Changes for New School Year in Fayette County

As students and parents prepare for the beginning of school, here are a few changes that will be in place on the first day.

The high school start time has been moved up to 8:25 a.m. to allow for a 15-minute instructional focus period for students to get remedial help, work on assignments or participate in additional activities. The end time will remain at 3:20 p.m. The start and end times for elementary and middle school are the same as last year: (elementary) 7:45 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and (middle) 8:25 a.m.-3:40 p.m.

Lunch prices have increased by a nickel at the elementary level and by a dime at the middle and high school levels. The increase is due to state budget cuts. The new prices are (elementary) $2.10 and (middle and high) $2.25.

Cleveland Elementary has a new principal at the helm following the retirement of Jean Miller who was the school’s first principal. The school’s assistant principal, Angie Southers, has been promoted to principal. Southers has worked within the system for a number of years and was the assistant principal at Tyrone Elementary before coming to Cleveland. She looks forward to working with the students, parents, staff and community in her new position.

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Fayette County Superintendent Finalists Applications Online

The public can view the applications of the three superintendent finalists on the school system’s website, www.fcboe.org, as well as at the Fayette County Board of Education Office located at 210 Stonewall Avenue West, Fayetteville.

Concerned citizens can submit their comments about the candidates to school board members via a link that has been provided on the website.

The finalists were announced following a brief executive session during a called meeting on July 13 at the Fayette County Board of Education. Dr. Jeffrey Bearden, superintendent of MSAD 35 in City Eliot, Maine; Dr. Roy “Cole” Pugh, superintendent of Eagle Mountain – Saginaw ISD in Ft. Worth, Texas; and Lynda S. Wenzel, state director with the Georgia Department of Education and former assistant superintendent of curriculum for Fayette County Public Schools are the candidates chosen by the board.

The superintendent will be chosen from the list of finalists at a future board meeting.

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Volunteers Help Maintain Local Nature Preserves

 Eagle Scout Henry Bentley constructed a bridge next to the fishing pond at Line Creek Nature Area.

Community volunteers are donating their summer time to help Southern Conservation Trust maintain its public nature preserves in Fayette County.  Their generosity helps the Trust stretch its donation income and addresses the wear and tear these popular parks receive from local visitors.

The girls’ Lacrosse Team from Whitewater High School is re-staining the three wetland observation decks at Sams Lake Sanctuary outside Fayetteville – a project spanning three days in the hot sun.  

Whitewater Lacrosse Team Stains Observation Deck at Sams Lake

At Line Creek Nature Area, Eagle Scouts Keelan Klarl and Henry Bentley have built foot bridges and re-routed trails so hikers can easily cross wet spots on the Creek and Pond Trails.  

Whitewater High student Sarah Blakeslee finished staining the picnic tables near the fishing pond and three young ladies cut back the overhanging branches to widen the entrance drive to the parking lot. In the spring the Brownies of Troop 10314 used money they earned selling Girl Scout cookies to plant native trees at Line Creek. 

Peachtree City resident Gary Humphries repaired the damage of vandals at the Flat Creek Nature Area who had painted graffiti on the boardwalk and pulled out the entrance sign.  This quiet forested wetland can be entered beside the Peachtree City Amphitheater. 

“As a small community land trust, we appreciate the many volunteers who help make our preserves great places to experience nature,” said Trust Executive Director Abby Jordan.  ”We have volunteer projects lasting a few hours or over several days.  An upcoming Volunteer Work Day in late fall will create landscape beds with native shrubs at the Line Creek entrance on Hwy 54, based on a design donated by Nearly Native Nursery in Fayetteville.” 

Southern Conservation Trust is a Fayette County-based conservation nonprofit that owns, manages and protects 1400 acres of farms, forests and environmentally sensitive land in the Southern Crescent. The Trust hosts environmental programs and enhances its three public preserves with trails, overlooks and re-introduction of native species.  As a regional land trust the Trust works with willing landowners to permanently protect open space that benefits the community and can offer tax benefits for the landowner.

If you or your service club would like to help maintain community greenspace, contact the Trust at www.sctlandtrust.org .

