August 8, 2018 Page 7C
/Reporter
e
By I nxB
forsCh@mymccnet
Monroe County
Commissioners hired Macon-
based Altera Payroll & Insurance
to take over the county's payroll
procedures.
The Tuesday, July 24 deci-
sion came several hours after
a 15-minute presentation by a
nationwide payroll company,
CertiPay, whose Middle Georgia
office is located in Juliette.
Lisa Wheeler, a Monroe
County native who serves as
vice president of the Georgia
division of CertiPay, said the
company has been in operation
for 25 years, including 20 years
locally. David Adams, CertiPay
sales and business devdopment
director, told commissioners that
CertiPay, which annually moves
over $2 billion in taxes, has a
partnership-driven sales model
that does not outsource sup-
port and technology assistance.
Adams said among CertiPay's
payroll clients is the Savannah
Fire Department, the largest
privately-held fire department in
the country.
Adams said CertiPay would be
responsible for repayment and
penalties on any payroll error. He
said no payroll company is per-
fect but the difference between
them comes down to how
quickly an error can get fixed. He
then said the cost of contracting
with CertiPay would be $2.50
per employee per month and
guaranteed a three-to-five-year
rate lock.
Two other private payroll com-
panies, Altera and Automatic
Data Processing, Inc. (ADP),
gave presentations at commis-
sioners' July 10 meeting.
District 3 commissioner John
Ambrose said he preferred
CertiPay because of its connec-
flora to Monroe County. He also
said Altera's bid of $4.75 per
employee per pay period, equat-
ing to about $51,000 annually,
was too high.
In contrast, Monroe County
commission chairman Greg
Tapley said he was adamantly
behind Altera, noting that Altera
vowed to include a $4,000 credit
as well as a customized pro-
gram to make it easy for county
employees, State Bank employees
and State Bank clients to dedi-
cate their state taxes for Monroe
County Hospital through the
Georgia HEART Program.
Tapley also noted that Altera
officials promised to pay an
additional one percent credit if
the county puts money in a State
Bank account.
After about 25 minutes of
discussion, Tapley called for a
vote on Altera, and the measure
passed 4-1. Ambrose was the
lone opponent.
In other Board of
Commissioners' news:
Monroe County
Commissioners unanimously
approved on Tuesday, July 24 to
buy new state-mandated com-
puter equipment for the Monroe
County tax commissioners'
office.
Commissioners contracted
with UniV trtual Solutions on
the equipment in the amount of
$6,760.88.
Monroe County
Commissioners unanimously
approved on Tuesday, July 24 an
agreement to divide 2018 fuel
costs with the City of Forsyth
and the Monroe County Board
of Education.
Commissioners approved
a split that calls for Monroe
County to pay 49.1 percent of
the fuel costs, the BOE to pay
39.7 percent of the costs and the
City of Forsyth to pay 11.2 per-
cent of the costs.
Commissioners also assigned
the county's yet-to-be-hired
finance director to determine
2019 fuel percentages based on
usage:
Monroe County extension
coordinator Caitlin Jackson
introduced to Monroe County
Commissioners on Tuesday; July
24 the county's new 4-H agent,
Courtney McElveen. McElveen
achieved Master 4-H status while
growing up in Jones County and
previously served as a 4-H pro-
gram assistant in Bibb and Jones
counties. McElveen will begin
her new position on Wednesday.
McElveen told commissioners:
"Thank you for this opportunity.
Thank you for being willing to
invest in the children of Monroe
County, and I know it's going to
be a great future ahead of us in
4-H"
Continued from 6C
Man accuses residen
deputies, DIFC.S w ker
A 33-year-old white Locust
Grove man was arrested and
charged with crudty to children
after an inddent at the Monroe
County C.A.KE. Cottage on July
24. At about 11:51 am Dep.
Cody Maples went to an Old Cork
Road home where a man said
he was being kicked out by the
residents who had been housing
him since July 20. The man said
he was homeless and had been
sleeping in a church parking lot
when a female resident told him
he could stay at her home for a
little while. The man said he woke
up that morning and saw one of
the home's female residents staring
at him while he was lying in bed.
