WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19, 2017
PHOTOS COURTESY OF HENLEY, ORIGINAL PHOTO BY TIFFANY BESSIRE
Sayre, left, and Shea Henley released their first music video this week with help from Country Music Television (CMT) programming.
Country music duo from Newnan releases music video on CMT BY MAGGIE BOWERS
maggie@newnan.com
Despite being raised in a family of musicians, Shea and Sayre Henley didn’t quite expect to be making a post-college life together in Music City. Nor did the brother and sister from Newnan dream of releasing their first professionally recorded video single as a country music duo on none other than Country Music Television. But as of this week, the pair said they’re excited to announce to the world that their mutual dream of making music has begun, ready or not. “Of course, music has always been a part of our lives,” said Sayre, the younger sibling and female vocalist of the music duo known simply as Henley. “But Shea was always into rock, and I preferred country and pop.” Sayre was determined, however, to bring her brother – five years her senior – to her side of the music divide and convince him to work together to create something they could both enjoy. As Shea completed college in Texas, Sayre was concluding her senior year at Northgate High School in Coweta County. Her plan was to meet her brother in the Lone Star State and make music with him while working toward her own degree. “I told Shea country music-loving people love the family thing and that we should write country music together,” Sayre recalled. The two had already been working toward that shared goal, as Shea would often write in the modern country music style his sister enjoyed, lending a hand in projects she was involved in back at home. “He really wasn’t that hard to convince,” Sayre said with a laugh. “He started writing immediately.” The then-19-year-old made her way to Texas, and the two began writing music together and performing popular country-inspired songs on YouTube for friends, family and a growing fan base. “They were always really close a nd ra rely foug ht w ith each other as kids,” said Sheri Henley, mother of four, including Shea and Sayre. “Shea has always been very protective of his little sister and would do just about anything for her.” The brother and sister combo became well-known in Nor th
Texas, and it became clear to the family and friends that the two had that “something special” together. “We came together and discussed it, and we decided to strike while the iron was hot,” Sheri explained. “We helped them leave Texas and move to Tennessee. We wanted to get them to Nashville – to get Sayre on the scene while she was in her twenties.” The duo was introduced to a manager and producer, both family friends. And the rest, as they say
HENLEY • 2
What’s your musical Guilty Pleasure? “I am going to have to find a guy that will be okay with me stull loving Justin Bieber for the rest of my life” — Sayre
Shea Henley admits that his secret listening pleasure is music icon Celine Dion
PHOTO BY ASHLEY FERNANDER
Seen in a 2015 family vacation in St. Maarten, the Fernander family celebrates Neil’s 50th birthday. From left are Justin, Ashley, Brenda and Neil Fernander.
Woman sentenced in double vehicular homicide BY CLAY NEELY
clay@newnan.com
Two families described the raw and permanent outcomes drunk driving has caused in their lives. In Coweta Superior Court, the families of Neil Fernander and William Johnson listened as Katie Renee Pyles pleaded guilty to two counts of vehicular homicide, driving under the influence, failure to stop at a stop sign and open container. In a non-negotiated plea on April 12, Judge Travis Sakrison sentenced Pyles to a 30-toserve-25 years sentence for her role in the deaths of Fernander and Johnson last summer. On June 20, 2016, Johnson was a passenger in a truck driven by Pyles when she ran a stop sign outside Moreland, colliding with the
truck of Neil Fernander, who was traveling south on Highway 154. Pyles, 32, was the only survivor of the crash. At the time of the crash, Pyles was found to have had a blood alcohol content of .157 – nearly twice the legal limit. Before she was transported to the hospital, Pyles allegedly told rescue workers she had been drinking and was sorry. Inside the courtroom Wednesday, it was standing room only as the many friends, family members and associates of the two victims waited to see if justice would be served. Speaking to the court, the family members of Neil Fernander described in vivid detail the seemingly endless brutality of their continued
HOMICIDE • 3
Coweta’s population expected to increase by 30,000 in next 10 years
By KANDICE BELL kandice@newnan.com
The population in Coweta will increase by 30,000 people within the next 10 years, according to data presented at the Pancakes & Politics Breakfast on Wednesday morning at the Newnan Country Club. Chris Clark, president and CEO of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, provided legislative insights from the session as well as moderated the panel by Coweta delegation members – Sen. Matt Brass, Rep. Lynn Smith, Rep. Josh Bonner, and Rep. Bob Trammell. Rep. David Stover was not present. Clark said the Georgia chamber tracks data to know what is in store for the state. Coweta’s current population is 140,000, but with the 30,000 population increase, the 0-24 age bracket will grow by eight percent, according to Clark. “Schools must be ready,” Clark said. “This growth is lower than rest of metro region, with the exception of Fayette County.”
Clark said the 25-44 age bracket will grow over a quarter in Coweta, which is higher than the expected growth for Atlanta. The 45-64 age bracket will grow by 11 percent, and retirees will increase by 64 percent, which will impact health care, social services and the workforce. “There are 42,000 people employed in Coweta, and 10,000 of those jobs will have retirees within the next 10 years that will have to be replaced,” Clark said. “We will need to concentrate on keeping people and replacing them. In seven years, Coweta will need 6,000 more health care workers. There will be a big need for health care, which is why it’s important to recruit and retain young employees.” Clark said the aging senior population in Coweta is higher than the rest of the region. “Great change is happening here, as long you manage it,” Clark said. Turning his attention to the recently
POPULATION • 2
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