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THE TRUTH SINCE 1886
FAYETTE COUNTY (1) NEWS
f ay ett e-news, net
Vol. 152, No. 18 Wednesday, May 1, 2024 $1.
Animal Advocates Crowd Commission Meeting
Concerns of Shelter Configuration, Wellbeing of Furry Friends
Luke Haney
Editor
lhaney@upsonbeacon.com
From shelter volunteers to
dog trainers and social media in
fluences, 22 individuals ad
dressed the Fayette County
Commission in front of a
crowded room on April 23 with
concerns, complaints, and solu
tions involving the recently
opened animal shelter.
Following the grand opening
of the new $3 million shelter last
month, county officials quickly
began receiving complaints and
questions about the facility, spe
cifically regarding inadequate
kennel sizes and safety/health
concerns.
While the county quickly re
sponded and adjusted the size of
dog kennels, vocal community
members were not happy with a
“quick fix.”
While most public partici
pants addressed concerns of
safety, physical/emotional well
being, health, and safety of ani
mals, as well as the safety of vol
unteers and shelter staff, multi
ple participants provided ideas,
potential solutions, and re
sources for commissioners and
county administration.
Participants stated that not
only are dogs in undersized ken
nels, but spaces for cats also
need improvements.
Two participants lobbied for
outdoor or free-roaming spaces
for cats for social contact and the
ability to see nature. If that is not
an option, one speaker sug
gested adding televisions to the
cat area to play videos of birds,
similar to how other humane or-
See Advocates, A6
Burn Ban
Begins
May 1
County Submits
Four Applications
for TIP Funding
Partnering with Local Governments
for Roadway Improvements
Graduates dance in celebration of completing the Special Pops Tennis Program. Courtesy of PTC
PTC Celebrates Tennis Program Graduates
With summer around
the corner, the Georgia
Annual Outdoor Burn Ban
begins May 1 and will con
clude Sept. 30.
To help diminish air is
sues surrounding ozone
pollutants, the Georgia
Environmental Protection
Division has instituted an
outdoor burn ban every
summer since 2005. While
campfires, cooking fires,
and some agriculture
burns are permitted, 54
mostly north and central
Georgia counties (listed
below) do not allow yard
and land debris clearing
burns from May 1 to Sept.
30, according to the Geor
gia Forestry Commission.
Georgia’s outdoor
See Burn Ban, A6
Leah Banks
Senior Reporter
leah@fayette-news.net
With the end of the
school year quickly ap
proaching, Peachtree City
Tennis Center held a cere
mony on April 26 for grad
uates of its Special Pops
Tennis Program.
The empowering cere
mony allowed for high
school seniors and recent
graduates to show their
skills and celebrate their
achievements after partic
ipating in the seven-week
program designed specifi
cally for individuals with
intellectual disabilities.
“This 7-week program
See Graduates, A6
Luke Haney
Editor
lhaney@upsonbeacon.com
Fayette County com
missioners agreed last
week to submit four grant
applications to the Atlanta
Regional Commission for
Transportation Improve
ment Program projects,
each with a 20 percent
local match.
The first project appli
cation is for a realignment
project for State Route 279
and Corinth Road on the
northeast side of the
county, which is intended
to realign the existing sig
nalized intersection and an
extension to Carnes Road
to provide full access to
State Route 85 and Co
rinth Road.
The project currently
has federal funding for
completion of the design
phase. The request is for
federal aid in the right-of-
way, utility, and construc
tion phases. The project
seeks up to $21,423,753 of
federal funds with a $5.4
million local match, total
ing $26,779,691.
The second application
is for the resurfacing of Ty
rone Road, Palmetto Road,
Corinth Road, Westbridge
See County, A6
BOE Reviews Revisions
to Student Code of Conduct
Leah Banks
Senior Reporter
leah@fayette-news.net
During the April 22 Fay
ette County Board of Educa
tion meeting, Assistant
Superintendent Steve Cole
updated the board on revi
sions and additions made to
the school system’s student
code of conduct.
According to Cole,
changes are tied to language
used relating to infractions
where students may need
more specific definitions for
what is allowable and pro
hibited.
Some of the publishable
infractions include the use,
possession, sale, transmis
sion, or solicitation of dmgs,
as well as fighting.
