Stephen Amos Mosley

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January 5, 2022

Stephen Amos Mosley, age 44 of Cleveland, passed away on December 24, 2021.

Born in Decatur, Georgia on March 3, 1977, Stephen was preceded in death by his father James Mosley.

Survivors include his mother Shirley Brookshire Kelley of Cleveland, Georgia, his wife Christy Berry Mosley of Helen, Georgia, daughter Haley Geisecke (Scott), Demorest, Georgia, Rachel Mosley, Demorest, Georgia and brother Tony Mosley of Cleveland, Georgia. He had 2 grandchildren Harper Thompson and Aubreigh Geisecke.

Mr. Mosley’s wishes were to be cremated.

An online guestbook is available for the family at HillsideMemorialChapel.com.

Arrangements by Hillside Memorial Chapel & Gardens, Clarkesville. 706-754-6256

Northeast Georgia COVID-19 cases continue to climb

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Now Habersham

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January 5, 2022

COVID-19 cases across the Northeast Georgia region continue to surge after the holidays, with hospitalization and case rates climbing in area counties.

At the end of December, the state of Georgia broke its previous record for confirmed COVID-19 cases. The current wave of cases, brought on by the quickly and easily transmissible Omicron variant, has surpassed both the case spikes in January 2021 and August 2021.

Hospitalizations are climbing in the region with 228 patients currently admitted with COVID-19. Those numbers began climbing just before Christmas, with more than 30 percent of the region’s hospitalizations being classified as COVID-19 patients according to the Georgia Medical Facility Patient Census.

Habersham County has seen 252 new COVID-19 cases since Christmas as the Omicron variant surges across the state, with an 18 percent test positivity rate over the past two weeks.

The Georgia Department of Health maintains that vaccination is the best defense against COVID-19, but with only 41 percent of Habersham County’s population vaccinated, other mitigation efforts should continue to be used to keep transmission low. These mitigation strategies include wearing a mask indoors, washing hands regularly and social distancing.

Even with Habersham’s low vaccination rate, it isn’t the lowest in the region. Banks County holds the lowest vaccination rate in the Northeast Georgia region according to District 2 Public Health, with only 31 percent of the county’s population fully vaccinated.

Forsyth County holds the highest vaccination rate in the District 2 region, with 57 percent of residents fully vaccinated and a population nearly 200,000 people greater than Habersham County. Forsyth also holds the highest number of COVID-19 cases in the region, while Franklin County currently holds the lowest.

The region health department is aware of the current need for more COVID-19 testing in Northeast Georgia, and is working to expand access to testing. For current available COVID-19 testing sites, check here.

Ga. Senate leader sets 2022 legislative agenda as Trump casts long shadow

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Stanley Dunlap

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January 5, 2022

Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan is calling his “Less Crime” Act the cornerstone of his legislative priorities for his final session presiding over the Senate. The plan creates a tax credit program to supplement police and sheriff’s office budgets. (Stanley Dunlap/Georgia Recorder)

(GA Recorder) — Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan’s to-do list during his final year includes a tax credit to boost law enforcement, more resources for foster care, and higher wages for correctional officers.

Duncan said Wednesday that his focus will remain on completing his duties and getting his priorities passed before his time in the Senate concludes at the end of 2022. Then he plans to focus on his GOP 2.0 initiative aimed at retaking the Republican Party from the grips of former president Donald Trump and moving on from the 2020 election.

During the passage of the controversial election law overhaul through Senate Bill 202 last year, Duncan refused to preside over a debate on restricting absentee voting access, but ultimately supported the final Republican measure that’s now facing multiple lawsuits over claims of voter suppression.

During the upcoming session, Duncan said lawmakers should not focus on sending political messages or dwelling on the false claims of a stolen 2020 presidential election.

“I think from a political perspective, I think we should be done talking about the 2020 election cycle and we should move forward politically in a way that makes the most sense and builds more consensus,” Duncan said during a Wednesday afternoon news conference inside the state Capitol.

