Charlene Messier Chastain, age 77 of Eastanollee, Georgia went home to be with the Lord on Tuesday, January 11, 2022.
Born in Massachusetts on November 02, 1944, she was a daughter of the late Charles & Phyllis Cota Messier. Charlene retired as a pre-k teacher with First United Methodist Church of Barnesville after many years of dedicated service. In her spare time, she enjoyed working in her yard and tending to her flower gardens. Charlene enjoyed precious time with her husband, Bud and their family. Most of all, she loved the Lord.
In addition to her parents, Charlene was preceded in death by her daughter, Jan Bussey Hearn.
Survivors include her loving husband of 22 years, Perry “Bud” Chastain of Eastanollee, GA; daughters, Jill Bussey of Demorest, GA; Jodi Bussey Ansalve of Concord, GA; Jennifer Chastain, Kristy (Mark) Caudell all of Cornelia, GA; son, Cheyenne (Chasity) Chastain of Demorest, GA; brothers, Chuck (Paula) Messier, Kenney (Judy) Messier, Tommy (Cathy) Messier all of Tampa, FL; Richard (Michelle) Messier of Madison, TN; sisters, P.J. (Jim) Sipes of Springfield, GA; Cheryl (Mac) Macaluso of Madison, TN; 14 grandchildren; 8 great-grandchildren; a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives, & friends.
Funeral services are scheduled for 11:00 a.m. Saturday, January 15, 2022, at Hillside Memorial Chapel with Pastor Larry Brown & Pastor Chad Shook officiating. Interment will follow in the Harvest Christian Church Cemetery.
The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. on Friday.
During the City of Baldwin’s Monday council meeting, Commercial Realtor Wade Rhodes approached the council to discuss the hot-button issue of development in the Habersham County Airport Business and Industrial Park.
Rhodes began his address to the council by saying “I am not your enemy,” recounting the highly-publicized frustrations Rhodes aired at the county commission meeting in December.
During that county commission meeting, Rhodes brought his frustrations with development at the airport business park forth to the commissioners; after more than 9 months of waiting, Rhodes and his client Don Higgins have been unable to move forward with the completion of a 40,000 square foot building in the business and industrial park.
(nowhabersham.com)
In 2020, the City of Baldwin uncovered that the retention ponds built in the airport business park were built incorrectly. The building errors were fixed by the county’s engineering firm, Foothills Land Design, but the City of Baldwin has been unable to grant a variance from their new minimum development standards to Rhodes and Higgins as they wait for further clarification that the park’s infrastructure can support the new building.
Rhodes told the council Monday that they’re on the same page, and that they want the same things: bringing businesses to Habersham County. He said that the only place he and the council have “hit heads” is on the variance request for his client’s development in the business park.
Business park incentives
Following his clarification to the council on their shared goals, Rhodes asked the council to look into offering incentives for businesses that come to the park.
The Habersham County Airport Business Park has been the center of a highly public discussion between Rhodes, the county, the City of Baldwin and the development authority. (Hadley Cottingham/Now Habersham)
“You’ve probably never been asked about an incentive for someone to locate in Baldwin,” Rhodes said, bringing up the incentives Partnership Habersham offered a hotel coming to Cornelia. He says that if larger industries come to the city, looking to set up a location, “I think it behooves us to roll out the red carpet.”
Councilwoman Alice Venter shared that while she wants to bring industry to Baldwin, the kind of businesses currently occupying the business park don’t bring enough tax revenue to the city or county, or offer enough jobs to citizens, to warrant tax incentives. Rhodes assured the council that new businesses coming to the area would be larger businesses that would have more employment opportunities.
Councilwoman Stephanie Almagno shared what the mayor of a town near Savannah told the city council surrounding tax incentives when they visited their inland port.
“Everybody’s going to want their handout, everyone’s going to want their incentives– he said ‘Don’t do it, you have the location, you have the railroad, you have the highway,’” Almagno said. “It’s really interesting because Mr. Fiveash comes here a couple of months ago and says ‘hey, these businesses are going to come in, these are the kind of taxes your citizens could see,’ and then, on the other hand, [they’re] looking at incentives which are going to take away those taxes. So, as Councilwoman Venter says, we have to balance the needs of the city in providing services.”
Mayor Joe Elam said the council would look into incentives for industrial businesses coming to the city, and that the city has had incentives “on the books” for years that could use review.