“What we’re trying to do
is really make sure that we
have a clear distinction be
tween what a transaction
would be versus what an ac
tual offense of trying to so
licit a sale or make a sale in
a school because I think it’s
important to make sure we
understand how we are de
ciding between the two of
fenses,” Cole said. “So, we
want to make sure that that
language is clear.”
First-time offenders of
drug related infractions
could potentially be placed
on short-term suspension
and required to attend the
S.U.P.E.R. drug awareness
and prevention program.
Second-time offenders
could face long-term sus
pension or expulsion, with
the potential of being re
ported to law enforcement.
“But, of course, if we
have students that are sell
ing drugs in our schools,
they are intending to sell
drugs in our schools, they
could certainly face a disci
plinary tribunal that could
result in long-term suspen
sion or expulsion,” Cole
added.
Pertaining to the fight
ing stipulations in the code
of conduct, Cole asked the
board for feedback relating
to the definition of “fight
ing” and how to punish of
fenders.
“We know, unfor
tunately, students are going
to get into physical alter
cations from time to time.
Assistant Superintendent Steve
Cole addresses the BOE on re
visions and additions to the
code of conduct. Submitted
We’ve always had fighting in
[the code] and tried to dis
tinguish between a first
fight offense and a second
fight offense,” Cole con
tinued. “First fight offense,
we usually send the stu
dents home for five days out
of school, but if they fight
again, it’s a disciplinary tri
bunal with the possibility of
long-term suspension or ex
pulsion.”
Cole noted that system
staff added a component to
fighting stipulations relat
ing to the point of excessive
physical contact or group
fights. He said this particu
lar topic was one that the
group wanted the board’s
feedback on regarding the
punishment and level of
severity.
“Not all fights, unfor
tunately, are the same.
Sometimes you have stu
dents who get into a physi
cal altercation, and it ends
rather quickly. They are
broken up fairly easily,
without a lot of disruption.
See BOE, A6
Volunteers lay mulch at CSG's "Confidence Course." Dylan Shoemaker/Fayette News
Camp Southern Ground
Receives Major Renovations
Dylan Shoemaker
Staff Writer
dshoemaker@fayette-news.net
The Home Depot Foun
dation partnered with
Camp Southern Ground on
April 25 to upgrade and re
pair facilities ahead of the
summer season for the
needs of children and vet
erans who attend the
camps.
More than 250 vol
unteers were seen in vi
brant orange shirts,
including Home Depot
CEO Ted Decker, contrib
uting sweat equity to the
renovations. Whether it
was wheelbarrows weighed
down by donated materials
or a field full of fresh
mulch, all efforts went to
supporting veterans and
their families.
Ranging from new
fences, an improved zi
pline, renovated archery
and obstacle courses, and
with various updated fea
tures, nonprofit CSG seeks
to provide an interactive,
safe space for post-9/ 11 vet
erans and their families to
potentially find community
and support during and
after their transition back
to civilian life.
“I can see myself flying
across this thing screaming
at the top of my lungs,” said
Navy Veteran Marlon Jo
seph, expressing enthusi
asm for the zipline. “It’s
good to know that this
place exists where someone
can recuperate, reconnect,
and for those that bring
their families here.”
The campground offers
attendees three programs
that aim for recreational
and therapeutic benefits.
Jack Gafford, a retired U.S.
Air Force member, is ac
tively involved in the War
rior Song program, which
incorporates music as an
outlet.
During the volunteers’
lunch break inside the din
ing hall, he performed, ac
companied with his guitar,
and describing his songs as
“cutting-edge, Christian
country” music.
“I didn’t know it at the
time, but it was very heal
ing and therapeutic for me,
and it’s just continued
where I’m in a better
place,” said Gafford about
music and his Warrior
Song involvement. “When
they come in, they are
struggling, and it starts
when they enter the gate
and see the grounds,” he
stated regarding veterans
and first responders seek
ing rehabilitation and the
suggested benefits that
come with utilizing these
resources.
During National Vol
unteer Month in April, The
Home Depot Foundation
partnered with national
and local nonprofits to
complete service projects
like this one in com
munities across the coun
try. Giving back to veterans
See CSG, A6
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