An existing local manufacturer is buying the closed Sweetheart Cup/Imperial Bondware plant North of LaFayette, for purposes of relocation and expansion. The building has sat empty for the better part a decade despite direct access to the railroad and Hwy. 27.

Even if this doesn’t add many jobs, it will be nice to have that eyesore at the main gateway to town cleaned up and occupied.

The 200,000 square foot facility and 7+ acres of land are currently listed for sale at $3.8 million. Company sources say this will be a purchase, not a lease agreement, but seems like that’s not 100% certain.

The same family has owned the property since at least 1983. It operated as Imperial Cup, Imperial Bondware, then Sweetheart Cup, and was finally shut down around 2000 after Sweetheart was bought out by Solo. Facility has mostly been empty since, although it was used for warehouse space by Walmart when the LaFayette store was being remodeled in 2008.   

Saturday a parked SUV rolled down a hill, crossed Patterson Road, knocked over a phone pole, and then crashed into an occupied building at LaFayette Garden Apartments.

Per eyewitnesses, there was a six or seven month old child inside the Honda. Neither the child or anyone inside the low-income apartment building was hurt.     

LaFayette City Council meeting for January will be tonight at 7. First meeting with new mayor Arnold and new councilman Garmany. Reorganization of utilities departments will be discussed, along with rec. department registration fees, the hotel tax increase, and other matters of business. Here’s the agenda.   

House District 2 election last week was mostly congenial, but the runoff vote for HD2 between Tarvin and Florence may involve more personal criticism.

Neal Florence (and LU) mentioned Steve Tarvin’s failure to turn in campaign financial reports on time. Now Tarvin has uncovered past financial reports Florence never filed after campaigns for mayor.

Early voting for the February 4th runoff starts January 21st.   

Today’s that magical day when Georgia’s legislators begin meeting to decide what kind of messed up, ethically challenged, or otherwise backwards laws the state should put up with next.

Walker County is “represented” by Jeff Mullis in the State Senate. Western Walker and all of Dade are “represented” by John Deffenbaugh in the State House. East Walker (including LaFayette) and parts of Catoosa and Whitfield will have no representation in the House until the District 2 runoff.

Last year advocates for gun rights pushed laws allowing concealed weapons (with permit) on college campuses, which are currently gun-free zones.

The argument was focused on certain campuses which have seen multiple rapes of girls not allowed to defend themselves. A proposed bill was killed by state college leaders, but it could come back this year with a compromise allowing guns on private campuses but not at state-run schools.

Another hot topic this year will be problems at DFCS which allowed several children to die last year. Speaker of the GA House said it’s an issue that keeps him up at night – and it ought to be.

Gov. Deal has again suggested he’d like some non-governmental agencies involved in child welfare.   

Legalization of marijuana and products made from it – for medical purposes in Georgia – may actually be discussed in a serious way during this year’s General Assembly session.

GA House Speaker David Ralston says “let’s take the politics out of it, and look at the science and hear the medical professionals” on legalization.

Most logical people have no problem with allowing pot for medical use IF medical use actually means medical use. Pick up your prescription for hemp oil at CVS with a real prescription, not buy a baggie of green behind Shop-Rite for your previously undiagnosed “glaucoma.”   

In July 2012, voters in most parts of Georgia rejected regional T-SPLOST taxes supposedly intended for road construction. Now Bryan County in South GA wants to revive the tax just for a single county. If state courts allow their request, it could open the door for other counties – like Walker – to do the same thing. (Commissioner Heiskell will go to bed with visions of more golf courses and wedding resorts dancing in her head.)

Even if the state doesn’t allow a single county to have its own T-SPLOST, the tax will eventually come up before voters again for whole regions unless legislators pass a measure to kill it.

Meanwhile, in counties that DO have T-SPLOST, income from the tax is well below predictions – between 13% and 19% lower than planned. The big projects they promised voters may never materialize because the amounts needed to build them aren’t materializing.   

LaFayette native Logan Cobb has an online portfolio of paintings and artwork available to purchase.   

“VOTE 4 STERILIZATION + EITHANASIA SUMMERVILLE”

VIVE LU REVALOOSHUN!!@!   

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