Tuesday updates from www.bartowheadlines.com

Click www.bartowheadlines.com:

 

First quarter ends with some ups, downs -- and lots of hopes:

The first three months of 2009's trouble economy end tonight and lots of questions remain about the next six months. What we're seeing, by the numbers:

-Layoffs down more than 50 percent vs. January-March 2008:

A year ago, 814 people had been idled by large employers in Floyd, Chattooga, Polk and Bartow counties. This year, the tally is 390 as Shaw Industries prepares to close a plant in Gordon County. But: The February regional jobless rate hit 10.5 percent (click).

-Two major retailers exited the market, Circuit City and Goody's, but there's chatter about retail growth at The Boulevard and Berry Crossing/CVS.

-Local option sales tax revenue received this year is about $100,000 ahead of the same period in 2008 in Floyd County and up by $38,000 in Rome.

-Gas prices are inching toward $2 a gallon again. That's still $1.28 less than what we were paying for unleaded in late March 2008.

-Home sales were slow here in January and February but March numbers could reflect an improvement, Realtors say.

-'Institutional growth' remains strong: Two large dorms are rising at Berry College with an August opening set. Shorter College is prepping its nursing school. As Coosa Valley morphs into Georgia Northwestern Technical College, work continues on the culinary arts building. And Georgia Highlands is growing into Douglas County with a second Cartersville building in the wind.

-Even with disposable income tight, people are packing the Tellus Northwest Georgia Science Museum in Cartersville. More than 42,000 have toured since the mid-January opening and three times that number are due by year's end (AP).

Tuesday's Buzz:

-Latest edition of Berry's Alumni Accent now posted> Click

-Watterson named vice president of academic affairs at Georgia Highlands: Dr. Rena Watterson replaces Virginia Carson> Campus

-NFL's Tony Dungy to speak at Shatto lecture April 16> Berry

-'Tri for Kids' adds category for physically disabled athletes> Kids

-Redmond donates $2,.500 in honor of Doctor's Day 2009> Health

-Synovus, parent company of Citizens First Bank and Georgia Bank & Trust, to release first quarter earnings April 22> Release

WeatherCenter/brought to you by Roman Court

-Tuesday: 40% chance of rain, high of 64.

-Tuesday night: 100% chance of showers, storms; low of 51.
-Wednesday: 20% chance of rain, high of 70.
-For more, click WeatherCenter

AJC: Drought over but watering restrictions remain> AJC

Norman Arey's Sports Roundtable / brought to you by Riverside Toyota

-Final Four favorites: UConn by four over MSU, N. Carolina by 8 over Villanova> Click Arey

Rome Braves preseason updates

-Top of the seventh: Rome Braves ready for 2009 season

-Former Braves catcher Javy Lopez to throw first pitch Opening Night.
-Single ticket sales under way at State Mutual Stadium

Community Holy Week service marks 20 years; St. Mary's is 2009 host

(Media release) Continuing a 20-year tradition, Rome's downtown churches will hold joint Community Holy Week services on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of Holy Week, April 6-8. The host this year is St. Mary's Catholic Church, 911 N. Broad St.

Services, which include prayer and preaching by a variety of area ministers, begin at noon each day. A light lunch will be served in the church's Parish Hall following the service at no cost but an offering will be taken during each day's service for the needy of our community.

Pastor Carey Ingram of Lovejoy Baptist Church will preach at Monday's service; Tuesday's worship will be led by Rev. Horace Stewart of First Christian Church. On Wednesday, Pastor Katrina Brooks of North Broad Baptist Church will preach. Other local ministers will lead the prayers and Scripture readings each day.

Father James Miceli, Pastor of St. Mary's Catholic Church, is this year's host. "These services are a wonderful opportunity for Christians to come together in respect and love as we celebrate the great events of Holy Week and Easter," Miceli says. "This is a great witness to our shared faith, especially important in the face of the pressing issues that face us concerning ethical and moral values, the dignity of life, and justice and peace".

Parking is available on West First Street behind the church. Ushers will direct worshipers to parking areas and the Church, and security will be provided during the service and lunch. For more, contact Deacon Stuart Neslin of St. Mary's at (706) 290-9000, x. 33.

>More Holy Week services> Click

>Send service updates for Holy Week, Easter> E-mail

Monday updates from www.bartowheadlines.com

 

Click www.bartowheadlines.com:

 

Grove goes before public in quest for Sedona, Ariz., appointment

The Buzz of Northwest Georgia:

-Top of the seventh: Rome Braves ready for 2009 season (Click)

-Wachovia branch to get facelift at Berry Crossing

-Party marks fifth anniversary of Q102's Jim & Karli , a rarity these days

-Whole Foods on Boulevard's menu--or vice versa? 

-Two new Web sites to check

-More dinner options downtown--and the return of The Beatless  

-Focus: Regulator of regional EMS teams running on fumes (Click)

WeatherCenter/brought to you by Roman Court

-Today: Sunny, with a high near 72.
-Tonight: Partly cloudy, low of 38.
-Tuesday: 20% chance of rain, high of 69.

