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NEWS
FAYETTE
COUNTY
4*THE TRUTH SINCE 1886 4*
INSIDE:
Reshaw Racks Up
Basketball Accolades, Bl
VOL. 151.NO. 16
WEDNESDAY, April 19, 2023
$1.00
INSIDE: Congressional Committee to Hold Hearing on PTC Economy April 21, A3
INSIDE: Woolsey Seeking to Preserve History Through Nonprojit Organization, A5
Residents Air Car Show Concerns to Fayette Board
Commissioners Approve $109,576 Contract for Pipe Replacement
Sydney Spencer
News Reporter
sspencer@fayette-news.net
County residents gath
ered at the Fayette County
Commission meeting on
April 13 to discuss their con
cerns about Rick Ross’ sec
ond annual car and bike
show, where Ross show
cases his collection of cars
and bikes on the front lawn
of his Fayetteville estate.
The automotive experi
ence has some Fayetteville
residents expressing appre
hension about how the
event will be policed, due to
last year’s “poorly managed
attempt.”
Denise Morrison voiced
her concern about the traffic
Ross’ event imposed on the
Fayetteville area.
“What happened to us
last year was a nightmare
from [9 a.m. to about to
p.m.],” said Morrison.
“[We] couldn’t get in and
out of the subdivision. I
don’t care which direction
we tried. I had a graduation
to go to and couldn’t even
get back to my house to
change my clothes. I had to
meet my daughter in the
parking lot at McDonald’s.”
Morrison further ex
plained how she was in
formed by an officer that
attendees who were trying
See Commissioners, A6
The facade of Rick Ross' Fayette estate at his last car and bike
show Submitted
Colin Martins Submitted
Colin Martins
Announces
Departure
from Chamber
Sydney Spencer
News Reporter
sspencer@fayette-news.net
After more than four
years, Fayette Chamber of
Commerce Board of Direc
tors is searching for a new
leader, as former President
and CEO Colin Martin re
cently announced his depar
ture, effective March 31.
Martin has retired from
the chamber and has ac
cepted a position at AT&T
as an external affairs man
ager. He explained his deci
sion to colleagues on March
15-
“The best news is that
the job is based in Colum
bus, so I get to be home with
my lovely and gracious
bride,” said Martin. “I was
not looking for another job,
but when this one came to
my attention two weeks ago,
Beth said she missed me
and wanted me home. After
34 years or marriage, I was
glad to hear that and knew
what I needed to do.”
See Chamber, A6
Courtesy of Fayette County Schools
Michelle Shaw after receiving her plaque for Fayette County Teacher of the Year.
Spring Hill’s Shaw Named
‘23 Fayette Teacher of the Year
A light for the Suns is
shining brightly as Spring
Hill Elementary kinder
garten teacher Michelle
Shaw was named the 2023
Fayette County Teacher of
the Year at the annual
awards ceremony on April
13-
Shaw is a 17-year teach
ing veteran who says she
finds her passion is helping
build educational founda
tions.
“As a kindergarten
teacher, or as an early
grades teacher, you can
sometimes feel unseen,”
Shaw said in her acceptance
speech.
“It can feel like the work
that we do is not as impor
tant as the upper grade
teachers who work hard so
that their students can
master the standards and
make threes and fours on
the milestones, or like the
teachers in middle school
who help students manage a
big transitional period in
their lives as they begin and
grow through adolescence,
or like the job of high school
teachers who do the work to
prepare students to enter
the real world.
“However, like anything
built to last, a strong foun
dation is essential for a last
ing structure. This has been
and will continue to be my
teaching philosophy.”
The win is special for her
school. Shaw is Spring Hill’s
first Fayette County Teacher
of the Year.
“It was not that long ago,
on a sunny day in March of
2019, that, as soon as the
doors of the job fair opened,
I confidently walked directly
to the Spring Hill table
knowing I wanted to be a
Sun. The smiles were warm,
and the people were wel
coming,” remembered
Shaw.
“My principal and I have
often reminisced about this
moment, always confirming
that I am exactly where I am
supposed to be. It has been
a joy to be a Spring Hill Sun,
and I am humbled by my
colleagues' recognition of
my hard work and ded-
See Shaw, A6
BOE Hears Updates
on System Safety
Assessment, JROTC
Sydney Spencer
News Reporter
sspencer@fayette-news.net
Fayette County Board of
Education held its monthly
work session on April 10
with discussion of the
safety, security, and threat
assessments of all schools
within the county.
Assistant Superinten
dent of Operations Steve
Cole began the presentation
by acknowledging why there
are constant assessments
for all schools.
“We know how impor
tant this is. It’s a top prior
ity, obviously, of our school
system. The top priority of
keeping all of our students
and staff safe,” said Cole.
“We are constantly review
ing our processes, proce
dures, and policies related
to school safety and things
we can do to be better, and
things we can do to be more
proactive in these areas.
“Over the last five years
or so, going back to when we
really started going into
hardening our schools, we
went into these schools, and
we invested a lot of money
into hardening and creating
single point entries,” he
continued. “The security
vestibules have really been a
big part of this plan in mak
ing sure our schools stay
safe, so that people only
have one way in and one
See BOE, A6
Early Voting for
House 68 Seat
Begins April 24
Leah Banks
Investigative Reporter
leah@fayette-news.net
FAYETTE - After the
death of State House Dis
trict 68 Rep. Letitia
“Tish” Naghise, Gov.
Brian Kemp called for a
special election, sched
uled for May 16, to fill the
vacant seat.
The ballot is to include
five candidates for the
seat, all of whom are
Democrats: Mark Baker,
John Culbreth, Taiwo
Idowu, Derrick Jackson,
and Jane Williams, ac
cording to the Fayette
County Elections Office.
Early voting starts
April 24 from 9 a.m. to 5
p.m. daily, April 24-29,
May 1-6, and May 8-12.
Early voting locations are
the Fayette County Elec
tions Office, Peachtree
City Library, and the Ty
rone Recreation Office.
The elections/reg
istrar’s office is currently
accepting applications for
absentee-by-mail ballots
for this election. Appli
cants can find the link on
the Fayette County Elec
tions website. Once the
form is complete, appli
cants can submit the form
to the registrar’s office at
140 Stonewall Avenue
West, Suite 208, Fay
etteville, or submit by
mail.
Applicants also have
the option of scanning the
application and sending it
to eletionsgroup@fay-
ettecountyga.gov.
A runoff is scheduled
for June 13, if necessary.
District 68 encom
passes portions of Fayette
and Fulton counties, in
cluding northwest Fay
etteville, Peachtree City,
and Tyrone.
INSIDE:
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