2018 A Year in Review

12A — The Newnan Times-Herald | Sunday, December 30, 2018

2018 THE

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JANUARY Association. Lighthouse Schools are considered nationa l model m iddle school programs.

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Jan 7: Twins first babies born in New Year •

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Piedmont Newnan Hospit a l sees a reduction i n Me d ic a re p ayments in 2 018 because of an alleged high rate of patient injuries.

Monique Kirby is sworn in as acting district at tor ney. She replace s Pete Ska nda la k is, who was appointed executive director of the Prosecuting Attorneys' Council of Georgia. Skandalakis s er ve d on the C owet a Judicia l Circuit for 2 5 years.

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Neely Scruggs and Justin Mullin i k s welcome Emersy n Jayde a nd A iden Micheal. The twins are the first babies born in Coweta County in 2018.

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House Minority Leader Bob Trammell is named t o t he l i s t of t he 10 0 Most Inf luential G eor-

tain are charged with the murder of their landlord, 76-year old Rollis Noble Bowman of Newnan. The couple, who lived nex t do or to B ow m a n , a l so are charged with making $7,0 0 0 in unauthorized ATM withdrawals from Bowman’s bank account.

gians by Georgia Trend Magazine.

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The Gra ntv ille City C ouncil elects Ruby Hines to serve as mayor pro tem for a term of one year.

The Newnan City Council unanimously approves a measure that would cut trash rates in half for six mont h s for dow nt ow n business owners.

Jonatha n L ee Ba rber and Tiffany Dawn Foun-

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The C owet a C ounty Sher i f f ’s O f f ic e s ei z e s guns, drugs and $55,000 in cash from a home in Senoia.

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Sheila Burnham of Newnan wins more t h a n $14 , 0 0 0 i n c a s h and a trip to Barbados on the telev ision ga me show Wheel of Fortune, de scr ibi n g the ex p er ience as “the best 22 minutes of my life.”

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L e e M idd le S cho ol i s na med a L ig hthouse School to Watch by the G eorgia Middle School

Jan 21: Retired power facility demolished at Plant Yates

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Cold weather bla sts C owe t a C ou nt y, w it h temperatures remaining below freezing for more than 40 hours. Snow and ic e cre at e tre acherou s driving conditions on the county’s roadways. Both the city of Newnan and C owet a C ou nt y i n s t itute a mandatory travel curfew for the first time ever.

A G eorgia Depar tment of Transportation worker i s k i l le d when a tr a i n str ikes his dump tr uck at a Moreland crossing.

C a r ey B y r on E l lerb e e of Thoma ston had just finished a 12-hour shift cle a r i n g ic e a nd snow f rom C owet a C ou nt y roads.

R amiro HermosilloSalazar is sentenced to 3 0 ye a r s i n pr i s on for violations of federal drug and firearm laws after a months-long DEA investigation. Her mosilloSalazar was arrested in 2017 af ter law enforcement officials discovered a “superlab” containing 4 0 0 p ou nd s of cr yst a l and liquid methamphetamine in Palmetto.

Crew s demol i sh Un it s 1-5 at Plant Yates. The coal-powered units were retired af ter the G eorgia Public Service Commission passed the Integrated Resource Plan in 2013. Natural gas powers

the two remaining units at Plant Yates.

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The New na n-C owet a B oy s & G i rl s Club i s named 2018 Nonprofit of the Year by the Coweta Community Foundation.

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Coweta Code Enforcement clea rs severa l homeless camps in unincorporated Coweta C ou nt y. O f f ic i a l s s ay occupants were warned in advance to vacate the unauthorized camps and were refer re d t o lo c a l ser vice organization B r id g i n g t h e G a p f o r assistance.

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G ov. N a t h a n D e a l appoints Herb Cranford Jr. district attorney for the Coweta Judicial Circuit, replacing acting DA Monique Kirby.

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Dr. Kay Crosby, founder of the Coweta Samaritan Cl i n ic , i s n a me d 2 018 C owet a Citi zen of the Year.

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Bridging the Gap closes its thrift store to concentrate on its food ministry operations.

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Patricia Ayers makes history as she becomes the f i r st wom a n promote d to the ra n k of lieutenant within the Newnan Police Department.

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A nthony Hol m a n of N e w n a n i s s e nt e n c e d to ser ve three years in prison for scamming an elderly widow f rom his church out of thousands of dollars.

Sunday, December 30, 2018 | The Newnan Times-Herald — 13A

2018 THE

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W E I V RE Feb 4: Run for Angels

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Coroner R ichard Hawk urges Cowetans to get flu shots after the death of 15-year-old K ira Molina . Molina , a student at New n a n H ig h S chool, is the first flu-related pediatric death in Georgia in 2018.

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Allison Wallace and her family leave Bridging the Gap, the service organization she founded.

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A train transporting dozens of G OP law ma kers to a R epublican policy retreat derails in rural Virginia. Among its passengers is U.S. Rep. Drew Ferguson, whose district includes Coweta County. Ferguson is not injured.

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Victor Ryan Harp, 43, heads to prison after admitting to possessing videos of child pornography. Harp pleads guilty to 15 counts of sexual exploitation of children and is sentenced to 20 to serve five years.

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Shanna Gabrielle Sheets, 2 4 , is jailed without bond af ter a high-speed pursuit with Coweta County sheriff ’s deputies ends in a crash with two police cars.

The A rnco woman reportedly tells deputies she f led because she had an active warrant and a suspended license.

Juan Guevara Martinez, 62, is arrested for spanking a stranger’s toddler in the checkout line at Kroger on Bullsboro Drive.

The 2-year-old’s father said the ch ild wa s wh in in g for ca ndy when Martinez struck him once on the hand and three times on the bottom, allegedly saying, “This is what we do to kids in Mexico.” Martinez was charged w ith obstr uction of of f icer s , battery and disorderly conduct and is banned from the store.

Less than three years after taki n g over EMS dutie s for the county, C owet a C ounty Fire R e s c u e r e c e i ve t h e h i g h e s t honor bestowed by the Georgia

Association of Emergency Medical Services - the 2017 State of Georgia Emergency Medical Service of the Year.

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Approximately 50 people turn out for the f ir st of two public hearings to discuss possible changes in zoning regulations that would help preserve the rural integrity of Coweta County.

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Victor Cameron, 23, is airlifted to Grady Memor ia l Hospit a l after he drives under a tractor trailer near Hogansville, ending a police chase that reached speeds up to 125 mph. Cameron f led f rom a Grantville Police of f icer attempting to ma ke a traffic stop.

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A year af ter a Heard County man was found shot to death in a car in Newnan, police arrest Kendricquis Reshard Parks, 26.

Parks is charged with the murder of 33-year-old David Allen Fritts, who police say was shot in the side near Hill Street but managed to drive away from the scene, later crashing into a utility pole on West Washington Street. The impact knocked out power on most of Court Square for several hours.

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After 30 years of service, Chief David Whitley retires from the Newnan Fire Department.

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A commission tasked with finding ways to improve children’s mental health services in Georgia issues several recommendations, a nd G ov. Natha n Dea l proposes $22.9 million to help make them a reality.

