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🌱 Patch AM: How a Monroe Home Depot robbery plot led to life sentences

Coming up on the Monroe Patch calendar: Monroe Hurricanes vs Jefferson Dragons

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Thursday January 8th Patch AM
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Hey there, Monroe! Let's get started with what's happening in and around town. Read on and stay in the loop. ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

  • How a Monroe Home Depot robbery plot led to life sentences
  • Three Monroe favorites just closed—see what’s opening and what’s next
  • Struggling after the holidays? Free Monroe sessions may help you cope

Also on today's calendar: 2nd Round Music: 2nd Round Friday and 1 more event.

Find out what's happening in Monroefor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Today's riddle: After dinner, my parents asked if I could clear the table. 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

Find out what's happening in Monroefor free with the latest updates from Patch.

  • Thursday: Mostly cloudy and warm, with a high of 68 and low of 55 degrees.
  • Friday: Warm with variable clouds, temps: high: 72, low: 60.
  • Saturday: Warm with rain and a t-storm, with a high of 69 and low of 40 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Two sentenced for 2023 Halloween murder at Monroe Home Depot (fox5atlanta.com) — Two men have been sentenced to life in prison for a deadly 2023 Halloween robbery in the parking lot of the Monroe Home Depot, after prosecutors detailed extensive planning via cell phones. The meeting was first arranged at Monroe’s Walmart, then shifted to Home Depot, where the victim was shot and her vehicle crashed near a nearby Arby’s.
   

2. Three popular Monroe restaurants close as 2026 begins (monroelocal.org) — Three well-known Monroe restaurants — Mal's Krazy Krab, The Roe, and Campton Restaurant — have all closed as 2026 begins, opening up prime downtown spaces for new owners. While Campton says its closure is temporary and is seeking renters, a new Mexican spot, Porfirios Monroe, has just opened on North Lumpkin Street, keeping the city’s dining scene evolving.
   

3. Piedmont Walton Hospital to offer free sessions on post-holiday stress, depression (monroelocal.org) — If the holidays left you feeling drained, Piedmont Walton Hospital is offering two free January sessions in Monroe to tackle post-holiday stress and depression. Led by a community nurse educator at the Walton County YMCA, these open-to-the-public programs will explain common causes, coping tools, and when to seek professional help.
   

4. Obituary and funeral service: Terri Bartlett Askren, 70, of Monroe (monroelocal.org) — Monroe is mourning the passing of 70-year-old Terri Bartlett Askren, with a memorial service set for Saturday, Jan. 17 at the Monroe Chapel of Tim Stewart Funeral Home. Friends and family can visit from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., then gather to remember her deep faith, kindness, and devotion to her loved ones. Donations in her memory are encouraged to any charity of choice.
   

📸 Around Monroe

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🗓 Events Nearby

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Thank you 👏👏👏 to the local businesses for making Monroe PatchAM possible:

  • Mindsee.it — (646) 663-8317
    Teach your kids they can achieve the impossible!

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Missing your dog in Winder?
    My son recently passed through a three-way stop in Winder, a few hundred feet from Popeyes. He saw a dog running near the road wearing a collar and a… (Nextdoor Mountain Creek Church Rd)
  • I had a package delivered to the wrong house on the 3rd.
    If it got delivered to your house in southside please return them to me. My child needs them. It is house 175 it has a blue and yellow swing set in… (Nextdoor Southside Park)
  • Burger King posted a job opening for Team Member in Monroe. Apply here.
  • Taco Bell posted a job opening for Late Night Team Member in Bethlehem. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Monroe here.

Ok Monroe! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I needed a running start, but I made it!
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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