Carl Robert Colston, age 71, of Mt. Airy, Georgia, passed away on Thursday, August 8, 2019.

Born on April 5, 1948, in Clarkesville, Georgia, he was a son of the late Charlie and Zelma Brewer Colston. Mr. Colston was a member of Camp Creek Baptist Church and loved the outdoors, sports, his grandchildren, and helping neighbors. He was a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, and son. Carl was a kind and gentle man to all.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brothers and sisters-in-law: Vernon L. and Addie Colston, Harold R. and Joyce Colston, and Russell L. Colston and sisters and brothers-in-law, Rubye and Claud F. Batson and Ruth and Leo Forester.

Survivors include his wife, Genevieve Colston of Mt. Airy; sons and daughters-in-law, Tim and Kristy Colston of McEwen, TN and Terry and Michelle Colston of Mt. Airy; brother and sister-in-law, Weldon and Betty Colston of Cornelia; sister and brother-in-law, Margie and Kenneth Alexander of Demorest; sister-in-law, Frances Colston of Cornelia; grandchildren: Erika Eichhorn, Logan Tummins, Carrie Coker, Hayden Colston, Dawson Colston, Faith Colston, Drew Colston, Cory Colston, and Tate Colston; and great-grandchildren, Layne Tummins and Harper Eichhorn.

Funeral services will be held at 3:00 pm on Sunday, August 11, 2019, at the Chapel of McGahee-Griffin and Stewart Funeral Home with Rev. Anthony Shore and Pastor David Terrell officiating. Interment will follow in New Hope Baptist Church Cemetery with Elder Charles Chapman officiating.

The family will receive friends from 5-8 pm on Saturday at the funeral home.

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.

Fireworks will cap off the evening at Raider Stadium on August 10.  (Daniel Purcell/Now Habersham)

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.

All summer the diamond girls have been getting ready for the 2019 season. BLITZ Sports just released its initial Power Rankings of high school softball teams in the area. Banks County comes in at #1 while Habersham Central ranks ninth on the list, primarly due to the loss of head coach Stephanie Thomas and standouts Paige Cook and Adelaide Askew.

The game rolls on, but Habersham has a lot to overcome. Even with those aforementioned pieces in place, it was a difficult 10-14 season last year that resulted in no playoffs.

Keep an eye on returning impact players Kilee Thomas and Brayden Staton.

Staff members at Lee Arrendale State Prison made an unusual find that prevented illegal contraband from getting into the women’s prison in Alto.

The Georgia Department of Corrections posted a photo Friday on Twitter of a deflated football and hundreds of cigarettes and several packs of rolling papers. The photo shows 32 bundles of the contraband bound with clear plastic wrap and what appears to be blue painters tape.

“Thanks to diligent staff at Lee Arrendale State Prison, an altered football was discovered between the fences, which contained approximately 600 cigarettes & 6 packs of rolling papers,” the GDC says in the tweet.

It’s one of several photos posted to the GDC Twitter account of contraband found at various prisons across the state.

The Lee Arrendale post is marked with #notonourwatch.

Teresa Tomlinson did something no other mayoral candidate had done in over forty years in Columbus, Georgia – she won a second term during a contested election. And she did it in a big way.

Tomlinson won her re-election bid in 2014 with 63% of the vote. Now, the former Mayor of Columbus (her second term ended in January of this year) hopes to repeat her success at the ballot box in a bid to unseat incumbent Republican Georgia U.S. Senator David Perdue.

Before she can take on Perdue, Tomlinson must first hold off a crowded field of candidates from within her own party.

There are currently five Democrats vying for Perdue’s Senate seat. They include Clarkston Mayor Ted Terry, Stockbridge High School teacher Akhenaten Amun, Atlanta-based financial counselor Marckeith DeJesus, and pastor Elaine Whigham Williams. More Democrats are expected to enter the race ahead of the May 19, 2020 Primary Election.

For now, Perdue remains the sole Republican in the race.

Tomlinson campaign coming to Cornelia

Since announcing her candidacy in May, Tomlinson has been busy on the campaign trail. She’ll bring her campaign to northeast Georgia next week.

Tomlinson will be the guest speaker at the Habersham County Democratic Party meeting in Cornelia on Tuesday, August 13. The meeting is open to the public and will begin at 6 p.m. at the Cornelia Public Library.

The library is located at 301 N Main Street in Cornelia.

UPDATED: Who could challenge Sen. David Perdue in 2020

Henry F. “Red” Holbrook, age 89 of Mt. Airy, passed away Saturday, August 10, 2019. Arrangements are incomplete and will be announced soon.