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The Coweta County Commission approves rezoning that will allow building on a tract that wa s pa r t of the O verby fa mily plantation, but nearby resident Mike Chr istie cautions that the area should be checked for graves and historic artifacts first.

Feb 1: Local residents open coffee roasting business

Feb 4: Run for Angels

WE ARE

Thankful & Blessed

TO BE PART OF THE COWETA COUNTY COMMUNITY. NEWNAN BRANCH 145 Millard Farmer Industrial Blvd | Newnan, GA

| 800.763.4444 | www.charterbank.net Feb 15: Coweta County Fire Rescue named best in the state

14A — The Newnan Times-Herald | Sunday, December 30, 2018

2018 THE

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March 4: Kiser band •

Glor i a Blev i n s i s s ent enc e d t o 2 0 ye a r s t o s er ve 12 for h it t i n g a C owet a C ounty k inderga r tner wh ile d r iving dr un k . I n October 2 017, Blev i n s i l lega l ly passed a stopped school bu s , s tr uck 5 -ye a r- old D el a i ne y “ L u lu” Pe dr ick a s she w a s cro s sing the street, and drove away. Pedr ick suf fered a broken leg and facial fractures.

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C owet a C ounty Fire Rescue holds a training session for first responders, geared specif ically towa rd treating young people during behavioral health emergencies.

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A 17-ye a r- old E a s t Coweta high School student ca r r y ing a loaded 9m m gun in his wa istband is isolated and disa r me d w ith i n m i nut e s of administrators being wa r ned about the possibility of a weapon on campus. The school was locked down for around 25 minutes.

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The C owet a C ounty B oa rd of C om m is sioners appoints a task force to study recreation offerings in the county a nd m a ke re com mendation s for the f uture.

A mon g t a sk s a s si g ne d t o t h e c o m m it t e e a r e me et i n g w it h a s s o ci ations that sponsor sports leagues and hosting public forums to gather suggestions and other input from Coweta residents.

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I nvestigator s f rom the Newnan Police Department search for a burglar who broke into Lee-King Pharmacy and took cash and drugs from the Cavender Street shop.

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Stephen Brown is named new chief of the Newnan Fire Department.

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A winning lottery ticket wor th $ 5 0 , 0 0 0 i s s old a t t h e C owe t a C o u nt r y Ju nc t io n S t o r e i n Newnan.

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A L e e M id d le S c h o o l s i x t h- g r a de r d ie s t wo days a f ter e ati n g fo o d t h at t r i g ge r e d a f at a l allergic reaction.

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Hu nd reds of C owet a C ounty School System students pa r ticipate in National School Walkout Day, leaving their classrooms to spend 17 minutes remembering the 17 Stoneman Douglas High S chool student s a nd teachers who were shot to death a month earlier.

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A couple responsible for burglarizing nearly two dozen veh icles belongi n g to cit y of New n a n and Coweta County firefighters is sentenced to prison. Ayana Forest and Elisha Howard primarily targeted first responder veh icles in 13 counties, including Coweta, b e t w e e n J a nu a r y a n d June of 2017. Forest gets seven years and Howard 10, and both are ordered to pay nearly $9,0 0 0 in restitution.

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Main Street Newnan and Keep Newnan Beautiful launch a project to clean up and repurpose Wadswor th A lley in dow ntown Newnan.

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G eovanni Jacob Adamson, 17, faces child pornography and exploitation charges after police allege he hacked Newnan H ig h S cho ol student s’ s o ci a l me d i a a c c ou nt s and demanded nude photos from underage girls.

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Law enforcement i nc r e a s e s it s pr e s enc e at Western Elementary School af ter an Instagram post surfaces that hints at a potential shooting at the school, wh ich opens a nd operat e s u nde r e me r ge nc y protocol. The threat later is deemed not credible.

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Registered nurse Dominique Homes of Sharpsburg receives the national DAISY Award, which honors nurses who g o a b o v e a n d b e yo n d their regula r duties to care for their patients.

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Coweta County shelves Phase II of the Madras Connector. County officia ls instead a nnounce pl a n s t o work t ow a r d f unding other por tions of the con ne ctor proje ct , wh ich is de sig ne d to create a road network to ser ve a f uture interchange on I-85.

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The C owet a C ounty Board of Education unanimously approves a substantial pay increase for school bus drivers as the board pins down its budget for the 2019 fiscal year. School officials say they hope the raise w i l l h e lp a t t r a c t a n d r et a i n bu s d r iver s for the school system, which has been operating with a 20-driver shortage for several years.

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A large crowd turns out at the second of two public meetings held on preserving rural integrity in C owet a C ounty. Ma ny residents say they moved to C owet a to escape grow th and congestion in their previous communities and speak in favor o f t i g ht e n i n g r e s t r ic tions. But longtime residents and owners of large tracts of land in Coweta expressed concern that tighter restrictions could prevent them from selling their properties.

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Jacob Eugene Baswell, 17, is charged with narcotics possession w ith intent to distr ibute af ter allegedly sellin g the “clona zela m” – a n ex tremely potent form of benzodiazepine he r ep or t e d ly order e d online – that sent three of his f r iends to the hospital.

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N ew n a n Cit y C ou nc i l member Clay ton Hicks resigns his post af ter accepting a job in Florida. Hicks served on the council for 12 years.

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Marion “Sarge” Cieslik sues the city of Grant-

ville, seeking $15,000 in damages over a $25 secur ity deposit he pa id to rent the Clements-Malcolm Recreation Center.

Cieslik cla ims the city improperly withheld his deposit, but public works depa r tment employees say he left the facility dirty and damaged. A judge dismisses the case, saying Cieslik failed to establish his claim.

March 14: Drill team

March 15: Walkout at Northgate High School

Sunday, December 30, 2018 | The Newnan Times-Herald — 15A

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Volu nte er te a m s comp l e t e t h e Wa d s wo r t h A lley beautif ication project.

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E l i z a b e t h A n n N o rris, 23, and Adam Scott Brady, 3 0, are charged with second-degree murder in the death of their t h r e e -m o nt h- o l d s o n , Ca ssius Nor r is. Police say the infant suffocated after he was placed facedown on a plush pillow in his crib.

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Eight months af ter the deadly Unite the Right protest in Cha rlottesville, Va., Newnan braces for a neo-Na zi rally in Greenville Street Park.

Several downtown busine s se s de cide to close a nd loca l law enforcement prepares to call in reinforcements after the National Socialist Movement, a white nationalist group, announces it has entered a legal rental agreement with the city a nd pa id the re qu i re d $ 5 0 fee to ra lly in the park April 21.

Local ministers announce they are creating a prayer event opposite the National Socialist Movement rally.

Tyler Gillett, a Newnan

L I R P A

re sident , c omp et e s on the USA Network’s competition show “Ninja vs.

N i nja .” G i l let t ’s t e a m elim inated two r iva l teams, allowing the local athlete to advance to the playoffs.

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Activ i st s f rom Va ldo sta Antifa begin a social media campaign to organ i ze a counter-protest at the National Socialist Movement r a l ly i n Newnan.

