January

The popular Paralympic athlete and Cedartown resident Krige Schabort, along with his wife Caron, became American citizens on Dec. 18, 2008. Originally born in South Africa, Krige and Caron moved to Atlanta before settling down in Cedartown. Krige was nominated for a 2007 ESPY award honoring his individual excellence in sports.

Cedar Creek overflowed its banks on Jan. 6 causing temporary flooding of city streets. A portion of West Avenue was briefly under several inches of water. Big Spring also overflowed after rain of nearly five inches fell.

The Cedartown City Commission voted on Jan. 12 to obtain a $1 million tax anticipation note to cover a shortfall as expenses exceeded income for the first few months of the year. In previous years the city ended December with a negative account balance, but set a goal of creating a positive end of year balance.

The slow economy of 2009 forced the HON company to cut production. In a faxed statement, HON said, “The HON Company has taken steps to counter the difficult business climate and to improve our performance through aggressive cost control and related initiatives. In April, the Georgia Department of Labor stated that about 80 workers were laid off from the Hon facility.

Nearly 9,500 residents of a five-county area including Polk filed first-time state unemployment claims, a 341.2 percent explosions from the 2,143 claims filed for Polk County in December 2007.

February

Cedartown resident Audrey Lee flew to New York City to participate in the 133rd Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. Lee showed an award-winning Tibetan Mastiff at the competition. Lee is the owner and founder of the Cedartown Pet Boutique.

Ken Suffridge became the new chairman of the Polk County Chamber of Commerce. He took over for Laron Maloney. Suffridge challenged chamber members to help promote economic growth by recognizing that litter is a growing problem, which could keep new businesses and industry from locating in Cedartown.

Trey Purvis, 6, of Polk County, appeared in the country music video, “Chicken Fried,” which hit the No. 1 spot on CMT’s top 20 countdown. The song comes from Zac Brown Band’s 2005 album “Home Grown.” Trey’s parents, Kimberly and David Purvis, are friends of Zac Brown. Trey depicted Zac as his father leaves for a war.

A report released indicated that overall crime in Polk County is down, but noted a rise in specific crimes like battery, robbery, statutory rape and stalking. The numbers showed 3,015 total cases in 2007 shrunk to 2,753 in 2008.

Another report stated that Polk County ranked among the top 10 percent for substantiated child abuse cases in Georgia and has the highest number of children in foster care per capita in the state.

Keep Polk Beautiful hosted the 2009 Arbor Day Ceremony at Flint Hill Baptist Church in the Live Oak Community to honor the victims of the 2008 tornado that ravaged the area. Keep Polk Beautiful donated 55 trees to the victims of the tornado and to the emergency responders that aided in the relief effort.

The Cedartown Police Department conducted a sting operation that netted nine citations for underage sales of alcohol. All 22 businesses that hold alcohol licenses for the package sale of beer, wine or liquor were targeted in the sting. In May, seven of the nine stores reached an agreement with the city to suspend alcholol sales for a four day period on consecutive weekends. One of the other stores, Grand’s Food Store, was ordered by the city to pay a $3,000 fine and had its license suspended for 120 days due to three previous citations.

March

CodeRED, a early telephone weather warning system in Polk County launched on March 2. The service was only available to residents that signed up. Formerly, the county used sirens to warn citizens of approaching storms.

Polk County residents braved frigid weather on March 2 to honor local soldiers and send them off with a parade and a patriotic ceremony. Cedartown’s Delta Company is one of five National Guard units that make up the 108th Calvary, which deployed to Afghanistan in the weeks after the parade. U.S. Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Marietta) spoke at the ceremony.

A high speed chase on March 2 ended with the suspects being hit by an empty school bus. The wreck occurred at the intersection of Antioch Road and Wooten Road. A GSP trooper was chasing the 2004 Chevrolet pickup because it was reported as stolen in Haralson County. Jason Souder and his passenger, Jami Simpson were arrested.

Area nursing home officials were not happy with the score chart that became available on a government web site in March. While all three Polk County facilities were not happy with the scoring system, none scored terribly. All three got four stars, which is above average for health inspections.

Georgia Forestry officials declared numerous grass fires that occurred in the early part of 2009 to be arson. The fires generally occurred along the Silver Comet Trail. Both Polk County and forestry firefighters battled 31 fires since early February, the blazes damaged more than 200 acres.

A juvenile male was struck by an automobile in a hit and run incident on March 19. Two juveniles were walking along Lyndon Drive when a vehicle struck one of them from behind. The automibile then left the scene. Police officials reported that the injured juvenile was skinned up and had some soreness, but was otherwise unharmed.

