2017 Review and Forecast

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WEDNESDAY, March 1, 2017

Rome News-Tribune

Review & Forecast 2017

Review & Forecast

/ HEALTH & MEDICINE

RRMC plans behavioral health unit Redmond working to meet NW Ga. needs From staff reports Every year, more than 3,600 mental health patients leave the Northwest Georgia region for inpatient psychiatric care because of a lack of adequate local resources.

To address this challenge, Redmond Regional Medical Center has proposed to add a 24-bed inpatient behavioral health unit, plus outpatient services and a psychiatry residency training program.

“With the closure of Northwest Georgia Regional Hospital, many of our citizens were left without services they had come to depend upon. We see tremendous unmet demand in this region,” states John Quinlivan, Redmond Chief Executive Officer.

The community also recognizes this great need in Northwest Georgia. The strongest supporters for the Redmond Behavioral Health unit are law enforcement, local and state political leadership, and local health providers.

Redmond is currently in the process of applying for a certificate of need to the Department of Community Health to build the behavioral health unit. State law requires that a CON must be granted before a project of this type can proceed. The behavioral health unit would provide adult general psychiatric services.

Patients seen in this unit would be referred from the Redmond Emergency Room, other regional hospitals, the office of a psychiatrist or primary care physician, and Highland Rivers Health.

Dr. Julie Barnes, Redmond chief medical officer, said 68 percent of adults with mental disorders have medical conditions, and 29 percent of adults with medical conditions have mental disorders.

Contributed photo

Dr. Paul Wesley (right) takes U.S. Sen. David Perdue through different aspects of the learning center in Redmond’s Graduate Medical Education offices.

“While we plan to provide general psychiatric care in our behavioral health unit, having psychiatric support for our medical patient population will be a significant gain for the community,” Barnes said.

Redmond also plans to expand its partnership with Highland Rivers Health, the Community Service Board for the Northwest Georgia region and one of Georgia’s largest behavioral healthcare providers.

The plan is to create a crisis stabilization unit located near the Redmond Emergency Room. Patients would receive care that would allow them to avoid inpatient hospitalization.

“The Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities estimates that the crisis stabilization unit will save Georgia

about $1 million per year,” said Redmond CEO John Quinlivan.

“Clearly, it is in the state’s best interest to meet this unmet need, train more psychiatrists through our residency program, and save money.”

Once the behavioral health unit is established, the Redmond Graduate Medical Education department plans to start a psychiatry residency program. This program will train up to four psychiatry residents per year over a four-year training period, resulting in up to 16 residents in the program.

Dr. Daniel Robitshek, Redmond’s director of Graduate Medical Education, explains, “Many of our current psychiatry training programs are at large academic institutions that train psychiatrists who then become academic psychiatrists and do

HEALTH from 2

Dental clinic

Infectious diseases

Help for mothers, babies and the elderly The Health Department’s Clinical Office operates Children’s Medical Services, a public health program funded by the state and through the federal Title V Maternal and Child Health Block Grant. The office currently maintains a caseload of 60 patients. CMS provides care coordination and other needed medical/health services for eligible children with special healthcare needs and their families. In 2016, the CMS program paid $10,377 to assist those enrolled in Floyd County with various medical expenses related to the eligible chronic diagnosis.

Through the Georgia Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program, administered throughout Northwest Georgia by the GDPH Northwest Health District headquartered in Rome, the Health Department’s Clinical Office partners

for Physician Workforce, graduates tend to reside in or near the geographic area where they train,” Barnes said. “Therefore, graduates of Georgia medical schools who attend Georgia residency programs are 70 percent more likely to stay in Georgia.”

Redmond’s parent company, Hospital Corporation of America, is the largest private hospital company and one of the largest providers of behavioral health services in the United States, according to information provided by RRMC. Once Redmond receives approval to establish a behavioral health unit, Quinlivan estimates that it will take approximately one year to build. Redmond anticipates the behavioral health unit could open in summer 2018 if the application is unopposed.

in their own home under the direction of their personal physician. The program serves 15 counties, including Floyd, and in 2016 assisted 101 Floyd County residents.

The program offers a wide range of family planning and contraceptive services to women, from teens up to 65 years of age.

Birth control is just one of many lowor-no-cost family planning services our Clinical Office provides. Others include: Health history and physical exam Counseling and education Treatment and referral services Pregnancy testing and counseling Reproductive life planning Full range of birth control options, including LARCs Screening and treatment for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV/AIDS Tuberculosis (TB) Control

Working in conjunction with the GDPH Northwest Health District Tuberculosis Program managed two actual TB cases in 2016.

Last year, the Health Department’s Clinical Office administered 4,206 immunizations, protecting against a variety of diseases, to Floyd County citizens ranging from babies to seniors. Following a regular schedule of vaccinations from infancy through adulthood offers the best line of defense against illnesses and diseases, and we provide comprehensive immunization services that help decrease the number of vaccine-preventable diseases in the community.

mostly research, which is important. However, we need community-based psychiatry training programs that have real-world training and develop psychiatrists who have a commitment to compassionately care for patients in their communities. Our vision is to bring a high level of academic education to the community through the Redmond psychiatry residency program.”

There are only 6.5 psychiatrists per 100,000 people in Georgia, the 40th largest ratio in the United States. The national average is 8.9 psychiatrists per 100,000 population.

The goal of the Redmond psychiatry residency program is to not only train but also have these psychiatrists start their practice in the region after their residency is completed.

“According to the Georgia Board

Floyd County Health Department Nurse Manager Alison Watson (left) and Environmental Health Manager Shane Hendrix review recently discovered documents showing the presence of a Floyd County Board of Health in the community as earwith local hospitals to provide newborn hearing screening and follow-up for all babies born in Floyd County who are referred on the initial screen.

The Health Department Clinical Office administers the Georgia Breast and Cervical Cancer Program in Floyd County. BCCP provides access to timely breast-and-cervical cancer screening and diagnostic services throughout the state to Georgia women residents.

Services are available for women with limited annual income, as well as uninsured and underinsured and women who are between the ages of 40-64 for breast cancer and 21-64 for cervical cancer. BCCP services include clinical breast examinations, pelvic examinations, Pap tests, mammograms (if 40-64 years old), diagnostic evaluation, if results are abnormal and referrals to treatment through the Women’s Health Medicaid Program.

The Health Department’s Clinical Office provides children attending day care, kindergarten, rising seventh-graders and students new to the state or transferring from a private school the immunizations required to attend public school. It also provides vision, hearing, dental and nutrition screenings required for children entering a Georgia school for the first time.

Last year, the Floyd County Dental Clinic, which is housed in the Floyd County Health Department building in South Rome, treated 3,145 low-income patients. The clinic, which was established in 2006 as a collaborative effort between Floyd Medical Center and the Floyd County Health Department, operates as a general dental practice providing oral healthcare for people with lower incomes or who lack insurance in an area where few dentists accept Medicaid patients.

The Floyd County Dental Clinic is also a teaching clinic and provides pre-doctoral dental students from the Dental College of Georgia at Augusta University hands-on experience as well as a better understanding of the needs of the Photo contributed by Logan Boss underserved portion of the dental-health market. The department is currently ly as 1920 and a “health department” as early as working to establish a similar relation1941. Watson oversees the health department’s ship with the extended Medical College Clinical Office, and Hendrix its Environmental of Georgia at Augusta University mediHealth Office. Together, the two public health cal campus in Rome that will allow medical and dental students to work togethprofessionals have over 20 years’ experience. er and help train each other on cranioAbout 60 percent of Georgia women facial and head-and-neck exams. with babies receive help through WIC, Women, Infants and Children.

Vital records In 2016, approximately 3,000 Floyd For a fee, the Floyd County Health County WIC participants cashed 117,464 vouchers with a monetary value of Department provides copies of vital re$1,957,599.52, in effect spending this cords, including certificates and reports for birth, death, marriage and dimoney in the community.

WIC is a United States Department of vorce, to legally entitled individuals Agriculture program that provides fed- who provide appropriate identification eral grants to states for supplemental and required information. foods, health care referrals and nutrition education for low-income pregFollowing diseases nant and postpartum women as well as Epidemiology is the who, what, when, infants and children up to age five who where, why and how of diseases. The are found to be at nutritional risk.

WIC nutritionists promote healthy fam- health department is the direct point ily habits through individual counseling of contact for local disease control and sessions and group discussion classes. help keep the community safe from all Along with nutrition information, WIC types of outbreaks and infections, participants receive breastfeeding sup- tracking the source, preventing or report, immunization screening and refer- ducing the spread and providing medical referrals. rals to other community programs.

This is done by conducting surveilThe Community Care Services Program is located at 101 E. Second Ave. lance of infectious diseases, identifyand is operated in Floyd County by the ing and responding to emerging infechealth department and the Northwest tious disease threats, and participating Georgia Regional Commission’s Area in emergency preparedness planning, Agency on Aging. CCSP provides a wide response and recovery efforts.

For more information about the range of support services, such as home delivered meals, adult day health and Floyd County Health Department, call home delivered services to assist el- 706-295-6123 or visit nwgapublichealth. derly and disabled citizens live safely org/counties/floyd/

Review & Forecast 2017

Rome News-Tribune

Review & Forecast

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/ HEALTH & MEDICINE

Contributed photo

Willowbrooke at Floyd, 306 Shorter Ave., is introducing innovative therapies involving rhythm, art, music and certified pet therapists after extensive renovations to the facility.

Willowbrooke at Floyd expands its Behavioral Health Services

From staff reports

Contributed photo

Meagan Thompson, assistant director of Behavioral Health

For the past 24 years, Floyd Behavioral Health Center provided adult psychiatric services in both the inpatient and outpatient setting. Now, as the 53-bed hospital celebrates its 25th anniversary later this year, the service line has a new name and expanded services.

In early 2017, Floyd Behavioral Health Center changed its name to Willowbrooke at Floyd, a reflection of a new management agreement with Tanner Health System dating to May 2016 and the hospital’s new direction.

After an extensive remodel of the existing facility, Willowbrooke at Floyd now provides inpatient and outpatient services to adults, adolescents and children while introducing innovative therapies involving rhythm, art, music and certified pet therapists.