Giving the region a “black eye”
This was the first time since Rhodes’s public airing of grievances with the commission and local news outlets that he’s come before the Baldwin City Council, and Councilwomen Venter and Almagno weren’t shy about addressing how his comments to the commission and media impacted the city, the county, and the engineering firms involved.
“These are the conversations we need to have quietly,” Almagno said. “For me, I have been very upset with the way you have presented Habersham and Baldwin and the development authority to the commission and to the public.”
FILE PHOTO – Baldwin City Council member Stephanie Almagno (Hadley Cottingham/Now Habersham)
Almagno and Venter both shared with Rhodes how his comments have damaged the reputations of the entities involved, and Almagno encouraged Rhodes to bring those issues to the officials involved directly so that they can be addressed, rather than involving the public.
“Running Baldwin through the mud, running our consulting engineers through the mud, it gives the region a black eye,” Almagno said. “I’m going to ask you, if you want to have these conversations about concessions, if you want to have these conversations about our minimum development standards, let’s have a meeting. We don’t have to do it here in public, let’s have a meeting and talk about some of these things.”
Venter shared her feelings that Baldwin and their engineering firm, EMI, have had their names tarnished over the course of the comments Rhodes made.
“EMI and Baldwin’s names have been dragged through the mud, absolutely dragged through the mud,” Venter told Rhodes. “And that’s not fair, because if anybody with any sense looked at that timeline and the communication between the engineers, you can see that all we were asking were the same damn questions we were asking in the very beginning, and so it really hurts. I don’t like for people to mess with my people.”
Wade Rhodes addressed the Habersham County Board of Commissioners in December, sharing his frustrations with his inability to get a variance for development in the airport business park. (Hadley Cottingham/Now Habersham)
Rhodes told the council that Baldwin wasn’t to blame for his frustrations with the time frame it has taken the variance he and his client asked for from Baldwin’s minimum development standards after insinuating at the commission meeting that the city was holding up development due to their standards. He told the Baldwin council on Monday that “the majority of the blame starts on the county and the development authority.”
But Almagno didn’t want to hear Rhodes talk about blame.
“It’s not blame, just using that word is a problem,” Almagno said. “It’s not blame, this is a process, this is a construction process, this is a process that we are going through. This started with a conversation about one piece of land, and then we noticed that this is a bigger conversation we should have.”
Venter said she’s ready for the issue to be over.
“I’ll be glad when all this is taken care of, because this board right here, our first responsibility is to our citizens and our employees and taking care of them,” Venter said. “This has taken from them, this is stealing from our people because we have had to put so much time and energy into trying to clear up our name, that we’re just done now. . . Baldwin has business to take care of.”
A Habersham Medical Center ER nurse is no longer with the hospital following an online dispute over what’s been described as a ‘racist t-shirt.’ The nurse wanted a shirt like the one worn by rapper and singer Upchurch with the ‘N’ word on it to wear to an upcoming concert.
The dispute went public when, after being rebuffed by a small shop owner unwilling to fulfill her request for the shirt, the nurse shared their exchange on social media. She called the shop owner a ‘Karen.’ The nurse was identified from a photo online in which she was seen wearing scrubs and a partially visible Habersham Medical Center badge.
TikToker Savannah Sparks, who goes by “Rx0rcist,” picked up on the dispute and brought it to the attention of her more than 821,000 followers. “I just wonder if racism is part of Habersham’s core values,” Sparks asked, “and, if so, would you feel safe with your loved ones receiving care at this hospital?” Sparks said the hospital was contacted to confirm the nurse was on staff.
The video was widely shared and got over 130-thousand likes. People posted links to the video on HMC’s Facebook page, calling for the nurse to be fired.
Later, in response, Habersham Medical Center’s Vice-President of Culture and Wellness Kesha Clinkscale released a TikTok video of her own. In it, she stated the issue had been addressed with all parties involved.
“Here at Habersham Medical, we have zero tolerance for cultural insensitivity,” Clinkscale said. “The individual, wearing the Habersham Medical Center identification badge, is no longer employed with our hospital.”
Clinkscale added, “Here at Habersham Medical Center, we hold our values in high esteem. They are integrity, compassion, accountability, respect, and excellence. We appreciate so very much the citizens of Habersham County for bringing matters such as this to our attention. This type of community engagement enables us to identify those individuals who are not upholding our values. This type of community engagement gives us the opportunity to bring about swift resolution. This type of community engagement helps us make a difference in our hospital and it helps make Habersham strong.”
