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PTC Celebrates 65th Birthday, A3
Fayette Chamber Monthly Update, B6
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CFEMC Selects 2024WYT Delegates, B2
THE TRUTH SINCE 1886
FAYETTE COUNTY (1) NEWS
f ay ett e-news, net
Vol. 152, No. 11 Wednesday, March 13, 2024 $1.
27 Qualify
for Fayette
Elected Offices
Twenty-seven county
residents qualified for the
May 21 general primary
election, with incumbents
facing opposition for multi
ple seats of the county com
mission, board of
education, clerk of Superior
Court, and tax commis
sioner.
Incumbent District l
county commissioner Eric
K. Maxwell (R) faces oppo
sition from Vickie Butler
(D).
Incumbent District 2
county commissioner Lee
Hearn (R) will face chal
lengers Bobby R. Jones (D)
and John R. Tate (D).
Incumbent District 5
county commissioner
Charles Oddo (R) will face
challengers Darryl Hicks
(D) and Quentin “Q” Pullen
(D).
Incumbent Clerk of Su
perior Court Sheila Stud-
dard (R) faces opposition
from Tonya Corbin (D).
Incumbent Fayette
County Board of Education
District 1 representative
Randy Hough (R) faces op
position from Lydia C.
Powell (D).
Incumbent FC Board of
Education District 3 repre
sentative Scott Hollowell
(R) will face challengers
Anne Menaldo (R) and Kim
Cox Owens (D).
Incumbent FC Board of
Education District 5 repre
sentative Brian Anderson
(R) faces opposition from
Catherine Remkes (D).
Incumbent tax commis
sioner Kristie King (R)
faces opposition from
Angela Haynes (D).
Running unopposed are
incumbent Sheriff Barry H.
Babb (R); incumbent Coro
ner W. Bee Huddleston (R);
incumbent Probate Judge
Angela Landgaard (R); in
cumbent Post 1 Magistrate
Judge Christy A. Dunkel-
berger (NP); incumbent
Post 2 Magistrate Judge
Kathy Brown-Valencia
(NP); incumbent Post 3
Magistrate Judge Robert
“Bob” Ruppenthal (NP); in
cumbent Post 2 Magistrate
Judge David R. Moore
(NP); and Jamie K. Ina-
gawa (R), to fill the state
court solicitor general seat.
Courtesy of Fayette County Schools
Sandy Creek Rolls to Second
Straight State Hoons Title
Patriots Smash Atomsmashers 74-49
The title stays in Tyrone. Sandy Creek High routed the Johnson High Atoms
mashers 74-49for the team’s second straight state championship last Saturday
at the Macon Centreplex. See the full story on Page Bi.
Planning Commission Recommends
Approval of Single-family Housing Development
Dylan Shoemaker
Staff Writer
dshoemaker@fayette-news.net
On March 7, the Fayette
County Planning Commission
recommended conditional ap
proval of a request by Stephen
Willoughby Homes, LLC to
construct single-family res
idential houses fronting Ken
wood and Longview roads.
According to the Fayette
County Comprehensive Plan,
Land Lot 230 is in a designated
low density residential area,
which limits one residential
unit per acre.
Seven county residents in
attendance opposed the
request, with several voicing
concerns about the potential
devaluing of their homes, traf
fic congestion, and environ
mental habitat loss that may
occur at the proposed project
location.
Community member Eloise
Delaine said, “The curve is
called roadkill,” in reference to
a particular stretch of Ken
wood Road in proximity to the
development site, where
frequent accidents occur, sug
gesting construction could
cause further complications.
Other speakers referenced
a previous time when Long
view was used as a detour,
which congested the 25 mile-
per-hour road, making com
mutes more difficult.
Board member Boris
Thomas mentioned there are
churches located on Kenwood
Road and asked fellow board
members how traffic concerns
could affect church activities.
Stephen Willoughby
Homes representatives esti
mated the value of each pro
posed home at $800,000 and
stated the goal to build be
tween 26-29 houses in the des
ignated area, if approved.
“We are worried about our
property values,” said Darrell
Carlson, a local resident whose
property sits off Longview
Road.
In rebuttal to opposition,
attorney Richard Lindsey, rep
resenting Stephen Willoughby
Homes, LLC, stated that all
construction plans comply with
county setbacks and therefore
“wouldn’t have a detrimental
impact” relating to specific en
vironmental concerns.
Some attendees stated they
have lived in the affected area
for more than 10 years and
made it known that the mini
mal amount of development is
why they chose to reside there.
Lindsey added that the
See Housing, A3
Coaches Stacee Lewis, left, and Robin Bryant, right, pose with Jump Rope Athletics members after com
peting in NADDO's AfroJump 2024. Submitted
Competitive Double Dutch Team
Places In Miami Competition
Leah Banks
Senior Reporter
leah@fayette-news.net
A Fayette County Double
Dutch team jumped into the
national jump rope scene fol
lowing wins during the recent
“National Association for Dou
ble Dutch Orgs” AfroJump
2024 competition in Miami.
