The times they are a changing. And for Coweta County those changes include significant growth in residential and business population that provided the impetus for the county commission Aug. 5 to approve a reorganization of county government. Coweta’s population increased by 33 percent between 2000 and the end of 2007.

Piedmont Newnan Hospital has formally acquired ownership of 105 acres of land on Poplar Road near Interstate 85, where its new hospital facility will be located. After receiving approval to develop the land from the United States Army Corps of Engineers, the hospital released funds from escrow and closed on the land late last week.

It was a meeting designed to have residents give their input on what the city of Palmetto will look like in the future. The Livable Centers Initiative (LCI) kick-off meeting Aug. 21 at Palmetto Community Center saw a room packed with residents wanting to meet their future head-on.

It was an announcement that amounted to the icing on the cake. Officials from Georgia Military College (GMC) Aug. 25 signed a 10-year lease with the city of Fairburn for the use of an 18,400 square-foot classroom building and 3,800 square feet of administrative space at the city’s new college campus complex that will open in October.

The only thing left to do was vote yea or nay. And by mid-morning Thursday, Fayette County School Board voted unanimously to adopt a revised Maintenance & Operation (M&O) millage rate set at 19.75 mills and a bond debt millage rate of 4.17 mills. The two represent an overall millage increase of 1.754 mills, or $8.2 million.

Fayette County High School quarterback Justin Murray fires the ball out of bounds as he is hit by a Jonesboro defender in scrimmage action Friday. The Tigers lost the game 21-14 and open their season this Friday at Stockbridge at 7:30 p.m. For complete football coverage, look inside for our football preview section. Photo/John Munford.

Fayette students, take a bow.

When results of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) were released Tuesday, Fayette’s students posted an overall average score of 1551, three points above last year’s average, 85 points above that of the state and 40 points over the national average. A perfect SAT score is 2400.

The Fayette County Board of Education will hold its third and final public hearing on the millage rate Thursday. The rate will be adopted at the conclusion of the hearing.

Higher education classes in Fayette County are getting more and more crowded.

According to Dr. Kevin Demmitt, director of Clayton State-Fayette, the university’s less-than-a-year old instructional site has a total registered enrollment for all courses of 578 for the semester that opened Aug. 18.

The Peachtree City Council balked last Thursday at approving an easement to build a sewer line between the soccer and softball fields at the Jim Meade sports complex.

A Peachtree City manufacturing facility has received a national award for reducing its use of water, electricity and two other components of its manufacturing process.

TDK Components USA received the National Performance Track award from the federal Environmental Protection Agency.

The Fayetteville City Council Aug. 21 approved a new parade route that will give a boost to fund-raising efforts for Cleveland Elementary School’s Sept. 13 Curious Fun Run.

The Fayette County Commission is expected to set its final tax rate for residents Thursday night.

In previous years, the rate was set earlier, but the county had to wait on the school board this year. The Board of Education had to adjust its rate after getting more bad economic news from the state.

Fayette County School Superintendent John DeCotis last week was named one of four finalists statewide for the 2009 Georgia School Superintendent of the Year award.

Fayetteville Police were busy last weekend responding to numerous calls on a variety of issues. Two of those calls ended in arrests for carrying a concealed weapon, battery and cruelty to a child.

It is your 1-cent special local option sales tax at work. Construction is well underway for the widening of Jimmie Mayfield Boulevard in Fayetteville.

Fayette County should be drawing water from Lake McIntosh by 2011, despite having to seek a different way to fund part of the project.

Fayette County students will be starting school the second week in August for the next three years, the Board of Education decided Monday night.

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

Tonight's scheduled meeting of the Peachtree City Planning Commission has been canceled.

The commission will meet Thursday at 2 p.m. to discuss one of the items that was on the agenda for this evening. The commission will consider approving new exterior colors for the first phase of the Kedron Village shopping center which includes a Kroger store.

National Weather Service has issued a flash flood watch from 4 p.m. Monday through Tuesday evening for a large portion of north and west central Georgia that includes Fayette and Coweta counties.

National Weather Service has issues a Special Weather Statement for portions of Fayette and Coweta until 7:45 p.m. Sunday.

For all the rain currently being dumped by Tropical Storm Fay on large portions of south Georgia, Alabama and the Florida panhandle, Fayette and Coweta counties will likely see precious little of the much needed liquid. Some gusty winds are expected to prevail Saturday and Sunday along with a 40-50 percent chance of rain.

141 citations issued so far in 424 hours of path patrol

So far this year, Peachtree City police have logged 424 hours of patrol on the cart path system.

Some groups using Peachtree City facilities will have to pay more starting in January thanks to new fees that will be charged.

The Tyrone Town Council got a huge dose of reality Thursday night.

“We’re broke,”said Finance Director Mary Sturm.

3 concerts left give amphitheater chance to improve results

A plan to cut the number of concerts at Peachtree City's amphitheater in half was approved along with next year's budget for the city's tourism association Thursday night.

Panasonic has donated $13,000 to kick start fund-raising for a new K-9 program for the Peachtree City Police Department.

An estimated $40,000 is needed to start the program with two dogs, equipment and training, police said.

Will add to base of tower, not height, as Verizon upgrades equipment

Verizon Wireless will be allowed to update the equipment on a cell phone tower off Senoia Road thanks to a variance approved Thursday by the Peachtree City Council.