U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland today voted for the Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act of 2005. The bill, which passed 234-197, will keep taxes on capital gains and dividends at 15 percent through 2010.

The Optimist Club of Peachtree City held its annual Youth Appreciation Banquet Nov. 14 at the Peachtree Wyndham Conference Center. The second week in November is set aside by Optimist International as Youth Appreciation Week. High School Guidance Counselors and Youth Agencies nominated students to be honored. The criteria for nomination was based on the student’s ability to demonstrate leadership skills, their participation in volunteer programs, participation in community improvement projects, involvement in extra-curricular school activities, demonstration of environmental awareness and scholastic achievement.

Ryan Thwaits, a seventh-grade student at J.C. Booth Middle School, was presented with a certificate Nov. 4 by Principal Ted Lombard for being a People to People Student Ambassador for the United States for the second consecutive year.

Kellie Beal has been chosen by Landmark Christian School as their 2005/2006 representative to the 47th annual Hugh O’Brien Youth Leadership Conference (HOBY).

The Coldwell Banker Bullard Realty organization’s offices will continue accepting donations for the annual U. S. Marine Corps Reserve “Toys for Tots” campaign through Monday, Dec. 19.

If you participate in a Health Savings Account, "Flex" plan or "Cafeteria" plan, you may be leaving money on the table come Dec. 31. That's because many of these plans which allow employees to set aside money from their salary to cover health care expenses require that funds be spent by Dec. 31.

The Georgia Public Service Commission has published the December natural gas marketer prices on the December 2005 pricing page on the Commission Web site, www.psc.state.ga.us, along with an “apples to apples” comparison of rates and a total bill comparison showing the differences among marketer rate plans.

Heating oil costs are expected to skyrocket this winter, but there’s an old-fashioned alternative that can offset those increases: firewood.

It is estimated more than 500,000 vehicles and an unknown number of boats suffered flood damage during the 2005 hurricane season.

Prosecutors don’t have any physical evidence that puts Eddie Robbins inside the north Fayette home where two of his friends’ bodies were found in May 2003.

Over 1,000 attend meeting to discuss future of S. Fulton

It was a question about the future of unincorporated South Fulton County.

Palmetto police are searching for two men who may be connected to two recent armed robberies.

Thirty-eight pounds of marijuana nabbed Nov. 29 at a vacant house in north Fayette County was part of a larger joint effort that included Tri-Cities Narcotics Task Force.

A Union City man was found dead Monday night by motorists outside Palmetto. A car thought to be connected to the homicide was found a short time later in a Palmetto apartment complex.

It's always fun when Santa arrives. His arrival Dec. 2 at Mayor's park in Union City was no exception. The kids loved it, almost as much as the adults.

What surfaced recently as a request to the City Council a few months ago by young residents of Palmetto culminated Monday with the approval to create a skateboard park at the end of Cobb Street.

Campbell County was created in 1828, in part, from Fayette County. The two communities were close then and are close now.

The following arrests were made by Fairburn Police between Nov. 30 and Dec. 6:

• Charles Johnson, 53, Savannah, Fulton County warrant.

None of the physical evidence collected at the scene of a double homicide in north Fayette County in May 2003 can be tied to Eddie Robbins, the suspect on trial for those murders, the jury was told Friday morning.

Chance bill would protect ‘Merry Christmas,’ other holiday greetings

If state Sen. Ronnie Chance of Tyrone has his way, government employees and school students in Georgia will have free reign to wish one another “Merry Christmas,” “Happy Hanukkah” or any other holiday expression.

Fayette County Department of Family and Children's Services has partnered with a community group to administer the holiday program for DFCS families. This groups is the Fayette Holiday Helpers.

Brown says Logsdon would have won anyway

Incumbent Peachtree City Mayor Steve Brown got an uneasy feeling Tuesday when he became a roadside attraction while waving to potential voters near the intersection of Peachtree Parkway and Crosstown Road.

Challenger gets 70 pct. of vote to oust incumbent Brown

Political newcomer Harold Logsdon manhandled incumbent Peachtree City Mayor Steve Brown in his re-election bid, with Logsdon corralling 70 percent of the vote.

Defendant’s sons testify for prosecution

An Atlanta man suspected in the violent assault of an elderly Fayette County man has been arrested.

Arnold Bernard Wesley Jr., 23, of 3901 Campbellton Road is charged with armed robbery and kidnapping. Police said that he hit the victim in the back of the head and stole several firearms from the residence on Lady Carolyn Court after the attack Friday afternoon.

A task force studying traffic congestion in Georgia is recommending a radical change to fast-forward cost-effective projects that will improve traffic congestion in metro Atlanta.

U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland will host a town hall meeting Monday at 9:30 a.m. at the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce to educate and assist seniors seeking help choosing a prescription drug plan under Medicare. Sign up has begun and benefits are set to begin Jan. 1, 2006.

Where will Senoia’s library be located?

An Elvis impersonator greets the spectators at Saturday night’s Christmas parade in Senoia.

Senoia business owner Greg Crook will be able to open his car wash after all.

After months of discussion with residents, the Planning Commission and the City Council, Crook left Monday night’s City Council meeting with a variance that will allow him to start moving dirt on the site.