Local Philanthropy News

08.22.10 Bibb pushing Work Ready to spur development

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 16:54:00 GMT

Bibb County is nearly ready to become Georgia’s largest state-certified Work Ready County, a designation that would bring big economic development benefits. Work Ready uses tests . . . more

www.macon.com
August 22, 2010
By: Mike Stucka

Macon reviving effort to join downtown revitalization group

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 16:31:00 GMT

With its emphasis on revitalizing historic downtowns, the Main Street program would seem a good match for Macon.

It’s really built around your classic downtown historic districts and taking full advantage of that historic building stock and that heritage. . . more

www.macon.com
August 22, 2010
By: Rodney Manley

Latest group of Knight projects awarded grants

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 13:29:00 GMT

The Knight Foundation and The Community Foundation of Central Georgia announced Tuesday it will spend $203,900 to fund 19 projects designed to enhance life in the College Hill Corridor area . . . more

www.macon.com
July 28, 2010
By: Phillip Ramati

Music Hall of Fame to reopen on Sundays and Mondays

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 20:15:45 GMT

Starting Sunday, the Georgia Music Hall of Fame will
reopen its doors to a seven-days-a-week schedule. . . more

www.macon.com
July 27, 2010
By: Phillip Ramati

Macon's riverwalk to get six more miles

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 15:31:00 GMT

Joggers and walkers in Macon will have more space to stretch their legs by the end of summer; Ocmulgee Heritage Trail representatives announced construction will begin soon on two new extensions that will add six miles to the river trail, commonly known as Macon’s riverwalk . . . more

www.macon.com
June 24, 2010
By: Tiffany Stevens

Red Cross hires Macon-Bibb EMA operations chief

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 17:55:00 GMT

The Central Georgia chapter of the American Red Cross has tapped the current operations officer of the Macon-Bibb County Emergency Management Agency to lead its emergency services. LaTravius Smith, who served as acting EMA director following the retirement of Johnny Wingers, will soon oversee disaster and armed services operations for Red Cross in Macon, Warner Robins, Dublin and 22 surrounding counties . . . more

www.macon.com
June 16, 2010
By: Liz Fabian

Knight Foundation pledges more cash for Macon projects

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 13:24:00 GMT

Knight Foundation has pledged an additional $2.5 million to Macon to be doled out over the next seven years to foster projects proposed by nonprofit agencies in Middle Georgia to help Macon residents become more engaged . . . more

www.macon.com
June 8, 2010
By: Phillip Ramati

New Markers Show Way for Macon Cyclist

Thu, 27 May 2010 13:58:00 GMT

Bicycle lanes were always planned as a prominent feature of the College Hill Corridor’s master plan . . . more

www.macon.com
May. 27, 2010
By: Phillip Ramati

Midstate key to rail system

Wed, 26 May 2010 17:55:14 GMT

If Georgia is going to continue to develop economically, it’s going to need a better developed rail system. And a key part of that system will have to come through the midstate, to connect the seaport of Savannah with Atlanta, home to the world’s busiest airport . . . more

www.macon.com
May. 26, 2010
By: Phillip Ramati

Macon-Bibb CVB hires Monica Smith as new president, CEO

Wed, 26 May 2010 14:49:00 GMT

The Macon-Bibb County Convention & Visitors Bureau has found the tourism group’s next president and CEO — a Florida native currently working in California. The CVB announced Tuesday that Monica R. Smith, 36, who currently works as director of sales and client services for the Pasadena, Calif., CVB, will assume her duties in Macon by July 1 . . . more

www.macon.com
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
By: Phillip Ramati

A la carte for the heart — and soul

Mon, 17 May 2010 14:29:00 GMT

At the South Macon Diner, where a banner welcomes patrons to come on in for “Home Cooking and Diabetic Meals,” oxtail and beer liver simmer in serving trays on the soul food line. The healthier stuff — chicken picatta, apple-cherry-glazed pork chops, basil pork and green beans — are cooked to order for sugar-conscious customers . . . more

www.macon.com
May. 16, 2010
By: Rodney Manley

Five ladies honored by local Girl Scouts

Fri, 14 May 2010 14:08:00 GMT

At the Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia’s annual Women of Distinction luncheon Thursday, which came complete with Thin Mints in the dessert dish, former Georgia Secretary of State Cathy Cox spoke of the leadership strides American women have made in the past century . . . more

www.macon.com
May 14, 2010
By: Joe Kovac, Jr.

Singer-songwriter Mullins performs in Macon park

Mon, 10 May 2010 17:08:00 GMT

Sunday was a special Mother’s Day for Atlanta singer-songwriter Shawn Mullins. Mullins, best known for his 1998 hit, “Lullaby,” ...more

www.macon.com
May 10, 2010
By: Dan Maley

2 Years after Mother's Day Tornado

Sun, 09 May 2010 13:03:00 GMT

The tidal wave of wind that thrashed trees, which in turn walloped rooftops and ceilings and fences and automobiles and bedrooms in south Macon on a fateful Mother’s Day morning two years back...more

www.macon.com
May 09, 2010
By: Joe Kovac, Jr.

Demand strong for College Hill housing

Thu, 06 May 2010 13:26:00 GMT

Things are looking good in the College Hill area, a set of historic neighborhoods around the Mercer University campus in Macon. In fact, the news is so good, College Hill Alliance officials are taking on new responsibilities to . . . more

www.macon.com
May 6, 2010
By Chris Horne

Lucas honored with annual ceremony

Tue, 04 May 2010 14:17:51 GMT

Five years and about two weeks ago, Elaine and David Lucas buried their son Al. But Wednesday night, they and about 100 friends and family celebrated Al’s life with the annual ceremony and reception to help selected Bibb County public high school students further their education, courtesy of the Al Lucas Memorial Scholarship. “Al would be so happy,” Elaine Lucas said after the ceremony at the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame. “He really would.” Al Lucas died on April 10, 2005, after suffering a spine injury during an Arena Football game in Los Angeles. His parents, brother Lenny and wife De’Shonda soon formed the scholarship fund, which has grown in donations and supporters. The ceremony’s program listed . . . more

www.macon.com
April 29, 2010
By: Michael A. Lough

Some numbers that add up

Mon, 03 May 2010 14:17:19 GMT

I won’t pretend to be an economist. I don’t expect to be reincarnated as an investment banker or financial adviser. I know more about how to figure a pitching staff’s ERA than a country’s GNP. Mark Twain once urged us to write what we know about. So I have to tread softly when I begin dispensing advice about how and where to spend money. But here it goes. While traveling a few months ago, I had lunch at a small, independently owned delicatessen. I noticed a sign on a baker’s rack that said: “The 3/50 Project.” I had no idea what it was. I was about to find out. The 3/50 Project has only been in existence for 14 months. It’s a grass-roots effort to . . . more

www.macon.com
May 3, 2010
By: Ed Grisamore

15,000 books destroyed in Twiggs library fire

Wed, 28 Apr 2010 13:49:00 GMT

Thousands of books, as well as historical documents and more were lost when the Twiggs County Library went up in flames Sunday. Investigators still were combing through the ruins Monday and looking for a cause for the fire, but one thing was clear: The consequences of losing the 25-year-old structure and its contents will affect plenty of lives in the county . . . more

www.macon.com
April 28, 2010
By: Phillip Ramati

Girl Scouts make over bedroom for mostly homebound teen

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 13:23:44 GMT

. . . “This is so cool!” McCandless said. The 18-year-old Kathleen resident always wanted to visit Paris, and now she had a bedroom that could take her there in spirit. There was a mural of the Eiffel Tower on one wall, photos of the Arc de Triomphe and Notre Dame Cathedral on another and Parisian post cards on display. All the furniture in the room was new, with the exception of a table and two chairs. It was all the work of a group of five Girl Scouts from Macon, who gave McCandless a gift inspired by . . . more

www.macon.com
April 26, 2010
By: Dan Maley

All aboard the new Nancy

Sun, 25 Apr 2010 14:37:00 GMT

My first memories of the Macon Terminal Station were riding with my family to take my older brother, Rusty, to meet his seventh-grade classmates for their school trip aboard the Nancy Hanks II as they made their way to our nation’s capital. Unfortunately, I never had the chance to ride “The Nancy” since passenger rail excursions to and from Macon ended April 30, 1971. Not only did Central of Georgia Railway passenger train service fade in the ’70s, so did major downtown retail outlets and their customers. The stores made the transition to the new regional mall on Eisenhower Parkway. Today, 39-years later, positive changes are being made in downtown Macon and there’s an increasing interest in providing rail service to a new generation. If you haven’t noticed, Macon is leading the state in . . . more

www.macon.com
April 25, 2010
By: Kenny Burgamy

Pan African Festival moves to Tattnall Square Park, gets wet

Sun, 25 Apr 2010 14:17:00 GMT

Vickey Parker wasn’t going to let a little rain spoil her visit to Macon. Before a small crowd huddled under the Gospel Tent at Tattnall Square Park on Saturday, Parker sang out. “All I want you to do is open up the floodgates of heaven and let it rain,” she sang. The weather was in perfect harmony. Parker was one of about 50 members of the St. Galilee Baptist Church of Sandersville who rode a chartered bus to Macon to take part in the Weekend in the Park, part of the Tubman African American Museum’s annual Pan African Festival. After 13 years at Central City Park, the Weekend in the Park moved to Tattnall Square Park this year. Steady rain in the early afternoon dampened the debut. By late afternoon, the sun emerged and . . . more

www.macon.com
April 25, 2010
By: Dan Maley

Macon provides magical musical tour for Allman fans

Fri, 23 Apr 2010 12:39:00 GMT

For fans of the Allman Brothers Band, the big day has arrived. Not only is tonight’s sold-out concert drawing near, but the grand opening of The Big House Museum comes this afternoon. With enthusiasts coming in from Britain, Germany, Mexico, Japan and Canada, among other locales, Brian Cavanaugh said Thursday that his trip to Macon from Amherst, Mass., might seem like nothing more than a jaunt. Still, the trip is important to him, since he has finally made it to Macon for the first time after being a fan of the band for more than 20 years. “You have people coming from all over the world,” he said. “It shows the diversity of their fans and just how powerful their music is.” Paul Fallert came to Macon from South Lyon, Mich. He has spent several days . . . more

www.macon.com
April 23, 2010
By: Phillip Ramati

Hay House prepares for annual tour

Thu, 22 Apr 2010 16:21:57 GMT

For the 17th year, Hay House is hosting its annual tour of homes and gardens. Recently named one of the top 20 events in the Southeast by the Southeast Tourism Society, the event consists of three separate tours through various locales in Macon. “This year we are featuring homes in north Macon for the garden tour,” said Katey Brown, director of the Hay House. “We choose different areas every year and we think people will really enjoy wandering through some of the beautiful estates there. “There are many wonderful secret and hidden . . . more

www.macon.com
April 22, 2010
By: Rachel Sullivan

Gregg Allman 'excited' to be back in Macon for Big House opening

Thu, 22 Apr 2010 16:09:55 GMT

It’s funny how the years seem to run together. When Gregg Allman was told Wednesday that Friday night’s Allman Brothers Band concert would be the group’s first show in Macon in almost 19 years, the singer couldn’t believe it. “Has it been that long?” he asked. “We tried to get it booked (last year) for the 40th anniversary (of the band’s founding). I told them to book Macon, or at least somewhere in Georgia, but they didn’t do it. I’m so glad we are doing (Friday’s show). It’ll be good.” Friday’s sold-out show at the Macon City Auditorium marks the first time the band will play together here since . . . more

www.macon.com
April 22, 2010
By: Phillip Ramati

Now open! Campus Theatre enthralls locals at opening

Wed, 21 Apr 2010 13:51:34 GMT

MILLEDGEVILLE — As the green ribbon was cut during Campus Theatre’s grand opening ceremony Tuesday, many fascinated Georgia College & State University students, teachers, administrators and local residents attended to finally satisfy their curious minds. Anne Rohr traveled from Atlanta to showcase her juggling skills outside the theater’s entrance while comedy duo Laurel and Hardy impersonators greeted anticipators as they entered the movie palace. Visitors also . . . more

www.unionrecorder.com
April 21, 2010
By: Vaishali Patel

Rebuilding Macon’s director finds value in fixing up houses

Wed, 21 Apr 2010 13:27:54 GMT

Debra Rollins is never quite sure who is going to call her Rebuilding Macon office on a rainy Tuesday afternoon. But she knows who won’t. “The reason they are not going to call is because we’ve already fixed their roof,” she said. “It isn’t leaking any more.” From roofs to foundations, handrails to kitchen cabinets, the proof is in the putting. This is National Volunteer Week. On Thursday, about 350 youths from the Future Farmers of America state convention in Macon will join local high school students from . . . more

www.macon.com
April 21, 2010
By: Ed Grisamore

Funding mostly restored for Macon's sports, music halls of fame

Wed, 21 Apr 2010 13:15:30 GMT

Georgia’s budgetary dance favored the sports and music halls of fame Tuesday, with the Senate restoring most of their funding. The $1 million or so subsidy that the Macon museums depend on had been cut out by the House, which gets the first crack at the annual budget after the governor makes his recommendations. But the Senate restored $412,329 for the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame and $486,208 for the Georgia Music Hall of Fame when it passed its version of the budget through committee Tuesday. That budget is expected to . . . more

www.macon.com
April 21, 2010
By: Travis Fain

Outdoor expo promotes green living

Sun, 18 Apr 2010 13:38:00 GMT

Niya Hicks visits Tattnall Square Park just about every weekend, but on Saturday she got a little more out of her outing than fresh air and relaxation. She learned how to save energy and money. Hicks saw a collection of tents and tables set up in the park near Coleman Avenue and she took her 4-year-old daughter, Ari Taylor, with her to investigate. It was the PIC Green Field Day, sponsored by Historic Macon Foundation. Hicks got a few handy tips from the experts she met there. “I’m not going to . . . more

www.macon.com
April 18, 2010
By: Dan Maley

Massive sculpture exhibit to be shown at Macon museum

Sun, 18 Apr 2010 13:13:00 GMT

One of the first people Eric O’Dell consulted when the Museum of Arts and Sciences decided to host an exhibit by Japanese sculptor Jun Kaneko was a structural engineer. One might logically ask, “What does a structural engineer have to do with a sculpture exhibition?” Well, when some of the pieces to be displayed weigh well over half a ton, it makes for a logical step to make certain the floor of the museum can actually support the art. Good news for the museum and for Middle Georgia sculpture fans — the floor checked out, said O’Dell, curator of the museum’s exhibit. “(Kaneko) is big-time important,” O’Dell said. “He’s like the (Bruce) Springsteen of ceramics. If you look at the . . . more

