Is NCAA Rule Banning Hashtags Too Strict?

College football programs are not allowed to place website addresses or social media messages on the field due to rules that were recently amended by the NCAA. Tell us what you think of the athletic association’s decision.

#GoDawgs or #GoJackets? Whichever your preference, you won’t see either on an NCAA football field this fall. The NCAA’s recent “Bulletin on Field Markings, Uniforms, etc.” expressly prohibits “social media designations such as URL’s and hashtags” (Hashtags are words or phrases that are preceded by the # symbol that can be used online to group messages together or to rally support for a common cause, such as for a favorite team.). The rule means that while you may see your fellow fans using Twitter and other social media platforms while at the game, you won’t see “#SicemDawgs” between the hedges at Sanford Stadium or “#GaTech” on Historic Grant Field in Bobby Dodd Stadium. Speaking of UGA, another Southeastern Conference school, Mississippi…

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Paulding County's Unemployment Rate Drops to 7.8%

Paulding County's unemployment rate dropped to 7.8 percent in February, which was four-tenths of a percent lower than the month before.

Paulding County's Unemployment Rate Drops to 7.8%

The numbers of jobless people and the labor force both fell in Februrary.

Paulding County's unemployment rate dropped to 7.8 percent in February, which was four-tenths of a percent lower than the month before. Out of the county's 73,165 workers, 5,685 of them were jobless last month, according to figures released today by the Georgia Department of Labor. That's 316 fewer than were counted as unemployed in January. And coupled with the 660 fewer people in the workforce, it lowered the unemployment rate. A year ago the unemployment rate was more than one percent higher at 8.8 percent. County                Rate Bartow                 9.0% Cherokee              6.9 Cobb                    7.4 Douglas                8.8 Forsyth                 6.4 Fulton                   8.9 Paulding                7.8 Metro …

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New Georgia Vehicle 'Title Tax' Takes Effect in March

HB 386 replaces the annual ad valorem tax on newly purchased vehicles.

The so-called "birthday tax" that Georgia vehicle owners pay will end in March 2013—for people who purchase a new vehicle. Effective March 1, House Bill 386 removes the sales tax and the annual ad valorem tax on newly purchased vehicles, according to a Gwinnett County newsletter. Instead, there will be a new title tax of 6.5 percent in 2013—only due each time the vehicle is sold and titled. It applies to dealer sales as well as sales between individuals.You'll pay this tax in the county where you register the vehicle. However, you will continue to pay the annual ad valorem tax on vehicle(s) that you currently own. Other aspects of the new law: This information was obtained from Gwinnett News For Neighborhoods newsletter.

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State Unemployment Rate Sees Improvement

The metro Atlanta area, of which Paulding is a part, saw 33,700 more jobs in October versus the same month in 2011.

The Georgia Department of Labor announced Thursday that the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate declined to 8.7 percent in October, down from 9 percent in September. The jobless rate was 9.7 percent in October 2011. “The unemployment rate dropped because we had an increase of 36,000 new jobs, which is the largest September to October job increase ever,” State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said in a news release. “That job growth pushed the number of jobs in October to the highest level in any month since December of 2008.” Statewide, there were 3,971,700 jobs in October, up 0.9 percent, from 3,935,700 in September. The growth came in retail trade, up 8,000; education and health care, up 7,000; professional and business services…

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Paulding Jobless Rate Sees Improvement in September

Initial numbers show better jobless numbers for the county versus the Northwest Georgia area.

Paulding County showed positive movement on the jobs front Thursday. The Georgia Department of Labor announced early Thursday that the preliminary unemployment rate in the Northwest Georgia area declined to 8.8 percent in September, down five-tenths of a percentage point from a revised 9.3 percent in August. The rate was 10.3 percent in September 2011. According to a GDOL news release, Northwest Georgia’s rate declined primarily because the number of unemployed people decreased by 1,843. Also, the number of employed people increased by 5,326. Thursday’s numbers have Paulding County showing a preliminary unemployment rate of 8 percent, down from August’s preliminary rate of 8.3 percent. Paulding’s initial numbers bested not just the …

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GHC Sees Higher Enrollment Numbers

Both the Dallas campus and the entire school have seen increases this fall.

Officials at Georgia Highlands College have seen enrollment rise this year over last year’s fall numbers. The figures settled at a total of 5,523 students on all campuses for the fall 2011 semester, compared to 5,235 last fall—an increase of 5.2 percent. According to Cathy Ledbetter, dean of the Paulding Campus of Georgia Highlands, the Dallas-based site has an attendance of 418 this year—7.5 percent of the cross-campus total. The number is up from 306 last fall. That’s about a 26-percent increase.  What led to such a jump in enrollment for Georgia Highlands? Simple realization of existence, Ledbetter says. “More and more, people are realizing that we are located in Dallas,” she says. “The current students, word of mouth … it’s just …

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