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Sheriff Babb to lose eyes in the sky?

Hawk 1 in action in mid-2011. File photo.

Budget cuts to force grounding and sale of Hawk 1 copter, furlough of crew

Cash-starved Fayette County may eliminate the sheriff’s department’s entire air wing — one helicopter named Hawk 1.

Though the department’s budget is still a work in progress, Sheriff Barry Babb said the cuts will eliminate 10 positions in his office and result in shutting down the operation of the Hawk 1 helicopter, as well as losing half the K-9 units and two drug education officers.
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Deputies nab 2 armed robbers

Fayette County deputies on May 3 arrested two armed robbers who minutes earlier held night-shift employees of the Burger King restaurant on North Glynn Street in Fayetteville at gunpoint while they robbed the store. A description of their vehicle provided by a witness led to their capture on Ga. Highway 85 North. Read More»

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Deputies foil burglary, arrest 1

A Fayetteville man was arrested May 5 after Fayette deputies saw a man fitting his description running from a residence that had been burglarized.

Fayette County Sheriff Barry Babb said the suspect was 18-year-old Eniola Baker Balogum of Fayetteville.

Babb said a deputy at approximately 12:25 p.m. responded to an alarm call at a Pepperdine Way residence off Eastin Road.

Babb said the deputy observed a male running from the residence that had been burglarized. The deputy lost sight of the suspect in a wooded area. Read More»

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Fayette got up to 4 inches of ‘beneficial’ rain; more coming

Fayette got good soaking over weekend; helpful to recharge water sources

Depending on where you live in Fayette County, the weekend rains brought between 2.5 and 4 inches of precipitation combined with the showers seen Monday night, according to the National Weather Service north Georgia office in Peachtree City.

If you think you’re soggy now, wait until Saturday when the next rainstorm is predicted to hit with another half-inch to one inch of rain, potentially wiping out most outdoor activities.

At least there will be a few days between now and then to dry out, said NWS Hydrologist Kent Frantz. Read More»

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Hood Ave. school renamed in merger

The Fayette County Board of Education last month voted unanimously to rename Hood Avenue Primary School to reflect the school’s merger with Fayetteville Intermediate School (FIS) next school year.

The combined school will be known as Fayetteville Elementary School and will be housed in the building on the west side of the campus. The building closest to Tiger Trail will be closed.

Interim Superintendent Dan Colwell said the name Hood Avenue Primary is no longer appropriate since the school will function as a K-5 school beginning in August. Read More»

NCIS retiree to settle down in Peachtree City

Marvin Reese (seated, left) confers with friend and colleague Brad Steel. Photo/Cynthia Johnson, NCIS Academy staff.

“That’s what friends are for,” Dionne Warwick and her friends Elton John, Stevie Wonder and Gladys Knight sang in their 1985 mega hit. Two friends, who are also colleagues and veterans, are taking that seriously. Until the end of April, they worked side-by-side and then, quietly, but concurrently, retired. Read More»

Fayette County arrest reports — April 23–29

The following arrests were reported by local law enforcement agencies for the time period indicated. All persons are considered innocent until proven guilty. Rather than the age of those arrested, only the year of birth will be indicated below due to law enforcement procedural changes.

Tuesday, April 23 - Monday, April 29

Fayette County Sheriff’s Office

Donnie R. Fate, born in 1980, of Rountree Road, Riverdale, for revoked or suspended license.

Quadedra S. Favors, born in 1993, of Division Street, Atlanta, for false report of crime.
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‘Local-only’ farmers market expands in PTC, Newnan locations

The Our Community Farmers Market is back for its second year and has expanded to two locations. The organic and naturally-grown “producer only” market is located Saturday mornings at MacDuff Plaza in Peachtree City and on Wednesday mornings at the old train depot on East Broad Street in Newnan. Photo/Ben Nelms.

A new type of farmers market opened last year in east Coweta County. This year, Our Community Farmers Market has expanded to locations in Peachtree City and Newnan.

Our Community Farmers Market (OCFM) is a market with a difference because its vendors are all local, offering organic or naturally-grown products and carry a “producer-only” qualification, explained OCFM co-owner-operator Marianne Pizzitola. Read More»

Coweta OKs hotel plan

Another sign of the economic recovery came last week when the Coweta County Commission approved variances for a 62-room Microtel hotel with four floors at Amlajack Boulevard and Barith Road near Interstate 85.

The variances approved by unanimous vote included building setbacks, additional building height and stories. The odd shape and small size of the lot hinder the layout of the development, Coweta County Zoning Administrator Angela White said of the 1.485-acre lot on the southeast corner of Amlajack Boulevard and Barith Road and located adjacent to the RaceTrac Fueling Center. Read More»

Fayetteville police closing in on Kohl's attacker

Fayetteville police now have video footage of a man who attacked a Fayetteville woman Saturday morning in the parking lot of the Kohl's Department Store at the Fayette Pavilion just after 10 a.m.

The video depicts the assailant using the victim's credit cards to purchase gas at several service stations in Clayton County, police said.

Police also are saying they believe the attacker may have had a getaway vehicle waiting in the parking lot of Dick's Sporting Goods, and that he may have tried to rob someone there a few minutes before he walked to Kohl's and committed the attack. Read More»

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