Richard Merritt Britt, 82, currently of Clarkesville, Georgia, passed away peacefully at Mountain View Health and Rehabilitation Center in Clayton, Georgia on Monday, August 19, 2019, from complications of long-term dementia.

Born on October 04, 1936 in Jacksonville, Florida, Richard spent most of his early years in the culturally and environmentally rich central Florida town of Winter Park, the perfect setting for this person of enormous personal charm, good humor, sports, and creative talent. Some of his fondest memories were the times he spent with his father at his father’s hunting camp and the summertime stays with the whole family at the “camp” on Lake Butler in Winter Garden (near the present Disney World complex). An avid swimmer, water-skier, and fisherman, he was also a fantastic partner on the ball room dance floor, played trumpet, and piano. and was highly popular among his large community of friends. He also treasured summertime visits with his beloved grandmother (on his mother’s side) at her Pre-Civil War homeplace in southern Alabama, enjoying life as it was in a much simpler time (without running water or electricity, learning farming techniques, caring for farm animals).

Richard attended prep school at Christ School in Arden, North Carolina, returned home to graduate from Winter Park High School, and attended the University of Florida before joining the military. He served four years in the United States Navy followed by three years in the United States Air Force. Afterwards, he spent his working career with two large corporations, General Motors, in Quality Control, and Atlantic Steel, in management.

Following retirement in 1996, he and his wife Betty moved to their vacation home in western North Carolina, where he became interested in remodeling the rustic little cabin into a beautiful home. He also took a part-time job for the next 17 years at a popular convenience store in Rosman, North Carolina; there, he met many wonderful people whom he grew to love and admire over the years.

When not at work, Richard’s greatest joy was spending time with his beloved dogs, as many as seven over the years, plus one shared adopted one. Another big joy was building his own workshop, or as he called it, his “Man Cave.” Inside the 12 by 12 foot structure were all the conveniences of comfort: a desk with a computer where he could play bridge with people all over the world; a flat screen TV with satellite connection for watching his favorite shows and sports events, especially his dearly loved Atlanta Braves and Falcons; a comfortable lounge chair; and a refrigerator filled with goodies.

Betty and Richard moved to Clarkesville in April 2018, to be nearer to family as Richard’s health condition declined. Richard’s charm and ability to make friends never did decline. One of the persons who helped with his care said: “I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to know Richard. Even when he was having difficult days, it was never too hard to coax out his sparkle and charm and have a chuckle (or a snack) with him…I’ll never forget him.”

Richard is survived by his wife Betty, who loved him dearly for 37 years; step-son, Vincent Ray of Charlotte, NC; whom he raised from the age of three years; Vincent’s wife Sonya; wonderful step-daughter, Beverly Randall of Stone Mountain; three sons, Stephen, Christopher, and Eric Britt and their mother Patti Britt of Northeast, Pennsylvania; one sister, Jeanie Britt Daves (husband, Walter), of Clarkesville, GA; and 13 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Emma Brunson Britt & Henry Merritt Britt of Winter Park, his sister Brenda Britt Stabell (husband, Richard) of Houston, TX; and his son-in-law, Bob Randall of Atlanta, GA.

Funeral services are scheduled for 2:00 p.m. Thursday, August 22, 2019 from the Hillside Chapel with Rev. Danny Odum officiating. Interment will follow in the Hillside Gardens Cemetery with military honors provided.

The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 1:00 p.m. until the service hour on Thursday.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that all donations be made to Happy Tailz Pet Rescue, Inc., P.O. Box 801, Sautee-Nacoochee, Georgia 30571.

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

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

Volleyball season is underway and the Tallulah Falls Indians are off to a good start.

The Tallulah Falls School JV volleyball team split matches with Hart County and Habersham Central High School on Aug 15.

The Lady Indians defeated Hart in straight sets, earning the team the first win of the 2019 season.