Willowbrooke Behavioral Health, a service of Tanner Health System, headquartered in Carrollton, manages Willowbrooke at Floyd, providing adults and children throughout northwest Georgia with greater access to behavioral health services. Under the management agreement, Willowbrooke at Floyd receives infrastructure support, physician and staff recruitment,

and access to Willowbrooke at Tanner’s extensive line of behavioral health services for patients.

Services offered include: Free behavioral health and substance abuse screenings Adult mental health and substance abuse treatment Adult partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient programs Child and adolescent partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient programs Animal-assisted therapy Rhythmic therapy Equine therapy Expressive therapy — art, music and drama Inpatient hospitalization for adults Partnerships with community agencies and schools Traditional outpatient counseling and psychiatric care With renovations complete, Willowbrooke at Floyd expects to begin service later this spring as an emergency receiving, evaluation and treatment facility for behavioral health patients who have a mental illness or an addictive disorder and who meet clinical criteria for admission, but are unable or unwilling to provide informed consent for services.

Floyd Medical Center mental health screeners see almost 1,000

patients each year who are referred elsewhere for involuntary care, said Kurt Stuenkel, president and CEO of FMC. Now these patients will be able to get care locally, when appropriate.

Willowbrooke Behavioral Health operates an 82-bed inpatient behavioral health facility in Villa Rica that serves children, adolescents and adults, as well as outpatient services designed to meet patients where they are with the resources they need. Outpatient programs help promote wellness and long-term recovery, according to Michelle Dykes, director of Behavioral Health. Future plans for Willowbrooke at Floyd include exploring options for adding school-based therapists with inhome family care and intensive family intervention, she said.

FMC and Tanner Health System are part of a hospital strategic alliance formed in 2013 with Hamilton Medical Center in Dalton and West Georgia Medical Center in LaGrange.

“As our relationship with Tanner has developed, we have learned that they have a record of developing behavioral health programs that help people lead healthy, productive lives,” said Stuenkel. “With their involvement in our behavioral health services, we will better be able to provide care to the whole patient.”

Harbin changing lives with valve replacement From staff reports Ronald Young was frustrated. The 86-year-old, part-time Rockmart resident found himself unable to go on the long walks with his wife he enjoyed. He also found daily activities left him far more fatigued and out of breath than he was accustomed.

Young felt perhaps old age had set in, and he would have to curtail his walking and activities.

Young’s age played a role in his condition, but so did his heart.

Young was suffering from aortic valve stenosis. AVS is a narrowing of the aortic valve opening in the heart commonly seen in people who are 70 to 80 years old or older.

“This is something that’s really not preventable,” Harbin Clinic Cardiologist Dr. Chas Jackson says. “This is more like rust. It’s just going to happen over time.

If we all live long enough, we will get it.”

Common symptoms of AVS include shortness of breath, angina, fatigue, feeling faint or passing out, rapid or irregular heartbeat and palpitations.

“Symptoms of aortic disease are commonly misunderstood by patients as the normal signs of aging, and they don’t get them checked out,” Dr. Jackson says.

This poses problems because research has shown that after the onset of symptoms patients with severe aortic stenosis have survival rates as low as 50 percent at two years and as low as 20 percent at five years without aortic valve replacement.

In the past, open-heart surgery was the only option for people suffering from the disease, but a new procedure, transcatheter aortic valve replacement, or TAVR for short, offers another solution.

The problem was only nine hospitals in Georgia performed TAVR procedures and none were located in Northwest Georgia. So local patients had to travel to Atlanta or farther to be able to get the procedure.

Enter a group of Harbin Clinic cardiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons along with a motivated crew at Redmond Regional Medical Center. The two sides joined forces to bring this cutting-edge treatment to heart patients in Northwest Georgia.

“When Dr. Jackson and Dr. Merritt approached us about doing TAVR at Redmond, we knew it was the right thing to do for the communities that we serve,” said John Quinlivan, Redmond CEO. “TAVR is life-changing for those patients whose treatment options are very limited. Redmond and Harbin have a rich history of continually elevating cardiac care in Northwest Georgia.

With our well-established heart surgery program, Redmond is proud to again partner with Harbin Clinic and offer this amazing advancement in cardiac care. Right here in Rome, Georgia.”

Contributed photo

Harbin Clinic and Redmond Regional Medical Center team up to bring TAVR procedures to Rome is this new state-of-the-art OR.

Contributed photo

Dr. Charles Jackson stands with Ronald Young and his wife Rose after a meeting of the Seven Hills Rotary Club last year. Ronald Young was one of the first patients to undergo the TAVR (transcatheter aortic valve replacement) procedure.

Redmond invested more than $1.3 million into developing a state-of-theart operating room suite capable of being used for both vascular surgery procedures as well as TAVR. Harbin Clinic cardiologists Jackson and Doctor Chris Merritt teamed with Redmond to help develop hospital protocol, a patient clinical pathway and other important necessary items to bring TAVR to Rome. The doctors also traveled to other facilities to get the necessary training to perform the procedures.

Why make the investment of time, money, people and training to do TAVR when open-heart surgery can also fix the issue?

The answer lies in what makes TAVR a cutting-edge procedure.

Open-heart surgery involves cutting the patient’s chest and opening the rib cage to allow access to the patient’s heart to fix the valve. The surgery requires a long recovery time. Additionally, many patients are considered highrisk for the traditional open surgery.

“A lot of older patients with aortic valve stenosis aren’t good candidates for open-heart surgery,” Dr. Merritt says. “TAVR allows us to treat those patients and for them it’s truly a life-changing procedure.”

TAVR fixes the valve differently. A catheter with a balloon and valve mounted on top is inserted into the patient’s leg artery. The catheter is then guided to the heart where the balloon is inflated and the new valve is inserted.

“The patient usually gets up in a few hours and spends a few days in the hospital,” Dr. Merritt says. “With openheart surgery, a patient spends at least five to seven days in the hospital, and the recovery process takes far longer.”

TAVR patients are typically up and moving around within a few hours and some are even able to leave the hospital as early as the day after the procedure.

Some people might shy away from being the first patient to have a new procedure performed on them, but Young had no second thoughts or reservations about it.

Young, who is retired and splits time between England and Rockmart, didn’t have any worries.

“I told Dr. Jackson, if you want me I will be the first (patient),” Young says. “I wasn’t scared of being first. I wanted it done. And I wanted it done at Redmond. I could have had it done in England on national insurance, but I chose to have it here.”

As with any new procedure there were some butterflies before hand.

“I probably spent more time with Ronald Young than I did with my family before the procedure,” Dr. Jackson says.

“He was like my baby. I wanted to make sure everything went great for him.”

The big day came on April 6, 2016, and the procedure went off without a hitch.

Dr. Jackson, Dr. Merritt and cardiothoracic surgeons Dr. Dhru Girard and Dr.

Cyrus Parsa teamed up with Redmond’s operating room team, cardiac care specialists, and TAVR coordinator for the first procedure.

A few days later, Young attended a Rotary meeting in Rome where Dr. Jackson was speaking, showing off just how effective the procedure can be.

Young moved around with a cane assisting him but looked lively and spoke with several people before and after the event, proving the recovery time is indeed quick.

Young felt much better after the procedure and even managed to attend his step-granddaughter’s wedding in May a few weeks later, something he wouldn’t have been able to do before the surgery.

So far the team has finished more than 40 procedures, a bit ahead of schedule from the original plan.

“We had originally planned to do two a month, but we are doing more because patients have heard about it,” Tina Heavin, TAVR coordinator for Redmond, says.

But perhaps the most moving thing about the new procedure comes from how the doctors and nurses see the patients recover.

“I have been a nurse for a long time.

TAVR is the most rewarding thing I’ve ever seen,” Heavin says. “We have patients come in requiring oxygen and a wheelchair to move before they have TAVR. After the procedure, they are walking out on their own. This is truly a life-changing experience for these people, because they probably wouldn’t have survived open heart surgery.”

As patients continue to come in for the procedure, Redmond officials see the time and money spent as a great investment for Northwest Georgia health care.

“In my 42 years at Redmond, I’ve never been involved in anything that changes lives so drastically,” said Marsha Colwell, vice president of Cardiovascular Services at Redmond Regional Medical Center.

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Review & Forecast 2017

Review & Forecast

/ BUSINESS & INDUSTRY

Mathews: Airport primed for growth

By Doug Walker Associate Editor DWalker@RN-T.com

No one is more eager for the completion of a 1,000-foot extension to the runway at Richard B. Russell Regional Airport than Airport Manager Mike Mathews.

The extension, which now appears to be set for construction in 2018, may be one of the biggest economic development boons for Floyd County, he said Mathews has been working for the past 20 years to upgrade the airport, with a lot of help from the Floyd County Airport Commission.

Mathews was always interested in aviation and learned to fly in Rome.

He took a job as a lineman at the airport from 1980 to 1983.

He later worked for a series of small regional airlines in South Carolina, Tennessee and Atlanta, however all three ultimately filed for bankruptcy.

It was about that time that the airport commissioners in Rome were looking for a new general manager and a couple of the commission members recalled Mathews from his earlier days at the airport. A couple of conversations later and Mathews was named airport manager in 1997.

At that point, Mathews turned his focus to the economic development potential for the airport.

“It (the airport) really had changed much since those early days when I was learning to fly,” Mathews said. Over the last 20 years, Mathews has presided over a lot of changes, but the largest change is still a progress in the works.

Mathews anticipates the 1,000-foot runway extension will be a game changer for the airport in many years. He believes it will help attract industry, not just to the airport, but also to the community at large.

Companies that have corporate jets often require 7,000 feet for safety reasons.

He recalls a number of years ago when he was very optimistic that a company would relocate to approximately 125 acres on the east side of the airport, however the lack of a runway the company could land its jets on ultimately was a factor in not landing the deal.

Mathews also said having the additional 1,000 feet on the main runway should translate to additional fuel sales.

He said pilots would feel more comfortable taking on more fuel, (more weight) with the additional footage to bring an aircraft up to speed for takeoff. Again, he recalls an incident where a pilot saw the number of people and

Doug Walker / Rome News-Tribune

Richard B. Russell Regional Airport Manager Mike Mathews reviews a long-range planning document for the airport.

