Q: As a resident of Austell who is awakened every morning by train horns, I am amazed that the railroad crossing on Paces Ferry Road in Vinings states it is a no train horn zone. I’ve been told this is a federal law, so why doesn’t it apply to this crossing?
— Tommy McFarland, Austell
A: Federal law permits local governments to establish quiet zones, and the one on Paces Ferry Road is one of six in Cobb County, David Montanye, the operations division manager for the Cobb County Department of Transportation, told Q&A on the News in an email. Quiet zones can be established if the crossing is upgraded with a more secure gate, like the one at Paces Ferry Road. The Paces Ferry upgrades were funded approximately 50 percent by the community and 50 percent by the county. The other Cobb County quiet zones are at Woodland Brook Road, Paradise Shoals Road, Stanley Road, Mossy Rock Road and Oglesby Road. Powder Springs is trying to establish a quiet zone at Brownsville Road, and Acworth also is looking into them, Montanye wrote.
Q: Was there a reason why Oprah Winfrey didn’t campaign for President Barack Obama this year?
— Hugh Knight, Kennesaw
A: Winfrey backed Obama, but she didn't openly campaign for him as she did in 2008. She told CBS in April that she's "trying to fix" the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN), which was struggling earlier this year. In March, Winfrey attended a fundraiser at Tyler Perry's Atlanta home that cost $35,800 a person.
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