TFS struggled early in the first set against Hart, but pushed through and won 25-22, according to coach Matt Crotta. From there, the Lady Indians used momentum to their advantage and won the second set, 25-18.

“Tri-captains, sophomore Nancy Fisher of Clarkesville, junior Hannah Hunt of Toccoa and freshman Chloe Kahwach of Cleveland led the team to victory with excellent serving,” said coach Matt Crotta. “Congratulations to the Lady Indians for their first win of the season!”

After defeating Hart, TFS took the court a second time to compete against HCHS.

“Despite a great run of serving from captain Nancy Fisher, the girls were unable to overcome a skilled Habersham team,” Crotta said.

The Lady Indians will look to learn and improve from the matches against Hart and HCHS when they play in the East Jackson JV Tournament on Aug. 24, at East Jackson High School.

TFS Middle School volleyball

On Aug. 17, the Tallulah Falls School middle school volleyball team traveled to Banks County High School to compete in the Gainesville Area Middle School volleyball preseason jamboree.

The Lady Indians competed against Hart County, Lanier Christian and Lakeview Academy.

“The day was full of excitement and lessons learned,” said coach Whitney LaHayne. “The girls have been working on a new rotation system for both the A and B teams that will help them keep up with other players in this league and help them as they advance to high school. We are in the process of changing a lot of our strategies this season. With practice, dedication and determination we hope to reach our full potential.”

Both the A and B teams earned a win in their matches on Saturday, LaHayne said.

TFS defeated Lanier Christian but lost to Hart County and Lakeview. The Lady Indians have a long season ahead and will be able to use what they learned from these matches down the road, she added.

“All in all, it was a good day to gain experience and to view our competition for the upcoming season, she said. “We learned some valuable lessons.”

A Nebraska high school teen’s senior pictures have gone viral as she remembers her father in a special way.

Julia Yllescas’s father, U.S. Army Captain Robert Yllescas, died in 2008 after he was injured by an IED in Afghanistan. Yllesca says when it came time to take her senior pictures, she wanted him to be there in some way.

She asked the photographer if she could create an “angel picture.” She sent in photos of her father and here’s what she got back in return – images of her standing holding a flag with a faint image of her father standing next to her and another faint image of him sitting next to her on a bench.

“I almost felt when I saw those pictures that he truly was there,” Yllescas told KOLN.

Being an active-duty military wife herself, the photographer said she was honored to take the photos.

“I was teary-eyed when I was editing them, all I could think in my head is I don’t ever want to have to do this for my own kids,” says photographer Susanne Beckmann.

For the high school senior, the photos are a reminder that, although her dad is not physically with her, he will always be right by her side.

Mildred Lavada Barrett Dean, age 91, of Mt. Airy, Georgia, passed away on Tuesday, August 20, 2019.

Born on June 14, 1928, in Asheville, North Carolina, she was the daughter of the late Carl Claude and Cleo Todd Barrett. She was a graduate of White County High School and a homemaker. Mrs. Dean was a member of Hazel Creek Baptist Church and enjoyed cake decorating. She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Claude Wilburn Dean; brothers and sister-in-law, Ray and Louella Barrett and Charles Barrett; and sister-in-law, Bernice Barrett.

Survivors include her sons and daughters-in-law, Varon and Marie Dean of Toccoa and Keith and Debra Dean of Mt. Airy; brother and sister-in-law, Telford and Toni Barrett of Ringgold; sister-in-law, Alwayne Barrett of Cleveland; grandchildren and spouses: Bobby LaDonna Dean, Randall and Laurie Dean, Kobey and Shay Dean, and Keylia Dean and Seth Patton; and great-grandchildren: Heather Marcus, Kristi Marcus, Katie Dean, Dawson Dean, Anna Dean, Karah Dean, Kristen Dean, Joshua Dean, Carson Patton, and Judson Patton.

