The Valley Where They Danced, a timeless love story set during the early 1920’s, weaves together the lives of local celebrities, tall tales, and Native American legend. Pictured from left to right: David White, Karen Loos, Joslyn Reed, Bradley Greene, Jessi Reed, Patrick Brennan, Taylor Shirley, Phyllis Ellis- (Photo Gabe Bennett)

(Sautee)- Emory Jones’ play “Valley Where They Danced” opens August first at Sautee Nacoochee Cultural Center.

“The Valley Where They Danced” is based on Jones’ novel by the same name. It tells the timeless love story of Dr. Tom Garrison and Lenore Conley, two lovers that Heaven has marked for one another but man desires to put asunder.

The play is set in Northeast Georgia’s Sautee Valley during the early 1920’s and weaves together the lives of local celebrities, tall tales, and Native American legend.

“The Valley Where They Danced” debuted in 2017 at Piedmont College’s North Georgia Theater.

Playwright’s ties to Northeast Georgia

Jones is a local author and playwright. He was born in Banks County and grew up in Mossy Creek, just south of Cleveland. His mother, the late Wirtha Meaders Jones Morgan, was part of the extended Meaders clan, famous as folk potters in the area. Jones graduated from White County High School and attended Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College.

Jones’ novel, “The Valley Where They Danced”, will be available for purchase and signing at the performances.

Performance Dates:

August 1-3 at 7:30 p.m.
August 8-10 at 7:30 p.m.
August 4 & 11 at 4:00 p.m.
$18 Sautee Center Members, $21 Non-Members, $10 Children/Student

For tickets and information call 706-878-3300 or visit www.snca.org

The Sautee Nacoochee Cultural Center is located at 283 Hwy 255 N, Sautee Nacoochee.

Betty Bohannon Wilson, age 89 of Demorest, passed away on Thursday, July 25, 2019.

Born in Demorest, Georgia on November 30, 1929 to the late John Lamb & Kate Fennell Bohannon. Mrs. Wilson retired from Habersham Home after many years of service. She loved puzzle books, cooking and spending time with her grandchildren. Mrs. Wilson was a loving mother, grandmother and aunt. She was the last surviving member of her immediate family.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, William Grady Lynch; daughter, Wanda Lynch; seven brothers; one sister.

Surviving are her daughters and sons-in-law, Ann & Bill Turpin and Gail & Patric Chambers all of Demorest, Sue Littleton of Toccoa; four grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; eight great-great grandchildren; a number of nieces and nephews.
Graveside services are scheduled for 2 pm, Saturday, July 27, 2019 at Yonah Memorial Gardens with Rev. Hal Cason officiating.

The family will receive friends from 12 noon until the service hour on Saturday at the funeral home.

The family invites everyone to gather at the home of Ann & Bill Turpin, 301 Cedar Ave., Demorest, GA 30535 following the graveside service for a reception.

An online guest register is available and may be viewed at www.mcgaheegriffinandstewart.com.

McGahee-Griffin & Stewart Funeral Home of Cornelia, Georgia (706/778-8668) is in charge of arrangements.

Over 150 people attended the North Georgia Forum on Rural Prosperity on July 23 in Dahlonega. (Georgia Chamber/Facebook)

The Georgia Chamber of Commerce recently hosted the inaugural North Georgia Forum on Rural Prosperity on the campus of the University of North Georgia (UNG) in Dahlonega. The event brought together civic, business and elected leaders to discuss solutions to common challenges.

Topics ranged from talent development and retention to opioid issues, the housing crunch to innovations in technology, and raising capital to legislative outlook on rural revitalization.

“The Rural Prosperity North Georgia Forum is an opportunity for attendees to hear from industry leaders, government officials, business owners, and key community partners about new concepts to help our rural communities grow,” says President and CEO of the Georgia Chamber Chris Clark. “We are invested in finding real solutions for Georgia and believe that this Forum is an important part of that process.”

