When 7-year-old Annalyse Baird of Demorest decided to set up a lemonade stand to make money for her summer vacation, her parents Kassy and Corey weren’t expecting much. A few dollars here and there maybe but, says Annalyse’s grandmother Kathy Spivey, they “didn’t think it would be a big success.”
But it was!
“She was so overwhelmed with excitement she kept on saying ‘Oh my goodness, the police is here wanting some of my lemonade and cookies.’ That really did make her day.”
The Torch Christian Academy student earned $62 in just four hours. Her doting grandma chalks it up to Annalyse’s “outgoing personality and beautiful smile.” Perhaps that’s what drew in a group of Habersham County deputies who showed up to lend their support.
“She was so overwhelmed with excitement she kept on saying ‘Oh my goodness, the police is here wanting some of my lemonade and cookies.’ That really did make her day,” Spivey says.
Annalyse Baird decided she wanted to work this summer and earn her own money to go on summer vacation. She was pleasantly surprised when several law enforcement officers stopped by her lemonade stand. (submitted)
It made an impact on her grandmother, too. Spivey shared the encounter with some photos on Facebook. She says it just goes to show “we have some really good guys and ladies” serving in local law enforcement.
Seems lemonade and the law make a pretty good mix.
Opal Trout Morgan, age 77, of Alto, Georgia passed away on Thursday, May 30, 2019.
Mrs. Morgan was born on February 17, 1942 in Hayesville, North Carolina to the late Robert “Bob” and Pearl Morgan. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Glover Morgan; son, John Daniel Morgan; and was the last of her immediate family. Mrs. Morgan was a member of Higher Ground Baptist Church.
Mrs. Morgan requested a simple burial with no formal services at Yonah Memorial Gardens.
Arrangements are in care of Whitfield Funeral Home, North Chapel, 245 Central Avenue, Demorest, Georgia 30535.
The Mason-Scharfenstein Museum of Art at Piedmont College will host a meet-and-greet for artist, educator, and author Jan Walker as part of 2019 Northeast Georgia Arts Tour on June 8 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Light refreshments will be served.
During the meet-and-greet, Walker will demonstrate her unique and whimsical illustration style as she works on images for her upcoming chapter book Goslings, Neeps and a Faraway Lane. This book is her fourth self-published book. Walker’s earlier books, The Kingdom of Neep, Gloomy, and Christmas Tea at Harvest Hall, will be on display.
Walker lives and works in Cornelia. She teaches both after-school and home-school children from her home studio. This year marks Walker’s 40th year in Cornelia, a place where she has taught more than 3,000 students.
The Mason-Scharfenstein Museum of Art is located at 567 Georgia Street, Demorest. Admission is free, and museum hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday. It will be open Sunday, June 9 from noon to 5 p.m. for the Northeast Georgia Arts Tour.
The Northeast Georgia Arts Tour, June 7–9, includes Habersham, White, Rabun, Towns, Union and Clay counties. For more information about the tour, visit artstour.org.
(CLEVELAND) – While the online program at Truett McConnell University (TMU) has not yet met the ten-year mark, the university was recently ranked third in best online college programs in Georgia. The distinction was made by EDsmart with consideration of over 70 public colleges, universities, and technical colleges, and more than 45 private institutions.
To be considered for this ranking, schools must provide online courses and are ranked based on three categories: affordability (financial aid, net price), student satisfaction (retention rate), and student outcome (four-year graduation rate).
“We are grateful to receive statewide recognition as the #1 private university and the #3 school overall in online education in Georgia,” said TMU President Dr. Emir Caner. “We are thrilled that 66% of online students graduate, a feat that is very rare in the online community. That is in no small part due to our faculty and staff and how they serve our student body.”
According to EDsmart’s website, rankings are determined based on the extent to which colleges and universities provide the best opportunities and value for students seeking online training and educational programs. TMU Online offers both bachelor’s and master’s degrees taught from a Christian worldview. Completing a TMU Online degree equips you for your chosen career with the confidence of a fully accredited education and the certitude of strong biblical convictions.
