Fayette CARE Clinic, which provides free medical and dental care to uninsured local residents, has seen a surge in demand for its services with the weakening economy.

Seven former Fayette County commissioners are formally asking sitting commissioner Robert Horgan to step down from his post in light of his May 23 arrest for misdemeanor possession of marijuana and driving with an expired tag.

Fayette County officials are planning to avoid a property tax increase this year by reducing the millage rate to counterbalance any increased home reassessments.

Members of the Fayette County School Board are expected to take a final vote on the school system’s $185 million budget at a called meeting June 30. The budget includes a reserve “contingency” fund of less than 1 percent.

A Fayetteville woman was charged Monday with cruelty to children, child neglect and contributing to the delinquency of a minor after leaving her 10-year-old daughter at home in charge of her 1-year-old son.

The following arrests were reported by local law enforcement agencies for the past week. All persons are considered innocent until proven guilty:

Ga. Banking Department closes Southern Community Bank; branches reopen as United Community Bank; depositors said to be fully protected from losses

Fayetteville-based Southern Community Bank joined the growing list of failed banks in Georgia and the U.S. when a state agency — the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance — swooped in Friday and closed it down. It’s the first bank failure in Fayette County in modern times.

The SCB branches were picked up by another bank operating locally — United Community Banks with current branch locations in Fayetteville, Peachtree City, Newnan, Tyrone, Union City, Fairburn, Palmetto, Stockbridge and McDonough.

Developer Pathway pulls 80 homes, event center in face of opposition

A controversial rezoning request for 80 homes at the back door of Peachtree City’s airport has been tabled indefinitely.

Peachtree City has a new cop on the beat with an uncanny ability to sniff out drugs.

Officer Mike, a Belgian Malanois dog, can detect as many as four different illegal drugs at the same time, according to Police Chief H.C. “Skip” Clark. Mike is also trained in searching for missing persons, but instead of using his nose when searching, Mike detects ground disturbances, Clark said.

Tennis memberships will be honored, staff retained

Starting July 1, Peachtree City’s tennis center will be operated by the Canongate company which operates a host of golf courses and tennis courts in the metro Atlanta area.

On Thursday 21 May, the McIntosh High School Parent Teacher Student Organization (PTSO) named Cindy Robertson as their Outstanding Volunteer for the 2008-2009 school year. Cindy has two children at McIntosh, Shauna who is a junior and Bradley - a freshman, as well as an MHS graduate son Nathan who is a rising senior at UGA. Cindy raised significant funds for the PTSO to support McIntosh academic needs during her three-year tenure as the Spiritwear Committee chairperson.

Previous budget workshops paved the way for a relatively quick and unanimous vote by the Tyrone Town Council Thursday to approve the $3.136 million General Fund budget for 2009-2010. Effective July 1, the new budget reflected a $578,585 decrease over the budget adopted a year ago.

Enforcement coming at highways 54/74

Peachtree City police are warning motorists to avoid blocking the middle of the busy intersection at Ga. highways 54 and 74.

Non-profit sends custom care packages to overseas troops

A local non-profit group that delivers custom care packages to U.S. troops overseas is up for a national honor.

Tyrone senator named legislator of the year

State Sen. Ronnie Chance, R-Tyrone, has been named one of five Legislators of the Year by the Georgia Chamber of Commerce.

It was over almost before it started. A quick motion to deny a business license for Starship Adult Novelties & Gifts at Thomas Crossroads received a unanimous vote from Coweta County commissioners June 16 as nearly 250 opponents of the business who had filled the commission chambers and the foyer outside looked on. Starship attorney Alan Begner after the meeting said he is preparing a legal challenge to the decision.

The new D&H Distribution Center for consumer electronics and associated products located in Coweta Industrial Park held its grand opening June 12. The state-of-the-art facility employs 100, with a goal of adding another 40 employees. The largest of the 91 year-old company’s facilities, it incorporates cutting-edge automation, environmentally conservative equipment, recycling facilities and more. At a current 476,000 square-feet, the location can be expanded up to more than 750,000 square-feet to accommodate growth.

East Coweta High School traveled from Sharpsburg to the Walt Disney World Resort on April 16-18, for the 5th annual Festival Disney Competitive Music Festival. East Coweta’s Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band members competed for top honors in this one-of-a-kind festival event.

Coweta County Fire Chief Johnny Teeters was the guest speaker earlier this month as the Peachtree City Fire Department celebrated the successful completion of National Professional Qualification firefighter testing for 12 of their Recruit Firefighters on Thursday night by hosting a Graduation Ceremony.

The Coweta County Commission will host Town Hall Meetings in each of the five districts with their respective commissioner. The meetings are designed to give citizens an opportunity to meet with their commissioner in a welcoming environment.

The grand opening of the Habitat for Humanity’s Habitat ReStore in Newnan was held June 13 at the its new location at 150 Pine Road, across from the Coweta County Fairgrounds. The ReStore provides a one-stop shopping venue for those wanting to purchase furniture or appliances and anyone with ideas of home remodeling.

Council vote on rezoning industrial park for 80 homes, event center close to airport safety area postponed to July 16

OPINION column: With Callula Hill, unplanning reaches its apex

The applicant for the Callula Hill rezoning application requested that the item be pulled from the Thursday night Peachtree City Council agenda and tabled for further discussion, according to Betsy Tyler, the city’s public information officer and city clerk.

Although no date was given for reconsideration, the next regular meeting will be on Thursday, July 16 (the July 2 meeting has been cancelled). As always, the agenda packet will be available on the city website on the Friday prior to the meeting (July 10).

Fayetteville Police are searching for three or four men said to have been involved in firing shots at a vehicle in downtown Fayetteville in the early morning hours.

Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) announced it will locate a proposed cancer treatment hospital in Newnan serving patients from across the Southeast. The company will create 500 jobs and invest $150 million over the first five years of operation.

Actor Ashton Kutcher, in the area to film the movie “Five Killers,” takes time from his schedule recently to treat the movie crew to cool drinks from Peachtree City’s Planet Smoothie store. The husband of actress Demi Moore, Kutcher posed with the store’s team members during a break from filming a scene in Peachtree City. The movie also stars Katherine Heigl and Tom Selleck. Photo/Special.

Saturday will mark the return of a wounded warrior and real-life hero. The afternoon of June 20 will be a special day for U.S. Army Sgt. David Battle and his family. And Fayette County residents are invited to share in the occasion and line the streets as the family receives a homecoming motorcade escort by the Patriot Guard Riders of Georgia and multiple law enforcement agencies to their home in Clayton County just outside Fayetteville.

Special to The Citizen

What degree is in the highest demand among citizens of Fayette County? Although it’s matter of more than just strictly supply and demand, Clayton State University-Fayette is going to start supplying a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in 2010.

Special to The Citizen

A team of student inventors from Whitewater High School — one of only 16 high schools nationwide selected to receive a Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams grant in the 2008-2009 school year — recently completed its solar dehydrator and dehumidifier.

The Georgia Supreme Court has overturned a Fayette judge’s divorce ruling that a gay father be forbidden from having visitation with his children in the company of gay or lesbian friends.

A lively group of former Fayette County High School graduates met for a combined reunion and birthday lunch for classmate Weyman Newton Monday at the Broadway Diner in Fayetteville.

What makes the group special is that they graduated in 1936.