Fayette County

Commission to get first crack at budget Thursday

Thursday at 5 p.m., the Fayette County Commission will conduct its first workshop meeting on the 2013-2014 budget proposed by County Manager Steve Rapson.

The meeting will be at the county’s Stonewall government complex in downtown Fayetteville.

No property tax increase is planned and the budget is projected to add $728,964 to the county’s reserve fund by the end of the year, providing $33.48 million in reserve and rainy day funds. Read More»

‘Endless Love’ shoot to shut down Redwine Road for Friday filming

Local residents will have to detour around a section of Redwine Road Friday to make way for the filming of scenes in a new movie version of “Endless Love.”

The road is slated to be closed from 2 a.m. in the morning of May 24 through midnight. Vehicles will be detoured onto Harris and Harp roads to navigate around the closed area, officials said.

Also, on the following Tuesday, May 28, there will be intermittent traffic delays on Redwine between Harris and Harp roads that motorists should be prepared for. Those delays will be ongoing all day from 7 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Read More»

Cuts remain, but attrition saves some Fayette teachers’ jobs

Despite large cuts in the number of teachers’ positions in the Fayette County School System for the coming school year, attrition has become the friend of those remaining.

A lot of people either decided not to seek another year of employment with the local schools or chose retirement. That means fewer remaining teachers face getting handed pink slips.

What began as the elimination of 144 job positions of certified staff such as teachers and counselors has been reduced to a total of 18 current certified staff without positions for next year. Read More»

New PTC plant to employ 42 to make livestock feed additive

Breaking ground at the site of Calpis America’s new U.S. headquarters and manufacturing operation in Peachtree City are (L-R) Stephen Hogan, Peachtree City WASA; Nancy Price, Peachtree City Convention and Visitors Bureau; Vanessa Fleisch, Peachtree City Council; Masato Yoshida, CEO/President Calpis America; Don Haddix, mayor; Kim Learnard, Peachtree City Council; Jim Pennington, city manager; David Rast, P&Z. Photo/Special.

Calpis America, Inc., broke ground on its new $20 million manufacturing and headquarters facility in the Peachtree City industrial park Friday.

The Japanese firm will employ about 50 people at the plant, which will produce a livestock feed additive designed to promote digestive health. Some 42 of the jobs will be created in the first year of operations on the 12-acre site.

The plant is expected to be operational by April 2014.

Georgia Quick Start, which provides customized workforce training, will help the company with its training needs. Read More»

Former PTC Mayor Logsdon to try another run

Former Peachtree City Mayor Harold Logsdon has announced he will seek re-election to the office he held for one term.

And he’s running against a man he sued for libel.

Logsdon, who settled a libel suit against current Mayor Don Haddix last year, served as mayor from 2005 to 2009.

In his final year in office, the city eliminated a number of public works positions as landscaping services were cut and shifted to private landscaping companies via contract. The change was necessary at the time to provide a deep savings in the budget, Logsdon said at the time. Read More»

Fayette BoE for 1st time in years to limit spending to income

After a painful readjustment to five years of falling revenues, the Fayette County School System will plan to spend next school year only as much as it actually takes in.

The adoption of the Fayette County School System’s FY 2014 budget is about a month away, and a look at the tentative budget shows a slight drop in revenues beginning in July.

But the difference in this year and last is that the school system with a proposed $162 million budget would have an $11.5 million fund balance built in to begin establishing a goal of retaining up to 10 percent of its budget in reserve. Read More»

Family needs help as they plan burial for unborn baby

It is something most parents will never have to experience. But for Fayetteville residents Lauren and Nick Bishop, the reality is that the rare condition suffered by their unborn son Ethan will end his life shortly after his birth.

Ethan has been diagnosed with a rare condition called anencephaly. It is a condition that left Ethan with no skull or brain and will lead to his immediate death, likely within minutes of birth, Lauren said.

Lauren will undergo a Caesarian section in mid-June. Waiting any longer would be to risk his death in the womb, said Lauren. Read More»

More than 1,600 will graduate Friday in Fayette

The 2013 Fayette County valedictorians and salutatorians include: (front row L-R) Whitewater Salutatorian Amy Melton and Whitewater Valedictorian Haley Brown; (middle row L-R) FCHS Salutatorian Tanaz Meghjani, FCHS Valedictorian Danish Dhanani, McIntosh Valedictorian Hannah Mason and McIntosh Salutatorian Tori Kinamon; and (third row L-R) SMHS Salutatorian Christopher Pham, SMHS Valedictorian Shane Mudrinich, SCHS Salutatorian Tyler Hall and SCHS Valedictorian Daniel Schoon. Photo/Ben Nelms.

Graduation for the Class of 2013 is here. Graduation ceremonies for the 1,663 seniors across the Fayette County School System are scheduled for Friday at the respective high schools.

The five high schools will hold graduation ceremonies at their respective stadiums at 7 p.m. on Friday, May 24.

Inclement weather plans call for each school to hold the ceremonies in the same locations on Saturday, May 25.

If held Saturday, ceremonies will begin at 9 a.m. at Sandy Creek and at 10 a.m. at the other schools.
Read More»

Stephen A. Martin, Sr., age 66

Stephen A. Martin, Sr.

Stephen A. Martin, Sr., CPA, MBA passed away on Tuesday, May 14, 2013.

Beloved husband of Brigid C. Martin for the past 43 years. Loving father of Stephen A. Martin, Jr. (Monique), Nicole M. Franks (Kevin), and Dana C. Martin and grandfather to Taylor Claire, John, Michelle, and Payton. Younger brother of Helen M. Morrison (Robert), Alvin J. Martin, Sr. (Ethel), and Carole M. Walker (John). Son of the late Mary Batiste and Wilbert J. Martin. Also survived by numerous nieces, nephews, other relatives, and many friends. Read More»

James William Brown, age 73

Mr. James William Brown, age 73, passed away Monday, May 13, 2013.

He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Barbara Ann Brown; daughter, Patricia Ramsey and her husband, Derek of Fayetteville; sister, Charlene Patrick of Woodstock; grandchildren, Dillon Ramsey and Logan Ramsey.

A funeral service will be held Thursday, May 16, 2013 at 11 a.m. in the Chapel of Parrott Funeral Home. Interment will follow at River View Memorial Park.

Those wishing may sign the online guestbook at www.parrottfuneralhome.com. Read More»