Representatives of Vulcan Materials Company scored two victories in two months in appearances before Coweta County commissioners. Over the opposition of area residents, the board Feb. 17 approved a variance request to reduce the setback for the Madras Quarry located near Ga. Highway 154, U.S. Highway 29 and I-85. Commissioners in late December approved a Special Use permit that allowed the quarry to expand mining activities.

The Patrons of the Centre is a membership organization dedicated to supporting The Centre for Performing and Visual Arts of Coweta County. Its mission is to sustain a vision of artistic excellence for our community. Patrons of the Centre share their time, talents and resources to ensure that our community’s commitment to the arts continues to grow and prosper. Member generosity supports events presented by The Centre for Performing and Visual Arts, and in partnership with the Coweta County Board of Education increases student and community exposure to the arts.

Despite global warming issues, base load generation needs and escalating fuel and materials costs – merely a few of the problems EMCs must confront – new Coweta-Fayette CEO Anthony H. “Tony” Sinclair is confident that Georgia’s energy future will remain secure.

Three people were recently arrested for selling drugs to undercover drug agents working with the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office Tactical Narcotics Team, police said.

UPDATED Thursday at 11:50 a.m.

A late afternoon hailstorm swiped through Fayette County Wednesday damaging a number of homes and automobiles.

A possible tornado touchdown was reported in south Coweta County between Moreland and Luthersville near the Meriwether County line. A tractor trailer was overturned, trees and power lines fell and several homes were damaged, according to the Georgia Emergency Management Agency.

Coweta Sheriff’s investigators are seeking information relating to the Feb. 15 stabbing death of 54 year-old Cathy Mendenhall McNaughton at her home in the French Village subdivision in northeast Coweta near Tyrone and Canongate Golf Club.

157 Fayette teachers face unemployment to plug $14.5 million budget gap

Pay cuts versus benefit cuts is one likely choice facing the school system, according to Fayette County School Superintendent John DeCotis in a Feb. 11 letter to all system employees.

Next week could be historic for the Fayette County School System as the five board members hold two meetings and two possible public hearings to decide on staff reductions and other emergency cost-cutting measures to offset $14.5 million in budget shortfalls beginning July 1.

The Peachtree City Council is expected to vote Thursday night on a recommendation to eliminate 23 landscaping and maintenance positions, all of which would later be replaced by services provided by a contractor.

A Peachtree City man accused of beating his wife left bruises “pretty much all over her body” from the neck down, a police detective testified in court yesterday.

Bonnie Buchanan has lived in one of Peachtree City’s oldest neighborhoods since 1985, off Hippocket Road.

In all that time she’s never had a problem with her private septic system, and neither have her neighbors. So she doesn’t understand why city officials are advocating a program to hook up about 80 homes west of Lake Peachtree, including hers, to the city sewer system at an estimated cost of $12,000 per home.

As Fayette CARE Clinic gears up for its annual fund-raiser dance on Saturday, March 7, there is a growing need for financial support due to the downturn in the economy, organizers said.

For the 2009-2010 school year, Fayette’s projected teacher/student ratio numbers for all grades are adjusted for up to 157 announced reductions in school staff. Board members have said they hope that all the reductions can come through attrition. To date, approximately 64 teachers have said they would not be returning next school year.

Dreary and misty skies Saturday morning in Fayetteville could not alter the enthusiasm of several hundred volunteers from across metro Atlanta who poured into the parking lot at Lowe’s Home Improvement and at the construction site on Bradley Drive that will be the new home of Fayette Counseling Center.

Sheriff Wayne Hannah presented Fayetteville Police Chief Steve Heaton Feb. 11 with a check for $285,564.69 for the department’s participation with the Sheriff’s Tactical Narcotics Team (TNT) in two Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) program investigations code named Operation Shooting Star and Operation Latitude Adjustment.

911 center expansion also approved by commission

Fayette County’s finances are on solid ground, according to the most recent audit conducted of its fiscal books.

The Griffin Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office will be hosting the 3rd Annual Law Enforcement Appreciation Banquet at 6:00PM on May 7th at the Fayetteville First Baptist Church, 205 East Stonewall Ave.

