There are no zombies in Newton County this year now that the television series "The Walking Dead" has moved production elsewhere in the Metro Atlanta area, but there's one issue that just won't seem to die: The purchase of the abandoned Norfolk Southern railroad property that runs through the county.

It just keeps coming back before various government entities and in yard sign campaigns both for and against converting the property into a biking trail. The purchase has been under consideration since 2007, flaring up and dying down at seemingly random intervals.

On Tuesday, Newton County Commission members put a major nail in the coffin on this issue when they decided not to pursue purchase of the property.

The railroad seems to have priced the property at a premium, seeking a bit less than $3 million at this time.
Commissioners balked. The other major potential player, the city of Covington, had already said no to a purchase in a vote on May 16. That leaves the city of Newborn standing alone.

We like the idea of a trail, and we like the idea of the governments working together on a project that would benefit us all, but the price tag does need to be right.

And so this issue seems finally to have been laid to rest, but you never know: Zombies just keep getting back up.