Doug Walker / Rome News-Tribune

The yellow outlined section in this photo shows an area on the Richard B. Russell Regional Airport property that has been designated as a potential industrial site.

Marietta when they performed during the 2016 show.

The Blue Angels will be in Rome for several days, not only rehearsing and performing for the show, but the team will also be making school visits and other promotional appearances to boost the show.

During Mathews’ 20 years at Russell Regional, the airport has put down a lot of asphalt. The main runway has been repaved and grooved, which is important for wet weather landing. The secondary runway is slated for an overlay in the very near future.

The number of tie downs for smaller aircraft has been expanded greatly. “It used to be we could tie down six small

planes and maybe as many as four jets,” Mathews said. “Now we’ve got enough space to put down about 50 aircraft.” During the interview for this story a pilot landed and inquired about tie down space for as much as three months.

“Bring him on in,” Mathews said.

Mathews said the existence of the Aviation Maintenance and Avionics program run by Georgia Northwestern Technical College has served as impetus for more work at the airport.

An Appalachian Regional Commission grant of $300,000 has helped with a number of infrastructure improvement projects on the north side of terminal where Mathews would like to land aircraft related industries. “It doesn’t have to be huge, just some kind of niche company in the a v i a t i o n i n d u s t r y, ” Mathews said.

“We’ve built a lot of hangars, T-hangars and also some corporate hangars,” Mathews said, He’s in the process of trying to convince county leaders of the need for a larger corporate hangar. Being able to hangar an aircraft is also an insurance issue because many companies don’t want aircraft exposed to elements overnight.

Mathews said combining a large new corporate hangar with a speculative industrial building is an idea he is also pitching to community officials.

“People would really take notice,” Mathews said. “If we build one and lease or sell it, then we could build another. Most of them don’t want to take the time and money to build their own building, so if we’ve got one they’re going to come.”

Doug Walker / Rome News-Tribune

Richard B. Russell Regional Airport Manager Mike Mathews (from left), Jamie Jordan and Earl Tillman check out the engine in Jordan’s 70-year-old Piper J3. cargo he was being asked to fly out of Rome and came to Mathews asking about the runway length.

The pilot calculated he needed at least 6,000 feet, which was available and it turned out he needed virtually every foot of it to get into the air.

“I had a couple pilots watching here from the terminal and they were all shouting pull it up, pull it up and he finally

made it,” Mathews said.

The 7,000 foot runway means the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, who will headline the 2017 Wings Over North Georgia Air Show, will be able to land on the existing runway at the airport in the future.

Mathews is anticipating a significant increase in fuel sales thanks to their appearance. The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds were based at Dobbins in

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Tourism is a leading industry in Rome z Reports show a $143 million impact on Rome and Floyd County in 2015.

By Doug Walker Associate Editor DWalker@RN-T.com

Tourists visiting Rome and Floyd County left behind an estimated $143 million in 2015.

Greater Rome Convention and Visitors Bureau Director Lisa Smith said that makes tourism one of the largest industries in the community. She predicts there will be an increase when the final numbers for 2016 are released later this year.

Smith moved to Rome from central Florida 23 years ago. She initially served as director for the Rome Area Council for the Arts for three years before taking a marketing position with the Northwest Georgia Credit Union. She has headed the CVB for the past 18 years.

“I loved being in this community and it was an opportunity for me to share the gospel of Lisa Smith our surroundings to the world,” Smith said about coming the CVB. “The world has been our audience because of things like Tour de Georgia, the Rome International Film Festival.”

Not long after Smith succeeded Diana Shadday at the CVB, consultants were brought on board in a bid to develop a “brand” for Rome and Floyd County. “They came back and said we just can’t be known for one thing,” Smith said.

“There are so many things going on.”

Smith believes there are numerous reasons for optimism that tourist dollars will continue to grow locally. The CVB boss said residents of Rome and Floyd County have contributed mightily to the success her office has enjoyed in recent years.

Smith said the SPLOSTfunded Rome Tennis Center at Berry College is already busy hosting tournaments.

Another key reason for optimism, according to Smith, is the SPLOST money that is funding major renovations to the Forum River Center. “It’s been there for 21 years, can you believe that?” Smith asked.

“Why are we seeing hotels popping up? Because we need them,” Smith said. A lot of weekends we are walking people (to hotels) out of the county.

The hoteliers say they need more activity during the week and Smith hopes that’s where work on the Forum will help.

A staff that has been in place for many years bolsters the Convention and Visitors Bureau. Kathy Ann Hortman Mathis has been Smith’s director virtually her entire adult life. Ann Hortman is celebrating her 10th anniversary with the CVB this

Doug Walker / Rome News-Tribune

The 124-room Courtyard by Marriott is expected to be open in time for a Georgia Association of the Deaf convention in July. CVB Director Lisa Smith said the proximity of the hotel on West Third Street across the river from the Forum River Center will aid in the process of bidding for mid-sized to large conventions. year. Charlene Mathis is the retail manager at the Last Stop Gift Shop and Debbie Law has been her assistant for over eight years.

Kristi Kent has been director of communications for the past four years and has been instrumental in bringing the CVB and communications efforts for the rest of the city of Rome as well into the modern communications age. Nic Diaz is on board as an assistant to Kent.

Close to 20 volunteers or part-time employees help pilot the Joel Sulzbacher Roman Holiday tour boat and the new Roman Chariot golf cart shuttles that ferry folks up and down Broad Street on Fridays and Saturdays Smith brought on Thomas Kislat to join the staff as a contracted sales agent last year to focus on resurrecting the meetings and convention business. Chuck Meeks has similarly just been brought on board as a contract videographer.

His role will be to help develop a city YouTube channel, again making a bid to stay up to date with the latest technology in getting the word out about everything that is happening in Rome Sports tourism has clearly been the bread and butter for the CVB in recent years. She said the Rome Sports Commission, led by Hortman, has been the bread and butter over the last couple of years.

Tennis has clearly been the headliner for the CVB over the last decade.

Smith said the effort to bring a major new tennis center has been on her plate for most of the last eight years. She said the new complex will not only strengthen Rome’s role as a hub for tennis play across the Southeast, but has already enhanced Rome’s reputation as one of the leading tennis communities in the entire nation.

One of the biggest chal-

File, Doug Walker / Rome News-Tribune

Tennis tournaments like the USTA Southern Winter Championships bring visitors like Andrei Staicu of Cary, N.C., to play — and spend — in Rome.

lenges Smith sees as it relates to tennis involves construction of enclosed or covered courts at the tennis center.

Rome will host the Atlantic Coast Conference tennis championships this year after the conference decided to take all championship events out of North Carolina. To keep that event, covered courts are a necessity so that play can continues on a timely basis in the event of rain. Rome has developed a working relationship with Georgia Tech in Atlanta and private facilities in Chatta-

nooga to host matches in the event of rain at this year’s event, but Smith said Rome needs its own facility.

“We are a force to be reckoned with in tennis, but for us to stay on top of our game and be competitive at this level, we’ve got to have covered courts,” Smith said.

“There are 25 covered courts in Chattanooga.”

Rome has hosted a number of adaptive sports events include the Clocktower Classic Hand cycling races and the Clocktower Wheelchair Tennis Classic.

“The Wings Over North Georgia air show has been a windfall for our airport,” Smith said.

Smith said the 1,000-foot runway extension at the airport would be a major benefit to future growth across the entire northern section of the community.

“Tourism has been on a track of continual growth because of Rome’s diversity,” Smith said. “Whether it’s the arts, the outdoors, family reunions, the convention business, the film business, even motorcoach groups.

Rome sells itself.”

She said the fact that much of what happens in Rome is family-oriented and Rome is generally a safe city help attract groups to the community.

The growth in the hotel industry is another indicator of the economic impact tourism has. The new Hampton Inn & Suites, the new Courtyard

by Marriott slated to open later this year and plans for yet another addition to the Hawthorn Suites planned to get underway later this year are all proof of the growing numbers of people coming to Rome for special events.

We are Rome.

At Brinson Askew Berry, we are proud to serve Rome and North Georgia with more than 40 years of expert counsel and leadership. Our highest measure of success is the success of our clients and the growth and strength of our community. We look forward to helping shape the next 40 years of greater Rome’s vibrant future.

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Innovations lead the way at Darlington

z School officials have been working on including more STEAM, adding an I Period for students and increasing events for prospective families.

By Kristina Wilder Staff Writer KWilder@RN-T.com

Several innovations have been making a positive difference at Darlington Schools in recent years, including a stronger concentration on integrating STEAM into the school and the addition this year of an I Period.

Looking at the skills they were teaching students led Darlington officials to steadily change their approach, incorporating more STEAM concepts into the school.

The school recently was honored as the top STEAM high school in Georgia by the Technology Association of Georgia.

“About six years ago, we were just looking at technology and decided to take an integrated approach to teaching as part of all classes,” said Stefan Eady, assistant head of school for academic resources.

“We are a one-to-one school, with all students having a device to work on, and (we) have been working for several years to grow our STEAM integration.”

Eady said school officials saw a need to examine the skills the students were being taught.

“We are teaching a new generation of learner and we know technology is a big part of that,” he said.

“But technology is a tool; we had to focus on more experiential learning, more problem solving and critical thinking.”

This year, the school changed schedules, switching from an eightcore-class day to a fourcore-class day, which allowed students to work more closely with teachers. They also added an I Period, during which students are encouraged to explore a passion of theirs.

The I Period includes everything from knitting, wood carving, app design, coding, farming and performing music together.

One group of students is even working to develop a golf course on campus.

The I Period is a boon to the drama department as well, which was found out during preparation for the school’s musical production, “Once on This Island.”

The cast and crew used their I Period to work on costumes for the show, according to theater director Shelley Daniel.

“We repurposed a great number of old costumes and fabrics used before for the peasant and gods costumes in the show,” she explained. “The show was a no-sew-show, which meant we used basic ways to assemble the costumes like tucking and cutting and tying.”