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Newnan Strong – a citi zen-led ef for t to supp o r t d ow nt ow n b u s inesses by shopping and dining locally – is proposed for April 20, the day before the National S o c i a l i s t Move me nt ’s planned rally. The event is intended to promote unity and to help downtown businesses, many of wh ich pla n to close

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L ack of suppor t forces the Grantville Coalition for Concerned Citizens t o d i s b a nd a f t e r fou r years. The organization originally was formed to “promote the integrity, welfare and safety of all citizens,” according to the its Facebook page.

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Bonnell employee Tyree Douglas Turner, 45, dies after an accident at the Newnan plant. Turner, of Lanett, Ala., was injured by a multi-ton fire door and airlif ted to Grady Memorial Hospital, where he died, according to Coweta Coroner Richard Hawk.

The Senoia City Council grants permission for a 55-foot windmill to be built on the Alexandria set for filming of AMC’s “ The Wa l k i n g D e a d .”

The windmill, requested

by T WD location mana ger M i ke R i ley, w i l l stay in place for three years.

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Crews erect barricades a nd i n st a l l ch a i n l i n k fencing around Greenville Street Park in advance of the neo-Nazi rally.

A Gra ntv ille ma n dies of a self-inf licted gunshot wound after a long st a ndof f w ith police of f icer s attemptin g to serve a warrant. Bobby Anthony Cole, 36 – the subject of an investigation into allegations of sexual battery and cruelty to children – wa s found dead in his bathroom on Carey Circle.

At G ov. Nathan Deal’s urging, the P iedmont He a lthc a re Sys-

scheduled start, approximately 50 members of the Nation a l S o cia list Movement arrive at Greenville Street Park a nd ra lly for less tha n an hour before they are escorted out of the park by law en forcement .

Many Cowetans choose to attend the L ive Up To L ove ser v ice organ i z e d by lo c a l cle r g y a nd held a c r o s s t ow n at St . Smy r n a Baptist Church. By 6 p.m., the large downtown Newnan crowds – which include hu n d r e d s o f c o u nt e rp r o t e s t e r s r e p r e s e nt ing dozens of organizations, and more than 700 law enforcement officers from 42 agencies – have dissipated. Police report just 10 a r rest s a nd no property damage.

tem a nd A nthem/ Blue Cross Blue Sh ield end their impasse and sign an agreement. The deal ensured no interruption of c over a ge for G e orgians covered by Anthem insurance. Policy holders were facing h ig h o u t - o f-n e t w o r k c o s t s to continue using their Piedmont providers.

early or to not open at all on the day of the rally, recoup lost revenue.

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Hu nd r e d s o f f a m i l ie s and individuals participate in Newnan Strong, f looding the downtown area on the evening of A pr i l 2 0 to shop, e at , pray, sing and decorate Greenville Street Park with chalk art and messages of peace and hope.

A n hour af ter their

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Wa lt e r L e r oy M o o dy Jr., 83, becomes the oldest prisoner put to death in the U. S . in moder n times. Moody was sentenced to death for killi n g U. S . 11t h Ci rc u it Judge Robert Vance in 19 8 9 w i t h a p a c k a g e bomb ma iled f rom the post office in downtown Newnan.

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Wo r k b e g i n s o n t w o miniature roundabouts on U.S. 29.

16A — The Newnan Times-Herald | Sunday, December 30, 2018

with illegals” message, a nd Wi l l i a m s dep a r t s just a half-hour after his arrival.

2018 N I R A E Y E TH W E I V RE

M AY

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Sharpsburg Mayor Wendell Staley resigns after 13 years of service, citing health concerns.

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The Newnan Police Department is designated a Nation a l S a fe Pl ac e site, providing an additional level of sanctuary for young people who are homeless or in crisis situations. Designated Safe Place sites encourage runaways and at-risk youth to come in off the street and wait in a secure place for an agency representative to get them help or shelter until their situation is resolved.

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Brandon A ndrew Nino, Stone Lloyd Matheson, Collin L andon Gwinn, Bryan Thomas Libourel and Lanier Daniel Brooking are charged with firstdegree arson and criminal damage to property after law enforcement officials say they intentionally set fire to a vacant house and shared photos and videos of the act on social media.

The home is a total loss.

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Andrew Lincoln, star of the AMC zombie series “ The Wa l k i n g D e a d ,” announces that he will be leaving the show, much of which is filmed in Senoia.

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Va la r ie R enee G addyMeeks, 44, is indicted for public assistance fraud after allegedly swindling t he s t at e out of hu ndreds of dollars’ worth of food stamps. According to court documents, the New na n woma n intentionally withheld the fact that a relative was living with her and contributing to her household so she could obtain a higher food stamp allotment than she wa s lega lly elig ible to receive.

May 13: Melville family •

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No candidates come forward during the qualifying period to challenge Herb Cra n ford Jr., for district attorney of the Coweta Judicial Circuit.

Cranford will run unopposed in the November election, after which he will serve out the remainder of former DA Pete Skandalakis’s term, which runs through 2020.

A f t e r work i n g i n t he insurance industry for 16 years, Coweta resident Janice Laws announces her candidacy for Georgia Insurance Commissioner.

G e or g i a G ov. N at h a n D e a l si g n s the H a nd s Free G eorgia Act into law. The act strictly limits Georgians’ use of wirele s s phone s a nd other electronic devices while driving.

dog she’d given away. The homeowner said he’d have been happy to return the dog – a black pit bull mix named Sarah – to Burch if she’d asked.

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Myriam Yvonne Burch, 48, is arrested on charges of first-degree burglary after she allegedly broke into a home to take back a

Josh Tate, who has taught music at Elm Street Elementa r y School for 11 years, is named Coweta County’s 2018 Teacher of the Year.

Bill Headley proposes renovating a for mer textile mill into a service center for homeless Cowetans. At a meeting of the Newnan Rotary Club, Headley says he envisions motel-style rooms, each with its own bathroom, for residents.

Robert Mitchell McA lk ich I V, 21, a nd L eon Demetric Sapp, 23, are charged with trafficking Xanax after a traffic stop leads to the confiscation of hundreds of pills. A Coweta County Sheriff’s deputy allegedly spotted the pair’s Kia, driven by

a r d s o n , 2 3 , a l le g e d ly was kidnapped by Jaterrio L ambrusco Brooks, who police say may initially have been attempting to grab the boy from the back seat during what they believe was a domestic dispute.

McAlkich, traveling 96 mph on I-85 and pulled them over for speeding.

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Meals on Wheels of Coweta receives a $10,000 People’s Choice Grant from the employees of Ca reSource, a nonprofit managed care organization.

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Construction begins on the LINC, shutting down Lower Fayetteville Road for a month.

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Five-month-old Wesley Melville, who has lifethreatening biliary atresia, undergoes a living transplant to receive a new liver from his mother, Elizabeth. Within a few months, Elizabeth’s liver will regenerate and Wesley’s will grow into a fullsize liver.

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Police say a wom a n abducted f rom her ca r w ith her young son in the back seat has been found safe in Meriwether C ounty. Kendra R ich-

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A L ou i sia n a m a n m ay face dr ug, weapon and fraud charges after settling in for a nap at a local gas station. Police say Gregory Ceasar, 29, gave a false name after officers discovered him asleep behind the wheel.

