ONE YEAR AGO, MAY 20, 2021
The Eatonton City Council Monday night heard about the recently announced plans by the Tri-County Electric Membership Corporation to provide its customers with access to a new fiberoptic internet service. Tri-County EMC was started in 1940 by farmers and residents to bring electricity to rural middle Georgia. It is based in Jones County and also serves some 9,500 customers in Putnam County, including about 850 residents and businesses in the City of Eatonton.
FIVE YEARS AGO, MAY 18, 2017
It’s been almost two decades since Anthony Veal was convicted of murder by a Putnam County jury. Monday, the Georgia Supreme Court upheld that conviction in response to an appeal filed by Veal. “The jury’s verdict was affirmed by the Supreme Court,” Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit District Attorney Stephen Bradley said, noting he was glad to receive the news. On April 15, 1997, Veal used a sawed off shotgun to rob the Lake Sinclair branch of The Peoples Bank. During the robbery, Veal shot bank Manager Larry Ellington, who died several weeks later from the gunshot wounds. A few hours after the robbery, Veal was stopped by Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills and his deputies around the truck stop in Eatonton on the U.S. Hwy. 441 bypass; the bank money was still in his pickup truck.
25 YEARS AGO, MAY 22, 1997
Eatonton residents are being given an opportunity to clean up their property and their neighborhoods next week – May 26-30 – without incurring any added expenses for having trash and debris hauled away. The City Council has once again designated an “amnesty week” during which any and all types of trash will be picked up and disposed of.
50 YEARS AGO, MAY 18, 1972
Roy Vining Jr. qualified on Wednesday between 12 noon and 1 p.m. as a candidate for the post of chairman of the Board of Commissioners of Roads and Revenue for Putnam County. Jeff Maddox is currently serving as chairman. Mr. Vining is a native of the county and attended grammar school here and was graduated from the Eatonton High School. Henry B. Hearn, Putnam office holder and former Eatonton postmaster, qualified shortly after noon on Wednesday to run for chairman of the Putnam County Board of Commissioners. Mr. Hearn is an experienced administrator of Putnam County government, having served in the post of chairman of the Board of Commissioners from 1949 until 1967.
75 YEARS AGO, MAY 22, 1947
Telephone service in Eatonton has returned to normal and all restrictions asked of the public on use of the service have been removed, it was announced today by Mr. William L. Blackman, manager of the Southern Bell Telegram and Telegraph Company. “We regret the interference expressed by our telephone subscribers and want to thank the public for its helpful cooperation and patience during the last few weeks.”
100 YEARS AGO, MAY 19, 1922
The Messenger learns that the Southern Cotton Oil Co. will spend $10,000 at its Greensboro Mill, installing a peanut shell plant. This should prove interesting news to the farmers of this county. The Greensboro Oil Mill will pay market prices for peanuts at the White Spanish variety. The mill will buy in wagon loads as well as car load lots. The market price will be paid.