Owen Kinney, chairman of the school’s science department and coach for the robotics team, said STEAM integration has been making a big difference in the school and the way students work together.

“In a class like robotics, we have students working on design, others working on the coding, others who do the building,” he said.

“It brings the people to the round table. In this type of environment, the doing is the important thing. The students are accountable to each other.”

In his class, Kinney said he challenges his students.

“I treat them more like I

Kristina Wilder / RN-T.com

Darlington students rehearse songs for their production of “Once on This Island” at the Rome City Auditorium. am the boss, expecting them to complete a project,” he said. “Instead of saying ‘Write me a paper,’ I ask them to create a project.”

Senior Ian Kinney said the integrated approach is helpful in the way it makes subjects, which may not normally be a favorite, more interesting and relevant.

“We did a design thinking project for English when we were reading ‘Frankenstein,’” he explained. “We were told to choose a character and think of them as a consumer. We thought about their problems and tried to think of a solution.”

Ian said his group chose the creature as the consumer. Because the creature was constantly becoming angry or scared and hurting people, the

group designed a device similar to a smartwatch that would monitor the creature’s heart rate.

When it became elevated, the watch would ask the creature a list of checklist questions to calm him.

“It gave us a different way to look at the book and to really dig into the characters,” he said. “It made the project more fun and put it more into my realm of thinking.”

The school also has added events like STEAM

Day, which is geared toward showing families interested in sending children to Darlington what the school offers.

STEAM Day showcased what the robotics teams and technology students have accomplished so far this year. Displays included programs like Garage Band — which allows students to play instruments and create their own sound using an app — and Maker Stations where students could design games

and computer-controlled tops. Other stations featured the school’s robotics team, DarBots.

“I feel like kids are so advanced now,” said Beth Wardlaw, the school’s technology integration specialist. “They are already doing so much at home on their own, so schools really have to get our act together and take advantage and utilize technology in the classroom.”

On the cover Top photo by Jeremy Stewart / RN-T.com

Some of the courts at the Rome Tennis Center at Berry College during the Georgia State Junior Open on Saturday, July 16, 2016.

Bottom photo by Kristina Wilder / RN-T.com

Nozomi Perry dances around the room during a Kindermusik class at the South Rome Early Learning Center.

Georgia Northwestern Technical College Training Professionals for the Workforce

GNTC is focused on education for career-building skills. With campuses at six different locations throughout Northwest Georgia, it is the largest college in the area.

Degrees, diplomas and certificates are offered in more than 200 programs of study in business, health, industrial and public service careers. GNTC also partners with area businesses to provide customized employee training, and provides Adult Education programs for individuals wanting to earn their GED.

TOLL FREE: 1.866.983.4682 • GNTC.edu GNTC is a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia and an Equal Opportunity Institute.

CATOOSA COUNTY CAMPUS Ringgold, Georgia FLOYD COUNTY CAMPUS Rome, Georgia GORDON COUNTY CAMPUS Calhoun, Georgia POLK COUNTY CAMPUS Rockmart, Georgia WALKER COUNTY CAMPUS Rock Spring, Georgia WHITFIELD MURRAY CAMPUS Dalton, Georgia

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/ EDUCATION & RECREATION

Life on top at Rome High Rome football looks to keep moving after state title

By Tommy Romanach Sports Writer TRomanach@RN-T.com

For the past year, Rome football proved people wrong and showed it can compete against the best. Now, the goal is to prove it can stay at the top.

The past fall saw the Wolves reach the mountain they had been climbing for 25 years, beating Buford 16-7 in the GHSA Class 5A state championship at the Georgia Dome. It was the first team state title Rome had won in any sport.

And now, Rome is looking to build further off of that win and championship. Coach John Reid wants to prove to his fans and the state that there’s still plenty more to improve on.

“We want to be known for quality whether it is our sideline demeanor, our special teams, the way we field a punt or whatever it is,” Reid said. “We want to be known as the very best at that. And that’s something you can work on every day.”

Most fans are still trying to figure out how Rome’s turnaround occurred so quickly.

Since Reid and his staff took over two years ago, the Wolves have gone from a team with a losing record to a state champion.

While Franco Perkins made the playoffs three different times, his final year in 2014 was a struggle. It featured losses such to teams like Cass and Villa Rica, and the team finished 3-6, the first time in 20 years Rome won less than four games.

Things changed pretty quickly once Reid came to town, but Rome still struggled in 2015 with a 3-3 start.

The team then won its next five games, making the playoffs and advancing to the second round of the postseason.

The final win was a 7-6 first round victory against Stephenson, a region champion many thought of as a state championship contender. Senior lineman Zach Kadum sees that moment as one of the biggest changes in the Reid era.

“That Stephenson game last year was just huge,” Kadum said.

“Coach has always said that playoffs are like ice cream, and everybody loves ice cream.

So once we got a taste of it, it kind of showed us what type of chance we had for this season.”

There’s been no adjustment period this season, with the Wolves winning their last 12 games, with 10 of them by 17 points or more.

The team did not blink in the postseason, winning three games by an average of 43 points.

The biggest difference in year two was the defense, which allowed 15 less points per game compared to 2015. The potential to shutout any opponent is the thing Reid knew needed to happen for his team to be great.

“I told everybody when I got here, ‘When you see our defense playing good, you’ll know the kids have bought in,’” Reid said.

“Defense is the heart and soul of what we do.”

The crowning achievements of the turnaround came in the final two weeks, with wins against an undefeated Stockbridge team and Buford, playing in its 10th straight state title game.

The Stockbridge win was a back-and-forth offensive affair, with

Jeremy Stewart / RN-T.com

Rome High football player Moriek Ramsey (54) smiles as he enters the field at the Georgia Dome with the rest of the team prior to their Class 5A state championship game against Buford on Friday, Dec. 9, 2016.

Rome scoring 21 points in the second half and going ahead 28-21 with 6:40 left on a Jamious Griffin 14-yard run. The game was sealed when Rome’s Marquis Glanton recovered a muffed punt return by Stockbridge’s Marquez Ezzard at the Rome 48 with 1:32 left.

Rome fell behind 7-0 against Buford on the second play of the state championship, but Reid’s team did not allow a point the rest of the way. Then, thanks mostly to quarterback Knox Kadum’s 207 total yards, the offense did what it needed to preserve the win.

The victory was sealed when Kadum, already with one touchdown under his belt, scampered in from 17 yards out on fourth down with just more than a minute left in the game.

“That last touchdown was just all about heart, none of the hits mattered,” Kadum said. “God I wanted that touchdown.”

But the state championship was months ago, and now Rome stands in the middle of the offseason. And as Reid and his staff points out, the offseason can sometimes be busier than the actual season.

The staff has already dealt with recruiting, or at least this year’s senior class. Three graduating players, Zach Kadum, Jaylen Griffin, and Malik Davis, all committed on signing day, with Griffin signing with Virginia Tech.

But the Wolves still have plenty of talent returning, whether it is offensive players Knox Kadum, Jamious Griffin or Jalynn Sykes or defensive players like Adam Anderson or Jamarcus Chatman.

And that means plenty of college coaches coming in to see Rome play.

Reid has been a coach for decades and has gone through the recruiting phase countless times, but he admits things have certainly changed.

“College recruiting is just so different from what it used to be, let’s just put it that way,” Reid said. “The approach has just been changed with kids announcing scholarships on Twitter and different things. It is just a whole new dynamic these days.”

The offseason also allows the staff to look at

Steven Eckhoff / RN-T.com

Rome High quarterback Knox Kadum (12) avoids a Buford defender during the Class 5A football state championship game in the Georgia Dome on Friday, Dec. 9, 2016. more things surrounding the program than just the games on the schedule. That includes facilities, which Reid hopes in the coming years can have some improvements.

The coach is not hoping for any broad or sweeping reconstruction of facilities, but instead a few improvements. He hopes his players can have a little more functionality with what they do.

“We want to make this a program that is consistently good, and that includes improving the facilities,” Reid said.

“We won state, but it was grueling with such a small coaching staff and sometimes not having a lot of equipment.”

Perhaps the biggest thing Reid and the Wolves now deal with are outside expectations, something relatively new to the team.

The public now sees Rome as one of the best teams in the state, and a team that may have a target on its back.

But that’s exactly the kind of reputation Reid wants with his team, knowing that the underdog persona could not last forever.

Whatever other teams

label them as, the Wolves are still going to play the same way.

“There’s going to be expectations and we want those expecta-

tions,” Reid said. “We talked about it when we started to build this thing that it is our job to represent this city.

It’s not so much about

going for the tite again, it’s just about going at it again and seeing what happens.”

Join us for Visitors Days February 4, March 4, and April 8 at 10:00am Preschool through 12th grades welcome Register online or call 706.291.0700

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Review & Forecast 2017

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Rome preparing to welcome best of ACC z Focus is on top facilities and hospitality for the 2017 Atlantic Coast Conference Outdoor Tennis Championships.

From staff reports It’s been less than a year since the Rome Tennis Center at Berry College opened its 60 courts to the public, and it quickly attracted the attention of one of the country’s major collegiate conferences.

The Atlantic Coast Conference, which members include Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Virginia and Clemson, announced last October that the groups 2017 Outdoor Tennis Championships would be held in Rome at the recently-completed 30-acre SPLOST-funded facility.

Both the men’s and women’s championships will be played at the facility on the Armuchee Connector, with a practice day April 25 followed by actual competition April 26-30. The event has been held in Cary, North Carolina the past eight years.

Tom Daglis, executive director of the RTC, along with management and Rome Sports Commission director Ann Hortman, have been working on not only confirming the logistics of hosting such a high-profile tournament, but also making sure Rome’s tennis community can be a part of it.

“Plans are going great,” Hortman said.

“We’re starting to develop our extra activities that will be held around town to welcome the players, coaches and spectators to our city.”

Tuesday’s practice day will be free of charge for the public to come and see the competitors prior to the start of the tournament, according to Hortman. Spectators can purchase single day or tournament passes to attend the actual competition.

Hortman said the tournament matches will be played on 18 courts, with the remaining courts available for warm-ups and practices. The semifinals and finals, which are scheduled for April 29 and 30, will be held on the on the six showcase NCAA courts located to the east of the clubhouse.

