The Fulton County Board of Education has named Kiné Geathers as the new Sandtown Middle School principal. Mrs. Geathers comes to Sandtown after serving three years as a curriculum assistant principal at Banneker High School and three years as a counselor at North Springs High School. She began her education career as a high school counselor in DeKalb County. In addition, she was the summer school principal when the program was at Banneker High School in 2005.

Join the Fairburn Police and Fire Departments on August 1, from 6 p.m.-10 p.m. in Duncan Park for “National Night Out.”

Schools in Fulton County have announced their new student registration dates and Open House dates for the 2006-07 school year. The new school year begins Monday, August 14, for the majority of Fulton County students. Two south Fulton elementary schools, College Park and Parklane, operate on a year-round calendar and begin school on July 24.

The following arrests were made by Fairburn Police between July 12-18:

Cyril Kirkland, 50, Fairburn, disorderly conduct-public drunk

The onion-like smell of pesticide component Propyl mercaptan coming from the Philip Services Corporation (PSC) waste treatment plant on Ga. Highway 92 just inside Fulton County is not dissipating. Present for weeks and still very evident in the air, the effects of the odor has sickened more than 100 residents in North Fayette and South Fulton counties. The smell has sporadically covered an estimated 200 square miles over a large area of Fayette and portions of south Fulton, Coweta and Clayton counties during the past few weeks. Though permitted by Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) to handle such industrial waste, the 20 loads of chemical that arrived at the plant between June 21-29 has and is causing a problem, neighbors say. And residents close to the plant in both counties are tired of being ill. They want answers. They want the smell to stop. Yet results from follow-up tests conducted at the plant July 14 showed no detection of Propyl mercaptan at levels that would be considered a health risk.

Palmetto has a new budget that came in $2.7 million lower than last year. Adopted July 6, the $14.23 million budget reflects a substantial decrease over last year due to the nearly-completed sewer system upgrade. Also reflected were increases from water and sewer revenues, the renovation at the old depot, property reevaluations and anticipated tipping fees from Willow Oak Landfill once the facility is annexed. Perhaps as important as any provision in the budget was an increase in starting salary for police officers and the commitment to hire two new officers.

It’s not always easy sitting on the accountability hot seat. That is especially true when it comes to Fairburn’s accountability policing model. It is one that puts the concept of being accountable for the job as an up front requirement rather than an afterthought that exists in so many lines of work today in the American workplace.

Local artist Todd Hanson demonstrates watercolor techniques to a few of Rico Community’s other artists in residence.

Fairburn council members July 10 approved a 2.2 percent power cost adjustment increase in electric rates beginning in October, designed to offset the ongoing loss to the city due to fluctuating national energy costs. The city will write off the $400,000 loss already incurred.

The following arrests were made by Fairburn Police between June 28 and July 11:

juvenile, female, 12, Fairburn, affray

On June 29, 2006 Creekside High School Cheerleaders lead by the coaching staff of Marisa Wilson, Hilary Williams, Stephanie Brown, and Carmen Paul walked away with honors in the following categories:

The Fairburn business Association is sponsoring the first in a series of “Concerts at the Courthouse” July 29 at 7 p.m. on the Old Campbell Courthouse lawn. The initial concert will feature the Dappled Grays, who began in 2000 as a project dedicated to playing original new acoustic music. Their first album “In the Gait” was released to great reviews which included a feature article in “Flatpicking Guitar” magazine, airtime on MTV and being named best traditional bluegrass band by Creative Loafing Magazine. Original members Casey Cook and Michael Smith, along with new members Leah Calvert, Keith Morris and Greg Earnest, are currently working in the studio on a new project whose aim is to focus on vocals with interesting and original new material.

A public meeting to address issues relating to the onion-like smell of Propyl mercaptan detected recently in Fulton and Fayette counties is July 19 at 7 p.m.

