Calhoun soldiers deploy to Afghanistan with Georgia Army National Guard

CALHOUN — The Georgia Army National Guard 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, which has a unit in Calhoun and others across the state, got on buses Monday morning and traveled to Fort Stewart before their final deployment to Afghanistan. Capt. Mitch Leachman estimated this deployment to last a year.

The last time the unit deployed was to Afghanistan in 2009-2010. This time around, close to 100 soldiers from Calhoun will be deployed.

Before the unit left Calhoun on Monday, a ceremony at Georgia Northwestern Technical College honored soldiers, their families and friends. Present were members of the American Legion Riders, local police officers and firefighters, the American Red Cross, and representatives from the National Guard.

Following the posting of colors by Gordon Central High School JROTC and the national anthem, Leachman shared a few words of gratitude.

“In today’s world it is so easy to be blinded by so many of the issues we see in the media, day in and day out,” the captain said. “But here today, under this red, white and blue we are all united together. And we cannot thank you enough.”

He extended his thanks to local organizations and businesses, the Calhoun Family Readiness Group and FRG Chair Anna Durham, and the families and friends who let the captain “borrow their family members for the next year.” Leachman said it was a debt he would never be able to repay. Alexis Draut, Calhoun Times

Approval of MOU pushes trail connection forward

CALHOUN — The Calhoun City Council approved an MOU — memorandum of understanding — with the Dixie Group and the Development Authority of Gordon County on Monday night, initiating the process of constructing a trail connection between the Calhoun Recreation Department and the Calhoun Middle and High School campus.

The trail connection is a piece of the Rivers to Ridge Trail Master Plan, which focuses on connecting green spaces in Gordon County, and will be funded by 2018 SPLOST — the 1-cent special purpose, local option sales tax — funds.

To implement the trail connection, the Dixie Group is agreeing to deed 2 acres of land to the south of the Pine Street and Yellow Jacket Drive intersection. A 10-foot wide walking path will run from the recreation department to the campus, along the perimeter of this newly acquired property and a fence will be constructed to separate the path from the Dixie Group’s property. The path will connect the campus to the existing walking trail at the recreation department. Spencer Lahr, Calhoun Times

Popeye’s construction continues in Rockmart

ROCKMART — The newest restaurant on Nathan Dean Parkway in Rockmart is getting closer to completion with each passing day, and soon there will be a grand opening to celebrate for Popeye’s Chicken.

Much of the progress on the building will depend on weather conditions in the coming weeks with some final details to complete outside, but much of what’s left to do will be interior work for the newest Rockmart location of the chain. Kevin Myrick, The Polk Standard Journal