“TMU Online offers the benefits of flexibility combined with small class sizes,” said Amy Hayes, TMU’s Director of Online Learning. “Because assignments are usually due at the end of each week, students with families and/or full-time jobs can schedule their work around times that work best for them. Small class sizes mean that online students can easily build connections with both their professors and the other students in their programs, which can help them feel less isolated and more supported in their learning.”
“With more than 100 choices available for the student,” said Caner, “we are thrilled so many are choosing TMU Online for their undergraduate and graduate education.”
For more info on this ranking, visit edsmart.org. For information on Truett McConnell University online program, visit truett.edu/online.
Firefighters battled flames and the early June heat for two hours Saturday while working a house fire in Cornelia. The fire broke out around 11:30 a.m. at 1723 Garrison Road. Firefighters from Habersham County and Lee Arrendale State Prison, along with EMS responded to the scene. When they arrived flames were shooting out of the single-wide modular home, says Habersham Emergency Services Director Chad Black.
Black says the occupants were not at home at the time of the fire. “Personnel were able to get one dog from the residence,” Black says, “but unfortunately one other dog was unable to be rescued.”
It took firefighters approximately 45 minutes to extinguish the flames. The home was a total loss.
Garrison Road between Garner and Pea Ridge Road was temporarily closed due to a large number of emergency vehicles present at the scene. The road reopened around 1:30 p.m.
Black says the scene will now be turned over to investigators to determine the origin and cause of the fire.
Photos and video by Daniel Purcell/Now Habersham. All rights reserved.
This story has been updated to include the latest information from Habersham County Emergency Services
A 24-year-old man from Sautee was critically injured in a two-vehicle wreck in White County. The accident happened around 9:30 a.m. Friday on GA 17 west of Wright Road.
The Georgia State Patrol says Forest Bradley was driving east on GA 17 in a 1986 Lincoln Towncar. He lost control of the car in a curve, crossed the center line, and was struck by a 2003 Toyota Rav4 driven by 54-year-old Sherry Fry of Mt. Airy.
Bradley was airlifted to Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) in Gainesville. A passenger in his car, 25-year-old Savannah Roper of Murrayville, was also injured. White County EMS transported Roper to NGMC with non-life threatening injuries.
Fry suffered minor injuries, according to the State Patrol, and was treated on the scene.
A man who is already in jail for allegedly molesting children in White County is now accused of molesting four of his children in Hall County, the AJC reports.
In April, a White County Grand Jury indicted 44-year-old Scott Shelby of Cleveland on 17 counts. Deputies in Hall County obtained additional warrants against him for aggravated child molestation, child molestation and first-degree child cruelty, the sheriff’s office said in a news release.
Shelby is accused of sexually abusing his four children. The kids range in age from 10 to 15 years old. The alleged abuse reportedly occurred between January 2017 and March 2018. The Division of Family and Children Services was alerted this past February and that’s when police were contacted, the newspaper reports.
Shelby’s 38-year-old wife, Rebecca Shelby, was arrested Wednesday on four counts of second-degree child cruelty for her alleged knowledge of the abuse, police said. Their four children were placed in foster care.
Rebecca Shelby. Photo courtesy AJC.
In April, jurors indicted Scott Shelby on 10 counts of cruelty to children, four counts of aggravated child molestation, sexual battery, two counts of simple battery and aggravated assault. Those charges are in connection with alleged incidents that occurred at a residence on Rocket Drive in Cleveland.
Scott Shelby remains in the White County jail without bond. Rebecca Shelby was booked into the Hall County jail. Her bond was set at $9,600.
The Town of Alto hosted its 16th annual Spring Fling on Saturday. The event drew several hundred people to the small south Habersham town. Those who attended enjoyed a festival-like atmosphere with a parade, music, vendors, car show, bounce house, and more.
Now Habersham live streamed the Spring Fling Parade which can be viewed here and on our Facebook.
Now Habersham’s Daniel Purcell captured the Spring Fling fun in photos.
PHOTO GALLERY • ALTO SPRING FLING
Alto, GA
Saturday, June 1, 2019
Images property of Now Habersham. All rights reserved.
