January 10, 2018 Page 7C
Reporter
e e
By Diane Glidewell
news@mymcr.net
Monroe County
expressed gratitude to
its approximately 350
employees by hosting an
Employee Appreciation
Day on Saturday, Dec.
9 at the Monroe County
Recreation Department
Youth Center. Employees
and their families were
invited to a lunch of hot
dogs and hamburgers
with all the trimmings,
including baked beans,
chips, soft drinks, cook-
ies, candy, coffee and hot
chocolate. They were
served by members Of the
Board of Commissioners,
who also helped grill the
entrees.
Kelsey Fortner, Monroe
County deputy zoning
officer, spearheaded orga-
nizing the event. She said
the county previously
had held a Christmas
luncheon for employees
during the week but had
not held a weekend event
that encouraged employ-
ees to bring their families
and enjoy some unofficial
time with each other. The
Employees Appreciation
Day gave employees
from different county
departments, as well as
families, an opportunity
to become acquainted
and to interact with one
another.
There were inflatables,
including a giant slide,
games and activities
for children. Party Man
Productions provided
music and a DJ. Tables
were decorated with a
holiday theme, and a
table full of cakes invited
participants to join the
Cake Walk. There were
hayrides around the
Recreation Department
for those ready to venture
outside.
'qCCe really appreciate
the ladies on the third
floor for making this hap-
pen," said Monroe County
Recreation Director Keith
Edge as he announced
the start of the hayrides.
Fortner said that the
tenure of county employ-
ees ranges from 41 years
on the job to two weeks
earlier when District 4
Commissioner George
Emami and Monroe
County Sheriff Chief
Deputy A1 Shackelford
were sworn into office.
The event was punctu-
ated by hugs as employ-
ees and family members
arrived and greeted one
another.
Sponsors of the event
included, ShawHankins,
The Miller Group, John
R. Walker Inc Utility
Partners Inc Carter
Watkins, Associate
Architects Inc WOW
Inflatables, Carter &
Sloope, United Bank,
Univirtual Solutions.
Left to right, Monroe County commissioners Greg Tapley, Eddie Rowland, George Emami
and John Ambrose let county employees know they are appreciated by serving them lunch
at an event that included their families on Dec. 9.
Above, Kelsey Fortner, standing, checks to see that everything is going well at Monroe
County Employee Appreciation Day. Right, a young family member enjoys the inflatables at
Monroe County Employee Appreciation Day.
Daniel Collins of
Forsyth has been named
to Columbus State
University's Fall 2017
Presidents List with a Grade
Point Average of 3.83. Collins
is a Junior at Columbus State
majoring in Mathematics. He
is the son of Dan and Michelle
Collins of Forsyth.
Sunshine Sandefer
of Forsyth has been named
to Columbus State
University's Fall 2017
Presidents List with a
Grade Point Average of 4.0.
Sandefer is a Freshman
majoring in History. She
is the daughter of Clay
and Samantha Sandefer of
Forsyth.
Colton Perkins of
Forsyth made the Fall 2017
Dean's List at Georgia
Southwestern State
University and was among
600 students recognized for
scholastic achievement. To be
eligible for the Dean's List, a
student must earn a semester
GPA of 3.5 or better and take
a minimum of 12 credit hours.
Georgia College
awarded degrees to the fol-
lowing graduates of the class
of December 2017: Tenisha
Moore of Forsyth major-
ing in Nursing, RN-BSN;
Garrett Scarborough
of Forsyth majoring in
Computer Science. Georgia
College, the state's designated
public liberal arts univer-
sity, combines the educa-
tional experience expected at
esteemed private liberal arts
colleges with the affordability
of public higher education.
Jasmine Sherri
Coleman of Forsyth
achieved Brenau
University's Merit List
Honors for the spring 2017
semester. Coleman is a class
of 2018 student majoring in
early childhood education.
Merit list students must
maintain a 3.5 grade point
average while carrying 12 to
14 semester hours of course
work with no grade lower
than B in that semester.
tive for more than thewearing a hght-colored the mail about an ambu-had been drinking, theto distribute after a traf-
ConUnued from 6C legal limit of alcohol on shirt and jacket, and lance ride in California driver held up his left fic stop on 1-75 South
a state breath test. The was carrying a red and for which he was being hand and indicated a on Dec. 31. At about
driver was also charged yellow-colored raft that charged. The resident little bit. The driver's 2:25 a.m Dep. Thomas
Jackson driver with failure to maintain is five-feet long and said he had neither lived eyelids then drooped Haskins saw a gray
charged with lane. three-feet wide. Justice in nor visited California and his head dropped as 1998 Toyota Tacoma
then searched the area before and contacted if he was falling asleep, traveling 88 mph in a 70
DUI after stop Deputy receives but was unable to find the company listed on Maples then asked the mph zone on 1-75 South
on 1-75 North complaint about the friend, the bill. The resident driver if he had been near mile marker 191.