ACC officials made the decision to move all of its neutral site championship events

out of North Carolina in protest of a state law, HB 2, requiring people in publicly owned buildings to use restrooms that correspond with the gender listed on their birth certificate.

“This state-of-the-art facility, and the support of the Rome Sports Commission, will create a remarkable championship experience for all involved,” said Brandon Neff, ACC assistant commissioner for championships, in a press release.

Having the ACC Network television coverage will be a huge bonus in terms of spreading the word nationwide about the RTC. Daglis said one of the things that excites him the most is the caliber of tennis that will come to Rome for the tournaments.

“We’ll definitely be bringing in more spectator seating and we’ll be working on better parking,” he said. “We want to make it as pleasant as we can for the public to come in and participate.”

Hortman has also bid on the event for the 2018-2020 cycle.

One way that local residents can be a part of the event is by volunteering.

Volunteers are needed to serve in many capacities including logistics, ticketing, parking, hospitality, media services and merchandise sales during the event. Hortman also said that they will need people to help before and after the event for pre-event setup, and post-event breakdown and cleanup.

While some of the volunteer positions require tennis knowledge, it is not necessary for every position, as a wide variety of skill sets are needed. Individuals must apply online at rometenniscenter.com.

All volunteers must be 18 years old and attend one of two mandatory orientation sessions the week prior to the tournament.

Select opportunities will be available for junior volunteers ages 16-17 years old. A waiver must be signed by a parent or guardian. Volunteer hours may be counted toward school credit, but interested students must check with school coordinators to confirm.

For more information on volunteering, contact Hortman at 706-236-4550 or the tennis center at 706236-4487.

Above: A banner waves in the wind in front of the clubhouse of the Rome Tennis Center at Berry College on Saturday, July 16, 2016. They 54-court facility saw it’s first tournament action with the Georgia State Junior Open.

Right: Canvas canopies cover the players’ benches at the Rome Tennis Center at Berry College, and small bleachers are positioned around the edges of the court groups for spectators.

Photos by Jeremy Stewart / RN-T.com

Jeremy Stewart / RN-T.com

Spectators and players walk along a row of courts at the Rome Tennis Center at Berry College during the first day of the Georgia State Junior Open on Saturday, July 16, 2016.

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Technology creating a stir in Floyd County z As the system gets closer to having Chromebooks available to every student, officials are seeing the excitement the devices generate in the classrooms every day.

By Kristina Wilder Staff Writer KWilder@RN-T.com

Technology is making leaps and bounds in Floyd County Schools.

“We are really close to our goal,” explained Craig Ellison, executive director of technology and media services. “We already have over 9,000 Chromebooks. Although, we have about 9,700 students, we will end up with more devices than that.”

Ellison explained the system is working to a one-to-one ratio, but that may mean there will be more devices than students because of the way the system plans to set up device use.

Floyd County Schools officials plan to have each teacher in the system have a classroom set that is large enough to accommodate their largest class. For instance, if a teacher has 28 students in one class, but only 26 or 22 in another, her class set of Chromebooks would have 28 devices.

“We also want to have more devices available for emergencies,” Ellison explained. “I expect once we reach our final numbers we will have about 500 to 1,000 devices more than our student population.”

Ellison said he is excited to see the teachers supporting the initiative so strongly.

“Our district has been working on this for about three years now and support keeps growing,” he said. “While not all of the teachers are embracing it in quite the same way, they all realize the options are there.”

Recently, the board approved a $250,000 purchase of Chromebooks

to further the system’s goal of getting all schools to a one-to-one ratio of students to Chromebooks. Board chair Chip Hood expressed interest to Ellison in seeing the technology being put to good use.

Ellison set up a visit to Model Middle School so the board could see the devices used during a Spanish class. Students were using their devices to connect with a Cuban native. They were able to communicate with a native Spanish speaker to not only hear the language spoken, but to learn about the country’s history.

“We asked Craig to set this up,” Hood explained. “You hear a lot about needing the Chromebooks in the classrooms, but to see the devices in action is amazing to watch.”

Hood commented on how engaged the students were, all participating in the discussion that a Cuban citizen was having with their classmates, as well as taking notes about her answers.

“It’s great to see this, as opposed to my Spanish class in high school where we had the book and the teacher speaking it to us,” Hood said. “This sort of thing is invaluable, because I know people who graduated and assumed they were fluent in Spanish, but then they speak to native speakers and they are told they don’t know how to really speak Spanish.”

Because this technology wasn’t available to the system even just five years ago, Ellison said he is “amazed” by the opportunity.

“Speaking with the teachers and the students and getting feedback from last semester when they spoke with a native Colombian, I am encouraged by this,” he said. “It’s a tremendous opportunity for our students to converse digitally with a native speaker using devices they were basically born using.”

Ellison said he was pleased to show the

board how the money they allocated was being put to good use in ways that helped so many students.

“People sometimes get confused about technology and forget that it can be a tool that in the hands of the right teacher, can make a huge difference in education,” Ellison said.

Ellison said he is also excited to see how the addition of technology specialists have helped the system move towards a one-to-one ratio.

“Having five certified teachers who are all fluent in technology going out to schools to aid them with any issues is amazing,” Ellison said.

“I think I am more excited about that than anything. I’m also seeing a lot of teachers get excited about getting their Google certification.

They are even including it on their email signatures.”

The system has a surprise planned for their teachers next school year, Ellison said.

“We have some new methods of training coming in August,” he said. “I don’t want to spoil it, but I think our teachers will be happy to see it and participate.”

ELC making an impact

By Kristina Wilder Staff Writer KWilder@RN-T.com

As the school year gets closer to its end, Rome City officials are excited to see what is happening at Anna K. Davie and the South Rome Early Learning Center.

“I hear nothing but positive feedback,” said Lou Byars, interim superintendent. “The parents are involved, the children are doing well and the school is getting a lot of positive attention.”

The ELC is now in its second year and is a cooperative effort between Rome City Schools, Berry College and South Rome Redevelopment Corp. It’s housed in Anna K. Davie Elementary School and offers young children a jumpstart on their education at 3 years old.

The first 20 children to attend the South Rome Early Learning Ce nter are now in Pre-K and the official “big kids” in the hallway.

“They know all about how the school works,” said Cayce Jacobson, ELC teacher. “They play on the playground together and they walk the same hallway, so they are like the big brothers and sisters to the new students in the ELC.” Jacobson said that the original threes from last year are having fun being helpers.

“The Pre-K and the ELC share a playground,” she said. “They love showing the new ELC students how

Above: Garden Lakes students (from left) Heleen Akrayee, Maddie Carter and Ethan Daley work in the school’s Chrome Lab. Photo by Kristina Wilder / RN-T.com

Right: Dr. Melinda Strickland, a board of education member watches Model Middle students (left to right) Kaytlin Hardin and Kalen Carroll enter their thoughts in Chromebooks while board members Chip Hood and Jay Shell observe the class.

Photo by Tim Hensley / Floyd County Schools

website: www.floydboe.net

A Georgia Charter System Everything we do in Floyd County Schools is designed to prepare children for success at the next grade level and ultimately for the magical day when a confident teen strides across the stage to accept a high school diploma.

Floyd County Schools is committed to Destination Graduation through student success in academics, athletics, the arts, and career focus preparation!

Landmarks of Success on the Road to Destination Graduation Kristina Wilder / RN-T.com

Dilan Do plays with the zig zag blocks during Kindermusik.

Every month, the students get a new instrument to play music with. to do things. They also love showing off the ‘grownup stuff’ in their new Pre-K class. They want to be examples for the new students.”

Pre-K teacher Ashlea Pearman has the original threes in her class this year.

“They are able to follow directions and they acclimated to the classroom much easier than children who have not had that ELC experience,” she said.

“Academically, I think they are a little further along and their speaking and conversation abilities are much stronger.”

Of course, this is just the beginning of seeing results from the ELC program, officials said.

“We will be tracking the kids who attend the ELC to see the impact it has,” explained Ralph Davis, chairman of South Rome Redevelopment Corp.

AKD principal Parke Wilkinson said having the ELC as part of his school has been an “outstanding experience.”

“I can already see the growth of these children,” he said. “I feel like this will benefit our school for years to come. It has a great effect on the parents as well, because it makes them more comfortable in the school setting.”

ELC parents are asked to come into the school every day as they drop off and pick up their child.

The ELC teachers often talk to them about how their child’s day went.

“I think many parents want to be involved, but maybe don’t know how to reach out initially,” Wilkinson said. “This brings them right into the school. I think down the road, we will see even more, greater results.”

Nine schools receive 5-star rating for 2017 School Climate Ratings and eight more earn 4-stars.

Top 5 College and Career Academy in Georgia for third year in a row.

Some of the Top SAT Scores in Georgia high schools Advanced Placement Honors - Schools produced (33) 2016 AP Scholars - All 4 high schools earned 2014, 2015 and 2016 state AP Honors Honors Prep Program is among the best in the area with 14 AP courses available to students and the system has a 93.1 percent graduation rate!

GSBA Exemplary Board Award earned by the Board of Education

Prepared for Graduation and Success in Life!

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Rome Competitive Baseball

By Tommy Romanach Sports Writer TRomanach@RN-T.com

For a community to move forward, sometimes it has to look to the past for a solution.

In the past, baseball was an institution in Rome, with the baseball fields behind the levee the home for most of the action. Most Rome citizens have older relatives who recall playing baseball on those fields and feeling an overall sense of community.

Coming this summer, those fields will be full of competitive games again.

It’s a new effort from the Floyd County Parks and Recreation Department, an effort to serve kids in Rome who want to expand their baseball skills, but keep their passion close to home.

“The point is to make Rome again the Northwest Georgia hub for baseball, that’s number one,” Mike Swigler said. “We want to keep the local kids from going out of town to advance their game. And we feel like this is the solution.”

Swigler is the president of the Rome Baseball League, which along with the Parks and Recreation Department is making Rome Competitive Baseball, which intends to play at Riverside Park. Opening Day is expected to be on April 8.