The City of Cedartown waged a war on ugly by undertaking a myriad of projects to remake the city into the beautiful place it one was. City crews took the initiative and began painting bridges, clearing gutters, straightening signs, and community service workers tackled the litter problem.

Judy Jernigan, 59, a Cedartown woman, was remembered as a hero on March 25 for giving her life trying to save her 5-year old granddaughter in a fire on March 9. Jernigan reentered the home after learning that her grandhilc was still inside. The smoke and heat caused her to collapse with the child in her arms before she could exit the home. According to the last information provided to the Standard, the granddaughter is still at Scotish Rite Hospital in Atlanta receiving treatment.

April

Polk County cattleman Bill Nutt was installed as the state president of the Georgia Cattlemen’s Association on April 4. Nutt raises Red Angus and Red Simmental cross cattle at JanBil Farms in Cedartown, where his wife, Janet, also producdes specialty cut flowers.

High winds from storms swept through Polk County on April 13 causing downed trees and widespread power outages. A beekeeper from Rome had to be called in to deal with a raw honeycomb covered with bees located in a downed red oak tree on John Hand Road.

The Cedartown City Commission received results from a comprehensive study of the city’s public waterwys and watersheds. Among the issues that were found were fecal coliform bacteria in the creeks that drain through Cedartown.

Georgia’s First Lady Mary Perdue was the keynote speaker for a child advocacy group’s annual award ceremony in Cedartown. Perdue, who has helped raise foster children, urged attendees to continue nuturing children through their support of foster care programs.

Devin Gilham, age 7, of Cedartown, had a wish come true when he was awarded a trip to Disney World throughan organization called Dream Factory. Gilham has a condition called Hallermann-Streiff Syndrome, a rare congenital disorder that affects cranial development, hair growth and dental development. “It was my dream to go to Disney World,” Devin said.

A crowd of more than 200 people marched through Cedartown in support of Parkinson’s Disease research and public awareness of the disease. After the walk, supporters gathered at Peek Park for a day of events. This was the second annual walk, a project began by the family of Johnny and Jennifer Hulsey, of Cedartown, Johnny, 44, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease over three years ago.

The Cedartown City Commission named Charles Akridge, of Moultrie, the new city manager of Cedartown. More than 40 candidates were considered. Akridge managed the governments of Camden and Turner County before taking the position in Polk County. Akridge followed Interem City Manager Tommy Engram, who served in the position for over a year.

Polk School District Board of Education members and other dignitaries broke ground at the site of the new Youngs Grove Elementary School. The campus is scheduled to be open by fall 2010. The project is meant to absorb a growing student population in the elemenatary grades.

A Polk County school bus and a passenger vehicle collided on April 22 causing minor injuries to three students. The injuries included neck and back pain as well as shortness of breath. The wreck occurred at an intersection on the south end of the bypass, near the Armory.

A Cedartown dentist became the third person in the Polk County area to be arrested on a charge of trying to sexually exploit children. Gerald Palatini, 52, was charged with five counts of sexual axploitation of a minor involving child pornography found on his computer. Also in April, a former Rockmart police officer, James Dustin Barnette, and a former Polk County substitute teacher, Edward Keith Kelley, were arrested on similar charges. Barnette was charged with three counts of the same charge as Palatini. Kelley faced charges in Glynn County, also for child pornography. In February, Cedartown real estate agent Julius Peek, 67, was caught in an underage sex sting by the Rossville Police Department. According to reports, Peek exchanged numerous electronic conversations between Oct. 16, 2008 and Feb. 14, 2009 with agents who were posing as a 14-year-old girl. These arrests are the result of recent efforts by a Georgia Bureau of Investigation task force.

May

A 19-year old Cedartown resident, Jeffrey Pledger, was shot in Rome on May 6. Arrested in connection with the shooting were Eric Hightower, 37, of Rome, Chiresco Montgomery, 28, of Cedartown, and Trenton Williamson, unknown address. The suspected triggerman in the incident, Bryan Edward Williams, 39, of Rome, was arrested in Fulton County in the weeks following the shooting. The shooting resulted from a plot to rob Pledger.

An early morning blaze on May 15 gutted the inside of the popular Vickie’s Restaurant, located at the corner of Judkin Mill Road and Bradshaw Drive. Fire department officials said the building was engulfed in flames when they arrived on the scene.

