(Editor’s note: this is the first half of a two-part review of the top news stories of 2024. Pick up next week’s edition for the second half)
Jones County’s busy 2024 news year appeared to end with an exhale, thanks to holiday traditions that brought the community together for a respite from controversies.
The City of Gray began the year opening the door for economic development downtown with the approval of brewery production and sales, albeit with a split vote at its January meeting.
Work has since begun on the project in the former Chevy’s Pizza building with possible completion in this spring.
JANUARY
The Jones County Sheriff’s Department in coordination with two other Middle Georgia counties served warrants on 12 local businesses Jan. 10-11 for the sale of illegal vaping products and violations of cash payouts for gambling machines.
Officers said the investigation had been ongoing and was conducted by undercover operatives. A total of 34 businesses were involved in the three-county initiative.
The Jones County Board of Commissioners also began the year looking toward the future with the consideration of liquor package sales to stop surrounding counties from benefiting from tax revenues from Jones County residents.
The question of package sales would be approved by voters in November, but the single-county Transportation Special Local Option Sales Tax would fail.
A defendant in a 2021 murder case was found incompetent in Jones County Superior Court Jan. 25 after it was determined she could not be restored to competency after numerous attempts. Sharon Strawder Wood was arrested Nov. 20, 2021, following the shooting death of the victim.
Michael James Authement entered a guilty plea the same day to resolve a 2022 arson case that involved the destruction by fire of a cabin in Round Oak Road and also consumed 687 acres of the Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge.
Authement was sentenced to 20 years with 10 years to serve in prison.
FEBRUARY
Captains with the Jones County Fire Department came to the Board of Commissioners at a Feb. 20 work session with a plan for the transition of the county’s fire department from all volunteers to having paid firefighters round the clock.
The firefighters were led by Capt. Vann Collins with the move spurred by the fact that Jones County’s Emergency Management Director Don Graham was retiring in July after 15 years in the position.
The plan included the current deputy chief of the department, Thomas Coleman, assuming the role of Jones County Fire Chief.
The 2024 election cycle began in Feb. 19 with the opening of advance voting for the March 12 presidential primary.
Evan McGalliard achieved the honor of being the STAR Student for Jones County and named Morgan Jarvis as his STAR teacher. McGalliard was not finished there, however, and would also be the valedictorian of this 2024 Jones County High School graduating class.
MARCH
Marc Kerry Anderson, one of four inmates who escaped from the Bibb County jail in October of 2023, was sentenced March 7 for crimes he committed in Jones County. Those crimes included drug possession, theft and forgery. He was sentenced to a total of 18 years to serve in confinement for the charges.
A zoning request before Gray’s City Council March 4 would begin a saga of numerous attempts by the developer to construct town homes on Allen Greene Drive. Residents of The Pines subdivision across the street from the proposed development opposed the construction.
Council members unanimously denied the request. That was the beginning of the issue that would not be resolved until November but probably not permanently.
2024 was an election year for county offices, including the commissioners, constitutional officers, coroner and two board of education members. All incumbent commissioners qualified to run again as did the constitutional officers.
None of the constitutional officers faced opposition.
Micah Harley qualified to oppose District 2 Commissioner John Wood. Dan Howard opposed District 3 Commissioner Wendy Vaughn, and Alton West opposed District 4 Commissioner Daylon Martin.
Steve Johnson opposed Coroner Matt Jarratt.
Board of Education District 2 incumbent Alfred Pitts chose to retire and did not qualify. Two qualified to run for the position, Brady Skinner and Rice Adams. BOE District 4 incumbent Kimbrell Washburn qualified to run again but was not opposed.
Chelsey Asbell was named Jones County’s Teacher of the Year March 28 at a banquet to honor the county’s educators. The honoree has taught eighth grade at Clifton Ridge Middle School since 2014 and has been Jones County High School’s varsity spirit cheerleading head coach since 2017.
APRIL
The groundbreaking for Surcheros took place April 10 with franchise CEO and founder Luke Christian in attendance. The restaurant opened Sept. 24 with manager Wade Christian. The manager now lives in Gray with his wife Crissy, who is from Jones County.
Surcheros is located at 615 Landmark Pointe.
A forum for the candidates in the May primary election was held April 23 at Butler Hall, sponsored by the Gray/Jones County Chamber of Commerce, Jones County Republican Party and The Jones County News. All candidates in the election attended and answered written questions from the audience.
MAY
The Board of Commissioners held a work session May 7 to ask questions of Chief Appraiser Anthony George to clear up an issue with the unexpected electronic release of 2024 property values. George has been employed by Jones County since 2017.
