Local

Habersham County Schools Athletic Director Geep Cunningham presents a year-in-review to the school board on Monday. CHAMIAN CRUZ/Staff

Habersham County Schools Athletic Director Geep Cunningham presents a year-in-review to the school board on Monday. CHAMIAN CRUZ/Staff

Exclusive Subscriber Content

Raiders eye early reclassification, girls wrestling team

Chamian Cruz
Friday, June 18, 2021
In a year-in-review to the Habersham County Board of Education on Monday, Athletic Director Geep Cunningham said that while the department took a financial hit last year due to lost gate money caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, there was still plenty to be proud of and plenty to look forward to in...
Peggy Fortson and Christine Tekippe made a presentation at Monday’s Habersham County Board of Commissioners meeting. MATTHEW OSBORNE/Staff

Peggy Fortson and Christine Tekippe made a presentation at Monday’s Habersham County Board of Commissioners meeting. MATTHEW OSBORNE/Staff

Exclusive Subscriber Content

Pickleball club states its case for new courts

Matthew Osborne
Friday, June 18, 2021
Pickleballers from all over the county gathered at Monday’s Habersham County budget hearing to plead their case for new courts that were eliminated from the proposed budget for 2021-22.
Lew Oliver gestures toward the square he plans to redevelop in downtown Clarkesville. BRIAN WELLMEIER/Staff

Lew Oliver gestures toward the square he plans to redevelop in downtown Clarkesville. BRIAN WELLMEIER/Staff

Exclusive Subscriber Content

Oliver has ambitious plans for Clarkesville

News Staff
Friday, June 18, 2021
“If you can imagine that restored square that’s revitalized, with bistros anchoring it, and this courthouse at night beautifully lit up, it can transform this downtown.” –Lew Oliver As reported last week, town planner Lew Oliver recently relocated his office headquarters from Roswell to downtown...
Bigg Daddy’s bartender Mary Childers serves patrons at the bar. While Bigg Daddy’s has a solid staff for now, other local restaurants are still seeking more staff as the pandemic abates. BRIAN WELLMEIER/Staff

Bigg Daddy’s bartender Mary Childers serves patrons at the bar. While Bigg Daddy’s has a solid staff for now, other local restaurants are still seeking more staff as the pandemic abates. BRIAN WELLMEIER/Staff

Exclusive Subscriber Content

Labor shortage stings service industry

News Staff
Friday, June 18, 2021
Unshackled by the financial restraints and burden of the pandemic, businesses across the U.S. have resumed operations as they were before COVID-19. A national labor shortage, however, has emerged as a new challenge plaguing almost every sector of the economy.

Exclusive Subscriber Content

School system finalizing $105.6 million budget

Chamian Cruz
Friday, June 18, 2021
Habersham County’s Board of Education approved a final draft version of its $105.6 million budget for all funds for the fiscal year 2021-22 at its regular meeting on Monday.  The proposed budget is an increase from $91.9 million last year or 14.91%.
Baker (left) Johnson (right)

Baker (left) Johnson (right)

Exclusive Subscriber Content

Couple found raiding Cornelia home

Chamian Cruz
Friday, June 18, 2021
A Cornelia woman had been visiting her mother on Monday when she returned home to find an alleged burglary in progress.  Renee Jackson told Cornelia police she arrived home with Michael Shawn Johnson, 23, of Alto and Katelyn Baker of Clermont still inside.
Former Hazel Grove Elementary School Principal Fran Blackburn celebrates Lily Contreras’ student achievement with a pizza party. FRAN BLACKBURN/Submitted

Former Hazel Grove Elementary School Principal Fran Blackburn celebrates Lily Contreras’ student achievement with a pizza party. FRAN BLACKBURN/Submitted

Exclusive Subscriber Content

‘Shaping the world’

Chamian Cruz
Friday, June 18, 2021
From the moment Fran Blackburn became principal at Hazel Grove Elementary School, she already had it in her mind that she planned to love students first and teach them second and that she would always consider what was best for them.
Hannah Satterfield takes over as TFS’ new golf coach after the retirement of Allen Campbell. Satterfield will lead the boys and girls programs, and inherits a girls program coming off its best state tournament finish in program history. E. LANE GRESHAM/Special

Hannah Satterfield takes over as TFS’ new golf coach after the retirement of Allen Campbell. Satterfield will lead the boys and girls programs, and inherits a girls program coming off its best state tournament finish in program history. E. LANE GRESHAM/Special

Exclusive Subscriber Content

TFS names Satterfield head golf coach

News Staff
Wednesday, June 16, 2021
After leading the Indians’ middle school golf program for the last two years, Tallulah Falls named Hannah Satterfield its new varsity golf coach.  Satterfield takes over for former head coach Allen Campbell, who retired following the 2021 season.
Team members are (front from left) Bentley Wood, Creed Jones, Marcos Machado, Mateo Machado, Ezekiel Wilkerson, Woods Irvin, Rylen Hammond, (middle) Lane Caudell, David Borrow, Brycen Hammond, Fenn NeSmith, Brooks York, Praythan Poole, (back) coaches Jarrod Bingham, Alan NeSmith and Brent Hammond.

Team members are (front from left) Bentley Wood, Creed Jones, Marcos Machado, Mateo Machado, Ezekiel Wilkerson, Woods Irvin, Rylen Hammond, (middle) Lane Caudell, David Borrow, Brycen Hammond, Fenn NeSmith, Brooks York, Praythan Poole, (back) coaches Jarrod Bingham, Alan NeSmith and Brent Hammond.

Exclusive Subscriber Content

Raiders send 10U all-stars to state

Isaiah Smith
Wednesday, June 16, 2021
Despite rain at the end of last week, the Georgia Recreation and Parks Association (GRPA) District 7 All-Star Baseball tournaments wrapped up around Northeast Georgia last weekend with the Raiders sending one team to the state tournament and two more taking top-three finishes.