It’s unclear whether the nurse was fired or resigned: Now Habersham has been unable to reach her, and HMC will not say directly. In response to Now Habersham’s request for additional information, Clinkscale issued the following statement:
“While we are not at liberty to discuss internal HR information, it is important for the community to know that Habersham Medical is driven by its mission to deliver exceptional healthcare; we are striving to realize our vision to be the trusted healthcare partner and employer of choice and; we are guided by our I-CARE values of integrity, compassion, accountability, respect, and excellence.”
Sparks applauded the hospital saying, “This is what #accountability looks like. Well done #Habersham !” Many others online also commended the hospital for how it handled the situation. Still, others criticized the hospital’s actions as ‘woke’ with one commenter lamenting, “she lost her job all over a shirt.”
This article has been updated with additional information.
Correction: Sparks did not contact Habersham Medical Center herself; she says the shop owner did that.
Rosa Jean Porter White, age 86, of Cornelia, passed away on Tuesday, January 11, 2022.
Born on June 14, 1935, in Commerce, she was a daughter of the late James Thomas and Dorothy Hogsed Porter. Mrs. White worked with the Habersham County School System as a secretary for over 30 years. She loved her family and at the time of her passing, there were five generations living. Mrs. White was a member of Level Grove Baptist Church.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Vernon Avery White; son, Tony White; and grandson, Rick Littlejohn.
Survivors include her son and daughter-in-law, Tim and Audrey White of Cornelia; daughters and son-in-law: Pamela White Roll of Cornelia, Barbara White Littlejohn of Demorest, and Jane White Johnston and Skip of Clarkesville; nine grandchildren; eighteen great-grandchildren; four great-great-grandchildren; brothers and sisters-in-law, Tommy and Lassie Porter of Demorest and David and Judy Porter of Cornelia; sister, Jane Barden of Cornelia; special cousin, Babs Ladd of Cornelia; and several nieces and nephews.
Funeral services are scheduled for 2:00 pm on Saturday, January 15, 2022, in the Chapel of McGahee-Griffin & Stewart with Rev. Terry Rice officiating. Interment will follow in Level Grove Cemetery.
The family will receive friends from 12:00 noon until the service hour on Saturday at the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, Tennessee 38105 or to Halcyon Hospice, 2000 Riveredge Parkway, Suite 940, Atlanta, Georgia 30328.
Those in attendance are asked to please adhere to public health and social distancing guidelines regarding COVID-19.
As Habersham Medical Center navigates a wave of unwanted social media attention over a recent personnel issue, the hospital is also trying to navigate through the current surge of COVID-19 cases.
“Today at this very moment, we are nearing capacity on our Medical-Surgical floor and our ICU is full,” says Kesha Clinkscale, HMC’s Vice-President of Culture and Wellness who serves as the hospital’s spokesperson.
Habersham County’s 2-week positivity rate is now 36.1% – that’s the highest it’s been since the pandemic began in March of 2020. White County’s is even higher at 39.4% and Banks County’s is 44.2%.
The current surge is bad, not just across the region, but the entire state. The Georgia Department of Public Health’s once lightly colored heat map displaying positivity rates in each of Georgia’s 159 counties, is now drenched in red depicting a significant spike in confirmed cases.
Georgia’s PCR Testing stats as of Dec. 11, 2022. (Source: GA Dept. of Public Health)Georgia’s PCR Testing stats as of Jan. 11, 2022. (Source: GA Dept. of Public Health)
The state’s two-week positivity rate has jumped from 4.5% to nearly 37% in just the last month. Deaths, too, are rising with 655 more reported statewide since mid-December.
COVID and complications rising from it have killed at least 26,612 Georgians, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health. The agency lists an additional 5,123 deaths as “probable” COVID deaths.
Free drive-thru testing
In an attempt to try and isolate the spread of the virus – which has been fueled by recent holiday gatherings and the return to work and school – the Georgia Department of Public Health is ramping up its testing efforts. It’s opened 15 drive-thru testing sites in Northeast Georgia. Habersham Medical Center and Stephens County Hospital are among them:
Athens-Clarke County
West Athens
Holland Park 250 Vincent Dr, Athens, GA 30607
Monday: 8:30 am to 4:30 pm
Tuesday through Friday: 8:30 am to 6:30 pm
Saturday: 8 am to 12 Noon
District 2 Public Health covers the counties of Banks, Dawson, Forsyth, Franklin, Habersham, Hall, Hart, Lumpkin, Rabun, Stephens, Towns, Union, and White.