“I think it’s a mistake to try to relitigate the 2020 elections,” Duncan added. “It was a fair election. We were able to make some improvements in the last session.”

Additionally, Duncan elaborated on his crime-fighting plan, the “Less Crime” Act, which would set up a $250 million tax credit for individuals and businesses that donate to local police departments and sheriff’s offices through certified law enforcement foundations.

Duncan, along with Republican colleagues Gov. Brian Kemp and House Speaker David Ralston, have all called for legislation designed to combat the rising rate of violent crime in Atlanta and other areas of the state.

Duncan’s plan is for departments to use the donated money to hire more officers, increase pay, provide more training, purchase equipment and improve resources to handle mental health-related emergencies.

“The Less Crime Act reaches far beyond political allegiances and allows citizens and corporations to be a partner in driving down crime rates,” Duncan said.

The lieutenant governor says he looks forward to providing better pay for corrections officers in order to combat the high turnover rate.

Professor Charles Bullock, a political science professor at the University of Georgia, said Duncan’s plan to use tax credits to support law enforcement could win enough supporters to pass as lawmakers compete to show they’re tough on crime.

Duncan’s membership in the post-Trump faction of the party, however, will put him at odds with some key figures within the party and chamber, he said.

Duncan’s refusal to support conspiracy theories peddled by Trump put him at odds with a large share of Georgia Republicans and dimmed his chances of winning a second term. His public call for Republicans to move on put Duncan in the national spotlight and laid the groundwork for his GOP 2.0 concept, detailed in a 2021 book.

In May, the former Cumming state House representative announced he wouldn’t seek a second term as lieutenant governor.

“With Duncan, that being a lame duck and ready to leave the stage, at least temporarily, he’s going to be presiding over a chamber in which there are competing candidates to succeed him,” Bullock said. “One of whom (Sen. Burt Jones) is Trump’s favorite, and the other (Sen. Butch Miller) who is not but who nonetheless seems to be moving towards the right to make it difficult for Burt Jones to be able to pass him.”

During this year, Duncan says he also hopes to create a foster care program that provides wrap-around services as teens age out of foster care.

“Whether it be just basic welfare needs, education, health, counseling, transportation and other areas to wrap around those individuals so that they can have a head start on life out of the foster care system,” Duncan said.

Another foster care initiative will be to work with Kemp and agencies to provide more resources to keep children out of extended-stay hotels when they don’t already have a foster parent.

“Another priority of ours is to end this vicious cycle by helping kids in foster care that show up with serious and significant physical or behavioral health issues,” Duncan said.

Despite Duncan’s focus on the upcoming session, Bullock says his future duties may have a much more lasting impact on politics.

“I would presume that he realizes that if his goals for GOP 2.0 are to be realized that he’s in it for the long haul,” Bullock said. “It is not going to happen this year and maybe not until sometime after 2024 if there were then a rejection of Donald Trump’s presidential bid.”

Georgia prekindergarten teachers to get second $1,000 bonus

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Associated Press

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January 5, 2022

Virus Outbreak Georgia — Kids are led to Blue Ridge Elementary School for the first day of classes in Evans, Ga., Monday morning, Aug. 3, 2020. (Michael Holahan/The Augusta Chronicle via AP)

State-funded prekindergarten and child care teachers in Georgia will get a second round of $1,000 bonuses paid from federal coronavirus aid.

The Department of Early Care and Learning announced the plan Tuesday. Commissioner Amy Jacobs in a statement called the payments “a small yet significant way to recognize the dedication and hard work shown during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

An earlier round of bonuses last year paid a total of $33.4 million to more than 33,000 teachers statewide. However, the department had set aside $65 million for payments.

The state and university system made $1,000 bonus payments to K-12 and university employees last year, also using federal aid.

In addition to the roughly 3,800 prekindergarten teachers and assistant teachers in Georgia’s public schools getting the bonuses, an equal number of prekindergarten teachers and assistants in private schools will get the money. A much larger number of teachers of children between birth and 3 years old are eligible.