www.macon.com
April 18, 2010
By: Phillip Ramati

The Douglass is bringing the jazz

Sat, 17 Apr 2010 14:14:00 GMT

Members of the Douglass Theatre Jazz Society want people to know jazz is alive and well in Middle Georgia. That’s evidenced by Sunday’s jazz social at the Douglass Theatre. The event will include a jam session by a few of Macon’s top jazz artists, trivia games, good eats and the camaraderie of other music lovers. But the social gathering is not only a way for jazz lovers to appreciate America’s original art form, it is also a way to bring attention . . . more

www.macon.com
April 17, 2010
By Ramona C. Sanders

Red Cross director given Bibb school system award

Fri, 16 Apr 2010 14:39:00 GMT

The Bibb County school system presented Ryan Logan, the American Red Cross emergency services director, with the “Be There Award” on Thursday. Since July 1, Logan has responded to 107 incidents in Bibb County, ranging from fires to other emergencies, which helped assist 188 Bibb students. “We were able to provide victims with spare uniforms” and get. . . more

www.macon.com
April 16, 2010
By: Julie Hubbard

Bibb school system looking at options for old Miller High

Fri, 16 Apr 2010 14:29:15 GMT

The Bibb County school board planned to list the old Miller High School for girls as surplus property Thursday, but the board pulled the item from its agenda. Gary Bechtel, school board president, said in recent times there has been a lot of community interest from different foundations wanting the . . . more

www.macon.com
April 16, 2010
By: Julie Hubbard

Grant is boon for community health center

Fri, 16 Apr 2010 14:23:52 GMT

For Macon resident Darrell Bryant, losing health-care coverage may have been a blessing in disguise. During the time he qualified for coverage through his job at KFC, the 42-year-old Bryant was seeking treatment from a wound care center for an ulcer on his leg. But the wound wasn’t healing, and he was slowly sinking into debt to the tune of nearly $1,300 to cover his co-payments. After Bryant lost his job and no longer had health coverage, he turned to First Choice Primary Care. The private, nonprofit community health-center not only provided treatment that resulted in a healed ulcer, the center charged him considerably less: from a $500 co-pay for visits at the wound care center to a . . . more

www.macon.com
April 16, 2010
By: Ramona C. Sanders

Halls of fame get big boost by hotel-motel tax approval

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 13:42:39 GMT

After a session full of tough setbacks for the Georgia sports and music halls of fame, local legislators pulled off a big victory Wednesday evening, getting approval to raise Macon and Bibb’s hotel-motel tax to help fund the halls. It had been an uphill battle, with only a parliamentary maneuver in the state Senate earlier this week keeping hope alive for the measure. But a key opponent turned proponent Wednesday, and the penny tax increase sailed through the House of Representatives, 127-18. It was tacked to a measure that would allow . . . more

www.macon.com
April 15, 2010
By: Travis Fain

Fort Valley State part of national grant competition

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 13:14:00 GMT

Fort Valley State University is among 62 historically black colleges and universities across Georgia and the nation that are competing for grant funds for Home Depot’s Retool Your School campus improvement program. Online voting is open at www.homedepot.com/retoolyourschool until May 15. The contest will yield one $50,000 grant recipient, and 10 other schools will receive grants of . . . more

www.macon.com
April 12, 2010
Education Notebook

Entertaining epitaphs just part of Rose Hill Ramble’s appeal

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 13:05:04 GMT

At the start of Sunday’s Rose Hill Ramble cemetery tour, Candace Oakley met visitors at the cemetery gate with a photo album. The album contained before-and-after photos of some of the historic stone monuments in the city-owned cemetery. The before photos showed the work of vandals — monuments that had been toppled, broken, or plundered for sculptures. The after photos showed the work of specialists who restored the same monuments with funds from the Historic Rose Hill Cemetery Foundation. Oakley’s late brother, Allman Brothers Band bass player Berry Oakley, is one of the more famous people buried at Rose Hill. As secretary of the Historic Rose Hill Cemetery Foundation, Oakley is dedicated to . . . more

www.macon.com
April 12, 2010
By: Dan Maley

Group to help regrow trees on Ocmulgee Heritage Trail

Fri, 09 Apr 2010 15:10:00 GMT

Bob Thompson pointed to a spot on one side of the Ocmulgee River, where his father worked as a manager at the old Sears-Roebuck store downtown. Thompson then pointed to the other side of the river where the Wilson Convention Center, named for his father-in-law, still sits. So it’s rather appropriate that Thompson, a law professor in Washington, D.C., would choose a spot right on the river to create a new program that. . . more

www.macon.com
April 9, 2010
By: Phillip Ramati

Coleman named new director of Macon Arts Alliance

Fri, 09 Apr 2010 15:01:51 GMT

Macon resident Jim Coleman has been named the new executive director of the Macon Arts Alliance, effective May 1. Coleman, who is retired from Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, brings decades of experience in professional and volunteer activities with several nonprofit arts and civic organizations in Macon, according to a release from the alliance. “After 22 years in the financial services industry, I’m excited about the opportunity to combine . . . more

www.macon.com
April 9, 2010
From staff reports

Macon Council approves road markings for cyclists in College Hill area

Wed, 07 Apr 2010 19:38:00 GMT

The downtown area is about to become a lot more bike-friendly. Tuesday night, the Macon City Council approved a resolution to paint special markings for cyclists on the roads from Mercer University to downtown. The project would be funded by the College Hill Alliance, a public-private partnership between the city and Mercer. Advocates say the markings — called “sharrows,” from a combination . . . more

www.macon.com
April 7, 2010
By: Chris Horne

Bibb pitches bid to take over halls of fame

Wed, 07 Apr 2010 16:11:33 GMT

Bibb County’s government is hoping it can take over the state’s ailing sports and music halls of fame. In informal talks Tuesday, county commissioners unanimously agreed to let Commission Chairman Sam Hart begin negotiating for the buildings, which could involve a swap of sales tax money for operating funds. Hart said the county could spend special purpose local option sales tax money to buy the Georgia Music Hall of Fame and the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame for . . . more

www.macon.com
April 7, 2010
By: Mike Stucka

Macon area challenged to raise $250K for passenger rail study

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 13:03:38 GMT

To get passenger rail service from Macon to Atlanta, advocates say the Macon community will need to raise $500,000 for a study. The Peyton Anderson Foundation pledged $250,000 on Wednesday and issued a challenge to the Macon community to come up with the remaining $250,000 in the next 90 days. The money goes to . . . more

www.macon.com
April 1, 2010
By: Chris Horne

Giving blood to give back

Tue, 30 Mar 2010 12:54:39 GMT

Teens across Middle Georgia are helping save lives. The Red Cross has sponsored several blood drives at local high schools this semester. March 4, Central High School hosted a blood drive in its auditorium and donated more than 45 pints to the Red Cross. Stratford Academy held a blood drive March 11. At Central, students rotated from the registration desk, to the waiting line, to the check-in line, to the chair. Volunteers from the school helped . . . more

www.macon.com
March 30, 2010
By: Katy Newcomer

Rain curtails finale of otherwise sunny Cherry Blossom Festival

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 13:59:14 GMT

Maybe it was a pink jinx. At the Cherry Blossom Festival Grand Finale at Wesleyan College on Sunday evening, Karen Lambert said her first festival as executive director was “wonderful” in part because “we had to cancel nothing due to weather.” A half hour later, rain started pouring down, clearing the north campus lawn of hundreds of picnicking families. The rain abated briefly, allowing organizers to shoot off fireworks ahead of schedule . . . more

www.macon.com
March 29, 2010
By: Dan Maley

Senate measure could mean new locations for Macon museums

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 18:18:24 GMT

ATLANTA — A push to move the state’s sports and music halls of fame out of Macon — or at least get locals to fully fund them — is running strong at the Georgia Capitol today. An amendment passed the state Senate moments ago calling on the state to actively seek “proposals for a new location (for the halls) or alternative ownership, management and operation at the same location.” The intent is to let . . . more

www.macon.com
March 26, 2010
By: Travis Fain

Strong effort needed to keep museum funding

Wed, 24 Mar 2010 14:44:00 GMT

It’s nail-biting time. Members of the Georgia General Assembly are looking in every nook and cranny for quarters — anything to fill the gaping hole in the budget — and they are taking aim again on two institutions, the Georgia Music Hall of Fame and the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in Macon. Both museums are on life support already. The state barely gives enough money to keep the doors open. Lawmakers have wanted . . . more

www.macon.com
March 24, 2010
By: Charles E. Richardson

NewTown Macon calls for support of halls of fame

Tue, 23 Mar 2010 12:52:00 GMT

NewTown Macon is calling on residents to e-mail Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle to encourage the state to continue funding the Georgia sports and music halls of fame. NewTown Director of Place Kris Hattaway said the downtown booster organization is working on a plan with other community leaders to help the halls be self-sufficient in three years if the state continues funding. The organization fears state money for the halls will be cut before the Macon community has a chance to develop a self-sufficiency plan. That, Hattaway said, would be “devastating” to downtown Macon and would have a negative impact on the Tubman African American Museum, the Douglass Theatre and the Children’s Museum. NewTown asks resident to e-mail Cagle at casey.cagle@ltgov.ga.gov to say the state’s support is critical to the halls’ path to independence.

www.macon.com
March 23, 2010
Staff Report

Pink pancakes, bed race, balloon glow highlight Saturday's festival

Sun, 21 Mar 2010 13:39:00 GMT

Near-perfect weather made for a big crowd and wide smiles at Cherry Blossom Festival events Saturday. The second day of the festival began at 7:30 a.m. with the traditional Pink Pancake Breakfast under the big white food tent at Central City Park. Macon-Bibb County firefighters cooked hundreds of pancakes on rotating gas-fired griddles, as they have done at cherry blossom time since the 1980s. Fire Chief Marvin Riggins said the recipe calls for about 1,000 pounds of flour and 500 eggs. The department also grills up about 800 pounds . . . more

www.macon.com
March 21, 2010
By: Dan Maley

Soap Box Derby accepting entries for April race

Sat, 20 Mar 2010 13:19:00 GMT

The second annual Soap Box Derby will take place April 11 on Magnolia Street hill, following the Second Sunday brunch and concert at Washington Park in downtown Macon. There’s no entry fee for the derby. Prizes will be awarded for “Fastest Car” and “People’s Choice,” and all participants will receive a free T-shirt. For more information on the derby’s rules and to download an entry form, visit www.collegehillmacon.com. The deadline for entries is April 5.

www.macon.com
March 20, 2010
By: Phillip Ramati

Give downtown Macon a chance

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 17:26:54 GMT

. . . during the past few months I have come to appreciate Macon for all it has to offer, even for those in high school. Give Macon, especially downtown, a second chance. I know I have. This town has so much to offer, and I feel like so many people overlook it because they’ve never really given it a chance. I’ve spent many Friday and Saturday nights walking around downtown and . . . more

www.macon.com
March 16, 2010
By: Tarver Bechtel

Council committee approves money for handicapped baseball league

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 16:58:07 GMT

Councilman Ed DeFore pleaded Monday with the Macon City Council’s Appropriations Committee to fund the completion of a bathroom at the Miracle League Field at West Macon Park. The Miracle League was established for handicapped children to participate in sports locally instead of having to drive to Conyers, which has the next closest league. The original ordinance requested . . . more

www.macon.com
March 16, 2010
By: Chris Horne

Second Sunday Brunch returns to Washington Park

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 13:03:09 GMT

. . . There was a relatively large canine population at the concert — it seemed that no one left their dogs at home. All were on leashes. Small children, on the other hand, ran free. Some kids played in the artificial stream that flows through the park, which is shaped like an amphitheater. Other children busied themselves by making mosaics at the art activity table. This was another new addition to the Second Sunday Brunch experience, made possible by a Knight Neighborhood Challenge grant. Six-year-old Arthur Kallay made a . . . more

www.macon.com
March 15, 2010
By Dan Maley

Out-of-state spring breakers give Fort Hill a spring cleaning

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 14:56:00 GMT

. . . “Sometimes you just want to get out and see something real,” said Elizabeth Hartmann, an 18-year-old freshman from Miami University. Hartmann enlisted for Miami University’s Alternative Spring Break program. She and her classmates are here at the invitation of Rebuilding Macon, a nonprofit organization geared toward . . . more

www.macon.com
March 13, 2010
By: Thomas L. Day

Afternoon storytime: Milledgeville youth enjoy benefit of reading program

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:48:10 GMT

A program at the Mary Vinson Memorial Library is aiming to get children reading and keep them as regular library visitors by providing a one-on-one opportunity for children to read with an adult. Known candidly as “We Read on Wednesdays,” the program is held every Wednesday from 3 to 5 p.m. and encourages children to come to the library on a regular basis . . . more

www.unionrecorder.com
March 11, 2010
By Jessica Luton

Residents offer ideas for downtown Macon

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 21:37:17 GMT

Given the chance to dream out loud, the few dozen residents who came Monday to the Cox Capitol Theatre had no problem sharing their vision for the redevelopment of downtown Macon: an entertainment district, more college students, more jobs, more greenspace, more retail shopping, more police and more housing opportunities. The ideas couldn’t stop pouring out. The city put together the forum in conjunction with . . . more

www.macon.com
March 9, 2010
By Chris Horne

Bike store, race bolster mission of College Hill Corridor

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 15:27:00 GMT

Bring a bike store to Mercer Village and it’s only natural that a bike race should go with it. As a crowd of about 50 people celebrated the official opening of The Bike Store, organizers also announced the first Macon Cycling Classic, scheduled for May 1 at Tattnall Square Park. “This is a real big deal for us,” said Bill Causey, one of the organizers of the race. “We want Macon to have more and more of these kinds of things.” In addition to the bike race, organizers of Bragg Jam’s Moonlight Miles 5K race have pushed the event up to the same day as the cycling race. Moonlight Miles is one of Bragg Jam’s big . . . more

www.macon.com
March 5, 2010
By Phillip Ramati

Douglass event draws enthusiastic filmgoers

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 14:57:00 GMT

The Women’s Film Festival at the Douglass Theatre drew only 20 or so people Sunday afternoon, but that might be expected on a day when the eyes of most film lovers were on the Academy Awards ceremony in Hollywood. Those who did come to the Douglass were enthusiastic about the five short films on the program. Juanita Johnson-Bailey, director of the Institute of Women’s Studies at the University of Georgia, was particularly interested in . . . more

www.macon.com
March 8, 2010
By: Dan Maley

Macon center to become youth 'one-stop shop'