Cedartown was named a Tree City USA community by the Arbor Day Foundation to honor its commitment to community forestry. It was the 15th year Cedartown has received the national recognition.

The City of Cedartown began the process of demolishing condemned houses starting with homes at 926 Davenport St. and 120 Jackson St. The city sent out notices to owners of property that failed to meet city codes. Property owners were given a timeline by which they either had to make improvements or they were subject to being condemned and torn down. City Manager Charles Akridge said, “we’re in the process of identifying structures that are dilapidated and blighted. This is going to be a citywide, coordinated effort to rid ourselves of these detriments to our community.”

The Cedartown Police Department lost a valuable member of their team on May 23 when K-9 Dan, the department’s police dog, died following a rare medical condition affecting the stomach. K-9 Dan had served as the police dog for six years. Later on in the summer, the police department found a replacement for Dan. K-9 Kai is now serving as Cedartown’s police dog.

Despite threatening weather, the 2009 Memorial Veteran’s Day Service was held at Veteran’s Memorial park in Cedartown. The speaker for the event was Lt. Col. Rick Hall (ret.) of the U.S. Air Force.

June

A former sergeant at the Polk County Jail, Joshua David Lowe, 25, was indicted on a felony charge of using excessive force againsts an inmate. Polk County Sheriff Kelly McLendon stated, “this type of behavior will not be tolerated in Polk County. We will aggressively deal with it in the most effective and appropriate manner so that justice will be done.”

Cedartown High School sent off 192 graduates during their graduation ceremony. The valedictorian was Keila Kenyetta Whatley, and the two salutatorians were holly Devin Moore and Freddy A. Velasco.

The Polk County Board of Commissioners adopted the FY 2010 budget, which totaled $18, 808,500. During budget work sessions, board members deleted the county transit system. County Manager Clinton Lester said, “almost $200,000 of taxpayer money was needed to provide transportation for a few people.” The City of Cedartown was able to keep its transit system running. The county also contracted with Redmond Medical Center of Rome for EMS service. The merger of Polk and Redmond EMS services, which took affect on July 1, was inacted to improve response times and to have more ambulances available in the county.

The City of Cedartown began phase one of a three phase project to convert all of the city’s radio capabilities from wideband to narrowband to comply with a mandated change passed down from the Federal Communications Commission. The city must have all of the radios changed over by Jan. 1, 2013. The first phase was the building of a radio communications building at the water tower on Central Street. Phase two will be to revamp the radios in all city vehicles. Phase three of the project will be to change over all of the portable radios in the city.

The Polk County Police Department was one of several agencies assisting in a drug sweep that netted nine arrests and 10 firearms, including two assault rifles. Officials identified a drug operations that supplied a large amount of marijuana, cocaine and ecstasy to the area. The nine suspects arrested in the raid were from the Cartersville area.

Law enforcement agencies in Polk County started a Fraternal Order of Police Lodge called the Lott-Jones-McCowan Lodge. The name was chosen to honor three fallen officers who served as law enforcement agents in the county.

Police investigated a homicide that occurred in Cedartown. On June 20, Adias Tomas, 23, was killed by blunt force trama, police said. Tomas was pronounced dead upon arrival at Polk Medical Center. Police arrested Anibal De Leon-Tomas, 21, and charged him with murder. Police described the homicide by saying Tomas received “multiple blows to the head.”

Two men were killed in the crash of an ultra light aircraft in Polk County on June 25. The bodies of John Alan Keith, of Cedartown, and John Francis Edgeworth, of Bowdon, were found in the woods between Collard Valley Road, Fish Creek Road, and Raiford Road. The men took off from the Polk County airport, and family members became concerned when they did not return home.

July through December

July

Redmond Emergency Medical Service began servicing Polk County as the 911 provider on July 1. The service includes two 24-hour trucks in Cedartown, two 24-hour trucks in Rockmart and one 12-hour truck at Polk Medical Center. The move expanded the service to approximately 85 full-time and part-time EMS associates.

Two more men were arrested on warrants involving separate child molestation charges. George Edward Prince, 44, of Patton Street, Cedartown, and William Hood, 59, of Shiloh Road, Cedartown, were arrested. Prince was charged with cruelty to children in the first degree, aggravated sodomy, aggravated child molestation, aggravated assault, and rape. Hood faced multiple charges including 10 counts of child molestation, two counts of aggravated sodomy, two counts of sexual battery, cruelty to children in the first degree, enticing a child for indecent purposes, furnishing alcoholic beverages to someone under 21 years of age, 10 counts of rape and 10 counts of incest.