A different approach

State Sen. Senator Steve Gooch (R-Dahlonega) and Rep. Rick Jasperse (R-Jasper) discussed the legislative outlook on education, access to broadband, and infrastructure needs.

Gooch says cultivating prosperity in rural Georgia requires a completely different approach than cultivating it in metro areas. He says more needs to be done to advertise and market rural areas to developers. And, while government can help in some areas, Gooch says small communities should not solely rely on “big government” to fix things.

“They’ve got to step up and provide the infrastructure, they’ve got to have access to the internet,” he says.

Gooch also points to education and health care as key components of rural prosperity. He says Georgia’s rural hospitals are in trouble will continue to suffer unless something is done. He points to the partnership between Northeast Georgia Medical Center and UNG in reinventing and reopening a failing hospital in Dahlonega as an example of how innovative partnerships can help save them.

RELATED Closed hospital makes comeback as part of ambitious strategy

Partnerships are also important in education, according to Merrill Wilcox of the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education. Wilcox addressed the importance of building an educated workforce by partnering with local school systems.

A different perspective

Not only does achieving rural prosperity require a different approach than that used in metro areas, some business leaders say it also requires a different perspective.

“When we consider what prosperity looks like in White County, we are not talking about what prosperity looks like in more urban and sub-urban locales of Atlanta or the metro area. Our communities have a generational understanding that we must be good stewards of our resources like lands, water and our people. Our agricultural heritage and family farming that is central to our economy creates a different definition of prosperity,” says president of the White County Chamber of Commerce Beth Truelove. “There are many business and civic leaders that are committed to a rural vision of prosperity by leveraging our assets.”

White County Development Authority Chairman Michael Foor, formerly of North Georgia Network and now Vice President of Governmental Affairs for Windstream’s Kinetic Business, was one of the sponsors of the event. Executive Director for the Habersham Partnership for Growth Tim Lee was among the presenters.

The Habersham County Sheriff’s office along with the GBI are currently conducting a death investigation on Highway 105 just north of Old Athens Highway.

Skeletal remains were located at a makeshift campsite, according to the sheriff’s office.

It appears that there are no immediate signs of foul play although the investigation is still ongoing.

The discovery comes just one day after the sheriff’s office announced it was looking for a homeless man who was known to live in that area.

Stanley Wooten’s family reported him missing after not hearing from him in over seven months.

The sheriff’s office has not said at this time whether the two cases are related. Officials say they’ll release more information at a later time.

Emergency aerial transport is now closer than ever before for people in Habersham and surrounding counties. AirLife Georgia, a subsididary of Air Methods Corporation, has established a new base station at the Habersham County Airport.

The air ambulance service opened its new station on July 25 inside the old terminal building at the airport in Baldwin. The building was renovated to provide living quarters and accommodations for a staff of three. An air medical transport helicopter is housed in one of the hangars.

The facility will serve as AirLife Georgia’s base station to serve Northeast Georgia, according to a news release from the county.

“…AirLife Georgia’s new base station at the Habersham County Airport will bring a higher level of emergency response to the citizen and Habersham County and Northeast Georgia.”

Lease terms and impact

Air Methods Corp. will lease the building for at least the next five years. According to the lease agreement, Air Methods will pay Habersham County $1,200 per month to rent the old terminal building for five years. The company has an option to renew the contract at a renogiatiated market rental rate for up to six years after that.

“We are very excited that AirLife Georgia’s new base station at the Habersham County Airport will bring a higher level of emergency response to the citizen and Habersham County and Northeast Georgia,” says Habersham County Manager Phil Sutton.  “AirLife Georgia’s air ambulance will provide 24/7/365 emergency medical coverage and will help support the ground based emergency response teams throughout Northeast Georgia.”

Sutton says three parties were interested in leasing the old terminal building. The County formally requested letters of interest from them and the Airport and County Commissions determined that the proposal from Air Methods Corp. was the best proposal.