The new league was officially announced on January 10, but plans have been in the works for months. The talks of a possible partnership with Rome Baseball and Parks and Recreation have been going on since early in the fall of 2016.

Once Shane McElwee took over as Sports Coordinator of Parks and Recreation, he and Department Director Kevin Cowling began talking to Swigler about a partnership. The department could offer 22 fields, while Swigler had plenty of experience from running his own league.

The trio did not always agree at their meetings in the next few weeks, but they always had one common goal.

“We didn’t agree on everything at first but we knew

that everybody wanted the same thing, we all wanted it for the kids,” McElwee said.

“We wanted it for the kids of Floyd County. For the kids who want to, someday, play college baseball.”

Currently and for the last several years, there just was not a competitive baseball league in Rome large enough for young players to expand their game. Hoping for their child to expand his career, parents often had kids play travel ball in places like Dalton, Chattanooga and Atlanta.

This was always a concern for Swigler, and he was surprised and relieved to hear Cowling and McElwee display similar concerns.

While the Parks and Recreation Department had once been a competitor, he was excited to be on the same base with them.

“When you have something with the rich history of playing there back at the levee, it is important. I think of it as an added bonus for the league,” Cowling said.

“But the main goal was getting kids an option to play competitive baseball in this league.

Officially, the Parks and Recreation Department will have two leagues for kids to join, a competitive league and a rec league. It is a chance for the department to give every parent and kid of choice of what they want.

The recreation league will be generated more towards kids still learning about the game who is interested. Unlike the competitive league, the kids will be divided up into teams according to their school district.

The competitive league is sanctioned by USSSA Baseball, and actually one the first leagues to be sanctioned in Northwest Georgia. The league will have a “Bring your own team” format, allowing travel teams already formed to join the league.

“When I say competitive ball I mean it is real baseball, and that is fun. Every kid who is there is there to play baseball,” Swigler said. “That is the type of game the rec is looking for and that is what we are bringing.”

The league will also have

It is back in town

Aiden Williams pitches during an Rome-Floyd Parks and Recreation youth baseball game. professional umpires who ment or what Parks atwork on a circuit and are tempts to achieve under paid. Swigler expressed ex- Cowling’s leadership. citement. According to him, “It is exciting as a rec proone of the keys to keeping fessional to see one of your the league competitive is programs that you’re trying making sure the right peo- to nurture come to fruition,” ple are in charge of games. Cowling said. “To be honest Since announcing the it is a great example of beleague, Swigler, Cowling ing a community. It is not and McElwee have done about recreation or our their best in getting the names being on the side, it word out and generating in- is about things benefitting terest. As of February 10, the community.”

Perhaps the most satisfythey have already gotten 250 kids signed up for the ing feeling when telling league as well as 27 coach- people about the league has es. been the reaction of parents Those totals are far more who once played at the lethan what the group ever vee. Swigler claims that expected to see for the first most people he has talked season, and it is already to have expressed enorenough to start a league im- mous interest.

“It’s10:52 exciting for 1the commediately.

Moread_Layout than that, 290 RNT Forecast 1 1/23/14 AM Page it is a satisfying accomplish- munity because when you

talk to some established coaches, they’re excited,” Swigler said. “Because the coach’s dad and granddad played behind the levee so they’re like, ‘Really?

They’re bringing it back?’

It’s a shocked feeling for people who know baseball.”

Good news also appears to be on the way for the future in talks with their sanctioning division, the league is expected to only grow larger in the next few years.

McElwee said they are also interested in kids from other counties like Polk, Gordon and Bartow.

While opening day is in April, the deadline to sign up for the league is on March 8, with a showcase on March 11. The showcase

The post-season is officially underway as schools across Georgia get ready to showcase the state’s top programs.

One Peach State college that saw its run for a national championship fall short in 2016, hopes to bring home the hardware in 2017.

More than three dozen students from all six campuses of Georgia Northwestern Technical College will strap on their helmets and compete for the title “Number One In Georgia” in just five weeks. A capacity crowd is expected at the Georgia International Conference Center as Bobcat teams will be competing at the SkillsUSA State Leadership and Skills Conference March 23-25 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Although “March Madness” is a phrase most basketball enthusiasts are familiar with this time of year, the catchy nickname definitely applies to the third weekend in March. “We have 41 students competing in 25 professional skill categories,” said Missy McLain, GNTC SkillsUSA Coordinator. “We hope to see even more national qualifiers this time around.”

After taking top honors in the TeamWorks category at the state competition last year, GNTC’s TeamWorks crew placed third at the national event in Louis-

ville, Kentucky. Well, the Bobcats will be sending another team in that category, as well as 24 other areas of expertise to the state competition next month.

The SkillsUSA TeamWorks category involves a construction project to be completed. It requires a team of four contestants to work together in reading blue prints and creating an action plan. Carpentry, electrical, plumbing, and masonry skills are put to use during the project. From ordering the materials to be used to planning the completion of each phase of the job, judges looked closely at each team’s ability to work within building codes, jobsite safety and cleanliness, proper use and accountability of tools and equipment, and the overall efficiency of the team project.

Barry Arrington and Bo Dooley, members of the 2016 team that placed nationally, will be on the team once again setting its sights for the 2017 crown.

Those earning top honors on the state level will earn a spot in the national competition at the 53rd National Leadership and Skills Conference held in Louisville, Kentucky the week of June 19-23.

For more information on Georgia Northwestern Technical College’s SkillsUSA program, call 866-983-4682.

will be a chance for players to display their talents to the coaches.

Cowling, Swigler and McElwee are all excited for the chance to bring back baseball to the levee, and offer this service to the community. By looking to the past, the group has found a solution that can benefit everyone, especially the children, in Rome.

“I have lived here since 1999, so I consider myself very acclimated with the city,” McElwee said. “I have friends who are business owners, and I think of it this way: If we can keep our money here, keep Floyd County money in Floyd County, and then I think it benefits everybody.”

There’s only one way to experience the world’s largest campus.

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Contributed photo by Jenn Glenn

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Review & Forecast 2017

Rome News-Tribune

Review & Forecast

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WEDNESDAY, March 1, 2017

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/ EDUCATION & RECREATION

Rome Braves enter 2017 with renewed momentum z A championship season gives the Atlanta Braves farm team national acclaim.

By Jeremy Stewart Staff Writer JStewart@RN-T.com

Professional baseball players are back on the grass and infields at spring training stadiums across the southeast and southwest, and one group of players near Lake Buena Vista, Florida, have fond memories of Rome.

Some who are among them hope they can match that feeling when they are placed on the Rome Braves’ opening day roster.

The players on the 2017 Rome Braves aren’t known yet, but they will be coming into a program that not only won the 2016 South Atlantic League championship, but also was named the 2016 Minor League Team of the Year by Baseball America.

Randy Ingle, who returns as the manager for the Braves’ Class A affiliJeremy Stewart / RN-T.com ate, hopes that the young men who do come to 2016 Rome Braves pitchers Mike Soroka (from left), Kolby Allard and Patrick Weigel watch manager Randy Ingle in part of a documentary on the team’s Rome this season look as championship season during the Rome Braves Hot Stove Gathering on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2017, at the Forum River Center. the journey last season’s from it for a while,” got coming is going to be they saw it happen. They Rome staff is hitting already phenomenal team made, as well as Snitker said. “But now coach Bobby Moore, who competition for these saw that we did it. Team pitching of guys like the final result. we’re in a position where guys as they go up the will serve his fifth conchemistry is so importMike Soroka, Kolby The first half of the we’re having really good line,” Hart said. “I think secutive season with the 2016 season ended with a Allard, Max Fried, Touki ant. And I’m sure these you’re going to see anoth- drafts, we have really team and his 19th with guys will share that with Toussaint and Patrick thud for the Rome good people who are in er really good group of the Braves’ farm system. the guys coming up this Braves. They lost the last Weigel. charge of that, and you’re Dan Meyer will return as pitchers up here next year.”

The team won the secgame before the All-Star going to see that transyear as well.”

Ingle, who is in his 26th pitching coach and Nick ond half and entered the break 8-2 to the late to the major level.”

Atlanta Braves managJensen joins the Rome postseason, where it had season as a manager in Greensboro The 2017 Rome Braves er Brian Snitker, who has club as trainer. the Braves farm system, to go all the way to Grasshoppers and were season starts April 6 on been a part of the Braves President of has twice been named Lakewood, New Jersey, 15 games out of first Braves’ organization as a the road, with series in Baseball Operations the organization’s to clinch its second place in the South West Virginia and Manager of the Year and John Hart said there was player and manager championship in 14 seaAtlantic League’s since 1977, said it was the Maryland, before the a thought that last seareceived the Bobby Cox sons.

Southern Division. home opener April 13 at son’s team would be spe- strength and growth of “It’s a good sign,” Ingle Manager of the Year But then things started State Mutual Stadium cial, especially with what the minor leagues that Award in 2011. He is a said as some of last catching fire. Position against the Charleston became one of the top ro- led to Atlanta’s 14 year’s players joined him member of the South players touted as top RiverDogs. straight division titles. tations in minor league Atlantic League Hall of at the Rome Braves’ reprospects in the Braves’ “They’ve done a really baseball.

Fame and the cent Hot Stove farm system like Austin good job here of retool“These guys, a lot of Appalachian State Hall Gathering. “I’m sure Riley, Carlos Castro and them were our first draft, ing it, of adding players, of Fame. these guys that will be Ray Patrick-Didder bebut the next group we’ve and we had gotten away Also returning to the coming up this season, gan complementing the

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Rome News-Tribune

Review & Forecast 1863 April 10 — Rome’s first volunteer fire company, Rainbow Steam Company No. 1, was organized.

May 2 — John Wisdom of Gadsden, Ala., arrived in Rome on a borrowed, lame pony to warn that the Yankees were only 25 miles away and headed to Rome.

May 3 — Union Col. Abel D. Streight, sent to raid Rome, surrendered to Nathan Bedford Forrest, who defeated Streight’s troops.

The city of Rome gave Forrest a hero’s welcome.

July 13 — The Rome City Council allocated $3,000 to build a string of forts around Rome.

