The county has grown by leaps, bounds, hops, skips and jumps. While most people were snugly tucked away in their beds early St. Patrick's Day, nine members of the Norman family were fleeing their south Walton County home which was destroyed by fire during the night. The Walton County Hospital Authority has some extra work ahead - in addition to exploring how to finance a public hospital, it will also look into the feasibility of a private one. The Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia is charging up plans for a fourth peak power plant in Walton County. A Tuesday forum at Carver Middle School drew about 80 residents, all pondering that question, but the residents heard mostly from the privatization advocates, as the WMC officials favoring a public hospital chose not to attend.
All parties seem to agree the county needs a new hospital.
However, whether construction should be a public or private endeavor is a matter of contention. Highway 78 is being investigated as an arson. The Walton County Board of Education Tuesday decided to hold off on asking voters for a tax extension. It's going to take a lot of work to bring the Hard Labor Creek Reservoir into compliance with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's guidelines. The serenity of the holiday season was shattered for one local family by an unknown cemetery vandal.