Zen News & Notes: DEA Drug Take Back Day, new Coweta Samaritan director and more

By John Winters, Winters Media & Publishing, Inc.

Pat A. Basu, MD, MBA, an accomplished health care executive and entrepreneur, has been appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of Cancer Treatment Centers of America Global, Inc., which includes the existing Comprehensive Cancer Care Network of Cancer Treatment Centers of America® (CTCA) hospitals and outpatient care centers as well as new business ventures designed to expand access to higher quality and more affordable cancer care.

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Christian City Children & Family Programs received $10,000 from 100 Coweta Women Who Care. Newnan and Coweta County fire stations and law enforcement departments are Safe Place locations, which are served by Christian City, a licensed National Safe Place agency with a mission to rescue youth from human traffickers. Coweta Communities in Schools is also a partner with Christian City in this effort. Coweta Women Who Care is made up of 100 women who meet quarterly and donate $10,000 to a single organization that is serving the residents of Coweta County.

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Three sites will be set up for the DEA Drug Take Back Day set for Saturday, April 27. This is an opportunity for residents to properly dispose of old prescription drugs. Sites are: Newnan Church Of Christ, 2675 GA-34, Newnan, manned by the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office; Senoia United Methodist Church (SUMC), 229 Bridge St, Senoia, manned by the Senoia Police Department; and Newnan Utilities Wahoo Creek Administration Building and Customer Service Center, 315 Millard Farmer Industrial Blvd, Newnan, manned by the Newnan Police Department.

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Congrats to Jess Barron, with Lindsey’s Inc. Realtors, who was named the 2018 REALTOR of the Year by the Newnan-Coweta Board of Realtors.

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Frios, a gourmet popsicle chain, is set to open. Their goal is “creating the best frozen pops possible.” Already opened across the street in downtown Newnan on Jefferson Street is Southern Heritage Co.

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And in more downtown news, Rock Salt Milk Bar is moving into the old Cookie Barr location. Rock Salt will sell homemade ice cream, milkshakes and more, along with Cookie Barr cookies.

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According to an ABC affiliate, A 91-year-old Richfield mailman is retiring with a perfect record after more than 69 years. Jack Lund started in 1949 and has had a career spanning eight decades. During that time, he never failed to deliver the mail despite severe mountain weather, vehicle breakdowns, and other challenges. What’s your excuse?

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Frank Henderson, Newnan High School history teacher, was named the state VFW Teacher of the Year. He focuses on the Vietnam War and truly brings history to life. Congratulations.

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And congratulations to The Heritage School boys basketball team who won the STATE CHAMPIONSHIP. Head coach Joab Jerome and his squad finished the year 22-9.

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Nathan is a good nickname for someone named Jonathan.

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A new Italian American restaurant is opening up in downtown Senoia. Jimmy Pomodoro’s is taking over the space previously occupied by The Tomato House. The fine folks over at Bistro Hilary are opening it as their second venture in Senoia.

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The Rutledge Center was recently named the Nonprofit of the Year.  The Center, which celebrated its 50th anniversary last summer, focuses on helping children and adults with special needs.

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Dalton Lane, an RN at Piedmont Newnan’s Emergency Department, was recently honored as a DAISY award winner for going above and beyond to calm and comfort a patient. The patient’s wife nominated Dalton for helping her husband cope with a PTSD episode and the time Dalton took to understand and really make a difference in his care.

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This year’s STAR Students and Teachers from Coweta County’s six participating schools were: Newnan High School STAR Student Radford Charles Wyrick and STAR Teacher Allison Hurston (AP Biology teacher). Northgate High School STAR Student Jake Philip Bronzi and STAR Teacher Erin Blake (AP European History,); East Coweta High School STAR Student Yewon “Jasmine” Park and STAR Teacher Martha Milam (AP Chemistry teacher); The Heritage School STAR Student Taaseen Hossain Khan and STAR Teacher Dorothy Rich (AP Calculus and Statistics); Central Christian School STAR Student Mary Louise Christensen and STAR Teacher Jason Settle (12th Grade Bible teacher); Trinity Christian School STAR Student Riley Ann Price and STAR Teacher Jennifer Rinkenberger (AP Calculus).

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Spilling coffee on your lap is more effective at waking you up than drinking it.

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Allison Performance Hobbies in downtown Newnan is for sale. Owners are looking to sell it as a turn-key and fully stocked business. In another downtown change, Newnan Mercantile is moving to 11 Jefferson St., where Typo used to be.

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The VFW Post 2667 Auxiliary recently began their Peanut Butter Donation Drive. The Auxiliary along with the VFW began their collection of peanut butter to donate to our local food pantries on a continuing basis throughout the year.  Each member is asked to bring a donation of peanut butter to each meeting. Our first collection brought in 28 jars of peanut butter. Peanut butter is one of the most needed items requested.  Our first donation will go to
Bridging the Gap.

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Kevin Barbee was named as the new executive director of the Coweta Samaritan Clinic. He replaces Lou Graner, who is retiring after being with the clinic since it started back in 2011. Barbee is the former director of Clothes Less Traveled,  a nonprofit located in Peachtree City.

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The annual Public Safety Appreciation Luncheon will be held April 25 at the Coweta County Fairgrounds. The luncheon, sponsored by the Newnan-Coweta Public Safety Committee, honors all employees involved in public safety. The public is encouraged to bring homemade desserts.

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Rebecca Watford, Art Teacher at Jefferson Parkway Elementary School recently won First Place at the District Level for Elementary Teacher of the Year sponsored by VFW Post 2667-Newnan. Rebecca was also First Place Winner at the Post Level.

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It was pretty much a given that the target market for fidgit spinners would lose interest in them.

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Keep Newnan Beautiful collaborated with Coweta County for the organization’s annual Tire Amnesty Day event on Saturday, March 9. This year’s event brought in more than 2,100 tires – filling up two tractor trailers from both collection sites: Hunter Recreation Complex in Sharpsburg and the City of Newnan’s Public Works location.“Tires are difficult for the environment, they hold water, bugs and creatures. This event has been a great, free alternative to help keep our community clean,” said Page Beckwith, Keep Newnan Beautiful director.

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State Rep. Lynn Smith (R-Newnan) and Dr. Steve Barker, superintendent of the Coweta County School System, were honored at this year’s Flint River Council Boy Scouts Golden Eagle banquet.

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And in other news with Rep. Smith, she was recently appointed by Kentucky Governor Matthew Bevin, chair of the Southern States Energy Board (SSEB), to serve as vice chair of the SSEB’s Executive Board. The SSEB is a non-profit interstate compact organization created in 1960. The board’s mission is to enhance economic development and the quality of life in the South through innovations in energy and environmental policies, programs and technologies. SSEB is composed of sixteen southern states and two territories (Puerto Rico and U. S.  Virgin Islands).

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In soap bubble news, US mathematician Karen Keskulla Uhlenbeck becomes first woman to win math’s prestigious Abel Prize; work includes how soap bubbles arrange themselves, or “surface minimization”