-Tuesday night: 90% chance of showers, storms; low of 50.
-For more, click WeatherCenter

Norman Arey's Sports Roundtable / brought to you by Riverside Toyota

-NFL way off base with Matt Stafford; rumors swirl around college basketball jobs> Click Arey

Rome Braves preseason updates

-Former Braves catcher Javy Lopez to throw first pitch Opening Night.
-Single ticket sales under way at State Mutual Stadium

Downtown Headlines

-What's ahead in downtown Rome. Click Downtown

Three-Dot Buzz . . . :

Top of the seventh: A new year for Rome Braves> Ticket, food and beverage discounts headline the "what's new?" column as the Rome Braves begin their seventh season. Mickey Seward reports on what fans can expect starting opening night (April 14) at State Mutual Stadium> Blog

>Coming soon: 2009 opening day roster, additional updates

Wachovia to get a facelift at Berry Crossing: With CVS now open at Martha Berry and the Bypass, look for the Wachovia branch to get some exterior sprucing up. The developers have agreed to do a redesign in exchange for the bank's extending the lease on that site. Click Berry Crossing

Party marks fifth anniversary of 'The Morning Q with Jim and Karli'

-Q102's Jim and Karli have been together for five years, something of a hallmark these days in the radio business. The program airs weekdays from 6 until 9 a.m. and has been honored by the Georgia Association of  Broadcasters. An anniversary party is set for 5 to 7 p.m. Monday at Opi's Waterfront with Scott Thompson of Peachtree Station performing> Q102

Whole Foods on Boulevard menu? In terms of sheer promotion, The Boulevard is testing new waters in Northwest Georgia. Sixty- and 90-second animations of the project are now on YouTube (click) and you can follow updates as well via Twitter (click). And if you look at the Twitter "followers" of the site, you'll find an interesting link to Whole Foods Market. It is the corporate link, not a fan-boy site. We've got an e-mail into Whole Foods checking the source.

Two new Web sites to note this week:

-ShopRomeShops.com: This site is a collection of paid photos and ads, linking visitors to the shop in each photo. After an introductory period, the participating merchants will pay $40 a month for exposure. Ian O'Shea is at the keyboard.

 -Atlantaunfiltered.com: This is what a news Web site should be: detailed, unfiltered information from a trained investigative reporter. Former AJC writer/editor Jim Walls has assembled an interesting collection of news updates from the metro area. With dozens of other AJC journalists about to be idle, look for additional sites to pop up with varying subjects or "niche" details.

Tearoom adds dinner service starting April 7: Downtown Rome's never-static dining options are growing again. Effective April 7, The Victorian Rose Tearoom and Cafe at 510 Broad St. will serve dinner Tuesdays-Fridays with meals costing from $6.25 to $12.95, says George Kastanias. One difference: No alcohol and that includes carry-ins. The Tearoom is open for lunch Mondays-Fridays, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. The restaurant has done several special dinners in recent years with very positive buzz.

The return of the Beatless: Rome's favorite Beatles' cover band, The Beatless, will reunite at the June 5 First Friday concert at Bridgepoint Plaza> Beatless

Group monitoring region's EMS units running on fumes

>Budget cuts strap Region 1 EMS, the office that regulates and monitors emergency medical crews serving Northwest Georgia. But help is on the way.

By Natalie Simms

natsimms76@gmail.com

For more than two months, state budget cuts have forced Region 1 Emergency Medical Service (EMS) to coordinate all EMS training and inspections for the Northwest Georgia area with only one person.

It's been a stressful situation that has stretched Region 1 EMS Coordinator David Loftin in lots of different directions as he juggled the duties of three people. But Loftin received some good news last week: he gets to replace an EMS Training Coordinator.

"It's been hard around here doing three jobs," Loftin says. "But things are looking better."

Loftin lost his administrative assistant in October, followed by the training coordinator in January. State budget cuts would not allow Loftin to rehire. The situation left Loftin the lone employee to cover all 16 counties and two health districts in the region.

One person monitoring 30 ambulance services, first responders

Among his many duties, Loftin is responsible for overseeing inspections on all EMS personnel and vehicles at the 30 ambulance services and first responder units in the region, as well as overseeing EMS training at 10 programs in the area.

"The cuts also instituted travel restrictions so we had to conduct a lot of meetings with conference calls," he says. "But it is more efficient now without having to take the time to travel. After the call, you can just go back to work and not have the interruption of travel."

Loftin is recruiting a new training coordinator and hopes to have the position filled by April 16. In addition, the new hire likely will be the person to assume Loftin's post when he retires in September 2010.

"I certainly hope the budgetary things don't keep up so that when I retire, this new person would be able to hire someone to help," says Loftin.

Even though short-handed, new duties assigned to Region 1

Help is something Loftin is glad to see, especially with his workload about to increase. Beginning later this year, Region 1 EMS also will regulate the Emergency Helicopter Service in this area. Region 1 has three helicopters, one in Calhoun and two along the Georgia-Tennessee state line.

"Helicopter service is a vital part of our trauma system here," Loftin says. "Even though they have reduced the number of helicopters in our area, we have not been greatly impacted."

A fourth helicopter previously was stationed in Cartersville but has been moved into the Kennesaw/Marietta area.

"This year, we will begin regulating the helicopter service," Loftin said.  "Last year, they petitioned the state to be regulated by EMS because they were afraid to have a less professional service come in to regulate. The helicopter service has always followed national standards and they were afraid others would not. They wanted to be regulated by the highest standards."

The state is now in the process of implementing the rules and regulations for helicopter oversight, and will begin inspections later this year.

Some other good news came last week as the Georgia General Assembly approved a new "Super Speeders" bill that would help fund the state's Trauma Network, including EMS programs.

The bill, passed March 25, now awaits Gov. Sonny Perdue's signature. It calls for a $200 fine for speeders going more than 85 mph on the interstate or four-lane road or 75 mph on two-lane roads. It is estimated that $23 million will be raised the first year.

