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December's auto manufacturing watch: Highs and lows
A story in today's Rome News reflects an ongoing trend among some auto dealers: consolidation as sales continue to slow (click Consolidate). Reports the RNT: The Terry Reid Mitsubishi and Mount Berry Kia dealerships in Rome are merging with Reid-owned lots in Cartersville> RNT
-With all the talk about bailouts and industry changes, here's an update on the region's auto manufacturing plants:
>VW shifts to first gear in Chattanooga:
Perhaps missed in the Christmas scramble was this item: Volkswagen Group of America Inc. is beginning construction on a $30 million paint facility for the Chattanooga plant coming to Enterprise South Industrial Park (right). Walbridge has been selected as the general contractor. The plant is to be "weather-tight" by September. The announcement comes five months after VW announced it would invest $1 billion in Chattanooga for a new North American plant. VW and/or its offshoots are expected to have significant impact on Northwest Georgia> VW
>Honda reduces production at Lincoln, Ala., plant> Honda
>Kia 'still on track' for November rollout> AJC
>The South and the auto industry> Newsweek
Tuesday's Buzz
-Gingrey to WXIA--I tried to have congressional raises cut: U.S. representatives Phil Gingrey and Nathan Deal are among those seeing their annual salaries increased from $169,300 a year to $174,000--2.8 percent--starting in 2009. Gingrey tells WXIA:."This is a year when, in spades, I would say, no cost of living increase for the Members of Congress."> Raises
-NBA 'maverick' Mark Cuban buys into Carmike, owner of Cartersville, Calhoun theaters: Dallas Mavericks basketball team owner Mark Cuban, the billionaire who also is part-owner of Landmark Theaters cinema, now owns 9.4 percent of Carmike Cinemas Inc. The Georgia chain owns the Carmike 12 in Cartersville and the Martin 3 in Calhoun> Carmike
-Battle of the chicken biscuits: Fans watching Wednesday night's Chick-fil-A Bowl with Georgia Tech and LSU will see plenty of signs of an escalating chicken war. On Thursday, Chick-fil-A restaurants will be giving away coupons for a free chicken biscuit to be used on your next visit (you have to buy something in order to get the freebie). Keep a PC or laptop going during the game as well; CFA's e-savvy marketing staff usually has something clever planned involving Internet interaction. Details
-Dec. 31-Jan. 4/Troopers predict 20 traffic deaths over New Year's weekend: Traffic estimates for the holiday period from the Georgia State Patrol and the Crash Reporting Unit at the Georgia Department of Transportation are for 3,008 traffic crashes, 1,350 injuries and 20 fatalities across the state. During the last New Year's holiday travel period, which was also 102 hours long, there were 3,108 traffic crashes, 1,250 injuries and 22 deaths recorded.
-DOT suspending road work: Georgia's Department of Transportation is suspending lane closures Wednesday, Dec. 31, through Friday, Jan. 2.
-Check local gas prices: State average at $1.48> Georgia Gas Buddy
-Check the latest traffic conditions> DOT Maps
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Weather Center / Brought to you by Roman Court
-Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 67.
-Tuesday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 31.
-Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 53. North wind between 15 and 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.
-New Year's Eve: Mostly clear and colder, with a low around 25.
-New Year's Day: Sunny, with a high near 52.
-For additional updates, please click WeatherCenter
Norman Arey's Sports Roundtable / brought to you by Riverside Toyota
-Florida certainly no Harvard--and other startling findings unearthed by AJC report. For more, click Arey
Sports update
-Atlanta Braves tweak some minor league assignments> Sports
What's ahead in Bartow County:
-Jan. 8: Adairsville Chamber Council, 7:30 a.m., The Adairsville Inn.
-Jan. 10/Trail of Tears membershp meeting: The Georgia Chapter of the Trail of Tears Association will hold its first membership meeting of 2009 at the Funk Heritage Center on Jan. 10. It begins at 10:30 a.m. and will start with a presentation by Erin L. Andrews. The Funk Heritage Center is on the campus of Reinhardt College in Waleska,. The chapter Web site is www.gatrailoftears.org. For more, contact Linda Baker at 770-704-6338 or at badnil@alltel.net
-Jan. 15: Cartersville City Council meeting
-Jan. 29: Chamber annual meeting: The Cartersville-Bartow County Chamber of Commerce's annual meeting is set for Thursday, Jan. 29, at Cartersville First Baptist Church, 241 Douthit Ferry Road. The guest speaker is Alan Essig, Executive Director of the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute. The reception begins at 5:30 with dinner at 6:30 p.m. For tickets: reception@cartersvillechamber.com.
A fresh batch of numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau shows Georgia's growth continued strong between July 1, 2007, and this past July 1. Georgia checked in at 9,685,744 residents, up by 162,447 year over year. That qualifies the Peach State as the fourth fastest-growing state overall in terms of new residents and ninth by percentage(1.7, tied with North Carolina).
(Media release) An Adairsville man is wild about aces and eights. Kenneth Kinsey, 40, won a $28,888 top prize playing the new Georgia Lottery instant game Aces & 8's. Fast Track Food Mart, 7320 Adairsville Highway in Adairsville, sold the winning ticket. 
"We need Bartow County residents who have a GED or who have taken steps to pursue a GED to complete the Work Ready assessments. The assessments are free and the first 25 people who take them will receive a $25 gift card. Bartow County is working to become a
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