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NEWS
FAYETTE
COUNTY
4*THE TRUTH SINCE 1886 4*
INSIDE McIntosh Tops Whitewater in LAX
Thriller, Bl
VOL 151, NO. 12
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2023
$1.00
INSIDE: Local Hero HelpsWoman, Dog in Time of Need, A2
INSIDE: Terminally Ill Bride GivenWedding at Hollingsworth House, A8
Authorities Search for Alleged Killer of 11-Year-Old Girl
Kionta Parks of Spalding County Considered ‘Armed, Dangerous’
Following are excerpts
from a story by Aunge-
lique Proctor and the Fox
5 Atlanta digital team
which appeared on the
news source’s website:
Authorities are search
ing for a man who [law en
forcement officials] say
they believe fired the shot
that killed an n-year-old
girl [last week] as she slept
inside her Spalding
County apartment.
Spalding Sheriff Dar
rell Dix said investigators
have taken out warrants
for 22-year-old Kionta
Parks on felony murder,
three counts of aggravated
assault, four counts of pos
session of a firearm during
the commission of a crime,
cruelty to children, 14
counts of violating the
Georgia Criminal Street
Gang Act, and domestic
terrorism.
"He should be consid
ered extremely armed and
dangerous," Sheriff Dix
warns.
The shooting occurred
around 1 a.m. [March 14]
at the J Building in Spald
ing Heights apartments.
Sheriff Dix said one of the
rounds fired at the in
tended target missed and
traveled through the
child's bedroom window.
"All indications are that
it was a gang-related
shooting, and he was
shooting at another person
who pulled into the park
ing lot, from about too
yards away, with a rifle,
and was just spraying bul
lets," Dix said.
The sheriff said after a
day-long investigation,
deputies were able to iden
tify Parks, not just for
Tuesday morning’s deadly
shooting, but also a shoot
ing last month.
"We have been able to
See Alleged Killer, A6
Kionta Parks
Officer Zachary Pye with American Legion Post 50 Commander Wayne Fowler. Leah Banks/Fayette News
American Legion Post 50 Recognizes
Law Enforcement Officer of theYear
Leah Banks
Investigative Reporter
leah@fayette-news.net
PEACHTREE CITY -
Peachtree City residents
take pride in their public
safety officials and staff as
they continue to keep the
city safe, and in the March
16 PTC City Council meet
ing, American Legion Post
50 recognized Officer Za
chary Pye and Firefighter
Edward Russian for their
hard work and dedication
to the community.
The presentation was
conducted by Wayne
Fowler, who recognized
two past commanders.
Fowler began by detailing
the selection process for
Law Enforcement Officer
of the Year and Firefighter
of the Year.
“Every year, we get the
opportunity to present our
award from the American
Legion to a member of our
local police department
and firefighting depart
ment,” Fowler said. “And
every year, our city’s de
partments have been fan
tastic in nominating their
people for this award.”
Fowler highlighted the
Leah Banks
Investigative Reporter
leah@fayette-news.net
TYRONE - In the
March 13 Downtown Devel
opment Authority meeting,
Phillip Trocquet, assistant
town manager for Tyrone,
reviewed the request for
qualification of 935 Senoia
Road, also known as the
“old fire station” in Tyrone.
Trocquet reminded the
committee that there are
multiple points in the draft
that are written for legal
purposes, but there are
major keynotes worth the
importance of selection for
the city, as well as what it
means for American Le
gion to nominate these in
dividuals every year as a
symbol of camaraderie
and achievement. Accord
ing to Fowler, the city
presents them with
packets, and each year
they select nominees from
the packets.
Once they make the se
lection, they present the
nominee with an award
from the post level. The
group’s attention.
The purpose of the of the
draft was to identify solicit
ing qualifications for a de
velopment partner to
redevelop the property, ac
cording to Trocquet.
“This is the introduction
of the RFQ,” Troquet began.
“It’s the introduction and
the project scope of what
we’re trying to do, which
outlines the schedule ‘to be
determined’ until we get it
approved and can start on
that.”
Troquet outlined steps
the DDA would be required
to take in order to make
post then submits the
package to the organiza
tion’s state headquarters,
where they are compared
to other firefighters and
law enforcement officers
throughout the state.
The winner of that level
is submitted to the na
tional committee, where
they are judged again for
the opportunity to receive
the organization’s national
award.
See American Legion, A6
necessary adjustments, in
cluding advertisement of
the arch view and applicant
interviews.
Written in the drafted
RFQ is the scope of work,
project criteria, and eval
uation of the overall project.
But bulk of the focus is
shifted toward whether the
scope and criteria match
what the DDA wishes to ac
complish with the property,
as well as whether the eval
uation criteria factors seem
“appropriately weighted,”
according to Trocquet.
See Tyrone DDA, A6
Tyrone DDA Eyes Qualifications
for Restaurant at 'Old Fire Station'
PTC Hosts 8 Cities
and Towns at
Municipal Summit
Leah Banks
Investigative Reporter
leah@fayette-news.net
PEACHTREE CITY -
For Fayette and Coweta
Counties, cities and towns
work together to discuss
new and interesting things
happening within them,
and on Mar. 16, Peachtree
City hosted the Municipal
Summit to explore the
changes and innovations
each city and town experi
enced entering 2023.
The summit was held
in Peachtree City’s City
Hall, and was composed of
mayors from Tyrone,
Brooks, Woolsey, and
Peachtree City, as well as
the mayors of Sharpsburg
and Senoia and represen
tatives from Newnan and
Fayetteville.
Peachtree City Mayor
Kim Learnard hosted the
event and led the charge as
guest speakers began to
share important infor
mation about possible ini
tiatives and discussion
topics for each municipal-
See Municipal Summit, A5
Dr. Myra Rhoden, director of bands at Fayette County High
Rhoden makes
Bandmaster History
Dr. Myra Rhoden, direc
tor of bands at Fayette
County High, is making his
tory.
Dr. Rhoden has been
elected to the prestigious
American Bandmasters As
sociation as one of the
world’s most outstanding
music educators. Ad
ditionally, she is the first Af
rican American woman to
receive the exceptional honor
in the association’s 94 years.
“We’re extremely proud,
honored, and excited for Dr.
Rhoden's future and what
this recognition will do for
her, and also what this rec
ognition will contribute to
Fayette County High School
Fine Arts, especially the in
strumental music program,”
said FCHS Principal Yolanda
Briggs-Johnson. “Thank you,
Dr. Rhoden, for serving,
modeling, and being a stellar
example for young girls,
especially young girls of color
all over the universe!”
The American Band
masters Association,
founded in 1929, with John
Philip Sousa as honorary life
president, recognizes out
standing achievement on the
part of concert band conduc
tors and composers. The cur
rent membership comprises
approximately 300 band
conductors and composers in
the USA and Canada, along
with 80 associate members.
INSIDE:
COMMUNITY
A7 FAYETTE VIEWS
A4 LEGALS
B3
OBITUARIES
A2 SPORTS
Bl CLASSIFIEDS
B8
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