Hometown Headlines

as the jet carrying Marine Lance Cpl. Seth Sharp landed at Calhoun's airport.

-Saturday: The funeral service begins at 2 p.m. at NorthPointe Church with burial to follow at Eastview Cemetery in Adairsville.

-The metropolitan areas with the highest percentage of increase in claims from June 2008 to June 2009 are Rome, up 181.0 percent; Gainesville, up 172.8 percent; and Athens, up 163.2 percent.

-Statewide, the Georgia Department of Labor says 88,756 laid-off workers filed first-time claims for state unemployment insurance benefits last month, an increase of 94.8 percent from June 2008.

-Most of the state initial claims were filed by laid-off workers in manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade, construction, and administrative and support services.

- “Rising unemployment continues to plague local economies throughout North Georgia," said Labor Commission Michael Thurmond. "Fortunately, lay-offs in the hard-hit Dalton area appear to be moderating, although the recession-resistant Athens labor market experienced an unusually sharp increase in first-time jobless claims.”

CMC hosts blood drive today: Cartersville Medical Center hosts a blood drive with Blood Assurance Friday from 9-11 a.m. and from 12:20 to 5 p.m. The bloodmobile will be on the main entrance of the hospital. Registration will be in the main lobby of the hospital. “For blood banks, summer is the time of year referred to as “Trauma Time”. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day people are traveling, students are not in school and the need for blood continues,” said Paul Check, Director of Laboratory Services for Cartersville Medical Center. “Yet, the number of donations historically decreases. Blood Assurance is currently in critical need of type O positive and O negative blood donors and they need at least 400 blood donations every day in order to supply areas hospitals like Cartersville Medical Center.” Go to BloodAssurance.org.

American Red Cross is offering a Babysitter’s Training Class on Saturday, Aug. 1, from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. at the Cartersville Medical Center, Classroom no. 2. Participants will learn to handle emergencies and illnesses issues, respond to choking emergencies, provide first aid and more. The cost is $40 per person. Payment and registration must be received prior to the class. For more information, please e-mail Amy Vickery at abvickery@comcast.net or call 706-291-6648.

-Friday: Mostly sunny, high of 90, low of 68.
-Saturday: More sun, high of 92, low of 68.
-Sunday: 20% rain chance, high of 92, low of 68.

-Extended forecast> Weather

-Latest local Radar / Latest regional Radar

Norman Arey's Sports Roundtable

-Free liposuction; UT loves Bruce Pearl but does LSU love Les Miles?

Rome Braves updates:

-Rome's
-Tonight: Braves at Greenville.

July 20: Bartow Democrats to meet: The next Bartow County Democratic Party meeting will be Monday, July 20, at 7 p.m. at IHOP, 640 E. Main St. in Cartersville. Agenda: ongoing volunteering plans and urgent lobbying matters in Congress. Contact J.M. Prince, Chair, at 770.386-1379.

-July 10: Chamber's Danish and Details Open House Event, 7:30-9 a.m. Come find out what the Chamber has to offer, especially programs by the Small Business Council. New members who join on Friday will receive 15% off membership fees.

-July 16: Cartersville City Council meeting, 7 p.m. Hear it live on WBHF 1450 AM or via live Web cast here on Bartow Headlines.

-July 25: Deal to speak to Bartow GOP: Republican gubernatorial candidate Nathan Deal will meet with Bartow Republicans at 9 a.m. at Slope's BBQ on Tennessee St. Details> Bartow GOP

Red Cross rummage sale set for July 24-25: American Red Cross will hold a rummage sale on Friday, July 24, from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. and Saturday, July 25, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Goodyear Clubhouse. Donations may be dropped off on Thursday between 3 and 6 p.m. (or call for special times). Limited indoor spaces available for individuals. Call the Red Cross office for more information at 770-382-0981; ask for Karon.

Aug. 18/'Our Hearts, Their Harbor' Set: (Media release) What do good food, one of a kind

artwork, fun, excitement, eclectic décor & elegant jewelry have in common? They are all available at the 13th Annual Our Hearts, Their Harbor set for Tuesday, August 18th from 7-10 pm at The City Loft, located 110 Museum Drive in Cartersville. Our Hearts Their Harbor will also exhibit the vocal styling of jazz singer Patti Holladay and The Blue Hills Trio. The event, an annual fundraiser for the general budget of the Good Neighbor Homeless Shelter, has been a crowd pleaser for years.

