Annie Lou King, age 86, of Alto, Georgia, passed away on Tuesday, July 30, 2019.
Born on February 7, 1933, she was a daughter of the late Elijah Candler and Cora Mae Wilson. Mrs. King worked at numerous sewing plants including Carwood, Yonah Realty, and Tibro. She attended Mt. Zion United Methodist Church and enjoyed keeping her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, cooking, and sewing.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her infant twin brothers, Clinton Wilson and Johnny Lee Wilson and her sister, Alice Gwynell Watkins.
Survivors include her husband, James King of Alto; son, Floyd King of Alto; daughter, Julie Greenway of Alto; grandchildren, Steven Wade and Jade King; great-grandchildren, Katelyn and Ryleigh Wade; and numerous other relatives and friends.
Funeral services are scheduled for 3:00 pm on Thursday, August 1, 2019, at the Chapel of McGahee-Griffin and Stewart Funeral Home with Rev. Tracy Davidson and Preacher Arthur Howard officiating. Interment will follow in Mt. Zion United Methodist Church Cemetery with Rev. Anthony Shore officiating.
The family will receive friends from 5-8 pm on Wednesday and from 2:00 pm until the funeral hour on Thursday at the funeral home.
A man from Richland, Georgia, is behind bars charged with raping a woman at a Helen motel.
Police arrested 23-year-old Stephen Robert Stephens late on the evening of July 23. He’s charged with one count of rape in connection with the alleged incident, arrest records show.
Helen Police Chief Brian Stephens says the suspect and victim met before the alleged incident occurred but says they did not know each other. The victim was also from out of town.
Stephen Stephens is being held in the White County jail without bond.
If you like to sing and are looking for a group to join, Piedmont College and Truett McConnell University are looking for you.
The Piedmont Chorale will soon begin rehearsals for its 2019-20 season. The choir will perform the annual Service of Lessons and Carols and the Great Composers Series concert featuring the Ninth Symphony and other works by Beethoven in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the famed composer’s birth.
The Chorale is seeking singers for all voice parts. Rehearsals begin at 6 p.m., Monday, August 19, in Nielsen Hall on Piedmont’s Demorest campus.
The group will perform the 31st Annual Service of Lessons on December 6 and 7. The Great Composers Series concert is April 25.
No audition is required.
For information on joining the Piedmont Chorale contact conductor Wallace Hinson at 706-778-8500 ext. 1211, or email him at whinson@piedmont.edu.
TMU’s Messiah
Also this fall, the Truett McConnell University Community Choir and TMU Chorale will be rehearsing and performing Part I and short portions of Parts II and III of the great Oratorio, Messiah by George Frideric Handel.
The choir will have ten Tuesday evening rehearsals beginning on September 3. Rehearsals will be from 6-8 p.m. in the Driskell Building on the TMU campus in Cleveland.
The choir, soloists, and orchestra will perform on Tuesday, November 19.
If you are interested in participating contact Dr. Ken Gabrielse at kgabrielse@truett.edu.
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.
Funeral services for Edward Phillip Blackburn, Jr., age 67 of Alto will be held at 11:00 AM Friday, August 2, 2019 at Hillside Memorial Chapel, Clarkesville. Pastor Mitchell Thomason and Pastor Derek Howard will officiate with interment to follow the service in Yonah Memorial Gardens with Military Honors. The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Thursday, August 1, 2019 from 6-8 PM.
Mr. Blackburn passed away Tuesday, July 30, 2019 at his residence.
Born on January 6, 1952, Mr. Blackburn was the son of Martha Thomason Blackburn and the late Edward Phillip Blackburn, Sr. Mr. Blackburn was a disabled Veteran having honorably served in the United States Marine Corps. He was a member of the American Legion and Cornelia Christian Church. In addition to his father, Mr. Blackburn is preceded in death by grandparents Marvin and Eva Blackburn and Albert and Grace Thomason.
