JANUARY THROUGH JUNE
Editor’s note: We have compiled the top stories of 2022 as we prepare for another year serving Milledgeville and Baldwin County. This is the first of a two-part series. The months of July through December will be featured next week.
JANUARY
The year begins roughly with the Baldwin County Sheriff’s on the lookout for a group of individuals who stole a giant Christmas ornament in front of the courthouse.
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart celebrated the Bulldogs winning the College Football Playoff National Championship at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind., on Jan. 10.
Staff writer Lance McCurley highlights Milledgeville native Javon Bullard in his efforts to help UGA win the CFP National Championship. Bullard played in 14 of 15 games during their CFP National Championship run.
Dungeons & Daiquiris opened its doors on 125 S. Wayne Street and became the first gaming cafe in downtown Milledgeville.
Maggie Bryson passed away from sustained injuries after experiencing a terrible wreck with a freightliner driven by Rashad Leshore on Jan. 22. The driver fell asleep while driving and struck several objects before entering the Jet Food Store parking lot and making impact with Bryson’s vehicle. The impact caused Bryson’s vehicle to become trapped under the front of the Freightliner. Leshore was charged with second-degree vehicular homicide, along with charges of failure to obey traffic control device, following too closely, and fatigued driving. All charges were misdemeanors.
On Jan. 26, one male drowned in Lake Sinclair after suffering what was believed to be a medical episode. In addition, Joseph Roberson was reported missing in Lake Sinclair and Baldwin County Commissioners honored Baldwin County Superintendent Dr. Noris Price for being named School Superintendent of the Year and being a finalist for National Superintendent of the Year on Feb 1. She was honored through an award from the board.
Baldwin County officials announced taking a step toward closing the digital divide with the help of a $917,916.50 grant from the state on Feb. 1. This grant allowed Baldwin County residents to all receive broadband access. The grant was part of more than $408 million in grants Gov. Brian Kemp announced to go toward increasing highspeed internet access in rural Georgia.
Legislation from a state Senate committee passed to allow Georgians to carry firearms without a permit on a 6-3 party-line vote on Feb. 1.
GMC hosts National Signing Day on Feb. 2 at
aggravated assault, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, violation of the Georgia Controlled Substances Act and crossing a guard line with a controlled substance. On Feb 15, authorities responded to a medical assistance call for Latoria Waller, 30, who suffered a gunshot wound. According to Baldwin County Sheriff Bill Masse, the incident appeared to be a domestic violent situation that went astray and led Chapple to kill his girlfriend.
The city of Milledgville received the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for its 35th year at the Feb. 22 City Council meeting.
March
Andalusia Farm, home of American famed author Mary “Flannery” O’Connor, was designated as a National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service. This is Georgia College & State University’s second National Historic Landmark, with Georgia’s Old Governor’s Mansion receiving this recognition in 1973. According to Matt Davis, director of Historic Museums at Georgia College, it is a rarity for a town to have two National Historic Landmarks.
Residents of Milledgeville suffer high gas prices after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. As of March 9, the national average was $4.25 a gallon, with Georgia slightly below that at $4.17. According to the AAA data, Baldwin County’s average was at $4.09 a gallon.
Comedian and Milledgeville native Darius Wilkerson posted a video on Feb. 24 to his TikTok account showcasing the slave graves that can be found in the back of Memory Hill Cemetery and the meaning of the links of chains that can be found on the graves. Wilkerson explains that three chains meant the enslaved person was born a slave, lived a slave and died a slave. Two links meant the person was born a slave, lived a slave but died free. One link meant the person was born enslaved but lived and died free. In less than two weeks time, the video had already gathered 15,000 likes and more than 500 shares. As of December 2022, the video has hit over 202 million views with over 29,000 likes and 959 shares.
Javon Bullard, the second football player from the city of Milledgeville to bring home a national championship, returned to Baldwin County and stopped at each school to meet students before being celebrated in a public ceremony on March 11. Although Milledgeville Mayor Mary Parham-Copelan could not be present at the celebrations, she sent a proclamation declaring March 11 Javon Bullard Day in the city of Milledgeville.
Brooke Conaway, associate professor of economics at Georgia College & State University, received the 2022 University System of Georgia (USG) Board of Regents Felton Jenkins Jr. Hall of Fame Faculty Award. Conaway is the fourth Georgia College professor in five years and the second in her department to earn this award.
Baldwin County Superintendent Dr. Noris Price was recognized by Governor Brian Kemp at the state capitol on March 28.
The GMC golf team hosted their home tournament, The Bulldog Lake Sinclair Invitational, on March 27-28 at The Club at Lake Sinclair. The Bulldogs finished the tournament in second place, coming 10 shots behind eventual champions Emmanuel College.