In its history, Our Hearts, Their Harbor has raised almost $300,000 to benefit the shelter. The ticket price of only $25 per person includes heavy hors d’oeuvres and patrons will enjoy the silent auction, live auction and the cash bar. A wide variety of items have been donated and the committee is still looking for your great donations to help make the event a success for the Good Neighbor Homeless Shelter.

“Like all our fundraising events, this is a great opportunity to have a great time while benefiting a great cause,” states Shelter Director Marina Robertson. “The auctions are exciting, people can wear what they want – most arrive in dressy casual- and everyone enjoys the food and fellowship,” Mrs. Robertson elaborated.

This event has been a major fundraiser for the Good Neighbor Homeless Shelter, helping them serve homeless men, women, and families in Bartow County since 1996. The Good Neighbor has both a short-term emergency shelter program and a more structured 6-10 week Goals Program, which aims to give guests the tools to help guests become independent when they leave the shelter.
Many people have inquired about the meaning of the name “Our Hearts, Their Harbor”. The event’s original organizer, Sherry Laser, came up with the idea that the goodwill we have in our hearts can be a harbor for those who are in need of something as basic as shelter.

Tickets are available at Mission Tire, Eyeworks and the Good Neighbor Homeless Shelter.

For more information about or tickets to Our Hearts, call Becki Post at 770-387-6001. For more information about the shelter or to make a donation, click: www.goodneighborshelter.org.

-The bigger picture of the Armuchee Connector: The Twitter version is this: "New two-lane highway to relieve congestion on U.S. 27 for Armuchee residents by 2011. Construction starts this fall." The big picture: What else will it connect you to?

-'The Price is Right' at a favorite Northwest Georgia playground---or is it? Keeping with game show names, is it "Deal or No Deal" time in Blue Ridge, Ga.?

-College football still far away? No-no. Norman Arey, Northwest Georgia's premiere sports essayist/radio commentator, presents his fall preview columns starting in mid-August. . We have the day-by-day schedule.

-Peaks & Valleys: The highs and lows of Northwest Georgia: We've seen too many lows as the offensive in Afghanistan cranks up. But what can you say about our communities as area residents say thanks to those who make the ultimate sacrifice.

-And the big tease: A busy week in business updates is on the way based on some of the e-mails we received in recent hours. We thank Natalie Simms for doing an excellent job keeping Hometown Headlines as fresh as ever last week.

(Media Release) Planning is underway for the 2009 Business Expo, “Keeping Business in Bartow,” which will take place on Thursday, Oct. 29, at The Church at Liberty Square. Area businesses are encouraged to participate in the event to showcase and sell their products and services. Booth sign-up will begin at 8 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 7, at the Chamber of Commerce, located at 122 W. Main St.

“We are excited about the upcoming Business Expo and hope businesses will take advantage of the opportunity to meet with a variety of potential new customers,” said Jessica Fleetwood, 2009 Business Expo Co-Chair. “In conjunction with our theme – “Keeping Business in Bartow” – we are allowing, and strongly encouraging, all vendors who are able to sell their products and services at the Expo. Hopefully this will be a big draw for vendors, as well as attendees.”

To participate in the worthwhile event, vendors are encouraged to reserve their booth as soon as booth sign-up begins. Cost to participate in the Business Expo is $300 for Chamber members (with a special rate for home-based businesses) and $400 for prospective members. New this year is the Two Booth Special. Purchase two booths for one business (must be a Chamber member) and pay just $500 – a $100 savings with twice the exposure! Chamber members can also take advantage of the Early Bird Special. Sign up before 5 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 4, and pay only $250 for a booth. That is a $50 savings!

Registration packets are available on the Chamber Web site and in the front lobby of the Chamber.

The Business Expo, “Keeping Business in Bartow,” will be open to the general public from 5-7:00 p.m. for a $2 admission per person or two non-perishable food items to be donated to The Cartersville-Bartow Community Foundation. No strollers will be permitted in the Expo area.