This might’ve been the musical biopic that some audiences were hoping for when they went to see Bohemian Rhapsody.
Rocketman proves to be a complex, poignant, insightful, and, yes, even visually dazzling biography of Elton John and his fans will be anything but disappointed.
It stars Taron Egerton as John and the film begins with his stint in rehab and uses cues from his music to help set the stage for certain points in his life.
Born Reginald Dwight, Elton was born in England and from an early age, we’re given a look at his turbulent childhood and his dysfunctional relationship with his family, particularly with his mother (Bryce Dallas Howard).
We also get to see Elton’s love for music expand as he gets older and he’s eventually introduced to Bernie Taupin (Jamie Bell). Taupin embraces John as a friend and fellow songwriter and even supports John as he struggles with his identity.
Director Dexter Fletcher stages the musical numbers surrounding Elton’s music with all the flair and style of a Broadway show and they’re all toe-tapping from start to finish. “Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting” and “Rocketman” are unique standouts.
Egerton embodies the spirit of Elton John with the raw passion and enthusiasm John himself has and he doesn’t make a false step. It’s movie heaven to see this performance.
The movie isn’t a straightforward biopic in the sense of seeing a kind of greatest hits of John’s life: Humble beginnings, moment of discovery, reaching the peak of fame, delving into his downward spiral, etc. Instead we do get all of that, but with some hyper-stylized fantasy sequences punctuated by his hits as we experience the highs and lows.
Will Rocketman repeat the same success as Bohemian Rhapsody? Most definitely. This may be the template for other biopics to follow.
Grade: A-
(Rated R for language throughout, some drug use and sexual content.)
The junior from Seneca, South Carolina, ranks 30th nationwide in NAIA player rankings
(CLEVELAND) – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) announced the 2019 Men’s Golf All-America teams, who were selected by the NAIA Men’s Golf Coaches’ Association All-America Committee, and junior Matt Smith of the Truett McConnell University men’s golf team was named to the All-America third team. Smith is now the first TMU golfer, third TMU athlete, to earn this national recognition.
Smith advanced to the final rounds of the NAIA national championships to place 16th of 156 golfers last week. In addition, Smith entered into the AAC Direct Qualifier, the final tournament of the season before nationals, in a three-way tie for AAC Player of the Year. However, Smith finished runner-up, which clinched his spot on the All-AAC first team.
“I am extremely proud of Matt and his work ethic,” Head Coach Steve Patton said. “What people do see is what a phenomenal golfer he is, but what a lot of people don’t get to see is what an amazing young man he is off the course. This is a great day for our program and this university.”
Smith also led his team to AAC spring championship title in April after individually winning the tournament shooting an incredible 65 through the first round and a 72 through the second. The junior was named AAC golfer of the week twice throughout the season. According to the Golfstat NAIA player rankings, Smith finished the year ranked 30th of 150 golfers with a scoring average of 73.08.
Jefferson High School takes home the BLITZ Cup for the 2018-19 school year. The city school’s athletic teams racked up the highest number of points for their performances on the field this past school year.
Banks County High won the BLITZ Cup last year.
For Jefferson, it marks the first-ever for the school as this was its inaugural year as part of BLITZ’s coverage. Jefferson barely edged Dawson County, scoring 198 points to Dawson’s 196. The total nearly eclipsed Banks County’s 201 from last season, which is the record.
The BLITZ Cup is awarded to one school in the BLITZ coverage area that finishes the year with the most points. Points are earned for state playoff appearances, state rankings, winning seasons, Players of the Week & Year, region titles, and the like for all varsity sports across the board.
See where Habersham Central and other area schools ranked this year on BLITZ SPORTS.
About BLITZ
Launched in 2007, BLITZ is a prep sports channel and website that covers 12 high schools in Northeast Georgia. Hosted and produced by Brian Carter, BLITZ provides the most comprehensive local prep sports coverage in the region. It features video highlights, interviews, and awards. BLITZ also conducts online polls for inductees into its Hall of Fame.