A search of Ceasar’s vehicle yielded a hot foil card sta mp machine, ca rd scanner and credit card machine, an assortment of checks, paperwork and other banking information containing the names of various individuals.

G eorg ia guber nator ia l candidate Michael Williams brings his “Deport a t i o n B u s To u r ” t o Newnan. Protestors rally against his “Fill this bus

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Sunday, December 30, 2018 | The Newnan Times-Herald — 1B

2018 THE

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E N U J June 8: Fiberglass animals unveiled on the square

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Christopher Keon Sutton, 32, is arrested after f leeing on foot f rom police attempting a traff ic stop. Police say the backpack he carried during the short foot chase contained several grams of cocaine, methamphetamine and crack, along with a dozen Xanax pills, digital scales and plastic bags.

Council member Elizabeth G ood is named Sh a r p sbu r g m ayor pro tem on a motion by Stan Parten, af ter Parten announced he was stepping dow n f rom the position.

The Georgia Vocational R eh abil it ation A gency ca ncels Ca mp D rea m’s s u m mer 2 018 s e s sion s in Warm Springs, citing the Camp Dream Foundation’s failure to obtain accredit ation f rom the American Camp Association. Camp Dream, an a n nua l retreat for disabled youth and adults, ultimately holds its summer 2018 session in Roberta.

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Police search for a masked gunman accused of robbing the Ch a s e B a n k on Bu l l sboro Drive. The suspect walked into the bank just as employees were about to lock the f ront doors for the day, brandished a pistol, jumped the counter and demanded money.

He fled the scene with an undisclosed amount.

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Volunteers help install fiberglass farm animals that represent Newnan’s histor y on the Cour t Square.

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Yamaha Corporation celebr at e s it s 3 0 th a n n iversar y in New nan. Of Yamaha’s approximately 3 , 4 0 0 U. S . employe e s , more than 1, 50 0 people

At ti re ” re ache s 2 m i llion views and more than 33,0 0 0 shares on Faceb o ok . I n M i s s Pe a rl ’s viral funeral attire video, she a d mon i she s l a d ie s t o le ave t hei r s e qu i n s at home a nd to wea r pr op er u nder g a r ment s to prevent a peep show at sunny graveside serv ic e s . “ When men put on that coat and tie,” she says, “it's important not to forget decent shoes to finish the outfit.”

are employed at its factory in Newnan.

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A p o r t r a it o f D o n a l d Nixon, founding director and namesake of the N i xo n C e nt r e f o r t h e A rts, is unveiled at the facility’s annual awards luncheon. The portrait of Nixon, who died of cancer in 2016, was painted

by Ross Rossin, an internationally known artist who works in Atlanta.

A verba l conf lict escalates between members of a Walking Dead t ou r g r oup d r e s s e d a s “ wa lkers” a nd a dow ntow n S enoia rest aurant patron. According to police, Tom Ma lone confronted the group in front of Katie Lou’s Cafe and told them to “get the f *** of f h is sidewa l k .”

Malone reportedly said people dressed as zomb ie s s c a r e d t he c a f e ’s customers.

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Ke ep N ew n a n B e aut iful’s tire amnesty event is considered a tremendou s s uc c e s s , a s mor e than 2,400 tires are collected to be recycled.

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The legacy of New n a n native Jonathan Welch is remembered through a children’s library established in A ntakya, Turkey. The library, opened by the American Turkish Friendship Council, honor s Welch’s ch a r it able efforts and years of work with the Turkish people.

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A rescued ba ld eagle named L ady L iber ty is on d isplay at B a n n i n g Mills. Lady Liberty was found star ving because she h a s c at a r act s . She can see clearly enough to fly but not to catch food, so she has to remain in captivity to survive.

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Miss Pearl’s video “AFA: Appropr iate Funera l

get the f*** off his sidewalk •

For mer N BA st a ndout J a m e s “ J .J .” E d w a r d s Hickson remains behind bars after being charged for his alleged role in an alleged home invasion off

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R apper and reality T V star Jim Jones faces charges of thef t by re c eiv i n g stolen prop erty, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, narcotics p o s s e s s ion , m a r iju a n a possession and dangerous drugs to be kept in original container after a police chase that ends in Grantville.

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P a r a nor m a l i nve sti gators from Florida explore repor ts of unexpla ined activity at several locations in Grantville. They claim to capture audio of an apple pie-baking spirit called “Walter” on their g h o s t -hu n t i n g e q u i p ment, and they say they plan a follow-up visit.

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T h e hu nt f o r e s c a p e e Brandon Heath Chesnee, 2 3 , end s w it h a h i g hsp e e d ch a se on I- 8 5 , where the wanted South C a r ol i n a m a n h it f ive patrols – totalling two – before stopping. Chesnee faces a host of new charges, including f leeing f rom police, ag gravated a ssault , thef t by re c eiv i n g stolen prop er ty, giving false name t o of f ic er s , DU I , s u spended license, and fraud identity.

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The C owet a C ounty A frican A merican A llia nce receives a $ 3 0 0 donation in support of its African American Heritage Museum.

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The Rutledge Center celebrates its 50th anniversary and the retirement of E xe c ut ive D i r e c t or Bobby Welch. The organization is a non-profit that suppor ts adults w ith developmental disabilities.

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A Newnan man faces ag gravated assault cha rges a f ter he a llegedly intentionally struck a neighbor with his car, then threatened several people with a machete.

The victim was treated for i nju r ie s to h i s lef t e l b ow, r i g ht a r m a n d both legs.

Rowe Road just south of Senoia.

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Jerry Wayne Smith, Sydney Elaine Fields, Nicole Lee Hernane and Johnny Lee Cordell face criminal cha rges a f ter member s of the C owet a C ou nt y Crime Suppression Unit f ind illega l dr ugs and explosives during a search of a house.

The Senoia City Council loosens restr ictions on the consumption and sale of alcohol in the city.

A ny business in Senoia that ha s a license to serve beer and wine for consumption on site can now s el l p a ck a ge b e er and wine to go, with few restrictions.

In the wa ke of w idespread public outcr y about the zero tolerance i m m i g r at ion p ol ic y, a group of local residents gather outside U.S Rep. Drew Ferguson’s Coweta County office to protest the sepa ration of ch ildren from their parents.

June 14: Tire amnesty a tremendous success

2B — The Newnan Times-Herald | Sunday, December 30, 2018

2018

J U LY

N I R A E Y E TH W E I V RE

July 5: All eyes on Independence Day

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ment district.” Dubose said the creation of an entertainment district would allow staff members to approve events rather than waiting for city council to meet every two weeks.

Georgia’s Hands Free Law goes into full effect. Under the law drivers cannot hold a phone in their hands or up to their ears. The phone can’t be supported by the body in any way, such as by sitting in the driver’s lap. Drivers also aren’t allowed to read or look at any kind of text-based communication.

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Hundreds attend first ever fireworks event in Grantville. The event began with a festival featuring vendors and music and concluded with a “rockets red glare, bombs bursting in air” display of pyrotechnics.