The County signed the lease agreement with Air Methods after the new Habersham County airport terminal was completed.

The airport has recently undergone millions of dollars in upgrades to accommodate larger aircraft and attract new industry.

The Raiders got hot at the right time in 2018, making the second round of the state playoffs after not getting into the postseason in the previous six years. The 7 wins last year was the most since an 11-win 2007 season under now-Jefferson coach Gene Cathcart. Expectations are now heightened for coach Benji Harrison and Habersham Central, but many questions have to be answered. Gone are playmakers Tre Luttrell, Donovan Curry, Dontarius Bailey, Tracy Lowery, Luke Wilson, Tarin Westbrook, and Daniel Matkovic to name a handful. For the fourth consecutive season, we will see a new starting QB. It was Cole Wilbanks in ’16, AJ Curry in ’17, and Luttrell in ’18.

7 Things To Know About the Raiders

1. Shadows to Spotlight for Clouatre & Curry

Obviously, some guys will have to step up in 2019 for the Raiders to have a shot to repeat last year’s success. A couple of those guys are Jackson Clouatre, who emerged as a viable threat in the backfield before suffering a season-ending injury. Arian Curry also played a lot last year, but was often overshadowed by Luttrell, Donovan Curry, Bailey, Lowery, and others. Clouatre will be a two-way star in 2019 at both RB and LB, while Curry will be featured in much the same way.

2. Strength is Up Front

The Raiders will be led by the O-Line this season. Every single starter on that front line is back, and that’s a HUGE plus! These guys are a year stronger, a year better, and a year more experienced.

3. Stop the Run

The primary focus for Habersham this offseason has been on the defensive side of the ball, specifically looking to stop the run. This has been largely problematic for years now, and Harrison and the staff are zoning in on this. “Defensively, we have to do a better job of consistently stopping the run,” says Harrison. “We have done some things defensively to hopefully help us be more consistent against the run.”

4. Keeping the Defense Off Balance

The Raiders will continue to run the no-huddle spread, which proves hard for defenses to adjust and keep up with. Like last season, Habersham will continue to throw and run the ball. The old run n’ gun offense means lots of excitement. However, with a significant group of talent lost from last season, the Raiders will be forced to use more personnel this time around. Ryte Woodruff will take over at QB, and will be the first non-SR starter since Cole Wilbanks in 2015. Clouatre, Curry, and Garrett Heaton will get the primary carries at RB, and Joshua Pickett will be the go-to receiver.

5. Aggressive On Defense

See above on the big focus for the Raiders. The alignment will be a 3-5, loading the box to stop the run. Pickett, Curry, Tanner Wade, and Patrick Tedder will all be heavily relied upon. The secondary will need to also have fewer missed tackles than last season.

6. Unsung Heros

Get to know these guys: Pierce Vickery, Lincoln Wright, Joshua Wade, Greg Wiley, and Ethan Tomlin. They are the starting O-Line, and are all returning from last season as starters. “These guys don’t get nearly enough credit,” states Harrison. “They are all the unsung heroes.” Harrison says the depth is decent in the trenches, but one injury could change all that.

7. Higher Expectations

With winning comes expectations for more wins. This season, the expectations are clearly laid out by Harrison: “They are high. We want to compete for the Region Championship and get back to the playoffs.”

The Raiders open their 2019-20 season on August 23 in an away game against Dawson County. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m.

For more local high school football previews visit BLITZ and the links below

Commerce 2019 Preview

Dawson County 2019 Preview

The Easton Foundation will host its Seventh Annual Battle of the Heroes football game in Raider Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 10th.  Pre-game festivities begin at 7 p.m. 

Come watch as first responders from Habersham and Banks County take on Hall County in a friendly game of flag football. This year’s contest will feature entertainment for all ages, including a free fireworks show and a chance to win $100 in cash at halftime.

Money raised from the event will benefit the Easton Foundation which provides post-secondary educational scholarships and financial assistance to area youth.

