🌱 Medical Cannabis Coming Soon + Parents Want Action For Speeding

Good morning, everybody! It's me, Rose Mendez, your host of the Macon Patch newsletter — back in your inbox with all the most important things happening in the community today.

But first, today's weather:

A shower and thunderstorm. High: 77 Low: 49.

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Here are the top four stories today in Macon:

1. A medical marijuana dispensary has been approved to open in north Macon on Riverside Drive. A state board approved licenses for four other dispensaries in the state. While a bill that legalized cannabis oil was signed into law in 2015, patients have been unable to access the substance due to a lack of retail outlets. Dispensaries in Georgia will be able to sell low-THC cannabis oil. There are currently 26,000 medical marijuana card holders in the state, and nearly 1,500 of those patients live in Central Georgia. (13WMAZ)
2. A new center to support the victims of crime is coming to Macon-Bibb County. The One Safe Place Macon Family Justice Center recently received $1.2 million from the Department of Justice which will go towards building the center and strengthening the services it provides. The Center will serve as a centralized location for more than 25 agencies to provide victims with the safety and space they need to come forward. The facility is expected to open in 2024. (41 NBC)
3. Macon-Bibb firefighters responded to a fire on Friday morning that caused heavy damage to a home on Napier Avenue. Fire Chief Billy Daniels said that no one was in the home at the time of the fire. The fire is currently under investigation. (WGXA)
4. More parents are speaking out about drivers speeding past school bus stops. April and Alton Wright live on Ayers Road, and they spoke to 13WMAZ about the dangerous conditions they see around their local bus stop. The couple said that parents often stay with their children as they wait on the bus due to speeding drivers, and they're asking the city to step up. Neighbors around Ayers Road have collected 83 signatures on a petition to the Macon-Bibb Commissioners and Bibb County Board of Education asking for the same type of safety measures that were implemented on nearby Ridge Avenue, including parking lanes, sidewalks, and flashing speed signs. (13WMAZ)

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Today in Macon:

• Spring Stroll Tour Of Gardens At Hay House (12:00 PM)
• Ranger Talk At Ocmulgee Mounds National Park (2:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Last weekend, around a dozen volunteers gathered at the Gardens at Brookdale to celebrate Earth Day. Volunteers planted squash, corn, beans, and cucumbers. The Garden is seeking volunteers for future blueberry bush planting. Visit this link to find out more. (MaconBibb.us)
• A new study by Bumper.com found that electric vehicle 'charging deserts' – places where charging stations and ports are in short supply – stretch across states, largely divided by economic and racial lines. On average in Georgia, there are 2.22 charge ports per 10,000 people. Learn more about EV charging rates in Georgia and nationwide at the link. (Bumper.com)
• The Macon Area Habitat for Humanity Re-Store is holding a Spring Sale from May 2-6. There will be discounts on bathroom vanity tops, doors, furniture, and light fixtures. (Macon Area Habitat for Humanity via Facebook)

Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Sunday. 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!