Friday, January 3, 2003
|
Friday, January 3, 2003 |
|
GRTA plan, new commissioners in Coweta By JOHN THOMPSON
In 2002, the Coweta Coweta Commission laid the framework for the county's first mass transit program. In the spring, the county officially signed up for the Georgia RegionalTransportation Authority's plan to run express buses in the 13 county metro Atlanta region. In exchange for paying $850,000 to help run the bus system for three years, the county receives $10.4 million to improve dangerous intersections and arterial roads. "This gives us a real chance to fix Lower Fayetteville Road like it should be," said Commissioner Vernon "Mutt" Hunter. Commission Chairman Jim McGuffey said he would like to have received more of an assurance from the DOT that they were going along with GRTA's plan, but Hunter said he felt the county got the most commitment it could possibly get from the agency. Residents will also see two new commissioners when the County Commission heads back to work next week. In District Two, Greg Tarbutton won the race for retiring Jim McGuffey's post. In District Three, political newcomer Larry DeMoss beat incumbent Lawrence Nelms. One of the biggest stories in the county occured late in the year when Newnan Hospital announced it was purchasing the assets of Peachtree Regional Hospital. The two Coweta County-based hospitals had been involved in trying to build two new hospitals in the county for years. Monday's purchase should be a win for everybody, said Newnan Hospital president Chip Barron. "Now, we can focus on building a state-of-the art regional health care center, instead of building two smaller hospitals," he said. John Gray, who is president of Newnan Hospital's Board of Trustees, believes patient care benefits will improve with the purchase. "We believe the consolidation of the two hospitals will permit greater efficiencies and more comprehensive health care services for citizens of Coweta County," he said.
|
||