In the past, the foundation has charged to get into the game but not this year; admission is free.

“While generating money for our scholarship fund to support local students is important, we see this as a public event that should involve the entire community without regard to financial well-being,” Lizama says.

People may donate at the gate if they choose.

Special guests and presentations

Addi Ghanes of Toccoa will serve as co-grand marshal of this year’s event along with Habersham County School Superintendent Matthew Cooper. In August of 2018 when she was just 2 years old, Ghanes was diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma. Since then her story has touched countless lives. The Facebook page dedicated to sharing her journey through cancer has more than 230,000 followers.

There will also be a special presentation before the Battle of the Heroes in memory of Habersham County Deputy Patrick Mayfield and Hall County Deputy Nicolas Blane Dixon who both recently passed away.

ROTC cadets from Habersham Central High School will participate in pre-game festivities and the HCHS Band of Blue will perform throughout the contest.

Fireworks will cap off the evening approximately ten minutes after the football game ends and will appear on the east side of Raider Stadium toward GA 197 South. This year’s fireworks display is sponsored by Casa Bariachi in Cornelia.

Sponsorship opportunities are still available. All donations are tax deductible. For more information contact Glenn Ingram at 770-533-2056 or email him at theeastonfoundation@yahoo.com.

Photo: Daniel Purcell/Now Habersham

About the Easton Foundation: The Easton Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charity located in Habersham County, Georgia. After losing a beloved friend and teen, Easton Singleton, to a car accident in 2012 our community gathered together to turn tragedy into triumph. Casey Lizama, a friend of Easton, wanted to help other teens with pain and loss but, at the same time encourage other youth to connect with their community and become leaders. Each year the foundation gives out numerous scholarships around the northeast Georgia community to enable teens to pursue their dreams of post-secondary education and provide assistance in times of need.

John Barnard “Sonny” Dudek, III, age 55 of Clarkesville passed away July 24, 2019.

No public services are planned at this time.

Arrangements by Hillside Memorial Chapel & Gardens, Clarkesville.

Evelyn Christine Waugh, age 88 of Clarkesville passed away Thursday, July 25, 2019.

Complete obituary information will be announced by Hillside Memorial Chapel & Gardens, Clarkesville. 706-754-6256

Jerrell Folds, age 63, of Alto, Georgia passed away on Friday, July 26, 2019.

Mr. Folds was cremated and no formal services are planned at this time.

Arrangements are in care of Whitfield Funeral Homes & Crematory, South Chapel, 1370 Industrial Boulevard, Baldwin, Georgia 30511.

Patricia Buie Smith, age 68, of Lakeland, Florida, passed away on Saturday, July 20, 2019.

Born on January 12, 1951, in Brooksville, Florida, she was the daughter of the late James “Red” Praythan and Elizabeth Hardy Buie. Ms. Smith loved going to the beach and collecting shells, crafts, the outdoors, and spending time with her friends and family. She retired from Publix in Lakeland, Florida, where she worked in the spice kitchen.

Survivors include her sons, Chris Hook (Heidi K.) of Toccoa and Jason Alan Turpen (Brian J.) of Mt. Airy; brother and sister-in-law, Jim and Teresa Buie of Baldwin; granddaughter, Hunter K. Hook; and niece, Jenna Buie of Baldwin.

No formal services are planned.

An online guest register is available and may be viewed at www.mcgaheegriffinandstewart.com.

McGahee-Griffin & Stewart Funeral Home of Cornelia, Georgia (706-778-8668) is in charge of arrangements.

(Cleveland)- White County Public Safety Director David Murphy has advised about a possible telephone scam in the area.

Murphy advised Friday afternoon that White County Fire Services and Public Safety are not soliciting any funds for the firefighters or fire department.

Murphy said they received a call soliciting funds for “firefighters”.

“We cannot advise as to whether this is a scam or not, however, we can assure the public that the White County Fire Department is not soliciting for any funds,” says Murphy. He adds, anyone with questions concerning a donation or solicitation should contact the county’s public safety office before making a decision.