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.

A crime drama that at best is derivative and at worst is inconsequential.

It stars Melissa McCarthy, Tiffany Haddish, and Elisabeth Moss as three wives living in Hell’s Kitchen in New York in 1978 when their criminal husbands are arrested for armed robbery.

The three women are left to the mercy of their former boss who tells them that he will take care of them while their husbands are away. The women see little to no effort and decide to take matters into their own hands.

After getting rid of their husband’s boss, the women take control of crime in the Kitchen and basically act as the new Irish mob. Now pretty much everyone else is at their mercy including the audience.

Things get complicated when Moss’ character begins an affair with a former associate (Domnhall Gleeson) and the other two think this will bring down their whole operation.

McCarthy, Haddish, and Moss are saddled into material that wastes their talents despite doing what they can to keep the movie from undermining them.

Instead of an engrossing crime drama, we get sloppy dialogue, lazy character motivations, and contrivances that don’t really add up to much and what’s worse, we just don’t care.

This movie really amounts to nothing more than Scorsese lite and it very much recycles his endlessly durable mobster cliches left, right, and center. It’s a bland concoction for 103 minutes.

I took the heat so you can stay out of The Kitchen.

Grade: C-

(Rated R for violence, language throughout and some sexual content.)

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.

Click the link below to access the file.

Media Summary 08122019

Award recognizes Northeast Georgia Medical Center’s efforts to prevent HPV-related cancers

(Gainesville, Ga.) – Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) is one of only three hospitals in Georgia – and 24 hospital systems in the Southeast – to receive the American Cancer Society’s HPV Cancer Free Partnership Award for 2019.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) recently recognized NGMC for its efforts to prevent human papillomavirus (HPV) related cancers. The HPV Cancer Free Partnership Award provides NGMC with funding specifically designated to support evidence-based interventions aimed at preventing HPV-related cancers.

“We’re honored to be recognized by the American Cancer Society as a leader in HPV prevention efforts and excited to partner together to better educate those in our community,” says Jayme Carrico, executive director of Oncology Services for NGMC.

The HPV Partnership Award is given to hospital systems that have embraced the Mission HPV Cancer Free campaign and are currently working with the ACS to develop and implement prevention and awareness initiatives for HPV-related cancers.

“Through funding from this partnership, we’ve been able to reach areas of our community most at-risk,” adds Carrico. “By collaborating with Good News Clinics, which provides free medical care to uninsured patients, Northeast Georgia Medical Center has hosted three HPV prevention and educational programs so far in 2019, with more to come. Additionally, we’ve been able to help reduce barriers for women in our community in need of cervical cancer screenings – particularly those who have rarely or never been screened.”

About 14 million people, including teens, become infected with HPV each year, and an estimated 80 percent of people will get HPV during their lifetime. While most HPV infections go away on their own without lasting health problems, there is no way to know if an infection will lead to cancer. HPV infection is known to cause six different types of cancer: cervical, vaginal, vulvar, anal, penile and throat cancers.

Approximately 31,500 men and women each year are diagnosed with an HPV-related cancer. While there is no current treatment available for HPV infection, vaccination and screening can help prevent most HPV-related cancers.

The American Cancer Society recommends boys and girls ages 11 to 12 receive the two-shot HPV vaccine series. HPV vaccination prevents an estimated 90% of HPV cancers when given at the recommended age, but cancer protection decreases as age at vaccination increases.

“The American Cancer Society is determined to protect the future of every boy and girl by preventing six types of cancer with the HPV vaccine,” said Debbie Saslow, PhD, senior director of HPV and women’s cancers for the ACS. “We have a historic opportunity, and all we have to do is make sure the children in our lives are vaccinated and the women in our lives are screened.”

For information about NGMC’s nationally recognized Cancer Services, visit nghs.com/cancer. For additional information about HPV-related cancers and the ACS’s work to reduce them, visit cancer.org/HPV.

Estate is an old word that most of us don’t use very often. It conjures up images of castles and land. Actually, we all have an estate – the assets we own when we die. I helped a friend with her family’s estate sale over the weekend, and let me tell you, if you haven’t had to do this, it’s a toughie. I’ve had many yard or garage sales over the years and each time it was simply to make room in an already cluttered life.

This time was much different.

My friend’s mother-in-law, Nanny, passed last year, leaving behind a life well-lived and well-enjoyed. Nanny had been a caregiver for most of the second part of her life, dedicating her life to care for her mother and husband. However, the last few years of her life, Nanny had been the one to be cared for.  Thankfully, her boys, daughters-in-law, and grandchildren were nearby to assist as needed. Her departure left a huge hole in their hearts and it took a while to sort through all the necessary emotions associated with losing someone much loved.

