Whitesburg News

Temple Mayor Rick Ford wins re-election by 2 votes over challenger; Sunday alcohol sales referendum OK'd in Carrollton In the end, it took the final tally of absentee and early voting ballots to decide the heated Temple mayoral race, and Mayor Rick Ford narrowly survived the challenge of former mayor Lester Harmon.

Although municipal elections historically draw little turnout and few people have cast a ballot as part of early voting over the past weeks, Carroll County election officials say todaya s election may draw a bigger crowd than expected because of the competitive nature of many of the races.

Violence rocks an apartment complex in Sandy Springs. There was gunfire overnight at the 550 Abernathy apartments, but it took almost an hour for someone to call police.

Authorities believe they have found the body of a missing Carroll County woman, Debra Hooper, whose vehicle was apparently washed from the road during flooding last week.

Punctuality was one of Debbie Hooper's best traits. Authorities sort through the wreckage thought to be Debbie Hooper's car.

Robyn Miles / Daily News Water covers baseball fields and playground equipment in West Point on Thursday as the Chattahoochee River rises out of its banks.

Linda and Aaron McWhorter, owners of North Georgia Turf Inc. on Black Dirt Road in Whitesburg, have been looking at their submerged farm fields for nearly a week and still dona t know how much theya ve lost in the flood that started early Monday.

Metro Atlantans can enjoy a relatively dry rush-hour commute Wednesday morning, following several days of weather and flooding that broke nine records for river and creek crests, the National Weather Service is reporting.

A wall of water going down the Chattahoochee River is threatening the bridge near Whitesburg and setting a new record for a river crest.

Enrollments in local school-based after-school programs are dropping some, maybe because of the economy, possibly because of competition, but the directors say they are still doing well providing a service that is crucial to many families.

Authorities continue to work to positively identify the skeletal remains of a mana s body found Monday morning outside of a home in a rural area of Whitesburg.

The county government cannot donate a piece of property to a Roopville church unless the county school board first decides that it doesna t want the land.

A Herald-Gazette exclusive report... United Bank is purchasing the assets of First Coweta Bank which was shuttered by the FDIC at 6 p.m. today.

Since official logs of customers buying common over-the-counter cold medicines containing pseudoephedrine or ephedrine began being recorded by pharmacies, the logs have helped authorities net several methamphetamine manufacturers before production of the drug could begin.

The Carroll County Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday night to donate a portion of property in downtown Roopville to Holy Ground Baptist Church.

Since official logs of customers buying common over-the-counter cold medicines containing pseudoephedrine or ephedrine began being recorded by pharmacies, the logs have helped authorities net several methamphetamine manufacturers before production of the drug could begin.

The Bowdon City Council voted unanimously to keep the city's millage rate at the same level as last year, although property owners still are likely to see an increase in their tax bill.

Commissioner Vicki Anderson addresses County Attorney Cynthia Daley at a meeting of the Board of Commissioners on Tuesday.

Growth slowed considerably in Carroll County in 2008, but all its cities included in the report released by the U.S. Census Bureau this week experienced a population increase, even if it was in the single digits.

Billie Jane McIntosh, a great-great-great-granddaughter of Chief William McIntosh, will be in Coweta County -- named in his honor as chief of the Cowetas -- Wednesday.