About Fayette County news. (Fayetteville, GA) 2009-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 29, 2023)
THE TRUTH SINCE 1886 FAYETTE COUNTY (1) NEWS f ay ett e-news, net Vol. 151, No. 48 Wednesday, November 29, 2023 $1. Jones Sentenced to life for PTC Murder Following a recent jury trial, Marlon Jones was found guilty of murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in the May 2022 death of Donnell Hicks in Peachtree City. Jones reportedly confronted Hicks, store manager of CVS phar macy at Lexington Circle in PTC, over a personal dispute. After a short discussion, Jones shot Hicks with a 9mm handgun, wounding him and knocking him to the ground, according to Griffin Judi cial Circuit District Attorney Marie Broder. An eyewitness testified that Jones then stood over Hicks’ body and shot him repeatedly until the firearm was empty. Hicks was pro nounced dead at the scene and Jones was apprehended by PTC police. Superior Court Judge Rhonda B. Kreuziger sentenced Jones to life in prison without the possibil ity of parole for malice murder and a consecutive five years in prison for possession of a firearm during commission of a crime. “This crime rocked our com munity, and I am so thankful to my dynamic team who prosecuted this case,” DA Broder said of the trial. “My offices will continue to aggressively prosecute violent crime.” The case was investigated by Sgt. Heather Scott, along with other officers and detectives of the PTC Police Department, with the assistance of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation State Crime Labo ratory, according to a statement from the DA’s office. Logan Inagawa threw for 183 yards and ran for 122. Lincoln DeLaere's hail Mary catch with no time left won it for Starr's Mill. Special to FCN Hail Mary Sends Starr’s Mill to State Semifinals Panthers Upend Undefeated Central on the Road, 35-29 The Panthers’ storybook season continues with an ending fit for a Hollywood movie. Starr’s Mill went on the road in the quarterfinals and beat the previously undefeated Central Lions 35- 29 on a last-second, hail Mary, touchdown reception. “We are very happy for the boys to see them accomplish something so big,” said Coach Chad Phillips. “We have had a wide range of circumstances over the long season, and the resolve and resilience this group has shown is significant. They have overcome some adversity well.” See the full story, By. Local Educators Awarded Grants through Bright Ideas Every Penny Counts with ‘Operation Round Up’ Six local educators were among the winners as Coweta-Fayette EMC awarded $29,953.34 in Bright Ideas grants to 28 deserving teachers across Coweta County Schools, Fayette County Schools, and Heard County Schools. Fayette County winners were Lisa Owens from Fayette Life Academy; Sarah Thomp son from Flat Rock Middle School; Angela Thompson, Ansleigh Baxter, and Kori Perez from Kedron Ele mentary; and Brandi Thronton from Peachtree City Elementary. Bright Ideas is funded by Coweta-Fayette EMC’s Operation Round-Up. The pennies customers con tribute each month to Op eration Round-Up, when combined with the pennies of thousands of other members, benefit those in See Bright Ideas, A7 Lisa Owens after hearing the big news. Courtesy of Fayette County Schools Kori Perez, back row, second from right, shares the excitement with her Kedron Elementary class. Laura Plauche Johnson Tamara Allen Moore PTC Runoff Set Dec. 5 Early Voting Ends Dec. 1 Leah Banks Senior Reporter leah@fayette-news.net As election season comes to an end, all eyes are on Peachtree City as candi dates Laura Plauche Johnson and Tamara Allen Moore are on the Dec. 5 runoff ballot for PTC Coun cil Post 1 representative. During the Nov. 7 elec tion, both Johnson and Moore were neck and neck at the ballot box, but Johnson secured more votes (2,481 compared to Moore’s 1,768). However, Johnson did not secure more than 50 percent of total votes. Early voting for the run off election began Nov. 27 at the Fayette County Election Office (175 Johnson Avenue in Fayetteville) and Peach tree City Library (201 Wil- lowbend Road in Peachtree City). Early voting precincts will remain open weekdays from 9 a.m. to five p.m. through Friday, Dec. 1. Following early voting, voters will cast ballots at their assigned PTC voting precincts between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 5- For more information, visit the state “My Voter Page” at https://mvp.s0s.ga.g0v/s/, visit fayettecountyga.gov/elec tions, or call 770-305-5408. Peachtree City Launches New Navigation App Leah Banks Senior Reporter leah@fayette-news.net In a city filled with a multitude of inviting green spaces, hidden gems for retail, and an abundance of golf cart paths, repre sentatives of Peachtree City sought to fill a need by developing a new mobile application for citizens to navigate exploration and travels throughout the city. During the Nov. 16 PTC City Council meeting, staff announced the launch of “Navigate PTC,” a new app that serves as the “one- stop guide” for the city’s extensive network of multi-use paths and more. According to staff, the app extends beyond nor mal navigation capabilities and allows for comprehen sive resources for discov ering the city’s “hidden gems,” including parks, recreation facilities, retail options, and restaurants. Notable features for mobile app users include navigating the path system (by golf cart, bicycle, or on foot) with a built-in GPS system, reporting a prob lem to city employees and officials, registering or re newing registration for a golf cart, applying for a permit (for homeowners or contractors), sharing your location with the press of a button, sub scribing to city notifica tions, contacting PTC public safety agencies for non-emergency matters, browsing restaurants and shopping, and viewing the PTC calendar for city and community events. See PTC Navigation, A7 INSIDE: FAYETTE VIEWS OBITUARIES A4 SPORTS A2 LEGALS _B7 SHOP LOCAL GIVEAWAY BLB2 B3 SCHOOL B8 CONTACT US: support@fayette-news.net - (770) 461-6317 - fayette-news.net We Look Forward To Seeing You Soon! Open for Lunch and Dinner • Seven Days A Week 180 Hwy 314, Fayette, GA * 770.7037514 * fridasbarandgrill.com r\W\ Frida’s
