Two local shoppers have had their wallets stolen out from under them by a deceptive pair in Peachtree City stores, police said.

The Fayette County Chamber of Commerce announced the 2007 Small Business of the Year recipients at their Annual Small Business of the Year Awards Luncheon held at Whitewater Creek Country Club. The Small Business of the Year Award is given to recognize the exemplary business practices and innovation exhibited by a small business. Nominated businesses were judged on the following criteria: business plans, goals, performance, growth, vision, economic impact, civic activities, Chamber involvement and contributions to the community.

By Lt. Rex Duke, interim chief, Clayton State Department of Public Safety

Some of you may not be aware that during the holiday season crime has a tendency to rise most everywhere. Here at Clayton State University we are no different, other than the fact we do enjoy a relatively safe environment. We usually see a peak in theft on campus during this season. Keep this in mind and take precautions by never leaving your valuables unattended.

Students at J.C. Booth Middle have captured the true spirit of the holiday season.

About 10 years ago the school started a fundraiser to help their own families who were struggling financially have a more memorable holiday. It has operated under several different names throughout the years but is now called Silver for Santa, with the word “silver” representing the spirit of giving.

daily citizen 12-18 by Michael Boylan Click here

Wayne Hannah, a 33 year veteran of the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office, formally announced his candidacy for Sheriff of Fayette County Monday afternoon.

Hannah is currently the director of the traffic enforcement and training division of the sheriff’s office. He has been with the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office since 1974 and began his law enforcement career as a radio operator (dispatcher) under then-Sheriff James Jones. He has subsequently worked with Sheriff Randall Johnson for 31 years and is currently one of five division directors who reports directly to Johnson.

Mike and Kevin took in the open house at Velocity Sports Performance in Peachtree City on Sunday, Dec. 16.

daily citizen 12-17 by Michael Boylan Click here

It is a clear example of how dangerous the highways can be.

The elated spirit of many in the packed council chambers Dec. 11 and 12 in the new city hall at Chattahoochee Hill Country was difficult to put into words. For so many people who worked so hard to bring a vision into reality, it was the culmination of a movement for city-hood that began as a dream and became something alive, something that now has a life of its own.

It is two types of history rolled into one.

Death and taxes may be two certainties in life, but they are not the only ones. When it comes to areas like metro Atlanta, another certainty is traffic. Southwest metro Atlanta is no exception, nor are the rapidly growing problems with the interchange at I-85 and Ga. Highway 74. Attempting to address those complex issues, the Fairburn City Council voted unanimously Dec. 10 to allocate up to one-quarter of the funds needed to finance a Georgia Dept. of Transportation (GDOT) Interchange Modification Report in conjunction with other area stakeholders.

Tyrone’s second annual Christmas Parade went off without a hitch Thursday afternoon.

Fairburn’s day in court is coming. The lawsuit over the city’s denial of a request by Walker Brothers to establish a waste transfer station for construction debris and household trash on Bohannon Road will be heard Dec. 19 at 9:30 a.m. in Fulton County Superior Court.

The summer of annexation in 2006 is far from over. One of the companies that could not make the cut in time last year was welcomed into Fairburn Dec. 10 when the council voted unanimously to annex Nestle Purina Petcare on Fayetteville Road.

It will be a much happier Christmas for eight youngsters in Tyrone this year thanks to the efforts of the men and women in blue. With an outpouring of support from businesses and citizens, Tyrone Police coordinated a Shop with a Cop program Dec. 8, clearly making the point that the only way to make a difference is to be the difference.

What a long, miserable night it was for Whitewater’s basketball teams.

The eighth-ranked Westlake Lady Lions handed the Lady Wildcats their worst loss of the season, 46-9, and the second-ranked Westlake Lions completed the sweep with a 73-35 victory over the overmatched Wildcats Friday in Region 2-AAAA action in Fayetteville.

Third, fourth and fifth graders at Fayetteville Intermediate School recently developed a water conservation plan for the area as part of a state contest.

daily citizen 12-14 by Michael Boylan Click here

After nearly three hours of discussion Thursday morning, the Fayette County Board of Education moved closer to deciding the elementary school boundaries for next year.

Preparation for construction activity is continuing for the Lake McIntosh reservoir that will be located along Line Creek between Fayette and Coweta counties.

Three public safety employees were honored last week for their work in teaching basic emergency response techniques to ordinary citizens.

All four candidates for the Georgia House 72nd district seat were probed and evaluated by a crowd of about 100 people at Peachtree City City Hall Wednesday night.

Peachtree City planning officials are looking at ways to tighten up zoning ordinances to prevent obvious retail uses from occurring on industrially-zoned property.

Peachtree City has joined a chorus of voices against a plan to eliminate property taxes for local governments, replacing them with revenues from an increased sales tax.

Residents and visitors have stopped by the Justice Center in Newnan to view the poinsettia tree.

Could Senoia soon be the scene of Coweta County’s first pet parade?

On Tuesday night, the city’s Downtown Development Authority discussed possibilities of staging another big event in the city. Currently, the city holds a Memorial Day celebration, a car show on Labor Day and Light Up Senoia to kick off the holiday season.

Arnall Middle School Principal Rick Waggoner has been honored as the Outstanding Middle School Educator of the Year for 2007 by the Georgia Association of Educational Leaders (GAEL).

Waggoner, a 36-year educator, has served as Arnall’s principal since 2005. He was chosen by his peers in GAEL’s Georgia Association of Middle School Principals for the state-wide honor. He was honored at this year’s GAEL conference in Savannah and at a recent Georgia state Board of Education meeting.

A special 8-week program entitled “Divorce and Beyond” will be offered at St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church in Newnan beginning Jan. 28 and running through Feb. 26. Participants will meet Tuesday evenings from 7 to 8 p.m. in the parish’s new facility Education Wing, room 105.

Newnan and Coweta residents are invited to a special Handel’s Messiah Sing-Along concert Dec. 14 at 7 p.m. at St. Paul’s Episcopal