Joe Kovac Jr.
The Telegraph
Macon, GA, United States
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Past articles by Joe:
Macon woman breaks into church, cooks ground beef and potatoes in Crock-Pot, cops say
This week’s Cop Shop police blotter features a bizarre break-in that Bibb County sheriff’s deputies say happened at Ross Temple Baptist Church on Berkner Avenue the morning of June 23, 2019. → Read More
How the great flood of ’94 may have been Macon’s finest hour
Even on the grayest of days in July 1994, when a tropical storm named Alberto sloshed into this region, the hospitality that locals in these parts are world famous for shined through. → Read More
‘It’s not going anywhere.’ A look back to 2004, 10 years after Middle Georgia flood
Telegraph reporter Joe Kovac Jr. relives the flooding in Macon, Middle GA caused by Tropical Storm Alberto 10 years after the deadly floods in July 1994. → Read More
A look back: Man and woman trapped in truck among first in Macon to die in flood of 1994
Two of the first people to fall victim of the Macon GA flood of 1994 caused by Tropical Storm Alberto were a man and woman who were trapped in a truck that was floating down Rocky Creek Road. → Read More
Ga. couple shoplifts from Walmart but can’t slip away, cops say
Our wildly-popular weekly crime blotter, the Cop Shop, this week features a Walmart caper involving a couple arrested for allegedly stealing “personal lubricant” from the Harrison Road store in west Macon. → Read More
Appeals court overturns commercial gambling conviction in Captain Jack’s Crab Shack case
The commercial gambling conviction last year of Ronald D. Bartlett, proprietor of Captain Jack’s Crab Shack in Byron GA, was overturned Tuesday by the Georgia Court of Appeals. → Read More
3 women fled with $200 Dollar General haul but the buggy was too full, report says
A trio of young women were reportedly seen filling a shopping cart with more than $200 worth of merchandise they were about to steal from the Kathleen, Georgia, Dollar General. But something got in the way. → Read More
Cop who put Folk gang ‘enforcer’ away recalls 1996 murder on eve of killer’s execution
On the eve of convicted killer Marion “Murdoc” Wilson’s execution in Georgia’s death chamber, the lawman who led the hunt to catch recalls Wilson’s “insidious” legacy of Folk gang activity in Milledgeville. → Read More
Man charged with murder in Macon’s ‘Death Valley’ block party shootings
A man was arrested and charged with murder in the shooting at a party dubbed “Death Valley” in Macon, Georgia, on June 2, 2019. Two died in the shootings. → Read More
Judge to killer of Macon rapper: ‘Too many people die in this town for no real reason’
Demarcus Colson pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in the shooting death of Macon, Georgia rapper Keenan Guice. The shooting happened at the Cobblestone Square Apartments on Riley Avenue in Bibb County. → Read More
Cops catch alleged toilet paper bandit after midnight break-in at Macon CVS
Middle Georgia man is accused of stealing Fiora toilet paper from the Bloomfield Road CVS in Macon. According to Bibb County Sheriff’s Department, the man previously served 11 prison sentences for past crimes. → Read More
New details on UGA professor’s death revealed: History of choking, flower ritual instead of 911
The mystery surrounding the death of University of Georgia professor Marianne Shockley at a home in Baldwin County last month took even stranger twists Friday at a hearing for the boyfriend accused of killing her. → Read More
Ocmulgee River raft race canceled in 1982 because it was too popular. Could it return?
The Ocmulgee River raft race in Macon, Georgia was canceled in 1982. The Budweiser sponsored race brought thousands to Macon, Georgia each May. Here’s a look back at the history of the raft race. → Read More
Did Macon man dress like woman to fool cops and slash ex’s car tire?
Some of the odd and usual items in this week’s Cop Shop, The Telegraph’s collection of sometimes strange and unusual occurrences reported by Middle Georgia cops, include a tire-slashing and a Cookout clash. → Read More
What will justice look like in ‘Death Valley’ block party shootings? DA speaks out
The Bibb County, Georgia, district attorney speaks out on deadly shootings during “Death Valley” Macon GA block party that left 2 dead. → Read More
200 bullets. 30 minutes. A Macon street party turned deadly during ‘Saturday of mayhem’
A deadly street party promoted as “Death Valley” turned literally deadly after 200 bullets were shot in 30 minutes, leaving one man dead and others wounded. Police need public’s help. → Read More
Ex-wife sent to death row for 1974 murders of Macon newlyweds. Now she’s a free woman.
The 1974 murders of Ronald and Juanita Akins in Macon, Georgia, shocked the region. The recently-married pair were killed in a plot masterminded by Ronald Akins’ ex-wife, Rebecca Machetti, on Fairmont Drive in northern Bibb County. → Read More
Handyman chases shingle-hurling kids who flipped picnic table into Macon pool
A group of young children reportedly caused trouble at house near Freedom Park in Macon, Georgia. The episode leads our weekly glimpse at Macon-area police-report oddities. Another item notes a Walmart shoplifting. → Read More
This Centerville soldier died in a fiery plane crash in 1985. His sisters salute him still
The sisters of Army Cpl. Eric Joseph Baumann were among the 200 or so who gathered at a Memorial Day ceremony at Magonolia Park Cemetery in Warner Robins, Georgia. Baumann was one of nearly 250 U.S. troops killed in a 1985 plane crash. → Read More
A Bibb hair stylist was arrested over $20. Text messages show why, police report says
A hairdo gone undone reportedly led to jail for a Macon, Georgia, hairdresser. The episode leads our weekly glimpse at Macon-area police-report oddities. Another item notes a curiously-vandalized car. → Read More