CMYK Baldwin Bulletin VOLUME 21 ISSUE 12 www.BBnews.today THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 2021 75¢ Your hometown newspaper for Milledgeville and Baldwin County, Georgia |Locally Owned by Smith Communications Inc. >> SUPERIOR COURT “Plea-mageddon” continues at courthouse Number of suspects sentenced to prison CHRISTIAN MCKEARNEY Ricky Ray Fowler, 43, previously was arrested for locked up after The Baldwin Bulletin entered into a plea negoti- child molestation and statu- a domestic ation and was sentenced to tory rape in 1999. incident at the As Georgia’s Superior Court eight years behind bars and The incident occurred in same loca- system gradually comes out 12 more on probation after June 2019, and detectives with tion several Fowler Adams Jones of its pandemic slowdown, an reportedly sexually assaulting the Baldwin County Sheriff’s months later. inordinate number of Baldwin a semi-conscious woman in Office opened an investiga- After that, his employer belongings and watched the County suspects recently the Allenwood subdivision tion. The victim, though, “did began clearing out some of videos saved on the SD card were sentenced during Zoom and filming it. Fowler, already not wish to press charges… his belongings at work and proceedings at the courthouse. a registered sex offender, at that time.” Fowler then was “found a camera in Fowler’s MORE PLEAS >> A6 >> CRIME New details in “suspicious death” by river Burnt-out car, dead body found past Central State CHRISTIAN MCKEARNEY The Baldwin Bulletin 221st1st ccenturyentury Law enforcement converged on the public boat ramp off of the Vinson Highway Tuesday after- noon, as a deceased female was ccourtroomsourtrooms discovered inside of a smoldering car. PHOTO BY CHRISTIAN MCKEARNEY The car crashed into a ditch A view from the judge’s chair shows the new-look interior of the courtrooms at the Baldwin County prior to catching on fire, Courthouse, complete with a new series of technology upgrades. Jury trial proceedings will be available to the according to Milledgevlle Police public on the Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit’s website – www.eighthdistrict.org. Department Chief Dray Swicord. “We believe that the foliage beneath the vehicle was the accel- Jury trials set to resume downtown erant of the fire,” the chief said. The body “was badly burned” CHRISTIAN MCKEARNEY The new pandemic-friendly live jury trial proceedings from by the time that first responders The Baldwin Bulletin setup will allow jurors to spread anywhere. The format will be in arrived, and investigators have no out and socially distance, with “Zoom form” with four “Zoom way of knowing whether or not These certainly aren’t your some sitting in the jury box and squares,” with one camera the woman was already deceased parents’ or grandparents’ some in the gallery. Members of focused on the judge, one on prior to the fire, at least at this courtrooms. the public and family members the witness stand, one on the point. A series of video cameras, will not be allowed inside of defense’s table and one on the The body was transported to 80-inch televisions and HD micro- the courtroom while jurors are prosecution’s table. the GBI crime lab in Atlanta for phones recently were installed present, but instead live access will Jury selection, meanwhile, will processing. in each of the three fourth-floor be available through the circuit’s take place inside of the Walter B. Swicord added that “we’re 99.9 courtrooms at the courthouse, website – www.eighthdistrict.org Williams Jr. Park gymnasium, percent percent sure of who it as the Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit By clicking on the “Courtroom before the action moves back is, but it’s still a little premature prepares to resume jury trials Live Streams” tab on the website, to the courthouse for the actual early next month. anyone will be able to watch trials. MORE DEATH >> A6 >> CITY HALL NEWS City council members considering a pay raise CHRISTIAN MCKEARNEY worked for 20 years at the same salary, Between the six council members in August, and the charter prevents The Baldwin Bulletin without having any type of increase, and the mayor, the dollar amount for the council from voting to change its cost of living or otherwise,” longtime “legislative wages” in the city’s FY20 own compensation during “election The salary for Milledgeville City Councilwoman Denese Shinholster budget was $122,450. season.” Council members hasn’t budged in recently said during a work session. An increase in pay would require Several members of the council roughly 25 years. The current salary for council a vote from the council, and council and the mayor are up for re-elec- Now, though, council members are members is roughly $6,000, and members would be required to do so tion this November, and any new “exploring the idea” of giving them- compensation also includes health prior to August, according to Assistant pay raise would not kick in until selves a pay raise. insurance, life insurance and “retire- City Attorney Cedric Davis. after sweaing-in ceremonies in early “I don’t know anybody that has ment contributions.” Municipal election qualifying begins January. 