A retired engineer and current member of the Peachtree City Recreation Commission is the latest resident to announce candidacy for a seat on the City Council.

Eric Imker, 53, has declared his bid to run for the Post 1 seat that will be vacated by Don Haddix, who has already announced his plans to run for Mayor. The winner of the Post 1 seat will fill the remaining two years on Haddix’s term in office.

Peachtree City police are looking for a lone robber who hit the Kedron Village Kroger supermarket in the middle of the night Monday.

“The suspect entered the Kedron Village Kroger and demanded money from a cashier,” police said. “After approaching the cashier with his hand in his coat pocket, he claimed to have a concealed .357 caliber pistol. The suspect exited the store through the front doors and walked behind the north end of the shopping center, where he went to the alleyway behind the Blockbuster store.”

Sheriff Wayne Hannah presents Tyrone Police Chief Brandon Perkins Feb. 11 with a check for $285,564.69 for the department’s participation with the Sheriff’s Tactical Narcotics Team (TNT) in two Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) program investigations code named Operation Shooting Star and Operation Latitude Adjustment. TNT is a multi-agency unit that includes Fayette Sheriff’s Office, Fayetteville Police, Tyrone Police and Peachtree City Police. Photo/Ben Nelms.

Tyrone Planning Commission Thursday voted unanimously to recommend a plan proposed by Fayette County that would create two new business districts along Ga. Highway 74 North from Sandy Creek Road to the Fulton County line. The study that includes property situated both in the town and county will go to the town council next week.

A project to prevent flooding at the Tinsley Mill Village condominiums just off Lake Peachtree is endangered.

The project is slated for grant funding, for which the Tinsley Mill homeowner’s association has committed $166,000. But so far the HOA has only been able to collect $40,000.

Developer may foot bill to close other path in Cedarcroft

Peachtree City officials are working with Cedarcroft developer Mike Rossetti to come up with a ballpark figure for installing a path from a tunnel under MacDuff Parkway to the retail area on the east side of the road.

The Peachtree City Tourism Association (PCTA) is the newest participant in The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) Dream Pass Program.  The Georgia Dream Pass is a free consumer “membership rewards” affinity program that gives members access to special offers and benefits that are exclusive to cardholders and these benefits are now available at the Peachtree City Visitor’s Center.

Tyrone’s Triangle Park on Senoia Road got a name change Thursday and will soon begin to transform into a memorial to honor veterans.  Council members Feb. 5 also approved the use of drug seizure money secured by the town’s participation in the sheriff’s Tactical Narcotics Team to fund needed repairs and remodeling to the police department basement.

A Peachtree City Realtor announced this week that she will seek election to the Post 3 City Council seat currently held by Cyndi Plunkett.

Vanessa Fleisch said she decided to run in part because she disagrees with some of the major decisions from council in recent years.

She cited the recent vote approving a new traffic light on Ga. Highway 54 west as one example where council’s vote didn’t reflect the wishes of residents who spoke out against the light.

It has been in the works for a long time, but the announcement finally came earlier this week that Harrisburg, Pennsylvania computer products and consumer electronic company D&H Distributing will open a 476,000 square-foot high-tech distribution center in Newnan in early May and will create approximately 100 jobs.

Theirs is a completely different take on an issue that had hundreds of citizens up in arms recently and the Coweta County Commission responding to citizen demands. But for Coweta resident Justin Huggins and his group, Cowetans for Starship, Coweta’s denial of a business license to the Thomas Crossroads location of Starship Adult Novelties & Gifts drew support for store owner Kelly Rogers at a rally Feb. 7 by a handful of the group’s reported 454 members.

Senoia Downtown Development Authority (DDA) voted unanimously Feb. 10 to recommend that the city council establish an ordinance to address commercial vehicles parking on Main Street. Board members said they will review sample ordinances before presenting a recommendation to the council.

Coweta County School Board announced Feb. 10 that Elm Street Elementary School Principal Dr. Julie Raschen has been selected to head the new Brooks Elementary School on Jim Starr Road in north Coweta when it opens for the 2009-10 school year.