said he learned the drinking beer, and theHaskins immediately
A 33-year-old white disappearance Locust Grove company had all of his driver closed his eyessmelled the odor of raw
information as if he was and nodded. He then marijuana coming from
Jackson man was ofunknown man woman reports the actual patient. Theasked the driver if heinside the truck. The
arrested and charged
with DUI after a traf- At about 2:04 a.m. theft of purse at amount of the bill was had been drinking tequi- male driver admitted
tic stop on 1-75 North on Jan. 2, Dep. Jake High Falls Park just over $2,000. la, and the driver again to smoking marijuana
on Jan. 1. At about Justice was patrolling closed his eyes and nod- inside the truck about
2:43 a.m Dep. Thomas High Falls Road when At about 2:55 p.m. Stone Mountain ded. When Maples askedtwo hours prior to the
the driver to take sev- stop but denied hav-
Haskins saw a red 2016 he was approached by on Dec. 26, a Locust driver arrested eral field sobriety tests, ing any marijuana left
Dodge Dart failing to a white male wearing Grove woman told Dep. after New Year's the driver replied, "I no inside the truck. The
maintain its lane on khaki coveralls and a Antwain Jones that she
1-75 North near mile camouflage jacket. The parked her 2007 Ford Eve traffic stop understand." The driver male passenger said he
then said he under- hadn't smoked mari-
marker 192. Haskins man told Justice he wasExpedition at High Falls stood the field breathjuana since "way earlier,
smelled a strong odor searching for his male State Park at about A 40-year-old Hispanic test, which registeredlike this morning," and
of alcohol coming from friend whom he hadn't noon that day. The Stone Mountain man a high positive for alco- also denied having any
the vehicle and saw the seen in over an hour. woman said when she was arrested and hol. Maples then askeddrugs inside the truck.
male driver's eyes were The man said he had returned to her SUV shecharged with DUI the driver if he wouldHaskins and Dep. Jacob
very glossy and red and only known his friend saw the front driver's after a traffic stop ontake a state breath test, Robins found inside the
his speech was slurred, for three weeks and wasside window was shat- 1-75 South on Dec. 31. and the driver again truck a glass container
The driver then admit- unable to provide per- tered completely. She At about 4:40 a.m replied, "I no under- with marijuana residue.
ted to having consumed sonal information aboutsaid her purse, which Dep. Cody Maples stand." When Maples They also found inside
"a few" beers earlier him. The man said he contained her personal saw a black 2005 Jeep asked him if he would the truck bed a tin con-
in the night but said and his friend were at information and credit Wrangler weaving take any more tests, the tainer with wax mari-
he stopped drinking another friend's home cards, had been stolen inside its lane on 1-75driver answered, "I nojuana inside, which the
at midnight. Haskins on Lakeshore Drive from the front passen- South and changing speak English." Maplespassenger said belonged
then asked the driver drinking alcohol. He ger side floorboard. The lanes without signal- then took the driver to him. Deputies then
how many "a few" beers said his friend consumed woman said her bank ing near mile marker
were, and he replied, "3 to the Monroe County found inside a side corn-
several liquor drinks also notified her about189. Maples immedi- Jail, where he was also partment of the truck a
or 4 beers." The driver before leaving the home2:15 p.m. that someone ately smelled an odor charged with failure to plastic bag containing
then failed several while carrying an inflat- was trying to buy $500 of alcohol coming from signal when changing a large amount of raw
field sobriety tests and able raft. When the manworth of merchandise the male driver, when lanes and driving withmarijuana, weighing
tested a high positive told the friend he would using her bank cards atMaples asked for his
for alcohol on a field an expired license, one ounce, which the
go with him, the man a Macon Kroger store, license, the driver driver said was his.
breath test. The female instead started running instead handed the
passenger said she was down Lakeshore Drive Forsyth resident deputy an orange Auto Deputies locate Haskins then took both
. the driver and the pas-
too intoxicated to drive with the raft. The man Zone rewards card. raw maruuana senger to the Monroe
but was not arrested, appeared hesitant to receives bill from Maples told the driver in truck in New County Jail. The passen-
Haskins then inven- provide Justice with ambulance ride it was not his license ger, a 24-year-old white
toried the vehicle and anymore information in Califorilia and removed the driver's Year's Eve stop Daytona Beach, Fla.
found a cooler on the about the situation. The actual license from his
back seat containing five man told Justice his hand. The driver's eyesA 22-year-old white man, was charged with
unopened beers. The friend was in his late At about 1:55 p.m. on were bloodshot, and hisAustell man was Violation of the Georgia
Dec. 26, a male Forsyth Controlled Substance
driver was then taken to 30s or early 40s, had a movement was slow and arrested and charged Act. The driver was also
the Monroe County Jail, long brown beard and resident told Dep. lethargic, when Maples with possession of charged with speeding.
Antwain Jones that he asked the driver if he marijuana with intent
where he tested posi- tattoos on his face, was had received a bill in
J
