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Fayette County Commissioner Peter Pfeifer let it be known Thursday night that he could not support the county’s proposed budget for the next fiscal year.

One suspect is in custody and one is still on the loose after an armed robbery and kidnapping Monday afternoon at one of Fayetteville’s busiest intersections.

Travion Marquez Willis, 17, of Riverdale, is being held on various felony charges, including kidnapping and armed robbery.

Cylenthia Clark pleads guilty to child cruelty charge; job now in doubt

DFCS official Cylenthia Clark Tuesday pled guilty to child cruelty and received a 10-year probated sentence in Fayette Superior Court.

It is a one-stop shopping spree for fresh produce, a variety of plants, natural jams and jellies, potpourri, handbags, jewelry and crafts and plenty of food to satisfy any appetite.

While former Fulton County Department of Family and Children’s Services (DFCS) Assistant Director Cylenthia Clark was in court Monday on charges of first-degree cruelty to children, members of the Fayette County NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) were watching.

Nothing has changed in the past few weeks that might provide for increases in revenue for Fayette County public schools.

Elected officials from throughout the county gathered Tuesday morning to officially break ground on one of the county’s key transportation projects.

Changes in market conditions were cited as the reason for a rezoning request for the 38.15-acre Stella’s Place residential development located at 335 Grady Avenue.

Fayette County employees are in shock after one of their own was arrested Friday afternoon.

On Friday, the county issued a warrant for the arrest of a Fayette County government employee, Joyce Payne.

Tax Commissioner George Wingo is fighting back over a charge that he is not a currently licensed CPA.

On his political signs throughout the county, CPA — which stands for certified public accountant — is listed on the sign. But a letter writer in today’s paper wonders about the truth of that designation.

The Fayetteville Police Department is looking for local middle school students to attend its fifth annual Junior Police Academy July 28-31.

Two Coweta-Fayette EMC employees, Lanny Hammett and Chris Stephens recently spent several days in the Costa Rican community of Allemania helping wire a one room school house. Due to their dedication and hard work more children will now be able to attend school. Also, the line that is bringing electricity to this area was constructed in 2006 by a group of Georgia linemen, including two from Coweta-Fayette, through the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) International Foundation.

Fayette County resident, Rudjard Hayes received notice from the Office of Administrative Hearings that the challenge to his residency status as a candidate for District Attorney had been “removed from the hearing calendar and will be dismissed by order of the Judge,” without a hearing.

Mucklow's Fine Jewelry of Peachtree City recently presented Promise Place, the council on domestic violence, with a check for over $1,800. Much to the delight of local moms, the money was raised by children who lovingly handcrafted a piece of silver jewelry to present to them on Mother's Day.

The “Get Out the Vote Committee” of the Rotary Club of Peachtree City is sponsoring a public “Meet and Greet the Candidates Night” on Tuesday, June 17, 2008 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the McIntosh Ballroom at the Wyndham Peachtree Conference Center in Peachtree City.

Sandy Creek graduate Blake Brewer, McIntosh graduate Jake Tanis and Whitewater graduate Heine Rivera were all selected by the Georgia Dugout Club to the Georgia All State Elite 96 All Stars game played June 7-8 at Kennesaw State University.

Mike Muetzel was at the helm of the McIntosh varsity boys lacrosse program as it made its way all the way to the state championship game this season, but last Thursday he was dismissed from the position by the school.

Pastors get some of the most interesting questions from people they meet and people in their congregations. Here are a few questions that I've gotten during my years of ministry and via email for this column.

Members of Fayetteville First UMC’s Square Foot Ministry recently completed a Memorial Day project and named it in memory of long-time member, Rob Palin.

Edwina Bond Cowgill of Newnan was recently installed as the director for prayer ministries at Christ the King Charismatic Episcopal Church near Sharpsburg. Cowgill, a commissioned minister of congregation care in the International Communion of the Charismatic Episcopal Church, is a graduate of Logos Christian College and serves as licensed eucharistic minister. She also is a teacher and counselor at the church and serves on the Parish Council. Photo/Special.

Carriage Lane Presbyterian Church welcomed Brian Cosby as youth pastor Monday.

Cosby holds a bachelors in history from Samford University and a masters in divinity from Beeson Divinity School.

The Fellowship of Christian Churches and Friends (FCCF) invites the public to “Gospel Music Fest 2008” Saturday, June 28th at 5 p.m. The program will be held at the Sams Auditorium, located at 805 LaFayette Avenue in Fayetteville.

The singing group Second Coming, based in Griffin, will celebrate its 14th anniversary at Open Door baptist Church with a performance on Saturday, June 21, at 6 p.m.

