It usually starts with a minor traffic infraction, and it would have ended that way — except the officer on the scene smells weed, which leads to a search of the vehicle and all kinds of additional charges for illegal activity.
This scenario plays out multiple times every week in Fayette County. Here are a few recent examples.
A May 26...
Life is made up of small segments, individual events that are not significantly related or have any real connection, so it might seem. But in retrospect they are, and they do. Keeping that in mind, it’s good to remember that a pleasant and productive future has at least two key features helping to ensure it will happen.
The first thing...
Trump’s many critics have celebrated the hush money guilty verdict as being a case of the rule of law being fairly applied to all, or they claim this is proof that no one is above the rule of law.
If Trump should be found guilty of squashing a story about a personal indiscretion using his own money, what should we...
Peachtree City law enforcement officials continue to make headway in the battle against a new type of organized crime.
Officers with the Crime Suppression Unit made a May 24 traffic stop on W. Hwy. 54 at Home Depot in reference to a seat belt violation. The occupants of the vehicle were also “organized retail theft suspects,” according to a police...
A couple of seemingly routine traffic stops in Fayetteville found vehicle occupants who were less than cooperative with police — and with good reason.
A car was pulled over May 25 on Hwy. 85 in front of Fun Spot for ordinary traffic violations, but the two people inside the vehicle did not want to produce written identification or identify themselves...
A man who spent the night in someone else’s house without asking is in custody at the Fayette County Jail.
According to a spokesman for the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded the morning of May 11 to a residence on Helmer Road and spoke with the son of the homeowner, who was out of town. As they discussed the...
An alert citizen called police about someone snooping in a neighborhood and police were able to take a would-be thief into custody.
According to a Fayetteville Police Department spokesman, officers were dispatched the afternoon of May 14 to the area of Belle Drive and Brandywine Blvd. after a report of a suspicious person handling mail inside various mailboxes. They located...
Russell Kasimir Pakulski, born on April 19, 1945, in Chicago, Illinois, passed away peacefully on May 28, 2024, in Peachtree City, Georgia. He was 79 years old.
Russell dedicated his life to a fulfilling career as an electrician for IBEW Local 150, showcasing his expertise and passion for his work. Beyond his professional achievements, Russell found true joy in spending...
From the car, I toted in bags of heavy groceries. I have become my mama.
Mama mostly bought staples: five-pound sacks of flour and cornmeal as well as gallon jugs of sweet milk and buttermilk.
Whenever I took her grocery shopping, she would pop outta the car and sashay toward the screen door, saying, “Ronda, bring in my groceries.”
I’d bring them...
The tech-savvy students at Kedron Elementary were recognized for their work in mobile app development.
Josie Lau and Jaida Shields teamed up on “Kedron Meet the Teachers,” which helps the expanding staff of the school get to know each other. Livi Cook built an app called “Glamour Grammar” to help other 4th graders prepare for the Georgia Milestone Assessment.
The Kedron 4th graders...
The world came to Peachtree City Elementary for a Cultural Fair celebrating the many traditions within the Panther family.
ESOL teacher Shelly Jones and the Cultural Committee, comprised of school teachers and parents, planned, organized, decorated, and cleaned for the spectacular event.
“We hope that students and families feel a greater sense of school community, understand and appreciate each culture's unique...
Asif Momin, former owner of the Peachtree City Dairy Queen, died at home in Marietta, GA, on May 13 at the age of 69.
Asif is survived by his wife, Firdos; daughter, Farah; brother, Liyakat (Hasnain); nephews and nieces: Parvin (Maqbulhusain), Raish (Rumi), Tanvir (Sosan), Riyaj ul Hasan (Moina), Samar Raza (Sakera), Mohammed Jawad (Heena), Musavir (Neelam), and Kezar (Amreen);...
FOSTER CARE INFORMATIONAL MEETINGS are held every Thursday at 10 a.m. at Bloom Our Youth, 150 Marquis Dr., Fayetteville. Get your foster parenting questions answered at this free, no-commitment, casual, meeting. Speak directly with Bloom associates about the requirements and journey to becoming a Bloom foster family.
For more information, contact Shannon Hoy at s.hoy@bloomouryouth.org or call 770-461-7020.
April 27, 1998 — May 26, 2024
Ethane Stormblade Craft, known by his loved ones as Storm, passed on the evening of May 26, 2024, at 7:09 pm, in Chattanooga, TN, surrounded by his family.
Storm is remembered for his artistic skill, sarcastic sense of humor, and his love of animals. Storm grew up in Fayetteville, GA, graduated from Whitewater High...
Patrick Flynn Lane, born on September 13, 1967, passed away on May 27, 2024 in Peachtree City, Ga.
Pat was the son of a military officer which gave him the opportunity to explore much of the world as a young boy. He had many adventures, but never shied away from embellishing his stories to friends.
Pat moved from Alaska to Peachtree...
America says goodbye to another hero this Memorial Day
Lt. Col. James Lawrence “Larry” Taylor, USAF Ret., died peacefully in his sleep after a short but fierce battle with cancer. At peace with the knowledge that his earthly family was secure and ready to face life without him, he rejoined his heavenly family above.
He is survived by his devoted wife,...
The fabulous PTC Running Club Summer Track Classic Series is back again this summer. The track at Riley Field in PTC has been newly resurfaced and has a rubberized surface built for SPEED! Come try out your racing flats and see what you can do!