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Online. www.bbnews.today 478.452.1777 CMYK A2 | THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 2021 >> www.bbnews.today >> COVID19 NOTEBOOK NORTH CENTRAL HEALTH DISTRICT COVID19 NUMBERS One year ago this week: Cases as Cases as Percent Total Total County of 3/16/21 of 3/24/21 Change Hospitalized Deaths • March 25: The county commission and City Council tighten their respective Emergency Declarations, and all businesses in the city limits are required to close Baldwin 3,753 3,764 0.29% 309 107 at 9 p.m. Also on this day, the fi rst COVID-19 death in middle Georgia is recorded in Bibb 12,987 13,041 0.42% 1,696 378 Houston County. At this point, there are 27 total confi rmed cases in the North Central Crawford 508 512 0.79% 63 15 Health District. Hancock 814 819 0.61% 100 59 • March 28: Mark Delong, a 52-year-old Milledgeville native with past heart problems, Houston 9,587 9,656 0.72% 683 181 becomes the fi rst COVID-19 death in Baldwin County. Not until the following day, however, does Delong posthumously test positive for COVID-19. Jasper 649 657 1.23% 58 18 Jones 1,541 1,546 0.32% 150 50 Monroe 1,809 1,823 0.77% 182 84 Peach 1,778 1,786 0.45% 205 46 Hospital CMO refl ects, looking towards future Putnam 1,710 1,726 0.94% 153 52 Twiggs 499 504 0.1% 96 34 CHRISTIAN MCKEARNEY ICU was running at roughly 60 percent Washington 1,605 1,609 0.25% 108 54 The Baldwin Bulletin capacity and back to the standard 1-to-2 Wilkinson 717 720 0.42% 117 26 nurse-to-patient ratio. None of those ICU TOTAL 37,957 38,163 0.54% 3,920 1,104 Atrium Health Navicent Health patients were COVID patients, according *ACCORDING TO DPH AS OF 3 P.M. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24 Baldwin was stressed, strained and to the Health & Human Services data- stretched incredibly thin. base. Other parts of the hospital also were A total of 92 patients, roughly 40 returning to a sense of normalcy, Brewer “We can’t continue putting off healthcare,” he said. percent with a COVID-19 diagnosis, added. “So much of that has been sacrificed (during the were being treated in a facility designed “All of the data has improved, and it’s pandemic).” and staffed for 52. The ICU was full, its all because of the heroics of our team The median census count in 2019 at Atrium nurse-to-patient ratio 1-to-4, a nightmare members stepping up, and I’m just really Health Navicent Baldwin was 28, which “is unac- scenario for any ICU at any hospital. A Doug Brewer appreciative,” Brewer told The Baldwin ceptable,” according to Brewer, who took over as the total of 25 patients were being treated in Bulletin during a wide-ranging interview. hospital’s chief medical officer in early 2020. an emergency room that only had 22 beds. Nursing “I never questioned that we could do it. We have such “This means that were were not servicing the administrators were doubling as shift nurses. an amazing team.” community very well and that there were people This was the scene on a particular day back in At this point, with the understanding that the going elsewhere,” he said, adding that he hopes to January, when the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic is far from over, Brewer said that hospital eventually grow the median census count to 50-55 pandemic was at its worst here in Baldwin County. administrators are beginning to look forward to once the pandemic is over. “We need to use (the Now, two-plus months later, that “controlled chaos the future, as opposed to “just making it through pandemic) as a springboard to understand how is finally over,” and employees can finally begin to the day.” A big part of that is getting back to we can serve the community better and get them breathe again, according to Doug Brewer, the facil- other services, such as surgeries, tests and other the care that they need.