The crowd at Monday’s Memorial Day ceremony in Peachtree City was vividly taken back to the moments before and after a deadly terrorist attack that killed 241 servicemen in Beirut, Lebanon, Oct. 23, 1983.

Opinions differed May 22 as Fayette County commissioners debated a request to amend the Estate Residential District (EST) to decrease the minimum square footage from 3,000 down to 2,500. In the end they voted 3-2 in favor of the proposal previously recommended by the Planning Commission.

Left, Local Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts lead the Pledge of Allegiance for a large crowd at Peachtree City’s annual Memorial Day event Monday morning. Story on Page A#. Photo/John Munford. Right, the tradition of Memorial Day lives on in Fayette County Monday as Boy Scout Troop 309 from Peachtree City begins the ceremonies at Fayetteville Cemetery. Photo/Ben Nelms.

Three of Fayette County’s five public high schools have received national recognition in Newsweek magazine’s listing of the top high schools in America. The honors went to Starr’s Mill, McIntosh and Sandy Creek.

Beating out a student from a state magnet school for agriscience, Jared Koenig of Fayette County High won first place in the Georgia Future Farmers of America (FFA) Proficiency in Diversified Horticulture.

No school is shinning brighter these days than Fayette County High; it has the “stars” to prove it.

Every high school in Georgia has a STAR (Student Teacher Achievement Recognition) student and teacher. The student is the one with the highest SAT score and the teacher is the educator the student selects who has had the most influence on his or her academic success.

The Metro Fayette Kiwanis has once again honored the most improved 5th grade student from each elementary school.

Sixteen students were selected and a reception was held for them, their families, teacher and principal was held at the Fayetteville First Baptist Church.

The key to any great summer is getting outside to enjoy the weather and fresh air, but you can’t be outside all the time. That’s where XPlayground in Peachtree City comes in. The gaming center boasts all types of gaming systems (Wii, PS3, XBox 360, etc.), pool tables, arcade games and a full restaurant. An all day pass to XPlayground this summer costs $20.

Pleas from family and friends was not sufficient to help Earnest Ray Toney avoid a lengthy prison sentence for a recent conviction on methamphetamine charges. Superior Court Judge Tommy Hankinson sentenced Toney Wednesday to 25 years for trafficking and five years for possession. The sentences will run concurrently.

The tens of thousands who have died fighting to protect America's freedom were honored today in separate services at the veteran's memorial in Peachtree City and at the city cemetery in Fayetteville.

It was hugs all around at all five Fayette public schools tonight as seniors spent their last official school event waiting ... in line ... for their diplomas.

(Click HERE to view our photo gallery of the McIntosh graduation)

(Click HERE to view our photo gallery of the Sandy Creek graduation)

(Click HERE to view our photo gallery of the Fayette County High graduation)

(Click HERE to view our photo gallery of the Whitewater graduation)

Peachtree City resident Frances Meaders was named the "Notable Woman of Fayette County" for 2008 recently by the Fayette-Starr’s Mill Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Thompson hunts down violent criminals with special unit

A Peachtree City man was honored recently with the Georgia Heroism Award presented by Gov. Sonny Perdue.

A Hampton man convicted of trying to buy a half-pound of methamphetamine from undercover drug agents avoided sentencing Wednesday afternoon after claiming a medical malady.

Fayetteville, Georgia ñ Bank of North Georgia has created a new department to cater to the unique financial needs of the legal community in metro Atlanta. To lead the effort, Toni Nunn has joined the bank as Senior Vice President and Legal Practice Group Manager.

Boy Scouts salute the flag at last year’s Memorial Day ceremony in Peachtree City. This year’s event, as always, begins with the golf cart procession at the Gathering Place facility off McIntosh Trail, with patriotically themed golf carts leading the way to the ceremony at the veteran’s memorial at City Hall. Photo/File.

Braelinn Elementary Science Olympiad Team placed third in the state at Kennesaw State University on May 17, 2008. There were 45 teams from around the state competing in the annual State Science Olympiad Event. Each team had to qualify at the local event to secure a spot to compete at state. Teacher and parent coaches spent many hours helping to get the team prepared for the events. The entire Braelinn team consists of first row from left to right: Kyle Meyhoefer, Adele Allen, Yuri-Grace Ohashi, Annika Machado.

Robert J. Burch's Relay for Life Team held their 4th Annual Mr. and Miss Patriot pageant on April 26 at Sandy Creek's Patriot Auditorium. This year's pageant was held in memory of Burch's namesake, Robert J. Burch and in honor of Lynn Smith, a paraprofessional at Burch who is battling cancer. The pageant raised close to $3,000 with all proceeds going to the American Cancer Society.

Are you looking for something new and fresh to do in your spare time? Look no more. The Peachtree City Parks & Recreation Department has NEW activities for all ages.

The Citizen's web site, www.thecitizen.com, was awarded first place in their classification by the Suburban Newspapers of America for Best Multimedia Initiative.

Members of East Coweta’s JROTC program presented the flag at last year’s event. Senoia Memorial Day will feature a parade, live entertainment, fireworks and much more. For more information on this year’s event, see the Weekend Section. Photo/John Thompson.

The Valedictorians and Salutatorians from Northgate, Newnan and East Coweta high schools spoke to their graduating classes yesterday, and will speak today and tomorrow, as 1,200 students receive diplomas at Coweta’s three high schools.

A resurfacing and widening project on Ga. Highway 54 in Coweta County will cut traffic down to one lane during the overnight hours starting Tuesday.

Reason for purchase kept under wraps

Senoia is doing some property hunting.

City Administrator wouldn’t say what tract the city is looking at, but confirmed Tuesday that the City Council approved a go-ahead to conduct an environmental study on the parcel.

Senoia officials are once again eyeing a possible change in the length of terms served by City Council members.

This time, however, it’s being motivated by a conflict in the city’s charter with a new state law, explains City Administrator Richard Ferry.

The Coweta County Senior horse judging team won 2nd place honors at the State 4-H Horse Judging Contest in Athens, GA on May 3, 2008. Emilee Brinton, Erin Davis and Megan Smith faced nine other teams and will represent Coweta County and Georgia 4-H in Colorado in January 2009 for their success.

The city of Newnan Public Works Department is gearing up for its annual mosquito program. This year the program will begin June 1st. Every year the city of Newnan sprays city neighborhoods with a synthetic pyrethroid product. This product is a synthetic version of a natural insecticide produced by chrysanthemum flowers. This spray helps control adult mosquito populations within the City.

By Phyllis Hanson

FORT HOOD, Texas - There's no fast way of "getting back" to normal for soldiers who are deployed away from home for more than a year. Separation from loved ones and friends, along with an accustomed way of life can be hard for even the toughest GI.

Let the work begin. A total of 35 county roads around Coweta.

Coweta will get a facelift beginning May 22. The road improvements will be made through a process called Full Depth Reclamation (FDR.)

Rodney Pendleton, the owner of Area 54 Tattoos in Peachtree City, was arrested early Wednesday evening by the Fayette County Drug Task Force for an outstanding warrant for manufacturing marijuana, police said.