The funds will be used to support the Georgia Trauma Network.

"Things are looking good with legislation. Since the 'Super Speeders' passed, we should be able to hire back a lot of people at the state level that have been laid off," says Loftin.

PEAKS & VALLEYS: The highs and lows of Northwest Georgia

Northwest Georgia's embracing of  the Code RED emergency system: Talk about great service. We enrolled in  Floyd County's new Code RED emergency notification system on Wednesday and received our first "warning" call around 6:20 a.m. Thursday as storms threatened the region. Saturday night, too. The "robo call" alerts area residents and businesses to possible danger from storms or other threats. Gordon, Polk and now Floyd counties are now members. Take a minute to enroll by clicking RED.

Valley to anyone linked to Georgia's highway system: On Friday, as we returned from a free-flowing traffic vacation in booming Florida, we ran into stop-and-go traffic below Hampton. It didn't ease up until we were north of the I-675 intersection; the culprit was listed as an accident. As we idled along, we offered apologies to the out-of-state motorists trapped in the daily mess. We felt guilty for allowing the problem to escalate without any form of leadership whatsoever in traffic management and development. And yet here we are, a state reportedly so welcoming to new business and tourist dollars, and we continue to shoot ourselves in the foot when it comes to traffic. What struck us the most: as we shuffled slowly northward, the session-long power play over DOT "management" continued in nearby Atlanta. Yeah, that's real leadership.

Valley to the latest round of gas price hikes:

This graphic from www.georgiagasprices.com shows how gas prices have jumped in each of the past four summers including record territory last year.

Let's see, the excuse this time out is a supply issue as the refineries switch from "winter blend" to "summer blend" gas. Come June 1, they'll be able to blame the "potential" for hurricane development in the Gulf of Mexico. Next fall, it will be the switch back to "winter blend." We think there's a shorter answer for why gas prices are soaring again: the spring travel season is upon us and the summer road wars are about to begin. Any guesses on what a gallon of unleaded will cost by June 1?

Tornado watch until midnight Saturday (3/28)

click www.hometownheadlines.com

 

TORNADO WATCH UNTIL MIDNIGHT

TORNADO WATCH 94 IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1200 AM EDT FOR THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS GAC015-045-047-055-083-115-129-143-213-223-233-295-313-290400- /O.NEW.KWNS.TO.A.0094.090329T0030Z-090329T0400Z/ GA . GEORGIA COUNTIES INCLUDED BARTOW CARROLL CATOOSA CHATTOOGA DADE FLOYD GORDON HARALSON MURRAY PAULDING POLK WALKER WHITFIELD> DETAILS

ABOVE: The red and yellow boxes in the above map show areas under tornado warning or severe thunderstorm warning. Click the graphic for the latest updates.

TO THE RIGHT: This box shows the areas where tornado watches or warnings are in effect. Click the graphic for the latest updates. Red shows tornado warnings, orange, severe thunderstorm warnings; and yellow, tornado watch zones.

 

Police scanner

Live radar

Latest warnings

E-mail storm reports

-Wind Advisory: In effect until 8 p.m. Sunday; gusts to 35 mph possible.

-Flood Watch: Through Saturday night.

-Latest updates from the Oostanaula River: 14.9 feet. Click for more

-Tonight: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 45. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming west.
-Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 60. West wind between 5 and 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
-For more, click WeatherCenter

-For the latest local weather radar, click Here

-For the latest from the weather service, click Here

-Floyd adding 'CodeRED' emergency notification system: Floyd joins Gordon and Polk counties in offering phone notification system to area residents and businesses. For easy enrollment, click RED

Friday updates

Click www.bartowheadlines.com:

WeatherCenter/brought to you by Roman Court

-Flood Watch: Now through Saturday night.

-Hazardous Weather Outlook: Stormy days continue.

-Rainfall between 4 a.m. Wednesday, 8 a.m. Friday: 1.68 inches

-Latest updates from the Oostanaula River: 12.03 feet. Click for more

-Today: Occasional showers and possibly a thunderstorm, mainly before 2pm. High near 67. East wind between 5 and 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
-Tonight: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 55. East wind around 5 mph becoming calm. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
-Saturday: Occasional showers and thunderstorms. High near 73. South wind between 5 and 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between one and two inches possible.
-Saturday Night: A chance of showers, mainly before 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 50. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming west. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
-Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 58. West wind between 5 and 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
-For more, click WeatherCenter

-For the latest local weather radar, click Here

-For the latest from the weather service, click Here

-Floyd adding 'CodeRED' emergency notification system: Floyd joins Gordon and Polk counties in offering phone notification system to area residents and businesses. For easy enrollment, click RED (updated link)

Business briefs:

-Hodge speaking to Bartow chamber Monday: Al Hodge, State Board of Education member for Congressional District 11 and President and CEO of Greater Rome Chamber of Commerce, will speak to members of the Cartersville-Bartow County Chamber of Commerce's government affairs committee beginning at 8 a.m.

-Forum's 'client cruisers' remain in operation: The popular Client Cruisers used by The Forum since infrastructure work began in its main parking lot will remain in service even with the new parking deck up and running. Forum customers will have the option of use the deck and paying up to $5 or riding a cruiser from street-side or other parking downtown.