Funeral services are scheduled for 2:00 pm on Friday, August 23, 2019, at the Chapel of McGahee-Griffin and Stewart Funeral Home with Rev. Trent Smith and Pastor David Stancil officiating. Interment will follow in Chattahoochee Baptist Church Cemetery with Rev. Gary Heffner officiating.

The family will receive friends from 6-8 pm on Thursday at the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Gideons International, Habersham South Camp, P.O. Box 195, Baldwin,

Georgia 30511 or to Hazel Creek Baptist Church, Building Fund, 243 Hazel Creek Church Road, Mt. Airy, Georgia 30563.

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

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

Georgia is still failing to meet key parts of its agreement with the U.S. Justice Department on caring for people with mental illness and developmental disabilities, according to an independent reviewer’s report released this week.

The reviewer, Elizabeth Jones, cited “preventable deaths occurring in the state system, often the product of confirmed neglect.’’ Many deaths of people with developmental disabilities were classified as ‘‘unexpected,’’ she said.

Furthermore, on the issue of Georgia’s obligation to provide supported housing for people with mental illness, Jones said the state’s performance “appears to be slipping, rather than moving forward as expected.’’

Jones’ oversight role arose from a 2010 settlement agreement between the state and the Justice Department. In that landmark pact, Georgia agreed to provide new community services for people with mental illness and those with developmental or intellectual disabilities.

The new report by Jones, dated Monday, is more sharply worded than her past reviews of the state’s performance.

In response, Georgia’s Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) acknowledged flaws in some programs but defended the state’s progress in revamping the system.

“We believe we have put in place the fundamental building blocks at the department and in our provider network to provide adequate services and oversight and respond to people with complex needs,’’ DBHDD Commissioner Judy Fitzgerald said Tuesday.

“We will work to improve our ability to meet their needs in spite of challenging workforce shortages,’’ Fitzgerald said, citing a need for more nurses and certified behavioral specialists.

In the 2010 pact, the state agreed to end all admissions of people with developmental disabilities to state psychiatric hospitals. It also promised that patients with developmental disabilities already in those hospitals would be moved to more appropriate settings in their communities.

Georgia also agreed to establish community services and housing for about 9,000 people with mental illness, and to create community support and crisis intervention teams to help people with developmental disabilities and mental illness avoid hospitalization. An AJC series in 2007 about deaths of patients in state hospitals helped lead to the settlement.

Earlier this year, GHN reported that the state had asked the DOJ to end its oversight of Georgia’s public system for people with mental illness and developmental disabilities.

Jones, in her report, took exception to the state’s assertion that it is in substantial compliance with the terms of the settlement agreement. The Department of Justice recently told the state that it does not agree with Georgia’s  request to end federal oversight at this time, officials said.

To improve care for people with disabilities, Fitzgerald said, the state is giving assistance to medical and community providers “in special areas of concern.’’

“One preventable death is too many,’’ Fitzgerald said. “We will continue to invest in improvements in quality of care at the individual level’’ and build a tracking system to identify major trends, she added.

Among deficiencies Jones cited are state data that are not “entirely reliable.’’ She also said Georgia doesn’t have statistics on how many people with mental illness make frequent trips to hospital emergency rooms.

The Jones report said the number of people with mental illness who have authorizations for housing vouchers has decreased. “Utilization of supported housing is the problem in Georgia, not the lack of need for it,’’ the report said.

DBHDD’s Fitzgerald said that “we recognize there are fundamental flaws in the state’s approach to housing.’’

She said the agency plans to overhaul its approach to housing. The current eligibility process “is cumbersome and complex,’’ she added.

“We don’t dispute the reduction in individuals moving into our housing program. That’s a concern to us as well,’’ Fitzgerald said. “We hope we can effectively utilize this important state-funded resource, as it is essential to recovery.’’

It was an unusual and alarming scene in Cornelia Tuesday as emergency crews worked to free a driver trapped inside a crushed pickup along North Main Street.