The state has also been using coronavirus aid to support private child care providers directly because of increased costs and decreased enrollments.

Prekindergarten teachers with a bachelor’s degree in Georgia have starting salaries above $35,000, but assistant teachers and those who care for younger children make much less.

Some teachers who get the bonuses work in public schools, which means they will be getting more money when teachers of older children are not. However, lawmakers are likely to take up Gov. Brian Kemp’s proposal to permanently increase pay for K-12 teachers when they meet beginning Monday.

The department will take applications for the money from Jan. 18 to Feb. 18.

This article appears on Now Habersham through a news partnership with GPB News

Rhondal Diane Stephens Kastner

By

Now Habersham

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January 5, 2022

Rhondal Diane Stephens Kastner, age 56 of Demorest, passed away on Tuesday, January 4, 2022.

Born on January 30, 1965, in Demorest, Georgia, she was the daughter of Diane Stewart Johnson of Demorest and the late Charles Guy Stephens. Mrs. Kastner was a loving wife, mother and grandmother. She never met a stranger and was kind to everyone she met. She loved her family, husband and dogs fiercely. She loved to make others smile and selflessly gave of herself to take care of her family.

In addition to her mother, survivors include her husband, Mike Kastner of Demorest; son and daughter-in-law, Nick & Brady Kastner of Gainesville; daughter and fiancé, Heather Kastner and Jesse Stewart of Toccoa; grandchildren, Grace, Lorelei, Jax and Stiles; brother and sister-in-law, Rodney & Lynn Stephens of Carnesville; special niece and nephew, Colby & Sydney; and many other nieces and nephews.

Funeral services are scheduled for 2 pm, Friday, January 7, 2022, at Woodlawn Baptist with Rev. Danny Kastner and Rev. Lamar Kastner officiating. Interment will follow in Liberty Baptist Community Cemetery with Rev. Kyle Gibson and Jeremy Kastner officiating.

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

Those in attendance are asked to please adhere to the public health and social distancing guidelines regarding COVID-19.

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

Funeral set for beloved Habersham teacher and coach

By

Joy Purcell

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January 5, 2022

Coach Shane Dover2 — Habersham Central High School Coach Shane Dover passed away on Jan. 4, 2022, after suffering an apparent heart attack. (photo by Daniel Purcell)

Funeral services are scheduled Saturday for a ‘well-loved’ Habersham County coach who died unexpectedly. Coach Shane Dover passed away on Tuesday, January 4, from an apparent heart attack. He was 52 years old.

Habersham County Emergency Services responded to a 911 call about a man having a heart attack at North Habersham Middle School shortly after 6 p.m. Tuesday. EMS transported the patient to Habersham Medical Center in Demorest where he was pronounced dead. Habersham County Coroner Kasey McEntire confirms Dover was the one transported.

Coach Shane Dover, right, joins Raiders head football coach Benji Harrison on the sidelines during a game. Harrison is among those scheduled to speak at Dover’s funeral on Jan. 8, 2022. (photo by Daniel Purcell)

Dover taught at Hilliard Wilbanks Middle School and also coached football and baseball at Habersham Central High. Outside of school, he served as a youth minister at Habersham Baptist Church. Retired from the Georgia Department of Transportation after 26 years, Dover’s family says working with youth was his true calling.

“Shane’s true calling was working with youth in any capacity he could serve especially coaching and teaching,” his obituary states. “Coach Dover was loved by all who knew him, especially his family and students.”

A funeral service will be held at Noon on Saturday, January 8, in the Habersham Central High School auditorium. Visitation with the family will be held Thursday and Friday, January 6 and 7, from 4 to 8 p.m. both nights at the Whitfield Funeral Homes North Chapel in Demorest.

Coach Dover is survived by his wife, Kristie, and three sons, Sawyer, Sutton, and Slade.