Business-to-Business networking will take place from 3-5 p.m. ONLY those with a business card will be permitted into the Expo area during this time.

For additional details about the event, or if interested in sponsorship opportunities, call Tara Currier at 770-382-1466 or email tara@cartersvillechamber.com.

Tellus Museum to celebrate 40th anniversary of Apollo XI moon landing (Media release) Join Tellus on Saturday and Sunday, July 18-19 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the first manned landing on the Moon. Tellus is commemorating this monumental achievement with a special book signing and lecture with artist Paul Calle. Calle was the only artist to document the final moments before the Apollo 11 crew beft on their journey to the Moon.

Tellus has several other events scheduled for the weekend to celebrate the Moon landing. The planetarium will be showing "Dawn of the Space Age" all weekend. "Dawn of the Space Age" highlights the early days of space exploration, including the launch of the first artificial satellite and the remarkable lunar landings.

>On Saturday July 18, Tellus will remain open until 11 p.m. Weather permitting, the Tellus observatory will be open to explore the wonders of the night sky from 9 until 11 p.m. The observatory is free with paid museum admission and free to members. For more information on the Moon Landing commemoration events, please call 770-606-5700.> Tellus

(Media release) Cartersville will host the 2010 Miss Georgia USA and Miss Georgia Teen USA Pageants at Woodland Performing Arts Center, Nov. 12-14. Pageant officials have announced that applications are now being accepted from young women throughout the state who would like to compete in this year’s Miss Georgia USA and Miss Georgia Teen USA Pageants.

If you are a resident of Georgia, a single female (never married, nor given birth to a child), a United States citizen and between the ages of 14 and 26, you are invited to apply for the Pageant. The new titleholders will be awarded an extensive prize package that includes beautiful crown rings designed by Bob Staley Jewelry Artisan, the Official Jeweler of the Miss Georgia USA pageants, and the opportunity to compete for the title of MISS USA and MISS TEEN USA, respectively.

(Media release) Bartow County School System will be conducting a Kindergarten Assessment Screening for all children who have registered for the 2009-2010 school year. The screening will take place at your child’s school on July 20 from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. and July 2 from noon to 6 p.m. The screening should take 15 to 20 minutes per child. Please bring your child to his or her school anytime on these dates. Appointments are not necessary. Three Bartow County Schools (Clear Creek Elementary, Pine Log Elementary and Emerson Elementary) will not be participating on these two dates. These three schools will conduct their screenings on the first day of class. If you have any questions, please contact your child’s school for more information.

Free summer concert series continues in August: Summer concerts at Friendship Plaza in downtown Cartersville are held each second Saturday. Planned are music, food and classic cars. This year, the concert is by Century Bank of Georgia. The schedule:

-The car show begins at 6, the concert at 7. Free admission. Host: Cartersville Downtown Development Authority> CVB

Adairsville concert schedule: Sponsored by the Adairsville Downtown Development Authority, the free concerts are held in Log Town from 7-9 p.m. Concessions are available (source: CVB). What's ahead:
July 11 - The Danny Miller Band
Aug. 8 - Jacob Bryant

-WBHF 1450 AM once again will be home to the Cartersville Purple Hurricanes. CHS opens the season Aug. 28 at home vs. Cass> Click 2009

-NewsTalk AM 1270: WYXC will be home to the Bartow County High School Football Game of the Week each Friday featuring Adairsville, Cartersville, Cass and Woodland. Coverage also includes the Wednesday Night Huddle each at 6 p.m.; Countown to Kickoff each Friday at 6 p.m.; the Official Statewide Scoreboard Show on Fridays from 10 p.m. until midnight; and the Official High School Football Coaches' Show. All games, sports shows streamed at NewsTalk1270.com.

In addition to this Web site and e-mail alerts, we offer several other ways to stay in touch with what's happening in Northwest Georgia. Our Web sites include:

-In Bartow County, you can hear Web casts of news and sporting events from WBHF 1450 AM on www.bartowheadlines.com.

Corrections, typos or broken links: If you spot a potential fact error or typo, please let us know. Also, if links to any of our stories or advertisers don't work, please let us know. Click Report