Survivors include his mother Martha Thomason Blackburn of Jackson, daughter and son in law Angel and Max Lipchinsky of Alto, son Edward Phillip Blackburn, III of Alto, sister and brother in law Judy and Don Dye of Villa Rica, and grandchildren Travis, Lane, Sean, Belle and Lily.
The Clarkesville Water Department has issued a Boil Water Advisory for city water customers in the area of Gabrels Drive and Professional Park.
There was an overnight water outage caused by crews repairing a hydrant. As a precaution, customers affected by the outage are now advised to boil water before drinking, cooking, or preparing baby food with it.
Water should be boiled for at least one minute after it reaches a rolling boil.
The advisory remains in effect until further notice.
(Cleveland) – White County authorities are investigating the death of an elderly couple at a campground in the county.
On July 29 at around 3:45 pm the White County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to Yonah Mountain Campground off Helen Highway north of Cleveland in reference to a welfare check, advised Captain Rick Kelley in a news release. According to Kelley, the welfare check was for an older couple that lives in a camper on the property who had not been seen in several days.
Deputies made entry into a camper located on Fleetwood Road and found two bodies inside the camper deceased. According to Kelley, the bodies had been deceased for several days.
The sheriff’s office requested the assistance of the Georgia Bureau of Investigations Crime Scene Unit to process the scene. The bodies were sent to the crime lab for an autopsy.
There is no foul play suspected at this time pending autopsy results.
“The next of kin have not been notified yet so we are not going to release the names at this time,” said Kelley.
The Sheriff’s Office is following up with the case.
A drop in summer donations has created an emergency blood shortage in Georgia and across the U.S.
Blood supplies are now below a two day supply in many areas and hospitals need all blood types, according to LifeSouth Community Blood Centers.
LifeSouth supplies blood to a number of hospitals in Georgia including Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
“It is important to maintain over a two day supply to make sure blood is available when needed for victims of accidents, those having surgery or patients being treated for cancers and other illnesses,” says LifeSouth District Community Development Director Grant Toth.
Toth encourages anyone who can to donate blood during these critical summer months. To be a donor you must be at least 17 years old or 16 with parental permission. You must weigh a minimum of 110 pounds, be in good health, and have a photo ID.
All donors receive a thank you gift, and a mini-physical, including blood pressure, temperature, iron level and cholesterol screen.
Donation sites
Lifesouth’s Gainesville Donor Center is located at 1200 McEver Road. Bloodmobiles are also being set up at locations across the state including here in northeast Georgia.
Thursday, Aug. 1
10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Windstream
340 Walmart Way
Unit C
Dahlonega, GA 30533 10am to 4pm
Friday, Aug. 2:
10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Windstream
294 GA-515
Blairsville, GA 30512
Saturday, Aug. 3:
10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Cleveland Funeral Home
2721 US-129 South
Cleveland, GA 30528
Sunday, Aug. 4:
1 p.m.-7 p.m.
Bruster’s Ice Cream
165 John W. Morrow Parkway
Gainesville, GA 30501
Truett McConnell University has hired a new Director of Alumni Relations within the TMU family. Dr. David Drake, Director of Church Relations accepted the position as an addition to his existing role.
“My goal is to help the alumni association understand the importance of their role as alumni for the sake of Truett McConnell University – to communicate, to connect, and to be recruiters.”
As Director of Alumni Relations, Drake will work closely with the Truett McConnell University Alumni Association and its board members with the goal of increasing alumni membership and involvement in the university.
“With his heart as a pastor and for the church, there is no better fit for Director of Alumni Relations than Dr. Drake,” said TMU President Dr. Emir Caner. “Dr. Drake is known throughout our convention and has already worked closely with many of our alumni. How blessed we are that he has agreed to serve our graduates.”
Along with his responsibilities as Director of Church Relations, Drake will be responsible for overseeing and strengthening communication among graduates, faculty and staff, and other friends of the Truett McConnell University family. Drake plans to provide a comprehensive alumni program with events, social gatherings, networking, other alumni-related matters.
