EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the final part of a three-part series looking back at the year 2017 in Troup County.

Sept. 1

Local children donate

to church in Texas

Children at LaGrange First United Methodist Church sent a favorite toy and a letter to children in LaGrange, Texas after their community was flooded by Hurricane Harvey. The church in LaGrange, Texas where the toys were sent is also named LaGrange First United Methodist Church.

Sept. 6

Two children drown

Two 12-year-old children drowned at Earl Cook Beach in September. The children were identified as Carson Woodall and A’jada McGuire. Both were from the Atlanta area, and according to the Troup County Sheriff’s Department, they were in town for a family reunion at West Point Lake.

Sept. 7

LaGrange couple arrested for fraudulent insurance scheme

A LaGrange couple was arrested Wednesday on charges of insurance fraud, identity theft, forgery and exploitation of an elderly person after a lengthy investigation by the fraud division of Georgia’s Insurance and Safety Fire Commission. According to a press release from the Georgia Department of Insurance, Amy Livingston, 34, and her husband Matthew Livingston, 48, were arrested at their home on Newton Road in LaGrange after a six-month investigation by the fraud division. The investigation found that Amy, an active insurance agent, and Matthew, a former insurance agent, used the identities of Matthew’s former clients to create and submit fraudulent applications for life insurance without the client’s knowledge or approval.

Sept. 9

Evacuees stay in

LaGrange to escape Hurricane Irma

Evacuees came from  West Palm Beach, Marianna, Florida and Jesup, Georgia — to escape Hurricane Irma, and for a couple nights, they called Troup County home.

Holiday Campground opened to allow those fleeing the hurricane a free place to stay during the storm. Most were prepared to sleep in campers, and others had tents. However, when the storm turned toward LaGrange, the campground had to close and evacuees went elsewhere.

Sept. 16

West Point Police

Chief leaves

West Point Police Chief Tony Bailey left for the same position in Powder Springs. Bailey’s final day with the West Point Police Department was Sept. 30.

Sept. 19

Milliron hired as City Manager

David Milliron was hired as Hogansville City manager in September.  The board voted 5-0 in favor of hiring Milliron, who previously served as the city manager of the city of Villa Rica from May 2015 to March 2017. He also served as the city manager of Stockbridge in 2013 and treasurer/CEO of Stockbridge in 2012.

Sept. 23

Comprehensive dropped from Troup High name

The Troup County Board of Education voted unanimously to drop the word “Comprehensive” from the name of Troup County High School in September.

Sept. 24

Wild Leap Brew Co.

celebrates opening

Wild Leap Brew Co. celebrated its grand opening in LaGrange in September. The event featured games including cornhole, bear pong and a rock climbing wall.

Sept. 27

Pine Mountain votes on DASH project

The Town Council of Pine Mountain voted against a DASH project that would’ve resulted in 50 low-income homes. The council voted 4-0 against the project.

Oct. 6

Former TCSO employee arrested for allegedly taking more than $1,800

Jason Hudgins, a former detention officer for the Troup County Sheriff ’s Office, was arrested Thursday after investigators determined he allegedly stole $1,800 from inmates’ funds.

Oct. 19

Netflix show filmed in LaGrange

A new Netflix series called “The Haunting of Hill House” began filming in LaGrange in October, and many locals participated as extras. The series will be based on the Shirley Jackson horror novel, “The Haunting of Hill House.”

Oct. 20

Gymnasiums approved

The Troup County School System voted to approve gymnasiums at Troup High School and LaGrange High School in October. The estimated total cost of the two gymnasiums was around $25 million total, well above the original cost projection of $18 million.

Oct. 26

Chief sworn in as IACP president

LaGrange Police Chief Lou Dekmar was sworn in as the new president of the International Association of Chiefs of Police in October in Philadelphia.

Oct. 27

Great Wolf announces open date

Great Wolf Lodge announced it will open in LaGrange May 31, 2018, and reservations can be made now.

Oct. 31

Water leak in Hogansville causes boil water

advisory

The leak was discovered in the woods between Poplar and Boozer Streets from a pipe that had no current documentation from the city. City Manager David Milliron said the Pine Street tank emptied an estimated 75,000 gallons of water within minutes.

Nov. 4

$1.6 million worth of marijuana found during traffic stop

Two men were arrested after more than a million dollars of marijuana was recovered from the back of a tractor trailer on Interstate 85 in October. A deputy with the Troup County Sheriff ’s Office arrested Amaury Izquierdo Mansito and passenger, Marco Alfaro, after finding 151 pounds of marijuana in the back of the Freightliner tractor trailer they were driving.

Nov. 8

Thornton, Stankiewicz, Tramell re-elected

Jim Thornton (LaGrange), Bill Stankiewicz (Hogansville) and Steve Tramell (West Point) were re-elected mayor in their cities in November. Tramell had served as Mayor Pro-Tem and November’s election was a special election. He was elected over Deedee Williams by 25 votes in the closest race in Troup County.

Nov. 9

Man arrested in

connection with fatal hit and run

Scott Sparks was arrested in the case of a hit-and-run on Pyne Road that resulted in the death of a 78-year-old LaGrange man.

Sparks was charged with reckless driving, homicide with a vehicle, hit-and- run (injury, death, damage), driving too fast for conditions, duty to report accident (injury, death or property), failure to maintain lane and leaving the scene of the accident. George Allen, of LaGrange, was killed in the accident.

Nov. 13

Chick-fil-A’s rivalry restaurant sets up on state line

Hours before No. 10 Auburn upset No. 1 Georgia, fans from both teams enjoyed a special day on the Alabama-Georgia state line. Chick-fil-A set up a rivalry restaurant on the state border and gave out free food. The game was also shown on a gigantic big screen television.

Nov. 21

TCSO exhausts all resources in search for missing woman

After days of constant searching, the Troup County Sheriff’s Office determined it had exhausted all resources in the search for 75-year-old Carol Evans. Evans went missing Nov. 10. The sheriff’s office is still investigating any leads it receives in the search for Evans.

Nov. 22

ATM taken from Valley grocery store

Two men in a stolen 1999 white Dodge Ram drove into Givorn’s Foods in Valley and stole the store’s ATM. The suspects left the store in approximately six minutes.

Dec. 16

Armed man robs Charter Bank on West Point Road

On Dec. 15, an unidentified man robbed Charter Bank at 2231 West Point Road at gunpoint. According to the Troup County Sheriff’s Office, no employees were harmed during the robbery, and an undisclosed amount of money was taken.

Courtyard by Marriott hotel opens in LaGrange

The Courtyard by Marriott hotel officially opened its doors in mid-December, after getting the green light from Marriott officials. The hotel features 90 rooms.

a putting green and fitness center.