Two counties... two different maps... and a battle that's headed to court again next week.
Good evening, everyone. I'm Leah Johnson.
And I'm Frank Malloy.
You're watching Eyewitness News at Six.
New in the ongoing Bibb-Monroe border dispute tonight...Bibb County is asking a Fulton County judge to reconsider her decision.
Judge Kelly Amanda Lee's ruling would move the county line south.... shifting dozens of homes to Monroe.
Bibb attorney Virgil Adams says no one told Bibb County about yesterday's court hearing.
That's why today... he filed an 'emergency motion to intervene'... Saying Bibb County should be part of the discussion.
Katelyn Heck joins us now in the studio to explain the history behind the border dispute.... Katelyn?
This is the current Bibb-Monroe border... It's roughly the same line drawn back in 1822.
But both counties have been debate for decades over whether that's accurate...and in 2005... A Monroe County grand jury asked the state to give them a definitive answer.
Governor Sonny Perdue hired a Warner Robins man... Terry Scarborough to survey the land...
After researching old documents and going out to the properties... Scarborough said the correct line should be a few hundred yards south... Which would shift the line in Monroe's favor.
Shortly after... Bibb contested that decision.
Secretary of State Brian Kemp gave each county time to share it's opinion... And in August of 2011 he rejected Scarborough's line.
Monroe asked him to reconsider... But he turned them down.
December of that year... Monroe asked a judge to review Kemp's decision.
After several petitions back and forth... Fulton County Judge Kelly Amanda Lee ruled that Monroe couldn't legally file for judicial review.
That was in September 2012.
A month later in October... Monroe tried another route.
It's called a Writ of Mandamus... Which basically accuses Kemp of not fulfilling his duties... since no definitive border was drawn back in 2011.
The Secretary of State tried to question that.
But yesterday.... Lee ruled to accept the line drawn by Scarborough three years ago.
Now the area that will be absorbed into Monroe County includes the parking lot of the Bass Pro Shop...and a few neighborhoods including several dozen homes.
Two of those neighborhoods are Taylor Terrace and Red Fox run...which you can see right here.
That means....once they shift...the property tax from the homes there...goes to Monroe and not Bibb County.
Some of the people who live around there... Told us today...they think they might actually see their taxes drop.
13WMAZ went to the Taylor Terrace neighborhood...where we found Huey Reynolds.
He's called that area home for 15 years.
<Huey Reynolds: Well I was really shocked to tell you the truth cause I thought it was cut and dry deal months ago >
Reynolds says he will keep an open mind if the line ends up putting him in Monroe County.
<Huey Reynolds: Well before I thought I would be better off in Bibb County at least I knew what I had in Bibb County but now since we're consolidated in the city now I might be better off in Monroe County as far as taxes is concerned. >
Again....the order from Judge Amanda Lee...expected to come down next week.
We'll keep you updated on how all that plays out.
Leah?
Now as Katelyn just told you... this legal fight has been going on for years.
So Do you think it's all a good use of county money?
That's our 13WMAZ web poll question today...
and so far... 84 percent of those who responded... Say NO.
Just 16 percent said yes.
We want to know what you think.
Look for the question at 13WMAZ-dot-com.
You'll find it, by scrolling down on the right hand side of your home page.
Grief counselors will return to Central High School tomorrow morning...after a Macon teen died this morning on her way to school.
The Macon Rescue Mission is temporarily suspending the GED classes they offer to people in the community..
Executive Director, Jeff Nicklaus, made the decision in response to an alleged sexual assault after a GED class.
19-year-old Javorian Quintarius Sims turned himself in to police, earlier today.
Sims is suspected of grabbing a 22-year-old woman, and asking her to perform a sexual act.
Nicklaus says the GED classes will resume...sometime in the future.
The accident happened at Forsyth Road and Tucker Road around seven o'clock.
Nashandra Finney was 17 years old.
Her father was also in the car. He underwent surgery earlier today at the Medical Center of Central Georgia.
Bibb County Coroner Leon Jones says another car was involved in the accident..
Georgia state Patrol is investigating. They did not return our phone calls.
The Bibb school district says they sent grief counselors to the school today and they will return tomorrow.
The Macon Rescue Mission is temporarily suspending the GED classes they offer to people in the community..
Executive Director, Jeff Nicklaus, made the decision in response to an alleged sexual assault after a GED class.
19-year-old Javorian Quintarius Sims turned himself in to police, earlier today.
