WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2017
Nixon Arts Centre offers unique performance... Read more page 5
PHOTO BY IMAGE RESULT FOR TAMARKUS COOK BEULAH MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH
PHOTO BY SUSAN
Pastor Cook named Citizen of the Year
CRITCHF IELD
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Newnan Theatre Company presents ‘One Slight Hitch’ By NTC maggie@newnan.com Newnan has a more than romance to offer locals as entertainment next month, at least in the case of the latest production offered by Newnan Theatre Company. “One Slight Hitch” opens Feb. 2 and director Terri Whitley promises the play will bring some laughs. “One Slight Hitch” is a full-length play by Lewis Black, who is best known for his comedy rants on Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.” Though
Coweta County’s highest honors. The night was hosted by Coweta K iwa n i s C lub mem b er Na nc y Walden, who introduced the nominees. Certificates of appreciation were presented to each nominee by the 2016 Citizen of the Year, Bob Coggin. “We’ve heard a great description of their work in the community,” said Coggin. “But in the years I’ve been involved in Coweta, when I read this resume, I thought to myself, ‘How in the world can one person do all the things he has done?’” Along with his work with St. Smyrna Baptist Church, Cook is also a member of the Emerging 100 Black Men of Atlanta, the NAACP, the Coweta County School Board Community Advisement Board, the United Way Community Advisory Board, the Newnan Development
By CLAY NEELY clay@newnan.com
Pastor Tamarkus Cook, senior pastor of Saint Smyrna Baptist Church, was named the 2017 Coweta Citizen of the Year at a gala banquet Jan. 26 at the Coweta County Fairgrounds conference center. Cook dedicated the award to the memory of his grandfather, Alton Kirby Sr., a World War II veteran who worked at the Bonnell Company and served as a major influence on Cook as he grew up. “All these things I am able to do, it’s because I watched him do things of that nature for his entire life,” Cook said. “If it wasn’t for him, you probably wouldn’t know who I am tonight.” Close to 250 members of local organizations, clubs, businesses and the community attended the gala at the fairgrounds conference center to see who would be awarded one of
many are unaware, the comedian first made a name for himself as a playwright in New York where he spent time as Playwright in Residence for the West Bank Café Downstairs Theatre Bar. “I love directing comedy,” Whitley said, after having jumped at the chance to lead the production for NTC. “And, Lewis Black, to me, is one of the funniest comedians in the business. He loves to put events in his own unique perspective, and, in this
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Prison time for bacon outburst
AFTER A DISPUTE OVER BACON LED TO A HIGH-SPEED CHASE, THE ANGRY MAN TURNED TO A JURY FOR JUSTICE By CLAY NEELY clay@newnan.com A man accused of getting into a physical altercation after a fast food restaurant put bacon on his burger will now be heading to prison. On the evening of Jan. 22, it took a jury less than 30 minutes to find Gregory Sims guilty of aggravated assault and driving under the influence. Following the verdict, Judge Emory Palmer sentenced him to seven years in prison along with 20 years of probation. In September, Sims caused a scene inside the Dairy Queen on Jefferson Street when he discovered bacon on his hamburger. While inside the restaurant, he berated a cashier and used profanity as she attempted to calm the situation, according to police reports.
A father who was having ice cream with his family approached Sims and asked him to watch his language, to which Sims responded “If you don’t get out of my face, I’ll kill you,” according to Assistant District Attorney Robert Mooradian. Sims then grabbed his pocket knife and began to open it before the father took Sims to the f loor where the knife was dropped. After leaving the restaurant, Sims got into his pickup truck and led police on a chase that included driving in reverse up Jefferson Street and then down Augusta Drive where his truck went airborne while crossing the railroad tracks at a high rate of speed, according to the police report. Sims then parked the truck behind a house on Berry Avenue where he refused
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Bob Coggin, winner of the 2016 Citizen of the Year, presents the 2017 award to Pastor Tamarkus Cook, senior pastor of Saint Smyrna Baptist Church.
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BOWERS
RACE for n, founder of Kelly Presto runs are a said charit y the Orphans win-win.
Race Days
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Family celebrated by Reachdisplays 21,000 homes per week Fisk — family community t n plus,201,000 ft. tall copies delivered tohalfway to Run for Angels eve an leaders in Newn snowman over 50 locations throughout boasts 15 years FILE PHOTO
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Coweta County!
By KANDICE BELL kandice@newnan.com
Many families have different traditions they look forward to each holiday season, and the Ridley family in Newnan looks forward to their annual display of hundreds of snowmen. Linda Ridley has put her snowmen out for everyone to see for over 20 years. “She gets them out every year for the family,” said Buck Ridley, Linda’s son. “The family can bring over whoever they want to see them. She has one that’s 20 feet fall and some all the way down to an inch. She’s been collecting them for years.” Linda Ridley has snowmen made from glass, crochet, pillows, stuffed snowmen and fiber optic ones. Snowmen are also distributed to every room in the house, including the bathrooms. She begins the Friday after Thanksgiving by taking the books down from a bookcase where some will be displayed and getting the snowmen out of the storage of the family business, Coweta Car Care in Sharpsburg. It takes her about two weeks to put the snowmen in their respective places. “We call it the snowmen migration,”
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fundraising goal
County free to make safety changes on Bypass
PHOTO BY KANDICE BELL
T h i s i s M a r t y t h e s n o w m a n , p a r t o f a co l l e c t i o n o f t h e h o l i d a y i co n s h e l d b y N e w n a n r e s i d e n t L i n d a R i d l e y . T h e a i r- f i l l e d s n o w m a n i s
Majo ad v r prepr er tis int the T im er s us Xt ra e s -Her e a ld their to rea ch cu s t ome rs!