(ELBERTON) – Evening travelers can expect delays for the next several months along Highway 17 in Elbert County.

The Georgia Department of Transporation has awarded $2.4 million to resurface approximately 4.5 miles of road between Fairfax Circle and State Route 17/72.

Single lane closures will begin this week. Crews will close lanes from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday through Friday.

The work is expected to take several months. GDOT says the project should be completed by November 30.

The Georgia Department of Transportation awarded the contract to E.R. Snell Contractor in June.

The projects include the third phase of the Cleveland Bypass and resurfacing sections of Highways 17 and 115. (Dean Dyer/wrwh.com)

(GAINESVILLE) – The Georgia Department of Transportation has awarded over $28 million for ten road construction and upgrade projects in Northeast Georgia.

The contracts were awarded in June. The largest is for the third phase of the Cleveland Bypass in White County. This widening project represents an $11 million investment in White County and was awarded to CMES, Inc.

The project starts at the intersection of State Route 11/US 129 and ends at the intersection with State Route 75. Hulsey Road will be widened to 4-lanes with a center turn lane. Transporation officials say it will take approximately 510 days to complete the project once work begins.

Resurfacing Projects

A number of road resurfacing projects are also slated to get underway soon across Northeast Georgia.

State Route 17 in Habersham and Stephens Counties will be resurfaced between State Route 184 and State Route 365. The project has an estimated completion date of May 31, 2020.

State Route 115 will be resurfaced in White County starting at the Lumpkin County line and extending to North Bell Street. Work is expected to be completed by December 15 of next year.

State Route 53 in Forsyth and Dawson Counties will be resurfaced from State Route 183 and extending south of Chestatee Height Road. C.W. Matthews Contracting Co. Inc. will be doing the work. The project is also expected to be completed by December 15, 2020.

Rumble Strips

Road safety features in the region are also getting a boost with GDOT’s latest round of funding.

GDOT awarded $2 million to Southern States Pavement Markings LLC to upgrade rumble strips in 11 counties. The strips are a safety feature that alert drivers of lane lines. The routes and locations below were identified by the district based on crash history, according to GDOT region spokesperson Katie Strickland.

• Banks: State Route 164
• Elbert: State Routes 172, 368
• Franklin: State Routes 8, 17, 51, 59
• Habersham: State Routes 17, 197
• Hart: State Routes 8, 77, 172
• Lumpkin: State Route 9
• Madison: State Routes 8, 98, 191, 281
• Stephens: State Routes 17 ALT, 63, 419
• Towns: State Route 180
• Union: State Route 180
• White Counties: State Routes 11, 254, 348, 356

Work on these projects is expected to be completed within a year.

Signage and striping upgrades

Habersham County will receive signing and striping upgrades on various county roads. The project spans 42 miles and includes highway signs, striping, and pavement marking on 15 county roads in Habersham. The state department of transportation awarded the $155,527 contract to Roadscape North Florida.

Transportation officials also approved an off-system safety project including 50 miles of highway signs, striping, and pavement markings on 25 county roads in Clarke County. The $480,814 contract was awarded to Brown’s Asphalt Maintenance Inc.

Barrow County also received an off-system safety project which includes nearly 50 miles of highway signs, striping, and pavement markings on 15 different roads. This project totaled $427,971 and was awarded to Mid-States Striping Inc.

Work on all three of these projects is expected to be completed by June 30 of next year.

511 Navigator Expansion

GDOT awarded $1.5 million to expand the state’s free highway assistance programs. Additional cameras and information systems will installed at various locations along I-985 in Gwinnett and Hall Counties. This will provide HERO and CHAMP operators real-time information on traffic flow. The project will start in Suwanee at I-85 and I-985 and end in Gainesville at Jesse Jewell Parkway and I-985.

The project is also expected to be completed by June 30, 2020.

