Local

United Way Board Chairwoman Michelle Blackburn (left) stands with United Way President Candice Holcomb after the annual meeting last week. ZACH TAYLOR/Staff

United Way Board Chairwoman Michelle Blackburn (left) stands with United Way President Candice Holcomb after the annual meeting last week. ZACH TAYLOR/Staff

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Habersham United Way gets new chair

Zach Taylor
Wednesday, March 26, 2025
   The Habersham County United Way branch of the Georgia Foothills United Way recently got a new board chairwoman who is excited about the new role.    “I am always excited about new opportunities to serve,” United Way Board Chair Michelle Blackburn said.
Mateo Mateo-Diego gets into the Lion Pride spirit while a volunteer paints his face to resemble the cat’s signature mane. HANNAH CAUDELL/Staff

Mateo Mateo-Diego gets into the Lion Pride spirit while a volunteer paints his face to resemble the cat’s signature mane. HANNAH CAUDELL/Staff

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PAL around

News Staff
Friday, March 21, 2025
By Hannah Caudell      Piedmont University celebrated a decade-old tradition on Thursday with the Piedmont Athletic Lions (PAL) Games, a sporting event benefiting elementary school students with special needs in the county.
Habersham EMC Human Resources Director Gail Welborn accepts the Live United Award for HEMC from United Way President Candice Holcomb. ZACH TAYLOR/Staff

Habersham EMC Human Resources Director Gail Welborn accepts the Live United Award for HEMC from United Way President Candice Holcomb. ZACH TAYLOR/Staff

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United Way gets new name

Zach Taylor
Friday, March 21, 2025
   Habersham United Way hosted its annual meeting at North Georgia Technical College on Thursday, and a host of new things came with the meeting.    Among those is a new name – Georgia Foothills United Way.
Piedmont nursing student Gracie Martin puts pressure on a gunshot wound during the disaster drill. Nursing students got a firsthand look at what a chaotic scene in the real world could look like. ZACH TAYLOR/Staff

Piedmont nursing student Gracie Martin puts pressure on a gunshot wound during the disaster drill. Nursing students got a firsthand look at what a chaotic scene in the real world could look like. ZACH TAYLOR/Staff

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Training for disaster

News Staff
Friday, March 21, 2025
By Hannah Caudell      Piedmont’s Loudermilk Field was a sight to behold on Wednesday morning as a fleet of police and emergency medical services (EMS) vehicles drove in with sirens blaring.    The scene suggested chaos.
Photo by Scott Rodgerson on Unsplash

Photo by Scott Rodgerson on Unsplash

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Man charged with vehicular homicide

Zach Taylor
Friday, March 21, 2025
   A Clarkesville man was charged with vehicular homicide after allegedly causing a five-car pileup that injured four and killed one in Hall County earlier in the month.    At 2 p.m.
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

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Building the workforce

News Staff
Friday, March 21, 2025
By Hannah Caudell      It’s clear that local leadership in Habersham County has a certain goal in mind when it comes to the county’s workforce: employ more county residents within the county’s border.
Habersham Central Band Director Jacob Weinstein waits for the performance evaluators to make their comments before proceeding with the practice performance. HANNAH CAUDELL/Staff

Habersham Central Band Director Jacob Weinstein waits for the performance evaluators to make their comments before proceeding with the practice performance. HANNAH CAUDELL/Staff

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Pencils down

News Staff
Wednesday, March 19, 2025
By Hannah Caudell      The Habersham Central Music Program earned superior ratings across the board at this year’s Large Group Performance Evaluation (LGPE) events, including the symphonic band, the wind ensemble, the Habersham Voices, and the Habersham Singers.
Roger Greene is the sole citizen commentator for the public hearing concerning the financing for the animal shelter during Monday night’s county commission meeting. Greene expressed concern about tax allocation toward the project, but commissioners assured him that property taxes would not be used in the financing of the project. SPLOST monies will be allocated toward funding the project instead. HANNAH CAUDELL/Staff

Roger Greene is the sole citizen commentator for the public hearing concerning the financing for the animal shelter during Monday night’s county commission meeting. Greene expressed concern about tax allocation toward the project, but commissioners assured him that property taxes would not be used in the financing of the project. SPLOST monies will be allocated toward funding the project instead. HANNAH CAUDELL/Staff

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County awards financing for animal control facility

News Staff
Wednesday, March 19, 2025
By Hannah Caudell      The Habersham Board of County Commissioners have finally approved a financing bid from PNC Bank for the funding of the new animal control facility, while designating Chairman Jimmy Tench to execute any necessary documents related to the financing of the acquisition,...
Photo by Felipe Correia on Unsplash

Photo by Felipe Correia on Unsplash

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Demorest to improve streets

Zach Taylor
Wednesday, March 19, 2025
   Two of three Georgia Department of Transportation - Transportation Alternatives Program grants were awarded to the City of Demorest to improve the city’s streetscapes inside the city limits.
Carswell and Jones. FILE

Carswell and Jones. FILE

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Jones, Carswell named Superior Court judges

News Staff
Wednesday, March 19, 2025
By Megan Horn CNI News Service      Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has officially appointed Rabun County Probate Judge Carlton H. “Hobie” Jones, III and Juvenile Court Judge B. Nichole Carswell to fill two Superior Court Judge vacancies in the Mountain Judicial Circuit.