The smell just won’t go away. Several residents in south Fulton and north Fayette counties have become ill and many more disturbed by the strong onion-like odor coming from the Philips Services (PSC) treatment plant on Ga. Highway 92. The odor of pesticide ingredient Propyl mercaptan has permeated parts of those counties during the past three weeks, triggering increasing complaints June 29 when its most recent shipments showed up at the facility. Though the shipment was refused and returned to its Alabama source, its brief exposure to the air is wreaking olfactory havoc with increasing numbers of neighbors and those living within a 50 square mile area of the plant.

It had to be some kind of world record. For two reasons. Union City Planning Commission June 26 conducted a whopping 137 public hearings on the proposed rezoning and annexation of remaining unincorporated islands located within the city. Commissioners voted to recommend the measures while a near-empty chamber room heard the repeated echoes of three affected residents who opposed the plan.

This map is a representation of the of proposed areas of annexation by the cities of South Fulton County.

Palmetto City Council voted 5-1 Thursday to approve the rezoning and annexation of the 98.6-acre property belonging to the Hugh Johnson estate. Located along the west side of Ga. Highway 154 on the north side of the city, the property is the location for the proposed development of a 144-unit subdivision.

The next meeting of the Fairburn Business Association takes place July 17 at 6:30 p.m. at the Fairburn Annex, 40 Washington Street in Fairburn. City Councilman Scott Vaughan will address the group and present a program entitled “Building Political Clout- Power, Politics and You,” a politica education seminar for the business community. A queston and answer session follows. The meeting is open to all business owners and others interested in becoming involved iin support of the Association and the City of Fariburn.

Special Agent in Charge Gregory Jones, FBI Atlanta, in conjuction with Chief Richard J. Pennington, Atlanta Police Department, provided the following information:

Reverend Eugene M. Boger has been named as the new minister for Rivertown United Methodist Church.

Rev. Boger is the youngest pastor assigned to the church in its 119th year history.

Do you recognize this building under construction? It’s Tyrone’s new Legacy Theater and it is coming together quickly.

Chief Michael Isome announced this week the implementation of a community information line to assist citizens of Union City who wish to exchange ideas and information with the department.

It was quite the occasion. An endless list of South Fulton civic and political leaders, residents and guests took their places at the intersection of Rivertown Road and South Fulton Parkway June 29 for the grand opening of the South Fulton Parkway. Also attending were family members of decades-long parkway advocate, Bill Melear, who was honored during the ceremony and again after the ribbon cutting that opened the parkway. A sign marking the Bill Melear Parkway was unveiled along the roadway at the end of the ceremony.

Fairburn’s third hotel on the Ga. Highway 74 Corridor is under construction.

Palmetto is on the way to making its first acquisition in the summer of annexation. The city’s Planning & Zoning Board Monday voted to recommend the rezoning and annexation of 98 acres along Ga. Highway 154 for the potential development of a 144-unit subdivision.

Tragedy struck hard early Monday morning when two children died after the car they were traveling in hydroplaned on Roosevelt Highway, spinning out of control and colliding with a southbound vehicle.

Union City council members moved forward with the annexation of unincorporated islands June 20, holding 28 public hearings to consider the rezoning and annexation of a portion of those islands. There was only minor opposition to the moves that had been requested earlier in the year by Fulton County.

Union City voters have been given the go ahead to decide in November if a Tax Allocation District (TAD) should be formed in a portion of the city. If approved, funds to make needed improvements would come from tax revenue generated within the district. TADs such as Atlantic Station and Camp Creek Marketplace have been used for area redevelopment.

The following arrests were made by Fairburn Police between June 14 and June 27:

Timothy Vaughan, 46, Atlanta, fugitive-Fulton County

In a surprise to some in the unincorporated areas of South Fulton County, commissioners Wednesday announced the addition of a previously unaccounted for $34 million in property tax revenues. That increase led to an adjustment that reduced an anticipated three mill tax hike for unincorporated property owners into a one mill increase. The move has positive implications for next year’s vote to form the cities of South Fulton and Chattahoochee Hills.