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 14:45:00 GMT

In a large room with chipped tables and stuttering fluorescent lights, high school students gathered Thursday at The Booker T. Washington Center of Excellence and discussed what distracts them from their goals. “Some friends try to bring you down to their level,” one teenage girl observed, and others nodded. Participants, who are part of a Workforce Development career training program, received pointers from Mercer University students on skills such as time management and dressing for an interview. ”You want to surround yourself with people who have the same kind of goals as you,” one Mercer student told the students, whose . . . more

www.macon.com
March 8, 2010
By: S. Heather Duncan

Artist unveils newest panel of epic mural at Tubman

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 14:25:00 GMT

Wilfred Stroud stood behind a podium at the Tubman African American Museum and talked about the mural he painted, “From Africa to America.” The mural covered the entire wall behind him and then some. It told the story, starting at the far left, of how Africans came to North America and what they accomplished once they got here. Stroud, 79, began the project at the Walnut Street museum in the late 1980s. He finished the eighth panel, dominated by . . . more

www.macon.com
February 22, 2010
By Dan Maley

Mercer students working to raise cash for Habitat for Humanity

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 14:20:00 GMT

Students with the Mercer University chapter of Habitat for Humanity, along with the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity, will host a faculty and staff luncheon at 12:15 p.m. Tuesday at the Mercer Religious Life Center to raise awareness and funds for Habitat for Humanity. Mercer’s Habitat for Humanity chapter has been working closely with Macon Habitat for Humanity since the early 1990s, said Harold Tessendorf, Macon Habitat executive director, by . . . more

www.macon.com
February 22, 2010
By Andrea Castillo

Georgia College to use downtown Milledgeville landmark for theater productions

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 14:03:00 GMT

Comedian Oliver Hardy once worked as the projectionist there. And the infamous Marion Stembridge murders, which served as the inspiration for the book and movie “Paris Trout,” took place there. Now, the Campus Theatre in Milledgeville is getting new life after being rehabilitated by Georgia College & State University, which will move its theater department into the restored art deco-style building in late April. The Campus Theatre has a rich history, said Mark Bowen, Georgia College’s project manager. Inside, there will be a new . . . more

www.macon.com
February 22, 2010
By Phillip Ramati

FanFest lets public meet Georgia sports legends

Sun, 21 Feb 2010 14:51:00 GMT

Eight-year-old Regan Oliver went to the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame on Saturday and left a few autographs richer. The signatures were provided by Suzanne Yoculan, retired University of Georgia gymnastics coach and one of 35 hall of fame inductees who had gathered at the downtown museum for the annual FanFest . . . more

www.macon.com
February 21, 2010
By Dan Maley

Macon groups honor women of achievement

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 15:43:29 GMT

The Career Women’s Network of Macon will hold a luncheon to honor its Women of Achievement 2010. The luncheon will begin at 11:30 a.m. March 2 and will be held in the ballroom of the Professional Sciences Building at Macon State College, according to a news release. This year’s honorees are . . . more

www.macon.com
February 19, 2010
By Linda S. Morris

Goodwill: New donation sites will generate $6 million

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 15:34:37 GMT

Since July, Goodwill of Middle Georgia has put 955 people into competitive employment, almost twice as many as the same period a year ago. Last month alone, Goodwill found jobs for 144 midstate residents. “One hundred and forty-four people who were unemployed went to work because the community donated to Goodwill, shopped at Goodwill and supported Goodwill,” said President and CEO Jim Stiff. Now, Macon-area residents will have more places to give. Stiff announced Thursday that . . . more

www.macon.com
February 19, 2010
By Rodney Manley

In sites and sound, history lives in Macon, Ga.

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 18:12:00 GMT

Macon is home to so many buildings on the National Register of Historic Places, you'd need 77 hours to visit each for just one minute -- driving and gazing time not included. "We have nearly 5,000 structures in all 11 historic districts" on the National Register, said Josh Rogers, executive director of the Historic Macon Foundation. "And another 5,000 are eligible." To help you avoid rushing from address to address, I suggest two less-frantic approaches to . . . more

www.washingtonpost.com
February 11, 2010
By Andrea Sachs

Book lovers, start your engines

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 16:57:00 GMT

. . . In the almost 32 years I have lived in Macon, I haven’t missed many of these sales, dating back to when it was held at Westgate Mall. I appreciate volunteers like Karl. For every hour of this week’s sale (10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday), it took 125 volunteer hours to make it happen. That’s typically more than 4,000 volunteer hours every year, most of it spent in Washington Memorial Library. John Matthews, president of the Friends of the Library, provided me with some interesting facts about the sale. There will be more than 150,000 books, ranging in price from 50 cents to $1,000. These books collectively weigh more than . . . more

www.macon.com
February 17, 2010
By: Ed Grismore

Macon Film Festival to start rolling Thursday

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 16:34:17 GMT

. . . McBrayer, the Emmy-nominated star of the NBC sitcom “30 Rock,” is one of the major guests highlighting the fifth annual festival, which kicks off Thursday in downtown Macon. This is the first time he is attending any film festival. The opening event at Cox Capitol Theatre celebrates the life and career of two-time Oscar winner Melvyn Douglas with his granddaughter, actress Illeana Douglas, who has appeared in movies such as “Cape Fear,” “Goodfellas” and . . . more

www.macon.com
February 17, 2010
By: Phillip Ramati

First Nurse, First Book joins Ferst Foundation of Lamar County

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 14:24:20 GMT

For 19 months, registered nurse Vickey Vaughan bought books for all her obstetric patients at the Medical Center of Central Georgia, giving them out during home visits. Now her efforts to fight Georgia's low literacy rate ties in to the Ferst Foundation - and books go to every child born there. Longtime friend Lynda Brutz suggested Vaughan make contact with the Ferst Foundation of Bibb County. Other nurses got on board. Director of nursing Dawn Cole, also of Lamar County, got . . . more

www.barnesville.com
February 9, 2010
By Sherri Ellington

Second Sunday event to move indoors this weekend

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 15:32:00 GMT

The College Hill Alliance announced that this weekend’s Second Sunday concert on Valentine’s Day will move indoors at the Armory Ballroom, 484 First St., because of expected cold temperatures. Mark Brooker will be performing at the concert, which runs from noon-2 p.m. and is free to the public. In addition to the concert, there also will be a free screening of “Dirty Dancing” on Sunday night from 6-9 p.m. at the ballroom, which will be followed by live music from Mark Brooker and the Soul Proprietors.

www.macon.com
February 10, 2010
By Phillip Ramati

$10K Grant Thrills Lamar County Activity Center Officials

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 21:21:00 GMT

On Friday January 29th, Ms. Mack warmly welcomed Community Foundation Board Members and Staff for a tour of the Activity Center and to hear firsthand about the good work that they are doing for the children and families they serve. To Ms. Mack’s surprise, this visit was not solely about taking a tour and learning about the Center’s work, but to . . . more

www.barnesville.com
Friday, February 5. 2010
Posted by: Walter Geiger

Macon area leaders mine for new ideas in Florida

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 15:52:00 GMT

Much like Macon, the community of Tallahassee, Fla., received a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to launch a series of initiatives designed to improve life in the area. But Tallahassee has taken a different approach than Macon in how it is using its grant. Leaders in Tallahassee launched the Knight Creative Community Institute to oversee those initiatives. A Macon delegation traveled to Tallahassee last week to get some ideas and see how those initiatives are doing. “It’s getting a different perspective of the . . . more

www.macon.com
February 7, 2010
By Phillip Ramati

Ex-congressman gets up-close look at Campus Clubs

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 18:32:03 GMT

As J.C. Watts toured the new Campus Clubs educational facility Monday on Vineville Avenue, the former congressman stopped in a classroom devoted to algebra and joked how the subject still makes him nervous. But if the $1.2-million facility is as effective as organizers intend, few others will share that kind of unease. Watts toured the new facility as a guest of Tony Lowden, the executive director of Campus Clubs, who showed off classroom after classroom devoted. . . more

www.macon.com
January 26, 2010
By Phillip Ramati

Mentoring makes a difference

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 14:07:32 GMT

“If you cannot feed 100 people, then feed just one.” June O’Neal does not need to read those words from Mother Teresa out loud or repeat them to herself as a reminder. She knows them by the beat of her heart. The voice is planted in her head. She has another favorite from Mother Teresa: “We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” In the 25 years I have known June O’Neal, I have watched her spread enough love through this city to inspire a thousand sermons. I have admired how she. . . more

www.macon.com
January 22, 2010
By: Ed Grisamore

Actress Illeana Douglas to headline Macon Film Festival

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 13:45:00 GMT

Actress Illeana Douglas, a former Emmy nominee who starred in such movies as “To Die For,” “Goodfellas” and “Message In a Bottle,” will kick off the fifth annual Macon Film Festival with a special screening of her Web-based film series, “Easy To Assemble,” on Feb. 19 at the Cox Capitol Theatre. Douglas is the granddaughter of Academy Award winner . . . more

www.macon.com
January 20, 2010
By: Phillip Ramati

We’re in it together

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 14:50:00 GMT

I read Ed Corson’s column regarding Macon Little Theatre with interest. I believe he makes a very important point. I would like to submit, however, that to choose one thread of Macon’s rich arts and cultural fabric for special consideration is to miss a larger picture. Macon is unique among communities its size because we do have such a large, vital, exciting arts community, offering a range of high quality entertainment, enlightenment and education. One of the reasons . . . more

www.macon.com
Viewpoints for January 13, 2010
By Jim Crisp

January is National Mentoring Month

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 14:45:00 GMT

January is National Mentoring Month and a time when Big Brothers Big Sisters celebrates its volunteers. Coming off one of the most challenging fundraising years ever, we also want to pay tribute to our donors, the often unsung heroes whose funding makes possible the professional match support and structure that allow us to make and help. . . more

www.macon.com
January 13, 2010
By Dianna L. Glymph

< < Click HERE to donate to Big Brothers Big Sisters > >

Knight money to pour into midstate

Fri, 08 Jan 2010 21:18:56 GMT

Community foundations in Macon and Milledgeville will help distribute a combined $3.5 million during the next seven years as part of a $70 million nationwide grant announced Thursday by the Knight Foundation. The Knight Foundation serves more than two dozen U.S. cities where brothers John and James Knight owned newspapers. “We are very blessed. It’s a very proactive grant from the foundation. They are doubling their investment in community foundations,” said Kathryn Dennis, president of the Community Foundation . . . more

www.macon.com
January 8, 2010
By Joe Kovac, Jr.

Macon Needs its MLT

Fri, 08 Jan 2010 21:13:00 GMT

There was no Macon Symphony Orchestra; no Middle Georgia Civic Chorale; no Theatre Macon. No Centreplex. The Grand was a rundown movie house. Except for college-kid productions, this city boy’s idea of high-end entertainment was missing. The Civic Club musical then was a black-face minstrel show. That community theater on Forsyth Road? I read mentions of the Macon Little Theatre but the . . . more

www.macon.com
January 8, 2010
By Ed Corson

Are we really paying attention?

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 16:01:00 GMT

. . . concerned citizens are taking steps toward removing dilapidated houses, cleaning up blighted areas, planning for growth and implementing those plans through community projects such as the Shalom Zone training currently going on, community cleanups and increased neighborhood watch groups such as the one former Macon Police Captain Carolyn Glover helped start in Lynmore Estates. These people and others are “paying attention” to our community. . . more

www.macon.com
By: Phyllis Dorn
Special to The Telegraph

Macon shelter sees increase in pet adoptions

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 14:06:00 GMT

. . . Johnson said he attributes the rise in adoptions to a number of factors. He said the shelter has been pleased with the work of A.C., its mascot. A.C., short for Animal Control, was rescued from a house on Ormond Terrace in February. With the help of nonprofit Central Georgia Cares, the affectionate pit bull-American bulldog mix has gained local . . . more

Click HERE to contribute online to the nonprofit Central Georgia C.A.R.E.S.

www.macon.com
December 28, 2009
By Amy Leigh Womack

Volunteers key at Anita Ponder and Friends Christmas Dinner

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 13:33:00 GMT

. . . “I think it’s all about helping as many people as possible.” Walton, 39, who teaches a Tae Kwan Do class at the Wellness Center, indicated the lines of people waiting for food and clothes. “If I was on the other side of that, I’d want someone to help me,” he said. “That could be my mother, my grandmother, my daughter or my son who is down on their luck. All it takes is one person who might be able to help them, who might be able to . . . more

www.macon.com
December 26, 2009
By Phillip Ramati

Midstate charities may have just enough to get by

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 13:04:00 GMT

With demand for food, clothing and toys rising during the holiday season, many Middle Georgia charities seem to have just enough supply to meet the need. “We’ve been able to meet demands from the agencies we serve,” Middle Georgia Food Bank director Ronald Raleigh said. “With the local food drives, we have just barely enough. We’re not getting a surplus, but we don’t have a deficit either. ... Our demand is up . . . more

www.macon.com
December 24, 2009
By Phillip Ramati

Readers help to fill Reindeer Gang wishes

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 13:43:00 GMT

Lynn Haddock is legally blind, so she couldn’t identify every gift brought through her door Tuesday afternoon. But she could tell there were a lot of them under the Christmas tree. “I’ve never seen so many presents in my life,’’ she said. Members of the staff at Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Heart of Georgia took the gifts to her home in the Lake Wildwood neighborhood. All of them were wrapped for the four grandchildren Haddock is helping raise on a limited income. . . more

www.macon.com
December 23, 2009
By Ed Grisamore

Hundreds of families get Christmas assistance from the Salvation Army

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 13:49:41 GMT

Three of Porsha Brown’s children are hoping to find bikes and games waiting for them on Christmas morning. But her youngest, a 4-year-old son, has a special request. “He wants anything Spiderman,” she said, chuckling. “He thinks he’s Spiderman.” Brown and her 16-year-old daughter stood in line Monday morning with hundreds of parents hoping to make Christmas morning a little brighter for their children. With temperatures hovering just above freezing, Salvation Army volunteers passed out bags of . . . more

www.macon.com
December 22, 2009
By Amy Leigh Womack

Michelle Obama urges donating gifts for older children

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 13:57:54 GMT

First lady Michelle Obama is asking Americans who plan to donate to the Marines' Toys for Tots program but haven't yet to choose gifts for 11- to 14-year-olds, an age group for whom she said there was a dearth of gifts this year. She learned of the shortage Wednesday when she visited Marine Corps Base Quantico's distribution center, in donated warehouse space about a 45-minute drive from the White House. She'd come to drop off about . . . more

Click HERE for more information on the Macon Chapter of Toys for Tots

www.macon.com
December 17, 2009
By Margaret Talev

Community Foundation of Central Georgia awards grants to help restore The Sallie Ellis Davis House

