Newsmakers

No charges in pellet rifle fatality of PTC girl, 6

Ellie Ruth Nigro of Peachtree City.

A 6-year-old Peachtree City girl died shortly after noon Jan. 20 after being accidentally shot in the throat by her brother with a pellet rifle, Peachtree City police reports said. No charges are expected to be filed in the accident.

The “middle brother” was standing at a window in an upstairs bonus room and swung around with a pellet rifle in his hands when his sister, Ellie Nigro of a Teal Vista address in Planterra Ridge subdivision, entered the room, police reports said.
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Smokey Road’s Barron completes service on Ed. Advisory Board

Dr. Laurie Barron, principal of Smokey Road Middle School, recently completed a year of service on Governor Nathan Deal’s Education Advisory Board for Principals.

Barron was one of 13 principals in Georgia to serve on this board. Members of Governor Deal’s Advisory Boards for Teachers, Principals, School Board Members, and Superintendents attended a Reception Honoring the Education Advisory Boards at the Governor’s Mansion in Atlanta on November 17, 2011. Read More»

Quick fix for I-85/Hwy. 74 interchange?

There are two different plans for improving the often-clogged Atlanta commute for residents of western Fayette County.

One costs more and will take longer ... but will provide more capacity.

And while the other has less capacity for the future, it can be done much quicker and cheaper ... and is actually planned for potential construction in 2018 by the Georgia Department of Transportation.

Which one will become reality? That comes down to the results of the regional transportation sales tax vote this summer. Read More»

Fayette community challenged to ‘Do it big’ in remembrance of M.L.K, Jr.

Members of the Fayette County chapter of Jack and Jill of America were among the many entries in the 2012 MLK Day Parade held Jan. 16 in Fayetteville. The parade was followed by the annual birthday celebration for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., at Sams Auditorium. Photo/Ben Nelms.

The day commemorating the birth of Martin Luther King, Jr. began Monday with the annual parade in Fayetteville and concluded with the birthday celebration at Sams Auditorium. The featured speaker at the event was Rev. BaSean Jackson of Fayetteville’s Fellowship of Love Church. The theme of this year’s event was “Affirming America’s Promise ... Justice for All.”
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Peachtree City’s Great Georgia Airshow is taking year off to retool

To go with aThe thrill of aerobatics may be missing from the skies this October, but organizers of the Great Georgia Airshow promise to be back in 2013. Photo/File.

To give organizers time to prepare for an expansion, the Great Georgia Airshow will be on hiatus this year.

But it will come roaring back to Peachtree City Oct. 12-13, 2013, officials said.

Airshow Director Angie Faulise said the airshow board made the decision to ground it this year so time could be taken to examine every facet of the airshow. The goal is to begin preparing for the airshow to expand, not just in the number of aircraft but also in terms of patrons, Faulise said. Read More»

PTC will keep TDK safeguard

Forget about the potential resurrection of the TDK Boulevard Extension from Peachtree City into Coweta County.

A land swap brokered between the city council and the Fayette County Commission will allow the city to retain its trump card to prevent the road from ever being built.

The transaction, unanimously approved by council Jan. 5 after executive session, gives the city a strip of land running along Line Creek that will allow it to prevent the road extension from ever being built. Read More»

Newcomers Clifton, Johnson, Edwards take F’ville oaths

(L-R) Fayette Superior Court Judge Fletcher Sams, Ed Johnson, Greg Clifton and Mickey Edwards. Photo/Carolyn Cary.

It was prior to the Jan. 5 meeting of the Fayetteville City Council that the majority of the night’s activity could be found. It was prior to the meeting that Greg Clifton was sworn-in as mayor and Ed Johnson and Mickey Edwards took the oath as new council members.

And there was a small amount of business on the agenda after the swearing-in ceremony had been completed. That business included the selection of the mayor pro-tem, appointments to two committees and a larger number of tabled items. Read More»

NAACP prevails in Fayette school board district lawsuit

MONDAY, Jan. 9, 2011 3:48 p.m. — The Fayette County Board of Education has thrown in the towel and agreed to settle a federal voting rights lawsuit filed by the Fayette Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) by instituting district voting for each of the board's five posts.

That means that only voters within one of the five districts may vote on the candidates who live within that district.

Still unresolved is the same lawsuit against the Fayette County Board of Commissioners.

The school board meets tonight to ratify the settlement. Read More»

Starr’s Mill grad O'Hara comes home to play for Atlanta Beat

Kelley O’Hara, a Starr’s Mill graduate and member of the U.S. women’s national soccer team will play for the Atlanta Beat this season. Photo/Special.

Kelley O’Hara played her club soccer with the Peachtree City Lazers, the AFC Lightning and the Concorde Fire. She was also a member of the 2006 GHSA state champion Starr’s Mill Lady Panthers and was named an NSSCAA, Gatorade, and Atlanta Journal Constitution Georgia State Player of the Year. After a stellar career at Stanford University, capped off with 25 goals and 63 points and the Mac Herman Trophy, awarded to the best overall women’s college soccer player, in her senior season she started a pro career. Read More»

Fayette Middle honored as Title I Distinguished School

Fayette Middle School on Grady Avenue in Fayetteville has been named a National Title I Distinguished School.

Fayette Middle School serves 710 students in grades 6-8. Principal Sharlene Patterson credits her faculty and staff as a major factor in her school’s success: “I just can’t say enough about the hard work they put into this work every day. Their mission is to ensure that every student’s needs are being met socially, emotionally, academically, developmentally. It’s a school-wide commitment.” Read More»