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Have You Seen Bo? Lost Dog near Pine Lake Estates

Editor Note:As a public service, we are passing along the following excerpt from an urgent email GA Heartland Humane Society just sent to the Fayette Front Page.  Please keep a sharp eye for little Bo.

I got a call this morning to help look for a Silver Toy Poodle named Bo, 4 years old.

The woman had rehomed him due to certain circumstances and this little guy got away from the new owner, maybe trying to find "mom". Original owner frantic and wants her baby back. Please keep your eyes open.

Dog was lost in Fayetteville near the Pine Lake Estates. He went missing yesterday Wednesday July 21st 2010.

Owner: Frieda 770 318-5964
Her friend Tracy: 678 350-8893

Dorlene Ginn
GA Heartland Humane Society

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Burglary Suspects Arrested in Fayetteville

The Fayetteville Police Department arrested 4 people for a reported residential burglary in Fayetteville, Georgia. 

On Wednesday, July 21, 2010 the Fayetteville Police Department received a 911 call of a possible burglary on Keaton Drive, Fayetteville Georgia. Officers found that someone had attempted to enter the home through a window. While investigating the case Officers received information from neighbors (vehicle and people description). 

Police stopped a car in the area of Keaton Drive. There were 3 adult males and one juvenile male in the car. 

A stolen gun from Henry County was found in the car. 

Further investigation indicated that the four attempted to gain entry into a home on Keaton Drive. 

Quinton Deanthony Jackson, 27 YOA, from Atlanta, Georgia - charged with Criminal attempted burglary and theft by receiving stolen property.

Jermist Djon Russell, 22 YOA, from Ellenwood, Georgia - charged with Criminal attempted burglary and theft by receiving stolen property.

Jewel Francis Hatch, 21 YOA, from Indianapolis, Indiana - charged with Criminal attempted burglary, theft by receiving stolen property, and possession of burglary tools.

Juvenile, 15 YOA, from Fayetteville, Georgia - charged with Criminal attempted burglary and theft by receiving stolen property.

Further charges may be pending. 

We're baaaaccckkkk....

With the downturn in the economy, changes in staffing, and a whole lot of other factors beyond our control, we made the executive decision to merge the Fayette Front Page into the Georgia Front Page. We also focused mightily on our Arts Across Georgia site, which is going great.

However, we missed sharing all the good news with our Fayette County friends! We've decided to rev it back up and do what we do best --- share all the good news and the factual news you've said you love.

We've set up a Facebook page (just do a search on Fayette Front Page) and we have a twitter account (@fayettefp). We now have well over 200 blogs rolling around out there feeding to our sites, our numerous twitter and Facebook pages, fan pages, and wherever we can find an open spot to post .

We're going to be posting more on this blog AND on our Fayette Live blog. Both will feed to Facebook and Twitter giving you numerous ways to keep up with the news (and plenty of places to advertise your business).

Give us a day or so to get the Fayette Front Page 'un-hooked' from the Georgia Front Page, then we hope you'll make it your home page and start following all the interesting things happening in our fantastic county!

County Commission: Maxwell and Smith Lose; BOE: Todd and Tolbert Win

County Commission Chairman Jack Smith lost to former Peachtree City Mayor Steve Brown by a hefty margin, Brown - 53.24% to Smith - 46.76%. County Commissioner Eric Maxwell's lost by a slightly larger margin to newcomer Allen McCarty, McCarty - 54.26% to Maxwell - 45.74%. Smith and Maxwell were first term Commissioners.

Incumbent School Board member Bob Todd, Post 5, won easily against challenger Charlie Cave, 61.94% to 38.06%.

Sam Tolbert, Board of Education Post 4, took 100% of the vote as he had no opposition.

Turnout in the county was fairly light with only 27.89% of registered voters casting a ballot. There are 69119 registered voters in the county, 19276 cards were cast in the election. 

PTC Police Ask for Info re: Mailbox Incidents

Over the past month, there have numerous reports from citizens that their mailboxes have been damaged, destroyed, or stolen. While these incidents appear to be predominantly occurring in subdivisions north of Highway 54, there have also been reports from citizens who reside in the southern area of Peachtree City. The subdivisions of the southern Kedron Village area appear to be targeted at a greater rate than others.