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 22:33:00 GMT

Two $10,000 grants have been awarded to help fund the restoration of The Sallie Ellis Davis House. The Community Foundation of Central Georgia presented the two grants in October. “As the antebellum Capital of Georgia, Milledgeville has a rich and vibrant historic district bustling with old homes and educational museums,” said Kathryn H. Dennis, president of the Community Foundation of Central Georgia. “Georgia College & State University is currently conducting a campaign to raise $25,000 to begin the stabilization of the historic Sallie Ellis Davis House. Once completed, the house will become . . . more

New Bibb after-school program coming with $871,000 grant

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:01:39 GMT

Sunday school classrooms at a Macon church filled up with math, science and robotics equipment Monday. After all, the church soon will become the site for a new after-school program for 500 Bibb County students. Campus Clubs recently received an $871,000 grant to start an after-school program at Strong Tower Fellowship Church in late January. The program for . . . more

www.macon.com
December 15, 2009
By Julie Hubbard

Knight Foundation president: Communities must better themselves

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:25:00 GMT

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation can fund a variety of projects to improve communities, but it’s up to the communities themselves to create ideas to better themselves. That was the message Friday that Knight Foundation President and CEO Alberto Ibargüen delivered to more than 100 elected officials and community leaders at a luncheon at Macon’s Armory Ballroom, where recipients of Knight Neighborhood Challenge Grants were recognized. The foundation has invested about $35 million into Macon since 1969, Ibargüen said, including $5 million this year. “The Knight Foundation believes in informed, engaged communities,” Ibargüen told the audience. “It’s really what we do, who we are.” . . . more

www.macon.com
December 12, 2009
By Phillip Ramati

Students seek donations for Locks of Love

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 14:51:21 GMT

A fifth-grade Springdale Elementary student, Ashton Haver, and her teacher, Michelle Gowan, have organized a Locks For Love drive, to be held Friday at 2 p.m. at the school’s lunch room. Lisa Felty of Changes Salon will cut and collect the volunteers’ hair, which is used to make wigs for medical patients who have lost their hair. The goal of “Ashton’s Challenge” is to collect 100 inches of hair. The public is invited to attend and participate. For more information or to volunteer, e-mail mgowan.springdaleEL@bibb.k12.ga.us.

www.macon.com
December 10, 2009
By Phillip Ramati

Georgia Sports Hall of Fame holding canned food drive

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 14:09:00 GMT

The Georgia Sports Hall of Fame will offer patrons $1 off a regular-priced admission with the donation of a canned food item beginning today. The food drive will run through Dec. 23. Visitors must donate at least one nonperishable item per person for the discount, good for one visit. The food will be donated to military families in need. The museum will close Dec. 24 for the holidays and reopen Jan. 2.

www.macon.com
December 10, 2009
By Phillip Ramati

Women’s group awards scholarships

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 15:11:56 GMT

The Career Women’s Network of Macon Inc. has awarded three scholarships to local students. The students are: Suie Huang, a mathematics major at Macon State College; Cherry Roberts, early childhood education, Georgia College & State University; Shelia Gray, criminal justice, Mercer University. Career Women’s Network Scholarship Fund and the Walters Family Scholarship Fund were established to provide college scholarships to nontraditional female students 25 years or older. Applicants must be enrolled or accepted to an accredited college, university or technical institution and must maintain a minimum 2.5 grade point average.

www.macon.com
December 7, 2009
Faces and Places

Fly South BBQ contest/concert debuts in chilly weather

Sun, 06 Dec 2009 16:33:00 GMT

Whoever came up with the name of the Fly South Fest had the gift of prophesy. That’s because Saturday, the culminating day of the inaugural version of the outdoor event, brought the kind of low temperatures that make birds think of migrating a little closer to the equator. Fly South was actually two festivals. The first was a barbecue contest held in the parking lot of Luther Williams Field in Central City Park. Teams began cooking Friday, with barbecue judging, an artisans’ market, live entertainment and . . . more

www.macon.com
December 6, 2009
By Dan Maley

Reindeer Gang: Reminder of those in need

Sun, 06 Dec 2009 15:55:00 GMT

The Reindeer Gang is an annual Telegraph feature that identifies individuals and families with needs during the holidays. The following is a review of those who have been profiled over the past 10 days. Please make donations directly to the sponsoring organization listed at the end of each profile.

Mac and Pennie Juhan are helping raise their two grandchildren. She is medically disabled. Mac, who has had five heart attacks, works at a carwash a few blocks from their home on Houston Road. The couple has been unable to . . . more

www.macon.com
December 6, 2009
By: Ed Grisamore

Mercer plans $10M development including lofts, retail, bookstore

Sat, 05 Dec 2009 17:52:00 GMT

A $10 million mixed-used development featuring retail space and loft-style apartments is planned on Mercer University’s campus in Macon. Two Macon-based companies, Sierra Development and Piedmont Construction Group, will build the four-story, 55,000-square-foot building called The Lofts at Mercer Village as part of the College Hill Corridor . . . more

www.macon.com
December 5, 2009
By Linda S. Morris

Knight Fund for Macon Awards Grant to Study Economic Feasibility of Macon’s Miller High School

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 17:19:00 GMT

The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation has been awarded a $10,000 grant from the Knight Fund for Macon of the Community Foundation of Central Georgia for a study to help determine the best adaptive use for the vacant A. L. Miller High School building in Macon. The building was placed on the Trust’s 2008 list of the state’s Places in Peril. "The former Miller High School is a beautiful structure worth saving and sits at a key entry point to Mercer University and downtown Macon," said Kathryn Dennis, President of the Community Foundation of Central Georgia. "The Community Foundation was pleased . . . more

Allman Brothers museum opens in Macon, Ga.

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 15:06:00 GMT

When Kirk and Kirsten West decided to move out of their Vineville Avenue home in 2003, the notion of turning it into a museum certainly wasn't on their radar. Sure, thousands of visitors from places as far away as Germany, Italy, Japan and Australia had knocked on their door during the decade they had lived there, trying to get a glimpse of what was known as The Big House, where members of the Allman Brothers Band lived in the early 1970s. It was only after Kirk West, the band's road manager, was meeting with . . . more

www.macon.com
December 10, 2009
By Phillip Ramati

Middle Georgia agencies lend a hand to provide holiday meals

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:55:16 GMT

Susie Gilbert can’t get around like she used to, so getting a grocery sack with a cooked ham, canned yams and walnuts inside will come in handy for Thanksgiving. About 30 senior citizens, including Gilbert, were handed a bag of groceries Tuesday at the Macon-Bibb County Senior Center. Many of the men and women who frequent the center are on fixed incomes and need the help. “It’s a great gift,” the 72-year-old Gilbert said, pulling out a cupcake with smudged icing. “When I get home, I’ll spread it all out on the table.” The center’s manager, Renee Johnson, said that with the hard times, everyone’s budget is running thin, especially at the center, where they’ve had to cut back on transportation and . . . more

www.macon.com
November 25, 2009
By Julie Hubbard and Mike Stucka

College Hill Corridor grants are wide-ranging

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:50:06 GMT

The first round of grants have been decided in the College Hill Corridor section of Macon, and they’ll fund a diverse series of programs from zoning regulation overhauls and Sunday brunches to new tree plantings and compost education programs. They grants also will help Mercer University start up a bicycle rental program — one of several grant-funded programs geared toward getting people . . . more

www.macon.com
November 24, 2009
By Travis Fain

First Round of Grants Decided for College Hill

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:36:00 GMT

The first grants have been decided in the College Hill Corridor section of Macon, and they’ll fund a diverse series of programs, from zoning regulation overhauls and Sunday brunches to organic gardening and compost education programs. The grants . . . more

www.macon.com
Monday, November 23, 2009
Travis Fain

Cherry Blossom Festival gets grant to assess programs and operations

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:07:00 GMT

Trustees of the Peyton Anderson Foundation have approved a $250,000 grant for Macon’s Cherry Blossom Festival to help evaluate the festival’s programs and operations. The grant will help provide resources to assess how the festival’s program and operations can be made “more effective in the years ahead,” according to a statement from the festival. The grant will provide the festival a chance to . . . more

www.macon.com
Tuesday, Nov 17, 2009
Staff reports

Auction to be held tonight for Mentor's Project

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:27:04 GMT

The Crossroads Writers Conference will be holding a silent and live auction tonight at the Cox Capitol Theatre, 382 Second St., which will support the conference and benefit the Mentor's Project of Bibb County. The silent auction will go from 7-8:30 p.m., with the live auction following. There will be live music by Demolution and the Macon Guitar Quintet, and a 50-50 raffle at the door. Tickets are $5. Proceeds from the Crossroads Writers Conference will help establish the Creative Ruckus Academy, an after-school arts education initiative that pairs at-risk youth with professional artists in the community. The Crossroads Writers Conference will take place Feb. 25-27, 2010.

www.macon.com
November 12, 2009

CrimeStoppers tops again in the Southeast

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:39:01 GMT

Macon Regional CrimeStoppers was again the most productive CrimeStoppers unit in the Southeast. CrimeStoppers helped authorities make 399 arrests in 2008, most in the Southeast. The unit is on pace for 450 arrests in 2009, said Sgt. Zac Self, the CrimeStoppers spokesman. Macon Regional CrimeStoppers has led the Southeast in arrests every year since 2003. At the annual luncheon Monday, CrimeStoppers also gave a special recognition to Monroe County Sheriff John Cary Bittick for his years of service.

www.macon.com
November 10, 2009
By: Phillip Ramati

Macon museum exhibits local artist’s work

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:37:45 GMT

The Museum of Arts and Sciences is showing a new exhibit by artist William Segal. Many visitors came to the Macon museum for the recent opening, the farthest from Brazil, said Curator of Exhibitions Eric O’dell. At the opening, the museum was at capacity. About 250 people showed up to hear Ken Burns, documentary filmmaker and close friend of Segal, and see the new art installation. Burns gave a presentation for all attendees, who later waited in long lines for him to sign books. “For his friend, for our hard work, he’d do anything we asked,” O’dell said. Segal’s work was planned to show until Jan. 4, but now it is expected to stay through . . . more

www.macon.com
November 10, 2009
By Katy Newcomer

List could help save Central State buildings

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:12:14 GMT

Of the four historic sites in Middle Georgia that were named to the Places In Peril list, Central State Hospital in Milledgeville may be the most significant. The list, published each year by the Georgia Trust For Historic Preservation, focuses on 10 places of historical significance in the state that are most in need of preservation and restoration. Established in 1842, the hospital was the state’s first psychiatric facility. It once was the largest mental hospital in America and the second-largest in the world. At one point, the hospital covered 1,000 acres and was home to . . . more

www.macon.com
November 9, 2009
By: Phillip Ramati

Volunteers search for pottery pieces and other artifacts at Water Works Park

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:09:42 GMT

Ah, Sunday in the park, sitting on the ground and poking around in the dirt with your bare hands. It may not sound like a pleasant time for a grown woman, but Kimberly Barnhart was enjoying herself as she toiled Sunday in the name of archaeology at Amerson Water Works Park. “This is the chance of a lifetime, to come out here and be Indiana Jones for a while,” Barnhart said. She had come with her 8-year-old son, Max, her 10-year-old daughter, Megan, and her husband, Keith, to help NewTown Macon look for . . . more

www.macon.com
November 9, 2009
By: Dan Maley

Monroe hospital hopes clinic frees up emergency room, lowers costs

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 14:43:00 GMT

. . . “Emergency rooms all over the country are deluged with people seeking primary care,” said hospital CEO Kay Floyd. “They don’t have anywhere else to go,” said Greg Dent, CEO and president of Community Health Works, an area nonprofit. In Monroe County, they do now. Last month, the hospital opened a new clinic, Monroe Primary Care, to provide a new . . . more

www.macon.com
November 8, 2008
By Rodney Manley

Museum of Aviation marks 25 years

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 14:46:00 GMT

The Museum of Aviation celebrated its 25th birthday Friday night during an evening dinner and ceremony. Many people who attended the event were responsible for building the museum from a collection of artifacts to the five-hangar compound it is today. “It’s always been community-based,” said Peggy Young, the museum director during its first decade and a half of operations. “The people who work on the base would . . . more

www.macon.com
November 7, 2009
By Thomas L. Day

Prescription drug bus to roll into midstate

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:59:00 GMT

When an orange-and-white tour bus will roll into Macon next week, a sentence posted on its side in bold letters will no doubt catch more than a few glances. “Need help paying for medicine?” the words say, leading a reader’s eye to a giant pill bottle labeled “Help Is Here.” The bus, touring as part of a national campaign called the Partnership for Prescription assistance, will visit the Macon Volunteer Clinic on Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. . . . more

www.macon.com
November 6, 2009
By Joe Kovac Jr.