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FEMA reimburses Coweta County $101,097.15 for their clean-up efforts following Tropical Storm Irma in September 2017.

President Trump declared the state of Georgia an emergency disaster area after Tropical Storm Irma, meaning county and city leaders could access state and federal funds to recover from the storm.

The Grantville City Council approves several different measures having to do with the use and distribution of water in the city including addressing significant water loss in the city’s water lines. One of the approved policies would allow the city to disconnect someone’s water service if they were found to be wasting water.

The Coweta County Board of Education approve a bid of just under $42,000 from US Foods to provide biscuits to Coweta schools.

School cafeterias will be allowed to offer regular biscuits again after the Georgia Department of Education’s School Nutrition Division decided no longer to require that only wholegrain biscuits be served to students.

The Coweta County Board of Commissioners votes to approve the standard development incentive package

July 1: Hands free law goes into full effect Georgia State Patrol. Both victims were pronounced dead at the scene of the crash.

for Southwest 85 Logistic Center, a 1.2 million square-foot distribution center, on a 109-acre site.

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Members of the Newnan Rotary Club award $6,000 in grants to The Newnan Cultural Arts Commission, Abby’s Angels Closets, Habitat for Humanity’s Brush With Kindness, the Boys and Girls Club and Christian City’s Safe Places.

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The Georgia Bureau of Investigation investigates an in-custody death at the Coweta County Jail.

Brandon Chesnee was discovered unresponsive by another inmate, who immediately notified officers.

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Dr. Richard Jadick, Dr. Philip Beegle Jr. and Dr. Vasileios A ssikis, local Piedmont Newnan physicians, are named “Top Doctors” by Atlanta Magazine.

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Two people die in a headon car crash. The incident occurred around 5 a.m. on N. Hwy 29, according to

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Newnan councilman Ray DuBose proposes the idea of a downtown “entertain-

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U.S. Rep Drew Ferguson proposes a $23 billion border wall bill. The proposal calls for physical barriers and the use of technology to secure the nation’s borders. Ferguson proposes spending the funds to build the wall between 2019-2023.

The New na n-C owet a Board of Realtors receives a $2,800 grant from the National Association of Realtors to help transform Wadsworth Alley into a vibrant public space for the community to gather and enjoy. The NCB will use the funds to bring community art to the space and to improve the environment for visitors.

The Newnan Theatre Company buys its facility at 24 First Ave. The purchase follows an 18-month campaign among its base of patrons. N TC has been renting the First Avenue property for nearly two decades.

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A deputy is fired following an alleged altercation with a former family member. Brandon Harris faces charges of family violence battery. During an argument Harris pushed his exwife in the parking lot of the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office. The argument reportedly continued into the lobby of the bonding office where the staff separated the two.

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Bridging the Gap provides lunches at Ruth Hill Elementary, reaching out to food insecure kids in the local area. BTG served 45 lunches at the school.

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Coweta’s Substance Abuse P r e ve nt i o n C o a l it i o n receives a new three-year grant for a marketing campaign about the dangers of opioid abuse. The coalition is working to raise awareness of the opioid problem in Coweta, and to educate people on how they can prevent opioid misuse and abuse.

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The Coweta Radio control Club seeks permission from the Georgia Environmental Protection Division to use the county’s closed landfill to fly their model planes.

The Newnan Theatre Company buys its facility at 24 First Ave.

Sunday, December 30, 2018 | The Newnan Times-Herald — 3B

2018 N I R A E Y E H T W E I V E R • A Senoia man, Michael Jones, remains behind bars after a mysterious shooting at his home sent a Peachtree City man to the hospital. Deputies found – inside Jones’s home – the victim, Jonathan Lange, lying in a pool of blood on the floor and moaning. Lange had been shot several times in his leg, abdomen and arm.

Jones told police, “He came in my house, and I shot him.”

Lange’s car was not at the residence and was later discovered in a downtown Senoia public parking lot. There were no signs of forced entry.

• New charges send former PTO treasurer to prison. Jennifer Kee is sentenced to eight years behind bars for exploiting an elderly neighbor. According to Coweta County Assistant District Attorney Matthew Swope, Kee stole her elderly neighbor’s credit card and ran up a bill of more than $800.

She had earlier faced charges of theft from the Grantville Elementary PTO. • Carl Miller, who led Newnan’s city-owned utility for several years, died. During his time as general manager at the Newnan Light and Water Commission, the city’s water system greatly expanded.

• Mary Beth Meehan, a Pulitzer

T S U G AU Aug 26: Civil War rages again at Brown’s Mill

Prize-nominated Ashmore accuses school board artist from Rhode Island, puts members and Superintendent up two banners in Newnan Steve Barker, the Coweta reflecting Newnan’s diverCounty School System and sity. The banners are a part staff members of fraud, rackof an ongoing project to repeteering, conspiracy and resent people of all walks of bid-rigging - a violation of life. The banner titled “BritGeorgia's RICO Act – durtany” is placed on a Univering the process of awarding sity of West Georgia Building a more than $5 million conand the banner titled “Mac” is tract improvements, includplaced on a Newnan-Coweta ing installation of artificial Historical Society Building. turf, at three high school sta• U.S. Rep. Drew Ferguson says a diums. Ashmore claims school wall at the Mexican border is officials manipulated the bid a priority that cannot wait for system to ensure a specific possible funding from Mexico. company - Deluxe Athletics • For some, school is not cool.

- was selected to install artiThree local schools’ air conficial turf and renovate tracks ditioning units fail leaving at East Coweta, Newnan many classrooms without air and Northgate high schools. conditioning. The students School officials deny the claim in the classrooms without and start an investigation. air were moved to the cooler • New roundabouts on U.S. Highrooms. way 29 are operational. The • In Coweta County, meth ranks project was supposed to bein supreme over all other drugs in late April, but contract tested by the GBI forensic scidelays and heavy rains pushed ence lab. In the last calendar back the start date. year, its lab tested 91 cases • The New nan city council of suspected meth. A distant approves the purchase of a second was cocaine, 26, foltrolley. City Manager Cleatus lowed by oxycodone at 10.

Phillips said the trolley will be • Corey Booth is sentenced to used intermittently for special serve 20 years after booth was events but the city will hold found guilty on two counts off on creating fixed route of first degree cruelty to chilservice until the demand is dren. Booth was accused realized. of head-butting his infant • A California man is charged daughter. The infant has since with cocaine trafficking after recovered from all injuries and troopers found an estimated does not appear to have any $2.5 million worth of cocaine lasting effects, according to in his car. A state trooper the child’s mother. observed the driver speeding • Local resident Henry “Hank” northbound through a con-

struction zone and pulled the car over. The driver was wanted on a drug-related warrant out of California, authorities said.

• Jim Pattiz and Will Patiz are spreading awareness about national parks and forests through national campaigns.

• A ransomware attack struck Coweta County’s computer servers. All of the county’s servers and computer systems were shut down once the issue was discovered to prevent the spread of the ransomware, a variant of Bitpaymer, said Patricia Palmer, Coweta’s director of community and human resources. The ransom demand was $250,000 to provide a way to unlock the encryption. The entire system is backed up regularly, and the county’s IT staff are using those backups to reload and rebuild the system.