Health

-Harbin Clinic's new Cartersville office honored> Health

-Payne earns his doctorate of audiology degree> Health

Politics:

-Latest newsletter from state Rep. Barry Loudermilk> Newsletter

-D.C. tax error clips U.S. Phil Gingrey> AJC

Campus Headlines:

-Price to sign 'Chronicles of Nicodemus' April 4: A new historical novel by well-known author and minister Dr. Nelson Price offers fresh insights into the resurrection of Christ. The author, who also serves as chairman of the Shorter College Board of Trustees, will sign copies of his latest book, The Chronicles of Nicodemus, beginning at 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 4, at Barnes & Noble in the Riverbend Center> Price.

-William, Mary Ann Knight competition finals April 5> Shorter

-Terry named assistant vice president/academic projects at Shorter> Terry

-Oak Hill and The Martha Berry Museum will offer a 'how-to' vegetable gardening workshop from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, April 24> Oakhill

Dining & Drink (click)

-Latest public health restaurant inspection reports.

-Beer tasting at Old Havana/Cartersville Saturday

-Links to North Georgia Wine Tours/new Wine Lines

Norman Arey's Sports Roundtable / brought to you by Riverside Toyota

-Women smarter than men? Look at graduation rates for NCAA teams and decide> Click Arey

Bartow headlines for Thursday

Click www.bartowheadlines.com

 

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 815 AM

FOR SOUTHERN FLOYD AND POLK COUNTIES

... AT 744 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO INDICATE A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS UP TO 60 MPH. THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM LINDALE TO CEDARTOWN TO 10 MILES SOUTH OF ESOM HILL...MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH. More weather below

Double-digit jobless rates across the region; 17,260 idle

 

	Working in February	Unemployed in February	Feb. 09jobless %	Jan. 09 jobless %	Feb. 08 jobless %
Bartow	40,949	5,293	11.4%	10.7%	6.1%
Chattooga	9,934	1,603	13.9%	12.1%	14.0%
Floyd	43,765	4,896	10.1%	9.3%	5.6%
Gordon	23,812	3,235	12.0%	10.6%	6.8%
Polk	19,538	2,233	10.3%	9.1%	5.3%
Georgia	4,350,305	453,248	9.4%	8.7%	5.3%

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source: Georgia Department of Labor

Some 17,260 Northwest Georgians were without work in February as the jobless rate in five area counties jumped above the 10-percent mark. A county-by-county look shows:

-Chattooga's rate of 13.9 percent was a bit better than the 14% posted a year earlier. The February 2008 numbers were in part because of the shift layoff at Mount Vernon Mills.

-Bartow had the highest number of people unemployed last month, 5,293 or 11.4 percent of its labor force. Bartow, like Floyd and Gordon, saw Goody's close last month with Office Depot also closing soon. The chamber earlier this month helped coordinate a "re-employment" expo for displaced workers.

-Floyd has seen month after month of layoffs and closings, the latest being Goody's and Circuit City. A "Shop Rome" campaign is under way, trying to keep retail dollars and jobs in town vs. Chattanooga or Kennesaw.

-Gordon lost its Goody's store and now is bracing for several hundred additional filings as Shaw Industries closes a yarn plant there.

-Polk's jobless rate continued to creep up as well.

-Said State Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond. "In 87 of our state's 159 counties, double-digit unemployment is a sobering reality. A rising tide of joblessness is spreading across our state."

Business Buzz

-Greater Rome Bank reports solid year in 2008: Among the highlights were deposits of $138 million and assets of $185 million> Business

-Local Pier 1 stores remain open: The Rome and Cartersville stores are not among 16 the chain is closing in coming weeks, a company spokeswoman confirms> Background

-Cycle Therapy combining locations, moving to Broad Street> Downtown Headlines

-More post-Paul Harvey chances at WRGA: With ABC discontinuing the long-form midday report made famous by the late Paul Harvey, WRGA (1470AM and 95.3 FM) has opted to add part of Neal Boortz' Overload Hour from 12:06 until 12:30 p.m. WRGA also carries the Boortz feed from 10 a.m. until noon. The station's midday report continues at 12:30 p.m. weekdays.

Politics:

-Smith's life without parole bill passes state House> Politics

-Gingrey op-ed on health care published by Washington Times> Op-Ed

Campus Headlines:

-GHC's Spranza honored for promoting campus activities> GHC

-Virtually Shorter for March now posted> Shorter

-Celebrate Shorter set for April 1> Campus Headlines

-Floyd Schools' Cole Benefield earns key chef honors> Click

WeatherCenter/brought to you by Roman Court

-Flood Watch: Tonight through Saturday night.

-Hazardous Weather Outlook: Stormy days ahead.

Severe Thunderstorm Warning
Severe Weather Statement
Short Term Forecast

Police scanner

Live radar

Latest warnings (if needed)

Click WBHF for storm updates if needed

Today: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm before 2pm, then a slight chance of showers. High near 72. South wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between three quarters and one inch possible.

Tonight: A slight chance of showers, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 51. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Friday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 69. Calm wind becoming east between 5 and 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

-For more, click WeatherCenter

-For the latest local weather radar, click Here

-For the latest from the weather service, click Here

-Floyd adding 'CodeRED' emergency notification system: Floyd joins Gordon and Polk counties in offering phone notification system to area residents and businesses. For easy enrollment, click RED (updated link)

What next for the AJC after latest round of job cuts, reduced circulation?

