Unemployment figures for Coweta County and the 5-county Chattahoochee-Flint area continue to surge. Preliminary figures for May showed Coweta’s unemployment at 10.5 percent and Chatt-Flint at 11.6 percent.

A Palmetto man was arrested on drug charges July 2 after more than a dozen Crime Suppression Unit officers from Palmetto Police and Coweta County Sheriff’s Office converged on a residence off Carlton Road.

Arrested at his home at 525 Seven Bark Court was 25 year-old Ramaro Thornton, according to Palmetto Crime Scene Investigator Joyce Phillips.

The Senoia City Council Monday night unanimously approved the purchase of two pre-owned vehicles for the Police Department. The purchase and outfitting price for the two 2008 Dodge Chargers is $41,723.

Susan Luciano, teacher at Arnall Middle School, recently completed a four-day coastal ecology workshop on Georgia’s Sapelo Island. The Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve (SINERR) offered the training as part of its teacher training series. Participants in the training investigated Georgia’s coastal systems with an emphasis on estuarine and marine ecology, coastal species identification and adaptations, commercial and recreational fisheries and management.

West Georgia Technical College received a measure of assistance from Coweta County commissioners July 7 when the board agreed to provide equipment and labor to pave a new roadway to the campus off Turkey Creek Road and to consider future financial support if funds are available. The measure passed on a 3-2 vote.

Members of the Coweta County Development Authority (CCDA) attended the July 7 county commission meeting to thank the board for supporting efforts that is resulting in the creation of hundreds of new jobs with the addition of Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) and D&H Distributing.

Newnan Public Works crews are making both temporary and permanent patches to potholes in streets all over the City of Newnan. The city is asking for public input to get a handle on potholes. The City's goal is to patch potholes within 72 hours of learning about them.

Senoia Downtown Development Authority (DDA) will be holding a free outdoor concert July 16 featuring Country music recording artist Erica Nicole in a debut CD release concert. The concert will begin at 7 p.m. in downtown Senoia. The opening act will be the Southern Pride Band.

It was time for a cool treat July 4 at the Ice Cream Festival in downtown Newnan. The frozen festivities were a small part of the larger, day-long activities that included the July 4 Parade, fireworks and an endless supply of food, fun, music and rides for the kids.

Starr’s Mill Chick-fil-A restaurant to give away free meals to ‘cow-clad’ customers, golf carts this Friday

Fayette students scored well. Georgia Dept. of Education (DOE) has published the complete list of CRCT (Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests) for 2009.

BoE members Todd and Key worry $185 million budget has left critical questions mostly unanswered

The adoption last week of the $185 million budget by the Fayette County School Board came after a year’s worth of cuts tied to the recession. With its adoption June 29, board members trimmed more than $11 million off the previous year.

Although they are elected and not hired, Fayette County’s five commissioners enjoy access to several benefits offered to county employees beyond their base salary.

The adoption of House Bill 251 this year by the Georgia General Assembly provides for students to transfer within a given school system, and Fayette County School System Safety, Discipline and Athletics Coordinator C. W. Campbell said that there will be a limited number of transfer openings locally.

Food Lion will unveil its first store in Fayetteville, located at 12160 County Line Road, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony this Wednesday at 8 a.m.

The July 4 rally hosted by the Peachtree City Tea Party Patriots at the city’s Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater was the launching pad for the announcement that the group is changing its name to the Southern Crescent Tea Party Patriots to reflect the inclusion of those in other south metro Atlanta counties that want to be affiliated with the non-profit organization.

Fayette County officials want to remind residents that odd-even watering restrictions are still in place, part of which includes a total ban on outdoor watering for everybody on Fridays.

The second phase of the West Fayetteville Bypass won’t be under construction until around January 2011, according to the latest timeline of the project compiled by county transportation officials.

The Fayette County Commission has agreed to have its staff study potential changes to roof guidelines for commercially zoned lots in the unincorporated county.

The following arrests were reported for the past week. All persons are considered innocent until proven guilty:

Fayette County Sheriff’s Office

A suitcase left outside the Federal Aviation Administration’s Atlanta TRACON building in Peachtree City early this morning led police to treat it as a possible explosive device, officials said.

Fayetteville police are continuing to search an area off Hood Avenue for a man wanted in connection with a hit and run incident shortly after 3 p.m.

From the well-decorated entries in the July 4 parade to the fireworks over Lake Peachtree as the nightcap, there was something for everyone at Peachtree City's annual salute to America's birthday.

Following are photos from the parade and fireworks. If you would like to submit yours, please email them to editor@TheCitizen.com.

(Photos of the fireworks over Lake Peachtree were submitted by Wanda Carroll)

The Peachtree City Water and Sewer Authority has announced that two of the three finalists for its top executive position have bowed out.

Peachtree City residents should be on the lookout Saturday morning for their copy of The Citizen’s commemorative edition honoring Peachtree City’s 50th anniversary.

If you miss getting a copy in your driveway, 4th of July print editions may be picked up at these locations while supplies last:

50-plus notable people who shaped the new city

The following people are among the many who not only helped get Peachtree City off to a solid start 50 years ago but also have played significant roles in shaping the city as it continues to evolve. It is worth mentioning that many of the “old timers” on this list still live here.

[This column was published July 4, 2001.]

Celebrating the Fourth of July is not optional, you know.

July 3, 1776 — A future president wrote to his wife words we should consider again:

By Scott Bradshaw

Special to The Citizen

Some readers know I moved to Peachtree City 10 years ago and will be surprised that I have early memories of the area I hold so dear to my heart. There are others who can better tell the story of Peachtree City’s inception, growth, and success during the past five decades.

By Jimmy Booth

Special to The Citizen

Peachtree City’s early years of planning and development had caught my attention. Returning to Fayette County in 1965 after graduating from college and working at a couple of small newspapers, I moved in with my parents when they bought a home in Peachtree City. Two years later, Margo and I were married, and she and I made our home in Peachtree City.

When a second high school was going to be built in Fayette County in the early 1980s, it was going to be placed in Peachtree City.