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CR
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FAYETTE
COUNTY
NEWS
4*THE TRUTH SINCE 1886 *$>
INSIDE:
VOL 151, NO. 25
WEDNESDAY, June 21,2023
Introducing the 2023
All-County Baseball Team, Bl
$1.00
INSIDE: 40,000 Pounds of Food Donated to Benefit Local Organizations, A3
INSIDE: Booth Middle Chorus Performs at Braves Game, B2
Fayetteville Council Approves
Agreement with QTS Data Center
Luke Haney
Editor
lhaney@upsonbeacon.com
Fayetteville council
members unanimously ap
proved an agreement be
tween the City of
Fayetteville and National
Acquisition Company, LLC
for the QTS Data Center to
be located at 1435 Highway
54 West following a public
hearing, which was pre
sented by Planning and
Zoning Manager Julie
Brown.
According to Brown, the
conceptional site plan for
the center was approved
with a condition by the
planning and zoning com
mission on Feb. 28. Staff
recommended adoption of
Ordinance 0-13-23 to so
lidify the agreement be
tween the two entities.
No members of the pub
lic spoke on the issue during
the hearing.
Following new business,
public participation was
held. Multiple citizens
spoke in opposition of the
QTS Data Center, one hold
ing a petition signed by
“hundreds” in opposition to
the center.
Multiple council
members responded to
statements made, informing
citizens that much of the
data presented by residents
is “outdated,” and QTS com
mits to being carbon neutral
in coming years and is “to
tally different” than other
data centers built across the
country.
The issue of water was
See QTS, A6
Leah Banks/Fayette News
Tic
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Keep Your Head to the Sky!
Fayetteville Celebrates Juneteenth
Leah Banks
Investigative Reporter
leah@fayette-news.net
Since Juneteenth be
came a federal holiday,
many Americans and cit
izens have grown curious as
to the symbolic nature of
the day, which evolved into
this recognition.
In a celebration in Fay
etteville, sponsored by Fay
ette Historical Society, with
special thanks to the Fayette
County chapter of the
NAACP and the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-Day
Saints, members of the Fay
ette community welcomed
lessons of unity, comradery,
and connection as they
joined to sing the “Black Na
tional Anthem,” “Lift Every
Voice and Sing,” and heard
about the testimonies of
what this day means to
prominent members of the
community.
Brigitte Greer
Staff Writer
bgreer@fayette-news.net
The Town at Trilith
hosted its second annual
Juneteenth Celebration on
June 17, with community
Keynote speaker for the
celebration was Fayetteville
Mayor Ed Johnson, who
highlighted the significance
of the holiday, while also
spotlighting the unity that
the City of Fayetteville con
veys daily, regarding inclu-
vendors, live music, food
trucks, and a children’s area
complete with crafts, games,
and face painting.
Fayette County High
School marching band
kicked off the celebration at
4 p.m. and local artists con-
sivity and diversity.
While the event was
meant to provide an air of
celebration, Fayette Histori
cal Society assumed the task
of educating those in atten-
See Juneteenth, A6
tinued to perform through
out the day. Bogey & The
Viceroy closed the evening
with a set paying tribute to
Prince.
See additional im
ages at iviviv.fayette-
neivs.net.
Members of the Fayette County High School marching band kick off the live performances at
the Town at Trilith Juneteenth Celebration. Brigitte Greer/Fayette News
Town at Trilith Celebrates Juneteenth
Mark Baker
Derrick Jackson
Jackson Wins Fayette,
Vacant District 68
Seat Too Close to Call’
Following the June 13
runoff election to fill the va
cant seat of Georgia House
District 68, Democrat Der
rick Jackson carried Fayette
County with 69 percent of
voters, but statewide results
remain “too close to call,” as
Jackson is only 14 votes
ahead of opponent Mark
Baker in unofficial results
reported by the Georgia Sec
retary of State’s office on
Monday, June 19.
Of the 1,105 Fayette
County votes cast, Jackson
secured 763 votes while
Baker tallied 342. State
wide, Jackson tallied 917 of
the 1,820 votes, with Baker
receiving 903. The unoffi
cial count does not include
all absentee or provisional
ballots.
Fayette County votes
were certified by the Fayette
Board of Elections on June
16.
The District 68 seat was
left open, and Gov. Brian
Kemp issued an executive
order to fill the seat, follow
ing the untimely death of
Rep. Letitia "Tish" Naghise,
who died in March, two
months after being sworn
in.
Voter turnout for Fay
ette residents totaled 4.93
percent of registered voters
in the area, versus 4.25 per
cent of registered statewide
voters in the district casting
a ballot.
Tyrone Council Passes
2023-24 FY Budget
Leah Banks
Investigative Reporter
leah@fayette-news.net
After a budget workshop
on May 18 and a public
hearing on June 1, the Ty
rone Town Council voted
unanimously to pass Ty
rone’s 2023-2024 Fiscal
Year Budget during the
June 15 meeting.
There were no changes
to the proposed budget
from the two previous meet
ings, and in the June 15
meeting, staff rec
ommended approval of the
budget, which goes into ef
fect on July 1.
The budget totals
$17,566,991.38, including
$6,860,042.40 for all other
miscellaneous funds.
PTC Council Debates
Flat Creek Boardwalk
Repair, Tree Removal
Leah Banks
Investigative Reporter
leah@fayette-news.net
Following a lengthy de
bate in the June 15 meeting,
city council members of
Peachtree City voted to table
an agenda item regarding
the repair of Flat Creek
Boardwalk until more op
tions are considered.
In a presentation by As
sistant City Manager of
Peachtree City Justin
Strickland, the total cost of
repair was $200,000, with
$135,000 to be directed to
ward tree removal, $14,000
allocated toward boardwalk
structure repair, and
$51,000 directed toward
contingencies.
The boardwalk was built
in the early 1990s, with the
north end of the structure
being 168 feet and the south
end being 968 feet. There
are two observation decks
on the boardwalk.
According to Strickland,
the cost for repairs and re
movals does not amount to
the potential liability if the
boardwalk is not repaired.
“The big cost of this is
that the trees are going to
fall. Our city engineer will
not approve opening this
back up to the public unless
those trees that are going to
fall are gone,” Strickland
said.
The boardwalk has been
See PTC Boardwalk, A6
INSIDE:
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