-Wednesday's news that the AJC is slicing 90 jobs from the already-downized newsroom and trimming more counties from delivery lists hit earlier than expect. When all is said and done, the 320-person newsroom will be down to 230 people. Many part-timers already are gone.Plus: Delivery will be cut from 27 to 20 counties (Floyd continues to be a delivery county). Wednesday's cuts are sad news for readers and former employees. In an era where "news" operations need only a Web site to conduct "Amateur Hour" journalism, it chills us to see 90 more news professionals unemployed> AJC

Latest Stargazer's Journal now posted> RomeSG

Pollen count starting seasonal climb: Another sure sign of spring--all that sneezing going on and some new yellow tint on vehicles. Check the Atlanta Allergy & Asthma Clinic's updated Web page> Pollen

Norman Arey's Sports Roundtable / brought to you by Riverside Toyota

-Hide your pets and cell phones, Arkansas is practicing football; more on Wonderlic> Click Arey

Rome Braves preseason updates

-Former Braves catcher Javy Lopez to throw first pitch Opening Night.
-Single ticket sales under way at State Mutual Stadium

Downtown Headlines

-Bryan Mullins of Mullinsmania: What's ahead in downtown Rome. Click Downtown

Wednesday updates from www.bartowheadlines.com

Click www.bartowheadlines.com

Shaw closing Calhoun, Valdosta plants; 600 jobs lost: Dalton-based Shaw Industries is closing yarn plants in Calhoun and Valdosta, citing  "unprecedented difficulties" in the housing industry, according to a report in the Dalton Daily Citizen.

>In Calhoun: The news comes just as the February jobless reports are due from the Georgia Department of Labor. In January, Gordon County reported a jobless rate of 10.7 percent with 2,873 people out of work. In December, the jobless rate was 9.9 percent.

-The story from the Valdosta Daily Times> Click

WeatherCenter/brought to you by Roman Court

-Stormy days ahead with potential for flooding: We could see as much as two inches by Thursday morning and more is on the way.

-Flood Watch: Tonight through Saturday night.

-Hazardous Weather Outlook: Stormy days ahead.
-Today: 100% chance of showers with thunderstorms also possible after 2 p.m. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. High near 63. New rainfall amounts between one and two inches possible.
-Tonight: 100% chance of showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Low around 56.Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between one and two inches possible.
-Thursday: 70% chance of showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 2pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 73. New rainfall amounts between three quarters and one inch possible.

-For more, click WeatherCenter

-For the latest local weather radar, click Here

-For the latest from the weather service, click Here

Floyd adding 'CodeRED' emergency notification system: Floyd joins Gordon and Polk counties in offering phone notification system to area residents and businesses. For easy enrollment, click RED

Campus Headlines:

>Nearly $200 million strong--and growing: The 2007 economic impact studies for Berry College and Shorter College are out, and they underscore the colleges' singular and collective economic thrust to the local economy. Like the recent hospital impact statements, the independent college study showcases what the colleges mean in terms of jobs and dollars generated> Impact

>Georgia Northwestern names presidential staff, economic development teams as merger of tech colleges draws closer> GNTC

Cartersville woman wins $500,000 in Lottery scratchoff> Bartow

Pollen count starting seasonal climb: Another sure sign of spring--all that sneezing going on and some new yellow tint on vehicles. Check the Atlanta Allergy & Asthma Clinic's updated Web page> Pollen

Norman Arey's Sports Roundtable / brought to you by Riverside Toyota

-Wondering about Matt Stafford's Wonderlic tests, Georgia's next hoops coach> Click Arey

Tuesday updates

Click www.bartowheadlines.com:

 

Ledbetter Properties files for $30 million project in Jasper:

-Jasper Crossing, anchored by a 150,000-square-foot-plus Wal-Mart, is proposed for Ga. 515 and Old Philadelphia Road in Jasper by R.H. Ledbetter Properties.  The project should be done by Aug. 1, 2010, and is expected to pump $2 million in taxes (before merchant sales)  A development of regional impact report has been filed with the state. If approved as planned, Jasper Crossing also would feature 13 out-parcel sites together covering 100,000 square feet> DRI

-Ledbetter has developed numerous shopping centers in the region, most recently Riverbend Center and RiverWalk in Rome as well as Main Street Commons in Cartersville. The company and the city of Rome are studying options for a center across from RiverWalk--a bid that has resulted in a petition in opposition from Coosa River Basin Initiative (details).The company has seen some major tenants (Goody's) exit existing centers and a Ledbetter affiliate has been auctioned (Etowah). Ledbetter also has two retail centers further north on Ga. 515 in Ellijay.

WeatherCenter/brought to you by Roman Court

-Potentially rough weather on the way: Look for a 70 percent chance of rain tonight, escalating to a 90 percent chance of stormy weather Wednesday and Wednesday night with a 70 percent chance for more of the same on Thursday. Rain is in the forecast through Saturday night. Immediate forecast:

-Tuesday: Mostly cloudy, high of 74.

-Tuesday night: 60 percent chance of rain, low of 55.

-Wednesday: 90 percent chance of rain, storms; high of 66.

-Wednesday night: 90 percent chance of storms; low of 57.

