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106 Governors Square, Suite A
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THE TRUTH SINCE 1886
FAYETTE COUNTY
NEWS
Vol. 152, No. 8
f ay ett e-news, net
Wednesday, February 21, 2024
m
PTC Renames Chambers, Boat Ramp after Local Dignitaries
Leah Banks
Senior Reporter
leah@fayette-news.net
During the Feb. 15 meet
ing of the City Council of
Peachtree City, members
unanimously approved
requests to rename two
public facilities in honor of
local dignitaries.
The first request came
from the Rotary Club of
Peachtree City, which asked
for the council chambers to
be renamed after former
city clerk and 1993-94 local
Rotary president Frances
Meaders.
The first city clerk of
PTC, Meaders was also one
of two original city employ
ees, alongside the first po
lice chief.
PTC Mayor Kim Lear-
nard presented a biography
of Meaders, highlighting her
achievements as a city offi
cial and community advo
cate.
“We’re so fortunate in
Peachtree City to have
people around who are our
founders, and Frances
Meaders is certainly one of
them,” Learnard com
mented.
Councilman Frank De-
stadio commented on how
“fortunate” he was to have
met Meaders.
“I don’t know many
other council members that
have done [the things she
accomplished],” Destadio
said, “not that Fve been here
since ’78. She actually used
to come over to the planning
commission meetings when
I was on the planning com
mission for 11 years. She’s
really a wonderful woman
and everything you’ve read
here is just a summary of
what she’s done.”
Learnard added that
Meaders was a mentor and
friend to her for many years.
See PTC, A6
County Offers
Free Class
Recycling
Fayette County and
Ripple Glass officials an
nounced Feb. 16 of a new
glass recycling opportunity
at the county transfer sta
tion.
The Ripple Glass recy
cling program provides
residents with the oppor
tunity to drop off their
glass for convenient and
sustainable recycling. Res
idents who desire to recy
cle glass can bring glass
containers to the transfer
station at 211 First Manas
sas Mile Road.
Officials add that they
do not accept glass at the
curb during regular recy
cling pickup.
The purple bins are
free to use, and Ripple
Glass accepts all colors of
food and beverage glass.
The labels can stay on, and
rinsing the glass is appre-
See Recycling, A6
Members of the Whitewater High Vex Robotics team. Courtesy of Fayette County Schools
Whitewater High Robotics
Qualifies for Worlds
Whitewater High Vex Robotics is headed to an international competition.
The team of Oiven Gutierrez, Colby Shaffer, Tyler Klinger, and Schoch
Weaver went 8-2 at the VEX Robotics State Championship, reaching the
quarterfinals before being eliminated. Their effort qualifies them to compete
in the 2024 VEX Robotics World Championship.
This makes three straight years the Wildcats have qualified for the ivorld
championship. They will travel to Dallas, Texas, in April to compete against
the best VEX robots from all over the ivorld.
Joel Cassell coaches the Whiteivater High Vex Robotics Teams.
Fayetteville Recognizes
Planning & Zoning
Members Collins, Renfroe
Brigitte Greer
Staff Writer
bgreer@fayette-news.net
Members of the city
council and staff recognized
Ken Collins and Debi Renfroe
for their time served on the
City of Fayetteville Planning
and Zoning Commission dur
ing the Feb. 15 city council
meeting. Both served on the
commission for 11 years.
“It is a thankless job. You
have to be able to sit up there,
take the abuse, listen to what
people say, and make a deci
sion about what you think is
the best for the city. I have to
say, I think both Debi and
Ken have done a great job
and I hate to see them leave,”
Mayor Pro-Tem Richard
Hoffman said.
Additionally, during the
meeting, Mayor Edward
Johnson proclaimed Feb. 16
as Arbor Day in the city, coin
ciding with Georgia Arbor
Day, which is also recognized
Feb. 16.
“I urge all citizens to cele
brate Arbor Day by support
ing efforts to plant and
protect trees and woodlands
throughout our community,”
Johnson said.
In other news:
•Southern Crescent Tech
nical College President Dr.
Irvin T. Clark updated the
council on SCTC’s focus en
rollment data for the current
school year, and the college’s
strategic plan for 2024-2028.
