Teachers of the Year for each of Coweta County’s 29 public schools have been elected by their fellow faculty members. They will participate in the May 22 Coweta County Teacher of the Year Program, which the Board of Education presents annually with the Newnan Pilot Club.

The retail giant Wal-Mart received its latest approval Tuesday night in its efforts to open a store at Interstate 85 and Sharpsburg-McCollum Road.

The Jonesboro Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) has new leadership.
At the semi-annual stake conference on Feb. 18, held at Jonesboro, George Ralph Parker of Fayetteville was named the new stake president by the conference’s presiding general authority, Elder John B. Dickson of the LDS Church’s First Quorum of the Seventy. Parker replaces David H. Ingram of Newnan, who had served as stake president since March 1999.

A routine traffic stop in Peachtree City early this morning turned up more than routine DUI charges.

The suspect, Jonathan Michael DeMartino, 26, of Palm Coast, Fla. had outstanding arrest warrants for armed robbery and false imprisonment, police said. The charges stemmed from a case in St. John's County where DeMartino is accused of robbing two victims for drugs, police said.

An Opinion column by Cal Beverly, editor and publisher

About a decade ago I made the prediction that the big fight for the very soul of Peachtree City would center on the city’s industrially zoned land.

Peachtree City’s Huddleston Pond transformed from an eyesore into a playground Sunday afternoon for Michael Durham, 9, Chase Durham, 4, and Nathan Hunter Jones, 4.

Kids and adults alike join in the fun March 17 for the town’s St. Patrick’s Day events, including a parade and dog costume contest, a variety of Highland games, a scavenger hunt, some tasty chili and the dedication of Triangle Park.

A high-powered and high-priced consultant will aid the Fayette County School System as it gets ready for its next round of redistricting.

Fayetteville Police investigating a theft case at a local video game store Friday got more than they bargained for when they searched the suspect’s car.

Peachtree City police say charges will soon be filed against a man who sold a gun that was involved in an unintentional shooting at a late-night teen party in the Centennial neighborhood last year.

A former janitor at Cleveland Elementary School pled guilty Monday to enticing a child for indecent purposes, a charge stemming from an encounter he had with an 11-year-old female student.

Another Fayette resident has thrown his hat into the ring to run for sheriff.

Al Hogan, who formerly worked under current Sheriff Randall Johnson but left the department to “better provide” for his family, announced last week that he too is running for the office.

One man is in custody and at least two others are being sought by Fairburn Police in a Sunday night shooting that resulted in two injuries after approximately 100 shots were fired into a home at 915 Fellowship Road. Nine people were in the home at the time of the shooting.

The Fayette Board of Education instructed Facilities Director Mike Satterfield Monday night to proceed with a feasibility study on the future of the land behind Whitewater High School.

During two lengthy days of budget discussions last week, the Fayette County Commission wrangled with requests for more than 49 new positions. When the dust had settled, the commission decided to give a temporary OK to 25 full-time positions and six part-time posts.

It was mainly about concerns over grading for retail on Ga. Highway 85 and buffers for residential on Grady Avenue at the Fayetteville Planning and Zoning work session March 13.

Fayetteville City Council March 15 heard the first reading of an ordinance to amend the FY 2007 budget in an amount totaling $584,010. The second reading and a vote are expected April 5.

Deputy Chief Tom Bartlett of the Fayette County Department of Fire and Emergency Services has completed the executive fire officer program offered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Fire Academy.

Join AIS Computers on March 27 from 7 p.m.-8 p.m. at their Fayetteville location for a free Parallels Demonstration Seminar. Joe Domaleski, a long-time Windows user and recent Mac convert, will be presenting at the seminar to tell you about his switch to the Mac and how Parallels has helped his transition.

2 others plead to child molestation charges

A former janitor at Cleveland Elementary School pled guilty Monday to enticing a child for indecent purposes, a charge stemming from an encounter he had with an 11-year-old female student.

Kenneth Bridges, 49, was initially charged with child molestation but the reduced charge was apparently in part to the nature of the contact. Assistant District Attorney Al Dixon said Bridges only asked the child to sit on his lap and he did not make explicit sexual contact with the victim.

It is more than just an ordinary visit for Rico native Charity Smith Whitney.

A ceremony for the inaugural recruit class graduation for Fairburn Fire Department is held on March 2 at city hall.

Approval for Palmetto’s first new residential development since a wastewater treatment-related moratorium on new construction was lifted came March 5 on a 5-1 vote by the city council.

Spring registration for rising kindergarten and new elementary school students has been set for May 2-3 at all Fulton County elementary schools. The registration dates are planned for students who will be entering elementary school for the first time in 2007-08. To register, parents should visit the elementary school their child will attend in the fall. Students zoned to attend the new Oakley Township elementary school in Union City should register at the elementary school currently serving their home. Registration hours are from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. on May 2 and from 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. on May 3.

“I did it for the thrill.”

That was the response this week of a local resident cuffed for multiple burglaries.

Palmetto Police are seeking information on the theft of handguns in the recent burglaries of two local pawn shops.

Detective John Cooper said the burglaries occurred March 1 at The Pawn House at 582 Main Street and on March 8 at The Pawn Shop at 202 Fayetteville Road.

There won’t be additional office space on Dogwood Trail in tyrone in the near future.

For the second time in two years, the Town Council Thursday night turned down a proposal to rezone 632 Dogwood Trail from R-42, Single Family Residential to Office Institution. The property is near the Marketplace office complex at the intersection of Dogwood Trail and Ga. Highway 74.