-What's next at Greater Rome Bank? Lots of speculation on Calhoun ties.
-The 'story' behind Storey Lumber: Local company has worldwide reach.
-Advance voting enters final week in Northwest Georgia.
-Peaks & Valleys: Brenda Waltz, Dwight Stout, ESPN's LeBron-a-thon.
Your latest forecast: Rain is on the way. Sunday's high was 93.
-Monday: 70% chance of showers; high of 89.
-Monday night: 40% chance of shower, low of 74.
-Tuesday: 50% chance of showers; high of 91.
-Tuesday night: 30% chance of shower, low of 70.
-Extended forecast: Click / Regional radar
Norman Arey's Sports Roundtable. Arey
-It's obvious that Florida and South Carolina are falling behind in the SEC East.
Rome Braves. Click Sports
-Rome hangs on for a 4-3 win vs. Riverdogs.
-Braves host Charleston tonight, 7 p.m.
-Mills Fitzner's latest home game photos. (click)
What's next at Greater Rome Bank?
The above headline appeared in more than a few e-mail subject lines and text messages last week following the announced resignation of Greater Rome Bank president and CEO Dwight Stout -- and our report the next day on the application to open a GRB branch in Calhoun.
The banking community is ablaze with connect-the-dot theories regarding Stout's resignation and the 14-year-old bank's sticking its toes into the competitive Calhoun/Gordon County market. And there could be a wild card in play.
Gordon County's net deposits as of June 30, 2009, were $764.1 million with almost half of that controlled by Synovus' Georgia Bank & Trust (47 percent). Nearly 30 percentage points behind was Calhoun-based North Georgia National Bank (18 percent of deposits) followed by BB & T (15.5 percent). Wachovia, Regions, NorthSide, Bank of the Ozarks (formerly Unity National), SunTrust and Century Bank of Georgia claim the remaining deposits in those year-old reports.
By comparison, Floyd County had deposits of $1.61 billion as of June 2009; Bartow County had $1.36 billion; Polk County had $410 million; and Chattooga County had $304.5 million. The new totals are due in a few weeks.
But another factor is David Lance, former president and CEO at North Georgia National and, before that, Calhoun First National Bank (now BB & T) . Lance, a son of Burt Lance, helped build North Georgia quickly but was ousted in late 2009 by a board vote. There are some strong friendships in Calhoun and Rome involving the Lances.
Speculation has it that David Lance could be a player in a Calhoun branch for Greater Rome Bank, perhaps in some sort of rainmaker position. Given his track record, that is very possible. So, too, is an even larger role.
Greater Rome is branded as a solid but also venturesome institution, growing quickly from its 1996 roots to a main office, two branches and an operations center today, all in Floyd County. A fourth office, in Shannon, didn't make it but the move was a bold one at the time with projected growth in the area, in part linked to Cabela's and to Forestar's stalled development of Town West just outside Adairsville on splitting Ga. 140.
But another scenario as other local financial sources point out: Is there a risk of growing into Calhoun with market-leading Synovus banks (Citizens First in Rome, GB & T in Calhoun) in play and with a very solid Bank of the Ozarks looking at growing the former Unity franchise?
An announcement is expected this week on what's next for Greater Rome's executive leadership.
Business profile
S.I. Storey Lumber: Local company with a worldwide presence
By Natalie Simms
nsimmshh@att.net
Many in Greater Rome probably are familiar with S.I. Storey Lumber Co. and its 80-year reputation for providing quality building materials. What many don't realize is the worldwide scope that the wholly-owned, independent family business has developed.
Founded in 1920 by Stella and Sike Storey, Storey Lumber is nestled in the mountains of Northwest Georgia on Sike Storey Road in Armuchee. Today, Stella and Sike's grandchildren, including President Kenneth Storey and vice presidents Hal Storey and Karen Storey, run the business of 35 employees.
"S.I. Storey has been providing quality building materials throughout its history, having sold lumber throughout the South and indeed the country," says Hal Storey. "Our lumber can be seen in such places as Roosevelt's Hyde Park in New York; Independence Hall in Philadelphia; Reynolds Plantation in Georgia; Frederica Stables on St. Simons Island; and Six Flags parks in Georgia, Illinois, Texas and Washington."
Among the many products that Storey Lumber manufactures include lumber used in fences, highway guardrail, timber bridges, golf course bridges and retaining walls, wooden roller coasters, docks and decks. While Storey Lumber is not a sawmill, it purchases rough green lumber from nearby mills and does all the processing work.
"Thirty years ago, our products were used mostly in the southeast and even mostly in the Northwest Georgia. We sold a lot of material to the housing industry and built custom roof trusses. But as the housing industry shifted (more stick-built roofs) and interest rates soared in the late '70s, we focused more and more on specialty products like treated lumber for decks," says Hal Storey. "We expanded into guardrail products and golf course uses. We have provided high-grade roller coaster lumber for more than 30 years."