• Ongoing security upgrades mean new entryway configurations and enhanced access control at Coweta’s elementary and middle schools. Modifications – many completed over the summer – allow vestibules at the schools to serve as “visitor traps,” restricting access to areas past the lobby until guests sign in and can be accompanied by authorized staff to designated locations.

• Georgia State Patrol Sergeant First Class Mike Searcy takes the helm as commander of the Newnan GASP post, following the retirement of sgt. Mike

Adcock.

• The heat, smoke and fury of war are on display at Brown’s Mill Battlefield. Re-enactors travel from as far away as Pennsylvania and Maryland to participate in the most significant Civil War clash to take place in Coweta County.

• The same attorneys who investigated the Atlanta Public School cheating scandal, Keri Ware and Bob Wilson, will look into the allegations of corruption among Coweta County school officials. Ware and Wilson will lead an independent probe into allegations made by local resident Henry “Hank” Ashmore.

• After five years as a staple of Newnan cuisine, Rednexican changes its name to The Mad Mexican. Owners say the change was necessary for franchising opportunities in the future – something that would have been impossible with the old name because of of licensing issues from a previous business partner.

• The Coweta County Sheriff’s office buries a time capsule filled with a quarter-century’s worth of memories and messages. Around the sheriff’s office various items were gathered to place inside the capsule, including photos from the last 26 years, patches and badges, forms and documents, an officer’s Bible with highlighted passages, a uniform and a copy of the day’s Newnan Times-Herald.

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4B — The Newnan Times-Herald | Sunday, December 30, 2018

2018

SEPTEM

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N I R A E Y E TH W E I V RE Sept 30: Rainbow Wonder at t he C owe t a I ndu strial Park. The company employs manufacturing, engineering, laboratory, operations, customer service, marketing and sales personnel at the new facility, covering an area of 55,000 square feet.

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• Sept 26: City council denies rezoning request •

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Lori Kolbenschlag CPP (Certified Profess ion a l Phot o g r aphe r) , of S enoi a , i s n a me d a gold meda list by the P rofessiona l Photographers of A mer ica for her work subm itted to the organization’s intern ation a l Photog r aph ic Competition.

A Newnan mother remains in jail after leaving her toddler in a car while she smoked marijuana in a friend’s apartment, according to police. Police removed the 2-year-old child from the vehicle, which wa s running but had no air conditioning. The of f icers gave the child some water while allowing him to sit inside an air-conditioned police cruiser.

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C oweta’s Brow n’s Mill Battlefield park is ex pa nding by 6 7 acres in a land swap with the C owet a C ounty Water and Sewerage Authority.

In exchange, the authority is gettin g 7 7 acre s of f h a p py Va l le y Ci rcle, adjacent to the B.T. Brow n R e s er voi r. The land given to the park is to be used for r unning trails.

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The Newnan Rotar y Club i s hopi n g to utilize the power of music t o help br i n g c om for t to those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and dementia. Cathy Wright, current president of Newnan Rotary, was approached

by D r. Ly n S chenbe ck and Central Educational Center CEO Mark Whitlock about helping with a music therapy project at Piedmont Newnan Hospital. Volunteers will use musical activities, both a c t ive a nd p a s sive , t o work w ith A l zheimer ’s patients and others with memor y issues in nursing homes and assisted living facilities that have memory care units.

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A controver sia l h ig h density housing development on Poplar Road was

approved by the Coweta County Board of Commissioners. The proposed development would include 547 homes on the 200-acre property.

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The Senoia Police Department gets a new camera system that syncs b o dy-wor n a nd i n- c a r cameras and allows for split screen v iew ing of both camera feeds.

wa s ch a rge d w ith se co n d - d e g r e e b u r g l a r y.

While nothing initially app e a r e d t o b e out of place, the victim called police after walking into his of f ice a nd seeing a stra nge ma n sleeping behind his desk.

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A n overf low crowd attends a school boa rd meeting. Ma ny a re attend to support board me m b e r s , s cho ol of f icials and staff who have been threatened with a lawsuit over alleged bid rigging and violation of Georgia’s RICO Act.

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A Sha r psburg man is facing criminal charges after he reportedly broke into a lawyer’s office to take a nap. Casey Barr

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G ov. N a t h a n D e a l declares a state of emergency in preparation for Hurricane Florence.

The S a lvation A r my c a nt e en f r om N ew n a n participates in in relief efforts in the Carolinas a s Hu r r ic a ne Florence att ack s the coa st . The mobilization of the local c a nt e en i s p a r t of the Salvation Army of Georgia’s mobilizations.

Bl ick le U. S . A . , wh ich m a nu f actu re s a nd d istributes wheels and casters, officially opens it s U. S . he a dqu a r t e r s

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A Self-Help A ssistance P rog r a m , a lo c a l nonprofit, receives a $10,000 g r a nt f r o m t h e C a t holic Commission for Hu m a n D e ve lo p m e nt .

The non-profit received the money because of its Tools for Empowerment prog r a m , wh ich ref u rbishes and repairs tools to be donated to vocat io n a l s c h o o l s w it h i n the Un ite d St ate s a nd around the world.

Russell Whitmire is fou nd not g u i lt y by a Coweta Superior Court jur y on two cha rges of child molestation.

The C owet a C ounty Sheriff ’s Office and the Department of Commun it y Sup er v ision complete a sex offender complia nce check w ith in C owet a . I nve s t i g at or s paid 195 visits to 162 sex offenders currently residi n g w ith i n the cou nt y – not i nclud i n g t ho s e incarcerated in local jails – to ensure they’re complying with the requirements of their probation/ parole. Eight people were arrested during the operation for violations varying from failing to register as a sex offender to the possession of drugs and firearms.

The Newnan City Council unanimously denies a r e z on i n g r e que s t on behalf of developer Mark White that would have allowed the construction of a 9 6 -unit a f fordable housing complex.

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Approximately 70 motorists are affected by diesel fuel being inadvertently m i xe d i n w ith reg u la r unleaded at the Greenway BP station on U.S. 2 9 South near Exit 41.

The mix up was a result of a delivery driver putting 2 ,0 0 0 ga llons of d ie sel i n the u n le ade d tank, which already had about 6 ,0 0 0 ga llons of unleaded in it.

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An admitted member of the A ryan Brotherhood criminal street gang pleads guilty to multiple counts of v iolating the Georgia Street Gang Ter ror ism a nd P revention Act. The case marks the first Aryan Brotherhood conv iction in the Coweta Judicial Circuit.

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Senoia is creating a n “entertainment district” that will allow open containers of alcohol at certain authorized events.

The district covers most of dow ntow n , r u n n i n g from Johnson Street to Travis Street and Bagg a r l y Way t o B a r n e s Stre et . Bu i ld i n g s th at f r o nt o n B a g g a r l y o r Ba r nes a re included in the district, and Senoia F i r s t B a p t i s t C hu r c h also is included.