Northeast Health District covers the counties of Barrow, Clarke, Elbert, Greene, Jackson, Madison, Morgan, Oconee, Oglethorpe, and Walton.
The tests are free. Insurance may be requested but it is not required, according to the Northeast Health District.
These sites do not use rapid tests – results will be available in 48 hours. Those needing rapid tests should go to Walgreens or CVS, advises Natasha Young with District 2 Public Health.
Also, while appointments are not required, registration is recommended to decrease wait times.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp speaks at the Roper Corporation Cooking Products Plant in Lafayette, Ga. on Friday, Jan. 7, 2022. Kemp visited the plant after GE Appliances recently invested a $118 million expansion in Georgia. (Matt Hamilton /Chattanooga Times Free Press via AP)
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp wants to use $1.6 billion of the state’s $2.2 billion in spare cash to give rebates in April on state income taxes.
The Republican told the Georgia Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday that he wants to give a $250 rebate to every single person filing state income taxes, and $500 to every household filing jointly.
The money would come from part of the huge budget surplus that the state ran last year. Even after filling Georgia’s rainy day fund to its legal limit, the state had $2.2 billion in cash left over.
The rebates are the centerpiece of Kemp’s emerging strategy to put cash in the hands of as many voters as possible, as quickly as possible, as he tries to get reelected this year. Kemp faces a tough GOP primary ahead of a challenging general election campaign against likely Democratic nominee Stacey Abrams.
“We’re simply giving the money back to the people that pay the taxes,” Kemp told reporters after his speech. “We’re trying to help people that are in the workforce combat rising inflation and other things.”
Kemp also proposed $5,000 pay raises for employees of state agencies, a move endorsed Wednesday by Republican House Speaker David Ralston of Blue Ridge. And he wants to push his proposed $2,000 pay raise for teachers into the current budget year by paying a onetime $2,000 bonus now, according to advance remarks from Thursday’s state of the state, obtained Monday by The Associated Press.
Kemp also said that the University System of Georgia will cut special fees added during the recession if lawmakers agree to restore funding cut two years ago from university budgets.
Both the tax rebate and the teacher bonus could reach voters before the May 24 Republican primary, when Kemp faces former U.S. Sen. David Perdue, former state lawmaker Vernon Jones and others for his party’s nomination.
This article appears on Now Habersham in partnership with GPB News
Funeral services are scheduled Saturday for a Cleveland, Georgia, woman who died after she went missing. Mattie Mizell, 69, walked away from her home on New Year’s Day and never returned. Police say she had dementia.
On January 6, searchers found Mizell’s body along the edge of a creek in a densely wooded area northeast of Cleveland. The city’s police chief said at the time they did not suspect foul play.
Local officials still do not know how and when Mizell died. Her date of death is listed as the sixth because that’s the day she was found. The White County Coroner’s Office says they’re still waiting on the results of an autopsy.
A ‘ray of sunshine’
Originally from Jefferson, Mizell lived in Cleveland for over 50 years. She is remembered fondly by those who knew and loved her.
“Mattie brought a ray of sunshine into every room she entered. As her family, friends, and many acquaintances will tell anyone, she never truly met a stranger, or at least they did not end as strangers,” her obituary says.
Mattie Kate Mizell, 69, died Thursday, January 6, 2022, in Cleveland, Georgia. She was a resident of Cleveland, Georgia for more than 50 years.
Born on April 19, 1952, she was raised in Jefferson, Georgia, and was the daughter of the late Julius (Pony) Usher, and Octavia Johnson Usher. Ms. Mizell was preceded in death by her brother, Paul Usher; sister, Willie Mae Usher. She was a member of the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses formerly located in Cleveland, Georgia.
Mattie brought a ray of sunshine into every room she entered. As her family, friends, and many acquaintances will tell anyone, she never truly met a stranger, or at least they did not end as strangers.