•Council members unan
imously approved the con
sent agenda, which included
the declaration of surplus
items to be sold through auc
tion to generate revenue for
the city, and the Travis Alley
Improvements Project bid
award. City staff received
three bids for the Travis Alley
Improvements Project and
recommended low bidder
S.H. Contracting for the proj
ect, in the amount of
$2,110,780.
School Safety, Gun Violence:
Intervention & Prevention is Key
Leah Banks
Senior Reporter
leah@fayette-news.net
FAYETTE — Since the
school year resumed after
the Christmas holiday, sev
eral local middle and high
schools in Fayette County
have been notified of gun
threats made by students,
most recently at Sandy
Creek High.
According to a Face-
book post by Sandy Creek
Principal Tosha Oliver, the
Federal Bureau of Investi
gation found an Instagram
post on Feb. 14 regarding a
student posting, “Bringing
a gun to school tomorrow.
Leave before 4th period.”
Another student reposted
the message.
Although both students
were identified and there
was no incident thereafter,
Oliver stated that she
wanted parents to work
alongside teachers, faculty,
and staff to ensure the
safety of all students and
staff that are in the school
system. This, however, did
not stop parents and con
cerned adults from voicing
their opinions about the
threats that have been
made thus far.
The severity of these
threats, whether mere
threats or true acts of vio
lence, is one that should
not be questioned, as the
safety of children has al
ways been a noted priority.
In 2023, there were multi
ple threats made at various
schools in the county, and
those students were
charged accordingly. The
fear, however, comes from
the violent aftermath of
school shootings that
gripped the nation.
In 2024, there have
been at least 25 incidents of
gunfire on school grounds
throughout the nation, re
sulting in 11 deaths and 17
injuries, according to re
search by Everytown for
Fun Safety.
According to data com
piled in 2023 from the K-12
School Shooting Database,
there were 346 school
shooting incidents across
the country. This means
the United States averaged
nearly one incident every
day and saw its highest
total to date since 1966.
Many grassroots organ
izations, such as Sandy
Hook Promise, were
founded to honor all vic
tims of gun violence by
turning tragedies into
transformations by implor
ing youth and families to
know the signs of a sus
pected gun violence event
and to confide in a trusted
adult if there is any sus
picion.
For principals and staff
like Oliver, it is important
that parents not only dis
cuss the importance of
speaking out, but also
stand up for protecting
See Safety, A6
The Angelic Praise dancers gracefully glide in front of the audience in their interpretive dance
to Wade in The Water. teah Banks/Fayette News
County Residents Recognize Black
History Through Storytelling Events
Leah Banks
Senior Reporter
leah@fayette-news.net
Adding to the list of local
Black History Month
events, organizations and
members of Fayette County
gathered for two events on
Feb. 17.
The first event was held
by Fayette County Histori
cal Society, where members
of the society, along with
panelists, highlight the im
pact that the establishment
of black churches had dur
ing the 1800S-1920S in the
area.
While similar events
highlighting churches were
held on two previous Sat
urdays, last Saturday in
cluded City of Fayetteville
Mayor Ed Johnson as one of
the panelists in the discus
sion. Johnson is not only
the mayor, but also a full
time pastor of Flat Rock Af
rican Episcopal Church in
Fayetteville.
Rev. Dwight Elder of
Bethlehem Baptist Church
in Peachtree City and Pastor
Melvin Ware were alongside
Johnson discussing the im
pacts of these churches,
their historical influences in
the county, and the impor
tance of ensuring these
stories are not forgotten.
“It’s very important
[that people know that there
are black churches in Fay
ette County]. Without a his
tory, people perish,” said
Ware, “and we’ve come a
long way, but the story is
not over yet.”
Johnson said he believes
that retelling the histories of
these churches is not only
beneficial in Fayetteville,
but countywide.
“You see the connectiv
ity,” Johnson said, “ob
viously between the black
churches through the his-
See BHM, A6
INSIDE:
FAYETTE VIEWS
SPORTS
A4 SCHOOL B2 LEGALS
B1 MEETINGS & EVENTS PS CLASSIFIEDS
B3
B6
CONTACT US: support@fayette-news.net - (770) 461-6317 - fayette-news.net
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