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Fo r t h e s e c o n d y e a r, Foundation Church s p o n s o r s S h o e D a y, pr ov id i n g e a ch of t he approximately 40 0 students at Ruth Hill with a pair of shoes. The church, which sponsors a golf tournament each year to help fund its shoe project, sent a tea m in to measure the students’ fe et . Chu rch memb er s then translated the measurements into shoe sizes and worked with a distributor to secure a pair of shoes for each child.

Sept 12: Supporters pack school board meeting

Sunday, December 30, 2018 | The Newnan Times-Herald — 5B

2018 THE

OCTOBE

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N I R YEA

W E I V RE Oct 4: Alan Jackson mural painted by artist-in-residence

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Greg Palast, an investigative reporter, is removed from a Brian Kemp camp a i g n event at Spr ayberry’s BBQ on Jackson Street af ter asking the then-gubernatorial candidate about allegations of voter suppression.

Vintech Industries announces plans to expand their global footprint following the purchase of a facility in the South Newnan Industrial Park.

seriously.

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A mural of Alan Jackson is painted on the side of the Redneck Gourmet building in downtown Newnan by artist-in-residence Tim Davis.

Connor G onzales of New n a n f ace s cr i m inal charges after posting a detailed plan to rob a local PNC Bank on 4chan, an imageboard website.

Investigators say G onzales admitted posting the content online but claimed he was L A RPing – live action role play – a nd it wa sn’t mea nt

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U.S. Postal Service workers rally and carry signs reading “U.S. Mail Not for Sale” outside Congressm a n D r ew Fe r g u s on’s Coweta County office in opposition of the Trump Administration’s proposal to privatize the U.S. mail system.

City of f icia ls, members of the Newnan Fire Department and employees of Headley C onstruction officially break ground for the new Fire Station 4. The new station will be located on Farmer Commercial Park Drive, directly off Milla rd Fa r mer Industr ia l Boulevard.

The C owet a C ounty Board of Education votes to move the senior ta x brea k for wa rd. L inda Menk casts the sole vote against the measure, which would provide more than $1.8 million in tax relief for seniors, af ter months of publicly advocating for lower taxes.

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A 16 -month-old Grantv ille girl is discovered unresponsive in a nearby body of water after her parents report her missi n g . Fa m i ly me mb e r s , Grantville Police officers and Coweta County Fire Rescue perform CPR. The child passes away the next day at an Atlanta hospital.

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The name of Lt. Michael Scot Norton of Newnan is etched in bronze at the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial in Emmitsburg, Md. Norton died in the line of duty on March 2, 2017.

Board of Education delays construction of a new middle school

The C owet a C ounty Board of Education delays construction of a new middle school on Shaw Road after the design comes in $6 million over budget.

In the first three days of the 15-day early voting period, 4,047 Cowetans ca st their ba llots. The Coweta Voter Registration Office also mails out 2,155 absentee ballots.

Coweta County Fire Rescue launches the Coweta Cares mobile integrated health care unit and creates new dispatch procedu re s for behav iora l health calls. The unit will visit Cowetans who have been regular callers to Coweta 911 for behavioral health issues, as well as other patients with behavioral health issues who are referred to the ser vice, and some stroke patients.

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New na n Mayor P ro Tem Cynthia Jenkins is named Coweta Community Foundation’s 2018 Woman of the Year. Jenkins is honored for her work w ith fa ith a nd unity efforts during the

Nazi rally in April at the Greenville Street Park, and for her efforts with the Howard Warner playground and community center, among other projects in Coweta County.

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Members of the Coweta County Sheriff ’s Office, the C owet a Subst a nce Abuse Prevention Coalition and Coweta FORCE participate in the Drug E n forc ement A genc y ’s National Drug Take Back Day. More than 183 lbs of prescription pills are collected.

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A n a ssor tment of f irea r ms a nd tactica l gea r are recovered hours after the collection is reportedly stolen from a Fayette County deputy’s home.

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Marie Fortin helps rescue her neighbors from their burning home in White Oak. Fortin said saw her neighbors’ house on fire in the middle of the night and banged against their door to wake them up. The neighbors all made it out safely.

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6B — The Newnan Times-Herald | Sunday, December 30, 2018

2018

R E B M NOVE

N I R A E Y E TH W E I V RE Nov 11: Trek mural bubbles with local flavor •

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Citing a large caseload, the G eorgia Bureau of I nve sti gation de cl i ne s to investigate after the Gra ntv ille City C ouncil requests the agency look into the financing a nd c on s t r uc t ion of a cemetery wall that collapsed on Griffin Street in September.

Coweta County’s employ ment i nc r e a s e s by more than 2 percent, add i n g 9 2 3 job s si nc e November 2017.

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U.S. Rep Drew Ferguson holds onto his seat during midterm elections.

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Mayor Doug Jewel and c ou nc i l memb er R uby Hines, both incumbents, are re-elected in Grantville.

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Voters elect Blue Cole Sharpsburg’s new mayor in a special election to complete the unexpired term of the late Wendell Staley.

D e put y Ch a d C ow a r t helps save an elderly man whose abandoned car is discovered on Interstate 85. Cowart is part of a s e a r ch p a r t y c o n s i s t ing of a K9 and several deputie s , lo c ati n g the man in the woods. The man reportedly stopped to use the restroom, got lost i n the wo o d s a nd h ad be en ly i n g on the ground for two days.

Coweta County schools raise nearly $13,0 0 0 to

support the Ferst Found a t io n f o r Ch i ld h o o d Literacy with their 2018 c oi n d r ive . The Fer s t Foundation provides free books each month to regi s t er e d ch i ld r en u nt i l their fifth birthdays.

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The D au g ht er s of t he A m e r i c a n R e vo lut i o n do n a t e a pl a q ue w it h the Pledge of Allegiance written in Braille to the ChildrenC onnect children’s museum.

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A mural of a girl blowing bubbles is painted on the side of the Atlanta Trek bicycle shop by local artist Amber Stidham.

T h ie ve s s t e a l 70 c a rtons of cigarettes from a delivery truck parked at the Chevron gas station off Highway 54. One of the susp e ct s a l lege d ly distracts the driver while the other fills three tote bags with cigarettes.

An escaped Heard County inmate and his mother are jailed af ter they stop in Newnan for pancakes. With the help of Kathy Pence, Joshua Gullat escapes from cleaning detail. The pair i s c au g ht when p ol ic e track Pence’s cell phone to the IHOP on Bullsboro Drive.

Chr istopher Stewar t B r y a nt a nd E l i z ab et h Bryant are arrested for k id n a p p i n g t he i r t wo children a f ter the FBI tracks them to a gas sta-

down and confronted a couple with whom she’d exchanged words earlier i n the even i n g . Bibbs’ husband, Keith Walker, i s ho spit a l i z e d w ith a gunshot wound and several cars are damaged by gunfire.

tion in Grantville. The pa rents a llegedly took their children from their grandparents, who had legal custody, from their North Carolina home.

East Coweta High S chool sen ior Maya Wr i g h t m a k e s i t a l l t he w ay t o t he f i n a l s o f t h e Te e n Je o p a r dy Tournament.