His explanation about the release was it was not supposed to go live until May 15, and the values were not valid. The discussion with George was the first of many to come throughout the year.
At that time, he stated the county’s price per square foot for houses was $110 but should be $148. That statement turned out to be partially factual.
Cedar Creek Developer Scott Jackson was back before city council May 4 asking for a rehearing of his zoning request for Allan Green Drive. He said the rehearing request was due to the location of the city’s new test well that limited his options for development of the property.
The motion was made to approve the rehearing and was approved with a split 3-2 vote. Two additional zoning items were also approved with a split vote at the meeting.
Shakim Tyhiem Reeder entered a guilty plea in Superior Court May 16 to 11 counts of aggravated assault. The charges were the result of a 2022 shooting at the Mattie Wells Gym on Highway 49.
Reeder was sentenced to 10 years for each count, which will run concurrently with the first 180 days served in confinement. The remainder of his sentence is to be served on probation.
Incumbents did well in the May 21 primary. Wood and Vaughn defeated their challengers as did Jarrett for coroner. The primary resolved those races because all the candidates had registered as Republicans.
The race for Commission District 4 would not be resolved until November due to the candidates being from different parties.
Skinner won the contest for Pitts’ seat and will represent BOE District 2 in January. The BOE races are non-partisan.
Turnout for the primary was low, 15.41 percent.
JUNE
Objections to the rezoning of property on Allan Green Drive continued during a public hearing at the city’s June 3 council meeting. Residents of The Pines cited fears of increased traffic as the basis of their objections as well as not liking the idea of renters.
When the business meeting continued, there were three voting council members present. The vote was 2-1 in favor, but three votes are required for a legal vote of the fivemember board.
Due to the continued absence of Councilman Benny Gray, who resides in a local nursing facility, the absence of one more member of the council puts legal votes in jeopardy. Council member Terry Favors did not attend the meeting.
Board of Education members received an overview of upcoming improvements at JCHS at their June 11 meeting at the request of Pitts. The cost of the renovations is projected at $3 million.
Jones County School System Support Services Director Raymond Braziel and Maintenance Director Joe Evans gave the presentation.
The items include air conditioning for the gym that required infrastructure changes, and improvements necessary to make the gym ADA compliant, including new bleachers. The Fine Arts Auditorium will receive lighting upgrades and new carpet.
The final item for the improvements was a new press box. Braziel said the school system had the opportunity to make it all happen at one time and added the improvements were a need, not a want for safety reasons.
Commissioners said farewell to Graham at their June 18 meeting. The EMA Director had served in the position since 2009 but had been a paramedic for 46 years. His official retirement date was July 1.
David Allen Dillard entered guilty pleas for 16 counts of sexual exploitation of children and three firearm possession charges June 20. He was sentenced to a total of 25 years with the first 10 years to serve in prison.
JULY
Jones County students and parents received huge news with the announcement that for the next five years lunches and breakfasts will be free for all students. School Nutrition Director Matoshia Grant said Jones County became eligible through the Community Eligibility Provision program. She said school systems qualify for the program due to the number of students who receive food stamps, TANF and Medicaid.
The director said the process took months and was labor intensive. She said, after all the data was put together, it had to be sent to the Department of Education to be approved. Grant said she was asked for some clarification, but it ended with approval.
The director said, at the end of 2023, $12,000 in lunch charges were owed, but the local Pickleball league worked throughout the year to pay down those bills. Grant said those efforts were greatly appreciated.
Gray’s July 1 council meeting started with four council members, but when it was time to vote on the Cedar Creek zoning request, Favors actually got up and left. That left the issue in limbo once again.
A ribbon cutting and grand opening event for Gray’s expanded and newly renovated Wastewater Treatment Plant was held July 12. The occasion included officials from the EPA and GEFA in addition to representatives of the engineering firm Carter and Sloope and Haren Construction Company.
City Superintendent Cheyenne Morgan thanked city water department and public works department employees for their help with the project.
Gray celebrated the addition of a new doctor’s office July 25 with the grand opening of Vineville Internal Medicine located at 147 James Street.
July ended with another miracle thanks to Justin Kelly and Dairy Queen of Gray. Miracle Treat Day raised $123,677 in one day for the Beverly Knight Olson Children’s Hospital, but that was not all. Donations continued to come in, and Kelly presented the hospital with a check for $150,809 Aug. 13.
Since Kelly has owned Dairy Queen in 2021, more than $400,000 has been donated to the children’s hospital.