This weekend was the time for handling her house and worldly possessions. The house had a contract in three days; the contents of the house took a little longer. As an “outsider,” I was able to help with pricing and arranging with no emotional ties to the items. (I also spend too much time at yard sales so I had a good idea of how to price to sell.) It wasn’t nearly so easy for the family.

Nanny’s dinner table, full of so many precious memories, was reduced to a price too low for its emotional worth. This was the table Nanny had scrimped and saved for and finally bought. Thankfully, it was sold to a friend and their family will make sweet memories around it.

Although it may seem like “things” to another person, the family had memories associated with Nanny’s recliner, her desk, and her bed. Possessions tell stories, like the turkey soup tureen that Nanny bought with the money she’d been given to buy a crib! The story passed along to the new owner of the tureen.  Nanny loved glassware and dishes and setting a beautiful table. Each sale took away another of Nanny’s possessions.

Of course, the family had gone through and collected the different pieces they wanted to keep. Some pieces were even staying behind in the house for the new owners. For two days, however, bits of Nanny went home with the different customers. We all knew things didn’t contain her; nevertheless, the estate was diminishing and it was a struggle.

Estate is such a funny word in times like these. Nanny didn’t own a manor house with acres of land in the country. Thankfully, there were no cattle or horses to care for, no butler or groundskeeper to see appointed to different positions. Instead, there was a simple, well-cared-for house and nice things to pass on to family, and through the estate sale this weekend, many other folks.

One shopper summed it up this way: “I can tell that a woman with a kind heart lived here. I can tell by her things that she was a beautiful woman who appreciated life. Anyone who knew her was really lucky to have known her.”

Yes, she was and yes, she did. And yes, we were.

Workers will be installing new storm culverts under Wells Street and Moss Street in Cornelia beginning Tuesday, August 13.

The city is temporarily closing the streets for the work to get done. Moss Street will be closed from Main Street to Ellis Street and Wells Street will be closed from Moss Street to Front Street, according to city officials.

If you have any questions or concerns please contact Cornelia City Hall at 706-778-8585.

Event aims to bring people together from all walks of life for an evening of fellowship and fun

For over 20 years Northeast Georgians have gathered annually for the Martin Luther King Day Peace Walk in Habersham County. This week, the organizers behind that event want to bring the community together for a potluck picnic at Pitts Park.

The event, scheduled for this Thursday, August 15, will offer people from all walks of a life a chance to meet and mingle and celebrate the true meaning of community.

“It came from the MLK march,” explains Denise Eller, a community resource specialist who is helping to organize the picnic. “Every year after the march we’d get together and say ‘Why didn’t we bring more people? ‘Why didn’t we include more children’.”

Eller and others hope to do just that through this first-ever summertime event.

While the idea has been brewing for some time, she says the real push for this week’s picnic came from people who know better than most the need for understanding across human divides.

“We don’t have to agree with one another about everything, we just need to remember that we are all kin.”

Dream Weavers and ARC provide opportunities and encouragement for developmentally delayed adults. Members from both groups annually participate in the MLK march. This year, Eller says, they were eager to launch another event aimed at breaking down barriers and bringing the community together.

“I’m very excited that adults with disabilities are the ones hosting this event,” Eller says. “They’ll make it more fun; they’re so excited!”

Julianne Wilson of White County works with Dream Weavers. She says the underlying theme of the potluck picnic at Pitts Park – fostering mutual respect and understanding among people from diverse backgrounds – is now more important than ever.

“I believe that in this time of great and too often violent division in our nation, our best hope for moving forward in a positive way is to come together in ways that foster dialogue and understanding,” Wilson says. “We don’t have to agree with one another about everything, we just need to remember that we are all kin.”

Eller agrees.

“Our vision is to bring people of different walks of life together to sit down to eat together. We’d really like to have conversations among people who don’t normally run in the same circles.”

The picnic will begin at 6 p.m. Thursday at Pitts Park located off of GA 197 North in Clarkesville. It’s free and open to anyone who’d like to attend. Organizers ask, if you come, please bring a dish and a tablecloth. Any color will do. The hosts want to set a table that’s as diverse as those who gather around it.

Plates, cups, utensils, and drinks will be provided.

“We really don’t have any way of knowing how many people are going to show up at this thing but we’re just going to do it anyway because it feels like the right time,” Eller says.

“We have so much potential as human beings – at our core, we all want the same things – to belong, to live our lives in meaningful ways, to love and be loved,” adds Wilson. “We have created what is – and it’s not working – so we must do the work together of creating something new.”

Thursday’s dinner is simply billed as a ‘fellowship dinner.’ There’s no set program planned but there will be an open mic on stage for anyone who’d like to speak.  If it rains the picnic will be rescheduled for Thursday, August 22.

George Joseph Weiland, age 60 of Clarkesville, Georgia passed away on Sunday, August 11, 2019.

Born in Long Island, New York on November 07, 1958, he was a son of the late George Elmer & Miriam June Mottel Weiland. George lived in Long Island for over 27 years before moving to Hollywood, Florida in 1987. He moved to Clarkesville, Georgia in 2015 and was employed with Big Lots of Cornelia with several years of dedicated service. He loved his family and was an avid New York Yankee’s fan. George was of the Catholic faith.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his grandparents, Joseph & Ottolie Mottel, George & Maybelle Weiland, and a cousin, Gail Quigley Weiss.

Survivors include his sister & brother-in-law, Deborah Roman & Donald Pick of Clarkesville, GA; brother, Roger Weiland of Stroudsburg, PA; sister-in-law, Dianne Rogone of Phoenix, AZ; nephew, Christopher Weiland; nieces, Shannon Weiland & Lauren Edwards; great-nephews, Aiden & Bryson; great-niece, Kinzlee; cousins, Bea & Tony Dellaria & their children, Allison & Angela; Teri & Jim Dellaria & their children, James & Thea, all of Stroudsburg, PA; Kym Weiss Churchman, Josh Weiss, Rob Quigley & his daughter, Michelle Quigley, all of California; & many friends.

George’s wishes were to be cremated and a private family service will be held at a later date.

An online guest book is available at www.hillsidememorialchapel.com

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

Georgia’s new insurance commissioner, John F. King, called Monday for the resignation of all board members of the Georgia Underwriting Association in the wake of the indictment of Jim Beck, the agency’s former chief.

Beck faces trial over a 38-count indictment, which contains allegations that stem from Beck’s tenure as general manager of operations for the Georgia Underwriting Association.

The indictment alleges Beck stole more than $2 million from the GUA through ‘’an elaborate invoicing scheme,’’ according to BJay Pak, the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia.

According to the indictment, the scheme went on for five years and lasted until August 2018, after Beck won the Republican primary for insurance commissioner. Thousands of dollars of the alleged fraudulent payments went to Beck’s campaign fund, Pak said. Other money went to personal expenditures, investments and the payment of taxes, he added.

The Underwriting Association provides high-risk property coverage to Georgia homeowners. Beck, 57, served as the organization’s general manager for operations.

Beck has maintained that he is innocent of the federal charges. He was suspended from his commissioner post in May, and King was sworn in as his replacement in July.

King also called for a “complete audit of GUA’s books.”

“As Georgia’s new insurance and safety fire commissioner, my mission is simple: to restore trust in the department of Insurance. Today, we are taking a small – but deliberate step – towards accomplishing that goal,” said King in a statement.

“According to U.S. Attorney BJ Pak and his 38-count indictment, this organization fell victim to Mr. Beck’s alleged crimes,’’ King said. “This ongoing investigation has undermined the confidence that hardworking Georgians have in the Georgia Underwriting Association, its operations, and those who are responsible for its finances.”

The GUA board consists of twelve individuals. Four are appointed by the commissioner, and the remaining eight board members are appointed by insurance companies licensed in Georgia.

Georgia Republican Party Chairman David Shafer, a member of the board, told the AJC that he had already offered to resign.

“I have offered to resign every year for the last 20 years, and I have offered to resign to Commissioner King,” Shafer said.

On Monday morning, letters were sent to the four individuals appointed by Ralph Hudgens, whose term as commissioner ended in January, as well as the eight insurance companies who have a representative on the board, officials said.

“We have a duty to put people over politics and accountability over the status quo. It is my hope that fresh faces, who reflect our state and our values, will apply to fill the vacancies. I am confident we can address the organization’s shortcomings and restore its reputation,” King added. “We will work diligently in the months ahead to restore confidence in GUA, which serves as the last resort for many families and businesses looking for insurance.”

Deirdre Nott Williams, age 76 of Clayton, passed away Sunday, August 11, 2019.

No formal services will be held.

Habersham Crematory (678-617-2210) of Cornelia is in charge of arrangements.

White County had many talented players on the roster last season. That doesn’t always mean all the pieces fall into place. The Warriors were snake-bit by misfortune, which kept them to a grand total of 3 wins. Nonetheless, these guys made the playoffs before falling at Pickens in the first round. Coach Tim Cokely and his 2019 cast will seek more cohesion and consistency this time around.