April
The Middle Georgia Regional Library expanded its library without walls to Baldwin, Crawford, Jones, Macon, Twiggs and Wilkerson counties. Services provided include library card sign-ups, book circulation, and story times.
The Oak Hill Braves boys soccer team ended the season with their second CSRA championship. The boys were 7-1 ending the season and beat the Thomson Bulldogs 4-0 for their second-consecutive championship win.
The Georgia Military College golf team placed second in the GCAA Championship on April 11 at Twin Cities Country Club in Tennille.
Browning Benton of GMC also won low medalist for the tournament after rounds of 69-76. This was his first collegiate win. Austin Quillian of the Bulldogs came in second place individually for the tournament after shooting rounds of 73-77 and was named to the GCAA Championship All-Tournament Team.
Milledgeville hosted its first-ever Burger Week from April 15-22. During Milledgeville Burger Week, participants had an official passport to navigate their taste buds throughout the 13 participating Milledgeville restaurants. The passports were stamped at each location and turned in for a chance to win prizes.
Easter weekend was filled with violence after several gunshots were fired in Milledgeville.
According to the Milledgeville Police Department, one incident occurred April 16, outside of Columbia Pub & Billiards. Marquis Whipple and George Washington started a dispute, injuring each other and two bystanders.
The next day, MPD was dispatched to the area of West Mitchell Street due to a report of shots fired.
Jimekia Havior suffered a gunshot wound but was unable to identify the shooter.
On April 29, staff reporter Jonathan O’Brien honored Milledgeville City Councilman Richard “Boo” Mullins, who unexpectedly passed away.
He was remembered as a friend and mentor to many. On May 1, a Celebration of Life for Mullins was held at the Georgia College Centennial Center in Milledgeville.
May
The Baldwin County School District was named as a NAAM Foundation “Best Communities for Music Education” for the seventh year in a row. Receiving this award acknowledges that the Baldwin County School District puts grand effort into their music education and ensures every student is offered a well-rounded education in music with opportunities.
Austin Quillian received GMC’s Mason Cup award for the second consecutive year. The Mason Cup is an annual award named for Mr. and Mrs.
Harold D. Mason, Sr., of Milledgeville, who established an endowment fund in 2001 to support the GMC Junior College Golf program. Each year the award is presented to someone who best represents the game of golf and the institution.
Twenty-eight-year-old Lila Coogan, best known for her role as Anya during the Broadway tour production of Anastasia: The Musical, mentored GMC Prep students in a workshop on May 6. She helped them prepare for their own production of Anastasia later that night. Church Central hosted a free yard sale that gave away thousands of clothes to the Milledgeville community. The free yard sale was a service event for the church’s annual Generous Sunday.
Generous Sundays are hosted at the end of a lesson series being taught by the church. At the free yard sale, visitors were treated to a big cookout and about 12 racks and 10 tables full of clothes donated by the church.
After the event, there were some leftovers of both clothes and food. The leftover clothes were donated to a local thrift store and the food was taken to the local soup kitchen.
John Milledge Academy defeated the Pinewood Christian Patriots in the GISA Class AAA State Baseball Championship on May 14 in a best-ofthree series. All three contests in this year’s series were close, and John Milledge Academy head coach Chad Starley acknowledged how tough their opponent was.
June
CJ’s Cards & Collectibles brought Saturday Night Magic to Milledgeville.
Saturday Night Magic is a tournament night for residents of Milledgeville who play Magic: The Gathering. Magic: The Gathering is a tabletop card game that is widely popular around the world.
Teresa Rose, 56, of Milledgeville was struck and killed by a 2006 Chevrolet van driven by Josafat Gonzalez-Villagrana, 32, of Hull while riding her bicycle in Putnam County on May 31. Gonzalez-Villagrana was arrested on the night of May 31 on charges of failure to yield, homicide by vehicle, and turning position; signal required.
He was released on a $2,223 cash bond.
Five years after the slayings of two Georgia Department of Corrections officers, the death penalty trial of Ricky Dubose began June 1, in Putnam County Superior Court. Dubose was one of two inmates accused of shooting to death GDOC officers Sgt.
Christopher Monica and Sgt. Curtis Billue on a GDOC transport bus that was traveling through Putnam County on June 13, 2017. On June 16, Dubose was sentenced to the death penalty and was set to become the youngest person currently on death row in Georgia.
However, on June 26, Dubose hung himself to death in his cell.
Jerry Herrin, of Milledgeville, was the top finisher in the “Masters” category in the Dairy Festival 5K Road Race in Putnam County. He has competed in the race since the early 2000s and liked the new layout of the race for 2022.
The Baldwin Bulletin
was awarded General Excellence in the Better Newspaper Contest, which is coordinated by the Georgia Press Association. The thirdplace honor means The Baldwin Bulletin was judged to be one of the best newspapers of its size in Georgia.