The meets are held each Wednesday evening during June, with the Championships held on July...
In 1990, Dr. Roy L. Branson, Jr., a Baptist minister, authored a book entitled “Church Split.” Intrigued, I bought and read it. In my opinion, Dr. Branson summed up why people leave or split a church with this question: “Who shall rule in this place?”
Over the many years I have been in both a supportive and leadership role in...
For a change, this story isn’t about me. It’s about you, which means it’s really about me. Confused? Don’t be. It’ll all make sense at the end.
If you have children, you are keenly aware your daily schedule is about to dramatically change during these summer months, and for those grandparents out there who live near the grandkids, your schedule...
On the weekend of Saturday, May 25, McIntosh High School joined 319 of the top high school quiz bowl teams at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis for the 2024 High School National Championship Tournament to determine who was the best.
Quiz bowl is a competitive, academic, interscholastic activity for teams of four students. Quiz bowl teams use buzzers to answer questions...
A support group for men with prostate cancer and their families meets the fourth Tuesday of each month. The group, which is intended to share information and enhance prostate cancer understanding, meets the fourth Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at the Thomas F. Chapman Family Cancer Wellness Center at Piedmont Fayette Hospital.
Call 770.632.2898 for more information.
I urge each and every county citizen to pay attention to the new animal shelter and how it is handled. Even if you have no particular interest in animal welfare, you should care about the $3.2 million (+) and how it was spent.
The following were comments I made during public comment addressing the Fayette County Board of Commissioners on...
— Updates On Proposed Mix-Use Developments for Downtown Fayetteville —
Those of you who read my March 27, 2024 Citizen article may recall that I mentioned a 38-acre tract of land that the City of Fayetteville had purchased in 2023.
That tract of land, which abuts the rear area of the Walton Apartments by the traffic circle off of Beauregard Boulevard and...
How did you spend your Memorial Day Weekend? As the traditional start of summer, there was a lot going on—graduations, picnics, family gatherings, and special events. Memorial Day is a special holiday that honors the men and women of our Armed Forces who gave their lives in service to our great country. I hope you sacrificed at least part...
Fayette County NAACP Youth Council Meetings are held every fourth Sunday at the Olivet Church of Christ, 877 Highway 314 North in Fayetteville at 4 p.m.
The purpose of the Youth Council is to inform youth between the ages of 13 and 25, of their rights as citizens; how to advance their economic, educational, social, and political status, enhance harmonious...
By DISTRICT ATTORNEY MARIE BRODER
Most of my articles deal with the experience of my attorneys and those who have to testify at trial. My goal has always been to offer transparency to the public by pulling back the curtains on what happens in the trenches before, during, and after a trial.
But I would be remiss if I did not...
A brief message on the Atlanta Braves Game Day Message Board will be displayed Memorial Day, Monday, May 27, during the the game with the Washington Nationals. The Braves sign board is located over the visiting team bull pen and is limited to 75 characters.
The message reads: “In Memory — The 101st Airborne’s Battle at Tam Ky — May...
A Fayetteville man received a life sentence after being convicted of rape, aggravated assault and false imprisonment by a Fayette County jury earlier this month.
The guilty verdicts came down May 1 against Marques Slaughter after about one hour of deliberation, according to a spokesperson for District Attorney Marie Broder’s office. Superior Court Judge Scott Ballard sentenced Slaughter to life...
More than a year after allegedly stealing a car, an East Point man was tracked down by Fayette County Sheriff’s Office authorities and taken to jail.
The initial interaction with deputies took place in April of 2023, when the suspect was pulled over after being seen driving with his hazard lights on and a tag light missing. He was found...
On Thursday, May 2, 2024, a Spalding County jury convicted Raymond “Mark” Statham, Sr. of aggravated sodomy, aggravated sexual battery, sexual battery and simple battery.
Judge Ben D. Coker of the Spalding County Superior Court sentenced the defendant to life in prison with the possibility of parole for the aggravated sodomy, 25 years to serve followed by lifetime probation for...
November 20, 2002 — May 14, 2024
PFC Hunter Purcell, age 21, passed away on Tuesday, May 14, 2024 at Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas.
PFC Purcell was born in Riverdale, Georgia on November 20, 2002. He is preceded in death by his grandfather, Czeslaw Albin Kocienda, great grandmother, Doris Mae Sluder, and stepfather, Marcus Berno.
He had attended Coweta County School...
Depending on the source consulted, there are currently between 6 and 7.4 percent of all Americans who have ever served or now serve in the Armed Forces of the United States. That means that at high as 94% of Americans now alive have never had to do anything to serve their country in the military.
And, presently, less than 1%...
The attempts to censor sitting Council Members Suzanne Brown and Clint Holland and their agenda items went even further as top city staff imposed bizarre interpretations of the revised ordinance 1218 (C), none of which are actually in the ordinance. What the heck?
You will recall that Peachtree City Mayor Kim Learnard pushed to create serious constraints on the ability...
An explanation is in order. The Citizen.com has been bereft of news posts since last weekend. For the first time in more than four decades, I missed voting in any primary elections, in addition to not reporting on their outcomes. This one-man, one woman operation shut down for the passage of a virus having surreptitiously entered our lungs.
On Saturday,...
