OBITUARY

POWERS, Gene Patrick

January 26th, 1954 10th, 2020

Gene Patrick Powers was born in Savannah, Georgia. He was a gifted social worker and a university professor at Dalton State College, where he touched the lives of anyone he encountered. Gene lived and worked in Northern Ireland for sixteen years, where he raised his three children, Hannah, Rory, and Colin. He also started the Portstewart Eagles, one of 1RUWKHUQ ,UHODQGV ¿UVW /LWWOH /HDJXH %DVHEDOO WHDPV *HQH authored 10 novels, and carved out a unique genre of literature. Gene’s legacy lives on in his children, JUDQGFKLOG KLV IDPLO\ KLV IULHQGV DQG LQ KLV QXPHURXV published works. He will be PLVVHG E\ DOO WKDW NQHZ KLP and his bright spirit and love of life will live on in those who had the sincere pleasure RI KLV FRPSDQ\

A gathering to celebrate Gene’s life will be held at a future date. - July

Downtown merchants and residents alike sought assistance from the city this spring to crack down on speeding motorists, vehicle with loud mufflers or blaring radios and boisterous after hours crowds on Broad Street.

In the nearly two months since initiating a stepped up enforcement effort, Rome Police have issued 108 citations, 54 courtesy warnings and made 67 actual arrests.

Yet at the last City Commission meeting, Commissioner Mark Cochran said he was expecting more police activity later at night than early in the day.

Chief Denise Downer-McKinney said the effort is being spread out across all police shifts and arrests, citations and warnings are issued whenever police observe illegal activity, regardless of the time of day.

One of the challenges of growth in the downtown community is finding the balance between the residential sector and the commercial/entertainment sector, Rome City Manager Sammy Rich said.

Between May 21 and July 10, police issued 41 citations for speeding and gave 26 courtesy warnings.

City Commissioner Craig McDaniel said he thinks the campaign has already helped to slow down traffic on Broad Street.

“That’s actually more than I thought,” said Downtown Development Authority Chairman Bob Blumberg. He is both a resident of Broad Street and the owner of Bistro 208. “It sounds like they’re doing more and I would appeal to them to continue to do the best they can with limited resources.”

The Rome Police Department is 13 officers short of its authorized staffing level.

Blumberg said that Thursday morning he was cross the street with his wife and had to jerk her back out of the way of a speeding motorist who was an her telephone and not paying attention to the signs reminding motorists they need to stop for pedestrians at each of the mid-block crosswalks.

Two loud music and two muffler ordinance citations were written while five music warnings and three muffler warning were issued by officers.

Police made 21 drug arrests during that seven-week period along 19 arrests for traffic related offenses.

The enforcement campaign involves a combine of Selective Enforcement traffic units and specialized Crime Suppression Unit personnel who are assigned to different hot spots for criminal activity all over the city.

Megan Otwell, marketing director for the Downtown Development Authority said Friday that her office has not gotten much reaction to the enforcement campaign from either downtown merchants of property owners.

The situation is being tracked closely by the DDA Business Development Committee chaired by Bryan Shealy,

Rome City Schools Rome Middle School agriculture educator and Future Farmers of America advisor Ashley Hamby placed second in the state for her work during a workshop hosted by Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. “For the hands-on portion of the class we had a garden design lab for succulents and air plants,” she said. “For the air plant garden design, participants were to create a design and be creative. I used a piece of driftwood and an amethyst for my design. There were 120 participants and all designs were unique. I am honored to have placed second in the competition.”