The Powder Springs City Council last week voted 3-2 to grant an alcohol license to the Governor's Gun Club, being built at the corner of C.H. James Parkway and Sterlingbrooke Drive. The vote has grabbed local and national attention, and caused debates on safety and whether possible risks outweigh offering members the option to drink.  The small selection of alcohol would be served during the hours allowed by Powder Springs law and in a lounge secured with a special key given just to members. The only people under 21 who could enter are the children of members, and they wouldn’t be allowed to …

Ray Bradbury died in Los Angeles on Tuesday at 91, the New York Times reports.

A new study by Harvard researchers shows that eating red meat daily appears to increase chances of dying from a chronic disease by 12 percent. They looked at data from two dietary studies that tracked nearly 37,700 men and 83,600 women for 28 years, according to CBS News. Of the 23,900 deaths, 5,900 were from heart disease and almost 9,500 from cancer, CBS says. "When the researchers looked closely at dietary habits, red meat took the cake when it came to raising death risk." Do negative reports about red meat affect your eating habits? Vote in our poll, then explain your vote in the comments…

Cobb is deciding whether to ban smoking at all parks and recreation locations across the county, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Is this a good move by the county? Vote in our poll, then tell us why or why not in the comments.

Ten states, including Georgia, have been granted waivers from No Child Left Behind, The New York Times reports. Tell us whether you think this was a good idea or if your torn on the issue.

At Monday's Powder Springs City Council meeting, members voted to raise their retirement pay from $40 to $48 per month for every year of service. That means an eight-year member, for example, will now receive $384 a month after leaving the city instead of $320. Noting that elected officials in smaller cities aren’t paid that well, City Manager Rick Eckert said he has “always been in favor of a reasonable retirement.” The city will be paying for the retirement increase with contingency funding left over from last year's budget. The increase will initially cost about $4,700 annually, with a 30-…

The last question: What are you looking forward to most about Powder Springs Day on Oct. 8? There definitely weren't as many votes as there was in our mayoral poll, but here are the results: Fireworks (8 votes), Other (1 vote), Concert featuring the Mustangs (0 votes), Food (0 votes)

The last question: Who will be voted the next mayor of Powder Springs in November's elections? Results: Pat Vaughn (1,100 votes), L. Rick Richardson (958 votes), Paul Moore (155 votes). As noted in the column disclaimer below, these polls are just for fun, and people can vote more than once.

Last week's question: The Cobb County Board of Education voted in February to switch from the balanced calendar with an Aug. 1 start date to a traditional calendar with an Aug. 15 start date. Two weeks into the school year, how do you like the traditional calendar so far? Results: Love it (4 votes), Hate it (3 votes), Indifferent (3 votes), I'll let you know at the end of the semester/school year (0 votes)

Last week's question: Which team will have the best football record in the Springs at the end of the regular season? Results: McEachern (18 votes), Lithia Springs (9 votes), Hillgrove (9 votes)