Coach Shane Dover obituary

Driver turns himself in after crashing into Cornelia apartment

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Hadley Cottingham

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January 5, 2022

Truck wreck Cornelia apartments — The Cornelia Fire Department helps load what's left of the motorcycle reportedly hit by a stolen truck onto a wrecker. (Hadley Cottingham/Now Habersham)

A 26-year-old Cornelia man has been arrested and charged with aggravated assault and hit-and-run after driving a vehicle into several other vehicles and a local apartment then fleeing. Garth Allen Bearden turned himself in to authorities within hours of the incident, Cornelia Police Chief Chad Smith says.

Around 5:30 p.m. on January 4, Smith says Bearden was involved in a verbal altercation with some other people in the parking lot of the Cliff C. Kimsey Apartments. Bearden allegedly got into a Ford Expedition and drove toward the others who were in a Toyota Camry.

“[Bearden] intentionally struck that vehicle and hit a Suzuki motorcycle before jumping the curb and striking the apartment building,” Chief Smith says. Bearden fled the scene in a black Dodge truck.

The vehicle hit the brick wall of the first floor of the apartments, causing the bricks to cave in and shatter at the site of the impact. (Hadley Cottingham/Now Habersham)

Tyler Ridings of Baldwin witnessed the incident. He tells Now Habersham the driver, later identified as Bearden, was acting erratically and fled the scene.

“[He] jumped out, jumped in another vehicle, and took off,” Ridings said. “They were really freaked out, I have no idea why he went off, he just got really angry and psychotic and got in [the car] and just left.”

No one was injured in the incident.

“After a BOLO was placed for him, Mr. Bearden called Habersham County 911 requesting to speak with officers,” Smith says.

Habersham County deputies were dispatched to Bearden’s location and took him into custody without incident. In addition to the aggravated assault and hit-and-run charges, police charged Bearden with reckless driving and driving on a suspended license.

Eyewitnesses reported the truck was stolen, but Chief Smith says he is not aware if that was the case.

Baldwin moves forward with new police software

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Hadley Cottingham

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January 5, 2022

Baldwin PD — (Hadley Cottingham/Now Habersham)

City of Baldwin Police Chief Jeff Branyon is recommending the city purchase a new public safety software that will cost the city a total of $19,400 annually.

The Baldwin Police Department has looked at several different systems to streamline their digital processes, which are currently split up between multiple different programs to process evidence, store data, run criminal history checks, submit information to courts and more.

The chief decided to bring InterOp Public Safety Software forward to the Baldwin City Council for consideration at their Tuesday night work session.

“The reason we are looking at InterOp, this is the one we’re proposing, [is because] five other agencies in the county are currently using Interops,” Branyon tells the council. “One of the biggest advantages for us is if we go with this system our officers will be able to pull [InterOp] up on their computer in the car and see where every other officer in the county is located; they can also see where our officers are located.”

Branyon says this feature would help not only the Baldwin Police Department, but other area law enforcement agencies, in the case that they needed backup. InterOp would also allow the Baldwin Police Department to share data with other local agencies.

Baldwin Police Cheif Jeff Branyon is recommending the city purchase new software to help manage the department’s investigations, data and backup. (Hadley Cottingham/Now Habersham)

“Right now, we don’t have an investigative division, so we can generate a report in InterOp here and I can send that to the investigative unit at the sheriff’s department to follow up for investigation,” Branyon says.

To start up InterOp, it would cost the city $3,080 and would bring in evidence documentation equipment and software, data mitigation from one of the city’s current programs to Interops, GPS locators for vehicles, software for vehicles and the police station, signature digitization and training.

After that initial cost, the police department would pay a $1,350 monthly subscription to the service.

InterOp also offers a service that would do away with two services the department uses to run criminal history checks, giving the department direct access to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s records. The police department is currently getting that information through an agreement with Courtware, which manages citations, and an encrypted data service that allows the department to run criminal history checks.