Drake is enthusiastic to transition into the additional role as the new 2019 semester begins. “I’m an engagement type of person. So, I’m excited about this opportunity to engage, encounter, and build relationships with alumni of Truett McConnell,” said Drake.
Editor’s Note: The following article is by Habersham County Sheriff Joey Terrell
On July 7th, 2019, Habersham County Sheriff Joey Terrell and the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office School Resource Officer Program welcomed 153 School Resource Officers, representing 52 different agencies from across the State of Georgia, to Brasstown Valley Resort in Towns County, Georgia for the 2019 Georgia Association of School Resource Officers (GASRO) annual conference. During the 3-day conference, attendees had the opportunity to hear from Chris Hollyfield (actor, professional wrestler and motivational speaker) about the realities of bullying and methods to help students take a stand against it and to experience the realities of an active shooter school incident through the personal experience and testimony of Chief David Perry of the Florida State University Police Department. Additionally, attendees were able to attend a series of breakout training sessions that addressed topics such as School Law, Criminal Investigations in the School Setting, Drug Interdiction in the Hallways, Recognizing the Impaired Student, What an SRO needs to know about Social Media, Building the SRO/Administrator Relationship, the Latest Safe School Tech Tools, Stress and the SRO, Emergency Operations Planning and Tactical Considerations for School Bus Incidents.
According to Sheriff Terrell, “I have always considered school safety to be the top priority of my administration as Sheriff of Habersham County. It was truly an honor to serve as the host Sheriff and I cannot express how proud I am of my staff for their tremendous accomplishment in planning and hosting this year’s conference.”
It was also clear that attendees were very pleased with the conference. Comments from conference evaluations included: “Great Job!!!”, “Conference was Great!!!”, “Keep up the good work. You guys did great.”, “Overall this was excellent, great conference”. “Learned a lot and had fun.”, “I enjoyed the conference and I look forward to seeing GASRO grow.”, “This was a good conference and good information”, Well presented and I enjoyed it very much”, and “There is a lot of information from the breakout sessions that I will be able to use at my high school.”
“I have been asked to serve as host sheriff for the 2020 GASRO conference. It is my honor, once again, to accept and serve in this capacity. While we are in the early planning stages, we are looking to partner with Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security, the Georgia Public Safety Training Center, and the Georgia Regional Educational Service Agencies to develop a collaborative partnership that includes both the law enforcement and educator disciplines at the conference. I look forward to sharing more details regarding the 2020 conference as we progress through the planning process.” – Sheriff Joey Terrell.
The Habersham Chamber recently announced the expansion of the Leadership Habersham program to include youth members.
Horton
President Mary Beth Horton said the Chamber Board of Directors and education officials are seeking opportunities to enhance what was formerly the Junior Chamber Board.
“The Chamber already hosts a dynamic leadership program for area professionals seeking to learn more about the community and to network with other members,” Horton said. “It makes sense to blend the groups to create one program for the county.”
Horton said youth leadership programs are common across Georgia.
“The aim of the program is to encourage and equip the younger generation for leadership roles in the future,” Horton said. “Youth Leadership Habersham is a way to introduce students to various aspects of the county through leadership training, touring businesses and meeting with community and state leaders.”
The new program will offer select high school juniors and seniors in Habersham County an opportunity to serve as a member of Youth Leadership Habersham (formerly the Junior Chamber Board of Directors) for the upcoming academic year.
Youth Leadership Habersham members will participate in an opening session on leadership skills from the University of Georgia’s J. W. Fanning Institute of Leadership Development, travel to meet local entrepreneurs and business professionals for tours of various community businesses throughout the year, learn more about Chamber functions and the history of Habersham County, and meet with the Chamber’s adult Leadership Habersham program members for mentoring.
“Our hope is once youth are introduced to these opportunities, they might consider staying in or returning to the county after graduation,” Horton said. “Our young people have lots to offer and the county has lots to gain from investing in the professional development of our students.”
Youth Leadership Habersham members will also be eligible to apply for a Chamber scholarship at the end of the academic year and seniors will receive an honor cord for attending all the sessions.
