THUMBS UP: To the finalization of House Bill 489 negotiations between the city and county. After months of going back and forth, working with arbitrators, and some heated debate, the final supplemental agreement between Lowndes County and the city of Valdosta was signed by both on Thursday, clarifying last minute points in the agreement sent to the Georgia Department of Community Affairs. Though the long negotiation process stirred a great deal of tension between the governments, the result is something that should serve the citizens of the entire county well. And now that everything is finalized it would be nice to see some of the tension between the governments loosen up.

THUMBS UP: To County Commission Chairman Rod Casey who was invited to and attended a formal luncheon at the Governor’s Mansion Thursday to welcome United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to the state. Casey was one of only 150 guests representing military, government, diplomatic and education fields throughout the state who were invited to attend. Casey retired from a distinguished military career and has since served as a local leader at the city, county and state levels. His invitation is not only a reflection of his own service to the state in both government and military, but also of the quality of the county he serves in.

THUMBS UP: To Walt Disney World for providing a free day of fun at the park to the Coffee High School students who were cheated out of the Disney Grad Night Celebration they were promised. The nearly 50 CHS seniors each paid $250 for the trip that never happened after a substitute teacher who had collected a total of $7,400, reportedly made off with the cash. The students were also invited to the Valdosta State University Luau in April and Wild Adventures stepped in to help, offering the group a free day at the local theme park. One Disney spokesperson stated, “When you have a story like this that involves Walt Disney World, you certainly want to see that it has a happy ending...” This is one happy ending these students are sure to cherish.

THUMBS UP: To a successful second year at Kinderlou with the South Georgia Classic. This year’s event grew in both size and publicity with the airing of the tournament all week long on the Golf Channel. Congratulations go out to tournament champion Bryan DeCorso who nailed down the win shooting a 69 after sinking a one-foot putt on the 18th hole. The week has proven once again to be an exciting time in the city as we welcome golfers, crews and fans from across the country. Next year is sure to be even better.