Branyon says that last year, the City of Baldwin Police Department spent around $25,000 to $30,000 on Courtware. He estimates the city pays $1,000 to $2,000 per year for the encryption service. This InterOp service would cost an additional $3,200 per year.

The city wouldn’t completely get rid of Courtware, which is still an important part of the city’s municipal court system. It would, however, remove Courtware from the police budget.

While this software isn’t in the city’s current budget, city officals believe the costs can be paid for upfront and any additional costs can temporarily be covered by public safety funds from tickets until the budget can be adjusted.

“We don’t want to charge the police department with increasing the number of tickets that you write to manage our software,” Councilwoman Stephanie Almagno said. “I mean, that’s not the city that we are.”

The council seems to be interested in moving forward with bringing the software to the city after the recommendations of the police chief and city clerk.

“My recommendation is for us to move forward with the software,” City Clerk Emily Woodmaster told the council. “It’s needed, it’s necessary, I’m confident that we can add it into our budget.”

The council plans to vote on the InterOp software at their meeting Monday night.

Demorest tables stormwater ordinance, plans to create workgroup

By

Hadley Cottingham

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January 5, 2022

The Demorest City Council met Tuesday night for their regular meeting, during which they further tabled a second reading of the city’s stormwater ordinance. The ordinance has been a topic of discussion since the fall of 2021.

The council revisited the ordinance with a new mayor and councilman, the vote to table taking place the day after swearing in new mayor Jerry Harkness and new city councilman Roy Ferguson. Harkness succeeded former mayor Rick Austin and Ferguson succeeded former councilman Jim Welborn.

The ordinance, which adds minimum development standards for stormwater mitigation to any new developments in the city, was brought forward by Austin in the fall. The then-mayor believed the ordinance would be in place by the end of his term at the council’s last meeting in December.

The council had moved forward with the first reading of the ordinance at their Dec. 7 meeting and had come to a consensus to reconvene at a special called meeting at the end of the month to set the ordinance in motion. The council ended up not scheduling that meeting and also canceled their December work session for the holiday season.

The details of the drafted ordinance come to be around 400 pages long, and Harkness said at the meeting that he’d like to see input on the ordinance from an engineer who is not currently involved with the city.

“I would love to see an outside engineer come in and take a look at this,” Harkness said on Tuesday. “Someone that’s not looking at current development in the City of Demorest, somebody that’s worked with municipalities in the past, to look at these things.”

Harkness also proposed putting together a workgroup to go over the ordinance and discuss any issues it may have. City Manager Kim Simonds is in the process of finding an engineer to bring to the proposed workgroup.

Councilman John Hendrix suggested that the ordinance may need further clarification for redundancy with some points of the ordinance discussing other development standards.

“I would like the city to form a workgroup with a separate engineer to look this over and see what things we may need to modify, add to it, to make this better suit our city,” Harkness said. “I was looking at our current ordinances and kind of comparing what’s in here now, and this holds us to a tighter standard that I appreciate, that we need, most municipalities have this tighter standard. Right now, ours is very limited, so I do think it’s very important that we pass this standards ordinance.”

The council agreed that the workgroup should include an engineer, Simonds, Public Works Director Bryan Popham, Councilman Nathan Davis and Fire Chief Jonathan Knight. The council hopes to bring the ordinance back for a second reading within 60 days after discussing it further with the workgroup, but it may take longer.

The council tabled the second reading unanimously.

Palmer appointed commission chairman, Harkness holds vice-chair

By

Hadley Cottingham

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January 5, 2022

Harkness Palmer — Habersham County Commission Chairman Bruce Palmer (left) and Vice-Chairman Bruce Harkness (right) were both appointed to their positions on the commission in two 4-1 votes Tuesday night. (Hadley Cottingham/Now Habersham)

The Habersham County Board of Commissioners voted 4-1 to appoint Bruce Palmer as commission chairman and reappoint Bruce Harkness as vice-chairman during their Tuesday night special called meeting.

“I would like to thank the citizens and the commission for their confidence in me as the commission chairman for the next year,” