Rep. Ramsey says law against using a cell while driving a matter of ‘safety vs. inconvenience’

A local legislator who wants to outlaw cellphone use by drivers under 18 took his case to that very age group Monday night in Peachtree City.

Send out new, higher property tax bills, says Fayette County School Superintendent John DeCotis.

DeCotis is asking the Fayette County Commission to take the unprecedented step of re-billing taxpayers to make up an expected shortfall caused by a tax relief measure now in limbo until the Georgia General Assembly acts.

The pressure is on. The Fayette County Board of Education met Monday to continue the cost-cutting conversation that has been going on for months, including a request for a voluntary teacher give-back of promised raises.

A College Park woman was arrested the morning of Dec. 29 after deputies said she ran over her husband with her car in the parking lot of New Hope Baptist Church, a sheriff’s official said.

Peachtree City Councilman Don Haddix remains firmly opposed to the concept of approving a new traffic light on Ga. Highway 54 West at Line Creek Drive.

Fayetteville has a new executive director of its Main Street Program: Brian Wismer.

He replaces Nancy Price, who became director of the Fredrick Brown Amphitheater in Peachtree City last fall.

A former employee at Hoffman Tire on North Glynn Street in Fayetteville was caught red-handed by Lt. David Webb early Monday morning as he stole tires after gaining entry to the building and disarming the alarm, according to police.

Two Fayetteville teenagers were injured early Monday morning after the driver lost control of the vehicle on Ga. Highway 92. The car was airborne before crashing into nearby trees and coming to rest on the shoulder. Neither occupant sustained life-threatening injuries.

It must have been a good night for celebrating New Year’s Eve, and for staying in place after the celebrating was done. A holiday roadcheck in Tyrone and Peachtree City amid frigid temperatures resulted in few traffic violations.

The reduced hours at the Peachtree City Library and the Kedron Fieldhouse and Aquatic Center haven’t even been implemented yet.

“If I had a motto it would be, ‘Excellence is a journey, not a destination.’” That was the conclusion of new McIntosh High School Principal Lisa Fine, who assumed her role Dec. 1.

As the calendar turns to a new year, a number of city residents’ thoughts are turning to the city’s 50th anniversary celebration.

Peachtree City staffers are proposing a few changes relating to the appointment of volunteers to its various commissions and authorities.

Tyrone auditor Dan Post last week gave town council members a brief overview of the annual audit for the period ending June 30, 2008. The poor state of the economy notwithstanding, the audit showed a deficit of $133,544 for the fiscal year in expenses over revenues.

Tyrone Town Council decided Dec. 18 it was time to advertise for a full-time finance director. The 3-1 vote came after a recommendation from town auditor Dan Post to hire someone to fill the position permanently. Former Planning Commission member Mary Sturm had been serving in a temporary finance/human resources capacity since the summer.

The United States is clearly in a recession. The economy has tanked nearly everywhere, but not in Senoia. That reality came through loud and clear in a conversation Tuesday with City Administrator Richard Ferry. During 2008 available commercial space essentially doubled with much more on the way in 2009.

Coweta County Commission Dec. 16 approved a report on the proposed 40.7-acre Madras recreation site located in northeast Coweta that calls for both active and passive recreation amenities. The Madras Recreation Needs Assessment will become a component of an upcoming master recreation plan. The county-owned site is located along Hal Jones Road just south of Frank Cook Road.

The Board of Directors of the Newnan-Coweta Chamber of Commerce has elected seven new Officers for 2009.

Board members elected to officer positions are: Jan Alligood, Chair, Georgia Power Company; Steve Mader, Chair Elect, SouthTowne Motors of Newnan; Vicki Kaiser, Treasurer, Piedmont Healthcare; Mark Fritz, Vice Chair-Membership & Marketing, Bank of Coweta; Grant Grimes, Vice Chair-Organizational Performance, Forestar Real Estate Group; Randy Cardoza, Vice Chair-Economic Prosperity, AGL Resources; and Phil Aaron, Past Chair, State Farm Insurance.

Motorists traveling along I-85 in Coweta County should expect delays during part of the first week of the new year. Georgia Dept. of Transportation (GDOT) said Monday that one southbound lane will be closed near the Ga. Highway 14/U.S. Highway 29 intersection Jan. 5-7.

The Georgia DOT has completed improvements to the intersection of State Route (SR) 54 at Stewart and Reese Roads. A new traffic signal has been installed and will be operational on Tuesday, Jan. 6.

Ready to make a resolution and stick to it? If so then the Piedmont Newnan Hospital Wellness Center is the place to help start 2009 off on a healthier and happier note. Throughout the month of January, the  Piedmont Newnan Hospital Wellness Center is waiving the $75 initiation fee for new members.

An arrest has been made stemming from the Nov. 14 incident at Honey Hair, Skin and Body salon in Fayetteville where a woman claimed she was sexually assaulted by the masseur.

The judge in the out-of-court settlement of a $4 million class-action lawsuit over illnesses to north Fayette and south Fulton residents caused by emissions at the Phillips Services Corp. (PSC) waste treatment plant in mid-2006 has extended the deadline for those residents to file claims. The new deadline is Jan. 30. Hundreds of area residents reported illnesses from the exposure.

If giving to others is near the top of your New Year's resolutions, look no further.

The American Red Cross is hosting a blood drive Friday at the Gathering Place recreation center in Peachtree City from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. In Newnan they're hosting a blood drive Friday at Newnan Hospital from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Development of worldwide customer service HQ at the PTC plant will add 610 new jobs to local economy

This year has been one for the record books, Fayetteville City Manager Joe Morton said during a year-in-review interview — the bad record books.

A north Fayette teen was found delinquent last month on charges that he participated in a street gang called “Sur 13,” according to Fayette County Juvenile Court records.

New housing starts in Peachtree City — Fayette County’s largest city — have tumbled 50 percent in one year, according to figures from the city.

UNINCORPORATED FAYETTE COUNTY

The housing sectors’ woes have hit Fayette County, with new residential construction in the areas outside cities down 61 percent from a year ago.

Get ready for more stop lights on your commute.

In the next 18 months Fayette County roads will be getting four new traffic signals to help improve the flow of vehicles, county officials said.