Amy Hulsey, Chair of the Chamber Board said with Leadership Habersham celebrating its 30th year, the Chamber was excited to expand the program to include youth members.
“By including students from all areas of the county, it creates opportunity for them to meet more people to add to their network and hopefully develop future community leaders,” Hulsey said.
“We launched the adult version of Leadership Habersham in 2000; adding the youth component greatly appealed to us,” Hulsey said. “It will help our youth better understand the significant career options right here at home and for this reason I am excited about the expansion of this program.”
Applications are now being accepted for participants. Visit habershamchamber.com or call 706.778.4654 for information.
Within three months, three patients came to Grady Memorial Hospital with similar, devastating eye injuries.
And the circumstances of their accidents were strikingly similar. Each man had been driving with his car’s passenger window down, and when he was involved in a crash, the rear-facing sideview mirror on the passenger side shattered, sending shards of glass flying into his face.
This cluster of 2017 injuries led Grady eye surgeon Dr. Yousuf Khalifa to study the problem as a potential safety issue. “These particular cases got me wondering if shattering sideview mirrors were causing injuries on a large scale,” he said.
Khalifa, chief of ophthalmology at the Atlanta safety-net hospital, wrote a research paper on the cases, which recently was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Ophthalmology.
Though the glass in a vehicle’s windshield and passenger windows is shatter-resistant, the glass in the sideview mirrors is not, Khalifa noted.
The three accident victims, all of metro Atlanta, were hit by glass fragments that penetrated the structure of their eyeballs, he told GHN. Each man had two surgeries, including an initial “open globe’’ repair.
All three men survived but had significant eye damage, with varying degrees of vision loss, said Khalifa, who is also an associate professor at Emory University School of Medicine.
The answer, Khalifa said, is to make sideview mirror glass as shatterproof as windshield glass.
Khalifa said he has spoken with an official of the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration about the problem. “That’s the goal [of the research] — to bring these cases to the forefront,’’ he said.
Khalifa
The research paper also suggests possibly applying an adhesive film, similar to a smartphone screen protector, for sideview mirrors in older vehicles.
Asked to comment on the research, Dr. Sunir Garg, clinical spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology, said the situation in the three Atlanta eye injuries “is an uncommon thing to happen.’’
There are only about a dozen similar cases reported in the medical literature, said Garg, who is a professor at Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia. “People shouldn’t be panicked about it.”’
But he added, “This is an important point to bring up.’’
Garg said he hopes the research will prompt further discussion. “Safety glass really does its job” where it is used, he said.
It began as a roadside assistance call that escalated into a manhunt after two people fled from their vehicle near Cornelia this morning.
The incident began around 10:55 a.m. when a Habersham County deputy responded to the area of GA 365 and US 441 to assist a motorist that had broken down on the side of the road. “While the Deputy was speaking with the occupants of the vehicle, two of the occupants fled on foot,” says Habersham County Sheriff’s Lt. Matthew Wurtz.
Based on the deputy’s description of the two and information another occupant in the vehicle gave to law enforcement, officers believed one or both of the people who ran were possibly wanted, Wurtz says.
The Habersham County Sheriff’s Office, Cornelia Police Department, Demorest Police Department, Alto Police Department, Georgia State Patrol, and The Governor’s Task Force conducted a search of the area and were able to locate the subjects. They took them into custody without incident. The two people were detained and questioned.
Wurtz says at this time “it does not appear that these two individuals are wanted and it is also unknown why they fled on foot from the vehicle.”
Charges are pending.
Authorities are processing the subjects’ fingerprints to positively identify them. Once that’s done, Wurtz says they’ll be able to confirm the charges against them.
The Piedmont College tennis program will host a high school tennis showcase on August 17 for grades 9th – 12th.
The camp will include individual and group instruction from the Piedmont coaching staff and players, guest instructors and other college coaches. The staff will review groundstrokes, serves, volleys and in-point strategies as well as point play.
