• Dave Gary, the manager at the Peachtree City Tennis Center recently received the United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) Southern Manager of the Year award while at the USPTA Southern convention in Tunica, Miss. The USPTA is an organization of certified tennis professionals with over 14,000 members. The Manager of the Year award is chosen by the USPTA Southern board nominating committee from all the managers at clubs and facilities throughout the Southern division which is made up of nine states - Georgia, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, Louisiana, Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi and the city of Texarkana, Texas.

• On May 1, 2006, Secretary of State Cathy Cox honored Jonathon Ponder of Fayette Christian School with an Excellence in Citizenship award. Ponder received a certificate signed by Secretary Cox and a letter from her office.

For the ninth year, the Excellence in Citizenship Awards recognize high school seniors from across the state who voluntarily give of their time in the community, maintain a good scholastic and attendance record and, through their leadership, set an example for their fellow peers. Designed to distinguish outstanding young Georgians who reach out to others and share their time and talents, one graduating senior from each Georgia high school was nominated to receive the award.

Of Georgia’s 386 public high schools and 274 independent schools with high school-level instruction, 345 schools participated in this year’s program.

• Nathaniel Raymond of Peachtree City was selected from over 1,700 students worldwide to attend the United States Air Force Academy’s Summer Seminar program for 2006. Raymond is a rising senior at Starr’s Mill High School in Fayetteville, Ga. Selection is extremely competitive with only the top students being offered for a slot in this prestigious program. For selection criteria, the Academy uses a total person concept that is based on a student’s academic achievement, athletic abilities, leadership skills and desire to pursue a career in the Air Force. These students have demonstrated that they have the right stuff for attending the Air Force Academy.

Each year, the admissions directorate and dean of faculty jointly host the summer seminar program, which gives high school students the opportunity to experience the environment at the Air Force Academy. Summer seminar is one of the Academy’s top recruiting programs and the students’ agenda includes academic workshops along with some military and physical training scenarios.

The United States Air Force Academy, located near Colorado Springs, Colorado, was established in 1959. It provides a balanced program of military training, academics, athletics and spiritual/ethical development for over 4,000 cadets. Long recognized as one of the finest colleges in the nation, it is also rated sixth in the nation by the Princeton Review for best overall academic experience and second for Aeronautical Engineering and Aerospace studies.