The man was trapped after the truck struck another vehicle, then a business, and rolled over a wall onto its top.

Witnesses called 911. Cornelia Police and Fire personnel along with Habersham County Emergency Services were dispatched to the scene.

HCES Director Chad Black says the way the truck came to a rest made extricating the driver difficult. He says the rescue was further complicated by gas from the vehicle’s tank pouring onto the ground where the driver was located. Cornelia firefighters used foam and charged hoses to guard against fire. It took emergency personnel thirty minutes to pull the man from the wreckage.

Once he was freed, Habersham EMS transported the driver to Northeast Georgia Medical Center.

“This was a difficult extrication with the position of the vehicle, access to the patient, and active fuel leak,” says Black, “but great team work by all agencies resulted in a successful outcome.”

Authorities have not released any information on the man’s condition. It’s also not clear what caused the accident. The Georgia State Patrol is investigating.

(Cleveland)- Most of the  fiber internet customers affected by the major outage of  service affecting North Georgia Network (NGN) and Trailwave internet service have had their service restored.

Cleveland Police and City Hall were among the customers that had to deal with the problem including the loss of their phone service because it’s a VOIP system. Both agencies have now gotten their service back up and running.

Prior to the restoration, Police Chief John Foster asked citizens to use a special cell phone number set up to contact them.

White County Government  offices experienced issues Tuesday but their service has been restored.

Nicole  Dover, spokesperson for Habersham EMC which operates Trailwave Internet service, said just before noon that service has been restored to the majority of Trailwave subscribers, however some in the Cleveland area continued to have intermittent issues. Dover said they are working to resolve all issues and are looking into what caused the outage.

If subscribers are experiencing issues, they should contact Tech Support at 706-754-9094.

By: Dean Dyer, WRWH News

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 08212019

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – The Piedmont College men’s soccer team was picked to finish third in the USA South West Division Preseason Poll, voted on by the league’s coaches and released on Wednesday afternoon.

The Lions received 28 total points and one first-place vote. Covenant was picked to take the West Division, coming in with 33 total points and three first-place votes. Defending champion Maryville was tabbed second, also tallying three first-place votes and coming in with 32 total points.

Last season, the Lions finished third in the regular season standings with a 6-3-3 conference record after being picked fourth in the preseason.

This season, PC returns 11 players who made at least eight starts in 2018. Among those 11 returning starters is junior forward CAMERON EARLS, who led the league with 16 goals, and senior midfielder JOSE LINARES, who paced the USA South with 10 assists.

The Lions open regular season play on the road against Bob Jones Saturday, August 31 at 6 p.m. Last season, Piedmont began the season with a 3-1 home victory over the Bruins.

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – The Piedmont College women’s soccer team was picked as the favorites with the release of the USA South Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches Poll on Wednesday.

The defending conference champions earned 61 total points and had five first-place votes to edge out Maryville. The Scots received 60 points and the remaining four first-place votes.

Last season, Maryville took the regular season divisional title, but Piedmont put together an impressive tournament run to claim the championship.

The Lady Lions took down top-seed and host college Greensboro 2-1 in double overtime in the semifinals before defeating the Scots 1-0 in the championship game.

Piedmont finished with a 17-5-1 record and earned a trip to the NCAA Tournament where it fell 2-1 to #17 Lynchburg.

Covenant was picked third with 48 points while Huntingdon received 41 points for fourth place.

In the East Division, Pfeiffer took six first-place votes for a total of 62 points while Greensboro received the final three first-place votes and 54 points.

Brevard and Pfeiffer, who are reclassifying from NCAA Division II, will be included in preseason polls and are eligible for regular-season championships honors but will not be able to participate in postseason play.

Piedmont will open play on August 30 against Pfeiffer in Maryville, Tenn. The following day, the Lady Lions will play Birmingham-Southern.

FLOWERY BRANCH – On Tuesday afternoon, September 3, Georgia DOT is set to open all four ramps on Exit 14 off I-985 to traffic.