Jump Rope Athletics,
coached by Stacee Lewis and
Robin Bryant, won first place
in “Fusion” and “Next Gen
Dash” categories, second place
in “Dash,” and third place in
“Twin Dash.” The performance
also earned the team the dis
tinguished “Double Dutch
Jacket.”
Expanding on the art of
Double Dutch, AfroJump is a
celebration of “the rich cultural
heritage and history of black
people,” according to NADDO
officials.
Once seen as just a popular
children’s game to practice
skill, timing, and rhythm, JRA
takes the game to another
level, and Lewis said the team’s
hard work and dedication have
not gone unnoticed or unrec
ognized.
“Interestingly, this remark
able team hails from Fayette
County, with most of our ath
letes coming from Tyrone and
Fayetteville,” Lewis said in an
online post. “Let’s come to
gether to celebrate their
achievements and show our
support.”
PTC Council
Revisits Short-
Term Rentals
Leah Banks
Senior Reporter
leah@fayette-news.net
In the March 5 workshop meeting of the City
Council of Peachtree City, members revisited the
long-debated, short-term ordinance that has been
on council’s docket since 2022.
PTC Planning Director Robin Cailloux began the
discussion, providing background of the proposed
ordinance. She stated that council began discussion
in April 2022, and the last conversation was held
during a public hearing on Nov. 16, 2023.
“[This is] just a reminder that, at this point, we
really do have a blank slate and there is no draft that
is being considered specifically right now,” Cailloux
added.
Cailloux presented results from a public opinion
survey that was available online between Jan. 6 and
Feb. 28. She noted that the city received 1,060 par
ticipant responses, 96 percent being city residents.
“Ninety-six percent of the respondents were
Peachtree City residents and 96 percent do not own
or operate a short-term rental in PTC. That means
four percent of the respondents do, and 70 percent
responded that they have stayed in the past, in a
STR,” Cailloux told council.”
Survey data revealed that 78 percent of respon
dents thought a permit should be required for oper
ation of an STR. Fifty-three percent stated that
permits should be required on an annual basis, with
22 percent rooting for a two-year permit, and 26
percent voting otherwise.
Respondents were asked to vote on the details of
the initial proposed ordinance, including whether a
detached garage or pool house should be used as an
STR, and whether STR applicants should be re
quired to obtain an occupational tax certification.
Following the presentation, attendees both in
support and opposition of the ordinance addressed
council to share opinions, thoughts, and feelings.
Prior to 2024 discussions, the ordinance had
See PTC, A5
Piedmont Fayette
Critical Care Unit Receives
Silver-level Beacon Award
The American Association of Critical-Care
Nurses conferred a silver-level Beacon Award for Ex
cellence on the critical care unit at Piedmont Fayette
Hospital on Thursday, March 7.
The Beacon Award for Excellence is a milestone
on the path to exceptional patient care and healthy
work environments and recognizes unit caregivers
who successfully improve patient outcomes and
align practices with AACN’s six “Healthy Work En
vironment Standards.”
Units that achieve this three-year, three-level
award with a gold, silver, or bronze designation meet
national criteria consistent with the ANCC Magnet
Recognition Program®, the Malcolm Baldrige Na
tional Quality Award, and the National Quality
Healthcare Award.
“We are extremely proud of our critical care
nurses and leaders and their pursuit of this award,”
said Piedmont Fayette Chief Nursing Officer Merry
Heath. “This award recognizes this team for their
strengths in communication, learning and devel
opment, processes, outcome, leadership, and en
gagement. It is because of those strengths that they
are able to make a positive difference in the lives of
their patients and visitors each day.”
The silver-level BAE signifies an effective ap
proach to policies, procedures, and processes that in
cludes engagement of staff and key stakeholders. The
unit has evaluation and improvement strategies in
place and good performance measures when com
pared to relevant benchmarks.
Piedmont Fayette’s critical care unit earned its
silver award by meeting the BAE criteria. This in
cluded having leadership structures and systems, ap
propriate staffing and engagement, effective
communication, knowledge management of learning
and development, evidence-based practices, and
outcome measurements.
AACN President Terry Davis applauded exem
plary efforts of caregivers at Piedmont Fayette for
working together to meet and exceed the high stan
dards set forth by BAE.
“These dedicated healthcare professionals join
other members of the exceptional community of
nurses who set the standard for optimal patient
care,” Davis said. “The Beacon Award for Excellence
recognizes caregivers in stellar units whose consis
tent and systematic approach to evidence-based care
optimizes patient outcomes. Units that receive this
national recognition serve as role models to others
on their journey to excellent patient and family care.”
To learn more, visit www.aacn.org/beacon or
piedmont.org.
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