Survivors include her brother, Jimmy Usher, Sr. and his wife, Amy Nell Usher; son, André Christe-Mizell and his spouse, Patrick Christe-Mizell; son, Jason Mizell and his spouse, David Bedon; daughter, Monica Mizell; daughter, Charlie LaVelle and her spouse, David LaVelle; granddaughters, Kyra LaVelle; Raea Jones-Mizell; Caroline Christie-Mizell; grandsons, Kat Christie-Mizell; Truman Christie-Mizell; William Christie-Mizell; and Dylan Mizell
Funeral services are scheduled for 11 A.M. Saturday, January 15, 2022, at the Chapel of Barrett Funeral Home (118 North Brooks Street, Cleveland, Georgia).
The family will receive friends from 11 A.M. to 2 P.M. and 4 – 7 P.M., Friday, January 14, 2022, at the funeral home.
The family kindly requests that all guests please wear a mask.
Flowers will be accepted, or the family asks that contributions can be made to the Alzheimer’s Association (www.alz.org).
David Charles Jones, age 75 of Sautee, passed away on January 10, 2022, after a short illness.
Born in Atlanta, Georgia on May 25, 1946, David was the son of Shuford M. Jones Sr. and Katherine Nix Jones. He graduated from Milton High School in 1964 and attended Emory at Oxford and Dekalb Junior College. He served in the United States Army Security Agency from his enlistment in December 1966 thru December 1970. He spent 23 months of this time in Thailand and 3 months in Vietnam. After returning home, he worked for a period of time at Prudential in Midtown Atlanta. There he would meet his future wife Janet Jones. They were married on August 19, 1972. In June 1973, they moved to Helen, GA and within weeks began their business that is still operating today, Hansel and Gretel Candy Kitchen.
From 1974-1976 he attended Truett McConnell Junior College where he graduated with high honors. He not only had the candy store but was heavily involved in all activities in Helen, including Oktoberfest and the Fasching Festival. David became one of the town leaders. When Helen connected with Fussen, Germany as sister cities, he made trips there to help bring the two towns closer. David was always quick to support candy. In 2005, he wrote a book entitled Candy Making for Dummies. When his parents were in the hospital or when his mom was in assisted living he would frequently take candy to the staff.
David was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Wayne.
Survivors include his wife of over 49 years, Janet Jones; daughter, Andrea Colette Jones; daughter and son-in-law, Diana Nicole Jones Reis and Mike of Canton, GA; brother and sister-in-law, Rev. Shuford Jones Jr. and Ann of Winder, GA; sister, Mary Lynn Jones of St. Petersburg, FL, brother and sister-in-law, Glenn and Susan Jones of Clarkesville, GA; sister-in-law, Grace Jones of Baldwin, GA; grandchildren, Zackery, Kailey, Megan and Grayson Reis of Canton, GA, several nieces and nephews also survive.
Funeral services are scheduled for 2:00 PM Thursday, January 13, 2022, at Bethlehem Baptist Church, Clarkesville, GA. The Rev. Mark Jones will officiate. Interment will follow at Bethlehem Baptist Church Cemetery.
The family will receive friends from 12-2 PM Thursday at the church prior to the service.
Flowers will be acknowledged or donations can be made to Truett McConnell University, 100 Alumni Dr. Cleveland, GA 30528, or charity of your choice.
To share a memory or to leave the family a condolence please visit www.barrettfh.com.
Henri Elizabeth Graves was a bright spark in this world, and many will miss her. She was an admirable individual and active citizen even as she was a cherished daughter, sister, friend, mother, and wife during her 76 years of life. She passed away in the early hours of Wednesday, December 8, 2021, at her home in Clayton, Georgia.
Henri lived a beautiful and full life from beginning to end. She was, and will always be, immensely treasured. She was born on December 5, 1945, in Savannah, Georgia to loving parents, Henry Marshall and Frances Elizabeth Morrison Dunaway. Henri admired Frances, an enthusiastic homemaker and mother who encouraged Henri’s interests, both in education and extracurricular activities.
Henri attended Charles Ellis Elementary. She graduated from Savannah High and went on to study at Armstrong Junior College in 1963. In the late 1980s, she studied drafting at North Georgia Technical College in Clarkesville, Georgia.
Henri married Stephen Rubert Graves, Sr. in 1965 and they had two children, Stephen Rubert Graves, Jr. and Aimee Leona Graves. Over the decades, Henri and her husband moved their family from South Carolina to Oklahoma, Missouri, Arizona, and Colorado before returning to the South in 1980, this time to settle in Northeast Georgia.