Walmart gives new $85,000 refrigerated truck to local food bank

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:49:00 GMT

The 24-foot refrigerated truck rolled into the Middle Georgia Community Food Bank on Thursday afternoon, still, as one food bank board member put it, with “that new car smell.” The $85,000 Freightliner is one of 35 new trucks donated to food banks across the country by the Walmart Foundation. Ronald Raleigh, executive director of the Middle Georgia Community Food Bank, said he will add the truck to the food bank’s existing fleet of four as soon as possible. “It will enable us to pick up another. . . more

www.macon.com
November 6, 2009
By Rodney Manley

Redding tribute to step outside Middle Georgia for first time

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:15:15 GMT

For the first time, tonight’s Otis Redding tribute, called “An Evening of Respect,” will be held outside of Macon. It makes for a bit of an adjustment for the late soul singer’s daughter, Karla Redding-Andrews, as the event sets to kick off at the Woodruff Arts Center in Atlanta. “We’ve done it the first three times in Macon, but it’s gotten. . . more

www.macon.com
November 5, 2009
By Phillip Ramati

4 Middle Georgia sites on latest Places In Peril list

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:11:52 GMT

Four Middle Georgia historic properties made the Georgia Trust For Historic Preservation’s 10 Places In Peril list released Wednesday. The building that was once the home to the Capricorn Records recording studio on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard is among the 10, as are the old Dodge County jail in Eastman, the Ritz Theatre in Thomaston and Central State Hospital in Milledgeville. The list is designed to raise awareness across the state for properties deemed to have historic value but that have fallen into disrepair. The trust wants to . . . more

www.macon.com
November 5, 2009
By Phillip Ramati

Sports hall honored by international association

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:09:24 GMT

The Georgia Sports Hall of Fame was recognized last week by the International Sports Heritage Association for its Steps For Life program, winning first place in the educational category of the communication awards. The program is the hall’s . . . more

www.macon.com
November 5, 2009
Phillip Ramati

Fate of former Capricorn studio unsure

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 15:12:00 GMT

. . . The Georgia Trust For Historic Preservation has recognized the historical significance of the property. It’s one of 25 sites that are candidates for the Georgia Trust’s Places In Peril list. Sites on that list qualify for help from the Georgia Trust, which works hand in hand with property owners to find solutions to rescue the property in question, said Mark C. McDonald, president and CEO of the Georgia Trust. “It is in danger,” McDonald said. “We’re concerned about it. Not only is it important because of its historical association, but it also has architectural relevance. “It’s important to the future of downtown development.” . . . more

www.macon.com
November 1, 2009
By Phillip Ramati

Central celebrates legacy

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:33:01 GMT

This Sunday, Nov. 1, the Central High School family will mark a new chapter in our 96-year history as we dedicate our new building on the corner of Napier and Holt avenues in Macon. Since 1971, Central has forged a reputation of excellence including a 1975 football state championship, the 1985 designation as a Georgia School of Excellence, and as the host of award-winning . . . more

www.macon.com
October 30, 2009
By Laura Bechtel & Jonathan Lee

Leftover candy a bite idea

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:29:00 GMT

From 3:30 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, youngsters can bring their unopened candy to MaconSmiles Laser & Cosmetic Dentistry at 4929 Forsyth Road. Sheila and her staff will buy it for $1 per pound. (Adults are asked to donate their candy.) There will be coupons from local restaurants and a chance to win an iPod. The first 288 kids get a cool, flashing firefly toothbrush. No, this isn’t a cash for chunkers program. Sheila is simply trying to promote awareness of preventive dentistry and good health habits. (Childhood obesity and diabetes seem to be growing faster than the national debt.) Yet this is much more than a crusade against cavities and calories. The collected candy will be shipped to our troops overseas as part of “Operation Gratitude.” . . . more

www.macon.com
October 30, 2009
By Ed Grisamore

Local teachers awarded Bright Ideas grants

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:23:00 GMT

The Flint Energies Foundation recently awarded a total of $10,000 to 12 teachers in Houston, Macon and Taylor counties. Each teacher received a grant for up to $1,000 through Flint’s Bright Ideas program for innovative classroom lesson plans. Winners received flowers, balloons and gift bags in addition to the award. The grants are not available for professional development. Public and private school teachers for grades K-12 in the co-op’s service territory, which spans 17 counties in Middle Georgia, were eligible to apply for the grants. Flint received . . . more

www.macon.com
October 29, 2009
By Andrea Castillo

Medical Center cutting services to poor

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:21:00 GMT

The Medical Center of Central Georgia is cutting hours, clinics and pharmacy offerings at its W.T. Anderson Health Center, which provides primary and specialty care to the poor. In addition, the Anderson Health Center will not be accepting new primary care patients into its CarePartners program, which provides primary and specialty care on a sliding-fee scale based on patients’ income, assets and insurance. Most of the savings is expected to come from . . . more

www.macon.com
October 28, 2009
By S. Heather Duncan

AC Pup takes second place in online contest's weekly voting

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:30:59 GMT

AC Pup, the stray mixed breed who became the Macon Animal Shelter’s mascot, missed making the semi-finals last week in a cutest dog contest that could have ultimately brought in $1 million for the shelter. With 4,555 votes, AC was a distant second in the last week of online voting. A North Carolina dog named Little Bitsy won the week with 9,033 votes, becoming the 12th and final semi-finalist in the running for a $1 million prize. Nevertheless, AC was praised for his efforts.
“Quite an accomplishment for a little guy who was originally . . . more

www.macon.com
October 27, 2009
By Travis Fain

Virginia couple visits Lanier home after making winning bid in auction

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:28:00 GMT

Doug and Kay Campbell aren’t the types who visit a museum and then try to get in and out within half an hour. So when the Campbells arrived at the Sidney Lanier Cottage two hours later than scheduled — thanks to soaking in all the Museum of Aviation at Robins Air Force Base and the Ocmulgee Indian Mounds had to offer — Doug told Sidney Lanier aficionado Marty Willett with a chuckle . . . more

www.macon.com
October 27, 2009
By Phillip Ramati

History lives at Rose Hill Cemetery thanks to semiannual tours

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:06:41 GMT

There’s a lot more to Rose Hill Cemetery than meets the eye. Those rough stone blocks in that retaining wall came from the collapsed ruins of one of the towers at Fort Hawkins, the first white settlement in this part of Georgia. That flagpole towering over a hillside of Confederate graves came from Cochran Field, where Royal Air Force pilots trained during World War II. That patch of grass may cover the remains of an early Maconite — after all, only one third of the graves in Rose Hill are . . . more

www.macon.com
October 26, 2009
By Dan Maley

Hutchings Career Center increases options with new flight operations program

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:03:51 GMT

. . . As it is with the entire district, Hutchings Career Center operates under a continuous improvement model. Recognizing the interests of students and the future needs of the Macon, Bibb County and Middle Georgia workplace, Hutchings will begin a new flight operations program in January, through a $100,000 grant from the Department of Education. In addition to participating in courses such as meteorology and navigation, students who complete the final course will be prepared to take the Federal Aviation. . . more

www.macon.com
October 25, 2009
By Ron McCall

Race for the Cure moves its unique vibe to Central City Park

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 14:59:00 GMT

As the runners crossed the finish line, a team of cheerleaders in matching blue sweat suits urged them on with some unusual chants, such as: “Get fired up! Save the ta-tas! Get fired up! Save the ta-tas! ...” Elsewhere at Central City Park on Saturday morning, a volunteer milled among the crowd with a can of pink aerosol hair paint, offering free spray treatments to all takers. Dozens of women assembled on a stage, blowing bubbles and dancing to a rave-up country tune called “Pink Warrior.” The atmosphere remained upbeat throughout . . . more

www.macon.com
October 25, 2009
By Dan Maley

Junior League’s Market Place returns to downtown

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 14:56:00 GMT

With 62 shopping days left until Christmas, some people are getting a head start. Macon’s Junior League is helping these early starters by holding its annual Market Place at the Macon City Auditorium through Sunday. Dozens of booths line the floor as merchants display a variety of gifts and specialty foods and dip mixes for easy holiday entertaining. There’s everything from gourmet olives for festive martinis to Serpentine jade jewelry from China and children’s songs on CDs that can be personalized with a child’s name. “It’s an excellent way to start the season, and it’s a fun way to shop,” said Candy Burgess, a former club president. “It’s a weekend full of activities for the family.” This year’s event marks a return to downtown Macon after recent . . . more

www.macon.com
October 24, 2009
By Liz Fabian

Group to send care packages to 48th and 148th brigades

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 14:53:00 GMT

Following a successful effort to send care packages to Georgia National Guard troops in Iraq, a group will now help support soldiers serving in Afghanistan. Operation Uplift, which sent care packages to members of the 48th National Guard Brigade and the 148th Support Battalion in Iraq, has been revived for the latest war effort, according to a news release. The goal is to get the first round of packages to troops in time for the holidays, according to the release. Collection sites . . . more

www.macon.com
October 24, 2009
Staff reports

Goodwill job fair draws hundreds

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:11:24 GMT

About 800 job seekers turned out for a job fair at Goodwill Industries on Thursday looking for employment. Jobs ranging from certified nursing assistants and probation officers to retail management positions were available, said Amy Chastain, Goodwill’s communications manager. Another fair in June drew about 1,100 people. Thursday’s turnout was not as high, and that may be an indication that . . . more

www.macon.com
October 23, 2009
Staff reports

Junior League to hold literacy event

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:45:12 GMT

The Junior League of Macon will be holding its Market Place literacy event starting Thursday, bringing in a slate of local authors to read from their works. The event will be held in the Literacy Room in Macon City Auditorium, 415 First St. Thursday’s authors are Billy Oliver at 11:30 a.m. and Ed Grisamore at 6 p.m. Catherine Meeks will be reading Friday at 11:30 a.m., and at 6 p.m. Tina McElroy Ansa will be reading. Saturday, Rachel Veal will be reading at 11:30 a.m. The Junior League of Macon is an organization of women promoting volunteerism. One of the league’s goals is to improve literacy and school readiness in Middle Georgia.

www.macon.com
October 21, 2009

Uptown Rotary adventure race raises $9,600

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:35:00 GMT

This summer’s Ocmulgee Adventure Race raised $9,600, Uptown Macon Rotary announced. Of the proceeds, $4,305 will be donated to the Macon Rescue Mission, $3,152 will be given to Friends of the Ocmulgee Heritage Trail and $2,152 will support Uptown Macon Rotary’s youth financial literacy project. The checks will be presented Thursday, according to a news release. The annual fundraiser U-ROAR (uptown Rotary Ocmulgee Adventure Race) features a mix of paddling, mountain biking and orienteering and was held at Javors Lucas Lake and the Ocmulgee River. More than 150 participants competed to find hidden checkpoints in the woods and around the water, according to the release.

www.macon.com
October 21, 2009
By: S. Heather Duncan

WR Little League pitching in for Red Cross fundraiser

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 17:20:36 GMT

For those who weren’t able to catch the Warner Robins American Little League All-Star baseball and softball teams in person this summer, there will be another chance Saturday at 6:30 p.m. — and for a worthy cause. The Leadership Macon Class of 2009 has organized a charity softball game at Mercer University’s Sikes Field featuring the world champion girls softball team facing one made up of Macon and Bibb County leaders and personalities. The boys’ team also will participate, competing in a home run derby scheduled before the softball game. Proceeds from the game will benefit the Central Georgia Chapter of the American Red Cross . . . more

www.macon.com
October 16, 2009
By Phillip Ramati

Luncheon unites high-school alums from segregated era

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:17:00 GMT

“We watched a lot of changes,” said Althea Becham. “That’s right,” agreed her new friend, Alvesta Montford Brown. Both Becham and Brown graduated from high school in Macon in 1959, yet they never met before Saturday. Fifty years ago, they were not allowed to attend public high school together. Becham, who is white, went to Miller High. Brown, who is black, went to Ballard-Hudson High. Theirs is a deferred friendship, and it wasn’t the only one that sprang up Saturday at a luncheon that belatedly brought together people who were segregated by race so long ago. Members of the 1959 classes of . . . more

www.macon.com
Posted October 11, 2009
By Dan Maley

Progress seen at south Macon's Lynmore Estates

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:14:00 GMT

Lynmore Estates in south Macon used to be a much more dangerous place, Southside Community Church pastor William Rand said. But two years into a program that brings dozens of organizations together to work in the neighborhood, crime and gang activity are down. “We were, I believe, the worst in Macon,” Rand said Thursday. “Now we stand outside (the church) after dark. You can walk the streets.” There are still . . . more

www.macon.com
Posted on October 9, 2009
By Travis Fain

Community Partnership hosts neighborhood celebration today in Lynmore

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 12:43:00 GMT

Mayor Robert Reichert is confirmed to speak at an upcoming neighborhood celebration. The event is intended to celebrate the launch of a neighborhood initiative empowered through the collaboration of residents and community partners. Community Partnership, Inc. initiated a collaborative to provide comprehensive services and supports to the Lynmore Estate community for the purpose of improving child well-being and family stability and self sufficiency. After an 18-month period of planning and research . . . more

Pavilion at Amerson Water Works Park named in honor of trail visionary

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 16:25:40 GMT

Bill Hodges recalled to a crowd of more than 100 Monday night at Amerson Water Works Park how Ben Porter told designers of the Ocmulgee Heritage Trail at every meeting that he wanted the people of Macon to be able “to touch the river.” With the dedication of the new Ben Porter Pavilion at the park, there’s another place for area residents to do just that. Several friends and local officials all addressed the crowd at the . . . more

www.macon.com
Tuesday, Oct 6, 2009
By Phillip Ramati

Filmmaker Ken Burns follows ‘National Parks’ with a visit to Macon

Sun, 04 Oct 2009 13:24:00 GMT

. . . Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns had just watched his latest effort come to fruition. The six segments of “The National Parks: America’s Greatest Idea” aired Sunday through Friday on PBS. On Saturday, Burns flew to Macon. “I’m exhausted, I’ve been on the road for 200 days this year,” Burns told an audience of about 250 people Saturday afternoon at the Museum of Arts and Sciences. “Last night, was the last night of the show and I deserved to sleep in, and I got up at four and came here.” The 56-year-old Burns, who . . . more

www.macon.com
October 4, 2009
By Dan Maley

Community Foundation awards grant to Dudley's Promise of Hope, Inc.

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:31:03 GMT

The Community Foundation of Central Georgia awarded Promise of Hope, Inc. a grant in August to purchase materials for their Family Day Program. Promise of Hope, Inc. is a faith-based organization offering assistance and guidance to women over the age of 18 suffering from the disease of addiction . . . more

The Courier Herald, Dublin
September 29, 2009

Aerospace training push touted at 21st Century Partnership meeting

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:44:00 GMT

The 21st Century Partnership touted a series of initiatives aimed at supporting the local aerospace engineering community during a Wednesday morning meeting at the Museum of Aviation in Warner Robins. The 21st Century Partnership is a nonprofit organization that supports the Robins Air Force Base military community. Mary Therese-Tebbe, the organization’s executive director, credited a $500,000 grant from the state of Georgia and cooperation from aerospace companies for . . . more

www.macon.com
October 2, 2009
By Thomas L. Day

Local musicians to play benefit for Music Hall of Fame

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:20:44 GMT

Local musicians will put on a benefit concert Thursday to support the Georgia Music Hall of Fame, which, along with the Sports Hall of Fame, has been hit hard by state budget cuts. The bands are playing for free, sponsors are covering the costs of opening the Cox Capitol Theatre for the show and proceeds will benefit the music hall, organizers said. “The concept was just local musicians supporting the music hall of fame,” said Dan Zook, an organizer and saxophonist for Mag Tard, one of the bands participating. “Musicians being notoriously. . .more

www.macon.com
September 30, 2009
By Travis Fain

Historic preservation a real deal

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:01:21 GMT

Let me go on record as saying I am not in the market to purchase an 1892 photograph from the Bell Telephone and Telegraph conference in Asheville, N.C. If I was, though, I know where to find it. It’s somewhere in the piles of stuff waiting to be sold at the annual Historic Macon Flea Market on Oct. 10. Of course, I could be bluffing. I might actually want that 19th-century photograph of mustachioed men I don’t even know. I may arrive early to secure a spot before the doors open at 8 a.m. Or maybe I will be holding out for that 1946 Miller High School class ring. Or fight someone for that . . . more

www.macon.com
September 30, 2009
By Ed Grisamore

Consultant Pat Madison to lead College Hill Alliance

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 13:52:46 GMT

A longtime planning consultant will take the reins of the College Hill Alliance’s $5 million effort to remake the area between Mercer University and downtown Macon. Pat Madison, a co-founder of the planning and development firm Madison-Poss & Associates, was named the alliance’s executive director Tuesday. Madison said he’s lived in Macon for 25 years and his firm has worked on several projects, including College Hill Commons, where Joshua Cup is located. Organizers for the alliance, which is a partnership between. . . more

www.macon.com
September 30, 2009
By Travis Fain

Big ‘O’ foundation to host musical tribute

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:15:00 GMT

The Big ‘O’ Youth Educational Dream Foundation and the Woodruff Arts Center of Atlanta will host a star-studded musical tribute in honor of the late soul legend Otis Redding. The event, a fundraiser for the foundation, will take place Nov. 5 at the Woodruff Arts Center and feature performances from Redding’s sons Dexter and Otis Redding III, backed by the Shep Crawford Rhythm Section and the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra. An awards banquet before the show will honor the charitable efforts of Kyle and Pattie Petty, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges and Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin. For more information, visit www.otisredding.com or www.woodruffcenter.org or call (404) 733-5000.

www.macon.com
By Phillip Ramati
Friday, September 25, 2009

Grand Opera House gets face-lift for 125th birthday

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 13:26:03 GMT

As The Grand Opera House celebrated its 125th birthday Tuesday, champagne glasses clinked outside as the building’s new marquee was unveiled. Tony Long said the 70,000 light message board was just a part of it, that there were 4,756 LED bulbs and 1,000 feet of neon lights, too . . . more

www.macon.com
Posted on September 23, 2009
Telegraph Staff Reports

Community Foundation grants available for Knight Neighborhood Challenge

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 13:28:00 GMT

The Community Foundation of Central Georgia says it’s ready to accept grant applications for money awarded to it from the Knight Foundation. Officials said the grant money came in conjunction with money awarded to the College Hill Alliance. Anyone is invited to submit an application for grant money to the Community Foundation through its Web site at www.cfcga.org/knc. There is no minimum or maximum amount awarded, but the project must take place within the boundaries of the College Hill Corridor area and should incorporate the five elements described in the corridor’s master plan. For more information about the master plan, visit www.collegehillcorridor.com.

