Welcome Back
We’reexcitedtowelcomeyoubacktoCityNews yourofficialsourceforupdates, stories,andhighlightsfromaroundtheCityofFayetteville,Georgia.
Whetheryou’realong-timeresidentornewtoourcommunity,CityNewsisheretokeep youinformedaboutcityservices,upcomingevents,localinitiatives,andthepeoplewho makeFayettevilleagreatplacetolive,work,andthrive.
Asourcitycontinuestogrowandevolve,sodoesourcommitmenttotransparency, engagement,andcommunityconnection.Thisbookletisjustonewaywesharewhat’s happeninginandaroundyourlocalgovernment andcelebratethe spiritofFayettevilletogether.
We’regladtohaveyoujoinusaswerecapthemonthsofMaythroughSeptember2025. Welcomeback!
“No Limits on Imagination”
Inside
To Our City of Fayetteville Community,
A Message from the City Manager Ray Gibson
As summer comes to an end and we begin to feel the first signs of fall, I want to take a moment to thank each and every one of you for helping make this another great season in the City of Fayetteville.
From lively community events to improvements in our parks and continued progress on key infrastructure projects, this summer has been full of energy, growth, and momentum. Our city continues to thrive thanks to the involvement and support of residents, businesses, and city staff working together to make Fayetteville a great place to live, work, and visit.
As we shift into the next season, our focus remains on moving Fayetteville forward—with smart planning, responsible growth, and a strong sense of community. In the months ahead, we’ll continue work on enhancements that will serve our city well into the future. We’re also gearing up for an exciting lineup of fall events and community gatherings, so I encourage everyone to stay connected and involved.
Together, we’re building a city that honors its heritage while embracing innovation and opportunity. I’m proud of the progress we’ve made, and I look forward to all we will accomplish together in the months to come. Remember, there’s “No Limits on Imagination.”
Thank you for being an essential part of Fayetteville’s story.
Warm regards,
Ray Gibson City Manager, City of Fayetteville
Meet Your City Communications Team
GlenNeta Griffin Director of Communications
Danny Harrison Public Information Officer
The Department of Communications serves as the City’s central hub for keeping residents, businesses, and stakeholders informed, engaged, and connected. Led by the Director of Communications, the department ensures that all city‐wide communications reflect Fayetteville’s mission, values, and goals.
What We Do
Strategic Support: We work closely with every City department to provide guidance and tools for clear, consistent messaging
Media & Public Relations: We manage media inquiries, issue press releases, and serve as the liaison to local media outlets.
Public Engagement: We facilitate communication with citizens through surveys, notifications, and outreach on City initiatives and services.
Information Channels: We maintain multiple channels to share news website updates, weekly email bulletins, social media platforms, and “Notify Me” alerts.
How to Stay Connected
Subscribe to our weekly e‑mail update to get the latest news and notices. Sign up via the website’s “Notify Me” function for alerts on topics important to you. Follow the City of Fayetteville on social media for updates, events, and more
communications@fayetteville-ga.gov
Lindsey Blount Communications Specialist Multimedia Content Producer
Reinaldo Angola Hernandez
2025 Classes Began August 11 and will Commence October 6, 2025 th
TheCityofFayettevilleReleasedIt’sFirst-EverCitizens’GovernmentAcademy CitizensAreGoingBehindtheScenestoLearnHowtheCityofFayettevilleOperates!
TheFayetteville101Citizens'Academyisaneight-weekprogramdesignedtoprovideanin-depthunderstandingoftheCityof Fayettevillethroughhands-onactivitiesandopendiscussions.Participantswillgainabehind-the-scenesperspectiveonhowthe Citygovernmentdeliversqualityservicestothecommunity TheprogramoffersopportunitiestoengagewithCityleadersand explorevariousdepartments
ThroughouttheFayetteville101CitizensAcademy,itisourintentionthatparticipantsachievethefollowinggoals
Explore
Exploretheinnerworkingsofcitygovernmentthroughengagingsessionswithkeydepartmentsandleaders.Participantswillgaina deeperunderstandingofhowmunicipalservicesaredelivered,howdecisionsaremade,andhowtheycanplayanactiverolein shapingthefutureofFayetteville Thishands-onexperienceisdesignedtofostercivicengagement,encouragecommunity involvement,andbuildinformedpartnershipsbetweencitizensandtheirlocalgovernment
Learn
Attendeeswilllearnhowcitygovernmentfunctions,includingtherolesandresponsibilitiesofvariousdepartments,howservices aredelivered,andhowdecisionsaremade Theprogramwillequipparticipantswithknowledgeandtoolstoengageeffectivelywith localgovernmentandcontributetothecommunity’sgrowthanddevelopment.