A Cornelia man faces multiple charges of sex crimes against children.

Habersham County Sheriff’s deputies arrested 37-year-old Pedro Pena on July 24, booking records show. He was charged with rape and two counts each of incest, sexual battery, first degree child cruelty, aggravated child molestation, and aggravated sodomy.

Details about the circumstances that led to Pena’s arrest were not immediately available.

He’s currently being held in the Habersham County jail without bond.

V. Ellen Smith, age 66,of Mount Airy, GA passed away on Sunday, July 28, 2019.

Mrs. Smith was born on December 23, 1952 in Atlanta, Ga to the late James W. and Hazel Forte Miller. She was reared in the home of the late Myrtie K. Miller, Myrtle Beach, SC. She was a member of The Torch. Mrs. Smith was a retired cosmetologist as well being a retired teacher at North GA Tech.

Survivors include her loving husband of 49 years, Dennis J. Smith, Mount Airy; two daughters: Holly Kelly, Dahlonega, GA and Kelly Smith, Atlanta, GA; son and daughter- in- law, Dennis Smith, Jr. and Lisa Smith, Silver Creek, GA; sisters-in-law: Susan Grow (Jim), Decatur, AL, Darlene Haddock, Fernandina, Beach, FL, and Sharlene (Kenneth) Whitworth, Eastanollee, GA; 6 grandchildren: Lindsay Jones, Kaitlin Smith, Chaz Huff, Christian Smith, Patrick Kelly, and Seth Huff; 2 great-grandchildren: Hunter Huff and Coleson Stephens.

Graveside services will be held at 11:00 am, Wednesday, July 31, 2019, at Stephens Memorial Gardens, Toccoa, GA, with the Pastor Scott Smith officiating.

The family will receive friends from 6 pm until 8 pm, Tuesday, July 30, 2019, at the Whitfield Funeral Home, North Chapel, Demorest, Ga.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Gideons International , P. O. Box 295, Baldwin, GA 30511.

For those wishing to express on line condolences may do so by visiting www.whitfieldfuneralhomes, com.

John Eugene Callahan, Jr., age 73 of Habersham County, Georgia passed away on Monday, July 29, 2019.

Born in Lake Charles, Louisiana on March 16, 1946, he was a son of the late John Eugene Callahan, Sr. & Pearl McGuilley. John lived in many different places growing up as a son of a United States Air Force officer before settling in Largo, Florida. He served his country proudly in the United States Army in Germany during the Vietnam War era. John was a respiratory therapist and was the owner of Respiratory Services in Largo, Florida for over 30 years. He also served as a therapist with Morton Plant Hospital in Clearwater, Florida for many years. John and his wife, Donna moved to Habersham County in 2002. He retired from Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville with 15 years of dedicated service. John was a civil war re-enactor, an avid golfer, but most of all loved his family, dogs, and horses.

Survivors include his loving wife of 46 years, Donna Schultz Callahan of Habersham County; daughter and son-in-law, Christina & Patrick Franklin of Mt. Airy, GA; son, Kevin Callahan of Clarkesville, GA; grandchildren, Callan Samuel Franklin & Finley Patrick Franklin; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Joe & Nancy Schultz of Habersham County; nephew, Joseph Schultz, Jr.; niece and spouse, Shannon & Kevin Concis; great-nephews, Logan & Gavin.

A funeral mass will be held at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, August 02, 2019 at St. Mark’s Catholic Church in Clarkesville with Father Jose Luis Hernandez-Ayala officiating.

Arrangements by Hillside Memorial Chapel, Clarkesville, Georgia (706) 754-6256

Complete arrangements will be announced by Hillside Memorial Chapel & Gardens, Clarkesville.

Mary Carleen Webb, age 68, passed away on July 28, 2019.

She was preceded in death by her father Carl Webb and her mother Mary Webb.

She is survived by her brother Richard Webb.

Private services will be held at a later date with her family.