The man told Maples he thought
the resident was trying to perform
witchcraft on him. The man said
he knew the residents wanted him
to leave but said he knew his rights
and knew he had 30 days before
he had to go. Maples then met
with the female resident who said
her daughter had met the man on
Facebook and asked if they could
pick him up from a church park-
ing lot in Newnam The resident
said she felt bad for the man and
agreed to pick up, intending for
him only to stay for a few days. The
resident said the man had been
strangely he arrived
and said he begged her on July
22 to take him to Locust Grove
so he could see his two-year-old
daughter. The resident said she
took him to visit his daughter but
saw the man had arranged for
Henry County deputies to meet
them there. The resident .said she
didrft know the man intended to
bring his daughter back with him
and said she told the man he had
to go when he woke up scream-
ing and hollering that momin
The man then told Maples he was
going to get his daughter and walk
down the road, where he planned
to live in the woods. Maples then
called Monroe County Magistrate
Judge Buck Wilder, who said the
man would be considered to be
trespassing if he diddt leave the
home. Child Advocacy Officer
Sherry O'Neal of the Monroe
County C.A.R.E. Cottage then told
Maples he could bring the man
and his daughter to the
Cottage to wait for the rnar father
to pick him up. Maples then asked
the man if he would allow one
of the residenfs daughters to put
his stuff in the car. The man then
began shouting and Cursing that he
has been in prison and doesn't like
people touching his belongings.
The man then began crying about
how he had been saved by the
Lord and only the Lord could help
him and his child. Maples then
called the maffs father, and he said
he did not intend to pick up his
son because he doesdt want him
back at his home The father said
his son had a drug problem and
agreed only to pick up his grand-
daughter. A Monroe County DFCS
worker then arrived at the C.A.R E.
Cottage to determine what to
do with the daughter. At about
4 pan. that day; Maples retumed
to the C.A.R.E. Cottage to check
on the situation. When the man
saw Maples, he told him he was
a ' /Sng devil" and threatened to
have his badge removed. The man
told Maples they were holding him
hostage Maples and Sgt. Adam
Blanks told the man he was free to
leave whenever he wanted but said
his daughter would not be going
with him. Maples then watched the
man use his vape as he left while
cursing about how the devil was at
work at the CA.RE. Cottage After
walking away multiple times, the
man then returned to the C.A.RE.
Cottage The marts mother then
arrived to pick up her granddaugh-
ter. The mother told Maples that
her son and his wife are both "drug
addicted lo " and said neither
one could provide for their child.
The mother said she had been
trying to get parental rights to the
child since she was born. When the
man overheard the DFCS worker
mention his name, he became irate
and tried to push his way through
a door. The man made several arm
motions as if he was going to hit
the worker wl'dle saying "If yoffre
going to talk about me, I need to be
in here." When Cpt. JeffThompson
then stepped in between them,
the man backed up and acciden-
tally knocked his daughter to the
ground. The man then charged at
Thompson as ifhe was going to
push him and Thompson secured
the marts hands behind his back
When Maples told the man he had
been uncooperative the entire day;
the man responded, "F--- you7 and
said he wasdt leaving his daughter
without a fight. Maples then took
the man to the Monroe County
Jail, where he was also charged with
simple assault and obstruction.
South Carolkm driver
charc d OUi after
Collbr Road traffic stop
A 23-year-old black Beaufort,
S.C. woman was arrested and
charged with DUI after a traf-
fic stop on Collier Road on July
27. At about 5:51 pro on July 27,
Cpl. Thomas Hasldns saw a silver
2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee with
significant damage on its left side
that was blocking the roadway on
Collier Road near 42 North.
The female driver, who displayed
her driver's license, said she didfft
need an accident report The driver
said she was exiting 1-75 South at
Exit 188 when her one-year-old
son threw a bottle and hit her, caus-
ing her to drive offthe mad and
into a ditch. When Haskins asked
the driver if she hit anythin the
driver said she wasn't sure. Haskins
then saw the tire tracks and noticed
the SUV had run over a ' Sharp
Right Tur ' sign that was knocked
onto the ground. When I-Iaskins
then asked the driver if she had hit
the sign, she replied, 'Ifs possible"
Hasldns then smelled a strong
odor of alcohol coming from the
driver and saw her eyes were red
and bloodshot. The driver said she
was headed to Atlanta from South
Carolina, so Haskim asked her
why she was headed southbound.
