If you heard that a woman left figure skating and became a writer of scary stories, you’d probably immediately think of Tonya Harding. You’d be wrong.

She was the daughter of a circuit judge, the wife of a Fayetteville businessman, the mother of a banker, an organizer of the Margaret Mitchell Library, and a devoted daughter of the South.

Lucy Mariah Reagan Redwine was born in 1889 in McDonough, and came to live in Fayetteville when she married Hill Parks Redwine in 1913.

A Peachtree City holiday tradition is expected to resurge this year at Christmas time, with more residents expected to stay close to home due to tightened budget belts and high travel costs. Band members and boosters at J.C. Booth Middle School are counting on it.

Army Reserve Pvt. Steven T. Sanders has graduated from basic combat training at Fort Jackson, Columbia, S.C.

During the nine weeks of training, the soldier studied the Army mission, history, tradition and core values, physical fitness, and received instruction and practice in basic combat skills, military weapons, chemical warfare and bayonet training, drill and ceremony, marching, rifle marksmanship, armed and unarmed combat, map reading, field tactics, military courtesy, military justice system, basic first aid, foot marches, and field training exercises.

In honor of Marv Daniel McGill, 16-year-old high school junior Bria Hamlett will conduct an inagural Faith Walk on October 18. Hamlett brings the walk to her community, Fairburn, Ga., in an effort to support and encourage others to continue on despite difficult circumstances.

Starr's Mill High School Band Drum Majors Molly Wenske and Keegan Christensen are shown holding the Grand Champion trophy earned by the Panther Pride Marching Band at the 26th Annual Super Bowl of Sound Marching Band Festival and Contest held in Carrollton, GA on Oct. 4.  Starr's Mill competed against 21 bands from throughout Georgia and achieved Superior ratings in all categories judged.  In addition to being named Grand Champion Band, Starr's Mill won the Norman L. Padgett Award for the highest music score of the competition, the Best Woodwinds in Contest award and the highest score in Open Class competition.  The Color Guard took third place honors in Open Class competition. 

Local resident and up-and-coming young actor Tyler Case will be appearing on a TV near you this weekend in his most recent acting role. He will appear in Lifetime Television’s original movie “Living Proof,” which will debut Saturday, Oct. 18 at 9 p.m.

Second Lieutenant Edwin C. Callahan Jr. receives congratulations from his grandfather CWO (retired) Richard A. Callahan. Lieutenant Callahan recently completed Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, Ga., and was commissioned in the Engineer Branch of the U.S. Army. He will continue his training and orientation at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. He is the son of Edwin and Deborah Callahan of Fayetteville, Ga. and is a graduate of Fayette County High School and Georgia Tech University. Photo/Special.

Designed for children and adults who are unfamiliar with early 20th century farming culture, “Let’s Go See Mother Wilkerson’s Farm: Adventures in Learning Excellence,” published by AuthorHouse, is the new book from Earnest Hooks Jr. and the Lizzie Wilkerson Foundation that brings to life a forgotten, yet important, historical era.

The Fayette County Historical Society will welcome Joel Cowan at its meeting Sunday, Oct. 19.

Cowan, founder and developer of Peachtree City, will relate the pride the city feels at celebrating its 50th anniversary next spring.

Market Place Events has chosen Georgia Heartland Humane Society (GHHS) to be their charity partner at the Home Show, October 17-19, at the Georgia International Convention Center.

Local Adult ESL teacher for Fayette County Adult Education Wendy Grega spent her summer vacation teaching for an English Language Program in Lopenik, Czech Republic. Photo/Special.

Peachtree City author Debby Giusti signed copies of her fourth novel, “Countdown To Death,” at the Mall of America, in Minneapolis, Minn., last month, in conjunction with the American Christian Fiction Writers Conference. More than 100 authors took part in the event. Winner of the 2008 Daphne du Maurier Award for Inspirational Suspense, Giusti will be at Omega Book Center, 100 N. Peachtree Parkway, Peachtree City, Ga., on Thursday, October 16, from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Free refreshments will be served, and those present will be entered in a drawing for a free author basket. The public is welcome.  For more information, call 770-487-3977. Photo/Special.

• Fayette teens are Merit semifinalists
Seven seniors from Fayette County high schools are among the 16,000 semifinalists nationwide competing in the 54th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. The students are Jennie K. Lee (Fayette County High); David C. Fratto (McIntosh High), William S. Kearney, Oian K. Zhou; Joseph D. Morrow, Ryan O’Shaughnessy (Starr’s Mill High); and Randy M. Goodheart (Whitewater High). The seniors have the opportunity to continue in the competition for 8,200 Merit Scholarship awards worth $35 million that will be offered next spring. To be considered for a Merit Scholarship award, semifinalists must fulfill several requirements. The 2009 Merit scholarship winners will be announced April through July.

