Quick briefing of our busy news day: Full details below
-Business: LG Hausys breaks ground on $50 million expansion in Adairsville; 80 new jobs coming ... Mohawk posts $21 million first quarter profit vs. $106 million loss a year ago... Rome ranks on low end of Forbes' latest list... Harbin Clinic honors several dozen physicians for 'clinical excellence, patient satisfaction.'
-Weather: Soggy weekend; 2-4 inches of rain on the way? Coverage all weekend on Hometown.
-Politics: Final hours of candidate qualifying (9 a.m.-noon). Continuous all morning on Hometown.
'Campaign Jam,' now through noon, as final candidates qualify
-Between now and noon, some hard decisions will be made about qualifying for local and legislative offices. By lunchtime, the deadline hits and the July 20 primary ballot will be set. Several races could go uncontested. Continuing updates all morning.
Some key developments:
-Chad Whitefield will seek a second four-year term on the Floyd County Commission, Post 1. No other candidates had qualified as of Thursday evening.
-Barry Loudermilk remains the sole state Senate District 52 qualifier as of this morning. The Cass Republican gave a farewell address to House members last night after six years of representing District 14 (East Floyd, Bartow County). We expect a Democratic opponent; rumored Republican challengers did not develop beyond a flurry of calls started when Preston Smith opted to run for attorney general..
-Katie Dempsey is staying in the District 13 race and she'll again escape Republican opposition. Democrat Bonny Askew, also a former Rome City Commission member, will change Dempsey in the Nov. 3 general election.
-Only one Floyd County commission race is challenged--incumbent Eddie Lumsden vs. fellow Republican Larry Maxey. John Mayes is unopposed.
-County School Board members Teresa Lumsden and David Johnson, both Republicans, remain unopposed.
Around the region, as of this morning:
-Senate District 31: Bill Heath, R-Bremen, in GOP primary by Pete Bridges.
-Senate District 52: Barry Loudermilk, R-Cass.
-House District 11: Incumbent Barbara Massey Reece, D-Menlo.
-District 12: Republicans Rick Jasperse and Truett Moss II, and Jeff Nally, a Pine Log Democrat, have qualified. (Seat was held by Tom Graves)
-District 13: Incumbent Katie Dempsey, R-Rome, and Bonny Askew, a Rome Democrat. No primary battle as expected.
-District 14: Greg Bowen, R-Adairsville. Christian Coomer, R-Cartersville. Shep Helton, 39, R-Cartersville. Look for a GOP runoff in August.
-District 15: Paul Battles, R-Cartersville, v. Republican Hayden Collins
-District 16: Incumbent Rick Crawford, D-Cedartown. We heard a GOP challenger was pending.
-Track today's qualifiers:.
-Congress: U.S. Rep. Phil Gingrey, R-Ga., District 11, still unopposed.
-State Senate / State House / Superior Court Judges / Supreme, Appeals Court
-Statewide offices (governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, etc.)
Heavy rain in Sunday, Monday's forecasts: The predictions continue to call for two to four inches of rain. Hometown Headlines will have updates Friday, all day Saturday and all day Sunday> Weather
Business
We're no. 144 in 'Best Small Places' business, career list :
-So much for Forbes' Hail, Rome,' plaudit a few years ago. Rome ranks 144th among Forbes' list of Best Small Places for Business and Careers, according to the latest survey. The highest-ranking small place in Georgia was Athens at 26 followed by Gainesville at 47 and Warner Robins at 59. Rome with No. 8 followed by Dalton at 172 and Albany at 179> The list
-Check the snapshot of Rome, other cities> Click
Founding members announce start of Northwest Georgia Regional Angel Investors Network; how to join them, what to pitch> Business
Mohawk posts $21 million first quarter profit: The Calhoun-based company's optimistic report compares to a loss of $106 million loss in the first three months of 2009> Details
LG Hausys breaks ground on $50 million expansion; adding 80 jobs: LG Hausys America broke ground Thursday on the new plant near the Gordon-Bartow County line that will rise next to its current campus> Details
Harbin Clinic names 19 physicians Dr. Warren Best Practice winners: Several dozen honored for their "clinical excellence and patient satisfactions."> Health
Friday's Buzz:
-April 30/The Exchange Club of Rome will offer two programs: the first one will be our Book of Golden Deeds. This year, the Exchange Club of Rome will honor young people who give of themselves and their time to our community. Our second speaker will be Beth Dabbs, Director of the Victim Witness Assistance Program from the District Attorney's Office. At the Palladium, starting at noon.
