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.

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.

DOT urges alternate routes; work starts at 9 a.m.

If you plan to drive north through Fayetteville Thursday morning, expect some delays due to work that will be performed at the intersection of Ga. Highways 85 and 314.

Former right-hand man says he was wrongly demoted, claims sheriff was told beforehand

Former chief sheriff’s detective Bruce Jordan said he used to look up to Fayette Sheriff Randall Johnson as a father figure.

Should anybody be surprised that the jolly old elf arrives in a golf cart to kick off the city’s tree lighting ceremony Saturday?

McIntosh Village may connect to PTC cart paths alongside TDK Extension; new sewer system could discharge into Line Creek

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).

Congressman David Scott in September asked U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to close the Philip Services Corp. (PSC) waste treatment plant near Fairburn until answers to hundreds of illnesses in Fayette and south Fulton counties could be found. EPA’s answer: No.

A large crowd at Stonewall Village in Fayetteville Saturday night enjoys caroling and watching the lighting of the city’s Christmas tree.

Peachtree City officials have scrapped a planned discussion for Thursday night’s City Council meeting about hiring three additional firefighters.

Fayetteville City Council Dec. 7 will hold public hearings on alcohol violations at Kiku Restaurant, La Parilla and Marathon Food Mart.

Fayetteville Police Chief Steve Heaton says his officers are very community-minded, especially in terms of giving of themselves in volunteer roles.

Fayetteville police are urging holiday shoppers to use extra caution to avoid becoming a victim of theft and other crime.

Subscribers to Comcast Cable may have stumbled across a new program recently on Channel 24. The show is called “Success Class” and it is very different from what is offered on other channels. “Success Class” features reporters from local middle schools reporting on the good news in the community, something many people don’t think there is enough of a focus on in local television.

As of early Tuesday afternoon, the Fayette County Health Department still had some flu vaccine in stock.

The vaccine is being distributed to walk-in patients and the price has been discounted to $20. The vaccine is offered between 8:30-11 a.m. and 1:30-4 p.m. on weekdays while supplies last.

Peachtree City Mayor Harold Logsdon is confident the City Council will take a vote at 6:30 tonight to settle two lawsuits over monies owed by the city’s development authority for tennis center improvements by paying $920,407 to a bank and two contractors.

The day after Thanksgiving around Fayette Pavilion found an abundance of shopping solutions to every parent’s question.

In less than two years, the Fayette County Board of Education could be asking the taxpayers for more money to help deal with the county’s growth.

Problems last week with the private sewage system at Landmark Village Mobile Home Park on Milam Road will result in a consent order issued by Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD).

The proposed annexation of 779 acres in west Peachtree City is now officially under review by the Atlanta Regional Commission and the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority.

Many in Fayette and south Fulton counties are aware of the illnesses reported since May by residents who say they were sickened after inhaling the onion-like emissions of chemicals from the Philip Services Corp. (PSC) plant on Spence Road.

It might just be the quietest election ever.

Only 18 people voted Monday on the first day of early voting in the runoff election to determine the winner of a statewide seat on the Public Service Commission.

Holiday cheer, brightly-lit Christmas trees, fresh-baked goodies and a fire in the hearth to thaw the chill. They’re all a part of the holiday season.

Students at Kedron Elementary celebrated Veteran’s Day with a school-wide assembly and parade.

The South Fulton and Fayette Community Task Force will hold a Town Hall Meeting Tuesday December 5th at 7pm at Bethany United Methodist Church.

A $1 million grant awarded from the Teaching American History Project was enough to earn recognition from Secretary of State Cathy Cox and the Georgia Historical Records Advisory Board (GHRAB).

One Fayetteville teacher’s bright idea for helping students learn math has landed her a large reward.

The Fayetteville Police Department is seeking donations to help purchase Christmas gifts and provide Christmas dinner for local under-privileged families.

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