Coweta’s Dial A Ride Program begins July 1

Coweta County’s long awaited Dial A Ride program (Section 5311) will begin transporting citizens on Wednesday, July 1. The program, which is funded with federal, state and local dollars, provides transit services to business, commercial and activity centers in Coweta County.

Scheduling a trip is easy. Simply call 770-683-RIDE (7433) at least 24 hours in advance. Trips are $3.00 per one way trip. Trips must be within Coweta County and between the hours of 8 am- 5 pm. The van will come to any Coweta address to pick up or drop off.

The program uses a “demand response” model, meaning there are no fixed routes, stops or pick up times. Citizens must call and schedule a needed trip 24 hours in advance and daily routes are generated based on destinations requested. Rides are “first come – first served” based on availability. Peak times are expected to be 8-10 am and 2-5 pm and, conversely, more capacity is expected during off-peak times, 10 am – 2 pm. Service will be provided Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.

Coweta will ultimately have five 13 passenger vans, two of which will be equipped with a wheel chair lift. Three of the vans are on hand for the program’s kick off and two more will arrive in the next 60-90 days. The operation of the program is handled by Quality Trans, Inc., a third party contractor already operating in Coweta County.

The program is designed and available for anyone who needs transportation within Coweta County, but it is expected that the elderly and the handicapped will be heavy users of the program. The program is projected to make 30,000 trips in its first year.

CharterBank, West Point, Georgia Assumes All of the Deposits of Neighborhood Community Bank, Newnan, Georgia

Neighborhood Community Bank, Newnan, Georgia, was closed today by the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance, which appointed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) as receiver. To protect the depositors, the FDIC entered into a purchase and assumption agreement with CharterBank, West Point, Georgia, to assume all of the deposits of Neighborhood Community Bank.

The four offices of Neighborhood Community Bank will reopen as branches of CharterBank. All of the offices will maintain normal business hours. Depositors of Neighborhood Community Bank will automatically become depositors of CharterBank. Deposits will continue to be insured by the FDIC, so there is no need for customers to change their banking relationship to retain their deposit insurance coverage. Customers should continue to use their existing branches until CharterBank can fully integrate the deposit records of Neighborhood Community Bank. Depositors of Neighborhood Community Bank can access their money by writing checks or using ATM or debit cards. Checks drawn on the bank will continue to be processed. Loan customers should continue to make their payments as usual.

As of March 31, 2009, Neighborhood Community Bank had total assets of $221.6 million and total deposits of approximately $191.3 million. In addition to assuming all of the deposits of the failed bank, CharterBank agreed to purchase approximately $209.6 million of assets. The FDIC will retain the remaining assets for later disposition.

The FDIC and CharterBank entered into a loss-share transaction on approximately $178.5 million of Neighborhood Community Bank's assets. CharterBank will share in the losses on the asset pools covered under the loss-share agreement. The loss-sharing arrangement is projected to maximize returns on the assets covered by keeping them in the private sector. The agreement also is expected to minimize disruptions for loan customers.

Customers who have questions about today's transaction can call the FDIC toll-free at 1-888-408-4360. The phone number will be operational this evening until 9:00 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time (EDT); on Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., EDT; on Sunday from noon to 6:00 p.m., EDT; and thereafter from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., EDT. Interested parties can also visit the FDIC's Web site at http://www.fdic.gov/bank/individual/failed/neighbor.html.

The FDIC estimates that the cost to the Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF) will be $66.7 million. CharterBank's acquisition of all the deposits was the "least costly" resolution for the FDIC's DIF compared to alternatives. Neighborhood Community Bank is the 42nd FDIC-insured institution to fail in the nation this year, and the ninth in Georgia. The last FDIC-insured institution to be closed in the state was Community Bank of West Georgia, Villa Rica, earlier today.

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Cancer Treatment Centers of America Selects Site in GA for Proposed Hospital Serving Patients in Southeast

/PRNewswire/ -- Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) announced today that it has selected Newnan, Ga., as the site of a proposed cancer treatment hospital that will serve patients in the Southeast and provide 500 new jobs in metro Atlanta.

"I'm excited that CTCA will now be closer to home," said Valerie Yurchuk, a cancer patient who treated at CTCA. "I could have gone to any cancer treatment program in the nation, but I came to CTCA because of its unique, patient-centered approach."

CTCA President and CEO Steve Bonner said the company chose Georgia as a gateway to better serve cancer patients throughout the Southeast.

"We are pleased to propose a new cancer treatment facility in the Southeast and thrilled to select Coweta County, one of the most sought-after destinations in metro Atlanta and Georgia," said Bonner. "Cancer patients living in the Southeast will have easier access to the high-quality, individualized, comprehensive care for which CTCA is known."

CTCA expects the new facility to generate $500 million in economic activity over the first five years of operation. With more than two-thirds of its patients expected to come from outside the state of Georgia, patients and their families will contribute to the growth and vitality of the local economy. The proposed fully digital Georgia facility will mark the fifth CTCA hospital to offer cancer patients a fully integrated care model, which combines the best traditional medical care to treat the cancer with scientifically supported integrative therapies to help manage side effects, strengthen the immune system and improve each person's quality of life.

The company will now file a notice of intent to apply for a certificate of need with the Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH), whose approval is necessary before CTCA can build and operate the facility. The Georgia hospital, if approved by DCH, will have 50 inpatient beds and more than 200,000 square feet.

"We're pleased to have CTCA here in Coweta County," said Bill Harrison, of the economic development authority. "They'll provide much-needed new jobs - and bring a vitally important service as well as hundreds of patients and family members to our region."

But more importantly, said Yurchuk, is proximity to the comprehensive care CTCA provides.

"CTCA didn't look at treating just my cancer, but looked at me as a whole person," she said. "My treatment plan was based on my individual needs. Everything was explained to me and I was the one making the decisions. That's the difference at CTCA - I was at the center of my care, from the very beginning."

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