Derek Trucks to headline Fly South festival in December

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 13:25:07 GMT

Organizers for the recently launched Fly South Festival were hoping the event would have a musical act with an Allman Brothers Band connection. They landed that act with the Derek Trucks Band, which will be the headline act for the Dec. 5 festival to be held at Luther Williams Field in Macon. Brad Evans, president of the Bragg Jam Festival board that’s organizing Fly South, said that since the festival is happening the same weekend as the opening of the Big House Foundation museum, organizers wanted to . . . more

www.macon.com
Posted on September 19, 2009
By Phillip Ramati

Music hall to host several events

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 13:07:26 GMT

. . . The hall will host the 12th annual Brown Bag Boogie on Friday from noon-1 p.m. The free event will feature the bluegrass band Redline Express. People can also purchase barbecue lunches from Satterfield’s at the event for $7. The Georgia Music Hall of Fame Awards will take place Saturday night at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. Among the inductees are Collective Soul, Peter Conlon, Third Day, Bryan-Michael Cox, Johnny L. Carson and posthumous honorees Berry Oakley, Roy Hamilton and Shakir Stewart. The event will be telecast live on Georgia Public Broadcasting. For ticket information, call (770) 491-9494, extension 15. There will be an awards after-party at the Hard Rock Cafe, 215 Peachtree St. NE, beginning at 10:30 p.m.

www.macon.com
Posted on September 17, 2009
By Phillip Ramati

GetDown replaces Thirsty Thursdays

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 13:03:44 GMT

NewTown Macon is unveiling a new downtown social event tonight, presenting the Capital City Bank/NewTown GetDown at the Georgia Music Hall of Fame from 5:30-7. The event targets young professionals and business and civic leaders in the community. The GetDown will take place every third Thursday each month and will be held at various downtown locales. Tonight’s event will feature live music by the Crankin’ Daddies Band, and visitors also will get an exclusive preview of a new exhibit at the music hall honoring all its Macon inductees.

www.macon.com
Posted on September 17, 2009
By Phillip Ramati

50 years after segregated graduations, a reunion

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 20:43:51 GMT

Next month will bring a 50-year reunion of sorts for Macon’s high school class of 1959. It’s not just for Lanier, the white school for boys back then. It’s not just for Miller, the white school for girls. And it’s not just for Ballard-Hudson, where black students were segregated. Instead, graduates from all three schools, now approaching their 70s, will simply . . . more

www.macon.com
Posted September 15, 2009
By Travis Fain

Puppy credited with helping drive pet adoptions at Macon animal shelter

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 14:44:00 GMT

An affectionate 7-month-old puppy has become a local celebrity while helping to increase the number of animals adopted at the Macon Animal Shelter. Volunteers launched a Facebook page for A.C. — short for Animal Control — in July, featuring photos of dogs and cats at the shelter in need of adoption. The shelter recorded 51 adoptions this past . . . more

www.macon.com
Posted on September 14, 2009
By Amy Leigh Womack

Concert caps spurt of activity by College Hill group

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 14:40:00 GMT

It was a busy weekend for the College Hill Corridor Commission. On Friday, the urban revival group held its first Downtown Look-Around, a scavenger hunt designed to teach new college students about Macon’s history. On Saturday, the commission teamed up with the Macon Georgia Film & Video Festival to screen “Lovely by Surprise,” a movie starring Macon native Carrie Preston, on Coleman Hill. The two-year-old commission didn’t have anything novel planned for Sunday, just . . . more

www.macon.com
Posted on September 14, 2009
By Dan Maley

College Hill Alliance has plenty on tap for residents this weekend

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 14:14:17 GMT

From a scavenger hunt to a movie to live music, the College Hill Alliance is hoping to keep residents occupied this weekend. The festivities begin today with the Downtown Look-Around scavenger hunt designed to help new students at Mercer University learn about Macon’s downtown. That event kicks off at 4 p.m. at the parking deck at the corner of Poplar Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. It’s designed for teams of four to learn about the downtown nightlife. The winning team wins . . . more

www.macon.com
Posted September 11, 2009
By Phillip Ramati

Partnership will help rebuild Lynmore Estates home

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 20:39:27 GMT

Macon Area Habitat for Humanity will partner with Wachovia on the construction of its 17th home in the Lynmore Estates area of south Macon, the group announced Wednesday. The Wells Fargo Housing Foundation is donating $35,000 to help rehabilitate and transform a duplex on San Carlos Drive into a . . . more

www.macon.com
Posted on September 10, 2009
Staff reports

Bibb women to get free health screenings

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 20:37:31 GMT

Women in Bibb County are the focus of a health initiative that will offer a variety of testing for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, HIV and breast and cervical cancer for free. The initiative is funded through a $50,000 Peyton Anderson Foundation grant, said Latonje May, county health services program supervisor. The goal is to screen 2,000 women and offer healthy lifestyle counseling, she said. The Bibb County Health Department plans four major health fairs during the next year . . . more

www.macon.com
Posted September 10, 2009
By S. Heather Duncan

American Idol's fans help budding singers in Baldwin

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 21:00:15 GMT

One American Idol is helping turn his fan’s idol worship toward a good cause that is providing support to area classrooms. American Idol season 8 runner-up Adam Lambert is leading by example and using his influence to encourage fans to donate to classrooms throughout the country using the donorschose.org Web site, on which people can . . . more

Union Recorder, Milledgeville
September 3, 2009
By Daniel McDonald

American Idol runner-up Lambert supports Lamar County Middle School

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 20:54:00 GMT

Nearly 100 Central Georgia classrooms have benefited from the Community Foundation of Central Georgia’s $50,000 matching grant to DonorsChoose.org. One Lamar County teacher in particular caught the attention and generosity of American Idol’s Adam Lambert by posting a project entitled “Can You Hear Me Now?” . . . more

Herald-Gazette, Barnesville
September 1, 2009

Lockerly Arboretum getting ready for Heritage Festival

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 15:51:07 GMT

Lockerly Arboretum is again getting plans in place for the annual Heritage Festival on the grounds of the facility. Director of Events Gloria Prance said she suspects this year’s festival may eclipse the previous year. “One thing that is going to be a highlight is our Civil War encampment,” Prance said. “There will be around 15 people camped out with horses and a campfire. It’s really going to enhance the Heritage Festival. There will be a re-enactment of . . . more

www.unionrecorder.com
Posted September 08, 2009
By Jonathan Jackson

Small group shares meal to promote healthy, locally produced food

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 13:47:47 GMT

The baked apples from the north Georgia mountains must have smelled yummy enough. Enticing enough for a 9-year-old boy who’d just scooped a pile of mac-and-cheese onto his plate to, after saying to no one in particular, “I don’t know what these are,” pluck a single apple slice from the serving dish. The boy, there with his parents, was among the dozen or so people who turned out for a potluck lunch Monday to promote fresh food and, among other things, ways to get it into local schools. . . more

www.macon.com
Posted on September 8, 2009
By Joe Kovac Jr.

United Way aims to raise $4.22 million in midstate

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 13:07:51 GMT

United Way of Central Georgia announced Thursday its plans to raise $4.22 million during its annual campaign. At the Cox Capital Theatre in downtown Macon, the agency kicked off its four-month fundraising drive to raise money for 77 local health and human service programs of 37 agencies. This year’s goal is about 2 percent . . . more

www.macon.com
Posted September 4, 2009
By Linda S. Morris

Lambert to lead Cherry Blossom Festival

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 12:55:01 GMT

On a sidewalk sprinkled with pinkish rose petals in front of its downtown headquarters, the Cherry Blossom Festival on Thursday introduced its new president and CEO. Karen Jordan Lambert, in a pink jacket, stood before a podium at the corner of Cherry and New streets and said she has “never faced a more exciting prospect” than the role she has landed as the blossom boss. The festival began its . . . more

www.macon.com
Posted on September 4, 2009
By Joe Kovac Jr.

‘Green Light’ for the journey

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 16:32:00 GMT

David Green Jr. has finished hiking 2,178.3 miles. “Don’t forget the .3,’’ he said, laughing. “It was just as difficult as the rest.” After wearing out four pairs of shoes, climbing mountains, fording streams and enduring fatigue, hunger, poison ivy, blisters and 27 straight days of rain, you might wonder why he would bother to take another step . . . more

www.macon.com
Posted on September 2, 2009
By: Ed Grisamore

Bragg Jam hands out $35K from proceeds

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 14:17:46 GMT

This year’s Bragg Jam Festival organizers knew that last year’s record-breaking year would be hard to top when it came time to divvy up proceeds. They didn’t reach last year’s total of $45,000 in donations, but the organizers did spread the wealth around. They announced the totals and beneficiaries at a news conference Monday. Instead of donating solely to the Ocmulgee Heritage Trail, as has been the traditional practice, organizers instead gave. . . more

www.macon.com
Posted on September 1, 2009
By Phillip Ramati

Hundreds gather for new Southwest High School dedication ceremony

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 13:53:00 GMT

Students and faculty members have had a month to soak it all in, but on Sunday evening it was the turn of alumni and dignitaries to behold the sprawling and impressive edifice that is the new Southwest High School. As rain poured on the Williamson Road building, about 200 people gathered inside in the auditorium for the school’s official dedication ceremony. “This is a day of joy for all of us,” said Bibb School Superintendent Sharon Patterson from the podium. She mentioned that the . . . more

www.macon.com
Posted on August 31, 2009
By Dan Maley

College Hill Alliance names marketing director

Sat, 29 Aug 2009 13:20:00 GMT

The College Hill Alliance, a partnership between the city of Macon and Mercer University, named Jessica Walden on Friday as its marketing director. Walden is currently the editor of Address Macon and Houston County Magazine. She also serves on the boards of several local organizations, including the Bragg Jam Festival and the Macon Film & Video Festival.

Walden is the first of three hires for the Alliance, which was created through a $5 million grant awarded by the Knight Foundation earlier this summer. The Alliance’s mission is to develop the area between Mercer’s campus and downtown Macon economically, environmentally, and culturally.

www.macon.com
Posted August 29, 2009
By: Phillip Ramati

Two Bibb high schools establish endowments at CFCG

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 18:40:32 GMT

The Community Foundation of Central Georgia announced Thursday that endowment funds had been set up for Central High School and Southwest High School. The Miller-Lanier-Central Foundation created a scholarship fund to help Central graduates pursue higher education. The foundation is composed of alumni, past and present alumni and supporters from all three schools. Since March 2007. . . more

www.macon.com
Posted on August 28, 2009
Phillip Ramati

Baldwin High School students get dose of reality

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 13:30:22 GMT

Wednesday, Baldwin High School students learned a little more of what life will be like following school. The students were given fictional circumstances to deal with in a simulation of how their choices will affect their futures as part of the local Chamber of Commerce’s Reality Check. As students started out with their situations, they traveled from station to station in the school gymnasium to . . . more

www.unionrecorder.com
Posted August 27, 2009
By: Jonathan Jackson

Macon Housing Authority changing landscape of poor neighborhoods

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 13:34:54 GMT

. . . By creating a nonprofit development entity, In-Fill Housing Inc., and other limited partnerships, the Macon Housing Authority has been able to access tax credits and other funding mechanisms for projects that are gradually changing the face of some of Macon’s inner-city neighborhoods. “It has to do with a series of decisions the board made a decade ago — 10 years and $100 million ago,” said John Hiscox, the housing authority’s executive director. “We did some soul-searching, really, about what our mission was, what business we are in and what business we should be in . . . more

www.macon.com
Posted on August 23, 2009
By Rodney Manley

Indian Mounds' renovated museum officially reopen Monday

Sat, 22 Aug 2009 13:30:00 GMT

The Ocmulgee National Monument has found a new way to display 17,000 years of history — redesigning the park’s museum to offer child friendly and interactive exhibits, more artifacts, and a fresh picture of the people who worked, raised their children and lived in Middle Georgia millennia ago. After spending just under $600,000 on planning and design, the monument’s museum redesign is finished. . . more

www.macon.com
Posted on August 22, 2009
By Eric Newcomer

Georgia College museum receives $150K grant

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 12:57:16 GMT

Georgia College museum receives $150K grantA nearly $150,000 grant awarded to Georgia College & State University’s Natural History Museum aims to help bring science to life in classrooms in five midstate counties. The grant, provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, will be used for a two-year project that involves professors at the college teaching local elementary and middle-school teachers about current scientific knowledge. After teachers from Baldwin, Jones, Hancock, Putnam and Wilkinson counties are trained, they will have an opportunity to . . . more