7 Things to Know About the Warriors

By: Brian Carter, BLITZ

She’s the most awarded female vocalist in contemporary Christian music history, and she’s coming to Franklin, North Carolina, later this month.

Sandi Patty, widely-known simply as “The Voice”, is scheduled to perform at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, August 31.

Patty shot to national fame in 1986 when ABC News played her rendition of The Star Spangled Banner during its televised coverage of Liberty Weekend (see video below). Her soaring vocals and four-octave range won her widespread accalaim and catapulted her into the national spotlight.

Over the span of her forty-year career, Patty has earned five Grammy Awards, four Billboard Music Awards, and 40 Dove Awards. She’s released over 30 albums and has scored three platinum records and five gold records.

Though deeply rooted in the gospel music industry, Patty also performs outside the genre. She has performed in sold out concerts with symphonies around the country including the New York Pops, Boston Pops, Cincinnati Pops, Atlanta Symphony, Dallas Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Houston Symphony, and Oklahoma City Philharmonic.

In 2004, Sandi Patty was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. In 2015, she announced her retirement.

Now she’s back, embarking on a limited national tour that will bring her to Franklin, North Carolina, before taking her to the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. on September 29. Later this year the tour will head to Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, where Sandi Patty will appear in concert with famed Broadway actress/singer Kristin Chenoweth.

In addition to her prolific musical career, Sandi is also an accomplished author, penning more than a half-dozen books.

“I am grateful for the many opportunities God has given in my life and for how He has allowed me to spread my wings,” says Patty in her online biography. “Singing is my way to tell my story of hope, life, and love.”

Sandi and her husband, Don Peslis, have a blended family of eight children. They live in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, where Don is a pastor and Sandi serves as Artist in Residence at Crossings Community Church.

Tickets are still available for the concert at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts and may be purchsed here.

If you travel Highway 115 into Lumpkin County be prepared for a new traffic pattern.

On Wednesday, August 14, construction partners with the Georgia DOT will shift traffic into the roundabout configuration at the intersection of State Route 52, State Route 115/Copper Mine Road.

Drivers will continue to see construction as additional work is needed to finish the roundabout’s center island, according to state transporation officials.

Electronic message boards will be present on the approaches to the intersection to notify motorists of the traffic pattern change.

Please stay alert and use extra caution as you travel through the area.

The severe thunderstorm that swept through late Tuesday knocked down power lines and trees like this one near a home on Pear Valley Drive in Clarkesville. (Daniel Purcell/Now Habersham)

Thousands of homes and businesses were left without electricity overnight as severe storms knocked out power across North Georgia.

The storm system swept through around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday dropping heavy rain on some areas and packing wind gusts of up to 60 mph. It blew down trees and power lines. Around midnight, Habersham EMC reported approximately 3,500 meters were out in Habersham, Hall, Lumpkin, Rabun, and White counties. By Wednesday afternoon, HEMC crews had restored power to all but a handful of those customers.

Storm sparks fire, leaves trail of damage in White County

Thousands of Georgia Power customers were also affected by the storm. As of 3 p.m. Wednesday, around 800 Georgia Power customers were still without power across the state. A handful of those customers were in Clarkesville where a tree fell near a house on Pear Valley Drive. Initial reports indicated the occupants were trapped inside because power lines were tangled inside the fallen tree.

Electric company officials urge, if you see a downed power line avoid the area, treat it as if it is live, and report it immediately.

To report outages and hazards to HEMC call 706-754-2114, 706-865-4362, or 800-640-6812.

To report a downed power line or dangerous conditions to Georgia Power call 1-888-891-0938. You may also report Georgia Power outages online through the company’s website.

Last update 9/14/19@3pm

The Habersham County Board of Commissioners will hold its final public hearing on a proposed property tax increase during a called meeting at the County Administration Building on Wednesday, August 14.

This will be the fourth public hearing on the proposed measure. County manager Phil Sutton says the state department of revenue required the extra hearing in order for the county to approve its tax digest for 2019.

Commissioners are considering raising the county millage rate by .221 mils from 11.468 to 11.689. Under the proposal, owners of a home with a fair market value of $150,000 would pay approximately $8.76 more in taxes. Owners of a non-homestead property with a fair market value of $150,000 will face a similar increase, according to the county.

The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. in the Commission Conference Room in the County Administration Building located next to the Ruby Fulbright Aquatic Center at 130 Jacob’s Way in Clarkesville.