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Amber Watson of Smudged Academy practices dance moves in Donald Anderson Park where she and Sheila Humphrey will lead a 100 Years of Dance warm-up Saturday morning. (Samantha Sinclair/Staff)

Amber Watson of Smudged Academy practices dance moves in Donald Anderson Park where she and Sheila Humphrey will lead a 100 Years of Dance warm-up Saturday morning. (Samantha Sinclair/Staff)

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Let’s party

News Staff
Thursday, June 4, 2026
By Samantha SinclairCornelia is celebrating 100 years of the Big Red Apple all day Saturday, and one of the opening activities takes event goers through all the decades the monument has stood in Downtown Cornelia.
Baldwin City Manager Tiera Morrison (left) and Finance Director Angela Adams answer council’s questions regarding the city’s first Fiscal Year 2027 budget draft. (Hannah Caudell/Staff)

Baldwin City Manager Tiera Morrison (left) and Finance Director Angela Adams answer council’s questions regarding the city’s first Fiscal Year 2027 budget draft. (Hannah Caudell/Staff)

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City finds unaccounted expenses

News Staff
Wednesday, June 3, 2026
By Hannah CaudellStaff at Baldwin’s City Hall discovered some expenses were not budgeted in the city’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget.During Thursday’s meeting, Elam observed that the fire department’s budget had increased by roughly $168,000.
Baldwin Councilmen Joe Elam reviews preliminary budget numbers for the city. (Hannah Caudell/Staff)

Baldwin Councilmen Joe Elam reviews preliminary budget numbers for the city. (Hannah Caudell/Staff)

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Baldwin projects $300k budget deficit

News Staff
Wednesday, June 3, 2026
By Hannah CaudellWhile Baldwin’s preliminary budget numbers for Fiscal Year 2027 show the city could potentially have a $300,000 budget deficit, the budget draft also contemplated a property tax decrease of about $272,000 from last year.
Judge Brian Rickman and former Georgia Court of Appeals Staff Attorney Emma “Maggie” Hastings, who joined the firm in January, to lead the Cathey and Strain’s new appellate practice.

Judge Brian Rickman and former Georgia Court of Appeals Staff Attorney Emma “Maggie” Hastings, who joined the firm in January, to lead the Cathey and Strain’s new appellate practice.

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Rickman to retire, joining Cornelia firm

News Staff
Wednesday, June 3, 2026
By Samantha SinclairJudge Brian Rickman is retiring from the Georgia Court of Appeals and joining a Cornelia law firm. He announced the decision Monday, and he plans for his last day on the bench to be July 2, the end of the court’s current term.

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Ramey’s tradition lives on Monday

News Staff
Monday, June 1, 2026
By Samantha SinclairLandon Ramey had a big heart.“He was a caring child,” his mother, Jade, said. “He just loved animals.”In fact, between the ages of 5-10, he asked for pet food donations for the animal shelter instead of gifts for his birthday.
Clarkesville Councilman Brad Coppedge shows the challenges the debris pickup program faces during a presentation to council at its work session Tuesday night. (Samantha Sinclair/Staff)

Clarkesville Councilman Brad Coppedge shows the challenges the debris pickup program faces during a presentation to council at its work session Tuesday night. (Samantha Sinclair/Staff)

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Clarkesville looks at debris pickup options

News Staff
Friday, May 29, 2026
By Samantha SinclairTo help make a decision on how the city will move forward with debris pickup, the Clarkesville City Council is waiting to hear two numbers Monday night — the cost of adding two full-time employees and the cost of hiring a contractor to do the work.
Baldwin’s first public hearing on the Fiscal Year 2027 budget is coming up next week.

Baldwin’s first public hearing on the Fiscal Year 2027 budget is coming up next week.

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Baldwin to hold first budget public hearing

News Staff
Friday, May 29, 2026
By Hannah CaudellBaldwin’s first public hearing on the Fiscal Year 2027 budget is coming up next week.The city will have its next regularly scheduled city council meeting on Tuesday, June 2, where one of the items on the agenda will be the first public hearing regarding the city’s budget.
The first budget hearing is set to be held during the June 15 regular commission meeting. (File)

The first budget hearing is set to be held during the June 15 regular commission meeting. (File)

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County looks to rollback tax rate

News Staff
Friday, May 29, 2026
By Samantha SinclairFor the first time in five years, the county is fully prepared to enter the final stages of budget season, and plans are to roll back the tax rate.
Grady “Junior” Robinson has been an integral part of Baldwin’s Public Works department for 40 years, and has retired from full-time work. He stands in the Junior Robinson Public Works Department, named in his honor. (Hannah Caudell/Staff)

Grady “Junior” Robinson has been an integral part of Baldwin’s Public Works department for 40 years, and has retired from full-time work. He stands in the Junior Robinson Public Works Department, named in his honor. (Hannah Caudell/Staff)

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Overflowing with knowledge

News Staff
Friday, May 29, 2026
By Hannah CaudellGrady “Junior” Robinson knows a thing or two about Baldwin’s water system. Now, he’s learning a thing or two about legacy.Ask anybody who has worked closely with Robinson, and they’ll all call him the same thing: A wealth of knowledge.