The driver then asked, "You want
to see my GPS?" The driver then
admitted to drinking one Mike's
Hard Lemonade before she left
home. The driver then failed sev-
eral field sobriety tests and tested
a high positive for alcohol on a
field breath test. Monroe County
Caet.R.E. Cottage took possession
of the son until his father could
pick him up. Meanwhile, Haskins
took the driver to the Monroe
County Jail, where she tested posi-
tive for more than the legal limit of
alcohol on a state breath test. The
driver was also charged with failure
to maintain lane and violation of
child safety restraints.
Driver arrested after
deputy finds leaded
gun with altered ID
A 25-year-old black Forsyth man
was arrested and charged with use
of a license plate to misrepresent a
vehide after a traffic stop on North
Lee Street on July 26. At about 7:42
pan Cpl. Thomas Haskins saw a
silver Honda Accord with a tempo-
rary license plate that belonged to
a 1986 Ford Ranger parked in the
Al's Market service station parking
lot on North Lee Street The male
driver told Haskins he could not
afford a license plate, and Haskins
also determined the vehicle's reg-
istration was exp'ged. Haskins
smelled a strong odor of burnt
marijuana coming from inside the
car and CpL Wade Kendrick of the
Forsyth Police Department arrived
to assist. Haskins found a loaded
black Taurus 9 mm. handgun in
the driver's rear pocket. There were
three bullets in the gnn:s magazine,
and the serial number appeared to
have been filed off The driver told
Haskins he bought the gun from a
friend and said he painted it black.
Kendrick then found in the driver's
possession a plastic bag containing
two bright-colored pills that were
suspected Xanax tablets. Haskins
then searched the car and found
a small burnt marijuana cigarette
in an ash tray. The vehide was
released to the driver's girlfriend
while the driver was taken to the
Monroe County Jail. The driver
was also charged with possession of
a controlled substance, criminal use
of an artide with altered identity,
carrying a concealed weapon and
expired registraiorL
Deputies arrest couple
with drugs, smoking
device on Hwy. 42 N.
A 28-year-old white Forsyth man
and a 21-year-old white Forsyth
woman were each arrested and'
charged with possession ofmeth-
amphetamine and possession of
drug related objects after an ind-
dent on Hwy. 42 North on July
27. At about 4:48 a.m Dep. Tyler
Rodgers and Cp1. Thomas Haskins
saw a man and woman walking
from the Budget Inn toward the
Quality Inn on 42 North.
The man, who denied having any
weapons in his possession, put
his left hand in his pocket several
times. Haskins then frisked the
man and found a pocket knife in
his front right pocket and a pipe
used for smoking methamphet-
amine in his left rear pocket He
then found in the mar front right
pocket a dear bag of suspected
methamphetamine, which the
man said he had recently bought.
Haskins then searched the woman
and found several cut straws inside
of a cigarette box in the woman
pocket Inside one of the straws was
a ydlow bag of suspected meth-
amphetamine while Haskins also
located in the dgarette box a white
pill, suspected SeroqueL Both
the
man and woman were then taken
to the Monroe County Jail, where
the woman was also charged with
drugs not in original container.
Moreland Road woman
receives delivery pizza
from unknown source
At about 10:27 parr on July
24, a Forsyth woman told Dep.
Christian Sawley she had received
multiple phone calls from three
different numbers. The woman
said one number was from a
Brace Wayne .claiming to be with
the Internal Revenue Service
while another number was from
a Michad Collins dainaing to be
the CEO of Publisher's Gearing
House. The woman told Sawley
that earlier that day a Pizza Hut
employee had arrived at her
Moreland Road home with a pizza.
