leaving incumbent
George Emami unchal
lenged.
• Merrie Harris shares
her political cartoons with
Reporter readers.
September
• Foifyth CableNet opens
in-person office at former
Chamber of Commerce
building.
• Madeline Monroe Sand
ers, a 4th grader at Hubbard
Elementary, passes away
after a two-and-a-half year
battle with brain cancer.
• New Monroe County
Sheriff’s Office flock cameras
already help solve four cases.
• Kaleo Pangeliman, 19,
is sentenced to 20 years in
prison for arson related to
the murder of his girlfriend’s
murder of her mother and
brother.
• Major George Foster
retires after 37 years with
Forsyth Police Department.
• First Baptist of Forsyth
hosts mobile dental clinic.
• Gov. Brian Kemp
appoints Monroe Countian
Cecil Staton to the Georgia
Public Telecommunications
Commission.
• 2022-23 Leadership
Monroe Class kicks off with
a retreat at Camp Kaleo.
• A house fire on Sutton
Road takes the life of Jo Anne
Turner, 63.
• Board of Education
members have second
thoughts on partnering with
Big Brothers Big Sisters after
learning of it “inclusion”
See 2022 Page4D
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