Campers will also be treated with a tour of the college as well as instructions and tips about the college recruiting process from a coaches’ viewpoint.
Coaches and players will conduct a Q&A session following the event.
During the showcase, the participants will be evaluated and emailed after the event with a detailed list of areas for improvement along with tips from the coaches.
High school seniors will be able to spend the night if they choose on August 16th.
Registration ends on August 14th and costs $75 per person. The camp will begin at 1 p.m. and concludes at 5 p.m.
For more information, contact head women’s tennis coach Trey Martin at tmartin@piedmont.edu for more information.
Scattered thunderstorms are expected across the western Carolinas and northeast Georgia this evening.
A few of the storms will be strong to severe with small hail and damaging wind possible. Heavy rainfall with localized flooding will also be possible, especially this evening into tonight.
Weekend outlook
Scattered to widespread showers and thunderstorms are expected Friday afternoon into Friday night and again Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.
A tropical airmass in place will support periods of heavy rain with localized flooding likely, especially from the I-77 corridor, including Charlotte, northwest into the North Carolina foothills.
There’s a strong chance of showers across extreme northeast Georgia Sunday and Monday. Rain chances will diminish by Tuesday for Habersham and surrounding areas.
RabunGap-Nacoochee School has announced its slate of new head coaches for the 2019-2020 school year.
Courtney Ledford ‘08 will take over the varsity volleyball head coach position this fall. As a former Lady Eagle herself, Coach Ledford brings a unique alumni perspective to the volleyball program. She played seven years of volleyball at RabunGap and served as a team captain during her time as a student. She was a setter and libero.
“I’m really looking forward to stepping in as the varsity coach and program leader. Not many coaches get the chance to coach at their alma mater, so it is very special to me to be given this opportunity at a school that already means so much to me,” she says.
New head volleyball coach Courtney Ledford is a 2009 alum of Rabun Gap Nacoochee School. (RGS)
This is Coach Ledford’s fifth year coaching volleyball, and she has experience working with all ages and levels of play. She’s worked extensively with the Trailblazers Volleyball Club, leading the organization’s developmental team, and has already been a part of several elite coaching clinics this summer. Last year, Coach Ledford was the head coach of RabunGap’s middle school volleyball team and led the girls to a Tri-State Conference Championship. She hopes to continue that success at the varsity level.
“In my first year as head coach, I will be working to better unite all three teams in the program and implementing showcase days for our youngest athletes. For the varsity team specifically, I would love to see us earn our first bid to the state playoffs,” Coach Ledford says.
Athletic Director Dale Earnhardt says he’s excited to have an alumna leading the volleyball program. Girls will report for Sports Camp in early August to get a head start on the 2019 season.
“We are very lucky to have Courtney taking over our volleyball program this fall,” says Earnhardt. “Her love for this school and our volleyball program as an alumna of RabunGap will serve our student-athletes well.”
Coach Ledford is the wife of Jamey Ledford, Eagles wrestling head coach and Middle School history teacher. They live on campus with their sons Jackson and Cael.
Baseball
Clark Wright is the Eagles’ newest head baseball coach. Wright comes to RabunGap-Nacoochee School after a successful playing and coaching career that spanned across the United States and around the globe.
Coach Wright has an extensive background in leading baseball programs and helping his players earn college scholarships. He played as a shortstop and second baseman at Episcopal High School in Virginia before heading to the University of Georgia. Coach Wright played for the UGA junior varsity/feeder team that was ranked No. 2 in the country. After graduation, he moved to New York City and became Director of Baseball for Yorkville Athletics for four years, running one of the largest little leagues in the U.S. and working with MLB trainers. He’s also coached hitting and infield for the national showcase team US Elite with players selected for the MLB draft and he led North Charleston High School to the South Carolina playoffs in 2019 for the first time in a decade.
In 2018, Coach Wright was recruited by the European Baseball League to play and coach professionally in Hungary. He played for a season on the Debrecen Tigers and was the team’s head coach. He also worked with the U18 Hungarian National Team as their hitting coach.
