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ILL U
NEWS
FAYETTE
COUNTY
4*THE TRUTH SINCE 1886 4*
INSIDE McIntosh Seeks NominationsJor
Hall of Fame, B2
VOL 151, NO. 11
INSIDE: Fayette County News Launches New Website, A2
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15,2023
$1.00
INSIDE: FCN Partners with High Schools for ‘Newspapers in Education’, A7
mm
'c/MMP/OHS
Title Town Tyrone
Sandy Creek Wins County’s First Boys’ Basketball State Championship
Sandy Creek High won the county’s first-ever boys basketball state championship in convinc
ing fashion, rolling through the Cedar Grove Saints, 66-38, on March 10 in Macon. The roundball
crown joins the gridiron title won last fall by the football team, also over Cedar Grove.
See the full story, Bl. Courtesy of Fayette County Schools
Commission Prohibits Animal Tethering
Fayette Breaks Ground on New Animal Shelter
From left are Commissioner Eric Maxwell, Commissioner Charles Oddo, PTC Mayor Kim Lear-
nard, Commissioner Edward Gibson, County Manager Steven Rapson, FC Animal Control Di
rector Jerry Collins, and Fayette Humane Society President Rick DeLoach.
Sydney Spencer
News Reporter
sspencer@fayette-news.net
Fayette County Com
missioners unanimously
approved a request from
FC Animal Control Direc
tor Jerry Collins to restrict
animal tethering during its
March 9 meeting.
Collins originally pre
sented the request to com
missioners during the Jan.
23 commission meeting,
which was tabled for
further discussion so com
missioners could gain a
better understanding of
the issue.
“We’re setting restric
tions on when you could
tie or basically tether an
animal outside and how it
would have to be tied,”
said Collins. “We’re mak
ing it so that you just can’t
attach a dog to a doghouse,
to a chain, and leave it
there 24/7. Also, if you’re
outside with the animal,
you can have it on a leash,
but you have to be outside
with it so you can control
it.”
Earlier in the day, Col
lins joined Fayette County
and Peachtree City in
breaking ground on a new
animal shelter that will be
open as early as late 2023.
The new 6,000-square-
foot facility will be built on
a four-acre site in Peach
tree City and will house 52
dogs and other homeless
animals. It will double its
capacity and provide more
space for animals to be
See Animal Shelter, A6
PTC Mayor Thanks PD for
Diligence in Murder Investigation
Learnard Shares Plan to Re-examine Staffing Levels, Salaries
Leah Banks
Investigative Reporter
leah@fayette-news.net
PEACHTREE CITY
I n the aftermath of the
Feb. 21 murder of 15-year-
old Madison Gesswin, the
community of Peachtree
City continues to mourn
the loss of one of their own
while also reeling from an
incident that shocked the
area.
Swift actions and in
vestigations by the Peach
tree City Police
Department not only led to
the arrest of the offenders
responsible, but also pro
vided Peachtree City res
idents with a sense of
peace from remaining
well-informed of the latest
developments in the case.
Peachtree City Mayor
Kim Learnard recently
thanked the police depart-
See Investigation, A6
State Rep.
Tish Naghise
Dies at 59
Sydney Spencer
News Reporter
sspencer@fayette-news.net
Georgia mourns the
loss of first-term Demo
crat State Rep. Letitia
“Tish” Naghise, who died
March 8 at Piedmont Hos
pital in Atlanta, where she
was hospitalized for sev
eral days. No cause of
death was reported.
Naghise was a Fay
etteville resident who
served as Democrat House
District 68 representative.
Her website explains that
she was active in her com
munity before winning her
seat.
“I resurfaced in politics
after my parents passed
away, my children were
stable, my business was
succeeding, and my hus
band understood that I
had to get involved,” ex
plained the late Naghise.
On her website, Nag
hise also explained how
she was influenced to in
dulge in Democratic pol
itics by former President
Rep. Letitia "Tish" Naghise
Barack Obama after he
won the presidential elec
tion in 2008.
“In 2010, President
Obama called on his most
dedicated volunteers to
help with the Affordable
Health Care Act. We went
to barber shops, beauty sa
lons, made phone calls,
and knocked on some
doors to have constituents
sign a petition to send to
Congress to pass the bill.
As a result of our effort
and all those signatures
gathered, Congress finally
passed the bill. I received a
certificate from the White
See Naghise, A6
County OKs $12.7 Million
Advanced Water Metering
Infrastructure Solution
4-1 Vote Awards Contract
to Badger Meter, Inc.
Sydney Spencer
News Reporter
sspencer@fayette-news.net
Fayette County Com
missioners voted 4-1 on
March 9 to award Badger
Meter, Inc. a contract for
installation of advanced
water meters and cellular
endpoints at a cost not to
exceed $12,712,905.
Fayette County Water
System Director Vanessa
Tigert presented the
request to the commission,
informing members of the
intended contract for ad
vanced metering infras
tructure with Badger
Meter, Inc.
“I’m extremely happy
to be before you tonight
with this monumental
project. I’m requesting you
to consider awarding con
tract #2000-P with the ad
vanced metering
infrastructure solution to
Badger Meter, Inc. for pur
chase and installation of
31,654 meters and cellular
endpoints,” said Tigert.
Tigert further ex
plained the process to this
point.
“We were here before
you on Aug. 25 and pre
sented what we went
through in the procure
ment to select Badger
Meter,” Tigert explained.
“Since then, we have been
in negotiations with
Badger Meter and Petal
Valves. We’ve developed a
contract with over 20 in
ternal discussions and
meetings with Badger
Meter. What you have be
fore you are an agreement
document, our general
terms and conditions with
exhibits one and two, and
our Badger Meter Beacon
software as a service solu
tion and a statement of
work.”
Tigert acknowledged
everyone involved in cre-
See Commission, A6
INSIDE:
COMMUNITY
A7 FAYETTE VIEWS
A4 LEGALS
B3
OBITUARIES
A2 SPORTS
Bl CLASSIFIEDS
B7
CONTACT US: support@fayette-news.net - (770) 461-6317 - fayette-news.net
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