Police search for a suspect who drove off with a woman’s car with her 3 -y e a r- o l d c h i l d a n d fa mily dog inside. The ch i ld a nd a nd dog a re found unharmed near a dumpster at a RaceTrac c o nv e n i e n c e s t o r e i n Union City.

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Locals fill 17,600 shoeb oxe s w it h don at ion s for O p er at ion Ch r i s tmas Child. Four trailers are needed to move the donations to the processing center in Suwanee.

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C om mu n it y memb er s gather to cheer and support the Newnan-based Bravo Company as the Georgia National Guard unit heads to Ft. Stewart for training before being deployed to Afghanistan.

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A Newnan pediatric dentist, 44-year-old Dr. L on a D emetr ia Bibbs , faces cr im ina l cha rges after a case of road rage escalates into shooting in the PetSma r t pa rking lot. Bibbs allegedly went to get her husband and a gun, then tracked

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Authorities investigate a shooting in the parki n g lot of t he Jo -A n n Fabric and Five Below that resulted f rom a road rage incident. Sever a l shot s wer e f i r e d , and one man was transported to Grady Memorial Hospital.

A ho m e ow n e r f i nd s a body on his front porch when he ret u r n s f rom work around 1 a.m.. The victim, later identified a s 2 2-ye a r- old Jord a n Malik McCo of Atlanta, was reportedly shot and killed af ter an altercation w ith a n ac qu a i n-

tance on Oak Street.

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Pastor Tamarkus Cook is assaulted and injured by a trespasser on property owned by St. Smyrna Baptist Church.

Cook reportedly stopped to investigate when he saw a car on the proper t y, a nd the str a n ger attacked him.

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P a mel a S a n for d M a rti n , 6 6 , i s a r re st e d at her home in Shar psbu r g a f t er r e p or t e d ly pointed a g un at law n care service employees.

She accused the crew of blowing leaves onto her property.

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A Newnan tech startup, Tracter, is named a semif i n a l i s t i n the A mer ica n Fa r m Bureau Feder at ion’s 2 019 Fa r m Bureau A g I n novation Challenge. Tracter was awarded $10,000.

a case of road rage escalates into shooting

Locals fill 17,600 shoeboxes with donations for Operation Christmas Child.

Sunday, December 30, 2018 | The Newnan Times-Herald — 7B

2018 THE

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A Newnan pediatric dentist is charged with aggravated assault/party to a crime, terroristic acts and threats, battery, and simple assault after a road rage incident on the interstate spilled into a parking lot dispute and sent two people to the hospital, one with a nonfatal gunshot wound.

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Cancer Treatment Centers of America lays off 50 Newnan-based employees.

A current employee said workers were told in a meeting the layoffs were related to problems with reimbursement for services.

A Coweta County resident, Melissa Turner, volunteers to help decorate the White House for Christmas.

Former Grantville Police Officer James Holmes, 43, is placed behind bars in Pike County after accusations of incest.

A Newnan woman is held “hostage” during a scam call.

Alley Mejia received a scam call that from a “deputy” at

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the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office. The faux-deputy called Mejia's husband and mother, claiming that Mejia was held hostage and would be released for four $500 Visa cards and their credit card information. Mejia went to to the sheriff’s office where she was informed the call was a scam.

The Newnan Police Department escorted 48 children to a big breakfast at O’Charley’s restaurant before heading to Walmart on Highway 34 for a holiday shopping spree. The officers and their unofficial police partners participated in NPD’s third annual “Christmas with a Cop” campaign.

“Just to see the smiles on their faces and the hugs that they give us is worth it,” Deputy Chief Mark Cooper said.

We s t G e o r g i a Te c h announces it will terminate its athletic programs, citing low student participation and difficulty finding comparable opponents.

The Coweta County Commission approves the hiring of a Pennsylvania company, Mission Critical Partners, to find a solution to the prob-

lems with 911 calls.

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The C-SPAN Bus stops at Newnan High School as a part of its “Top Teachers Tour” through the Southeast U.S. The bus chose NHS as a destination because of history teacher John Garner being awarded the Gwen Hutchinson Outstanding Educator of the Year award.

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Lindsey Wells heads to prison after shooting into a home and attempting to set it on fire with two children inside. Wells intended to kill her cousin after reading tarot cards and practicing witchcraft but got the street names mixed up and arrived at the victims’ home. The fire caused damage to the home but ultimately fizzled out.

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Ten kilos of meth and 30 pounds of marijuana are seized from a driver who struggled to eat hot wings and drive at the same time.

Desanika Russell faces drug charges of methamphetamine trafficking, marijuana, trafficking and failure to maintain her lane following her arrest.

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Several gunshots are heard at a Newnan High School and East Coweta basketball game. Laderek Ferguson, an NHS Student, has been charged with aggravated assault with a firearm after being accused of shooting an EC student at the game.

The student who was fired at later identified Ferguson in a photo lineup.

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After winning the election to the Grantville City Council by one vote, Jim Sells faces a residency challenge

by Dee Berry. She alleges that Sells really lives in Peachtree City. Sells owns property in Peachtree City and in Grantville, though the Peachtree City property is listed as his address in Coweta property tax records.

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A bomb threat hoax causes a brief disruption to a Newnan medical center and a small business on Court Square.

The business received an em a il sent nationw ide requesting $20,000 in Bitcoin currency or else a bomb would detonate within the building.

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Jennifer Martin faces multiple charges after leading Coweta County Sheriff’s deputies on a high-speed chase. A deputy attempted to pull over Martin after the deputy reportedly ran Martin’s tag and discovered it was expired. Martin wouldn’t stop and instead took off at a high rate of speed. The vehicle came to a stop in a ditch where state troopers and deputies took her into custody.

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Newnan resident, Alberto Fregoso, becomes Georgia’s first Petroleum Supply Warrant Officer. Fregoso is also the first person of Mexicandescent to become a Warrant Officer.

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According to police, a scam involving Social Security cost a Newnan resident nearly $60,000. The victim was contacted by an a fraudsters claiming to be an agent with the Social Security Administration, stating her card had been found at a crime scene in Texas. The caller convinced the victim in order to protect her money from fraud, she would need to put cash in the mail.

We Are Expert Audiologists Serving Patients in Newnan and Surrounding Areas for Over 12 Years

From left: Michele Wattman, Audiologist Intern; Dr. Leslie Neal; Dr. Nikki DeGeorge Weaver and Dr. Brittney Tardy

Our Comprehensive Services Include: • Full Diagnostic Hearing Testing • Hearing Aid Fitting/Reprogramming • Dizzy and Balance Testing • Tinnitus Testing and Therapy

• Advanced Audiological Testing • Listening Training Program • Video Otoscopy • Custom Swim and Noise Plugs

2301 Newnan Crossing Boulevard, Suite 160 • Newnan, GA 30265 • 770-254-2224 cowetahearingclinic@gmail.com • cowetahearing.com

8B — The Newnan Times-Herald | Sunday, December 30, 2018

Thank you to our friends and clients for making 2018 another record setting year and wishing everyone a blessed and happy 2019!

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*As reported by CaseMetrix, LLC, an independent database of settlements and verdicts.