Engage
Attendeeswillactivelyengagethroughinteractivepresentations,facilitytours,hands-onactivities,andopendiscussionswithcity leadersandstaff.Thiscollaborativeenvironmentencouragesquestions,feedback,anddialogue,empoweringparticipantsto connectwithlocalgovernmentandplayamoreinformed,involvedroleintheircommunity
Watch the Promo!
EconomicDevelopment
InauguralBusinessResourceFair:
Over250localbusinessesregisteredandengagedwith27 partners–includingtheUS SmallBusinessAdministration, GeorgiaCenterofInnovationandDepartmentofCommunity Affairs,VeteransBusinessOutreachCenter,theGeorgia ManufacturingExtensionPartnershipandSmallBusinessand SupplierDiversityProgram,theFayetteCountyChamberof Commerce,andLaunchFayette.
TellingOurStoryinitiative:
BusinessConsultationDays:
FayettevilleEconomicDevelopment,inpartnershipwiththe UGASmallBusinessDevelopmentCenter(SBDC)atClayton State,introducedanewprogramthisyearforlocal businessestoreceivefreebusinessconsultingsessionsat FayettevilleCityHalltohelpacceleratebusiness improvementandgrowth Sincetheprogrambeganin February2025,ninety(90)businesseshavereceived consultationsdesignedtohelptheirbusinessesgrowand thriveinFayetteville.
This10-parteconomicdevelopmentvideoserieswas createdtocapturetheboldvisionbehindourcity’s revitalizationefforts.Throughthevoicesof communityandbusinessleaders,wesharehow Fayettevilleisshapingadynamicfuture onethat blendsinnovation,opportunity,andanexceptional qualityoflife.Thesestorieshighlightthemomentum transformingourcityandinvitesinvestors, developers,andbusinessestobepartofbuildinga thrivingdestinationforgenerationstocome.
EconomicDevelopmentBusinessNewsletter:
InFebruary,welaunchedtheFayettevilleBusinessNews e-newslettertoprovidebusiness-specificresources informationtoourbusinesscommunity.Thenewsletteroffers opportunitiesforbusinesscoursesandtraining(oftenfree-ofcharge),eventsdesignedtoassistbusinessgrowth,aswellas featuresonnewandestablishedbusinesseswithinthe community.TojoinournewsletterscantheQRcodetothe right.
new businesses! Welcome
Steve's BBQ & Soul Food Jim 'N Nick's Bar-B-Q
PMP Event Studio
Drama and Arts Academy Papa Murphy’s Take N Bake Pizza
24THANNUALMAINSTREET GolfTournament
The 24th Annual Main Street Golf Tournament was held on Tuesday, September 16, 2025. From great swings to big smiles, it was truly a day to remember at Whitewater Creek Country Club. Thank you to our sponsors, volunteers, golfers, and community leaders who made this event a success. Because of you, we were able to raise funds to support mental health and Main Street while having an incredible time together.
CITY PROMOTES
ROBERT MASK TO POLICE CHIEF
Congratulations to Fayetteville Police Chief Robert Mask, who was officially promoted to this new role during the July 17, 2025 City Council Meeting. He had briefly served as Interim Police Chief after the retirement of Police Chief Scott Gray in May of 2025. Prior to that he served as Deputy Chief since 2019.
Chief Mask is a 32-year law enforcement veteran having spent most of his career with the City of Fayetteville. He is a Fayette County native and graduated in 1989 from Fayette County High School We are grateful for his service to our community and his willingness to lead the Fayetteville Police Department into the future.
Police Department Promotes 10 Additional Officers to Leadership Positions
Also during the July 17th City Council Meeting, 10 other City of Fayetteville Police officers were promoted to higher ranks within the department. Below is the complete list.
Captain Chad Myers has been appointed to Major over the Uniform Patrol Division and reports to the Chief of Police, Robert C. Mask.
Captain Austin Dunn has been appointed to Major over the Support Services Division and reports to the Chief of Police, Robert C Mask
Lieutenant David Darnell has been appointed to the rank of Captain over the Uniform Patrol Division and reports to Major Chad Myers
Lieutenant David Cagle has been appointed to the rank of Captain over the Office of Professional Standards and reports to Major Austin Dunn, Support Services
Sergeant Zach Campbell has been promoted to the rank Lieutenant on D-Team and reports to Uniform Patrol Captain David Darnell, Uniform Patrol Division
Sergeant Kevin Ingram has been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in the School Resource Officer Unit and reports to the Office of Professional Standards Captain David Cagle, Support Services Division
Corporal Chandler Cox has been promoted to the rank of Sergeant on B-Team and reports to Lieutenant Joshua Meade B-Team, shift commander, Uniform Patrol Division
Corporal Tracey Baker has been promoted to the rank of Sergeant in the School Resource Officer Unit in the Office of Professional Standards and reports to Lieutenant Kevin Ingram School Resource Officer Unit, Officer of Professional Standards
Officer Sara Brandao has been promoted to the rank of Corporal in the Criminal Investigations Unit and reports to Sergeant Dylan Bell, Criminal Investigations Unit
Officer Alex Rojas has been promoted to the rank of Corporal on B-Team and reports to Sergeant Chandler Cox BTeam Sergeant, Uniform Patrol Division
JUNIORPOLIC
ACADEMY
THE 2025 JUNIOR POLICE ACADEMY WAS A MAJOR HIGHLIGHT OF THE SUMMER WITH A WEEK FULL OF PHYSICAL FITNESS AND HANDS-ON POLICE TRAINING!
