Local

Election 2025

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Candidate sign up starts Monday

News Staff

Friday, August 15, 2025

Anyone wishing to run for city office must qualify to run next week. The qualifying period begins Monday, Aug. 18 and ends at Friday, Aug. 22. Election Day is Nov. 4. There are four mayor seats up for reelection, as well as council seats in every city.

Cornelia’s new park, beside the Kinetic Amphitheater project, is set to be named after City Manager Donald Anderson. (Submitted)

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City considers naming park for Anderson

News Staff

Wednesday, August 13, 2025

By Zach Taylor Cornelia’s new park, which includes the Kinetic Amphitheater project, could have a familiar name to residents. The City of Cornelia presented a proposal to designate the new park in downtown Cornelia as Anderson Park during the city commission’s regular meeting last week.

Patrick Franklin

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Schools to tax at rollback rate

News Staff

Wednesday, August 13, 2025

By Hannah Caudell On Monday night, Superintendent Patrick Franklin announced that he would recommend the board vote to approve a rollback to the millage rate after the board takes the necessary procedural steps to do so.

Clarkesville Elementary School Counselor Anna Neese helps kids out of their parents’ cars on the first day of school. (Zach Taylor/Staff)

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Room to grow

News Staff

Wednesday, August 13, 2025

By Hannah Caudell Counselors and school administrators danced while greeting Woodville Elementary students walking off the bus and riding through the drop-off and pick-up line through the new visitor parking area on Friday.

Honor Guard members Ed Hendricks, Rick Chaffin and Gary Cantwell salute as Danny Stephens plays the bugle. (Zach Taylor/Staff)

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County honors Purple Heart recipients

News Staff

Wednesday, August 13, 2025

By Zach Taylor More than 100 people attended Habersham County’s inaugural Purple Heart Day ceremony to honor veterans who had received the nation’s oldest military award. “The turnout was just fantastic. I mean it was really, really great.

Kav Stapleton is his family and Troop 5’s newest Eagle Scout. (Submitted)

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Stapleton builds leadership, libraries as Eagle

News Staff

Friday, August 8, 2025

By Samantha Sinclair Even when he didn’t fully know what it meant, becoming an Eagle Scout was always a goal for Kav Stapleton. It’s just something Stapletons do, from what he understood. His father, Keith, and his brothers were all Eagle Scouts, just like their father.

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Habersham ready to set tax rate

News Staff

Friday, August 8, 2025

By Samantha Sinclair After weeks of waiting, Habersham County finally has its tax digest and can set its millage rate to determine property taxes. The county plans to approve the full rollback rate of 11.272 at the Habersham County Board of Commissioners meeting Aug. 18.

Plans from Cook Communities show proposed townhome, apartment and commercial sites on the 36.84-acre property on Level Grove Road. (Submitted)

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Level Grove PUD gets OK

News Staff

Friday, August 8, 2025

By Donald Fraser Two Planned Unit Development (PUD) requests that may open the door to increased mixed-use housing were near the top of the Cornelia City Commission’s meeting agenda at Tuesday’s regular commission meeting. A PUD rezoning was approved for a 36.

Demorest Elementary’s newest school resource officer (SRO), Joe Chastain, looks at classes with Rosemary Couch at the school’s open house on Wednesday. Chastain begins his first day of SRO duties today under the direction of Demorest Assistant Chief of Police James Minutello. (Zach Taylor/Staff)

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First day

News Staff

Friday, August 8, 2025

By Hannah Caudell "You can’t just put anyone in the school. You have to have the right person.

Paul Jason York

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Attorney charged with forgery, fraud

News Staff

Friday, August 8, 2025

By Hannah Caudell A Cornelia attorney found himself in hot water again after being arrested by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) on Aug. 4 for 18 total charges, including first-degree forgery and identity fraud.