The new interchange will be dedicated as “The Atlanta Falcons Training Facility Interchange” at a ceremony scheduled for earlier that morning.

GDOT says the new interchange “will reduce travel times, increase safety for the traveling public, and enhance economic development” in and around Hall County,

The exit’s overpass bridge will remain closed to traffic until it’s completion, which is to be announced at a later date.

Transportation officials urge drivers to watch out for new signage and to drive alert while traveling the I-985 corridor in the upcoming weeks.

Around 125 people attended a recent community-wide potluck picnic at Pitts Park.

“I choose love. I choose compassion, inclusion, equality, community.”

With those words, 10-year-old Gracey Eller of Clarkesville set the tone for a gathering last week at Pitts Park that celebrated diversity over division.

The potluck picnic in the park on August 15 served up both food and fellowship. The gathering was hosted by Dream Weavers and ARC which are organizations that serve adults with developmental challenges.

It was a timely event given the current social and political climate in America. Some who attended spoke openly of their concerns about racism, bullying, discrimination, and violence. Others momentarily laid aside those concerns and simply embraced the chance to visit with old friends and meet new people.

“Everyone’s supposed to be able to be together, work together, live in a world with no fear like I grew up in, and they can’t.”

“I welcome everyone from all walks of life,” host Billy Cannon said as he greeted the crowd. Cannon and his fellow Dream Weavers decorated the park gazebo with posters and banners. On pieces of cloth they wrote and sewed words like ‘Love’, ‘Kindness’, ‘Helping Others’, ‘Empathy’, and ‘Peace’ – visual reminders of the hope that infused the gathering, juxtaposed against a backdrop of unease.

“I’m nervous because of the world the way it is now,” Melissa Eller told Now Habersham. Eller is an Air Force veteran. Despite her military training, she said bringing her daughter Gracey and two other children to an outdoor gathering in the wake of recent mass shootings made her anxious.

“I’m nervous for my kids. Are they going to make it past 6, and 10, and 1? Are they going to make it through a line at Walmart? Am I going to make it out with them? Are they going to make it through school?” she asked, rhetorically. “Everyone’s supposed to be able to be together, work together, live in a world with no fear like I grew up in, and they can’t.”

Intolerance weighed just as heavy on some people’s minds.

“Some people are really struggling because they’re not getting accepted by some other people and I’m just here to let them know that I accept them and so should other people,” said Tiara Turk of Cornelia. The Wilbanks Middle Schooler attended the community picnic with members of her church. Her cousin Julia Johnson was also there. The Habersham County 9th grader said she knows what it’s like to be bullied. “We all just need to come together and be like one big family and support each other and lift each other up and not drag each other down.”

That was the point organizers hoped to make – that it’s time to break the chains of fear and intolerance.

“It’s important to let people know that we can come together and we can live together and it’s important that we do so,” said Shady Grove Baptist Church Bishop Ernest Burns. “It’s just good to show the world that we’re the catalyst for what America should look like, being here together.”

And if organizers have their way, they’ll be together again. They say they were extremely pleased with the turnout and hope to make the potluck picnic an annual event.

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – Piedmont College volleyball was picked fourth in the USA South Athletic Conference’s Preseason Coaches Poll on Thursday.

The Lady Lions received 30 points in the West Division and trailed Covenant, Huntingdon and Maryville.

Covenant took five first-place votes and 46 points while the Hawks received two first-place votes and 42 points. Maryville picked up the last first-place vote.

Last season, the Lady Lions finished with a 16-11 record and an appearance in the conference championship game, a first for the program since joining the conference in 2012.

Piedmont entered the tournament as the No. 4 seed out of the West and upset No. 1 Covenant College in the second round.

PC would advance to the semifinals and won a tight 3-2 battle against William Peace. The Lady Lions would see their run end the following day with a loss to Meredith College in the championship game.