We mourned the loss of Fayetteville Police K-9 Max in August. The faithful German Shepherd actively served the City from June 2017 to December 2024. He was assigned to handler Sergeant Chandler Cox.
The Fayetteville Fire Department proudly hosted its second annual Junior Firefighter Summer Camp, where our young 'rookies' experienced hands-on fire safety education, challenging physical fitness training, fire science exploration, and much more.
FIRETRUCK PULL
Winners
City of Fayetteville Fire Department (First Responder Championship)
Penn Station Gym (Civilian Championship)
This summer, the Fayetteville Fire Department welcomed Rescue 92, a state-of-the-art addition to our fleet.
Equipped with specialized tools and advanced equipment, this rescue truck is built to support our firefighters in handling the most challenging and complex emergencies.
Never Forget Never Forget
The Fayetteville Fire Department, alongside the Fayetteville Police Department and fellow public safety agencies, carried on the tradition of honoring the fallen by participating in the annual 9/11 Stone Mountain Climb. Each step up the mountain serves as a tribute to the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice on September 11, 2001—and a reminder that we will never forget.
BRAVEHEARTS AWARDS
Thank you for your role in making our community safer and better served. And thank you, Fayette Chamber of Commerce, for taking time to recognize these exceptional public servants!
Congratulations to Fayetteville Police Chief Robert Mask, Deputy Finance Director Carleetha Character, and all the other recipients of the Fayette Chamber of Commerce inaugural BraveHearts Awards held on September 4, 2025.
City Center Park Main Playground Structures to be Replaced After Summer Season
The City of Fayetteville will replace several pieces of playground equipment after the summer season due to safety concerns. A few of these pieces have been barricaded for weeks after Public Services staff observed signs of excessive wear and vandalism They will remain barricaded until the playground replacement project begins later this year.
“Just as we were opening the spray pad for the season in May, we noticed areas on the rope bridge that had been vandalized, making it unsafe,” said Deputy Public Services Director Cajen Rhodes. “Upon further investigation, we decided to close not only the rope bridge but also the climbing tower and curved blue slide because of additional safety concerns. We are now in the process of ordering new playground equipment, which will replace the existing equipment.
“We hope to start the replacement process after the summer season is over,” Rhodes continued. “We didn’t want to start the process earlier, because that would mean having to shut down the very popular spray pad and other parts of the playground, which are still safe and able to remain open for the summer season.”
Most of the City Center Park playground equipment and all other amenities remain open The spray pad is open Tuesday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. closing on Mondays for routine weekly maintenance. The spray pad will be open on Labor Day Monday, September 1, after which it will be closed for the season.
Parents and guardians are asked to help keep children away from the barricaded playground equipment. Anyone witnessing vandalism within City of Fayetteville parks is asked to notify the Fayetteville Police Department immediately by calling 911.
City Center Park is located behind Fayetteville City Hall, 210 Stonewall Avenue West, in historic Downtown Fayetteville. Anyone with questions or non-emergency concerns may contact Cajen Rhodes: crhodes@fayetteville-ga.gov or 770-460-4665. For more information on the City’s parks, visit www.fayetteville-ga.gov/parks.
Fayetteville Launches Weather Report and Alert System at City Center Park
The City of Fayetteville has installed and activated a weather station at City Center Park, which not only offers real-time weather updates but also automatically shuts off the spray pad water supply when lightning is detected in the area.
“We are excited about this weather alert system, which will help keep our residents and guests safe and informed,” said Deputy Public Services Director Cajen Rhodes. “Up to now, anytime we know there is lightning in the area, we manually shut off water supply to the spray pad, and then we ask people to leave the area until the storm passes With this new system, the water is shut off automatically when lightning is within a five-mile radius of City Center Park, and people will hear a siren followed by verbal instructions to leave the area due to lightning. Thirty minutes after there has been no more lightning in the area, the system automatically restarts the water supply, and the spray pad reopens.”
Rhodes explained that all of this is controlled by the new Perry Weather digital weather monitoring platform, which includes a small weather station installed on a tower adjacent to the City Center Park spray pad. Technology called StormBridge links the weather information system to spray pad water pumps. Live weather reporting from the weather station and a live camera feed are viewable on the City’s website: wwwfayetteville-ga gov/parkweather
“We think this new system will be useful as well to our residents and guests who are deciding when they want to visit City Center Park and the spray pad attraction,” Rhodes continued “They can look at the website to find out if the spray pad is open or not, and they can even see how hot or muggy it might be at the park. This is a pretty cool feature.”