Here’s the latest arrest report from the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office.
DISCLAIMER
The arrest records available through this website are public information. Any indication of an arrest does not mean the individual identified has been convicted of a crime. All persons arrested are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Northeast Georgia Health System is using technology to help reduce patient wait times at its Urgent Care facilities. NGHS unveiled an online tool that allows you to view current wait times and save your spot in line. It even sends you a text message when it’s time to leave for your appointment.
“We’re focused on helping people get the right care, at the right place, at the right time,” says Northeast Georgia Physician’s Group (NGPG) President Daniel Tuffy. “This new service helps you choose the right location when you need urgent care, and it allows you to wait in the comfort of your own home instead of an office. And, best of all, it’s easy.”
NGPG has seven urgent care locations in northeast Georgia in Braselton, Buford, Cleveland, Dacula, Dahlonega, Dawsonville and Gainesville. All locations are open seven days a week, from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m., for the treatment of minor illnesses and injuries.
Effective June 1, Urgent Care in Dahlonega also resumed normal hours of 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. The location offered extended hours for several months to provide after-hours care following the closing of Chestatee Regional Hospital last summer. The hospital will soon offer emergency care. It’s scheduled to reopen July 16 as Northeast Georgia Medical Center Lumpkin.
NGPG also offers an online tool to help patients determine whether they need urgent or emergency care. The tool at ngpg.org/symptoms includes a list of symptoms.
Tony Lamar Stephens, age 47 of Alto, passed away on Monday, June 3, 2019.
Born in Gainesville, Georgia on February 3, 1972, to the late Robert Lee and Lois Davidson Stephens. Mr. Stephens was a lowboy truck driver for Curts Heavy Hauling. He loved spending time with his family and will be missed by all who knew him. Mr. Stephens was a member of Rock Springs Baptist Church.
Surviving are his loving wife, Adina Brady Stephens of Alto; son, Robert Stephens of Alto; daughter and son-in-law, Amber & Caleb Miller of Alto; granddaughter, Ava Miller; brother, Hoyt Stephens of Lula; sisters and brothers-in-law, Ruby & Anthony Cook and Ann & Kevin Griffin all of Lula; father-in-law and mother-in-law, Bruce & Audrey Brady of Homer; brother-in-law, Jeromy Brady of Homer.
Funeral services are scheduled for 2 p.m., Wednesday, June 5, 2019, in the Chapel of McGahee-Griffin and Stewart with Rev. Leon Miller and Rev. Anthony Cook officiating. Interment will follow in Rock Springs Baptist Church Cemetery.
The family will receive friends from 2-4 pm & 6-8 pm on Tuesday at the funeral home.
Rachel Faye Yarber Justice, age 70, of Toccoa, GA, passed away on Sunday, June 2, 2019.
Mrs. Justice was born on April 13, 1949 in Toccoa GA to the late Roy and Mary Yarber. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Bobby A. Justice. Mrs. Justice had been employed with the Lakemont Mgf. Co. and then Ingles in Clarkesville until she became disabled. She was a member of the Mt. Airy Baptist Church.
Survivors include her daughter, Vicki Roby, Toccoa, GA; son, Robert Justice, Toccoa, GA; brother, Kenneth Yarber, Homer, GA; grandson, Michael Webb; and 5 great-grandchildren.
Funeral Services will be held at 2:00 pm on Wednesday, June 5, 2019, at the Whitfield Funeral Home, North Chapel, with the Rev. Phillip Yarber officiating. Burial will follow in the Yonah Memorial Gardens, Demorest, GA.
The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 6:00 pm until 8:00 pm on Tuesday, June 4, 2019.