A TEA party was held at Cedartown’s Peek Park on the Fourth of July in conjunction with other events held nationally on or around the holiday. The local event was organized by Larry Tolbert and a representative from U.S. Rep. Phil Gingrey’s office was in attendance. The party was a protest of the federal government’s taxation and spending policies.

Citizens of Cedartown gathered at Turner Street Park to celebrate Public Safety Night Out on July 7. At the gathering, citizens and local officials discussed improvements to Turner Street Park.

Ramona Ruark was named the new Main Street Director for the Downtown Cedartown Association. She has worked for the DCA since October of 2002 serving as the Administrative Assistant to the Main Street Director.

Army Cpl. Raymundo “Ray” Porras Morales was killed in Afghanistan. The 34-year old was a member of the National Guard and was attached to Company D, 148th Brigade Support Battalion, which is based in Cedartown. Morales died from non-combat injuries after an apparent accident while riding in an Army convoy.

A Polk County Sheriff’s Deputy, Kenneth Gravett, 42, was arrested on federal charges of wire fraud and mail fraud. The charges stemmed from questions raised by an insurance company over a vehicle claim.

August

The Polk County Board of Education decided on the dates for three teacher furlough days. They were, Aug. 10, Oct. 19 and Dec. 21. While board members stated that the decision to furlough teachers didn’t come easy, they had to come up with ways save money.

The Rome Plow Company, located at 475 6th St., Cedartown, was foreclosed upon. Cedartown City Commissioner Gary Martin stated at the time of the foreclosure, “it is devastating to see Rome Plow Close. This has been a staple business in Cedartown for a long time.”

The Polk County Board of Education appointed Mr. Marvin Grayer as the principal of Cedartown Middle School. Grayer replaced Lucy Cromer, who retired.

Cedartown police discovered a rolling meth lab during a routine traffic stop at Peek Park. Bradley Earl Kitchens, 38, and Benita Dawn Folsom, 46, both of Cedartown, were arrested and charged with trafficking and manufacturing meth, possession of drugs within 1000 feet of a public park and possession of tools in the commission of a crime. An unsecure load on the flat-bed truck originally prompted the traffic stop. A canine officer responded and police dog alerted officers to something suspicious. The “mini-lab” contained about one gram of meth. Less than a week earlier, police found a meth lab at the Cedartown Housing Authority on Canal Street. A woman, Alecia Jean Terry, 22, was arrested on multiple charges.

Cedartown High School welcomed its students to the 2009-2010 school year with a bang including music, decorations and a giant blow-up bulldog. CHS faculty donned graduation attire and greeted the upcoming freshman class when they entered the building. Principal Hal David said he hoped such a reception with improve graduation rates and facilitate high school completion.

There was standing room only as citizens from all over the county voiced opinions about healthcare reform to 11th District Rep. Phil Gingrey at a town hall forum held at the Commissioner’s Board Room at the Georgia State Patrol Post 29. Gingrey fielded numerous questions from the large audience, some hot topics were Medicare, the cost of nationalized health care and the matter of citizen’s healthcare versus the health care plans of elected officials.

Cedartown police officer Eddie Jimenez was arrested at his Dry Creek Road home after police answered a domestic disturbance call. Jimenez, 33, and his brother, Martin Julian Jimenez, 34, were arrested and each charged with battery under the Family Violence Act. Cpl. Jimenez was additionally charged with cruelty to children and discharging a firearm under the influence. He also served as the school resource officer for the Cedartown Police Department.

Zar Tran Trucking Company, a part of Zartic Corp., sold its Cedartown property to an Ohio-based trucking company. The full price of the buyout was not available in public records.

Another arson case occurred on Mountain Home Road, this time destroying 61 acres of timber. The fire threatened four homes in the area of Edge Raod, and the blaze caused an hour-long shut down of Highway 100 while crews extinguished the fire.

September

A Web site for Polk School District’s nutritional program launched. The site is linked to the Polk School system’s site. The Web site was designed as a way for parents to see menus and the nutritional value of each item on those menus.

Some Polk County parents objected to a national speech given to school children by President Barack Obama. Polk County School’s Director stated it would be an unexcused absence if parents held children out. In spite of the Polk School District Board of Education saying that permission slips were to be sent home for each student, and that no student would be forced to participate, the speech was not shown in local schools.