Rhodes noted that City of Fayetteville staff will continue to monitor City Center Park and the spray pad in person as well.
The spray pad at City Center Park is open Tuesday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and it is closed on Mondays for routine maintenance. The spray pad will also be open Labor Day Monday, September 1. It will be closed for the season beginning Tuesday, September 2 For more information, visit wwwfayetteville-ga gov/parks
In The News In The News
Unveils
TownatTrilithrecentlyannouncedthelaunchofTrilithLive,a530,000-square-foot,liveentertainmentcomplex designedtohostconc corporateevents, banquets,andmore.
Thecomplexisschedu Thefacilitywillinclude ertstages,aluxury cinema,productionsu andsupportspace.
"TrilithLiveisdesigned MattMcClain, generalmanagerande porteverythingfrom concertstoliveTVtap eplace”
PhaseI,whichinclude facilities,iscomplete andactivelyhostingar Ithasalreadyhostedp mmertoursandhas alreadyfilmedmoreth on.
PhaseII,scheduledto inema,andcentral plaza.
Theprojectisexpected productions,live events,andconventio entertainment programming
Asanonprofitorganiza ingtheperforming artsandservingreside udinglocaltheatre, churchservices,charit
“TrilithLiveaddstoGe stoextendGeorgia’s abilitytosupporteverystageofproductionfromliveentertainmentandtelevisionproduction,”addedMcClain.“It’sa majorstepforwardforthecreativeeconomyintheregion.”
ForadditionalinformationaboutTrilithLive,visittrilithlive.com
In The News In The News
New $275 million expansion announced for Piedmont Fayette Hospital
PiedmontFayetteHospitalinFayettevillehasannounceda$275millionexpansionprojectapprovedbythe PiedmontHealthcareBoardofDirectors
Theexpansionwilladdanewpatienttowerandrenovateexistingfacilities,includingsurgicalservices,kitchen,lab andpharmacyareas
TheprojectisthelargestcapitalinvestmentbythePiedmontsystemsincetheMarcusToweratPiedmontAtlanta, reflectingthehospital’sgrowthandtheincreasinghealthcareneedsoftheregion
PiedmontFayetteopenedin1997with54beds.Itnowoperates310beds,employsmorethan2,300staffmembers, performsmorethan13,000surgerieseachyearandhas130,000outpatientvisits
“ThescaleofthisprojectreflectshowthehospitalhasgrowntoservenotjustFayette,butpatientsofcountiesto ournorthandsouth,”saidStevePorter,CEOofPiedmontFayette.
Thenewconstructionwillcoverapproximately218,250squarefeet,withanadditional31,304squarefeetof existingspacebeingrenovated.
ThehospitalwillalsobuildanewCentralUtilityPlanttosupporttheexpandedcampus
Astheareahasgrown,PiedmontFayettehasevolvedfromacommunityhospitalintoaregionalmedicalcenter Thelastmajorexpansion,theEastTower,wascompletedin2017,PortersaidSincethen,thehospitalhasfocused onenhancingitscapabilitieswithnewprovidersandtechnology.
“WebelievethisexpansionisthenextlogicalstepforPiedmontFayetteandtheregion,”Portersaid Constructionforthenewexpansionisexpectedtobegininearly2026andisprojectedtobecompletedwithin threeyears.
City of Fayetteville Mental Health Advisory Board
Councilwoman Dr. Niyah Glover and other members of the Fayetteville Mental Health Advisory Board hosted a mental health resource fair on Saturday, August 16 at the Fayette County Public Library in Downtown Fayetteville and enjoyed interacting with many local residents and library patrons. Visit Our Mental Health Hub where you will find tools to support your journey towards improved mental health and wellbeing! th
SCAN TO TAKE THE MENTAL HEALTH SURVEY
WhyWeRecognizeBreastCancerAwarenessMonth
BreastCancerAwarenessMonth,observedeveryOctober,isatimetohonorthelivesaffectedbybreastcancer, supportongoingresearch,andraiseawarenessaboutearlydetectionandprevention.
Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers among women worldwide, and early diagnosis significantly increasessurvivalrates.Byrecognizingthismonth,weaimtoeducateourcommunityabouttheimportanceof regularscreenings,self-exams,andknowingtheriskfactors.
It’s also a time to show support for survivors, remember those we’ve lost, and stand in solidarity with families and caregivers. The pink ribbon now a global symbol reminds us of the power of unity and hope in the fight againstcancer.
Through awareness, advocacy, and action, we can help save lives and move closer to a future without breast cancer.
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