It may seem like a small matter in terms of a change in procedure, but for those wanting to have input on decisions at meetings of the Coweta County Commission that small change can make the difference in having your say prior to the vote.

Charter Schools USA will hold a public forum Monday, Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. at the Freeman Sasser Building in Senoia. School representatives will provide an update on the efforts of Charter Schools USA to establish a K-8 school in Senoia.

The City of Senoia was one of four recipients recognized last week by the Coweta Chamber of Commerce for their significant economic contribution to the Coweta community. The large group of business leaders and elected and appointed officials pictured outside city hall Wednesday include (from left) Ed Tigchelaar, Paul Lombardi, Scott Tigchelaar, Ellis Crook, John Barrow, Larry Owens, Bobby Graham, Jeff Fisher, Frank Hollberg, Robert Belisle, Greg Crook, Suzanne Helfman and Maurice Glover.

A dash across the railroad tracks didn’t stop a shoplifter from Walmart from being caught by Peachtree City police Wednesday morning.

Tyrone's Operation Mobilization helps bring aid to devastated island

As development director for Tyrone’s Operation Mobilization, Henry Couser visited Haiti shortly after the massive earthquake that killed tens of thousands of people.

Cellphone companies Tuesday night presented their case for the necessity of new cellphone towers to the Peachtree City Council and Planning Commission.

Fayette braces for property tax crash

Fayette County officials are preparing for the bleak economy to catch up to home values this year.

More than three dozen residents attended a budget meeting hosted by newly-elected Councilman Eric Imker Saturday afternoon at City Hall in Peachtree City.

The Fayette County Board of Education heard last week its funding next fiscal year could be more than $10.3 million less than what it currently gets, bad news for a system already reeling from $12.65 million in cuts so far this year.

So far, so good, for the Fayette County School System, at least in terms of the projected fund balance for the year ending June 30. Barring any funding changes the school system might show a balance of $7.88 million in the general fund by the middle of this calendar year, about 4 percent of the total budget.

Bye-bye, Barnes & Noble; hello, Goodwill store.

It will have been nearly 10 years to the day from the time that Barnes & Noble opened its doors across from the Fayette Pavilion until the time it closes those doors. The bookseller will discontinue operations at its Fayetteville store on Ga. Highway 85 at the end of May.

Fayette sheriff’s detectives have arrested five Clayton County youths for burglarizing a home in the Hampstead Heath subdivision off Ga. Highway 314 North early Monday afternoon.

The United States Postal Service is offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of two men who robbed a postal service contract truck driver at the Fayetteville Post Office Friday night.

Sheriff’s Capt. Deborah Hannah was responding to a burglar alarm at her own home the afternoon of Jan. 2 when her sport utility vehicle collided with another car, sheriff’s officials said.

Fayette County State Court Solicitor’s employee Sabrina Ann Miller has been charged with felony theft by taking of more than $3,800 in funds from her office at the Fayette County Justice Center. Additional charges could be forthcoming.

The U.S. gross domestic product grew by 5.7 percent in the last quarter of 2009, but you could not see any improvement locally by the look of Fayette County’s jobless rate. That rate rose again last month and now sits at 8.3 percent.

Landlord claimed HP scanner sparked blaze at dress shop

A retired Fayette County teacher has won a $110,000 jury verdict against the Hewlett-Packard Corporation for a fire at a downtown Fayetteville building that was tied to a computer scanner used by a tenant.

The Fayetteville City Council will take up a change to the purchasing ordinance and consider an improvement to the Lee Street sidewalk project at the Feb. 6 council meeting.

The oldest school building in Fayette County still has some life in it, despite having lost all its students.

School Board members last week seemed to be amenable to the idea of having the school system’s Facilities Services department relocated to the former East Fayette Elementary School. The board is expected to make a decision on the move at the Feb. 9 meeting.

A Better Way Ministries co-director Tony Ingram passed away unexpectedly Sunday night.

A Better Way founder John Barrow said Monday that cofounder and musician Tony Ingram died Sunday night of what is believed to have been a heart attack. Ingram is survived by a wife and two small children.

An Atlanta woman was arrested Saturday morning when a Fayette County patrol deputy caught her in the act of stealing an air conditioning unit at Covenant Presbyterian Church on Ga. Highway 314.

City Cafe and Bakery in Fayetteville is no stranger to lending a helping hand. When Hurricane Katrina struck, displacing thousands of people and destroying homes and cities, the local eatery opened their doors for a Sunday buffet. The event raised close to $7,000. Customers came out in droves to sample the Cajun tinged cuisine and the food vendors donated the food for the buffet, while the servers volunteered their time and donated their tips.

Update: 2:03 p.m.

A suspect has been arrested after being subdued by a Fayette County K-9 unit.

A call at 1:47 p.m. indicated that the K-9 unit "made apprehension" off Helmer Road just this side of the Clayton County line. An ambulance was being sent to the scene to treat a dog bite, according to reports.

The Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater this morning announced its lineup for the 2010 concert season.

The B-52s of Athens rock fame will be playing the amphitheater July 24, and the season kicks off May 15 with Gloria Gaynor and The Village People.

The Fayette County School Board is doing more than waiting to see how things play out with more state cuts this year. The board heard a presentation by Comptroller Laura Brock at the Jan. 26 meeting that centered on the 2011 budget cycle that begins in July. Brock gave the board a look at several factors that could influence budget calculations.

UPDATED 10:48 p.m.

The public's help is being sought to identify and locate two men who accosted an employee at the Fayetteville Post Office Friday night.

Fayette and Coweta counties are expected to miss the brunt of a wintry weather mix Friday night and Saturday, but local drivers may face frozen patches on roadways Saturday night and Sunday morning, according to the Ga. Department of Transportation.

The plan for a shopping center off Ga. Highway 74 south and Redwine Road has shrunk a bit under a rezoning approved Thursday night by the Fayette County Commission.

Patrons of the Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater’s summer concert series will soon be receiving their ticket renewal forms in the mail along with an announcement of this year’s acts for the season.

The effects of the recession are still being evidenced in Fayette County and Peachtree City. Fayette’s unemployment for December rose to over 8 percent while Peachtree City’s jobless rate rose to well over 7 percent.