Fayette Publishing Inc. today offers the first edition of South Fulton County's newest newspaper, The South Fulton Citizen, covering Union City, Fairburn, Palmetto and surrounding areas.

"If you care about what's going on in your neighborhood, then we're here to serve you," said Cal Beverly, founding publisher of The Citizen newspaper group.

The group includes The Fayette Citizen, The Coweta Citizen Review, Peachtree Citizen Review and The Sunday Citizen. Founded in 1992 by a group of veteran newspaper professionals, the company is dedicated to the task of providing accurate, objective local community news along with thoughtful opinions and useful advertisements from area businesses.

"But most important, we want to give you a newspaper that's interesting and fun," said Beverly.

The paper, published every Saturday, will include a Weekend section packed with information about upcoming events and activities all over the south side. Editorial pages will include numerous columnists, and you are invited to be among them through our letters to the editor columns.

The goal of the editorial pages will be to foster lively discussion on issues of concern to the paper's readers.

Send letters to the editor to dhamrick@TheCitizenNews.com, or to The Citizen, P.O. Box 1325, Fayetteville 30214.

South Fulton nonprofit, business and government organizations are encouraged to use The Citizen to inform local residents about activities they are invited to participate in, and about accomplishments such as awards and promotions.

Press releases are gratefully accepted through the mail or by e-mail. Send e-mail to jthompson@TheCitizenNews.com, or mail to The South Fulton Citizen, P.O. Box 1325, Fayetteville 30214.

News tips also are welcome by e-mail, mail or phone. Phone Thompson at 770-719-1880.

South Fulton Editor John Thompson and Managing Editor Dave Hamrick have a combined newspaper experience of 38 years, all of it in the south metropolitan area of Atlanta.

Hamrick was editor of the Southside Sun for 12 years before being promoted to executive editor for the Sun newspaper chain in 1991. He then helped found The Fayette Citizen in 1992. Before that, he was editor of the Clayton Sun and the Rockdale Citizen in a career that began in 1972 following his graduation from Georgia State University with a degree in journalism.

He also served a brief stint in 1981 as public relations and news director for U.S. Rep. Newt Gingrich.

Thompson served in a variety of jobs at the Fayette County News during the 1980s, working his way up to the managing editor's post before being hired by The Citizen as a correspondent and later becoming business editor and Coweta County editor.