About Fayette County news. (Fayetteville, GA) 2009-current | View Entire Issue (April 5, 2023)
Wednesday, March 29,2023 Fayette County News A3 Dial and Learnard Discuss Impact of Passing SPLOST Leah Banks Investigative Reporter leah@fayette-news.net FAYETTE - In the af termath of the 2023 spe cial purpose local option sales tax vote, mayors and governmental leaders within Fayette County mu nicipalities took time to ex press gratitude to citizens for passing the referen dum. In the months leading to the election, officials like Peachtree City Mayor Kim Learnard and Tyrone Mayor Eric Dial held infor mational meetings to in form residents in their areas on the importance of SPLOST. Now that it has passed, the two expressed gratitude to Fayette County citizens who al lowed the one-cent sales tax to be renewed. For Learnard, the im portance of the SPLOST was emphasized through public engagements with PTC residents. She said she became more aware of the pressing need for residents to know how to spread the word on its importance and is pleased with the boost of engagement. “SPLOST passed re soundingly because our citizens are interested in investing in our future. We want more than just a house to live in. We want strong public safety, well- maintained infrastructure, and options for recreation and amenities, all part of the Peachtree City quality of life,” Learnard said. While voter turnout was lower than other re cent elections, Learnard said she is proud of Peach tree City residents for vot ing “yes” for SPLOST. Just a few miles away in Tyrone, Mayor Eric Dial expressed pride in the ac tions of Tyrone’s citizens for voting “yes” to SPLOST and the improvements the town needs and has on its list of projects. “I am encouraged and grateful that the voters have shown their con fidence in us to utilize SPLOST dollars for town improvements. Our list of projects, which was com prised with the input of cit izens, can now be completed in a more timely manner and without hav ing to use other, less desir able funds,” Dial said. Participants Share Success of Aspiring Principals Program The Walker family returns to the stage of Family Feud Encore, Encore! Walker Family Appears on Family Feud Encore Episode Submitted Sydney Spencer News Reporter sspencer@fayette-news.net During its March 27 meeting, the Fayette County Board of Educa tion discussed the “Aspir ing Principals Program - Cohort 3” that assists prin cipals and future princi pals on their journeys to being exemplary leaders for their schools. Fayette County High Assistant Principal Andrea Cherry-Lee gave the board background information on the program and why it was instituted. “I had the opportunity, along with my fellow co hort members, to be a part of the aspiring principals program for the 2022-23 school year. Throughout this program, we have had As residents, re sponders, and volunteers in west Georgia continue cleaning up the damage and debris caused by se vere storms - including an EF3 tornado in Troup County late last month - District 4 Public Health re minds individuals that a tetanus vaccination is rec ommended if it’s been 10 years or more since their last tetanus vaccination. “If someone acciden tally steps on a rusty nail or gets cut on broken glass, they may just clean up the wound and move on,” said Leslie Leonard, nurse manager at the Troup County Health Depart ment. “But when you’re in the middle of so much metal, mud, and debris, it’s especially important to talk to your health care provider to see if you need a tetanus shot, especially if it’s a deep puncture wound or cut.” Public health officials normally recommend adults receive a tetanus vaccine (Td or Tdap) every 10 years. However, if you experience a deep cut or puncture wound while clearing storm debris (or while in a similar environ ment), your health care provider may recommend a tetanus booster if it’s been more than five years since your last dose. Individuals in direct contact with recent flood- waters - or the mud left be- several experiences that are guiding us toward our path and journey toward the principal share,” Cherry-Lee said. Leadership is essential for principals to provide guidance, inspiration, and motivation to their stu dents, according to Cherry-Lee, who explained how she and others will utilize the skills gained during the program. “We also had an oppor tunity to read several books and novels about leadership that were not based on the school lead ership, but from the busi ness aspect, to give us that opportunity to see a wide range of leadership and how we can incorporate [that] into the everyday role of a principal,” ex plained Cherry-Lee. hind - should also make sure their tetanus vaccina tions are up-to-date, espe cially if they had existing open wounds or cuts, Leonard said. When clearing storm debris, one should wear sturdy (preferably hard bottom) shoes or boots, said Johnny Langley, Dis trict 4’s interim emergency preparedness director. When high temperatures are not an issue, long sleeves and long pants are recommended. People are also strongly urged to wear thick gloves and protective glasses or goggles to lessen the chance of injuries. Local county health de partments, as well as many health care providers and immunizing pharmacists, offer Td and Tdap vac cines. The Td vaccine pro tects against tetanus and diphtheria, while the Tdap vaccine protects again tet anus, diphtheria, and per tussis (whooping cough). Call 800-847-4262 to make an appointment to receive the vaccine at any of District 4’s health de partments in Butts, Car- roll, Coweta, Fayette, Heard, Henry, Lamar, Meriwether, Pike, Spald ing, Troup, and Upson counties. It’s also a good time to schedule a child’s immunizations and screenings to avoid the back-to-school rush. For more information, visit cdc.gov/tetanus. Leah Banks Investigative Reporter leah@fayette-news.net FAYETTEVILLE When it comes to star status, Fayette County res idents know how to find a way from the living room to center stage of popular family-oriented game shows. For the Walker family, the encore airing of Family Feud was an “excel lent experience.” The returning members of the Walker Family in clude Shelia Miles, Michael Hilton, Cynthia Hilton, Ronald Jackson, and Patri cia Jackson. Fayette County News was able to meet with the Walker family to discuss not only their experiences competing on the show, but the most memorable mo ments throughout the pro cess. “We played again in the encore airing. We made it to sudden death, but we didn’t win. But it was a great time!” Patricia said. Patricia continued, dis cussing how the experience was a great opportunity for the family to come together and do something fun. “And, not only that, we got to meet some great people during that process,” Patricia said. Pertaining to their time in the competition, Patricia highlighted some mem orable moments with game show host Steve Harvey and his team, as well as the con versations that she had with Harvey outside of the com petition. “In between tapings, he was very personable with us. He actually asked us questions about our lives, and we talked about my em ployer. We talked about life in general and just different things. But he was very, very personable,” Patricia said. Patricia shares how Harvey shared “words of wisdom” between tapings and during conversation. She also highlights his co medic nature and entertain ing personality. “So, I feel like we had some great fun, and plus we had a great comedy show too,” Patricia joked. From her entire experi ence on the show and in competition, Patricia says that her most memorable moments on the show in volved how comfortable and relaxed that the crew and staff made her feel. “I think Steve Harvey has an excellent team. The whole team, from beginning to end, never made us feel uncomfortable. They were on top of it. They were very accommodating. They were also very engaging. As much as we would talk to them, they were very, very engaging,” Patricia said. Patricia adds that the pampering and makeup while filming also provided a memorable experience for her, as well as the team’s ef forts to provide the family with anything necessary. Cynthia Hilton says she enjoyed the interactions that her family had with other families who were competing on the show. “My most memorable moment on the show was meeting all the different people from different places. We shared how we got on the show and shared life issues together. It was just so much fun getting to know different people,” Cynthia said. Due to their loss in sud den death, the Walker Family was unable to con tinue the show, but they gained knowledge from being on the show that they are willing to share with other families looking to leave the living room. For Patricia, the advice is, “Enjoy the moment.” “Have fun! Don’t stress. Just have fun,” Patricia adds. FAYETTE CHAMBER Qlcfo)> IWfM'/V'-bhtj PRESENTED BY: ^■cR^OPlace APRIL 14 9AM-2 PM KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE TARGET SHOOT Join Tournament! CHEROKEE ROSE Cleaning Up Tornado and Storm Damage? Make Sure Tetanus Vaccine is Up to Date FAYETTE COUNTY NEWS P.0. Box 96, Fayetteville, Ga. 30214 ■ Phone: 770-461-6317 Fax: 770-460-8172 ■ fayette-news.net Award-winning member of the Georgia Press Association and the National Newspaper association.