At least one witness has stated that the offenders appeared to be teenagers and were traveling on a golf cart. Additionally, the witness believed they were using either a bat or a broom handle. The majority of the incidents have occurred during the evening and early morning hours. A reward of up to $1,000 is being offered to anyone who provides information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the offenders. If anyone has information that would assist the Police Department in this or other incidents, please contact the Peachtree City Police Department at 770-487-8866, or the Crime and Narcotics Information Hotline at (770) 487-6010. You may remain anonymous.

Fayette County School Orientations Scheduled

As students get ready to head back to school on August 9, many will be entering the school system for the first time or graduating to middle or high school.

In order to help students and parents become familiar with their new schools, orientations will be held prior to the beginning of the academic year. During orientation, parents and students will receive information that will help make their first year at their new school an enriching and successful one.

Teachers, counselors, administrators and bus drivers will be on hand to help answer questions. Representatives from various clubs and organizations will also be in attendance to help introduce parents and students to extracurricular activities available at each school.
The orientation schedule is listed below.

All Elementary Schools will hold orientation on August 5, 4-6 p.m. The following schools will hold special pre-K and/or kindergarten orientations on August 5 at the times listed below by school.
• Brooks: Pre-K and Kindergarten, 8-10 a.m.
• Crabapple Lane: Kindergarten, 9-11 a.m.
• Huddleston: Kindergarten, 9-11 a.m.
• Inman: Pre-K and Kindergarten, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
• North Fayette: Pre-K and Kindergarten, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
• Peeples: Kindergarten, 9-11 a.m.
• Peachtree City: Kindergarten, 9-11 a.m.
• Robert J. Burch: Pre-K and Kindergarten, 9-11 a.m.
• Spring Hill: Kindergarten, 10 a.m.

Middle Schools
• Bennett’s Mill: August 6, (6th – 2-3:30 p.m.) (7th &8th – 4-5:30 p.m.)
• Fayette: August 6, (6th – 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m.) (7th & 8th – 9-10 a.m.)
• Flat Rock: August 5, (6th only– 2-3:30 p.m.)
Flat Rock: August 6, (7th & 8th – 3-5 p.m.)
• J.C. Booth: August 4, (6th – 4-5:30 p.m.) (7th &  8th – 2-3:30 p.m.)
• Rising Starr: August 5, (6th – 9:30-11 a.m.) (7th & 8th – 1:30-3 p.m.)
• Whitewater: August 5, (6th – 9-10:30 a.m.) (7th & 8th – 1:30-3 p.m.)

High Schools
• Fayette County: August 5, (9th grade and new students) – 6-7:30 p.m.
• McIntosh: July 29 & 30 (Camp McIntosh Freshman Orientation) July 29, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. and
July 30, 9 a.m.-12 p.m. (parents attend)
• McIntosh: August 5 (for students not attending camp) (9th grade – 6:30-8 p.m.), (10th grade – 5-6:30 p.m.), (11th grade – 3:30-5 p.m.), and (12th grade – 2-3:30 p.m.).
• Sandy Creek: August 5, (9th grade and new students) – 6-8 p.m.
• Starr’s Mill: August 5, (9th grade and new students) – 6-8 p.m.
• Whitewater: August 4, (12th – 8-10 a.m.) (11th – 10 a.m.-12 p.m.) (10th – 2-4 p.m.) (9th – 4-6 p.m.)

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Meet and Greet with Sen. Seth Harp, Republican Candidate for Georgia Insurance Commissioner

Monday, July 19, noon until 12:30 at Partner's Pizza II at 215 Northlake Drive, Peachtree City, Ga 30269.

Please come out and join Seth for a meet and greet on one of his many stops of the "Harp Fly Around." Seth will be landing at Falcon Field as he flies in from Savannah, and speaking to the crowd, and also speaking with local business owners and customers.

If you are able to attend or have questions, please respond to cindymorley@bellsouth.net. We hope to see you there, and thank you for your continued support of Seth.

Superintendent Finalists Announced for Fayette County Public Schools

After a brief executive session during a called meeting on July 13, the Fayette County Board of Education has announced three finalists for Superintendent of Fayette County Public Schools.

