EAST METRO Top Stories for August 22nd
Publish Date: August 22nd
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From the Ingles Studio, Welcome to The Community Podcast. This Podcast brings you the top stories from the Rockdale-Newton Citizen and the Morgan Citizen.
Today is Thursday, August 22nd and Happy heavenly birthday to Stormin’ Norman Scharzkopff.
***08.22.24 – BIRTHDAY – NORMAN SCHARZKOPFF***
I’m Keith Ippolito and here are your top stories presented by Drake Realty:
Plus, Leah McGrath from Ingles Markets on cereals.
These stories and more are coming up in today’s edition of the Community Podcast for Rockdale, Newton, and Morgan Counties! Please like, follow, and subscribe.
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STORY 1: Newton County Rejects Request to Pay Banes' Legal Fees
The Newton County Board of Commissioners voted 4-1 to deny suspended Chairman Marcello Banes' request for the county to cover his legal expenses related to a federal indictment on charges of money laundering and fraud. The cost of his defense could range from $75,000 to $200,000, with Banes having already spent $40,000. The county is not required to pay these expenses, though it has done so in the past for other officials. Additionally, Banes was removed from several board appointments, and interim arrangements are pending. The indictments involve allegations that Banes and District 3 commissioner-elect Stephanie Lindsey misled a development authority about a commission payment.
STORY 2: Main Street Announces Open Late Downtown Dates
Madison Main Street is launching a new Open Late Downtown Program, featuring extended hours for select merchants until 7 p.m. on Fifth Fridays, Candlelight Shopping nights in December, and home tour weekends. Retailers will have themed nights, giveaways, and special activities. The first Fifth Friday event on August 30 will kick off with a football theme, offering free downtown swag for those in fanwear and including activities like dart art and cornhole. Participating businesses and events are listed on the City’s website.
STORY 3: Newton County Enacts 2-Year Moratorium on Residential Construction
Newton County has enacted a two-year moratorium on new residential construction projects to allow time for updating its zoning regulations. This pause affects new applications for residential rezonings, preliminary plats, and temporary building permits, but does not impact existing projects in the pipeline or those challenging denials. The county is working with a consultant to revise its Unified Development Code and will hold community meetings for public input. The moratorium provides time for the county to modernize its zoning code and may be lifted sooner if the update is completed ahead of schedule.
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We’ll be right back
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STORY 4: Silver Strings Bluegrass Band To Perform In Rutledge this Friday
The Rutledge Summer Concert Series continues with a performance by The Silver Strings, a bluegrass band from Morgan County, on Friday, August 23, at 7 p.m. at the City Park gazebo in Downtown Rutledge. Known for their traditional Flatt and Scruggs style, The Silver Strings feature seasoned musicians including Jim Winkler, Roy Arbogast, Allan Hixon, Woody Woodward, Mike Harrison, and Henry Hibbs. This is the first bluegrass act of the season, part of a series of free concerts running through August 30. Attendees can bring blankets and chairs, enjoy food from Harvest & Honey, and look forward to a lively evening of music.
STORY 5: State of Morgan Brings Local Leaders Together
At the 8th Annual State of Morgan County Forum on August 20, local and state leaders gathered to discuss progress and future needs in Morgan County. State Senator Brian Strickland highlighted Georgia's economic growth and investments in education, healthcare, and mental health services. Local updates included the adoption of rollback millage rates and ongoing projects funded by SPLOST and TSPLOST. Key topics covered were infrastructure improvements, public safety, healthcare expansions, and educational milestones. The forum emphasized collaboration among officials to enhance services and address community challenges.
We’ll be back in a moment
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And now here is Leah McGrath from Ingles Markets on cereals.
***LEAH INTERVIEW ON CEREAL***
We’ll have closing comments after this.
Break: Dermatology Con.
Signoff-
Thanks again for hanging out with us on today’s Community Podcast. If you enjoy these shows, we encourage you to check out our other offerings, like the Cherokee Tribune Ledger Podcast, the Marietta Daily Journal, or the Community Podcast for Rockdale Newton and Morgan Counties. Read more about all our stories and get other great content at rockdalenewtoncitizen.com/ and morgancountycitizen.com/news/
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