-For more, click WeatherCenter

Public hearing on water use set for April 2 in Cartersville: Coosa River Basin Initiative will host a town hall meeting to discuss local and state water issues April 2 at the Bartow County Library, 429 Main St. in Cartersville. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. and will include discussions of water conservation and state policy addressing the region's water crisis; stream health in the Etowah River and Lake Allatoona and the Etowah Habitat Conservation Plan. Citizens will have the opportunity to ask questions of representatives from CRBI and the University of Georgia's Odum School of Ecology and make comments about their specific concerns for local waterways.> Coosa

 

No e-mail, Web site at CVTC Wednesday, Thursday: Coosa Valley Technical College will experience a temporary network service outage on Wednesday and Thursday at the Floyd, Gordon, and Polk campuses.  During this time, the college expects to have intermittent service for CVTC's public Web site, email, and student banner applications.  The outage is part of network changes at the college mergers with Northwestern Tech to form Georgia Northwest Technical College: How to contact the college:

-Floyd County Campus – 706-295-6963.

-Gordon County Campus – 706-624-1100.

-Polk County Campus – 770-684-5696.

New site tracks wineries in North Georgia:

You'll find a history of Georgia's wine industry as well the recent surge in both production and tourism on our new site focusing on the hot agribusiness. Also: updates on what's up at North Georgia wineries. Click North Georgia Wine Tours

American Red Cross sets latest regional blood drives> ARC

Pollen count starting seasonal climb: Another sure sign of spring--all that sneezing going on and some new yellow tint on vehicles. Check the Atlanta Allergy & Asthma Clinic's updated Web page> Pollen

Norman Arey's Sports Roundtable / brought to you by Riverside Toyota

-Talk about sweet: Vegas bookies were on the money in 15 of 16 slots

> Click Arey

Monday updates from www.bartowheadlines.com

Click www.bartowheadlines.com

Click www.hometownheadlines.com:

The Buzz of Northwest Georgia:

-What's next for Berry Crossing as CVS prepares to open.
-Still another CVS on the way? Maybe not
-Amid all the Boulevard signage, not a word on the project at meeting?

-Peaks & Valleys: The highs and lows of Northwest Georgia

Monday focus:
-As dollars get tight, options are fewer and fewer for recycling center.
-Key meeting on center's fate set for Tuesday
-Another option for recycling?

New since our morning e-mail alert:

-Latest state business updates from Georgia Trend> Ga. Business

-Wachovia Securities' market summary, three times a day> Market

-Track today's Dow, other markets> Google Finance

-Georgia Political & Policy Digest's daily headlines> Ga. Politics

-Hometown Media: Web, radio, Facebook and more> Hometown

Pollen count starting seasonal climb: Another sure sign of spring--all that sneezing going on and some new yellow tint on vehicles. The Atlanta Allergy & Asthma Clinic's updated Web page shows the region--over the past two weeks--has seen two "extremely high" pollen count days, five high and one moderate and low each. You can track the daily count by clicking> Pollen

-Rain returns Tuesday night. Please see WeatherCenter below.

March 23: Rome's Alcohol Control Commission meeting:

-333 on Broad: This is the new restaurant coming to the former Prickly Pear spot at 333 Broad St. The owners are seeking a beer, wine and liquor pouring license. Owner Jay Shell says work continues on the interior of the former Prickly Pear. Painting and the removal of past debris are under way. Opening day still looks to be around May 1, Shell says.

-Deano's Pizza: The 1800 Dean Ave. mainstay is making a come back with Donald F. Rusaw seeking a beer pouring license.

-New at Midtown Crossing is Amerpacific Rim Bistro. No details yet other than the application for the beer and wine pouring license.

-Several noise and underage sales complaints also are up for review.

-For more on the 5 p.m. ACC meeting, click Agenda

 

WeatherCenter/brought to you by Roman Court

-Monday: Sunny, with a high near 74. Winds 10 mph.

-Monday night: Partly cloudy, low of 44.

-Tuesday: Partly sunny, high of 74.

-Tuesday night: 70 percent chance of rain.
-For more, click WeatherCenter

Norman Arey's Sports Roundtable / brought to you by Riverside Toyota

-Rocky start for 2009 Vols? And should it be 'Rocky Top-less'?> Click Arey

Rome Braves preseason updates

-Former Braves catcher Javy Lopez to throw first pitch Opening Night.
-Single ticket sales under way at State Mutual Stadium

Downtown Headlines

-What's ahead in downtown Rome. Click Downtown

Three-Dot Buzz:

What's next for Berry Crossing: This Sunday, CVS opens the new 24-hour store at the Bypass and Martha Berry Highway. Along with the Wachovia branch, the drug store anchors the Berry Crossing development on 5.8 acres of high-visibility land across from Berry College and Oak Hill/Martha Berry Museum. What we're waiting to see is what's next for that site. No additional tenants have been announced for the planned 20,000 square feet of small shop and restaurant space.  We have calls and e-mails into Metro Group.

Further north on U.S. 27: There's been considerable talk about a new, free-standing CVS at or near Armuchee Village, replacing the store already in the strip center. The stand-alone store--which would feature a must-have drive-through window--has been the epicenter of some angst. The question: where to build it. And now comes word that a newer store is in limbo as they wait to see what the Berry Crossing store's impact will be on overall sales.

Did you hear the comment about The Boulevard? That's just it--no one did at Thursday's chamber Business After Hours at State Mutual Stadium. And that's what's odd. Chamber members were swamped with Boulevard signage as they drove into the baseball stadium parking lot. And yet, once inside Three Rivers Club, there was nary an announcement made about what's proposed for the acres surrounding the home of the Rome Braves for the past six seasons (the home opener for season seven is April 14).

Speaking of baseball: Look for the formal announcement of the Rome Braves' new play-by-play broadcaster soon, perhaps as early as today. Josh Caray is not returning for a third season on Talk Radio WLAQ 1410 AM and 95.7 FM The Ridge. A new voice has been hired and we're just awaiting the formal word.