Sims is suspected of grabbing a 22-year-old woman, and asking her to perform a sexual act.
Nicklaus says the GED classes will resume...sometime in the future.
< Jeff Nicklaus, Executive Director: I'm not saying how far off it will be. But we're also going to close it to the community and it will just be brought in for the residents of the Macon Rescue Mission. >
The Rescue Mission will continue to offer other programs and services.
A man wanted in a weekend shooting...has been caught and charged with 6 counts of aggravated assault...and one count of criminal gang activity.
He is Roderick Lofton... Macon Police say he was involved in a shooting Saturday afternoon
on Morgan Drive.
A teenage girl was shot in the leg...but there was no bullet wound...only a bruise.
About an hour before...a boy was hurt...when he was shot while playing basketball at Freedom Park.
Although witnesses report seeing a gold Accord at both places...police have not connected Lofton to that crime.
It may not feel like a harsh winter outside today...but inside offices, schools, your places of worship... You've probably heard it...the coughing, hacking, the sniffling....it seems to be everywhere.
Tonight, 13WMAZ's Tom George explains just how hard Georgia's been hit by the flu compared to previous years... and how the flu vaccine works in your body.
With winter comes flu season .. And new information shows Georgia is not immune....
According to the Centers for Disease Control, Georgia is one of 42 states across the country were seasonal influenza is considered widespread.
And statistics from the last week in December show that more than 1 out of every 20 doctor's visits were for confirmed flu cases...
That's nearly twice the normal rate for the flu season, and an increase from previous weeks...
Of course one way to fight flu is to get a flu shot ... But a lot people might wonder how exactly that shot works ...
So we thought we'd break it down for you ... When the vaccine enters your system it creates antigens..
They are actually a weak form of the disease itself...but generally won't make you sick.
It does trigger your immune system to build up a reaction...by creating antibodies to fight the fake disease.
Then, those antibodies stay in your system ... So when the real virus comes along, the antibodies can kill it off.
The CDC says flu shots can sometimes cause minor symptoms such as fever, but that those are normal for your body to build immunity.
And getting a flu shot isn't the only thing you can do ... The North Central Health District also recommends hand washing. Disease experts say, to kill all the flu germs, lather up, and hold your hands under the water for at least 20 seconds.
Welcome back.
A 67-year-old man is dead after a fire at his home in Bleckley County.
He was Larry Elwynn Libby.
Glenn Allen, a spokesman for the Georgia Department of Insurance says the fire broke out in the early hours of the morning
at the home on Hudson Jones Road in Cochran.
Allen said it started in the living and dining room area.
Though investigators don't know what started it.... they don't think there was any foul play.
Allen said this is already the ninth fire death in the state this year.
And Like in the case of a fire that claimed four children in Conyers yesterday... there didn't seem to be any working smoke detectors in the house.
Cases like the two we just mentioned...are why Lt. Demeterius Ellison...and the Macon-Bibb Fire Department...encourage you to install a smoke detector.
Lieutenant... These are fairly inexpensive. What's the cost?
Is one of these likely to go off before you actually smell anything?
Is one of these enough? Where in the house should you install these?
< Toss to Leah >
Bibb County is getting a new fire station...
Today County Chairman Sam Hart and Police Chief Marvin Riggins announced plans for a new station in west Macon.
Station 110 will be on Heath Road near Columbus Road..
Chief Riggins says an evaluation by the Insurance Service Office or ISO indicated that the area needed better fire protection.
He says right now... response time is about five minutes for the closest station and around seven to eight minutes for secondary units.
<and this area is one of the areas we had targeted that we had sought out that our fire protection had a need for to be increased.>
Chairman Hart says having better fire protection means lower insurance rates for homeowners.
The new station will be near Westside High School and close to what is now Middle Georgia State College.
For the first time in more than 12 years, Elton John is returning to Macon.
Elton and his band are scheduled to perform at the Macon Centreplex Wednesday March 20th at 8 p.m.
Tickets go on sale Saturday, January 19th at 10a.m. on ticketmaster.com. They are $39, $79 and $139. There is an 8 ticket limit per customer.
The concert falls during this year's Cherry Blossom Festival.
Elton John is one of the top-selling solo artists of all time.
Thanks for joining us. We'll be back tonight at 11.
But remember... The news is always on at 13WMAZ.com.
The evening news is up next.
Have a safe night everyone.