An Alabama man was arrested on a charge of conspiring to commit murder. Bobby Lee Hulsey, 39, of Piedmont, was arrested in Polk County. He was a Polk County government employee who was arrested at a work site without incident. The charge stemmed from him plotting to kill a Department of Family and Children Services worker.

Wyatt Pilgrim, a seventh grade student was struck and killed by a school bus on Evergreen Lane near Cherokee Elementary School. The accident occurred before school as Pilgrim was waiting for the bus near his home.

The Cedartown Fire Department led a ceremony honoring victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks. An emergency siren sounded several times before and after the ceremonies marking the times that passenger aircrafts crashed in to the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania. Northside Elementary School students were also on hand and led the Pledge of Allegiance at the ceremony.

Officers from the Cedartown Police Department found another meth lab in an abandoned apartment on Highland Avenue. The officers were there to serve a warrant when they noticed an open door to one of the apartments. Inside, the officers found a 16-ounce Dr. Pepper bottle sitting on a couch venting a gas from the top.

A series of ethics complaints were leveled against the Cedartown City Commission, with commissioners Scotty Tillery and Johnny Barrett being singled out for specific allegations. The charges were leveled by George Anderson, who runs the statewide Ethics in Government Group, a non-profit organization. Much of Anderson’s complaint centered on a debt refinancing agreement signed in May with a local bank. Anderson stated that Tillery and Barrett voted when they should have abstained due to personal connections to the bank.

October

The HON Company in Cedartown celebrated its 40th anniversary the first week of October with a weeklong celebration for all its members and the community. HON management held a barbecue and plant tour on Sept. 28, with Commissioner Larry Odom officially declaring April 1 as ‘The HON Company Day’.

The celebratory week culminated in a carnival for members and their families with rides and games for everyone.

Several arrests were made in Polk and Floyd counties in what police officials identified as a stolen vehicle ring. For over a year, the Northwest Georgia Criminal Enterprise Task Force (NGCETF) investigated a criminal enterprise based in Polk County involved in the trafficking of stolen vehicles and altering vehicle identification numbers in order to resell stolen vehicles for large profits. Initial reports released by the NGCETF cited eight arrests on the morning of Oct. 6 in Polk and Floyd Counties. Later arrests were made, eventually totaling in 11 arrests that included three Polk Co. police officers.

On Sunday, Oct. 3 more than 150 volunteers from across Polk County distributed food at Turner Street Community Park, sponsored by the Atlanta Food Bank. Initial reports estimated that nearly 7,000 people were fed with the food from one 18-wheeler and three one-ton trucks. The event was the largest event in the park’s history.

An Oct. 6 accident that involved a school bus and a garbage truck and left parents concerned left only three with minor injuries. According to reports, the bus was traveling north on Hwy. 100 when it approached Sewell Creek Road and tried to make a left turn. A garbage truck traveling behind the bus tried to pass as the bus turned and struck the bus. The two vehicles then went into a ditch. The driver of the garbage truck also had visible injuries but declined medical attention. The driver of the truck was charged with improper passing, and Superintendent Marvin Williams reported that all students riding the bus attended school that day.

A Conyers man was arrested on multiple charges alleging he enticed, kidnapped and molested a 14-year-old Polk County girl. Larry Ryan Smith was arrested Oct. 7 in Resasca. State officials had issued an endangered child alert on Oct. 6 for the girl, 14, who was found safe and in the company of Smith when he was arrested.

Three police officers resigned following an investigation alleging they used steroids and manufactured them at their home. Polk County officers John Garrett and Shawn Bates both resigned effective Sept. 21, in lieu of termination. Scott Couch, a city officer, also resigned in lieu of termination Oct. 5. None of the officers will face criminal charges from local law enforcement agencies because the officers’ statements were made under Garrity Warnings and that precludes using their testimony in any kind of criminal indictment. A Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) investigation is ongoing.

Two Cedartown brothers were arrested in the same week for separate shootings in Rome and Cedartown. Laryan Yance Walker, 22, and Lajuan Walker, 28, both of a South Estes Street address, were charged with aggravated assault on unconnected victims and jailed in separate counties.

Gov. Sonny Perdue visited Cedartown High School on Oct. 15 to congratulate the school for improving SAT scores an average of 55 points. The Governor’s Cup is awarded annually to the school in each class with the highest average SAT score improvement over the past two years, and CHS had the most improved SAT scores among Class AAA schools. Each student also received a T-shirt, and the school received a check for $2,000 through the assistance of the Governor’s Cup corporate sponsor, AT&T. The funds will go toward SAT preparation materials.