There are so many Bible verses on strength. None of them recommend I lean on my own strength and I am so glad. Over and over I read:
The Lord is my strength and my song. (Exodus 15:2)
Seek the Lord and his strength. (I Chronicles 16:11)
The joy of the Lord is your strength. (Nehemiah 8:10)
But you, Lord, do not be far from me. You are my strength; come quickly to help me. (Psalm 22:19) NIV
God is our refuge and strength. (Psalm 46:1)
I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10B)
Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6)
Whew! I’m grateful for a strong God who cares about me. There are so many days when I’ve just been tired – bone-weary tired – and my strength is depleted. Yet I have experienced moments of supernatural strength or balance from out of the blue. Mom’s legs sometimes turn to jelly and falter, but I haven’t dropped her. She’s even pushed away from me, and, thanks be to God, I was able to maneuver an arm behind her to catch her. I wish I had bubble wrap to protect her whenever I have to move her. I know how fragile she is and how human I am. I am always grateful for a safe transfer.
On the days when she is far from us, it is particularly difficult to rouse her to an understanding of walking or sitting safely down into her chair. On those days, I feel like I make a request for safety with every step. Each day I pray that food is safely swallowed and not aspirated. I also pray that germs stay out of her system. One day, when the Lord is ready to take her home, I pray for a sweet, painless passing from this world into the next.
I know how much Mom’s caregiving is bathed in prayer by the people who love her. There are prayers for the others who have to care for her, too – Dad, Amy, Clara, Laverne, and Jean. I pray for strength, both physical and emotional, for all of us.
I continually pray for those of you who are caregiving and read this article each week. May the Lord give you strength in your individual circumstances. Although I do not know you, He does know everything about you and is ready to sustain you and give you strength, too.
Buddy Layman has a sweet spirit but is terrified of water. Ironically, he has developed an uncanny ability to divine water for his drought-besieged farm community.
C.C. Showers is the preacher who devotes himself to helping Buddy. His efforts precipitate a startling chain of events involving friendship, religion, and community tragedy.
Such is the premise of Jim Leonard’s play “The Diviners”, on stage Jun 27-30 at the Swanson Black Box Theater on the Piedmont College campus in Demorest.
The play is being produced by North Georgia Theatre, a professional summer company in residence at Piedmont College.
The Playwright
Jim Leonard was born and raised in small towns in Indiana. He attended Hanover College at the same time as Woody Harrelson, then moved to New York where he was lucky enough to become a playwright-in-residence at the prestigious Circle Repertory Theatre. It was here that The Diviners was first produced and then went on to win first prize at the National College Theater Festival in 1980.
Jim Leonard, Jr.
Jim later went on to write for TV and movies, learning from the late-great Robert Altman who advised him not to worry too much about proper screenplay format, and instead to just write a letter to the director, telling him what you wanted to see, how you wanted it to feel, and what people said. Jim moved to Los Angeles where he’s been writing letters to directors ever since. Jim also serves on the board of The New Harmony Project and L.A’s Circle X Theatre.
Ask an Actor: Garrett Smith
“This is my first North Georgia Theatre production, as well as my first professional credit, and I’m really excited for it! Between working with all of these talented people, and working in a professional space, I am learning a lot and I can’t think of a better way to spend my summer.
Garrett Smith
I am playing the character of Buddy who is a free-spirited but uncontrollable teenager who experienced the tragedy of losing his mother in a drowning accident early in his life. While I have not experienced such tragedy I do find that I often feel like an outsider, just as Buddy does in the play because he doesn’t want to get too close to anyone less he experience loss again.”
Ticket information
Performances are on June 27-29 at 7:30 PM, and June 30 at 2 PM. General admission tickets are $10 and Piedmont College faculty, staff and students are free.
Purchase tickets by calling the box office at 706-778-8500 x1355 or click here to purchase tickets online.
Northeast Georgia Health System has sent letters to 40,000 patients, warning them that its contract with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield may end Sept. 30 without a new agreement.
The Gainesville-based system said that Anthem is seeking “drastic cuts’’ in payments for medical services.
Anthem is making decisions on local networks from its Indianapolis headquarters, and Georgia officials with the company “now have little say’’ on key matters, said the May 30 letter, signed by Steve McNeilly, a vice president of the Northeast Georgia system.
Most such disputes between insurers and hospital systems are ultimately resolved, often just before the previous deal expires. But stalled negotiations can create anxiety for patients, who fear losing coverage for their doctor or preferred hospital.