The business has grown and sales have 
expanded across the United States and now globally. Storey Lumber provided the lumber for the only wooden roller coaster in Belgium (pictured to the right) and more recently, for a roller coaster now under construction in China.
Storey Lumber also has developed a wooden guardrail system called TimBarrier that is a uniquely designed, prefabricated guardrail using splice-plates to give a uniform look and strength to the system. The system includes four different designs to suit a multitude of applications: StreetGuard, LotGuard, CartGuard and StreetGuard Plus.
"We designed it to standardize wooden guardrails because there was no standard before," says Charlie Coleman, company salesman. "We took the idea of a splice-plate and included that in our product to give more strength to the system and it allows you to make any changes in turns or radius. It provides a very uniform look and is more pedestrian-friendly because the bolts are cut-off and tucked away in the back, so it's safer."
The TimBarrier StreetGuard product recently was used in the first phase of development at Gorges State Park's Grassy Ridge Access in Sapphire, N.C. Approximately two miles of the timber-rail was used along new roadways and parking areas.
Steve Phagno, Parks Superintendent at Gorges State Park, says the new wooden guardrails set a great atmosphere for people entering the area. "It looks good and we've gotten lots of positive comments. They set the image you will see as you enter the park, very similar t0 those along the Blue Ridge Parkway installed by the old CCC. The railings are doing exactly what we envisioned and their function of keeping people in," he says.
The StreetGuard system has also been used locally by Rome-Floyd County Parks and Recreation Association. Todd Wofford, parks superintendent, believes the wooden guardrails have enhanced the park system.
"It's a nice addition and it blends in well. It is controlling the autos in the area and keeping them out of certain areas. We really need another six to seven miles of it because some folks still like to jump curbs," he says.
For more information on the company and their products, visit www.sistoreylumber.com,
One week until primary: Early/advance voting ends this Friday
-Floyd County: Vote at the Floyd County Elections office, 12 E. Fourth Ave. Also online, by going to the Secretary of State's Web site, is the "my voter page" that will link you to your precinct and sample ballots for Floyd County: Democrat or Republican.
-Bartow County: 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Bartow County Annex Building, 105 N. Bartow St. Sample ballots: Click
-Gordon County: 8:30 a.m.- 5 p.m. at Gordon County Board of Elections and Voter Registration Office in the Annex Building. Sample ballots: Click
Peaks & Valleys: The highs and lows of Northwest Georgia
-Peak to Brenda Waltz, departing CEO of Redmond Regional: Brenda Waltz is leaving Redmond and Rome to head Garden Park Medical Center, also an HCA facility in Gulfport, Miss., starting in August. Redmond certainly has grown during her six years here, earning a trophy case full of awards and accolades including being ranked a Blue Distinction Center for Cardiac Care by Blue Cross/Blue Shield as well as Georgia's "EMS Service of the Year" 2009-2010. Just as important, Waltz has been a key player in community events, from the United Way to the chamber. And she was extremely public about her battle with breast cancer, setting an example for the medical community and others to follow as she looked at treatment from both the patient's point of view and that of a healthcare professional. Waltz and her family stepped up at all levels and those contributions will be greatly missed.
-Peak to Dwight Stout, former president and CEO of Greater Rome Bank: Do a Google search of Dwight Stout and you'll find him serving on Community Bankers Association of Georgia committees or pictured with Gov. Sonny Perdue at a proclamation signing or performing similar duties including a Washington, D.C., summit. And that doesn't take in the community and church activities. Stout, one of the longest-serving employees at Greater Rome Bank (founded in 1996) has resigned as president and CEO (see our earlier report above). Stout found time for customers, family and the community. Here's hoping he stays close to "home" in his new endeavors.
-Valley to the 'worldwide leader in sports,' ESPN, and the LeBron-a-thon: In recent years, ESPN has moved to brand expansion: cable and network TV, a magazine, radio, website and now an expanding network of major-market websites. So how do you top that act? How about an embarrassing hour of television on a basketball player's stumbling through who will pay him millions of dollars for the next few years? Nearly 10 million people wasted part of last Thursday watching the lowest point in broadcast sports. Imagine People magazine focusing on sports news as opposed to who wore what dress at the Oscars. The AJC reports it was the third most-watched cable news show ever, behind the NFL Pro Bowl (another bit of hype that might as well have the quarterbacks wearing bubble wrap) and a January episode of iCarly (and you thought it couldn't get worse than Drake & Josh). This was journalism? Successive minutes of softball analysis and even lamer questions from host Jim Gray? Here's hoping a tea party-like movement sweeps the media next. We need it.
Voting begins in the 2010 People's Voice Awards in Bartow County: You can vote for your favorite restaurant, tourist attraction and retail site in the annual vote by the 
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