Boy Scout Troop 75 participated in the annual High Adventure Program of BSA in the Bahamas in July. Flying from  Ft Lauderdale, the troop then went by charter air to the Bahamas and spent the week sailing, swimming,  snorkeling, sunning and surviving their own cooking.

Members of the Augustin Clayton Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution attended the State DAR workshop held in Lawrenceville, Ga. recently. Pictured are (front row) Frieda Gibby, Scarlette Moyer and Becky Rostron; and (back row) Liz Grimes, Lynn Dorney, Phyllis Lawson and Ruth Smith. Photo/Special.

Southern Crescent Memory Walk set for Saturday

Consider yourself blessed if you can read this article. If you were a victim of Alzheimer’s disease, you probably couldn’t. If you were a caregiver for an Alzheimer’s patient, you probably wouldn’t have time. Nearly 200,000 Georgians suffer with this dreaded disease, and nearly 350,000 others are affected by it through their roles as family caregivers. 

The Greater Fayette Republican Women’s Club recently donated money and supplies to Embracing Military Families, an organization directed by the club’s own Cathy McMullen of Peachtree City. McMullen’s group assists with various types of support for the Ft. Benning, Ga., families of soldiers deployed overseas. The club responded to a recent need for school supplies by purchasing and delivering them to Ft. Benning the weekend of August 9 in time for the start of school. Shown with the supplies are Joseph Nicholas, Tyler Emrich and Jaelin Hill. Photo/Special.

Peachtree City Elementary School’s Relay for Life Team kicked off its year of fund-raising with a Hat Day on Sept. 12. Over $100 was raised in the one day event and a variety of other fund-raising events are scheduled throughout the school year. The PCES team raised over $10,000 last year and hopes to surpass that amount this year. Pictured are Emma Murray and Maud Bouma, second-graders, who both wore hats to support cancer research. Photo/Special.

Southern Community Bancshares, Inc. announced recently that its Board of Directors has named David R. Coxon as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the company and its bank subsidiary, Southern Community Bank. Coxon has also been elected to the Boards of Directors of both institutions.

On the weekend of August 22-24, the State Civitan Convention was held in St. Simons Island, Ga. and members of the Fayette County Civitan Club and their spouses rode out tropical storm Fay for a wonderful convention. 

Corlis P. Cummings, special assistant to the president/executive in residence at Clayton State University and formerly the interim chancellor of the University System of Georgia (USG), has been named interim vice president of Business and Operations for Clayton State by President Dr. Thomas K. Harden. Her appointment took effect on Sept. 1.

Huntington Learning Center of Fayette/Coweta says good study habits and time management skills are crucial

Kerry Tochterman was chosen at J.C.

• Shupenus earns Eagle rank

Our Lady of Mercy senior Jonathan Shupenus has earned the highest advancement award from the Boy Scouts of America, Eagle Scout. On August 16, a Court of Honor was held at St. Matthew Catholic Church in Tyrone, Ga. Shupenus, 17, is a member of Troop 79 in Tyrone and has been actively involved in Scouting since becoming a Tiger Cub in 1997. On his trail to Eagle Scout, he earned 29 merit badges, was elected to the Order of the Arrow and completed his Eagle Scout project. He built a map kiosk for the Town of Tyrone. As a Scout he participated in the high adventure program at the Philmont Boy Scout Ranch in New Mexico. At Our Lady of Mercy, Shupenus is a member of the Cross Country team and pole vaults for the Track and Field team. He went to the State Track and Field event in 2008 and medaled. He is the son of Jon and Lisa Shupenus, grandson of Marian Hansen of Tyrone and Jack and Judy Shupenus of Springfield, Illinois.

Leading math education franchise Mathnasium Learning Centers recently recognized Peachtree City business owner Kevin Thoman as a Mathnasium Mentor.

Jenna Christine Shafer and Matthew Dean Beeson have been awarded scholarships by the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences for the 2008-2009 academic year. Each year the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences awards scholarships to students totaling more than $100,000.

The Fayette County Public Library is holding a “Food for Fines” drive throughout the month of September as part of its observation of Hunger Action Month. Donation barrels for the Atlanta Community Food Bank will be located inside the library from through Sept. 30.

The Fayette County Historical Society cordially invites you to participate in history this Sunday, September 28 at 3 p.m.

Mr. Steve Cody, age 55, recently became the 1,000 person to join the Fayette Senior Services’ Life Enrichment Center. To celebrate the milestone, he was presented with a Fayette Senior Services baseball cap, T-shirt, a gift certificate to dine at the Center’s Café, and a free 12-month center membership.