In the East, Meredith took seven first-place votes with William Peace getting the final two.

Piedmont will open play in the Emory Classic on Aug. 30 against Oglethorpe and Belhaven. On Sept. 3, the Lady Lions open their home schedule against Truett-McConnell at 7:00 p.m.

Family-oriented event to focus on fun and community awareness

The Habersham County United Way is gearing up for its annual fundraising campaign kickoff this weekend. The event will be held from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturday, August 24, at the Historic Train Depot in Cornelia.

The kickoff is free and open to the public. There will be activities and games, free snacks, and the Cornelia Splash Park will be open for kids (of all ages) to enjoy. In addition to family fun, the event will offer an opportunity for Habersham Countians to learn more about the local United Way and the agencies it supports.

Change Today, Hope for Tomorrow

The theme for this year’s fundraising campaign is Change Today, Hope for Tomorrow. “Without funds raised by the Habersham County United Way, allocations to agencies to provide services would not be possible,” stresses United Way Public Relations/Social Chair Margie Sirmans. And those services can be life-changing.

Among the 21 non-profit agencies the local United Way supports are agencies that help victims of rape and domestic violence,  families that are homeless, and children who have been sexually abused. Other agencies provide educational and other life-enhancing services such as teaching people to read, providing food, free health care, and financial support to those in need. Current partner agencies include the 4-H Club, Boy Scouts of Northeast Georgia, Children’s Center for Hope & Healing, Circle of Hope, Family Resource Center, Foodbank of Northeast Georgia, Foothills Counseling, Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia, Grace Gate, Habersham Christian Learning Center, Habersham County Libraries – Clarkesville & Cornelia, Habersham Homeless Minitries, Habersham Senior Center, Habitat for Humanity, Northeast Georgia Casa, Power House for Kids, Red Cross NE Georgia Chapter, Rape Response, Sharing and Caring, Sisu (formerly Challenged Child and Friends), and Volunteers for Literacy

All of the agencies are vetted and must pass rigorous requirements in order to be accepted as United Way agencies. Each year they must present detailed financial information and program reports to the United Way’s board of directors to ensure they’re working to meet their mission and serve the community.

Sirmans has been with United Way for over twelve years as both a volunteer and member of the board of directors. Through her service she’s seen firsthand the impact United Way and its partner agencies have on people’s lives.

“It makes me feel good to be associated with HabUW, to know that folks who donate can be assured that their valued and hard-earned contributions are allocated to agencies through a thorough community allocation process to help meet the need of those in need,” Sirmans says.

A different approach

In the past, the Habersham County United Way Board of Directors has set and publicized its annual fundraising goals. Not this year. Board President Heather Sinyard says board members decided to take a different approach. “We have an internal number that we need to reach to maintain the current level of what we do in the community right now. What we don’t want to do, is limit the potential to raise more than a set goal,” explains Sinyard.

While the board won’t be talking fundraising numbers this year, one number the board continues to stress is “99¢”. They want the public to know that 99¢ of every dollar given to the Habersham County United Way stays in Habersham to provide services to the local community.

In addition to supporting partner agencies, the local United Way also uses money it raises to fund special program grants. This year United Way gave grants to the LIFT after school tutoring program at Habersham Central High School; Freedom Hill Recovery Home for Women; and the northeast Georgia-based equine therapy program Reins of Life.

“Unfortunately, the needs in this community continue to grow and we want to do all we can to raise as much money as possible to help as many people as possible,” says Sinyard. “We want to be able to offer one-time grants for programs, help the agencies we support offer new programs or even help new agencies provide programs that aren’t offered by the agencies we currently support.”

The fundraising campaign will run through the end of February but the Habersham County United Way welcomes and accepts donations throughout the year.

Customers who experience outage should boil their water as a precaution 

The City of Clarkesville says construction on Washington Street caused a water outage Thursday.