Former Polk County Jail sergeant Joshua David Lowe of Aragon was sentenced Oct. 15 in federal court for beating a restrained prisoner. He was sentenced to 21 months in prison and three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to violating a prisoner’s civil rights in August. Lowe was terminated from the Polk County Jail as a result of the incident.

Polk County drug officers arrested three, including an employee of Bradford Drugs, on Oct. 23 after an investigation into what they claim is an organized ring that distributed approximately $100,000 worth of the prescription drug schedule II hydocodone. Hundreds of charges have been filed in the case.

November

In the month of November, Polk schools, along with the district as a whole, were evaluated on year-to-year student achievement based on statewide assessments. Eight of Polk’s 10 schools made the national standards for Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) this year. Rockmart Middle School and Rockmart High School remain noncompliant, but several programs have been initiated to see every school meet AYP in 2010.

A portion of Cedartown’s Big Spring Park was formally recognize as a portion of the historical Trail of Tears in November. The Cedartown City Commission approved a resolution on Nov. 9 to designate the historical area as the Cedar Town Cherokee Removal Camp. Still to come are new signs and markers, which are expected to be provided in coming months through the National Park Service.

On Tuesday Nov. 10, school board members decided to uphold the controversial decision to pay the remaining balance on the Rockmart High School batting facility at a total of $37,671.06. At a special session on Oct. 27, Rockmart High School submitted a request to the board to pay the remaining balance—approximately 1/3 of the total cost—on the facility. The motion carried 7-1, with member Tara O’Neal voting no. At Tuesday’s meeting, however, the matter was placed on the budget for discussion once more due to a concern of parliamentary procedure regarding the last decision. Following much discussion, the board voted 4-5 to resend the motion of payment—not enough to overturn the decision to pay the loan.

Judge Dan Winn was the speaker for Cedartown's Veterans Day Program, held at 11 a.m. on Nov. 11 at the Veterans Memorial Park on East Avenue. Brewster-Cleveland Post 86, American Legion, Cedartown organized the event, and volunteers with the American Legion Auxiliary distributed Flanders Fields Memorial Poppies for a small requested donation.

A large Red cedar tree in a field on Cedartown Road was selected and transported to the Georgia state capitol where workers are waiting to decorate it for Christmas in late November. The tree, which workers estimate was around 15 years old, had to be dug up rather than cut and had to remain live and potted while in the capitol in accordance with building and fire codes.

December

The Riverside Chevrolet dealership in Cedartown was closed permanently in December due to policy changes and the recent General Motors (GM) bankruptcy. Owner John Welborn said Monday that after Chevrolet went through bankruptcy that GM decided that it did not like “unauthorized dual establishments,” and that is what Welborn has had at the Cedartown location where he also has been selling Fords and Mercurys.

Local residents lined Main Street for the 2009 Cedartown Christmas Parade on Thursday, Dec. 3. In spite of the cold temperatures, young and old came out to see Santa as well as numerous other floats. For the first time, a fireworks show followed the parade and lasted for about 15 minutes.

On Dec. 10, Polk Medical Center in Cedartown was selected as one of 45 2009 Leapfrog Top Hospitals. Thirty-four urban, eight children’s and three rural hospitals have been named 2009 Leapfrog Top Hospitals, based on results from The Leapfrog Hospital Survey. The survey is the only national, public comparison of hospitals on key issues including mortality rates for certain common procedures, infection rates, safety practices, and measures of efficiency.

A ribbon cutting was held at the newly opened Cedartown High School girl’s field house on Dec. 10. A tour led by Principal Hal David allowed visitors to see the state-of-the-art facility, and members of the W.D. Trippe Trust, Polk School District Board of Education and CHS faculty and staff were on hand as part of the dedication.

Thirteen law enforcement officers and personnel at the Polk County Sheriff's Office held the first meeting of the Polk County Fellowship of Christian Peace Officers in December. The group will meet voluntarily once a month, and plans to get a chapter charter.

A Rockmart man was arrested for allegedly trying to rob the Cedartown Kroger with a knife from one of the store shelves shortly after midnight on Dec. 9. Following a short chase involving the K-9 unit, Brandon Lee Waddell was arrested and charged with possession of a knife during the commission of a crime, armed robbery and simple assault.

Greg and Joe Casey were named as the 2009 Polk County Farmers of the Year. The father and son operate the last surviving dairy operation in the Caseyville area and one of only two dairies still in operation in Polk County. With a herd of about 200, they have 60 milking cows and produce between 55-60 gallons of milk per day.