News Provided by: Star News
by Carole Scott

News Provided by: Star News
by Chuck Wanager

Incumbent Temple Mayor Rick Ford was back in office last week legally unencumbered for the first time since Temple voters went to the polls in November. He could breath easier because his rival for the city's top administrative post - Lester Harmon - withdrew his challenge to Ford's election.

According to Temple City Administrator Kim Pope, the city was notified on January 26, 2010, of Harmon's not to pursue his appeal to the Georgia Supreme Court.

News Provided by: Star News
by Prissi Sullivan

The Carroll County Water Authority serviced 16,674 customers during the month of December, 2009, according to executive director Matt Windom at the January 21, 2010 Board meeting. The Snake Creek Water Treatment Plant operated at 51% of its capacity, processing an average of 4.05 million gallons per day. The Snake Creek Reservoir is seven inches above the normal pool, the same as last month. Over ten inches of rainfall was recorded in December.

News Provided by: Star News
by Chuck Wanager

In the Carroll County Election and Registration office in Carrollton, time was getting very short for the group of county residents trying to oust Bill Chappell as chairman of the county Board of Commissioners. It didn't appear they would meet their deadline: 4:00 p.m. Wednesday, January 6, 2010. They didn't. No one from the group - calling themselves the Citizens for the Future of Carroll County - showed up at the elections office this day as their recall effort fell short. No signatures were turned in to the elections office.

News Provided by: Star News
by Chuck Wanager

With a new Speaker in the House - the Georgia House of Representatives - David Ralston -- one might expect reassignments. That's what has happened to committee membership, including assignments given local representatives, as this year's session of General Assembly gets under way.

Following House Speaker David Ralston's assignments, Representative Tim Bearden (R-Villa Rica) has gained a top committee leadership position. In a reversal of fortunes, Representative Mark Butler (R-Carrollton) was stripped of his post as a vice chairman on the powerful and large appropriations committee.

News Provided by: Star News
by Carole Scott

Thomas Popik, research director for Campbell Surveys, which publishes the Campbell/Inside Mortgage Monthly Survey of Real Estate Market Conditions, told CNN that "About a third of all of the foreclosed properties nationwide have been so damaged, either by the previous owners or by criminal gangs coming in after the foreclosure, that they no longer qualify for standard mortgage financing". Atlanta real estate broker Dana Ash told CNN that many foreclosed homes in Atlanta have been vandalized.