The impacted areas include Washington Street from North Laurel Drive to West Marion Street and Rocky Branch Road from Gabrels Drive to Washington Street.

Clarkesville City Water customers in the affected area are advised to bring water to a rolled boil for at least two minutes before drinking, cooking, or preparing baby food with it.

The Boil Water Advisory is in effect until further notice.

TFS Athletics – Like cooling off a room by leaving the doors open and a fan oscillating, running a course in 91-degree temperature while virtually seeing vapors sucked back to the sky requires some toughness.  The Tribe showed up tough on Tuesday; nearly every TFS veteran member ran faster on the same 3K course than last year.

Ten varsity coed relay pairs, with either gender wearing the finish shoe chip, traipsed rapidly while gasping for reduced O2 for 1.8 miles. In between beginning and ending on the red polyurethane track, the sweaty harriers attacked a long elevation as well as a short, steep, leg searing, lung bursting hill, and a muddy lake level view while a spectrum of cliches muffled through the air from excited onlookers.

Of the 74 competing duos from more than ten schools, top half Indian mixed pairs included Sophie Alexander and Evan Prince (7th), Lucy Alexander and Grey Bourlet (20th), Maria Whitson and Chris Geiger (24th), and Macy Murdock and Kale Corbett (31st).

In the JV race, Chaz Mullis, Eli Sims, Haokun Cheng, Colton Augustine, and Walker Bailey all finished in the top fifty percent of runners.

Those who improved their same 3K course from last year include Augustine, Cheng, Corbett, Mullis, Zi Wang, Ethan Wanner, both Alexanders, Sophie Herrera, Laurel Smith, and Whitson.

Based on the improvements over last year at the same time, the better overall placing, and the heat, the first meet proved to be a strong starting point for the season!

Ekiden 6k Relay Results: https://ga.milesplit.com/meets/360957/results/660098/raw#.XVy6mpNKgnU

JV Overall Boys Results: https://ga.milesplit.com/meets/360957/results/660099/raw#.XVy2tpNKgnV

TFS JV Team Results:  https://ga.milesplit.com/meets/360957/teams/4745#.XV09VpNKgnU

Georgia’s insurance commissioner is warning consumers of the potential financial risks of joining a Health Care Sharing Ministries program as an alternative to regular insurance.

In these organizations, members agree to share one another’s health care costs. Members of an HCSM typically have a particular religious faith in common, and make monthly payments to cover expenses of other members.

The cost of these sharing ministries is usually much lower than traditional health insurance. But as Insurance Commissioner John F. King noted in a statement Thursday, HCSMs are not insurance. Consumers who join them don’t have the same legal rights as people who buy insurance.

The state insurance department has received complaints that the ministries have denied coverage because of pre-existing conditions or have refused to cover medical costs. These complaints indicate that some consumers mistakenly believe that by joining an HCSM, they purchased an insurance product, King said.

A spokesman for King, Brandon Wright, said Thursday that the complaints from Georgia consumers about these programs have increased this year.

HCSMs do not contain common consumer protections required of traditional health insurance, state officials note. While many people in HCSMs have benefited by sharing significant costs of care and treatment with others in these groups, the ultimate legal responsibility for a member’s medical costs is still on that member, King said.

Nationally, more than 1 million people have joined these ministries. That’s up from an estimated 200,000 before the 2010 Affordable Care Act, which required most Americans to have health coverage but granted HSCM members an exemption from the penalty on the non-insured. (The penalty has since been dropped.)

Consumers who join a sharing ministry typically pay a set monthly amount that goes into a general account or directly to others who have an eligible medical bill. They also submit their own eligible bills to be shared by other members, the Wall Street Journal recently reported.

Complaints about sharing ministries have increased nationally. Wright said other states’ insurance chiefs have sent out warnings about HCSMs, including those in Colorado, New Hampshire, Texas, Washington and Nebraska.

