$348 million must be cut from this year’s Ga. budget; school funding least hardest hit so far; frank talk by Seabaugh to Coweta teachers

It was like a classroom in reverse Nov. 19 as Georgia Senate Majority Whip Mitch Seabaugh (R-Sharpsburg) presented information on the reality of the current and upcoming state budgets to nearly three dozen Coweta County educators.

Seabaugh in the data-heavy presentation said he wanted teachers to understand the challenges ahead and asked that they consider potential cost-saving measures and forward those ideas to him.

Part 2: Central Office

The Citizen recently reported on the classroom instruction aspect of “what makes Fayette County schools special.” But what about the central office aspect of the equation?

Peachtree City voters will have to beat the turkey to the polls ... or wait until next Tuesday to cast their ballots in the runoff election for the mayor’s seat and two City Council posts.

Peachtree City officials are hoping a grassroots email campaign will convince a specialty grocer to fill the empty space left behind by the “baby Kroger” at the Peachtree Crossing Shopping Center in the geographic middle of the city.

The U.S. Census Bureau Nov. 18 released the 2008 poverty estimates for every school district and county in the nation. Data for Fayette County showed more than 5 percent of children ages 5-17 living in families in poverty.

The Fayetteville City Council at its Nov. 19 meeting approved the hire of a consultant group to pursue a Livable Centers Initiative (LCI) supplemental grant that will focus on re-development in three targeted commercial areas.

The recent Flu-Free Schools pilot program conducted in several Fayette County elementary schools was so successful that school system staff want to repeat and expand it next year if possible.

The annual round of Christmas shopping cranks up on Friday. And Fayetteville Police are offering a number of crime prevention tips to help keep holiday shopping safer.

A traffic accident Sunday has knocked out Peachtree City's newest traffic signal on Ga. Highway 74 north at Wisdom Road.

Peachtree City residents who are ready to vote can get their civic duty out of the way today, Tuesday and Wednesday downstairs at the city library.

To some he is controversial. To others he is right on target. But regardless the opinions, Republican gubernatorial candidate Ray McBerry will bring his States’ Rights Tour to Peachtree City Tuesday night.

Sandy Creek’s football team advanced to the state quarterfinals for the first time in school history with a 17-14 win over the defending state champion Tucker Tigers. Click

Candidates dispute recreation cuts, ‘special interest’ allegations during Q&A

In many ways, Wednesday’s mayor and council candidate forum in Peachtree City was all about the mayoral battle between Don Haddix and Cyndi Plunkett.

Both candidates said they needed to “correct” misstatements and mischaracterizations made by the other during the campaign.

Following is an issue-by-issue breakdown of each candidate’s viewpoint during the forum, which was sponsored by the Peachtree City Youth Council.

Candidates in the runoff elections for the Post 1 and Post 3 city council races got another chance Thursday to share their views with the public.

Those participating were Post 1 candidates Eric Imker and Beth Pullias and Post 3 candidates Kim Learnard and Bob Walsh.

It won’t start until the Monday after Thanksgiving, but plenty of Peachtree City residents will be thankful it is finally underway.

Peachtree City Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) board members Wednesday at a special called meeting voted unanimously to approve a contract with Tennessee-based Environmental Power Strategies, LLC (EPS) to dry and haul sludge from the wastewater treatment plant. The move will be a cost-saving of $3 per ton over the current rate.

David Ring, who wears many volunteer hats working with recreation programs in Peachtree City, was recently named Volunteer of the Year for the population category of 30,000 to 80,000 by the Georgia Park and Recreation Association at their annual conference in Jekyll Island.

This holiday season, when economic conditions are tough and people really want their gifts to matter, the Atlanta Red Cross is kicking off a new holiday campaign that offers a way to give a gift that has real impact. 

Unlike last week’s public hearings, the two Neely Pond development proposals along Ga. Highway 16 just south of Sharpsburg came with no comment or discussion Tuesday night as Coweta County commissioners voted quickly and unanimously to deny both rezoning requests.

What began in a Nov. 12 public hearing as a request by Michael and Judy Cunningham to rezone 38.11 acres located along Lower Fayetteville Road and Ga. Highway 154 from Rural Conservation (RC) to C-7 (Commercial Major Shopping Center) and C-8 (Heavy Commercial District) ended Nov. 17 with a 4-0 vote to approve a lesser C-6 zoning that maintained all but a few of the original plan components.

Mayor asks council to withdraw from deal with Coweta

Upset with a lack of communication from Coweta County library system officials, Senoia Mayor Robert Belisle asked his fellow council members Monday to withdraw from the library system and the city’s $21,000 funding commitment.

But water, sewer shortfall mean rate increases likely

Senoia’s 2010-2011 budget was unveiled at Monday night’s City Council meeting.

When downtown Senoia merchants gussie up their stores with Christmas lights this year, they will be doing so on their own dime.

Coweta firefighters can breathe a little easier with the unanimous decision Nov. 17 by county commissioners to approve the purchase of new breathing devices and other equipment. The new air-paks will replace the older, questionable equipment currently in use.

Girls involved in the juvenile court system are about to have a residential alternative that will meet temporary or long-term needs. The Coweta County Commission on Nov. 17 approved a conditional use permit for a non-profit transitional facility on Macedonia Road that can house up to 16 girls.

Each candidate in Peachtree City's runoff election will appear tonight at a candidate forum at City Hall beginning at 7 p.m.

Haylie Williams peers from behind a stargazer lily in her photograph that won first place, youth division, among 70,000 entries in the 2009 National Wildlife Foundation contest. The J.C. Booth eighth-grader used a Fuji FinePix camera to shoot the photo of the family garden flower while in a car with her parents, Julie and David Williams, on their way to an event that featured home-grown blooms. Her winning entry is online at www.nwf.org. Photo/Haylie Williams.

One of county’s largest food service operations, Piedmont Fayette stuck in low 80s on health inspections, including a 78 in February 2009

A cash cushion of more than $6 million for the Fayette County School System?

You read that right: State funding cuts, furloughs and decreased salaries notwithstanding, the Fayette County School System is in better shape financially this year than many expected.

Former Arkansas governor, likely 2012 presidential candidate and Fox News host Mike Huckabee rolled into Peachtree City Saturday night for a book-signing of his most recent release, “A Simple Christmas: Twelve Stories That Celebrate the True Holiday Spirit.”