Arrangements by Hillside Memorial Chapel & Gardens, Clarkesville.

A 6-year-old Baldwin boy is back home safe with his family after going missing for several hours Monday night.

Baldwin Police Chief Charlie Webb says the boy’s 15-year-old sister was babysitting him and five other siblings when the young boy went missing.

Officers responded to the 200 block of Lakeview Court around 9 p.m. to conduct a welfare check after receiving a complaint.

“It was determined that the 6-year-old male had not been seen for approximately three hours, because the siblings believed that he had been with another one of the siblings,” Webb states.

Officers from the Banks County Sheriff’s Office, Baldwin Fire Department, Alto and Cornelia Police Departments, Habersham Rescue, Lee Arrendale State Prison K-9, and Georgia State Patrol Aviation responded and assisted with the search. The search spread out over several acres around the residence for approximately two hours.

The child was found healthy and safe at approximately 11:50 p.m. in close proximity to the residence.

“The Baldwin Police Department would like to thank all of the agencies that assisted with bringing the child back home to his family safely and quickly,” Webb says.

Newly released state figures on Legionnaires’ cases linked to an Atlanta hotel suggest that the outbreak could become among the biggest in U.S. history.

The Georgia Department of Public Health said that in addition to the 11 confirmed Legionnaires’ disease cases, there are 55 “probable’’ cases.

The latter represent people who had illness consistent with Legionnaires’ disease, including pneumonia diagnosed by a clinician or chest X-ray, but have not received laboratory confirmation, Public Health said Monday. The number of probable cases can change based on additional testing and lab results.

No one has died from the outbreak linked to the Sheraton Atlanta, which remains closed.

Investigators have yet to determine whether the hotel is indeed the source of the outbreak, but so far the team is not conducting testing at any other location, the AJC reported.

Since the first cases of Legionnaires’ disease were confirmed two weeks ago, epidemiologists have been reviewing hundreds of survey responses from individuals who stayed at or visited the Sheraton Atlanta between June 12 and July 15.

Earlier this year, GHN reported that cases of Legionnaires’ disease have quadrupled in Georgia over the past 10 years.

That increase mirrors a national trend, with U.S. cases up fivefold since 2000. About 80 percent of Georgia outbreaks have occurred in health care facilities, Cherie Drenzek, state epidemiologist, said in February.

Legionella bacteria live in water, and are found naturally in lakes and streams. But they can be potentially lethal when they grow in man-made water systems, eventually finding their way into showerheads and sink faucets, where they become aerosolized. Legionellosis, a respiratory condition, occurs after people breathe in water vapor containing the water-borne bacteria. It can cause a milder infection, Pontiac fever. In more serious cases, it can lead to the pneumonia called Legionnaires’ disease.

Neither illness is spread person to person, but people over age 50 and those with weakened immune systems are more susceptible to developing the disease.

The bacterium and the disease got their names after a severe outbreak of pneumonia among attendees at an American Legion convention in Philadelphia in the summer of 1976. That health crisis led to the first scientific identification of the disease and the pathogen, though researchers later determined that they were not new. Scores of people became ill in the Philadelphia outbreak, and at least 29 died. The source eventually was traced to the hotel where the Legionnaires had stayed.

Public Health officials in Georgia are working with the Sheraton Atlanta owners on sampling, testing and remediation. Testing environmental samples takes up to 14 days, and results are pending.

Symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease include fever, chills, coughing and shortness of breath. Legionnaires’ disease requires treatment with antibiotics, and most cases of this illness are treated successfully.

“We are not certain why there is a rise in Legionnaires’ disease cases,” Atlanta’s Chris Edens, epidemiologist on CDC’s Legionella team, told GHN earlier this year.

The rise is likely related to a combination of factors, Edens said. He cited the aging population (because the disease is somewhat less common among younger people), changes in diagnostic testing practices, and the increased age of buildings and infrastructure as potential causes.

“Possibly increased Legionella in the environment is another concern,” he added.