Story of The Year: Yearwood bows out as new era opens

Danny Yearwood said at the start of 2012 he was still thinking about running for a second term as chairman of the Barrow County Board of Commissioners. So it came as a surprise when he instead jumped in the race for the District 47 seat held by Sen. Frank Ginn.
As it turned out, the political gamble didn’t pay off. But by stepping aside, Yearwood afforded Pat Graham seven months to prepare for the chairman’s role she assumed at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday. And her uncontested status also gave her a seat on the committee that chose Jock Connell as the county’s first county manager.
As a result, the county government has an experienced leadership team to usher in the new form of government that could provide a fresh start for Barrow County.
Because of that, Yearwood’s decision not to seek a second term proved to be the biggest news of 2012 in this county.
For the full story, see the Jan. 2 issue of the Barrow Journal.