Dr. Jeffery Bearden, superintendent of MSAD 35 in City Eliot, Maine; Dr. Roy “Cole” Pugh, superintendent of Eagle Mountain – Saginaw ISD in Ft. Worth, Texas; and Lynda S. Wenzel, state director with the Georgia Department of Education and former assistant superintendent of curriculum for Fayette County Public Schools are the candidates chosen by the board.

The applications of the candidates can be viewed at the Fayette County Board of Education Office located at 210 Stonewall Avenue West, Fayetteville. The superintendent will be chosen from the list of finalists at a future board meeting.

Fred Oliver is serving as acting superintendent until the position is filled. Oliver did not apply for the superintendent’s position.

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PTC Police Investigating Two Suspicious Vehicle Fires

The Peachtree City Police and Fire Departments are currently investigating two suspicious vehicle fires that have occurred over the past two weeks. On July 4th, 2010, at approximately 2:30 am, an early model Toyota Celica was set on fire in the driveway of the residence located at 109 Everhill, Peachtree City. Only several days after that, on July 11th, 2010, at approximately 1:50 am, a late model Chevrolet Aveo was set on fire in the driveway of the residence located at 125 Rockspray Ridge, Peachtree City.

If anyone has information that would assist the Police Department in this or other incidents, please contact the Peachtree City Criminal Investigations Division at 770-631-2510, the Peachtree City Police Department’s Crime and Narcotics Information Hotline at (770) 487-6010, or the Georgia Arson Control Board at 1-800-282-5804. Your tips can remain anonymous and a reward of up to $10,000 may be offered for the arrest and conviction of those responsible.

Severe Thunderstorm Watch until 7 p.m. today

The NWS has issued a Severe Thunderstorm WATCH for an area that includes Tyrone until 7:00 pm on July 13, 2010.

Advistory from PCPD regarding mailbox damage, trespassing at the FRED, new texting and seatbelt laws.

The Peachtree City Police Department would like to advise our community of several significant issues that have been reported over the past few weeks. Additionally, one new law, and one revised law were enacted on July 1, 2010. 

1) On July 1, 2010, the law banning texting while driving went into effect. This ban on cell phone use for those under 18, and overall ban on texting, applies not only to cars, trucks, and SUVs, but also to golf carts being operated on the roadway and also on the cart path system of Peachtree City.

The following information is the essence of the law:

• It is now illegal for anyone under age 18 who holds a learner's permit or Class D driver's license to talk or text on any wireless device while driving.

 o Exceptions allowed to report a crime/accident or while the vehicle is parked; also does not apply to in-vehicle navigation systems.
 o Penalties include a $150.00 fine and 1 Point on the driving record.
 o Fine could be doubled if an accident is involved while texting or talking.

• It is also now illegal for anyone over age 18 or who holds a Class C driver's license to read, write, or send a text message while driving.

 o Exceptions allowed to report a crime/accident or while the vehicle is parked; also does not apply to in-vehicle navigation systems.
 o Penalties include a $150.00 fine and 1 Point on the driving record.

2) All drivers must now wear seatbelts when operating pick up trucks. This revision to the seat belt law removes the controversial exemption that adults had when operating pick up trucks only. 

3) The department has received reports of subjects accessing the Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater while it is closed, and skateboarding within the facility. As the Amphitheater is closed during the times this is occurring, it is not only a violation of the rule that skate boarding is not allowed in the facility, but also a violation of Georgia Law encompassing trespassing. If anyone has information that would assist the Police Department in this or other incidents, please contact the Peachtree City Police Department at 770-487-8866, or the Crime and Narcotics Information Hotline at (770) 487-6010. You may remain anonymous.

4) Over the past few weeks, there have numerous reports from citizens that their mailboxes have been damaged, destroyed, or stolen. While these incidents appear to be predominantly occurring in subdivisions north of Highway 54, there have also been reports from citizens who reside on the southern area of Peachtree City. 
 

At least one witness has stated that the offenders appeared to be teenagers and were traveling on a golf cart. Additionally, the witness believed they were using either a bat or a broom handle. The majority of the incidents have occurred during the evening and early morning hours. If anyone has information that would assist the Police Department in this or other incidents, please contact the Peachtree City Police Department at 770-487-8866, or the Crime and Narcotics Information Hotline at (770) 487-6010. You may remain anonymous.