The Macon Melody

12/24/2025

Columnist Ed Grisamore sure gave y'all something to talk about earlier this year with his ranking of iconic Macon restaurants. As our 8th most-read story of 2025, Grisamore toured longtime residents and newcomers alike through some of the tastiest places to dine in town.

Did your favorite make the cut? Did he miss something? Sound off in the comments.

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We're counting down the top 10 most-read stories of 2025. Can you guess what number 1 was? Follow along as we announce one story per day for the rest of the year.

12/23/2025

Our readers mourned in August when Alexander Floyd Strebeck, 18, and Landon Brooks Lawless, 17, died on a stretch of Zebulon Road. This piece on the accident that took their lives was our 9th most-read story of the year.

Reporting on tragedies like these is always difficult, and our hearts go out to the families of those who lost loved ones in 2025.

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We're counting down the top 10 most-read stories of 2025. Follow along as we announce one story per day for the rest of the year.

12/23/2025

Owner David Resendiz knows a thing or two about love. Years ago, before Guitarras Mexican Grill even existed, he worked in the kitchen of this very same building when it was a different restaurant. His wife? She was a dishwasher right next door.

Billy Hennessey tries the homemade tortillas and other made from scratch food at Guitarras Mexican Grill.

12/22/2025

This game in March reminded many of us just how exciting high school basketball can really be. It also happened to result in our 10th most popular story of the year.

Southwest High School had some offensive struggles early and went down by as many as 11 points in the second quarter but came back for a triumphant win over Toombs County. And hey, even though they didn't clinch the championship, the sportsmanship we saw in this game has us already counting the days until the 2026 tournament.

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We're counting down the top 10 most-read stories of 2025. Can you guess what number 1 was? Follow along as we announce one story per day for the rest of the year.

12/21/2025

It was a moment of Christmas magic when volunteers surprised shoppers at the South Macon Food Depot Wednesday afternoon by offering to pay for their groceries.

“It was special, and now I’m getting teary because I work very hard,” said Shannon Finney, 33, who was grabbing bottled water and food for her mother when she was handed a $75 gift card. “It’s touching.”

The Collective Renaissance Guild handed out gift cards and free groceries to shoppers in South Macon at the Food Depot.

12/21/2025

What are your favorite Nutcracker memories? 🩰

The Nutcracker of Middle Georgia has been performing for 40 years, delighting generations of families.

12/20/2025

In this week’s Melody: The cutest letters from Bibb’s kids to Santa and his friends at the North Pole. Pick up a copy or read them online — they’ll make you laugh, cry and, most importantly, see the wonder of Christmas through the eyes of our wonderful kiddos. 🎅

12/20/2025

ICYMI: In a 6-2 vote, the commission hired Warren Associates Inc. as the construction manager-at-risk for renovations at the jail on Oglethorpe Street. The county will pay the company $17,500 from the general fund plus 1.74% of the final cost of the renovations, which will be determined by the company.

Macon-Bibb County commissioners voted 6-2 to hire a local company for preconstruction work on the county jail.

12/20/2025

"If others are like me, they can always use a new pair of garden gloves," writes columnist Kathy Hensley. "I have a quirky habit of losing every right-hand glove because I set them aside when I’m using my pruners."

There are plenty of practical gift ideas for the gardener in your life this holiday season.

12/19/2025

12/18/2025

Some say the folklore traces back to the ancient Druids. A mysterious, oak-worshiping sect that inhabited the British Isles centuries ago, the Druids considered mistletoe a plant of honor and power.

Mistletoe grows high in the branches on a number of different tree species, including cottonwood, maple, oak and other deciduous hardwoods, and although the centuries of folklore make mistletoe an alluring plant, it is best for your trees to remove it.

So, do yourself and your tree a favor — cut down some mistletoe to kiss your sweetie under.

Read more: https://maconmelody.com/mistletoe-the-romantic-parasite-of-the-yuletide-season/

12/18/2025

Macon-Bibb County commissioners were split in their approval of a local company to do preconstruction work at the Bibb County jail with some questioning whether the company was the right pick for the job.

In a 6-2 vote, the commission hired Warren Associates Inc. as the construction manager-at-risk for renovations at the jail on Oglethorpe Street. The county will pay the company $17,500 from the general fund plus 1.74% of the final cost of the renovations, which will be determined by the company.

Read more at the story linked in the comments below.