Starting Friday, law enforcement agencies in Georgia will join together to combat drunk and impaired drivers over the holidays.

Parents and expectant parents are invited to attend several informative classes offered by the new Maternity Center at Piedmont Fayette Hospital (PFH). For more information on the Maternity Center at PFH, visit www.fayettehospital.org. Community members are invited to take part in the following classes:

The Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS) has launched a new website, www.gateendrivereducation.com, for teens and parents to obtain information about the changes in Georgia’s driver education requirements. The website includes an online question and comment tool for specific inquiries.

Long, stringy white strands containing unique genetic codes are what students at Kedron Elementary saw as they participated in a DNA extraction experiment.

Cleveland Elementary recently held its annual spelling bee competition for fourth and fifth graders. This year’s contestants were (fourth grade) Sydney Ninneman, Hannah Thomason, Jada Williams, Rachel Haralson, (fifth grade) Lindsey Eckel, Catherine Delage and Faiz Aly. Although all of the students proved to be excellent spellers, Catherine Delage was declared the winner after a heated competition. From left, Principal Jean Miller with contestants Lindsey Eckel, Sydney Ninneman, Hannah Thomason, Rachel Haralson, Faiz Aly, Catherine Delage (school winner) and Jada Williams. Photo/Special.

As it embarks on the most growth-oriented period in the company’s history, Doug Mitchell, founder of Pathway Communities has promoted Peggy Sullivan from vice president of marketing to company president and Beth Thibo has been promoted to chief financial officer and general manager.

Employees of Dot Kite State Farm begin receiving items for its Toys for Tots campaign.

Students whose native tongue is not English will get some extra help learning the English language.

Whitewater Middle School was doubly honored as the recipient of two "Bright Ideas" grants sponsored by Coweta-Fayette EMC. Art teacher Melissa Raymer and science teacher Laura Hoeve both came up with innovative ideas to energize their classrooms and were rewarded for their efforts. Hoeve received $1,377 and will use the grant money to purchase a portable weather station which teaches students how to predict and explain weather patterns by measuring climactic conditions. With the $1,019 in grant funds that Raymer received, art students will design clockfaces for various academic subjects and will assemble the clocks with kits. When the clocks are completed, they will be displayed at a "Time for School" exhibit before they are given to teachers.

The following arrests were reported by local law enforcement agencies for the past week. All persons are considered innocent until proven guilty.

Any remaining question that local, state and federal elected officials doubt the claims of illnesses by hundreds of Fulton and Fayette residents over exposure to chemicals from the Philip Services Corp. (PSC) plant in Fairburn evaporated Tuesday at Bethany United Methodist Church. Coming on the heels of an agreement between Fulton County and PSC that prohibits the company’s discharge of industrial wastewater into the county sewer system after Dec. 22, the South Fulton/Fayette Community Task Force town hall meeting saw a litany of elected officials rallying strongly to the citizen’s defense and joining residents in openly questioning the intent of Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the results of a recent study by Georgia Division of Public Health (DPH).

The town of Tyrone moved forward on two sewer contacts Thursday night, that could signal a decrease in rates for its sewer customers.

It definitely pays to hold you tongue and your temper. Two Fairburn residents learned that lesson the hard way after being arrested in separate domestic incidents.

Several of the class of new musicians at Christian City show their skills as graduates of the Guitars Not Guns Music Program Nov.

Philip Services Corp. (PSC) agreement Monday with Fulton County to no longer discharge industrial wastewater into the county sewer system will have an effect on its operations. The extent of that effect and all operational options are currently being evaluated by company officials and Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD).

An eight hour traffic blitz Dec. 3 by Union City Police resulted in nearly 250 traffic stops and five arrests. Periodic blitzes are designed to reduce the number and severity of crashes and to help free up emergency medical services for city residents, said Public Information Officer and Metro Atlanta Traffic Enforcement Network Coordinator George Louth.

Arrests are pending for five Palmetto juveniles on charges stemming from burglaries of two residences last month.

A homeowner on Carlton Drive interrupted a Nov. 6 burglary upon arriving at the residence. The perpetrators had busted a sliding door in the rear of the house to gain entry, said Det. John Cooper. the homeowner found that an Xbox 360 video game console had been stolen, Cooper said.

What to do? That was the question put to property owner Iliana Huerta over a potential condemnation of a house at 506 Griffith Street.

For years, Tyrone parade-lovers have only had the Founders’ Day parade to watch.

This holiday season some Fayette students will receive gifts that will truly make a difference in their lives.

For the sixth consecutive year, the Fayette County School System’s CARE (Children at Risk in Education) program is sponsoring an angel tree at the LaFayette Educational Center (LEC). What makes this angel tree different is that instead of collecting toys and gifts for needy children, it fulfills nontraditional needs such as hearing aid batteries, after school program scholarships, home repairs, band instruments, extra curricular activity fees and eye glasses, to name a few.

The following arrests were made by Fairburn Police between Nov. 22 and Dec. 5:

Angela Dennis, 32, Fairburn, aggravated assault

A house off Adams Road in unincorporated Fayette County was heavily damaged by a Friday afternoon fire.

Although the cause of the fire is still under investigation, it appears that it likely started while soldering work was being performed to repair a pipe, said Capt. Pete Nelms of the Fayette County Department of Fire and Emergency Services.

The fire is being ruled accidental in nature, Nelms added.

House ordered to be sold in divorce judgement

Officials are still investigating what has been called a “suspicious” house fire in the Smokerise subdivision late Sunday evening.

Citizens watched as Peachtree City’s “Grand Christmas Tree” was lit Saturday night near Drake Field.

Senoia’s residents made their disdain quite clear Monday night of the proposed design for the new library.

Architect Brian Haun presented a proposal to the City Council for the new $500,000 library to resemble an old-fashioned train station. Haun showed slides of other train station during the early 20th century, and then unveiled his proposal, which was met with an almost universal disappointment.

The Peachtree City Library now has a kiosk where patrons can check out their own books.

Hundreds of residents ventured to downtown Senoia last Saturday to kick-off the holiday season.

The Booth Middle School eighth grade band is participating today in a performing arts workshop at Walt Disney World in Florida.

A plan to build a shopping center on the south side of Ga. Highway 54 West will be discussed Monday night in a workshop meeting of the Peachtree City Planning Commission.

Transportation, tutoring among biggest needs

With some experience now under their belts, Peachtree City officials are wanting to improve the fledgling after-school program the city hosts for Booth middle school students.