BOWERS By MAGGIE n.com rted by the maggie@newna shed and suppo en Q , is the events cheri Chick One of many , the Run for Angels and home for temporary unity l’s House, a local comm ct. aiser for Ange main fundr escape abuse and negle to young girls ta Seve ral Cowe local residents andr t i c i a p s r e d a e l raispate in fund are that ing event s bene f it know n to rofit both the nonp a nd on orga n izati of the prom otion s in fitnes health and . the community C i t y A s s i s t a n t city the for ger Mana Hasc o of Newn an, nown k By MAGGIE BOWERS Crav er, is the most for making maggie@newnan.com visuof the city’s hisling ally-appea Four-year-old Micah is a happy and active child, and, town by toric down the like most little ones his age, has recently begun attending joggi ng along part as preschool — a feat his mom was not certain he would be city streets fitne ss of his own able to accomplish this year. Acco rden. regim Micah suffers from severe epilepsy and experiences r, local ing to Crave him permultiple seizures throughout each day. The attacks come races offer s and BOWERS sona l f itnes ty to often and without warning and can lead to a number of PHOTO BY MAGGIE the opportuni ipates in complications. Brady partic held in Mayor Keith connect. in n Chase run “We have really good weeks and really bad ones,” Erin “Part icipatingnot the recent Autumer. Newnan in Octob local road races me Scharko-Fisk explained. “He could have a seizure just from prov ides comonly iful rtubeing overly tired, anxious or even just excited.” of our beaut ofit and with the oppo runners on a tour various nonpr Craver fellow Micah’s condition was discovered in his first month of support the nity to join allows me to inating organ izations,” and munity, but life when the seemingly healthy baby began experiencing through traffic -based coord Campbell in genone lane for community Turkey Creek seizures that would stop him from breathing. As he grew, Photos by Sarah s narrows down to that running, ection with so added inters up Bypas ger n its said. put to be lane at city mana The Newna Micah’s seizures only became stronger and more frequent, one right turn asked for signs skills in myriad ways. The assistant ht onto the left turns, and Sherif f Mike Yeager has itted his life , and comm itment are race. to go straig a ce eral, has benef occurring in clusters, or, sometimes in the form of absence in the left lane Road. Cowet for a distan nce, dedication they get to get or training “Persevera against drivers will know seizures which are short periods of “blanking out” or staring L logging miles ,” Craver said. “I run honed while FAY CAMPBEL new bypass. against a clock By SARAH into space. not only I never run nan.com Preston, is best of me.” county sarah@new Doctors treating Micah have tried a number of treatments, myself: the leader, Kelly a nonprofit founder. features that section unity safety comm added y five but is also Anot her led on the new apply. though few yielded any long-term or significant results.The As whole list of participate, for the Orph ans nearl ss s won’t sed can be instal a charity race ed RACE s in the proce y have propo e restriction Southeast all over the runners from l and available and beyond.” even t w i l shelter open ly-fr iend ly ghout the keeps the 5K/10K T he fa m i in need throu ile Fun Run, . for child ren BOWERS include a one-m en-Q lunch By MAGGIE held Chick a be to n.com and ls, year. cipants for Ange road races maggie@newna y a shelis open to partiwalkers The 2017 Run ization’s 15th e is not simpl The Fun Run Angel’s Hous Coweta, but is a safe Feb. 4, mark s the organ to grow in includes both in nues all ages and 5K and 10K ter for youth h youn g wom en are even t, whic h conti every of runn ers, while the ts tree profi Peach of and cipan ts and have n in whic e despite a past fiers for the lines for both parti solac races are quali and finish r diff icult able to find ing and year. Race. Start ct and othe managed by hs of plann and Road abus e, negle races will be “It takes mont to organ ize the 5K/10K circumsta nces. ion’s large st fund over 100 volunteers ” said each year, RUN, page 2 The orga nizat al Run for Angels by and ute our race annu ntow n exec “The years have flown raiser is the , draw ing held i n dow Edge . Q grow to to icken nues & Ch acco rding the race conti The even t, , is what New nan. Ba mbi Edge coor dina tor
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Family 770-683-1707 displays Fisk family 16 Jefferson Street • Newnan, GA 30263 20 ft. tall halfway to times-herald.com snowman By KANDICE BELL kandice@newnan.com Many families have different traditions they look forward to each holiday season, and the Ridley family in Newnan looks forward to their annual display of hundreds of snowmen. Linda Ridley has put her snowmen out for everyone to see for over 20 years. “She gets them out every year for the family,” said Buck Ridley, Linda’s son. “The family can bring over whoever they want to see them. She has one that’s 20 feet fall and some all the way down to an inch. She’s been collecting them for years.” Linda Ridley has snowmen made from glass, crochet, pillows, stuffed snowmen and fiber optic ones. Snowmen are also distributed to every room in the house, including the
fundraising goal
By MAGGIE BOWERS maggie@newnan.com Four-year-old Micah is a happy and active child, and, like most little ones his age, has recently begun attending preschool — a feat his mom was not certain he would be able to accomplish this year. Micah suffers from severe epilepsy and experiences multiple seizures throughout each day. The attacks come often and without warning and can lead to a number of complications. “We have really good weeks and really bad ones,” Erin Scharko-Fisk explained. “He could have a seizure just from