More changes possible for Rome/Floyd recycling program

By Natalie Simms

natsimms76@gmail.com

Times are tough and it seems nothing is out of the grips of the crippling economy, even our local recycling program.

Budget cuts already have forced the Rome-Floyd Recycling Center to cut hours and reduce employees. And now, it is in jeopardy of being closed to the public. Local officials agree recycling is needed but the question is, how to pay for it?

"It's a good community-based program," says Chad Whitefield, right, county commissioner and a member of the Rome-Floyd Solid Waste Committee. "But I am not a fan of throwing money into an inefficient program. We've got to find a way to do it better and more efficiently."

The Rome-Floyd Recycling Center is a joint city/county agency that is managed by the Floyd County Public Works Department. The City of Rome uses the center as a place to bring its collected recycling materials from its curbside pick-up, while Floyd County uses the center to bring items from its seven remote collection sites in the county. The center also has drop-off bins available 24/7 at its location on Watters Street; and during its business hours, collects household hazardous waste, computers and electronics and offers a buy-back program for aluminum products.

"In January (2009), we went to a Tier 2 approach, where we cut back our hours to four days a week and we are operating without a general manager," says Michael Skeen, Floyd County Public Works Director. "And, then in February, we were asked to cut our expenses even more, so we are looking at a number of different options."

2008 total: 10 million pounds of recyclables

In 2008, the Recycling Center received more than 10 million pounds of recyclable materials and saved 33,179 cubic yards of landfill space. This is not a "small" problem to fix. Since it opened in 1988, Skeen says the center has never been profitable but it earned enough revenue from the resale of its recyclables to cover the majority of its operating expenses. It also receives a subsidy from the Solid Waste Committee, which has varied each year depending on the amount of revenues the center collected. The average subsidy over the past 17 years has been about $125,000 a year, says Marta Turner, retired manager of the Recycling Center.

"The center never made enough money to pay all its expenses," Turner says. "So, jointly, the city and county have always agreed to subsidize the remainder of the budget. The question now is how much can they afford? The problem is that the (recycling) markets are so low, we are not making the revenues we have in the past."

The subsidy for 2008 was $40,000 and the projected shortfall for 2009 is $490,000 if the center had maintained operations at a Tier 1 with full staff. Skeen says he has been asked to get the center's budget subsidy down to $210,000, which includes $160,000 to maintain the center's operations and $50,000 for household hazardous waste disposal.

"We really have a more optimistic outlook now than we did in January," Turner says. "There is a small rise in the commodities. For example, cardboard went up considerably. Last year, it was paying $140 a ton and then it dropped in January to $20 per ton but now it is back up to $55 a ton."

Until the markets go back up, government officials have to find ways to continue to maintain some type of recycling program on a shoestring budget.

"We are taking a look at everything we do," says Rome City Manager John Bennett. "We are looking at recycling in particular because of the market changes. Right now, we don't have any definite plans to change our curbside pickup, but we could save a lot of money if we didn't have it."

Bennett says city officials are looking into a comingled system where all recyclables are collected together and not separated into categories of paper, plastic, aluminum and glass. Garbage trucks would then be used to collect the recyclables and transfer them to the recycling center. This would eliminate all the extra fuel expense from multiple trips made with the current process.

And, if the decision is made to end the curbside pickup, Bennett says the city would have a number of recycling drop-off spots around the city for collection similar to the county's collection system.

Privatize or stay the course?

Officials currently are putting together Request for Proposals to have a private business transport all the comingled materials to a facility in Kennesaw. In this proposal, the Recycling Center would serve as a transport center. The question remains if there is enough funding to keep the center open to the public.

"It is certainly not our intent to close the center," says Kim Canada, right, Rome city commissioner and a member of Solid Waste Committee. "If we privatize, we hope to still have curbside pickup and the county will have remote collection sites. Our community is very much in support of recycling."

In fact, the Georgia Department of Community Affairs recently completed a statewide survey that reveals strong support and demand for recycling programs. According to the survey, 97 percent of Georgians feel that recycling should be a high priority for their fellow residents. And when it comes to current recycling behavior, 84 percent of Georgia residents have recycled something in the past 12 months.

The importance is there but funding the recycling program is now the barrier. Turner says she has asked officials to consider adding a "solid tax fee" of $6 to property tax bill.

"This is just 50 cents a month to keep our program in place. It's the cost of a soft drink a month," Turner says. "Isn't that enough to keep it out of the landfill?"

Commissioners are opposed to adding any additional tax. "We are taxed to death," Canada says. "We have to find a better way to offset the cost."

One thing is for sure: there are several options to discuss.

For now the Recycling Center remains open on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Officials said even if it were to close, it wouldn't do so before June.

Commissioners will discuss the future of the recycling program at the Solid Waste Committee Meeting scheduled for Tuesday, March 24, at 1 p.m. in the Sam King Room at City Hall. Citizens are encouraged to attend the meeting or contact their representatives for input. Minutes from the February meeting> Click

Another option for recycling

Paper Recovery of Georgia is collecting paper and magazines to raise money for the William S. Davis Homeless Shelter and United Way of Rome-Floyd County.

A collection bin has been placed at the old Kroger location on Hicks Drive. You can dropoff all paper and fiber products such as newspapers, magazines, old mail, cereal boxes and office paper. Each organization will receive funds from the sale of the recyclable material. 

