Two men were killed in the crash of an ultra light aircraft in Polk County Thursday afternoon. According to Polk County Police, the bodies of 44 year old John Alan Keith, 657 Valley Road, Cedartown, and 46 year old John Francis Edgeworth, of Bowden, were located around 9:30 a.m. Friday. Police said the men apparently took off from the Polk County airport Thursday afternoon. Family members became concerned when the men did not return home and contacted law enforcement officials around 6 p.m. A search by authorities turned up the wreckage in a rural area close to the Collard Valley Road, Fish Creek Road, and Railroad Road area. Polk County Deputy Coroner Tony Brazier told WGAA News that a bulldozer from the Georgia Forestry Service had to clear a path to the scene. Brazier went on to say that it appeared that there was no fire in the aircraft, but was not sure of the cause of the crash. The plane was described as a 2009 ultra light trike plane. Kathleen Bergen, with the Federal Aviation Administration, further described the plane as a Quikr model that was registered to Atlanta Sport Aviation Inc. of Cedartown. The wreckage reportedly was not visible from any roads. The National Transportation Safety Board is currently investigating the scene.
The Cedartown City Commission met in special session at 6 Thursday evening. Items on the agenda include discussion of a proposal to continue public transit in the City of Cedartown which was approved. The countywide transit system ends effective June 30. The city was required to let its transit system expire because the Polk County government started up its own countywide transit system. The commission voted to hold a public forum on a proposed new contract with the Georgia Department of Transportation. The public hearing will be held preceding the regular monthly meeting of the commission, which is 7 p.m. Monday, July 13. Also on the agenda is the status of a long-delayed paving project on Davis Road, which the city decided to enter into with the county. The commission also heard a request from Larry Tolbert, who is planning to hold a “Tea Party” in Cedartown. The “Tea Party,” or “taxed enough already party,” will be held on July 4 from 11:30 to 12:30 in the afternoon. The commission approved Tolbert’s request during their called meeting Thursday night.
Rockmart Police Department officers were knocking on doors early Friday morning with bad news: several car windows were smashed in a spree of vandalism. The damage took place either late Thursday night or early Friday morning. The damage appeared to have been random. Cars were hit while parked on streets in front of homes. At least one damaged vehicle was parked almost directly beneath a security light. It made no difference. Among the neighborhoods hit was the Goodyear Village area of Rockmart.
A funeral for fallen Georgia National Guard 1st Sgt. John Blair will take place next week. Services will be 2 p.m. Wednesday, July 1, at Trinity Baptist Church in Calhoun, according to John Banks, a friend of the family. Blair’s body will arrive at the Calhoun Airport at approximately 10:30 a.m. Monday, June 29, Banks said. He said a planeside service for family and close friends will take place, after which Blair’s body will be transported down U.S. 41 to Max Brannon and Sons Funeral Home in Calhoun. Visitation will take place before the funeral Monday and Tuesday evenings from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Trinity Baptist Church, Banks said. Blair will be buried in the Georgia National Cemetery in Canton. Banks said the route the funeral procession would take to reach the cemetery is still being finalized. He said the family members are still keeping things private, but that they are doing as well as can be expected.
The bodies of two people were discovered Friday morning in Polk County in the wreckage of an ultralight aircraft that apparently crashed Thursday afternoon. The victims were found near the intersection of Old Fish Creek Road and Wyatt Road. Officials did not release their names. The ultralight took off from the Polk County Airport Thursday afternoon. Check back on wgaaradio.com for more on this developing story.
The May jobless numbers show some ups and downs in Northwest Georgia vs. April 2009. Once again, all five counties reported unemployment rates of 10 percent of more with Chattooga coming in at 13.2 percent. That actually was good news: April’s jobless rate was 13.4 percent in Summerville, Trion and other parts of the county. Bartow, Gordon and Floyd counties saw their respective jobless rates climb month over month while the percentage dropped in Polk County. But the numbers to watch is the number of people unemployed in May 2009 vs. May 2008. Thirteen months ago, 1,271 people were out of work in Polk County vs. 2,279 last month, a 79.3 percent increase. May’s 9.7 percent jobless rate in the state of Georgia set another record.
The Cedartown City Commission met in special session at 6 Thursday evening. Items on the agenda include discussion of a proposal to continue public transit in the City of Cedartown. The countywide transit system ends effective June 30. Also on the agenda is the status of a long-delayed paving project on Davis Road; and a request from an organizer planning to hold a “Tea Party” in Cedartown.
Kids and adults alike seeking to cool down today will be able to get a cool break at Peek Forest Park today. The City of Cedartown announced Thursday that the fountain at Peek Forest Park will be turned back on at 11 a.m., so that local children can take advantage of a way to beat the summer heat. According to Cedartown City Manager Charles Akridge, the fountain will be running at designated intervals throughout the day. Hours when the fountain will be running are, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., 1:45 – 2:45 p.m., 3:30 – 4:30 p.m., and 5 – 8 p.m.
Paulding County Tax Commissioner J. W. (Bill) Watson, III says homeowners should brace themselves for additional property taxes this year and the next. The state homestead tax relief grant that funded an increased homestead exemption to homeowners for the last several years will not be available this year. Declining state revenues during the current recession means there is no money for the State to give the tax relief to homeowners said Mr. Watson. This will mean a property tax increase of $200 to $300 on the 2009 tax bills for many Georgia homeowners. The grant appropriated by the General Assembly and the Governor for the last several years to counties, cities, and schools had given tax relief to homeowners in the form of a credit on their tax bills. According to legislation passed in 2009 (House Bill 143) the grant will only be made available in the future if state revenues grow at least 3% plus the rate of inflation. Mr. Watson encourages homeowners to prepare for the increase before tax bills are issued later this year.
The Dallas trailhead of the Silver Comet Trail is among $146 million in metro Atlanta transportation projects Gov. Sonny Perdue has submitted for funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Perdue’s 1511 Certification includes $723,516 for the trailhead to be built across from First Baptist Church in Dallas. Another $72,400 is designated for equipment in Paulding County, as well as $26,400 to improve the Park and Ride lot across from Chattahoochee Technical College in Dallas. The trailhead design includes water fountains, a bike rack, war memorial, native plants and a small amphitheater that can be used for kindergarten graduations, weddings, etc.