www.macon.com
Posted on August 20, 2009
By Eric Newcomer

Mercer University Drive exit awarded $50,000 beautification grant

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 16:53:10 GMT

Interstate 75’s Mercer University Drive exit in Macon is getting a much-needed sprucing up. The Georgia Department of Transportation has awarded the city a $50,000 grant for landscape improvements, including planting trees and perennial flowers, at the exit, Gigi Cabell, the city’s grants director, said Tuesday. Macon plans to plant flowers that bloom in Mercer University colors, Cabell said. While the grant has been awarded, the city still is working with the state to make sure they meet the grant’s specifications. Meanwhile, a $7,500 grant from the Community Foundation is helping them . . . more

www.macon.com
Posted on August 19, 2009
By Eric Newcomer

Fort Valley's Picninc in the Park Returns

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 14:47:00 GMT

The Picnic in the Park at Fort Valley’s Bandstand returns Thursday, August 27. The festivities, usually a noontime event, will shift to the evening beginning at 5pm. Mr.Randolph Lindsey and his Jazz Band will play until 7pm, barbecued chicken and fixing’s will be available for $6.00 to benefit the Kay Center. You can also bring your own picnic. For those adventurous souls who . . . more

www.fvleadertribune.com
Posted August 12, 2009

Macon Outreach gets grant

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 13:54:38 GMT

The Northwestern Mutual Foundation is announcing a $10,000 grant for Macon Outreach at Mulberry in recognition of Northwestern Mutual financial representative Jack Head III’s dedication to the organization. In honor of his contributions, the Northwestern Mutual Foundation is naming Head an “Outstanding Volunteer” in the company’s national Community Service Award program, which is celebrating . . . more

www.macon.com
Posted on August 17, 2009
Faces & Places

Buck Melton Community Center opens in old armory

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 13:14:02 GMT

. . .The community center, a dream of the Macon Housing Authority for almost a decade, finally opened in the location of the former McKenna National Guard Armory. The structure had been in decay since the late ’90s until the authority renovated it with more than $6 million in federal grant money. The Melton center will house a variety of services and aid agencies on site, including free adult learning and job training, day care and early education classes, after-school tutoring and community recreation programs. Among other amenities, it has . . . more

www.macon.com
Posted on August 14, 2009
By Carl Lewis

Indigo Girls coming to Macon for Big House fundraiser

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 13:11:01 GMT

One of Georgia’s most celebrated rock acts is scheduled to perform in Macon next month in support of one of the city’s most enduring musical legacies. The Indigo Girls will headline a Sept. 12 show at the Cox Capitol Theatre as part of a fundraiser for the Big House Museum, which is dedicated to the Allman Brothers Band. “This is wonderful for Macon,” said Kirsten West, director of the Big House. “It’s wonderful for the Big House Foundation, and it’s wonderful for the Capitol. The theater has been great at . . . more

www.macon.com
Posted on August 14, 2009
By Phillip Ramati

Bibb lawmakers to seek tax split for halls of fame

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 13:16:00 GMT

Macon’s legislative delegation is giving an effort to save the state halls of fame another go. Several months after the delegation failed to act on city and county resolutions to put in place a penny tax increase on the hotel-motel tax, delegation members announced Tuesday they will attempt to get the tax pushed through. The delegation’s Republicans — Sen. Cecil Staton, Rep. Allen Peake and Rep. Tony Sellier — were joined by Rep. David Lucas and Rep. Bubber Epps, both Democrats, to announce that plan to local officials during a 45-minute news conference. Peake and Lucas spoke the majority of the time, saying members of the delegation had put aside the differences that derailed the tax effort last March which would have used money from Macon and Bibb County’s local hotel-motel tax to help the two halls of fame in downtown Macon. The delegation announced Tuesday it would seek . . . more

www.macon.com
Posted on August 12, 2009
By Phillip Ramati

Used clothing sale to raise funds for 48th soldiers

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 13:04:58 GMT

Local Realtors will hold a used clothing sale this weekend to raise money to mail care packages to Georgia soldiers in Afghanistan. Organizers hope this “Soldiers Closet” will raise enough to send a couple hundred boxes to deployed members of the Georgia National Guard’s 48th Brigade. They’re accepting clothing donations every afternoon this week at the former Lipson Fabrics store in the 2700 block of Riverside Drive. . . more

www.macon.com
Posted on August 12, 2009
By Travis Fain

Macon delegation to announce help for music, sports halls of fame

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 15:03:13 GMT

Macon-area legislators have scheduled a news conference today at the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame, and members say they will speak with one voice on efforts to prop up the sports and music halls of fame. Whether the details of a new funding deal have been decided for the halls or if this is simply a show of support remains to be seen. State legislators said they want to save any detailed announcement for the news conference, scheduled for 2 p.m. . . . more

www.macon.com
Posted on August 11, 2009
By Travis Fain

Wesleyan creates new scholarship for Girl Scouts

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 15:55:54 GMT

Wesleyan College has developed a new scholarship program for Girl Scout Gold Award recipients. The scholarship, valued at $9,000 a year, was developed “to honor the commitment to service and community leadership exemplified” through the Gold Award, according to a Wesleyan news release. The Gold Award is the highest honor a Girl Scout can earn. The first scholarship will be awarded for the fall 2010 semester. It is renewable every year for four years if the student remains in good standing and maintains a 2.5 grade point average. High school seniors may apply for the scholarship if they plan to complete Gold Award requirements by late spring of their senior year. Additional eligibility requirements apply. For more information, contact Lisa Sloben at 757-9510 or lsloben@wesleyancollege.edu. The deadline to apply is Nov. 2.

www.macon.com
Posted on August 8, 2009
By: Jennifer Burk

Baldwin Chamber’s Reality Check Program Seeking Volunteers

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 14:16:00 GMT

A program designed to show young people what navigating through life might look like is gearing up for its annual run at three local high schools. Reality Check allows students to see how dealing with some real-world issues could affect them to hopefully spur an appreciation for education. In the exercise, students are given a set of circumstances and then set off, at different stations in their school, to see the effects of their decisions, in effect, a no risk test-drive on life after school. “Especially this year with the economic downturn, it is so vital that students understand the importance of education when getting a job,” Milledgeville Baldwin County Chamber of Commerce president Tara Peters said. “They are going to need . . . more

www.unionrecorder.com
Posted August 05, 2009
By Jonathan Jackson

Middle Georgians mark National Night Out

Wed, 05 Aug 2009 18:16:25 GMT

Standing on a multicolored stage atop a parking garage in downtown Macon, CrimeStoppers and City Watch leaders announced an effort to eradicate graffiti downtown. Then, Macon-Bibb County firefighters used a pressure washer to remove graffiti on a nearby building. “We’re going to fight graffiti,” said Patrick McConnell, the coordinator for City Watch, a downtown Macon crime prevention program. The announcement came as part of the 26th annual National Night Out. Law enforcement officials and citizens — throughout Middle Georgia and across the country — celebrated “America’s Night Out Against Crime” on Tuesday evening. Macon mayor Robert Reichert issued a . . . more

www.macon.com
Posted on August 05, 2009
By Eric Newcomer

Progressive Christian Academy likely to stay open another year

Wed, 05 Aug 2009 18:13:23 GMT

Progressive Christian Academy, which has struggled financially in the past year to stay open, is on track to open for another school year, according to the school’s principal. “We’re coming along and continuing to get enrollment,” Principal Betty Tolbert said Tuesday. She said pre-k students return to school Thursday and remaining grades return Monday. The private school in Macon’s Pleasant Hill neighborhood, which has been opened since 1985, needed to raise $40,000 in January to pay its mortgage or close, but in the end came up with the money.

www.macon.com
Posted on August 5, 2009
By Julie Hubbard

Night Out has grown, changed

Tue, 04 Aug 2009 13:29:33 GMT

When the first National Night Out was held, the hallmarks of the event were front porch vigils and outside lights glowing throughout the night. While some communities still incorporate that tradition to draw attention to community watch programs and police-community partnerships, the event has expanded through the years to include a host of activities — from cookouts to block parties to festivals. Tonight’s 26th annual event is no exception . . . more

www.macon.com
Posted on August 04, 2009
By Becky Purser

Hundreds turn out for free school supplies in Macon

Tue, 04 Aug 2009 13:27:17 GMT

School nutrition worker Linda Akridge got to a school supply drive Monday at Miller Middle School in Macon an hour and a half early to stand in line for free paper, notebooks and pencils. “This is such a blessing,” Akridge said. “If I didn’t have this I’d be up a creek.” Her daughter is starting middle school this week and aside from buying new school uniforms and a backpack, they’re required to have more materials in the . . . more

www.macon.com
Posted on August 04, 2009
By Julie Hubbard

Macon State College expanding botanical gardens

Tue, 04 Aug 2009 13:23:28 GMT

Macon State College isn’t just replacing the trees and plants lost in last year’s Mother’s Day tornado. The college now is making plans to come back better than before, turning the campus into a destination botanical garden. Instead of the 17 distinct gardens that were once spread around the 170-acre campus in west Macon, there will be . . . more

www.macon.com
Posted on August 04, 2009
By Travis Fain

Man keeps eye on downtown Macon

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 13:18:00 GMT

There’s a new sheriff in town. But this sheriff doesn’t have a badge, a squad car or a bulletproof vest. He’s not even armed. Patrick McConnell patrols a 25-block area in downtown Macon by foot every day, keeping a watchful eye on the city’s homeless and ne’er-do-wells. If a problem arises, he solves it. It’s his job as coordinator of NewTown Macon’s City Watch program. McConnell, 36, has been helping keep the streets safe since he assumed the post in April. His clientele . . . more

www.macon.com
Posted on July 30, 2009
By: Carl Lewis

Spring Hill School moved

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 13:12:28 GMT

The 104-year-old Spring Hill School took its first — and last — trip Wednesday as it was moved from the Rehobeth Baptist Church on U.S. 41 north of Perry to Beckham Circle behind the Herman Ragin Center downtown. The relocation efforts were spearheaded by the Perry Historical Society, and the move was performed by Parrish Construction and Terrell Smith House Moving. The school was in use from 1905-25, when it was closed after . . . more

www.macon.com
Posted on July 30, 2009
By: Jake Jacobs

CrimeStoppers tips, rewards increase, but money running low

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 12:46:22 GMT

With tipsters on pace to earn $100,000 this year, it’s possible the growing number of tips called in to Macon Regional CrimeStoppers could exceed the amount of donations coming in. Board Chairman Warren Selby said he never dreamed the nonprofit agency would be doling out $100,000 in a year for crime tips. “But we’re on that track now,” he said. Selby said CrimeStoppers has . . . more

www.macon.com
Posted on Sun, Jul. 19, 2009
By Amy Leigh Womack

Bragg Jam generates fun and funds

Sun, 26 Jul 2009 15:34:00 GMT

Immersed in blue light, holding a black guitar and wearing a white cowboy hat, Rabbi Larry Schlesinger of Temple Beth Israel brought Saturday evening’s Bragg Jam festivities to a roaring start at the Hummingbird Stage and Taproom. The annual music festival offered up more than 40 acts on eight stages. Bragg Jam started 10 years ago to honor Brax and Taylor “Tate” Bragg, who were killed in a car accident. Since then, Bragg Jam has grown into one of Macon’s largest events — and the City Council passed legislation this year to . . . more

www.macon.com
Posted Sunday July 26, 2009
By Eric Newcomer

Ocmulgee Heritage Trail extensions to be added soon

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 21:14:40 GMT

As Bragg Jam approaches, bringing with it the festival’s annual windfall for the Ocmulgee Heritage Trail, the trail is slated to extend farther in the coming weeks. A contractor is expected to begin building a new 4,000-foot section of trail along the top of the levee through Central City Park and south of the park, said Mike Ford, CEO of NewTown Macon. NewTown administers the trail. This trail extension will be the first major section built in fine gravel rather than concrete. Construction is likely to begin . . . more

www.macon.com
Posted on Fri, Jul. 24, 2009
By: S. Heather Duncan

Watson-Brown Foundation presents checks to historic sites

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 21:12:03 GMT

Two Milledgeville historical sites got a little help in carrying out their mission of preserving the area’s past Thursday. The Watson-Brown Foundation Junior Board of Trustees Milledgeville Chapter awarded $5,000 grants to both the Flannery O’Connor-Andalusia Foundation and the Old Capital Museum in two separate check presentation ceremonies Thursday. The Flannery O’Connor-Andalusia Foundation applied for the Junior Board grant to help facilitate the . . . more

www.unionrecorder.com
By: Daniel McDonald
Posted July 24, 2009

Museum of Aviation fundraiser draws almost 2,000

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 21:09:00 GMT

Hundreds purchased tickets for the 24th annual Museum of Aviation Auction, Raffle and Taste of Local Cuisine hoping they would leave the event as the big winner in the grand prize raffle. But, as always, the big winner was the museum itself. All of this is totally run through public donations,” said Pat Bartness, president of the Museum of Aviation Foundation. “Events like this . . . more

www.macon.com
Posted on Mon, Jul. 20, 2009
By Marlon A. Walker

Peacocks returning to Andalusia farm

Sat, 18 Jul 2009 18:38:00 GMT

Peacocks have not lived at Andalusia since the 1980s, but returning the iconic fowl to the country farm of one of the world’s most celebrated authors has become a reality that is within grasp, according the director of Andalusia, Craig Amason. “The main reason we need them here is that . . . more

www.unionrecorder.com
Posted July 18, 2009
By: Jonathan Jackson

Leader Tribune Joins Fort Valley Arts Alliance

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 13:28:37 GMT

. . . The Leader Tribune’s general manager Connie Irwin said “We at the Leader Tribune are looking forward to working closely with Fort Valley Arts Alliance members in promoting the arts and letting our readers know about the excellent events sponsored by the Alliance.” Connie continued by saying how important it is for the entire community to become involved with continued support for the Arts Alliance. The Alliance’s events held at the Austin Theater have become a focal point of excitement in downtown Fort Valley bringing visitors from . . . more

www.fvleadertribune.com
Posted July 15, 2009
By: Danny Gilleland

Midstate college students spend summer break volunteering abroad

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:55:34 GMT

Cancun. Kauai. Puerto Vallarta. Punta Cana. Buenos Aires. Panama City. Kara Teresi could have chosen just about anywhere to vacation this summer. Yet instead of flocking to a tourist mecca like many of her fellow Georgia College & State University students, Teresi spent a week in a small, low-income community overlooking the Cegro Negro Volcano in Nicaragua. Teresi, a member of Georgia College’s soccer team, traveled with seven other Georgia College students in May to the Nicaraguan village El Ayudante, where they . . . more

www.macon.com
Posted on Thu, Jul. 16, 2009
By Carl Lewis

Summer Life Series Camp graduation held

Sat, 11 Jul 2009 13:03:00 GMT

A graduation ceremony was held Friday for youths participating in the 2009 Bibb County Summer Life Series Camp at Southside Community Church, 4162 Roy Ave. More than 25 students participated in the free summer camp that offered life-skills and character building workshops, as well as career and . . . more

www.macon.com
Posted on Sat, Jul. 11, 2009
By Julie Hubbard

Grand Opera House getting new marquee

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 20:48:00 GMT

Construction began Monday on a $500,000 digital marquee at the front entrance to the 1,000-seat performing arts center on Mulberry Street. The Grand’s new marquee will feature more than 2,000 light-emitting diode bulbs and a high-resolution digital screen, said Tom Rogers, the project contractor with Chris R. Sheridan and Co. It will be 12 feet tall and stretch 40 feet wide, making it roughly the same size as the marquee at the . . . more

www.macon.com
Posted on Wed, Jul. 08, 2009
By: Carl Lewis

Boys and Girls Clubs Benefit Everyone

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 14:07:00 GMT

“We are not just a day care center or a place for kids to hang out. We teach young people good character traits and how to be productive citizens. Our staff stresses the importance of self respect and respect of others.” said Paul Dominquez, Chief Professional Officer for the Fort Valley Boys and Girls Club. “Our clubs benefit club members but their parents and the community as well.” Dominquez knows the Boys and Girls Club can have a positive impact on youth because he has . . . more

www.fvleadertribune.com
Posted July 8, 2009
By: Katie Minter Jones

Middle Georgians celebrating Independence Day in different ways

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 13:39:00 GMT

. . . At Fort Hawkins in Macon, visitors came to tour the fort, which is only open once or twice a month, said Marty Willett, the chairman of Friends of Fort Hawkins. Willett dressed up as Col. Benjamin Hawkins, who served as a junior officer on George Washington’s staff, and gave a speech that detailed Hawkin’s influence on . . . more

www.macon.com
Posted on Sun, Jul. 05, 2009
By Eric Newcomer

Residents write postcards to the 48th Brigade - Music Hall of Fame sponsors drive

