April preliminary unemployment figures for Coweta County rose to 9.4 percent compared to revised figures for March that placed the rate at 8.8 percent.

West Central Technical College Foundation announced Tuesday that it had received a 38-acre land gift from Orchard Hills Golf Properties, LLC valued at $1.7 million. The property is located off I-85 near the future Poplar Road site of Piedmont Newnan Hospital. Initial funding for the building program could come in next year’s legislative session.

A staple in the towing and accident recovery business in south Fulton County for nearly 20 years has opened a second location in Newnan with flat-rate towing in the city. Southside Wrecker Service opened its new 24-hour location in early May at 679C U.S. Highway 29.

More than 1,250 Coweta High School seniors are expected to participate in graduation ceremonies, held Thursday, Friday and Saturday on the campuses of Coweta County high schools. Newnan High seniors graduated May 28, to be followed by May 29 ceremonies at Northgate and May 30 ceremonies at East Coweta.

Senoia was bursting at the seams for the 4th Annual Memorial Day activities. Crowds enjoyed non-stop family activities that included all kinds of live music, from the 116th Army Bank to the Chris Youman’s Band, and endless variety of food, arts & crafts and, of course, the Memorial Day Parade with more than 70 entries. To view all 92 photos visit the Memorial Day click here.

Canongate Road will be closed from June 1 through early August at Persimmon Creek in northeast Coweta County. A faulty culvert will be replaced where Canongate Road crosses Persimmon Creek, just south of the entrance of Persimmon Creek subdivision.    

On Saturday, May 30, the American Kidney Fund (AKF) will be conducting free kidney health screenings at the Ben Hill United Methodist Church’s Annual Health Fair from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Reach to Recovery Volunteers serve as confidants by offering hope and strength to breast Cancer patients to overcome and move forward as survivors. Reach to Recovery offers one-to-one visitation for women with breast cancer. The visit is phone call made by a breast cancer survivor who has been carefully chosen and trained. The volunteer shares her experiences and offers support with patients at a time of need.

Three suspects are in custody after they were caught trying to leave a burglarized home south of Fayetteville this afternoon, officials said.

Fayette County Post 1 Commissioner Robert Horgan was arrested Saturday by sheriff’s deputies for misdemeanor marijuana possession and driving with an expired tag.

A deputy pulled over Horgan’s 1999 white Mazda pickup on Stanley Road just after 6 p.m. Saturday for driving with an expired tag, said Fayette County Sheriff Wayne Hannah. That’s just northwest of Fayetteville.

All the years of hard work will pay off Friday night as 1,908 students from Fayette County’s five public high schools will participate in graduation ceremonies at their respective schools. All ceremonies will begin at 7 p.m., the first time that’s happened since the county had only one high school in the early 1980s.

Peachtree City has not escaped the nationwide trend of home foreclosures.

While some of those homes are in the lower price range, some are in the very high price range too, as they are not confined to any area or neighborhood, said Senior Code Enforcement Officer Tami Babb.

The Fayette County Commission is expected to vote Thursday on the latest proposed alignment for the second phase of the controversial West Fayetteville Bypass.

Hundreds of local residents turned out Monday to remember those who paid the ultimate price of their lives to secure freedom for our country.

There will soon another option for college students living in Fayette County. Brenau University announced last week that it will open its Fairburn campus this summer. To be called South Atlanta/Fairburn, the new Brenau campus will open in the 2009-10 academic year on Aug. 28. Brenau will join Georgia Military College (GMC) at the Fairburn campus. GMC opened the new site in 2008, and approximately 25 percent of GMC’s students live in Fayette County.

It is expected to be a great show for a great cause. The Building Dreams ’09 Entertainment & Variety Show fund-raiser to benefit the projects of Square Foot Ministry will be held June 6 at Sams Auditorium in Fayetteville.

A Fayetteville woman was arrested Friday after she struck two vehicles and subsequently fled from police officers after 1 p.m., police said.

A Peachtree City woman crashed a minivan through the front door of a local bank early Saturday afternoon, police said.

Tragedy struck and family and friends of 28-year-old James “Jay” Chapman May 22 when the South Cobb High School teacher and former Fayette County High School student was killed in a head-on collision on I-59 near Slidell, La. Chapman was to be married this summer.

Heart attack victim saved; new protocols speed process

Piedmont Healthcare representatives recently thanked the professionals of the Fayette County Department of Fire and Emergency Services for their commitment to excellence and congratulated them on the record-breaking response time that saved the life of Ramzan Batliwala of Fayetteville. Batliwala and his family joined in the congratulations and extended their thanks to all those who were involved.

November 7 will be the date for the American Cancer Society’s 7th Cattle Barons Ball. This year the total money raised to support research, prevention, and treatment will top one million dollars. Fayette County businesses and citizens have been very generous in their support for this boot stompin gala every year.

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

Starr’s Mill head baseball coach Brent Moseley knew he had a resilient team. Their come from behind 6-5 win over the Loganville Red Devils in the first game in the AAAA state semifinals just served as further proof.

Anika Fredericks, 5, of Fayetteville waved a flag during Peachtree City's Memorial Day ceremony this morning.

DA won’t file charges for pay-outs to Amos and Caldwell

An investigation by Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) on a complaint filed last summer by Tyrone resident Dick Shelley over alleged malfeasance by former town administrative staff has been completed. District Attorney Scott Ballard said Thursday no action will be taken since no criminal wrongdoing was found. As for Shelley, he stands by his claim.

Wilde brought home 9 national titles to Booth

Booth Middle School science teacher Mary Wilde was given a surprise honor Friday morning during a school assembly to honor her 25 years in teaching and her dedication to the school’s Science Olympiad program.

Towne Club, a luxury apartment complex for adults 50 and up, has been named the tops in its housing class nationwide.

Tyrone Town Council members earlier this month promised a counter proposal to Georgia Dept. of Transportation (DOT) for the closing of CSX Railroad’s crossing at Valleywood Road and Senoia Road and the extension of Park Drive to East Crestwood. That counter proposal came Thursday, with the council voting to fall back on the original 2007 proposal that would have the town spend considerably less money on the project.

Fayette County and Fayetteville firefighters will be conducting a boot drive to raise money for the south metro chapter of the American Red Cross Saturday night during a free concert at The Villages Amphitheater in Fayetteville.

The Peachtree City Police Department will be hosting a Teen Community Emergency Response Team (TEEN CERT) “summer camp” the week of July 13 to July 17th.