2015 midstate year in review - April through June

April

1: Fort Valley State University President Ivelaw Griffith announced he would step down in June from a job he had held for less than two years.

7: The Macon-Bibb County Commission voted unanimously to ratify a land swap with Mercer University, clearing the way for construction of a curving connector road that would link the downtown portion of Second Street to Little Richard Penniman Boulevard.

15: Georgia House Majority Leader Larry O'Neal, a Houston County state representative since 2001, announced he would retire from the Legislature to become the first permanent judge in Georgia's Tax Tribunal.

20: Former Milledgeville Mayor Richard Bentley, who formerly owned Wilkinson Insurance Agency, turned himself in to face a dozen charges of insurance fraud. He later pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 10 years probation, fined $2,000 and ordered to perform 160 hours of community service.

23: Macon-Bibb County reached a landmark, tearing down the 100th and 101st abandoned houses of the fiscal year, making its goal more than two months early.

May

1: Andre Bonner, 32, was found guilty of murder, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and four counts of violating Georgia's Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act in the 2013 fatal shooting of a 17-year-old outside the Zodiac Lounge. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole plus 20 years.

13: Former Bibb County Sheriff Jerry Modena died at age 73 of congestive heart failure.

16: Thirteen years after construction began, the Tubman African American Museum opened the doors of its new home on Cherry Street.

30: Macon's Amerson River Park reopened after being closed while more than $5 million was spent to create walking and biking trails, scenic overlooks, river ramps and more.

June

17: First Quality Packaging Solutions announced it had chosen Macon for its flagship manufacturing facility, a $68 million move that was expected to bring 115 jobs to the area.

25: Col. Jeff King took command of the 78th Air Base Wing at Robins Air Force Base, replacing Col. Chris Hill, who moved onto a job at the Pentagon.

26: Lauren and Paige Hightower made history as the first same-sex couple to get married in Bibb County, after a landmark Supreme Court ruling affirmed marriage equality of gay couples nationwide.

30: The Monroe County Sheriff's Office announced that an investigation had led to the discovery of about 23,000 marijuana plants, with an estimated value of about $100 million, on a large plot of land in the county.

Compiled by Beth Gadd

This story was originally published December 28, 2015 at 2:29 PM with the headline "2015 midstate year in review - April through June."