Barrow Journal

Even with a “lost decade,” Barrow County’s population is expected to double by 2040, according to one group.

The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) recently released its Regional Snapshot, which shows projected population and employment changes for a 20-county area in Georgia over the next 30 years.

For Barrow County, the ARC is predicting that the 2010 estimated population of 66,100 will jump to 132,100 by 2040 — an almost 100 percent change over the three decade period.

By comparison, Barrow County’s population grew by 209 percent from 21,345 residents in 1980 to 66,100 in 2010, according to the ARC.

The 2040 population prediction for Barrow County puts it among the largest anticipated percentage changes in the region — behind Henry, Paulding, Forsyth, Coweta and Newton counties.

As for job growth, the ARC also sees Barrow County’s percentage of new jobs as one of the highest in the region over the next 30 years. Barrow County’s employment change is expected to be 133 percent by 2040.

The ARC is the regional planning and intergovernmental coordination agency for a 10-county area, which doesn’t include Barrow County as a member.

Saying it is a “new day in America,” freshman Congressman Rob Woodall outlined to the Winder Rotary Club Thursday how his first 30 days in office have fared.

The congressman discussed his first 30 days, specifically the energy that he experienced among his fellow newcomers during freshman orientation. He said most newcomers really do want to change things.

“There was a riot among these newly-elected who couldn’t care less if they get re-elected in two years,” he said. “They came here to get something done, and they would rather go home in two years for losing and having done the right thing than winning for having done the wrong thing.”

Woodall is not a stranger in the halls of Congress. Prior to his election for the state’s 7th Congressional District, which includes Barrow County, he served as Congressman John Linder’s Chief of Staff. [Full Story »] 

Winder Police Department officers arrested a man Friday morning on a host of charges after he fled from officers and later abandoned his car, dragging his 6-year-old daughter into the woods.

Thomas Alex Harmon was charged with: Family Violence Battery, Interference with a 911 Call, False Imprisonment, Cruelty to Children, Kidnapping, Fleeing and Attempting to Elude, Obstruction, Reckless Conduct, Reckless Driving, Driving Under the Influence, and Possession of Controlled Substance not in the Original Container.

A female victim had alerted officers to a domestic violence incident allegedly involving Harmon. The suspect drove by the scene as officers interviewed the victim, then fled at a high rate of speed with his daughter in the car with him.

The vehicle was located in a subdivision off Hwy. 211. An observer told officers he had seen a man dragging a child into the woods nearby.

Harmon and the child were located in the woods by officers searching the area and he was taken into custody.