From the Ingles Studio, Welcome to The Community Podcast.
This Podcast brings you the top stories from the Rockdale-Newton Citizen and the Morgan Citizen
Today is Thursday, May 11th and happy 33rd birthday to Cam Newton
***Cam highlight***
I’m Brian Giffin and here are your top stories presented by Drake Realty
A Conyers man is indicted on charges of selling deadly 'tranq dope'
Newton residents to vote on school tax exemption
And a Covington man arrested after allegedly threatening to kill a Morgan County woman and then himself
Plus, Lia McGrath of Ingles Markets joins our Bruce Jenkins to talk about meat allergies
These stories and more are coming up in today’s edition of the Community Podcast for Rockdale, Newton, and Morgan Counties!
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STORY 1:Drug charges
Masi Lenard Fears has been charged with distribution of a controlled substance resulting in serious bodily injury or death for selling a lethal combination of fentanyl and xylazine, also known as "tranq." The use of "tranq" in the community is concerning, as it is a powerful sedative used by veterinarians, and its addition to fentanyl increases drug dealers' profits. Fears allegedly sold the powder to two men who believed they were buying cocaine or heroin, but one of them died quickly, and the other suffered serious injuries. The charges were brought by the U.S. Attorney's Office and investigated by the DEA and Conyers Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Forsyth is prosecuting the case.
STORY 2: Schools
Residents of Newton County in Georgia will vote in a November referendum to increase the homestead exemption for senior citizens on school district property taxes. If approved, the referendum would increase the total school district homestead exemption for senior citizens to $50,000, subject to some income restrictions. This would provide much-needed tax relief to eligible senior residents, who already receive certain property tax exemptions based on age and income requirements. The Newton County Board of Education approved a resolution in December to increase the homestead exemption for seniors after hearing from many residents who requested the tax relief.
Story 3 Arrested
A woman reported to Morgan County Dispatch that William Brady Smith had threatened to kill her and himself with a gun during a domestic argument on May 7. She had managed to take the gun away from him and flee. Deputies found Smith driving a pickup truck and arrested him on charges of stalking, battery, and DUI. The woman had noticed that one of her dogs was missing and later found that Smith had parked his truck in her barn behind her residence. Deputies found three loaded ammunition magazines and an open box of beer in Smith's truck. He was also charged with criminal trespass and open container violations.
STORY 3: Piedmont
Story 4 Piedmont
Piedmont Rockdale has launched its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) Council to represent a broad range of people from different social and ethnic backgrounds throughout the metro-Atlanta community. The council's mission statement includes a commitment to a diverse, inclusive and engaging environment for patients and staff. Jo Anne Hill, the executive director, oversees the council and hosted the launch, which was attended by 60 people. The council's priorities include increasing minority representation in leadership, improving access to education and training in connection with DE&I programs, and making community connections in support of Piedmont's purpose to make a positive difference.
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STORY 4: Leah
And now, Leah McGrath of Ingles Markets joins our own Bruce Jenkins to talk about meat allergies
*****Leah*****
We’ll have more community news in a moment
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STORY 5: Teachers
At a monthly board meeting on May 8, the Morgan County Board of Education recognized the teachers and support persons of the year from each school. The teachers of the year were Lynn Kirkpatrick, Miranda Johnson, Elizabeth Barnes, and Jenny Cofield. The support persons of the year were Shameka Terrell, Sarah Ghann, Ashley Peterson, and Sarah Boyd.
STORY 6: Awards
Christine Lambert, a leading preservationist, volunteer, and philanthropist in Madison, has been recognized with the Camille W. Yow Volunteer of the Year Award by the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation. Lambert, who became involved in the Trust over 40 years ago, has served in multiple capacities and chaired numerous committees. She has also grown the organization’s base of support and maintained an endowment to support Georgia Trust programs. Lambert's impact on historic preservation, particularly in Madison, has been significant, and she has been honored previously with the Mary Gregory Jewett Award in 2015. The Georgia Trust has recognized individuals and preservation projects for over 45 years.
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Thanks again for listening to today’s Community podcast, your home for the top news from Morgan, Rockdale, and Newton Counties. Giving you important news about your community and telling great stories are what we do. Did you know over 50% of Americans listen to podcasts weekly? Make sure you join us for our next episode and please share this podcast on social media with your friends and family. You can also add us to your Alexa Flash Briefing or your Google Home Briefing and be sure to like, follow, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
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Engineered Solutions of Georgia www.esogrepair.com
Gwinnett Public Schools www.gcpsk12.org
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