--May 1/Pancake Breakfast benefitting Rome Bands, 8 until 10 a.m., Western Sizzlin, Rome. $5 per person, dine in or take out. Tickets at the door or at Western Sizzlin, Right at Home, Rome Finance Co. All you can eat pancakes and bacon; beverage of choice. Details: 706-346-1669. Organizers thank Sonny's BBQ, Chick-Fil-A Dwarf House, Southeastern Mills. Southeastern Mills.
-Berry's Dr. Bruce Conn will be sharing his expertise with educators overseas this spring thanks to his participation in the Fulbright Specialists Program, a special initiative sponsored by the U.S. Department of State> Berry
-May 6/National Day of Prayer service at noon at First Presbyterian Church in Rome. The service starts at noon and everyone is invited. Details: Jim Reynolds at the Floyd County Baptist Association. 706-291-0904.
-Friday: Sunny with a high of 84.
-Friday night: low of 62; 20% rain chance.
-Saturday: 50% rain chance; high of 82.
-Saturday night: 30% chance of rain, low of 62.
-Sunday: 60% rain chance; high of 88.
-Sunday night: 70% chance of rain, low of 64.
-Extended forecast> Click / Regional radar
Norman Arey's Sports Roundtable> Arey
-If you don't believe Alabama will rule the SEC, answer this: Who's going to beat the Tide?
downtown landmark Monday meeting with suppliers. He says much of the tradition will remain but with some changes, too.
Movie Gallery stores closing: The shop at 3231 Martha Berry Highway in Armuchee is one of those marked for closure as are stores in Cedartown, Calhoun, Summerville, Adairsville and elsewhere in Georgia. The closing date is fluid: either from four to six weeks or six to eight weeks. "Total" liquidation sales have not yet started. The company is shuttering 760 stores after filing for Chapter 11 and announced massive restructuring plans> 
-The qualifying picture changed dramatically late Monday as Sen. Preston Smith, R-Rome, announced his decision to run for attorney general. (
Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp's office will post statewide, state House and Senate, and U.S. House and Senate candidate qualifying "in real time" at 
Darlington School
Bartow History Museum 
The new sanctuary for Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 3000 Garden Lakes Blvd., will be dedicated at 3 p.m. Sunday in a service open to all. The 55-year-old congregation was putting the finishing touches on a new church in February 2009 when a fire/construction accident scarred it. The new building was stripped to the studs as work began again. The current sanctuary, built in 1957, will become additional classroom space for the congregation led by Pastor Jack Karch for almost 17 years. 
"We're just waiting on our state license. We hope to open in another week but I don't know. Hopefully by the first of May for sure," says Jaime Castro, co-owner of El Toro. His partner is Pasquel Caldera, who cooked for the old "La Chiva" Mexican Restaurant in West Rome about 15 years ago. The duo also own J&P Construction in Rome. Castro says they've invested about $160,000 in labor and equipment into refitting the former West Rome Pizza Hut, along with another $50,000 in materials from the building owner, 
-Rome's pending Steak N Shake appears to be part of new prototype trend: Earlier this month in New York, Biglari Holdings, parent company of Steak N Shake, talked about the new look planned for its restaurants --as well as deals just signed in Rome and elsewhere. The new design is a "3,200-square-foot prototype (that) will cost about $1.5 million to build, down from the existing 4,200-square-foot model, which costs $2.2 million." The Rome site, which is being backed by Wayne Robinson and Brooke Temple, is a 3,200-square-foot restaurant. The plan is to clear the existing Johnny Carino's building and start new from there. A midsummer opening is planned. (