Coach Wright has big goals for the RabunGap baseball program both on and off the field. He plans to build leadership and wants to accomplish making the playoffs, being the best team in the CAA Conference, and setting a foundation to be one of the best programs in the state.
New head baseball coach Clark Wright played on UGA’s junior varsity team and played and coached professionally in Hungary. In 2019 he led North Charleston High School to the South Carolina playoffs for the first time in a decade. (RGS)
“First and foremost, I hope to accomplish a cohesive unit of brothers that want each other to be successful on and off the field. The most important thing for me is to use baseball as a tool to teach life. I want the baseball team to be leaders on campus – helping others and competing in the classroom as well as the field,” he says. “ I would like to set the tone that whenever a team plays us they know we will battle to the last play and leave it all on the field. I want our jerseys to be dirty after every game.”
Coach Wright will live on campus and teach humanities in the Upper School. He was born in New York City and is a huge Yankees fan who loves history, travel, music, and the positive impact he can make as a teacher and coach.
“I would like to thank my family for believing in me and my dream to become a teacher and coach, and God for opening these pathways for me. It is an absolute honor to coach at RabunGap. RabunGap embodies the desire to be successful on the field, in the classroom, and as a community teammate,” he says. “RabunGap Baseball, under the leadership of Stuart Jump and past coaches, has made a great impact on the league and past players. I hope I can follow in their footsteps to continue the success of a great program.”
“We are thrilled to have Clark leading our baseball program,” Earnhardt says. “I know he will continue to build a legacy of excellence for RabunGap Baseball. His coaching and playing experience are a huge asset to our program.”
New coach lineup
Other new head coaches for RabunGap include:
Le’Aqua Shoates, new Middle School Dean, will take over the Middle School track and field program.
Dustin Barnes will lead the junior varsity basketball team as head coach and assist with the varsity squad. He will also serve in the classroom teaching Middle School humanities and a section of physical education.
Madison Philbrick will serve as head coach for the Middle School girls basketball team this winter and be the varsity volleyball assistant this fall. Coach Philbrick is a community coach and lives on campus with her fiance, Dustin Barnes.
Additional head coaching changes that will be filled by current RabunGap faculty include:
Stephen Karplus will serve as head coach for the varsity girls tennis team this fall, in addition to remaining at the helm of the boys team this spring.
Jonathan BySura returns to the court as head middle school volleyball coach this fall.
Stuart Jump will lead the middle school boys basketball team this winter.
Community Coach Greg McMullen is moving up to become head coach for JV baseball.
“I am looking forward to welcoming our new head coaches to the RabunGap Eagles family,” says Eagles Athletic Director Dale Earnhardt. “We are confident in all of our coaches and expect great success from our teams at all levels of play.”
Baldwin Police responding to a report of a suspicious vehicle got a lot more than they bargained for when they found tens-of-thousands of dollars worth of illegal drugs inside the vehicle.
Thomas Gannon
Police Chief Charlie Webb says on July 27 officers were called to check on the vehicle and someone possibly unconscious inside as it sat outside a local business.
During their investigation the officers located several scales, a glass pipe, and other drug-related objects. Webb says they also discovered approximately 248 grams of suspected methamphetamine, approximately 2 grams of heroin, and a single suspected THC oil vape.
The estimated street value of the drugs is over $15,000.
Police arrested 30-year-old Thomas Lee Gannon of Alto. He was booked into the Habersham County jail on multiple charges including possession of THC oil, possession of heroin, manufacturing meth, possession of drug-related objects, and violating his probation.
“I am very proud of our Baldwin officers and all of Habersham Law Enforcement for the hard work that they do combating the illegal drug epidemic,” Chief Webb says. “Anytime we can take drugs off the streets, we are saving a life. When they get a big hit like that, it normally means they have put a big dent into a larger operation, so it is even more rewarding to know that even more dangerous drugs are off the streets and multiple lives have possibly been saved.”
Gannon’s bond was denied and he remains in the Habersham County jail.