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 13:23:00 GMT

The note was simple. “To you who share the love of our country(,) thanks for everything. We love you all,” the words on the back of a postcard read. In the coming days, the postcard, along with many others, will be sent to members of the Georgia National Guard’s 48th Brigade, who are . . . more

www.macon.com
Posted on Sat, Jul. 04, 2009
By Jennifer Burk

Lucky dogs adopted as pet abandonment on the rise

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:12:00 GMT

About two dozen dogs rescued by the All About Animals shelter panted and frolicked in pens outside PetSmart at Eisenhower Crossing on Sunday afternoon. By 4 p.m., eight puppies had found new homes. A black and white bulldog mix went home with. . . more

www.macon.com
Posted on Mon, Jun. 29, 2009
By Amy Leigh Womack

Residents excited about funding for College Hill Corridor

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 13:17:00 GMT

Mary Leonard has lived in the InTown Macon neighborhood, near the railroad tracks, for five years. She said she had come to accept that the area near the tracks would always look unattractive and that nothing could be done. But at a meeting Wednesday of the College Hill Corridor Commission . . . more

www.macon.com
Posted on Thu, Jun. 25, 2009
By Phillip Ramati

Sports hall panel working on funding crisis

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:25:00 GMT

Most members of the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame’s authority don’t believe the museum is on the verge of closing, but newly announced cutbacks have underscored its dire financial straits. At an authority meeting Thursday, members discussed options after . . . more

www.macon.com
Posted on Fri, Jun. 26, 2009
By Phillip Ramati

Groups seek to save home of pioneering black educator

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:05:00 GMT

Fifteen-year-old Deandre Hooks crouched on the porch of a crumbling, wood-planked house Wednesday morning to complete a writing assignment. The house was nothing special and the heat was blistering, but it didn’t seem to bother him. In fact, he felt perfectly at home. “I’m meant to be here right now,” Hooks said. “It’s part of who I am.” . . . more

www.macon.com
Posted on Thu, Jun. 25, 2009
By Carl Lewis

Former shop will be Fort Hawkins visitors center

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 13:37:00 GMT

One day — and it can’t come too soon for fort supporters — an empty former auto shop on Emery Highway will be a visitors center for a rebuilt Fort Hawkins adjacent to it. Plans call for a fireproof vault to store artifacts unearthed at the fort, where Macon was established in the early 1800s. A classroom is part of the plan, Fort Hawkins Commission Chairman Marty Willett said. But for now, the commission is . . . more

www.macon.com
Posted on Wed, Jun. 24, 2009
By: Travis Fain

Grant gives College Hill Corridor plan big boost

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 14:58:00 GMT

A huge grant announced Monday will be used to improve the neighborhoods between the Mercer University campus and downtown Macon. The $5 million grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation was awarded to the College Hill Corridor Commission to support its master plan for the area. Mercer and the city of Macon have been partners in plans to upgrade the corridor, which covers about 1.5 square miles and includes . . . more

www.macon.com
Posted on Tue, Jun. 23, 2009
By Phillip Ramati

College Hill Corridor grant announcement scheduled for today

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 12:56:00 GMT

Mercer University and local officials will announce this morning “a major grant” awarded to the College Hill Corridor project, according to the university. Mercer officials declined to elaborate on the details but said Macon Mayor Robert Reichert, Mercer President Bill Underwood and U.S. Rep. Jim Marshall, D-Ga., are scheduled to attend. The news conference is set for 10 a.m. at the fountain in front of Mercer Village on Montpelier Avenue. The College Hill Corridor project represents a partnership between the college and the city to develop the neighborhoods between Mercer and downtown Macon both culturally and economically. “You can expect a major, exciting, groundbreaking announcement about . . . more

www.Macon.com
Posted on Mon, Jun. 22, 2009
By Phillip Ramati

Allman Brothers fans come to tour future museum, see progress

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 14:30:00 GMT

The Big House is about to become a big museum. The Allman Brothers Band’s old house on Vineville Aveneue, which has been a law firm, a rental property and a private residence at times, is finally becoming a real museum. Fans stopped by Saturday to tour the house and see the progress that has been made. While Kirk West, an Allman Brothers fan, lived in the house between 1993 and 2007, he let people . . . more

www.Macon.com
Posted on Sun, Jun. 21, 2009
By Eric Newcomer

Seeds of Community

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 16:18:00 GMT

Vegetable Gardens Help Bring Macon Neighbors Together
Tucked away in a vacant lot behind Centenary United Methodist Church on College Street sits a humble plot where pole beans, tomatoes, eggplant and okra grow.

"But what we're really growing is hope," said Mark Vanderhoek, founder of the Beall's Hill Community Garden. more

www.Macon.com
By Carl Lewis
Posted: Monday, June 15, 2009

Chasing the Rabbits — Again

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 15:07:00 GMT

Kirsten West, director of Macon’s Big House Foundation, recently invited me to
tour the cache of Allman Brothers memorabilia. While taking in all the bits and
pieces once belonging to “The Brothers,” Kirsten mentioned that John Elkington,
a conceptual consultant, would be coming to Macon.

Elkington was in town from Tennessee. He is known as the catalyst to the rebirth
of the world famous Beale Street in Memphis. Millions of visitors are estimated at
that historic destination each year. With Elkington’s vision and persistence, he
helped inspire a community to turn an urban wasteland into the top tourist
attraction in their state . . . more

www.Macon.com
By Kenny Burgamy
Posted Sunday, June 14, 2009

Macon Music: City Could Make Millions by Creating a Downtown Entertainment District

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:37:00 GMT

Macon is in prime position to revitalize the Poplar Street section of downtown and turn it
into an entertainment district that could be worth millions in revenue, a Memphis, Tenn.,
developer told a crowd Wednesday. But it’s up to the community to come together with a plan of action and execute it . . . more

www.Macon.com
By Phillip Ramati
Posted: Thursday, June 11, 2009

Hospital Donates Space to Feed Center

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 14:25:00 GMT

The Feed Center Medical Clinic needed space. Peach Regional Medical Center had the space and an increasing appetite for community outreach. The institutions were made for each other. So it is that on June 15, the Feed Center Medical Clinic and PRMC will . . . more

www.fvleadertribune.com
By Victor Kulkosky
Posted June 3, 2009

Volunteers will lead Center for Racial Understanding

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 21:13:00 GMT

The Center for Racial Understanding isn’t going away, but it will have a much different look in the future. Leaders of the Macon organization, created five years ago to further dialogue about race in Macon and Bibb County, said funding for the group has dried up because of the . . . more

www.macon.com
By Phillip Ramati
Posted on Wed, Jun. 03, 2009

Literary tourists' flock to Flannery O'Connor's Georgia farm

Mon, 25 May 2009 12:42:00 GMT

From the barn at Andalusia Farm came a clamorous grunt-snort-clop-grunt-snort-clop, not really loud but certainly enough to capture my attention. When I looked up from the fence row where I stood, a seemingly ancient, slightly . . . more

www.macon.com
Posted on Mon, May. 25, 2009
By MARY ANN ANDERSON

$17,930 Raised for Midstate Teachers Online

Sat, 23 May 2009 14:26:00 GMT

A Web site that allows the public to donate money to buy midstate teachers classroom materials has raised $17,930 according to a Bibb County school system news release. The Community Foundation of Central Georgia has pledged . . . more

www.macon.com
Posted on Sat, May. 23, 2009
Julie Hubbard

Macon socialite dies at 99

Wed, 20 May 2009 19:30:00 GMT

Laure Nelle Anderson O'Callaghan, a well-loved socialite whose support was crucial in funding the charitable W.T. Anderson Health Center, had died. A member of the Anderson family, whose members owned and publised The Macon Telegraph for many years. Mrs. O'Callaghan was a popular entertainer, cook, gardener, and bridge player". . . more

www.macon.com
By: Travis Fain
Posted on Tue, May 19, 2009

Nashville legends photographs on display at Georgia Music Hall of Fame

Thu, 14 May 2009 17:36:00 GMT

Right away, the appearance of the Georgia Music Hall of Fame’s new exhibit, “Nashville Portraits: Photographs by Jim McGuire,” just feels different. Unlike the hall’s previous award-winning exhibit dedicated to the life and career of . . . more

www.macon.com
By Phillip Ramati
Posted on Thu, May. 14, 2009

"Miracle" of the Miracle League

Mon, 11 May 2009 19:44:00 GMT

It was the shot heard around the world. Or at least around West Macon Park.
It happened two weeks ago, and it is still resounding. Benjamin Marsh can’t stop talking about it. He has told everybody at his school. He has told everybody at his church. He has told the dog. Nobody is tired of hearing about it. It’s a good thing Ben’s favorite subject in school is history. Saturday morning, April 25, he made history . . . more

www.macon.com
Posted on Mon, May. 11, 2009
By: Ed Grisamore

Barnesville-Lamar Community Foundation Offers Chance to Honor Moms

Fri, 08 May 2009 21:31:00 GMT

When God chose heavenly healing for Cassandra Dayton after a battle with Cancer, her son Matthew and former husband Bill knew exactly how they wanted to honor her. They chose to establish a . . . more

www.barnesville.com
By: Walter Geiger
Posted on May 8, 2009

Booker T. Washington Center Nearer to Survival

Wed, 06 May 2009 13:59:00 GMT

The historic Booker T. Washington Community Center, which closed for several months last year after running out of money, has restored limited operations and is negotiating a closer relationship with . . . more

www.macon.com
By S. Heather Duncan
Posted on Wed, May. 06, 2009

First Peyton Anderson scholars named, awarded $75,000 in college scholarships

Tue, 05 May 2009 19:46:00 GMT

Fifteen graduating high school seniors were named the first Peyton Anderson scholars Monday, and they will split a total of $75,000 in college scholarships.
“I would’ve had a hard time paying tuition without it,” said Andrea Livingston, a Southwest High School senior who was awarded . . . more

www.macon.com
By Julie Hubbard
Posted on Tue, May. 05, 2009

Lucas scholarships to be awarded today at Georgia Sports Hall

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 20:35:00 GMT

Entering its fifth year, the Al Lucas Memorial Scholarships will be awarded at a 5:30 p.m. reception today at the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame. The awards are given annually to Bibb County high school students who are . . . more

www.macon.com
By Matt Barnwell
Posted on Wed, Apr. 29, 2009

Love, laughter and the long goodbye

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 20:32:00 GMT

She held hands with him a million times. They shared love and laughter about a billion more. He kept right on smiling at her, even after he could no longer recall her name or recognize her face. Betty Heard prefers to remember her husband for who he was . . . more

www.macon.com
By Ed Grisamore
Posted on Wed, Apr. 29, 2009

Museum of Arts & Sciences to Close Mondays, Announces Furloughs

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 20:45:00 GMT

The Museum of Arts and Sciences, looking to cut expenses, announced shortened hours of operation Monday and furloughs for full-time employees.
Beginning May 4, the museum will be closed Mondays until . . . more

www.macon.com
By Jake Jacobs
Posted on Tue, Apr. 28, 2009

Rebuilding Macon Repairs 40 Homes

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 20:26:00 GMT

Roughly 1,200 volunteers fixed up about 40 homes this weekend in a charitable rebuilding program that has become a year-round fixture in Macon.
Rebuilding Macon doesn’t just slap on a new coat of paint and patch up . . . more

www.macon.com
Posted on Mon, Apr. 27, 2009
By Travis Fain

Basketballs with Bible Verses Given to Kids in Midstate

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 20:19:00 GMT

Local church groups are giving away 800 basketballs emblazoned with Bible verses as part of an outreach program that has its roots in Africa and a chance meeting on an . . . more

www.macon.com
Posted on Mon, Apr. 27, 2009
By Travis Fain

Pan African Festival Promotes Cultural & Racial Harmony

Sun, 26 Apr 2009 20:25:00 GMT

When the Pan African Festival of Georgia paraders reach Central City Park this afternoon — having moved through the streets of downtown Macon — they will process into an all-faith service to embrace . . . more

www.Macon.com
By Ashley Tusan Joyner
Posted on Sun, Apr. 26, 2009

Tubman Receives $150,000 Grant

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 19:41:00 GMT

A $150,000 grant from AT&T is expected to help the Tubman African American Museum in Macon reach a broader audience . . . more

www.Macon.com
BY PHILLIP RAMATI
Posted on Thu, Apr. 23, 2009

College Hill plans start to firm up with several events on tap

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 16:15:00 GMT

As the College Hill Corridor project continues to chug along, commission members and volunteers learned Wednesday that their plans are in pretty good shape. In fact, things are going so well that . . . more

www.Macon.com
BY PHILLIP RAMATI
Posted on Thu, Apr. 16, 2009

Boys and Girls Club seeks space from Byron City Council

Sun, 19 Apr 2009 16:30:00 GMT

The Byron City Council listened Monday as officials from the Boys and Girls Club of Georgia Heartlands made pleas for more space and playground equipment.
Last year, the city donated . . . more