1879 Feb. 10 — The Young Men’s Library Association of Rome was formed.

March 22 — Mr. D.E. Hoff informed the City of Rome that a vein of coal four feet thick had been discovered off the south side of the Coosa River, below Gadsden. He added that if this all proved to be true, Rome would soon be the cheapest coal market in the South.

May 3 — Rome City Council passed the Hog Ordinance, stating that no hog or hogs would be allowed to be kept within the corporate limits of the city of Rome from April 1 until Nov. 1 each year. Violators would be fined between $5 and $50 for each offense.

1886 Jan. 1 — Rome annexed the small town of DeSoto and it became the city’s fourth ward.

Feb. 15 — A fire destroyed the art and music departments, dining room and kitchen of the Rome Female College.

March 31 — During the great flood of 1886, a steamer floated up Broad Street to Third Avenue.

Dec. 22 — Former Rome journalist and newspaper

Review & Forecast 2017

/ EDUCATION & RECREATION

owner Henry Grady deliv- fense during Sherman’s ered his famous “New Atlanta Campaign.

South” speech in New York.

1919 Dec. 25 — Rome was buried under 24 inches of May 8 — Adm. John Hensnow. ry Towers, a Rome native, commanded the historic flight of three Navy NC-fly1900 ing boats from Rockaway July 25 — The new Beach, New York, across Southern Railway bridge, the Atlantic Ocean. One of w h i c h s p a n n e d t h e the planes made it to Etowah River from North Plymouth England, on to East Rome, was com- May 31, 1919. The actual pleted and turned over to flight time was 52 hours, the railroad.

31 minutes, for a distance Sept. 21 — Construction of 3,936 nautical miles. to bring the buildings on (During the journey, TowBroad Street above the ers’ float boat NC-3 went high water mark estab- down and was lost at sea lished by the great flood for five days. He sailed the of 1886 neared comple- seaplane 200 miles to the tion. Romans looked for- Azores before continuing ward to the day when his journey.)

Broad Street would be paved with asphalt or 1923 some other permanent paving.

Jan. 29 — City Manager Nov. 7 — In the presiden- Sam King requested gradtial election, voters in ing and paving of North Floyd County preferred Fifth Avenue and West Bryan and Stevenson to First Street.

McKinley and Roosevelt, April 8 — Henry Ford 831-241. visited Berry School. Romans were disappointed when he parked his per1910 sonal car in Kingston.

Jan. 6 — Records showed June 30 — The Rome that in 1909, Rome had 28 N e w s a n d t h e Tr i divorces, down from the bune-Herald merged to record 36 in 1908. There form the Rome News-Triwas one suit for every 11 bune. marriages.

March 29 — Former Ro1934 man Princess Ruspoli, daughter of the late ThomMarch 17 — A replaceas Berry and sister of Mar- ment for the stolen twin of tha Berry, returned to the the Capitoline Wolf was U.S. after the death of her presented to the city by husband. the Rome Rotary Club.

Oct. 8 — Former PresiJune 6 — One hundred dent Teddy Roosevelt vis- and four seniors of Rome ited Martha Berry and all High School received diof Rome came out to meet plomas, marking the larghim. est class so far to graduate Oct. 10 — The Xavier from the school.

Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution 1935 placed a marker at the foot of Myrtle Hill CemeMay 26 — Martha Berry tery to honor Gen. John and Amelia Earhart were Sevier of Tennessee, who among a group of women in 1799 defeated a group granted honorary degrees of Indians in Rome.

by Oglethorpe University Dec. 5 — Former Confed- in Atlanta. erate Brig. Gen. Alfred Cumming died in Rome.

1943 He served at Vicksburg and in the Confederate deMarch 3 — Ground was

broken for Battey General Hospital, established to care for World War II veterans, at Division Street and Redmond Road.

Sept. 1 — Battey General Hospital, established to care for veterans, was fully activated.

1951 Jan. 4 — Floyd County’s Selective Service Board announced that 25 men from the Rome area were to be inducted into the armed services on Jan. 11.

An additional call was issued for 50 men who would report for pre-induction physicals on Jan. 24.

Feb. 2 — A Rome firm, Ledbetter-Johnson Construction Company, was awarded a contract for more than $1 million dollars to work on a four-lane section of U.S. 41 between Atlanta and Chattanooga.

Oct. 8 — Al H. Mahrt, president of the newly organized Rome Kraft Company, announced the construction of the Mead Corporation’s new multi-million dollar Kraft container board mill 12 miles from Rome on the Coosa River.

The mill would hire an estimated 650 employees.

1952 Sept. 8 — After an absence of 12 years due to threats to destroy the statue during World War II, the Capitoline Wolf was once more placed on its pedestal in front of the Municipal Building.

Dec. 30 — A statue of Nathan Bedford Forrest and a statue honoring the women of the Confederacy were moved from Broad Street to the base of Myrtle Hill Cemetery.

school students of Rome and Floyd County would occupy a modern new $225,000 building for the first time. The Main High structure would permit not only a finer environment for the students, but also a broader curriculum.

Dec. 4 — The 1861 volume of The Rome Tri-Weekly Courier, the earliest collection of that newspaper known to exist, was presented to Carnegie Library. The Courier was a predecessor of the Rome News-Tribune.

1962 March 16 — The State Highway Department moved in men and equipment to repair the temporary connector between the Rockmart Highway and U.S. 411, and expected to have the long-awaited project for repaving of State Route 20 into Rome ready for letting by mid-summer.

June 5 — The Floyd County Board of Education adopted a policy on student marriages similar to that put in force the previous year by the Rome city system. Any student who married would be required to withdraw from school for one year, beginning at the date of marriage.

sioners agreed to aid in the elimination of dangerous conditions at the Mayo’s Bar Lock & Dam, where two men drowned during the month of March.

April 27 — The Georgia Room at Carnegie Library was dedicated as the Henderson Room, in memory of Mrs. J.L. Henderson, former librarian at Carnegie and Shorter College.

1971 May 15 — Chieftains Museum was opened to the public.

1972 July 4 — Redmond Park Hospital opened as a 150bed surgical facility.

Sept. 29 — A portrait of Ellen Louise Axson Wilson, Roman wife of former President Woodrow Wilson, was unveiled and once again placed in the Carnegie Library after being restored. The portrait was given to the library by Martha Berry in 1921.

Oct. 7 — The Martha Berry Museum was opened at Oak Hill.

1977 March 17 — Floyd County Hospital changed its name to Floyd Medical Center.

1966

1980

Oct. 12 — Marshall Forest became Rome’s first National Natural Landmark.

May 29 — The Georgia Department of Transportation approved plans for a bypass route for North Rome. The bypass was expected to reduce the high 1968 number of traffic acciSept. 8 — The Rome dents on Shorter Avenue.

News-Tribune announced June 19 — Cave Spring that it would sponsor a Female Academy, Cave new visual education pro- Spring High School, the gram in five Rome and Cave Spring railroad staFloyd County high schools tion, the Wesley O. Connor 1956 this week designed to House, the Cave Spring July 3 — Washington of- stimulate student interest commercial historic disficials approved Rome’s in current events. trict, the Cave Spring resfirst branch post office, in idential historic district, West Rome, Congressman the Georgia School for the 1969 Henderson Lanham anDeaf historic district and nounced.

April 1 — The Floyd the Rolater Park historic Aug. 26 — Black high County Board of Commis- district were named to the

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Rome News-Tribune

Review & Forecast 2017

Review & Forecast / COMMUNITY & GOVERNMENT

Rome River Jam

This year’s event is the ten-year mark for the popular concert

By Severo Avila Features Editor SAvila@RN-T.com

T

en years ago, Jay Shell wanted to bring a big music concert to town so folks wouldn’t have to pay a ton of money or drive several hours to see good, live country music.

This year’s Rome River Jam will bring thousands of fans to Ridge Ferry Park and Shell’s dream of affordable live music will have come full circle.

“When I first moved to Rome and worked for Parks and Rec., I was weed-eating around the (Ridge Ferry) park and I looked at the stage and thought it would be a great place for a big concert,” Shell said. “But that was before I even picked up the guitar for the first time and started playing music myself. It was just a wild dream.”

In 2007 Shell decided to try to put the very first Rome River Jam together. But there was a problem. You need money to put on such a big event and he didn’t have any.

“I needed $25,000 to pull it off,” he said. “People though I’d lost my mind when I said I wanted to do that. But I thought Rome needs something like this and I want to be the one to give it to ‘em.”

So Shell took out a $25,000 loan against his house to put on the very first Rome River Jam headlined by alternative rock band Sister Hazel.

The event made enough money for Shell to pay off the loan and even made a little profit.

“I’m so proud of that first concert,” he said. “We made what we needed to make and a little more. And we’ve always had good sponsors all this time.”

Rome River Jam has seen some dramatic changes since that very first event. It’s now a huge draw to Rome with thousands of ticketholders coming in from Floyd County, nearby counties and even from states away.

Shell said people always ask how much work goes into the concert and his answer is always that it’s a year-round job. The entire year is spent planning for that one weekend.

“People think it’s just a matter of calling up an artist and booking ‘em,” he said. “But I have to worry about our budget and there’s radius clauses meaning that some of these artists can’t perform here because it’s too close to Atlanta or Chattanooga. Then there’s scheduling.”

And Rome River Jam is 95 percent Shell’s work. He books the artists and does everything from getting permits, arranging promotion and even scheduling port-o-potties. On the day of the concert his friends help him out with parking and taking tickets but most of it still rests on his shoulders.

“It’s very tiring,” he said. “But it gets me fired up. The night of the show I’ll look out there and see 8,000 people having fun and the families who don’t have to drive to Chattanooga or Atlanta to have this kinda fun. I love that.”

And somehow, whether it’s an uncanny ability to spot talent or as he calls it, “pure luck,” Shell has managed to secure some pretty big headliners. Country stars Luke Bryan, Billy Currington, Brantley Gilbert and Darius Rucker have all graced the Rome River Jam stage.

For four straight years, all the headliners had a hit on the radio at the time they played in Rome — Jamey Johnson, Luke Bryan, Kip Moore and Darius Rucker.

