The summer of annexation has run smoothly, until Wednesday at the Fulton County Commission. The board voted 5-1 to oppose current annexation efforts by some South Fulton cities after hearing complaints about some of the approaches being used to prompt residents of unincorporated South Fulton to be annexed into existing cities.

An Atlanta man is being sought in connection with the Sept. 9 shooting of Palmetto resident Charles Shovell at Genesis Gardens Apartments. Shovell is recovering after being shot several times in the upper abdomen with a .45 caliber handgun.

Recent discussions on Fairburn’s proposed $22.5 million city budget may conclude Sept. 25 at the upcoming council meeting. The proposed General Fund budget totals $6.413 million while the various enterprise budgets total $16.118 million. Taken together, the total budget package represents a $207,643 increase over the 2005-2006 budgets. The millage rate is proposed to decrease from 5.448 mills to 5.0 mills.

Family and friends of Brandy and Riley Ressis will hold a fundraiser for the young mother and her four year-old son Sept. 30 at Wayside Park adjacent to the Palmetto Community Center on Roosevelt Highway. The purpose of the fundraiser is to help defray mounting medical expenses resulting from the incurable diseases suffered by Brandy and Riley.

Union City Council Sept. 19 approved the bid process to improve the first five streets identified in the 2006 Street and Road Improvement Bond Series. Construction should begin in the next three months.

James Heath will soon be a Tyrone resident.

The Tyrone Town Council voted 4-1 Thursday night to approve Heath’s request to be annexed into the town. Councilman Gloria Furr opposed the move because she was not sure if Heath would provide environmental protection on Trickum Creek.

“It’s going to be one of the most important meetings we’ll ever have.”

That’s what Tyrone Town Manager Barry Amos told the town council Thursday night about the town’s visioning session set for Oct.12.

State and federal officials confirmed Friday that tests showed toxic chemical presence of hundreds of thousands of times the accepted upper safe exposure levels for humans might have been present in south Fulton County beginning in late spring and early summer.

The summer of annexation is coming to a close with the force of a few megatons. Palmetto, Union City and Fairburn are looking to end September with the addition of thousands of acres to their cities beyond the thousands already annexed.

Union City is poised to hold the first of two public meetings on the proposed Tax Allocation District (TAD) that will appear on the Nov. 7 ballot. Scheduled for Sept. 21 and Oct. 12, the meetings will highlight the city’s intent to redevelop the area around Shannon Mall and Ga. Highway 138.

Biologist Dennis Chase looks on as McIntosh High School students Elizabeth Humphries and Sam Hale take samples at Flat Creek Sept.

Fulton County has reached an agreement with the Fulton County Board of Education regarding the improvements to the roads and construction at Renaissance Elementary School and the new Jones Hall Middle School in South Fulton County.

An ideal late summer weekend could provide record crowds to this weekend’s signature celebration in Tyrone.

There is never an end to the activities at Rico Cultural Center.

The following arrests were made by Fairburn Police between Aug. 30 and Sept. 5:

juvenile, male, 13, Thomasville, burglary

Will Tyrone ever have a new sewer contract with Fairburn?

That’s the question Councilman Grace Caldwell wants answered in a timely fashion. Town manager Barry Amos said at Thursday night’s council meeting that he had made repeated calls to his counterpart in Fairburn, Jim Williams, but said it must not be a high priority for Fairburn’s government.

The Sandy Creek Band debuted their new show last Friday as Sand Creek hosted McIntosh.

The Tyrone Town Council followed their counterparts in Fayette County and urged the closure of the Phillips Service Corporation plan in South Fulton County that released chemicals into the air this summer.

Workmen put up a new sign next door to The Queen’s Jewels for last week’s opening of: La Vie Boutique, owned by Marie Egan & Debbie Clark.

At long last, Shamrock Park is going to get a make-over, with help from the town of Tyrone.

The Town Council Thursday night voted to spend much of the $18,000 recently received from the county for recreation for upgrading Tyrone’s downtown park.

The Fairburn Business Association is once again increasing and diversifying its scheduled activities and involvement in the city with two events in September. On Sept. 18 at 6:30 PM the association will hold its first Social and Networking meeting at United Community Bank, 65 Washington Street. This gathering will give members and guests an opportunity to share information, ideas and issues in a relaxed and casual atmosphere. Refreshments will be provided. The meeting will be open to all business owners and others interested in becoming involved in support of the association and the City of Fairburn.

It was all Bill Edwards and his vision for South Fulton County. Shared with 40 Chattahoochee Hills residents at a Sept. 5 community meeting Rico Community Center, the Fulton County commissioner stressed the need for the area to forego establishing a new city next year and remain a part of unincorporated Fulton.

Union City’s summer of annexation continued Aug. 25 with recommendations by the Planning commission to rezone and annex eight parcels totaling approximately 64 acres along Buffington Road and Stonewall Tell Road.

Tyrone Planning Commission Aug. 31 voted to recommend the annexation and rezoning of a 16.69-acre tract previously objected to by Fayette County. Planning commissioners agreed to recommend the annexation with the condition that only one residence be built on the site and that the city receive a quit claim deed for a 25-foot right-of-way for future road improvements.

The attempt last week by Chattahoochee Hill Country residents to be annexed into the City of Palmetto came to a screeching halt just one day after a mass of area residents presented annexation petitions to city hall. Yet undeterred by the turn of events, the stalwart group of Hill Country residents have set their sights on a goal designed to turn destiny on its head.

The Queen’s Jewels $3,000 diamond earrings & tennis bracelet contest winner was Sandra Masters.

Whoever said crime doesn’t pay hit the nail on the head. The Aug. 24 drug bust in Tyrone that led to the attempt to run down officers and injuries to motorists on Ga. Highway 74 will be an event that the four men involved will never forget, especially Jonathan Fenn.

It is a time of change in metro Atlanta. Southwest metro is growing rapidly and Union City is a part of that equation. Designed to meet current and future law enforcement needs, Union City has formed its own crime scene investigation unit headed by Criminalist Caspar McBurnett.

Recently released 2006 SAT results show that Fulton County students are continuing their trend of higher-than-average test scores. The 2006 test marks the 13th consecutive year that Fulton has maintained or improved its overall scores.

Just when we thought you had seen everything. Drug use and creative drug paraphernalia is always evolving. Showing up on the streets of South Fulton these days is an even more innovative way to smoke crack or ice. And making the quick high even easier, some drug dealers are pre-loading impromptu pipes found in the vast majority of convenience stores.