The new members of the Peachtree City Council will have a hot potato in their laps from Jan. 1.

That's because the current council, which has three outgoing members, voted 4-1 to postpone a decision on a big box special use permit amendment until the first meeting in January.

Not even the frigid temperatures sweeping through downtown Senoia Dec. 5 could dissuade the large crowds from arriving for the annual Light up Senoia Christmas parade with its 54 entries. Onlookers before the parade helped themselves to snacks and warm drinks just north on Main Street, just a few steps away from the live Nativity performed by members of Senoia Fist Baptist Church.

The process that began in early 2009 came to fruition this week when the Georgia Charter Schools Commission gave its approval for Florida-based Charter Schools USA to open a K-8 charter school in Senoia. Those affiliated with the proposal cited significant community support as the reason for the commission’s decision. The school is expected to open next August.

A request to change the site plan on a portion of the Fischer Crossings retail development was approved Dec. 15 by the Coweta County Commission. The request decreased the number of outparcels along Ga. Highway 54 from four to two and reconfigured the placement of the proposed theater site.

Coweta County commissioners at the Dec. 15 meeting approved two change orders relating to the ongoing rehabilitation of the old courthouse, including one that would remove the remaining magnolia trees on the property.

The Coweta County Commission voted unanimously Dec. 15 to approved an ordinance amendment that would allow indoor and outdoor shooting ranges as a conditional use in industrial-zoned districts. The measure stemmed from a request earlier this year.

The American Red Cross will play host to a blood drive in Atlanta Motor Speedway’s Tara Ballroom on Monday, Dec. 21.

Husband, wife accused of burning his mother; Judge orders $500,000 bond on each defendant

Scott and Valerie Dahlman, both accused of killing his mother by setting her on fire in their north Peachtree City home, will be allowed to remain free on bond pending their criminal trial.

Peachtree City police have made a second arrest in the arson/murder of an elderly woman more than 15 months ago.

This time, though, the suspect is the victim’s own son. Scott David Dahlman, 41, of 402 Abrell Woods Court, Peachtree City was arrested today and charged with malice murder, felony murder, arson in the first degree and aggravated assault, police said.

Recession or not, it took a while, but grading work for the 136,000-square-foot Sam’s Club at the Fisher Crossing retail development at Ga. Highway 34 and Fischer Road in east Coweta has begun. The retailer is expected to open in late 2010.

A proposed 48-acre residential annexation on Peachtree City’s eastern border received a unanimous “no” vote from the planning commission Monday night.

3 departing council members hold key to PTC vote to up-size anchor store to 65,000 sq. ft. within the 175,000 sq. ft. development

Yes Virginia, there will be a Lake McIntosh after all.

A $8.23 million bid to construct the lake’s dam and reservoir was awarded Thursday night to Brad Cole Construction. The county had initially budgeted $10 million for construction, so officials were pleased to have the bids come in well under budget.

A proposal to annex 48 acres for a 21-home subdivision on the east side of Peachtree City will be considered Monday night by the Peachtree City Planning Commission.

A Peachtree City woman accused of killing her mother in law by setting her on fire more than a year ago will appear in court Dec. 17.

Merchants at the Peachtree Crossing shopping center have a unique, however temporary, solution for filling the vacant “baby Kroger” location.

As NCR prepares to add 900 jobs to its Peachtree City campus, the company is planning to add 600 more parking spaces to accommodate the new hires.

Christmas is getting closer, but there’s still time for residents to help provide a better holiday for local underprivileged children.

The Palmetto Health Council, Inc. (PHC) has been named to receive a $6.3 million stimulus award to expand its healthcare services in the six counties it serves and create additional employment opportunities. PHC is one of only two Georgia organizations to receive the funding.

A called work session of the Senoia City Council and Downtown Development Authority Dec. 7 led to the agreement to form a committee that will develop a host of plans relating to influx of visitors expected from June through December next year with the selection of one of the Gin Property brownstones as Southern Living Magazine’s 2010 Idea House. Committee members are expected to be announced Dec. 21.

Coweta County commissioners at the Dec. 1 meeting approved the purchase of nearly $350,000 in various types of equipment needed to outfit the seven new fire trucks expected for delivery in mid-January. Both the trucks and the equipment are being paid for with voter-approved bond funds.

On Monday, November 23, five troops from Brownie Troop 565 from Newnan, GA, visited StoryCorps Atlanta to prepare for the National Day of Listening. Angelina Capponi, Annalie Harris, Ava Lewis, Annalie Harris, Carly Krauth, and Chloe Tomlinson, ages seven and eight, started their visit with a tour of the WABE and PBA studios where they met a number of Atlanta celebrities:

It was almost 10 years ago that crowds gathered in downtown Senoia to be a part of the Millennium picture taken on Main Street. The many changes this decade resulted in a request by the Senoia Historical Society and the approval by the City Council to have a new Portrait of Senoia taken on Jan. 1.

Coweta County commissioners at the Dec. 15 meeting will conduct two public hearings on proposed amendments to current land uses. One of those would establish a Neighborhood Agribusiness provision to the county zoning ordinance.

The Central Educational Center has been awarded a $150,000 Georgia Career Academy Project grant to help expand the charter school’s music and video production programs.

Coweta County Schools responded to shortages at the Coweta Food Pantry by raising more than ever before for the annual Coweta County Can-A-Thon.

Council told banked but unspent road taxes can be switched to other SPLOST projects; another $900K coming

Another new company has chosen Peachtree City as a solid place to do business.
Sinclair Systems, located in the city’s industrial park, prints produce labels for packing houses from northeast Canada, down to Florida and as far west as Texas.

The company is occupying 10,000 square feet of space in Dividend Center 2 on TDK Boulevard. Sinclair chose Peachtree City due to its strategic location among east coast customers and key vendors in the local area.

A program to help pay Peachtree City volunteer firefighters expenses will have its maximum cap raised from $3,000 to $4,500 for this budget year.

Peachtree City is applying for a grant to build a golf cart path that would connect the nearly complete Flat Creek path bridge all the way up to Crosstown Drive.

The path would also connect to the city’s baseball and soccer complex along with businesses in the industrial park including Panasonic, the FAA Tracon building and the future SANY headquarters campus, officials said.