The contract difficulties come at a rocky time for Anthem Blue Cross, which is by far Georgia’s biggest health insurer.
Industry sources say that Jeff Fusile, president of the Georgia plan, is resigning later this month. An Anthem spokeswoman did not respond to GHN queries on Fusile’s status. He has been in charge of the Georgia plan’s operations since 2015.
Fusile
Anthem Blue Cross will be the subject of a Georgia department of insurance hearing this month about the adequacy of its network in an exchange health plan.
During Open Enrollment for 2019 insurance plans in the state exchange, the online information for consumers late last year showed WellStar hospitals and doctors as part of Anthem’s Pathway health plan. But enrollees say they didn’t realize during the sign-up period that the Anthem-WellStar contract for that plan was scheduled to end in February.
That contract termination – and the uproar over patients having to switch doctors and hospitals — led to litigation against Anthem, which has declined to comment on that lawsuit.
Anthem has said that it “has done nothing that is misleading, unfair or deceptive’’ in relation to the WellStar conflict. “Anthem will be present at the hearing and present information that makes clear that Anthem has done nothing that is misleading, unfair or deceptive,’’ a spokeswoman, Christina Gaines, said in May.
And when the state recently released consumer complaint data for all insurers in 2018, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield was among companies with high levels of these patient problems.
Northeast Georgia said “the health plan we are negotiating with is not the Blue Cross of Georgia we have collaborated with for more than a decade, and it is clear that local representatives now have little say. All true decisions seem to be made by Anthem’s corporate headquarters in Indianapolis, far from the people who are impacted by those decisions.’’
Northeast Georgia’s letter to patients is unusual in its four-month lead time before the contract ends, said Craig Savage of CMBC Advisors, a North Carolina-based consultant.
“Maybe they’re thinking, ‘We don’t know what’s going to happen,’ ‘’ Savage said.
Northeast Georgia Medical Center
Northeast Georgia cited recent media coverage of Anthem’s negotiations across the nation, including some with hospitals in Atlanta. “We simply don’t want our patients to be caught unaware,’’ McNeilly told GHN.
“Patients shouldn’t make any changes now – and they should continue to use [Northeast Georgia] facilities and physicians.’’
Both hospital systems and health insurers have been consolidating in recent years to gain more clout in contract negotiations. Northeast Georgia itself is expanding, with an agreement to invest $15 million in Habersham Medical Center with hopes of buying the hospital after five years. And it plans to open a scaled-down hospital in July on the site of a closed facility in Dahlonega.
Savage, the consultant, said Anthem appears to be consolidating its operations in Indianapolis to achieve economies of scale. The question is whether they’re getting good information back at the state and local levels, Savage added.
“My guess is insurers are feeling pressure about large [hospital] systems consolidating.”’
Gaines, the Anthem spokeswoman, said Tuesday that helping ensure consumers ‘’have access to health plans that offer greater affordability and access to quality health care remains our focus at Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield.’’
“Northeast Georgia Health System is currently in our provider network, so it is important to note there is no immediate change to health care coverage for any of our consumers. Our local negotiating team has been engaged with Northeast Georgia for several months as we work toward a new agreement that would retain Northeast Georgia in our network beyond September 30.”
Northeast Georgia said that it has received a few phone calls from patients who received the letter. “And while some patients have been concerned about the negotiation, many have been supportive of Northeast Georgia Health System. Some have had questions about their insurance coverage, and we’re reassuring them that for now nothing changes – there is still time to reach an agreement.’’
It’s bound to be a tense negotiation period for patients. Such disputes are “a game of chicken, and at the end of the day somebody blinks and they come to an agreement,” said Wendell Potter, a former senior executive at health insurance giant Cigna, according to a Kaiser Health News article. “The big losers in this are patients because there’s a period of uncertainty and angst and a real possibility that the physicians and hospitals you want to go to are no longer in-network.”
Gaines, the Anthem spokeswoman, said Tuesday that helping ensure consumers ‘’have access to health plans that offer greater affordability and access to quality health care remains our focus at Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield.’’