🌱 Mayor Delivers State Of The Community + Bibb Students Fight Hunger

Good morning, everybody. I'm here with your fresh copy of the Macon Patch newsletter. Keep reading to find out everything that's fit to print about what's happening locally.

But first, today's weather:

A shower and thunderstorm. High: 82 Low: 58.

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Here are the top four stories in Macon today:

1. Mayor Lester Miller delivered the 2023 State of the Community address on Tuesday. He said, "The world is taking notice of Macon-Bibb County," referencing the Brookdale Resource Center and new GBI office downtown. He said that the city had over 600 million dollars in private investments that brought over 600 new jobs to the area. Mayor Miller also mentioned public safety, noting that homicides and murders increased from 2021 to 2022. (WGXA)
2. Bibb County Schools have had success with a months-long pilot program aimed at reducing student hunger. In the program, "Helping Hands Ending Hunger," participating schools allow teams of students to collect uneaten food, such as unopened prepacked items, unopened milk, and whole fruit, from school lunch trays. Food items are refrigerated until Friday afternoons, when they're packed up and sent home with students experiencing food insecurity. (GPB)
3. Residents at the West Club Apartments are continuing to deal with mold and leaking water, and they say property managers have ignored their complaints. In an investigation by WGXA, residents described soaked carpets and water leaking through the walls. Some residents have been without power. Residents described making multiple calls to various city agencies, and one man's response from Macon-Bibb was to install air filters to deal with the mold. A representative for Macon-Bibb said they had an inspector on-site after a recent incident, but no updates have been released. (WGXA)
4. A local mother is pleading for something to be done about the traffic on Tucker Road following the death of a fourth-grader who was crossing the street earlier this week. Yolanda Bevins says drivers regularly exceed the 35 mph speed limit on Tucker Road, even when school buses are at a complete stop. The fatal incident occurred around 7:20 a.m. on Monday, and deputies confirmed that the school bus was on Tucker Road at that time, although not in the immediate area. Bevins had previously reached out to the school's transportation department about speeding drivers, who said they forwarded her complaint to the sheriff's office. (13WMAZ.com13WMAZ.com)

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Today and tomorrow in Macon:

Friday, April 28

• Poems Of The American South - Macon Arts Gallery (10:00 AM)
• Broadway Does Punk: A Cabaret - The Grand Opera House (7:30 PM)

Saturday, April 29

• '24 Municipal Candidate Interest Meeting - Bethel AME (12:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Tomorrow, Ocmulgee Mounds National Historic Park is hosting a Junior Ranger Day! There will be activities such as a pottery program and a tour of the Earth Lodge. Visit this link to learn more. (Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park via Facebook)
• Two Bibb County School District seniors were named Gates Scholars based on their outstanding academics and leadership qualities. Nyah Clifton of Howard High School and Tatiana Traore of Southwest High School were among the 750 students nationwide to receive this honor. (41 NBC)
• The Bibb County School District will be hosting a virtual job fair on May 10 from 4:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. Attendees will be able to connect with district representatives, ask questions, and learn about available positions. Visit this link to learn more or register. (Bibb County School District via Facebook)

Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Friday off right. I'll see you around!

— Rose Mendez

About me: Rose Mendez is a freelance writer. She is studying English Literature at Hunter College. She loves reading, walking around the city, and coffee!