We will remember Henri for her loving nature, her joyfulness and laughter, and her occasional stubbornness. She was an enthusiastic, determined individual who took great enjoyment in her young family. Later, she embraced being single and made a good life for herself. Homemaking, gardening, pickleball, and travel brought her happiness. Strolling the sandbar, lolling in a hammock with a book on the dock at Myrtle Island, and kayaking in the May River grounded her. Her dear friends brought her joy and a sense of continuity and belonging. Henri held fast to her moral and political beliefs over time. She committed herself to being a member of the Rabun County community and rolled up her sleeves beside others to make a positive difference in each other’s lives. Henri formed some of her closest friendships in Rabun County.
She was an accomplished artist and entrepreneur with a passion for traditional tole painting, antiquing and “junking”. Many of the people she worked with absolutely admired her. She exemplified the motto: Either find a way or make one. She was a well-respected professional among people traveling the east coast antiques and collectibles circuit.
Henri offered optimism that was honest, heartfelt, and spilled over into all that she did. She saw the world as it was and, despite the challenges that exist, perennially chose to focus on the beauty and wonder of it all. She recognized grace in many things, often marveling aloud how much she had to be grateful for. She was loyal and loved fully. She often called to check on you and yours. She had a deep affection for dogs and a famous fondness for reading. She cultivated peace and beauty in her world. Henri touched many of us with her kindness, humor, and thoughtfulness.
In what was her last year of life, Henri planted and tended her garden even though she did not know if she would get to see her flowers bloom. She kept her positive attitude even while ill, dreaming of travel to Cade’s Cove, marveling at a pair of baby doves taking flight for the first time just outside her bedroom window, starting nasturtiums from seed in her kitchen windowsill, and remembering trips across the lower 48 states in Zazu, a 1986 RV Stephen Jr. upgraded for her and her sister Jean. Babies made her smile, always! She had completed training, before Covid put the world on hold, so that she could comfort children in crisis foster care. Until a week before she passed, she continued to tend her friendships, direct the care of her home and garden, and even restore old things into fresh treasures.
Henri showed up when it mattered, had your back, and gave to the world generously the gifts she had to give right to the end.
Henri is predeceased by her parents and her sister, Porter Jean Dunaway. She is survived by her son Stephen Graves, Jr. of Warner Robins, Georgia, daughter Aimee Graves and son-in-law Michael Harris of Tucson, Arizona, sister Frances Mills of Savannah, Georgia, cousin Robert Fuller of Fairburn, Georgia, beloved young friend Andrea Olivares of Brunswick, Georgia, her ex-husband Stephen Graves, Sr. of Hiawassee, Georgia, and her devoted dogs Nubbin and Coco. Five nephews, a niece, and extended family also survive her. We will miss Henri dearly and are grateful for the time we had to spend with her. We will always feel her presence in our hearts.
All are invited to join a reception at 9 AM followed by a memorial service at 10:30 AM on Monday, January 17, 2022, at Wayfarers Unity Chapel with the Reverend Father Gary Baldwin of Grace-Calvary Episcopal Church officiating. The Chapel’s address is 182 Wayfarer Lane, Dillard, Georgia 30537. Wayfarers Unity is kind enough to host family, friends, and Grace-Calvary Episcopal Church for the celebration of Henri’s life. Because Henri liked red, the family invites you to wear a hint of it in memory of her joyful spirit!
In lieu of flowers, contributions in memory of Henri can be made to Rabun County Caring & Sharing at PO Box 1747, Clayton, GA 30525.
Coach Gene Cathcart (photo courtesy Jefferson High)
In a surprise move on Tuesday, Jefferson football coach Gene Cathcart resigned as head coach of the Dragons. He’s leaving to accept a job as head football coach at Batesburg-Leesville High School in South Carolina.
Cathcart has been the head football coach at Jefferson High School for five years. During that time, his teams posted an overall record of 52-11, won back-to-back region championships, and finished as the State AAAA Runner-Up in 2020. He also led the football team to a top 100 ranking in the United States and holds the longest winning streak and longest regular-season winning streak in school history.
Coach Cathcart broke the news of his resignation to Jefferson families and boosters in an email on Tuesday afternoon:
“I would like to take this opportunity to formally express my sincere appreciation, and utmost gratitude, to the wonderful Jefferson Dragon Football Family & Dragon Nation for the last almost 7 years,’” Cathcart wrote. “I have submitted my resignation as Head Football Coach, and will accept the same position with another program, school & school system. Thank you will never be enough to the genuinely incredible young men, both on and off the field, that I have been so very blessed to serve, as Dragon Football Coach. You have touched my life, and it has been my extreme privilege, and distinct honor, to be your coach, and share a part of your extraordinary lives.”