Sharing ministries say the complaint uptick is negligible when compared to the surge in their membership. They also say they tell members they aren’t buying insurance and that they have an appeals process for denied claims, the Journal reported.

Some ministries say they work to make the distinction clear. In marketing and communications, “we constantly try . . . to make clear that we are not insurance,” said Samaritan Ministries spokesman Anthony Hopp, according to the Journal article.

“HCSMs must operate with integrity, transparency, full compliance with the law, and enforcement of the law,” officials with Medi-Share, which has 415,000 members nationwide, said in a statement to Kaiser Health News. “Anything outside of that violates the true spirit of the HCSM community.”

As of 2018, 30 states, including Georgia, have declared HCSMs exempt from state insurance codes, citing the fact that these arrangements are not insurance, said Annette Bechtold, past president and current federal legislative chair of the Georgia Association of Health Underwriters.

“There are plenty of people for whom this is the exact right type of program,’’ Bechtold said. “It has lower premiums, promotes our human need and ability to help others, usually does not require that treatment be from certain providers to obtain reimbursements, and puts negotiations and bargain-shopping in the hands of the consumer.’’

But she also pointed out there have been consumer complaints in a number of states against HCSMs. “The largest common denominator for these complaints are that the purchasers thought they were buying insurance and didn’t find out until they tried to submit claims that their expenses weren’t covered.”

King said that before joining an HCSM, consumers should fully consider all options available to them.

“While the law allows legitimate HCSMs to assist families with paying for medical needs, it is very important that you know exactly what you are signing up for,” said Commissioner King. “I came into office with the promise to protect Georgians. I want to make sure that bad actors do not turn a sound option for Georgia families into a nightmare.”

Consumers can contact the Georgia Department of Insurance Consumer Services Division at 404-656-2070, or toll-free at 1-800-656-2298 for more information regarding health insurance.

The community is invited to attend a topping out ceremony at the new Cornelia Municipal Complex on September 6. The multi-million dollar facility is currently under construction. It consists of two buildings. The first is a combination city hall and police department. The second building will house the Cornelia Fire Department. Construction on the complex is expected to be completed by the end of next year.

The topping out event will commemorate the final beam being placed on top of the city hall structure. During the event people will be allowed to sign the beam.

“We are excited to be at this point in the project and to be able to share the opportunity to the public to forever be a part of this building by signing their name on it” Cornelia City Manager Dee Anderson says in a press release.

The ceremony is scheduled for 10 a.m. at the construction site at the corner of Foreacre and South Main Street in downtown Cornelia. Light refreshments will be served.

Habersham Central’s Lady Raider Softball Academic Lettermen were presented helmet stickers by the Academic Booster Club.

Pictured, left to right: HCHS Principal Jonathan Stribling, Assistant Coach Adam Banks, Brayden Staton, Reagan Hart, Cassie Powers, Coach Bill Bradley, and Athletic Director Geep Cunningham.

Hall County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested a Gainesville woman late Thursday afternoon, August 22, after she hit two men with the SUV she was driving.

Patricia Renee Garrison, 46, is charged with two counts of aggravated assault in connection with the incident outside of a residence in the 2,400 block of Dana Drive.

During the initial investigation, Deputies determined that two men with a repossession company had arrived at the address to repossess the SUV. As she was leaving the location, Garrison intentionally drove the Chevrolet Equinox toward one of the men, hitting one of his legs. The first victim, 53, did not suffer any injuries.

She struck a second victim with the SUV, hitting one of his ankles and an arm. Hall County Fire Services transported the injured man, 32, to Northeast Georgia Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries.

A passenger in the SUV, Doyle Timothy Garrison, 55, is charged with two counts of party to the crime of aggravated assault.
Deputies responded to the call at approximately 5 p.m. Both suspects were arrested without incident when they agreed to return to the residence.

The Georgia State Patrol also responded to the call and handled the traffic portion of the investigation.

The case remains under investigation by the Hall County Sheriff’s Office.