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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2014
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2014 NEWNAN, GA • COWETA COUNTY’S NEWS SOURCE • ISSUE 200 • 2 SECTIONS, 18 PAGES • 50 CENTS
Indians, Cougars look to bounce back Friday
Candidate forum tonight at CEC
Oak Grove Gardens free to the public on Saturday
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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2014
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Coweta high schools outscore state on SAT By CELIA SHORTT
tendent Dr. Steve Parker in a CCSS also ranked eighth officials. sion test recognized all over average score was 1445, and “Our performance on the press release. “This is helping the world. It tests students’ the national average was 1497. out of the 23 Georgia school This year’s average puts districts with 500 or more stu- SAT ref lects an intentional our students to be better preknowledge of reading, writing effort from our schools over pared for assessments such Coweta County high school and math, and their ability to CCSS in the top 10 percent dents taking the test in 2014. This achievement shows the past several years to pro- as the SAT. Our staff and stuof school districts in Georgia students continue to outpace apply that knowledge. According to the Coweta and gives them the 17th high- continued improvement for v ide st udents w it h more dents are to be commended Georgia as a whole, as their 2014 average SAT score was 51 County School System, Cowe- est average score of the 179 CCSS and is because of hard advanced learning opportu- for this increase in our SAT points higher than the state’s. ta’s 2014 average score was district averages reported by work by teachers and stu- nities throughout their school SCORES, page 2A dents, according to school career,” said CCSS SuperinThe SAT is a college admis- 1496. The state of Georgia’s College Board.
celia@newnan.com
Verdict on proposed behavioral hospital expected by Dec.
RENOVATIONS INCLUDE RESTROOMS
By CELIA SHORTT celia@newnan.com
PHOTO BY JEFFREY LEO
Ray Park was recently renovated with a new pavilion, a playground, a pedestrian crosswalk, and a walking trail. It is also one of four city parks that will receive a new public restroom.
City improving its parks By CELIA SHORTT celia@newnan.com
The city of Newnan is continually improving what it offers those who live and visit here, and one of its recent improvements is renovating and improving some of its city parks. Earlier this year, Newnan City Council approved a nearly $343,000 bid for renovations to Ray Park on the city's west side. The bid approved was the lowest and does not include playground equipment and landscaping. Those are estimated to be an additional $125,000.
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Ronda Helton, a program manager He is also Newnan’s arborist and landwith Newnan, said the park improve- scape architect. Furbush said a parks and recreation ments include a pavilion, a playground, a pedestrian crosswalk, and a walking master plan was done around 2010, trail, and the project came out of input which included a detailed survey about the city. from two community meetings. “One of the main things to come out Ray Park is currently open. At its Sept. 22 regular meeting, city of the study was bathrooms in our pubcouncil approved a $177,707 contract lic parks,” he said. There will be one restroom facility in with Quality Construction by McLeroy Inc. for public restrooms at Green- each of the four parks. The Greenville Street park will have ville Street Park, First Avenue Park, Ray a single family style restroom, serving Park and Lynch Park. “These are the four parks that get the men and women. First Avenue and Ray most use,” said Mike Furbush, director PARKS, page 2A of Newnan’s beautification department.
The verdict on the Certificate of Need for Newnan’s proposed behavioral hospital should come by the end of this year, according to Newnan Business Development Director Hasco W Craver IV. Craver made the announcement at the Newnan Development Authority meeting on Wednesday. “T hey’re sti ll goi ng through the process,” said Craver. “We should hear around Thanksgiving … maybe the beginning of December.” The behavioral Craver hospital would be at the location of Newnan’s former hospital on Hospital Road. The state initially denied t he Cer t i f ic ate of Need for the facility, and both Newnan and Coweta County joined Vest Newnan, LLC, in appealing its denial. Vest Newnan is the parent com-
sarah@newnan.com
Coweta County has hired a consultant to look at the financial feasibility of the county moving toward f ire department-provided emergency medical services. The commissioners voted in May to look into the possibility of moving EMS services in-house. County staff has done a lot of study of the issue already, accordi n g to C o u n t y A d m i n i s t r a to r Michael Fouts. The main focus of consultant Jack Krakeel’s report will be how the county would bill for services – and collect those payments. That’s not something the county is used to doing. “It’s kind of an objective review of whether it is feasible,” Fouts said at Tuesday’s county commission meeting. “There are a lot of different factors.”
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Krakeel will be paid $6,500 for his consulting services, and up to $500 in expenses. Fouts said he expects the report to be completed by the end of November. In other meeting business: • The board voted to establish “no parking” and “no standing” (waiting) zones on Morgan Road and Old Hwy. 85. The board also voted to prohibit turns from Old Hwy. 85 onto Morgan Road between 2 and 4 p.m. on school days. The action is necessary because of traffic backups caused by parents waiting to pick up children at Coweta Charter Academy on Hwy. 16 in Senoia. Vehicles are blocking Morgan and Hwy. 85, said Assistant County Administrator Kelly Mickle. The reason is that there is inadequate
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to his friend, Carson Brewer, 6.
Pumpkins offer festive fall fun
By W. WINSTON SKINNER at Halloween, and they often are used in conjunction with Indian winston@newnan.com corn, leaves and a cornucopia for Thanksgiving decorating. Pumpkins are orangey orbs proPumpkin patches also offer fun claiming the crisp arrival of fall. for families. Two local patches offer A member of the squash fam- pumpkins with proceeds going to ily, the pumpkin gains in popularity this time of year. Families PUMPKINS, page 5A carve them up for jack-o-lanterns TODAY
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State and federal officials have sig ned paper work that officially authorizes expansion of the port of Savannah. Advocates of the project have said the port needs to be deeper to accommodate larger ships that will be com i ng t h roug h t he expanded Panama Canal. Coweta industries get raw materials from the ports and ship f inished goods out from Savannah. Fifteen years of studies, lawsuits and bureaucratic delays preceded the action Wednesday.
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By W. WINSTON SKINNER winston@newnan.com
PHOTO BY WINSTON SKINNER
Wyatt Wargofcak, 4, enjoys showing off pumpkins at Wargo’s Pumpkin Patch
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Ports expansion deal signed
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Consultant to study fire department EMS services By SARAH FAY CAMPBELL
pany attempting to invest in the hospital. The appeal hearing was in July. Ta n n e r Me d i c a l C e n ter, Riverwoods Behavioral Health and Southern Crescent Behavioral Health System all f iled requests to intervene in the hearing, and Craver said some of them have taken the issue to superior court. Even if it comes back in Newnan’s favor, these other parties could keep it going in superior court, he added at Wednesday’s meeting. T he N DA a lso saw its newest member, Jim Markle, sworn in on Wednesday. Markle replaced former member Malcolm Jackson, who retired earlier this year. At Wednesday’s meeting, Craver reported to the NDA: • Several developers are looking to see if they can put in a “multi-family residential facility” at the site of the old Papp Clinic near the old hospital. •Gander Mountain and Marriott Towne Suites, both located off Newnan Crossing Bypass, are hoping to open for business in November. He also reported another hotel is looking to locate in front of the Marriott’s location.
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