J a n u a r y 2 6 , 2 0 2 3 | A p p e n M e d i a . c o m | A n A p p e n M e d i a G r o u p P u b l i c a t i o n | 5 0 ¢ | Vo l u m e 2 5 , N o . 4
‘It weighs on us very heavily…’ Murder victim honored by those who knew her By SHELBY ISRAEL shelby@appenmedia.com FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Megan Frix loved watching music videos and coffee. “Megan was so funny,” said Lisa Bennett, manager of the Forsyth and Dawson campuses of Creative Enterprises, a nonprofit community rehabilitation program that teaches life and social skills to adults with disabilities. “And so, she loved Conway Twitty, and she loved looking at Kohl's ads and, you know, showing you what she wanted to buy.” On Jan. 8, Megan, 26, was found dead in her Cumming home, the victim of an apparent murder-suicide. While the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office and the State Medical Examiner’s Office are investigating the official cause of death, Sheriff Ron Freeman announced Jan. 11 that Megan was apparently killed by her father, Jerry, 58, who then killed himself. Bennett, who had known Megan since she was 3 years old, said she was on the autism spectrum. Bennett and Coordina-
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tor Abby Otwell said Megan was nonverbal and struggled to communicate her wants and needs. “She also was just very easily put into sensory overload, like tags on her shirts and things like that bothered her,” Otwell said. “And if we couldn't figure that out quick enough, you know, that would be a problem.” Megan began attending Creative Enterprises in January 2019, but she left six months later due to behavioral issues. Under Medicaid funding, Bennett said Creative Enterprises must maintain a ratio of one instructor to 10 clients. Otwell said Megan could not have one staff member assigned to her like she needed. “So, it weighs on us very heavily, I think, with Megan, especially because we couldn't serve her,” Bennett said. She continued communicating with Megan’s father after Megan left the program, she said, but one day he stopped calling. Bennett said Megan’s primary caretaker was her mother, who died three years ago. Despite receiving support, Megan’s father couldn’t see any way out, she said. “Her dad had a lot of help,” Bennett
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Resident Brian Estes addresses the Board of Commissioners Jan. 19 about his concerns with rezoning that allows for industrial use of property currently zoned agricultural.
County approves industrial park amid cries from neighborhood By SHELBY ISRAEL shelby@appenmedia.com FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Forsyth County commissioners heard a chorus of disappointed cries and remarks from residents after approving an industrial space on about 37 acres near the Hampton Golf Village subdivision. More than 10 residents of the neigh-
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borhood attended the Jan. 19 meeting requesting the board not rezone the lot from an A1 agricultural district to an M1 industrial district. The board approved the rezoning project 4-1. Commissioner Laura Semanson cast the lone dissenting vote.
See COUNTY, Page 5
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