Fourth grade science classes at Landmark Christian School are comparing and contrasting the characteristics of invertebrates including sponges, cnidarians, flatworms, roundworms, segmented worms, mollusks, echinoderms and arthropods. To complete the invertebrate unit of study, the students dissected earthworms. Shown is Fayette County resident Christian Brown, right, with Harrison Regan of Douglas County.

It was a win for developers, the family said. A request by Koman Properties to relocate the old Silvey family cemetery on property at Ga. Highway 92 and South Fulton Parkway destined for commercial development was approved Feb. 20 by the Union City Council on a 3-1 vote. The request had been tabled from the January meeting.

It was a lot of bang for the buck, at least in terms of law enforcement activity. Two Palmetto women and a Jonesboro man were arrested Feb. 26 on multiple charges after Fairburn Police Officer Zack Phillips found them at a previously burglarized residence on Rivertown Road in possession of drugs, a weapon and a Clayton County law enforcement badge.

A Union City man was found murdered in his apartment Monday after co-workers inquired about his absence from work. Union City Police have a man in custody in connection with the death.

A rose by any other name, the saying goes. The same holds true for a community activist. And there are few people if any in south Fulton County who fit the role of community activist more than Sandra Hardy. Her most recent involvement came in February with the appointment to the board of directors of South Fulton Community Improvement District (CID).

It is a pretty sad situation when the pizza dude can not make a delivery without getting robbed. And that is exactly what happened Feb. 23 after a pizza was delivered to a Carlton Road address in Palmetto.

Town Manager Barry Amos offers suggestions at the town’s retreat.

What began in late 2006 with questions over the lease of the old courthouse to Old Campbell County Historical Society ended in a unanimous vote by Fairburn City Council Feb. 26 to approve the lease and appoint the organization as curator of the historic building.

It was a familiar sight to many at Tyrone’s Town council meeting Thursday night.

Don Rehwaldt, who represents the Tyrone Neighborhood Alliance, walked to the podium and presented the town council with a list of concerns from the watchdog group. Rehwaldt is keeping a spreadsheet of the 17 items and is concerned that the items still remain unresolved after months of discussion.

The development of Tyrone’s development continues to be a sore spot for the Tyrone Town Council.

During the Feb.24 retreat, Town manager Barry Amos asked for direction from the Council on how the area should be developed. Amos said the leaders had approved a plan last May that showed an overall development for the area, but not all the councilmen agreed with that assessment.

The news was sobering for members of Tyrone’s Town council during the Feb.24 retreat in Peachtree City.

Town Manager Barry Amos told the Town Council that the town would face some sever financial constraints for the next budget year that starts July 1. Last year, the town used $472,000 out of reserve funds to balance the $3.1 million general funds budget. With housing starts having declined more than 50 percent in Tyrone this year, Amos said the town will have to make some decisions about balancing the 2008 budget.

Judy Jefferson makes a point echoed by a long list of others Thursday at the Tyrone Planning Commission meeting. Jefferson has concerns that the proposed commercial and residential development downtown does not account for the lack of sewer, an influx of traffic and others concerns.

Health, medical, public safety and emergency management staff from Fayette County and beyond assist community volunteers in Operation Rapid Response Thursday at Fayette County High School.

The emerging community of Serenbe is already known for its celebrations. The most recent came Feb. 17 with the opening of the Selbourne courtyard located adjacent to the Blue Eyed Daisy Bakeshop and Studio Swan gallery.

Friendship Village Project Manager and former Chattahoochee Hill Country Conservancy Executive Director Stacy Patton gives Chatt Hills residents a close-up view of the hill country’s first proposed village at a Feb. 20 town hall meeting at Cochran Mill Nature Center.

Tyrone planning comm denies downtown rezoning request

A move by the Tyrone Town Council to begin a new phase of commercial and residential development in the downtown area was met Thursday with a vote by the town’s planning commission that calls into question the Main Street District’s development plan adopted by the council in May 2006. Citing the lack of sewer and variables such as higher density and a significant increase in traffic that would accompany the proposed development, planning commissioners agreed with citizens and denied one of the rezoning requests. That move led Old Town Tyrone developer Burt Clark to request that the other be tabled.

The Union City Council Feb. 20 approved a $157,000 contract with Brentwood, Tennessee-based RPM Transportation Consultants, LLC Tuesday to develop the South Fulton Parkway Corridor Plan for the 6.5-mile portion of the parkway recently annexed by the city. The study will focus on land use and transportation in the 4,100-acre annexed corridor area. The three-part motion included hiring RPM, accepting business donations to help fund the study and allocating $25,000 from the city’s Capital Improvement budget to help address the balance of funding needed.

Traffic congestion from vehicles feeding onto I-85 in Fayette, Coweta and south Fulton counties just keeps getting worse. Attempting to address the bad dream destined to become a traffic nightmare, the Tri-County Alliance was born more than a year ago to address those problems and provide the impetus for solutions.

He was just the man for the job. Cliftondale resident Bruce Moody continues his service to the south Fulton community with his recent appointment by Commissioner Rob Pitts to Fulton County Planning & Zoning Commission.

There always seems to be some kind of celebration at Serenbe. Last weekend was no exception with the opening of the new Ryan Gainey-designed Selbourne courtyard adjacent to the Blue Eyed Daisy Bakeshop and the acknowledgment of the Daisy’s certification by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEEDS).

It was a sign of the times. The familiar kiosk signs on the South Fulton Parkway denoting new residential development are about to be a thing of the past. At least in Union City.

Tyrone’s city leaders will outline the town’ future during today’s retreat in Peachtree City.

The all-day season begins at 9 a.m. at the Hampton In and starts with opening remarks from Mayor Sheryl Lee. Next, the Town Council will get an update on the city’s fiscal health, including a report from the recently completed audit.

This photograph, supplied by law enforce

While waiting their turn to race, Tyrone Boy Scouts Aaron Newson, left, and Alberto Yanar passed the time chatting during action at the district Pinewood Derby race at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Peachtree City last weekend.

Tyrone interim Police Chief David Mullis receives a check for $20,743.70 by Sheriff Randall Johnson.

Clinton Simmons, a retired NASA scientist made a return visit to Bear Creek Middle School to share his expertise in research, problem solving and NASA’s space missions.

South Fulton Concerned Citizens members Benny Crane (left) and Bruce Moody present information Feb.

Last year ended with the issues of annexation of unincorporated land in south Fulton decided. But then again, maybe not. Bills introduced last week in the Georgia House by 66th District Rep. Virgil Fludd, 64th District Rep. Roger Bruce and Rep. 65th District Sharon Beasely-Teague are potentially calling some of those annexations into question.

Fairburn City Council approved the renewal of the lease for courthouse to the Old Campbell County Historical Society at the Feb. 12 meeting. Custodians of the courthouse for 36 years by agreement with Fulton County and, more recently, by Fairburn, concerns were raised in November over the appropriateness of leasing to the historical society due to issues such as the presence of the Confederate flag and other Confederate memorabilia in the old courthouse.

Organizers called the event “The Keys to Your New City.” Members of South Fulton Concerned Citizens (SFCC) Feb. 12 used the backdrop of Cliftondale Community Center as the most recent venue to promote the June 19 vote to officially form the new city of South Fulton.