Paper Recovery owner Ira Levy is seeking other companies to participate by putting collection bins at their location. For more information, contact Paper Recovery at 706-291-2988.

PEAKS & VALLEYS: The highs and lows of Northwest Georgia

Peak to the Rome Symphony Orchestra's 'freebie' deal: RSO is offering free tickets to the Saturday, March 28, concert to all those who have been laid off or have lost jobs. It is a kind gesture that those out of work won't forget in coming years.

Valley to the traffic circle on Chatillon Road: This two-lane provides a nice, quick connector between Riverside Parkway and Broad Street. It is a great "relief" bypass getting to and from a Rome Braves game as well. But now comes a mostly useless traffic circle that includes a turn to the new annex road to the Bypass. So rather than helping move traffic, it impedes it. Or are we talking in circles?

Valley to legislative budget cutters: The latest blood on the floor--$1.9 million for the renovation of Rockmart's library. Why is it that educational needs, from libraries to classrooms, and the arts and even health issues seem to get hit the hardest? We wonder how much would be saved by cutting lawmakers' salaries and support staff/office budgets? Enough to save a library or classroom, perhaps?

Valley to the state Department of Revenue: We haven't been a fan since all that Cabela's mess a few years ago. The latest: the error in the sales tax percentage for Rome/Floyd businesses--and then playing alleged late notice of the election results. Sad--especially when the election in question occurred six months earlier! We're assuming the person responsible for correcting the note was on a budget-saving furlough that day.

 

 

Friday updates from www.bartowheadlines.com

Updates on Thursday's crash at Cartersville Airport> WSB

Gang rumor part of a nationwide hoax: Rumors about deadly gang initiation stunts are bouncing around Floyd and Bartow counties today, and are part of a nationwide hoax, says Capt. Terry Autry of the Metro Task Force. "There's nothing to it," says Autry. This happens every two or three years, he adds "Don't panic. Don't change your plans. Just go about your normal business."

March 21/Women's Expo set for Civic Center: American Red Cross and Coosa Valley Credit Union present the 2009 Women's Expo March 21 from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. at the Cartersville Civic Center. This event will include health, finance, fitness, beauty, lifestyle and more. Tickets are $5 in advance and $7 at the door. For more information, please call the Red Cross office at 770-382-0981.

March 21/100th Anniversary Confederate Monument Celebration set: The United Daughters of the Confederacy Gen. P.M.B. Young Chapter No. 2373 in Cartersville invites you to attend the 100th anniversary celebration of the Confederate Monument at the 1903 Bartow County Gold Dome Courthouse on Saturday at 2 p.m. Speakers will include Bob Crowe, Commander of the Stiles-Akin Camp No. 670 Sons of Confederate Veterans in Cartersville; and Cassie A. Barrow, a member of the UDC Atlanta No. 18 Chapter since 2001 and currently a resident of Griffin. A gun salute will be presented by the Sons of Confederate Veterans as part of the ceremony. Also participating will be Dale Black, lieutenant commander of the Stiles-Akin Camp No. 670 Sons of Confederate Veterans in Cartersville; Joe Carver and company, 52nd Georgia Infantry Gilmer Light Guards; and Gary Turner and company, 28th Georgia. The event will be held inside the courthouse in the event of rain. Refreshments will follow.

Living Online

New look for Gingrey's Web pages:

Web pages: The online home of U.S. Rep. Phil Gingrey has a new look these days with a few more tweaks left to go. The new design is cleaner and comes with familiar and new features including an interactive congressional district map. Also new: the image behind the nameplate will shift from Berry College to Bartow's courthouse, etc. Gingrey's old look won a bronze mouse award Click Gingrey

-Gingrey: end the bailouts, bonuses: U.S. Rep. Phil Gingrey made the following statement Thursday, calling for the end of the massive, taxpayer-funded bailout: " Everyone agrees that these corporate executives should not receive millions of dollars in bonuses at the expense of hardworking taxpayers"> Gingrey  

April 16/Visitation Day set at NMTC: North Metro Technical College is holding a Visitation Day event for prospective students on Thursday, April 16 at 5:15 p.m.  Reservations are required by calling 770-975-4000 or e-mailing David Archer at darcher@northmetrotech.edu. Guests will be treated to dinner where they will hear a brief overview of North Metro Technical College, admissions information and its financial aid options.  Participants will then be taken on a tour of the campus where instructors in various educational programs will have demonstrations available.

 

WeatherCenter/brought to you by Roman Court

-Friday: Sunny, with a high near 67. Gusts as high as 20 mph.
-Friday night: Low around 34.

-Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 67.

-Saturday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 39.

-Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 66.
-For more, click WeatherCenter

Norman Arey's Sports Roundtable / brought to you by Riverside Toyota

-Tebow's speech now immortalized in Gainesville; come on, Mike, don't be like that> Click Arey

Rome Braves preseason updates

-Former Braves catcher Javy Lopez to throw first pitch Opening Night.
-Single ticket sales under way at State Mutual Stadium

WBHF/High school baseball broadcast schedule: You can hear the games at  WBHF 1450 AM or Web cast here on www.bartowheadlines.com:

-Saturday, March 21: Cass Diamond Challenge-- Cartersville @ Cass

-Tuesday-March 24th- Woodland @ Cass
-Thursday, April 9: Woodland & Darlington @ Berry College

-Wednesday, April 22: Cass @ Woodland (Senior Night)
-Friday, April 24: Murray County @ Cass (Senior Night)
-Tuesday, April 28: Cedartown @ Cartersville (Senior Night)