Zen News & Local Notes: Will Smith, Steve Holman, Newnan Kiwanis Club and more

By JOHN A. WINTERS, Publisher

Notes from here, there and the Internet …

For those who forgot, ESPLOST, the special option tax for the school system, passed. And you will soon be able to buy liquor in the unincorporated parts of the county, as well as Newnan and Senoia. Party on.

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We have woken up thousands of times, but still aren’t use to it.

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Newnanite Will Smith, a former Northgate High standout, was about as perfect as a pitcher can be during the Atlanta Braves’ playoff run to the World Series Championship. Smith saw action in 11 games in the postseason, did not allow a single run, earned 2 wins and 6 saves with a 0.00 Earned Run Average. He threw the final pitch in Game Six of the World Series inducing a harmless groundout by Houston’s Yuli Gurriel to give the Braves their first World Series title since 1995. In the regular season, Smith finished 4th in Major League Baseball with 37 saves.

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Governor Brian Kemp announced Remington Firearms (RemArms), America’s oldest firearms manufacturer, will locate its global headquarters and open a new advanced manufacturing operation as well as a world-class research and development center in LaGrange, according to a press release. RemArms will invest $100 million and create 856 jobs over a five-year period.

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Your clothes have probably been to more countries than you have.

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Max Cleland, who was a U.S. senator and head of the Veterans Administration under President Carter, died Nov. 9, of heart failure. He was also secretary of state for Georgia, who earned the Silver and Bronze Stars for his actions during the Vietnam War. 

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Congratulations to Steve Holman, a Newnan resident and known as the “Voice of the Hawks,” for being inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame.

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Cemeteries would be a lot more interesting if they listed the cause of death.

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The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery was opened to the public for the first time in nearly a century. Visitors were allowed to place flowers at the tomb; advanced registration was required. A cemetery spokesperson says it does not “anticipate holding another event in our lifetimes in which the public will be able to approach the Tomb in this manner.” Nov. 11 marks its 100th anniversary, according to published reports. 

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One in four people are foregoing holiday gifts this year due to COVID, and almost one-fifth of Americans still have credit card debt from last holiday season, according to WalletHub.

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“IDK” could be “I don’t know” or “I do know.”

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According to the New York Times, it was on Nov. 10, 150 years ago, that Henry Morton Stanley (by his own account) said, “Dr. Livingstone, I presume?” 

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Emory Palmer, the Superior Court Judge for the Coweta District, was named the 2021 Coweta Veteran of the Year. Congratulations Your Honor!!

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If you kill a serial killer, are you saving lives?

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If you need a “Get Out Of Elf Shelf” pass, we have your answer. Cobb County Superior Court Chief Judge Robert Leonard “banned” the elves in a recent tweet. However, “he did make an allowance for parents who don’t feel overwhelmed by the “Elf on the Shelf tyranny,” writing in his tweet: “If you love your elf, keep your elf. No contempts,” according to the Associated Press.

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For anyone eyeing that second, or third donut, WalletHub says Georgia ranks 13th in the recent report titled: “20 Most Overweight Or Obese States.”  

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No one actually knows who the loneliest person alive is?

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Yamaha Motor Manufacturing in Newnan recently donated $10,000 so that over 300 kids could experience a floating classroom on West Point Lake. What is a floating classroom? It’s a boat that accommodates children for a learning experience like no other, which includes running science experiments to test the water while onboard. 

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Hard to believe, but it’s been 50 years since Tom Powers founded the Powers’ Crossroads Country Fair and Arts Festival in 1971. For over 40 years, thousands visited Newnan every year during Labor Day weekend browse the fantastic craftsmanship and enjoy music, live demonstrations, and more. The Newnan-Coweta Historical Society recently celebrated the milestone with an Ode to Powers’ Crossroads celebration featuring a holiday artist market and exhibit. 

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You will never know about the perfect crime.

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And now this: “The Asian Longhorned Tick is native to Eastern Asia and was confirmed to be in the United States in 2017. A few weeks ago, the Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) Animal Health Division confirmed the presence of the Asian Longhorned Tick on a cow in Pickens County, Georgia, so it is in our state, and we should be on the lookout for it.”

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Thanks to the Newnan Kiwanis Club and everyone who attended the Kiwanis Coweta County Fair. More than $150,000 was distributed to roughly 30 local non-profit organizations from fair proceeds; another $50,000 was given in grants and scholarships. 

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Maybe dogs howl at the moon because they think it’s a ball they can’t catch.