Flint Ridge celebrates Men’s Day
The Rev. Hebrew McDonald will be the guest preacher at Flint Ridge Baptist Church for their annual Men’s Day Celebration Sunday, June 22. The special service will be held at 3 p.m.

St. Gabriel, June 23-27
Vacation Bible School at St. Gabriel Catholic Church will be held the week of June 23-27 from 9 a.m. to noon each day. VBS is open to children age 3 years old through rising 5th graders. (All preschoolers must be fully toilet-trained and comfortable being away from home.) The curriculum for the school will include the popular “Power Lab” program from Group Publishing. There is a $20 registration fee per child and pre-registration is recommended. For more information, call the St. Gabriel Religious Education office at 770-461-0493.

This column is a continuation from the one I began last week. It’s meant to address the belief that this nation is in a condition of economic slavery and why apathy is not the answer to that condition.

Barack Obama’s presidential campaign plans to strike at the heart of the Republican base by attempting to woo Evangelical Christians and Roman Catholics to his side.

Once when I was young and love had broken my heart for the first time, I thought I would never recover from the agony resulting when the bliss had been sucker-punched and sent packing.

My thoughts turned to fear and courage on Fathers Day as I held my 6-year-old daughter, Kristen, in her room in Children’s Hospital at Scottish Rites in Atlanta.

Whatever happened to ethical and open government in Fayette County? When running for office, our elected officials always claim that is what they want, but what are we getting from our current County Commission?

Ten percent, 14.2, 9.2, 9.4, 5.4, 7.5, 8.3, 16, 9.4, 7.5, 17.6 percent, 7.2, 2.6, 7.5, 7.1, 9.3, 3.4, 13.7, 17.4, 8.7, 5.4, 9.1, 7, 14.7 percent.

On the agenda for this June 19 is a request by John Wieland to lift the ban on multi-family housing on his 89 acres in the West Village.

Wanting to be an informed voter, I decided to check the credentials of a couple of people running for office. Imagine my surprise when I checked with the Secretary of State’s office (http://secure.sos.state.ga.us/myverification) and found that contrary to his advertisements, George Wingo is no longer a CPA.

Red foxes are traveling through our yards in Kedron Hills regularly.

At least one pair of red foxes are hunting openly every day and evening in our subdivision, and there have been several sightings on and across the yards on Loring Lane and Chambray Hills. I have personally seen them and they show no fear as they hunt.

Global warming as a media fixation has taken back seat to the presidential primaries. But that doesn’t mean it has gone away.

I would like to comment on the recent proposal to provide a retirement program for Fayette County employees, but first let me emphasize that I am writing this as a private citizen, and not as a representative of my present employer.

I have seen different articles in the local Fayette papers about Mr. Simmons saying that he has been having his signs taken down and removed from the area where they were put up. I have also seen different articles in the same papers written by different individuals saying that Mr. Simmons has not had his signs removed and that he is just using that as a ploy to get attention to try and get more votes.

After the War between the States, history tells us about the carpetbaggers from up North who took advantage of a largely illiterate South. Most of the people in rural Georgia were farmers and putting food on the table for the family was number one, and an education was secondary.

In the last several weeks, The Citizen has reported on the changing cultural diversity of Fayette County. In the May 21, 2008, edition of The Citizen it was reported that 13,720 new residents moved to Fayette County between 2001 and 2005, most coming from Clayton and Fulton counties.

[Editor’s note: The following was received from Fayette County Commission candidate Stuart Kourajian.]

Republican Stuart Kourajian publicized his platform today for his run at the Fayette County Commissioner Post 3 position. Kourajian identified leadership and safety as two of his primary planks and also listed recreation improvements as a priority, specifically multi-purpose fields to accommodate additional sports such as lacrosse while still serving the core recreational needs of the county, and bicycle-only lanes on roads.

I applaud Mr. Munford’s article on DFCS in the state of Georgia. We are foster parents caring for a 2-year-old girl since she was 8 weeks old due to domestic violence and drug abuse of her biological parents.

I received a phone call from my friend Gary within the last week. Gary is my friend from Gainesville, Fla. He is a triathlete in his mid 50s, a husband and a father. He’s the kind of guy that can literally run laps around me as I walk and tell a full story without losing his breath.

I was sorry to read the angry commentary on the Fayette County schools’ special needs program in a recent Free Speech.

The 70th Infantry Division Association, Trailblazers, will hold its Biennial Reunion at the Holiday Inn Cincinnati Airport Hotel, Erlanger, Ken., Sept. 10-14, 2008. For information, contact Steve Dixon, VP South, 404 Calgary Drive, Peachtree City, Ga., 30269 or call 404-944-1268 or email skdixon@bellsouth.net.