“A lot of that’s luck,” Shell said. “I booked Cole Swindell in December 2014 for the 2015 River Jam. A few months after I booked him, his song went to number one, then a month before River Jam he won Best New Artist on the Country Music Awards. That was one of The 2010 Rome River Jam our biggest years.” featured country star Luke Although River Jam has grown in Bryan and started off on a popularity and ticket sales each year, Shell can easily recall instances when the concert sour note when a new amp had to be sent from Atlanta, provided more stress and anxiety than anything else. And he remembers them in delaying the opening of the terms of the headliner. park gates for several hours.

“In 2010, the Luke Bryan year, we scheduled gates to be open at 2 p.m.,” he said. “But the sound system blew during sound check and we needed a new amp to be sent from Atlanta. So we delayed opening the gates for a few hours so we could get the new amp and do sound check all over. A lot of people were mad that year because they had to wait. I took a pretty big beating that year.”

In 2015, the Tracey Lawrence year, Shell said it rained the entire day of the concert. He wanted to cry. He knew the constant rain would deter people from coming out. But by the time Lawrence hit the stage, the turnout was decent and it ended up being a beautiful night for a concert.”

“When Darius Rucker was here in 2011 we had a big storm right before the concert,” he recalled. “It was awful. But we still had about 5,000 people there. I think without that storm we would have had 10,000 people easy.”

But there are great memories too. Shell said on two occasions the headliner has invited a guy up on the stage to propose to his girlfriend.

And of course he makes new friends at every River Jam and each event brings its own excitement and challenges.

This year’s headliner is country band Old Dominion, which has seen a sharp rise in its popularity recently. The band consists of Matthew Ramsey, Trevor Rosen, Whit Sellers, Brad Tursi and Geoff Sprung.

In 2014 the band released its first selftitled EP followed by their debut studio album, “Meat and Candy” which included the singles “Break Up with Him,” “Snapback” and “Song for Another Time.”

In 2016 Old Dominon won the Academy of Country Music Awards’ New Vocal Duo or Group of the Year as well as the American Country Countown Awards’ Breakthrough Group/Duo of the Year.

This year’s River Jam lineup will also feature Jon Langston, Muscadine Bloodline and Riley Green as well as a couple local bands.

“I always try to give some local acts a chance to play that big stage,” Shell said.

“That’s important to me.”

The concert will take place May 20 at Ridge Ferry Park. Gates will open at 2 p.m.

General Admission tickets are $30 in adavance and $40 on the day of the show. During the first couple weeks of ticket sales, there was even an early bird special of $20 for general admission tickets.

Advance tickets are available online at www.romeriverjam.com. RV Camp tickets are for RVs only and are $250 which includes two concert tickets, power and water connections.

Tailgate passes are $25.

Rome River Jam 2017 will be the tenth such event and Shell hinted that he may be ready to give up the reins of power.

“Ten is a good number,” he said. “That feels like it’s established. I haven’t made up my mind yet but I may be ready to give up ownership of it. I would still be involved in some way if I did that but someone else would have to deal with all the work and planning that comes with it.”

Rome River Jam has grown to become one of Rome’s most popular annual events and its tenth incarnation is a testament to the work Shell has put into the endeavour and the risks he’s taken. It’s also an illustration of the demand for local live music.

“I’m just a kid from the trailer park who couldn’t afford to go to concerts,” Shell said.

“So I know what it’s like to want to see good live music and not having access to it. That’s all I wanted to do with Rome River Jam. Making money is great. But when I look out from that stage and there are thousands of my fellow Rome residents having a great time and seeing awesome musicians right here in our town for $20, that’s why I do it.”

Country band Old Dominion (above) will headline this year’s Rome River Jam. The lineup includes Jon Langston (left), Muscadine Bloodline (below) and Riley Green.

On the cover Top photo contributed

Thousands of Rome River Jam ticketholders crowd the stage at Ridge Ferry Park. This year’s event will the the tenth.

Bottom photo by RN-T staff

The new animal control facility is one of the completed projects funded by SPLOST.

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Rome News-Tribune

Review & Forecast 2017

Review & Forecast / COMMUNITY & GOVERNMENT

SPLOST The projects that put your tax dollars to work Downtown Visitor Information Center — $50,000

By Diane Wagner Staff Writer DWagner@RN-T.com

Progress on the projects funded through the 2013 SPLOST was the most visible sign of government activity in Floyd County, Rome and Cave Spring last year — and changes will continue to come online this year.

The special purpose, local option sales tax was projected to raise a combined $64,978,000 over a five-year period. As of December, collections were about $600,000 higher than projected.

The 1-percent tax on retail sales started April 1, 2014, and is scheduled to run through March 31, 2019. Elected officials have said they want to start working this year on an extension package to put before voters, possibly as early as November.

“We need to do a continuance to get some money for our roads,” Floyd County Commission Chair Rhonda Wallace said. “I get so many calls on that — more than anything else — but we don’t have the money.”

Officials are putting together a citizen SPLOST committee to vet proposals and come up with a list of projects. The Cave Spring City Council also has a town hall meeting scheduled on March 14, following its 6 p.m. meeting, to get input from residents who vote in that precinct.

Unlike with previous SPLOSTs, voters in 2013 weren’t asked to approve a bond issue to jump-start the work. The cities and county are scheduling projects as the money becomes available through monthly disbursements from the state.

What’s been done Tennis Center — $11,400,000 The grand opening for the Tennis Center of Rome at Berry College was held on July 29, 2016, and the first tournament at the 54-court complex brought in more than 700 junior players.

The center off the Armuchee Connector near Mount Berry Mall has already booked at least 34 tournaments for this year, including the Atlanta Coast Conference championships. The April 25-30 event will feature 13 men’s teams and 15 women’s teams from the 15 ACC schools.

City Manager Sammy Rich said it looks as if the facility will meet its third-year-budget projections within the first 18 months of operations.

The complex is a public-private partnership. Berry College donated the 30-acre parcel, with plans to staff the facility with students seeking a bachelor’s degree in sports administration. The college has a memorandum of understanding with the United States Tennis Association to offer a sanctioned Professional Tennis Management Certification program.

One of the largest single-surface tennis centers in the United States, the facility also includes a clubhouse with viewing porch, open green spaces and a family area. All the courts are equipped with lighting and shade.

Rome increased its hotel/motel tax to 8 percent from 6 percent, with the additional revenue dedicated to promotion, operation and maintenance of the facility.

The 2006 SPLOST included a $600,000 allotment for tennis courts. Two courts were added at Etowah Park and the remainder of the money, $500,000, was funneled into the Rome Tennis Center project.

Berry College still has approximately 40 acres available on tracts around the tennis center for future development.

Animal Control Facility — $5,700,000 Groundbreaking for the Public Animal Welfare Services — PAWS — building was Jan. 6, 2016, and the grand opening celebration was held Dec. 21, 2016.

The facility at 99 North Ave. has 232 enclosures for animals, compared to 129 at the old shelter on Mathis Road.

There are separate areas for intakes and adoptions, and outdoor play-cages so visitors can get to know their prospective pets.

Inside, there’s a cat colony room, where they can play with each other, and several rooms where visitors can interact with the animals. There’s also a medical room, a quarantine area and a medical-grade HVAC system to prevent crosscontamination from sick animals to healthy animals.

Hours are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. during the week, except for Wednesdays when it’s closed. PAWS also is open from 1 to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

Officials set aside $25,000 for a public dog park, although talks have been deferred until later this year, since there is no funding for maintenance.

“We originally envisioned volunteers,” County Manager Jamie McCord said.

Community input will be sought on options, and the location. Potential sites include city property off Fourth Street next to the Etowah River; a section of the General Electric property in West Rome; the northern tip of Ridge Ferry Park; at Etowah Park off Kingston Road and a site in the Riverside community currently being used as a practice softball field.

McCord said the park would likely need a section for large dogs, one for smaller ones and a third that would be rotated with the others to let the grass grow back.

Fannin Hall Rehabilitation — $2,591,000 Cave Spring took out a loan to renovate historic Fannin Hall, which houses its city offices and council chambers. Its monthly SPLOST allocation is used to pay off the loan.

The building was vacated for a year so the work could be done and the city hosted a grand reopening in August 2015.

Built in 1848, Fannin Hall served as a hospital for Union and Confederate soldiers during the Civil War. It had deteriorated to the point where employees and visitors were being exposed to hazardous materials and conditions.

The rehabilitation project included new windows, new doors, new plumbing and wiring.

“We couldn’t save the windows,” City Clerk Judy Dickinson said.

Brickwork was repaired, and a handicap ramp and accessible sidewalks added. Making the building structurally sound and complying with current codes and ordinances was the largest part of the project.

The renovations cost under $2.3 million, leaving about $300,000 for landscaping, the parking lot and furnishings.

County crews resurfaced the parking lot in January, completing the project.

A rear section of the Rome Area History Museum that fronts on Tribune Street — across from the Town Green and the Forum River Center — was renovated to house an official Visitor Information Center. The first SPLOST project completed, it was finished on budget and the Greater Rome Convention & Visitors Bureau opened it at the end of 2014.

Barron and Calhoun intersection — $130,000 The realignment of the intersection of Barron and Calhoun roads was completed at a cost of $141,775. Count Manager Jamie McCord said the overrun was due to additional paving and utility relocation expenses.

The project includes a turn lane off Calhoun Road, northbound onto Barron Road.

Officials sought SPLOST funding because traffic would back up daily at the congested intersection, which serves as the main access to Model High School. During peak times it was not unusual for 1,000 cars an hour to cross the intersection, with more than 20 percent of them making a left turn.

Rome Police Training Facility — $396,000 The Joe Cleveland Law Enforcement Training Center on Reservoir Street got upgrades to the outdoor shooting range, an indoor range ventilation system and a new firearms training simulator.

The most expensive element was the live-fire bullet trap system that spans the end of the outdoor shooting range. It catches the bullets so they can be recycled, and keeps the lead from getting into the ground.

An electronic training target system and concrete retaining wall also went into the outdoor range.

The firearms simulator in the multipurpose room uses infrared technology to offer marksmanship programs, to sharpen shooting skills, or a judgment call program where officers can practice for real-life situations.

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Review & Forecast 2017