Stories to look for as new year starts
Ok, there’s no crystal ball here in the newsroom of the Polk County Standard Journal. But as 2018 came to a close and 2019 was set to open, it allowed for some time to evaluate some stories that haven’t quite finished out during the year as it closed.
What are some things that Polk County can expect to see in 2019? Here’s a quick rundown of some items that local residents will likely read about in the months ahead:
Move early in the year for Cedarstream
When Cedarstream set out to move in the latter half of 2017, their goal was to be out of their downtown Cedartown workspace in late 2018. They broke ground some months later than expected, and then weather got in the way some more throughout the nearly year of construction at the Northside Industrial Park site that will be the printing company’s new headquarters.
As the work on the building was wrapping up late in 2018, the company was still printing away into the holiday season downtown and slightly past their target date. January looks to be the month they move according to Cedartown city officials, probably late in the month depending on how the weather shapes up as the year begins.
No word yet on what exactly plans are for Cedarstream’s current home on Main Street.
Popeye’s Chicken opening soon
It’s probably a no-brainer that the work on Popeye’s Chicken in Rockmart is wrapping up, and hopefully will be opening in the early months of the year.
We don’t expect the wait to be very long as construction was coming along despite wet weather at a good pace.
Hopes are that they’ll open to the customers before the end of the month.
Expect some landfill lawsuit news
Right now, the lawsuit between Polk County and Waste Industries remains in a bit of a holding pattern while County Attorney Brad McFall and those representing the company are going back and forth in the discovery phase.
However, there’s a window on when documents are to be turned over, and depositions taken down that McFall set back during his November update from the time they filed. We expect to start seeing some additional information coming forth as the two sides seek additional information through court filings, or in the case of the defendants have the case dismissed outright.
As of press time, the lawsuit was sitting in its seventh month after the county announced their intentions to sue in May 2018. Discovery in the suit can last a minimum of six months, and could go longer.
Church Street Manor work
Rockmart officials want to incorporate Church Street Manor into the downtown area in a way that will make it more useful for big events throughout the year.
What that plan will look like exactly is still in the early phases, but city planners have said in meetings previous they are looking in the months ahead to be the time to get to work on Church Street Manor.
The hopes from City Manager Jeff Ellis in previous conversations with the Downtown Rockmart Advisory Committee with the Chamber were to incorporate the area more into events like the WELSHFest in March and the Homespun Festival in July.
New hotel in Cedartown?
Could Cedartown soon have a new hotel? It’s a real possibility.
With closing on the property in Polk County by the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 926’s training program, the need for a place to stay will get even more important for those coming to Cedartown to learn how to use heavy equipment.
As that development looks to get underway in 2019, so will the likelihood of a chain looking for a place to setup an additional hotel to serve those additional customers.
It isn’t as if Cedartown doesn’t have anywhere for trainees to stay currently. There’s two on North Main Street right now, with Quality Inn as one option.
A recent rebrand already has taken place at one Cedartown hotel, with Cedartown Inn and Suites now officially an Econolodge with recent changes made at year’s end.
They aren’t the only re-brand on North Main Street. Just a mile or so down the road, Rite Aid (the company was bought out by Walgreens in years past) officially changed to its new parent company as more of the stores were folded into the drug chain in late December as well.