She said the delivery man told her
that a man named Don Fisher had
placed the order, saying it was for
his mother. The delivery man said
the man said his sister would be
home and urged the delivery man
to call him back and let him know
if someone was at home. The deliv-
ery man said the same man had
continuously called the store asking
to see if the pizza was delivered.
In a separate but possibly related
inddent, a about 8 a.m. on July 25,
the woman told Dep. Cody Maples
that someone had paid offher
Chase credit card in the amount of
about $1,800 using money out of
her bank account. The woman told
Maples she had already cancelled
her credit card.
Forsyth man reports
charges after leaving
card in ATM machine
At about 11 am. on July 22,
a Forsyth man told Dep. Cody
Maples that he left his debit card
in the ATM machine at Robins
Federal Credit Union after making
a $100 transaction at 11:18 p.m. on
July 21. The man said he almost
immediately noticed money started
coming out of his account and he
called at 4 a.m. that morning to
cancel his card. The man said the
fraudulent transactions included:
$11.81 at Forsyth Liquor, $12.26 at
Sassy Beauty Supp,$148.66 and
$33.66 at O'Re'flly's Auto Parka
$94 at Cricket Wirdess, $12.31
at Dollar General and $80.30 at
Holiday Bottle Shop.
Local motel customer
reports discovering
bedbugs on Aug. 5
At about 7:46 am. on Aug. 5, a
Riverhead, N.Y. man told Major
George Foster of the Forsyth Police
Department that he found bedbugs
in his room at the Days Inn on
North Lee Street. The man then
showed Foster a bedbug he had
kept in a paper cup. Foster then
met with a female motel employee
who said the man had called the
front desk twice. The employee
said she told the man he needed
to speak to the motel manager, so
the second time she put the man
through to the manager's voice
mail The employee said the man
then came to the front desk acting
very irate, and the employee told
him the manager would be in at 9
a.m. The employee said the man
instead demanded she do some-
thing immediatdy and when he
didn't calm down, the employee
said she called the police. Foster
told the man that the employee did
not have the authority to help him
and advised him to wait until the
manager arrives. The man said he
understood and intended to wait
for the manager's arrival
Forsyth CVB director
reports semi-truck
crashed into city sign
At about 11:08 am. on July
26, Major George Foster of the
Forsyth Police Department went
to the Forsyth Wdcome Center on
North Lee Street where the female
Forsyth Convention and Visitors
Bureau director said a female dty
employee witnessed a semi-truck
damage one of the dty's Wdcome
Center signs. The director said she
photographed both the damaged
sign and the parked truck but was
not able to locate the driver. Foster
then met with the employee who
said she was at her desk when she
heard a loud sound. The employee
said she looked out the window
and saw the Wdcome Center sign
shaking while also viewing the
truck trying to park beside the sign.
The employee said she then went
downstairs and told the director
that the sign was hit. Foster deter-
mined the truck was owned by
Wells Fargo Equipment but was
unable to reach a male Wells Fargo
representative.
Women arrested after
fight outside Forsyth
Gardens Apartments
A 24-year-old black Forsyth
woman and a 25-year-old black
Forsyth woman were each arrested
and charged with affray after a fight
at Forsyth Gardens Apartments
on July 26. At about 2:21 a.m
a woman told Officer Iacquetta
Newsome of the Forsyth Police
Department she was in a car in
front of her building talking to
her female cousin when another
woman came up in another car
driven by another female The
woman said the other woman
then got out of the car and asked,
"What's up?" while threatening to
fight The woman said the other
driver and a male passenger were
encouraging the two to fight telling
the other woman to "oeat her a--"
The woman said when the other
woman approached her, she then
pepper sprayed the other woman at
which point the other woman got
up swinging at her. Newsome saw
several scratches on the woman
forehead. The other woman then
told Newsome she was riding in
the car when she heard someone
yelling for them to stop from the
womar s car. The other woman
said she thought it was the car's
female driver, who is a friend of
hers, so she got out. The other
woman said the woman then came
up on her and asked her why she
was telling lies about her. The other
woman said the woman then pep-
per sprayed her out of nowhere
and she said she never touched the
woman. Newsome then took both
the woman and the other woman
to the Monroe County Jail