“I want to thank Coach Cathcart for his service to our football program. He is an outstanding coach and an even better human being. I sincerely wish that the river is good to him in the crossing,” says Jefferson City Schools Athletic Director Bill Navas.
Before moving to Jefferson, Cathcart spent six years as head coach at Habersham Central. He left in 2009 for a head coaching job in Greenwood, South Carolina. He’s also coached at one other South Carolina school. His overall record is 156-53.
Navas says the search for the next head football coach at Jefferson City Schools will begin immediately.
Cathcart is the second high-profile head coaching departure from Northeast Georgia area schools in recent weeks. Rabun County head coach Jaybo Shaw resigned earlier this month to accept a head coaching job in Wayne County, Georgia.
HistoriCorps volunteer Takia Gaylord works on priming windows at the lookout tower. (Hadley Cottingham/Now Habersham)
Colorado-based non-profit historic preservation group HistoriCorps has made its way to Habersham County in partnership with the Habersham County Historical Society and the Chattahoochee National Forest to preserve Cornelia’s Chenocetah Fire Lookout Tower.
The volunteer team, led by Project Supervisor Ariel Clark and Crew Leader Erin Crooks, will be in Habersham County for the next week with a new group of volunteers joining the project Monday, Jan. 17.
Making good progress— and challenges ahead
In just two days of work on the Chenocetah Fire Lookout Tower project, Clark says the volunteers are making significant progress in restoring the fire tower. Monday, volunteers went through safety training and project goals, and Tuesday, they focused on the tower’s windows.
Volunteer Rick Brandau works on restoring some of the fire tower’s windows alongside Crew Leader Erin Crooks. (Hadley Cottingham/Now Habersham)
“It’s been a good day, a good week,” Clark says. “I’m kind of nervous that I don’t know if I’ll have things to keep everybody busy next week.”
While the team is making excellent progress, there may be some challenges in the near future the group will have to work diligently to fix.
“We can already tell by popping our heads out on that top floor, around the lookout, that some of the wood up there is pretty badly degraded,” Clark says. “That’s why also we’re seeing signs of water inside [the tower].”
Project Supervisor Ariel Clark reflects on the progress HistoriCorps has made in just two days at the lookout tower, as well as the welcome they’ve received from citizens. (Hadley Cottingham/Now Habersham)
Water damage is a big deal when it comes to keeping structures in the best possible condition, and when preserving the tower, that needs to be taken seriously. The preservation group is bringing in a 60-foot lift on Wednesday to get a better look at the wood near the top of the tower and address those issues.
“It’s leading to some larger conversations about conditions they hadn’t really noticed before,” Clark said. “We’re trying to button it up as best as possible while we’re here, and it’ll look really fresh when we’re done, because everything will have a new coat of paint and we’ll seal it up as best we can.”
HistoriCorps officials have shared that the welcome they’ve received in Habersham has been “one of the warmest” welcomes they’ve received. Clark says that she’s seen the Habersham community’s excitement towards the restoration of the local landmark.
“I would say one of the hallmarks of historical projects is that wherever we go there is absolutely a ready and welcoming local populace,” Clark said. “Generally these projects have been waiting to get done, and [citizens] have been looking for a solution that works for the city or the municipality, and also within their budgets and from specialists who know how to do historic preservation works.”
Thomas Black, a member of the forestry service who is volunteering with Historicorps on the project, shared a postcard from the 1940s of Chenocetah Tower. (Hadley Cottingham/Now Habersham)
She and the rest of the team are happy to be restoring this important piece of history in Habersham County at no cost, and are enjoying seeing the community engage with them.
“It seems like everybody’s been really excited to have us here,” Clark says. “They’re excited to see something happen and to see a change happen to a pretty iconic landmark here at the top of the city.”
For anyone interested in welcoming the HistoriCorps volunteers to the county, the Habersham Historical Society will host a reception for them on Tuesday, Jan. 11 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Cornelia Community House. The Town of Mt. Airy will also host a reception for the volunteers next week on Monday, Jan. 17 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at their city hall.
The public is welcome to visit the work site from 12-1 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays. The crew has also professed their love of donuts, and joked that anyone who wants to bring something by the site should bring a box for the team.
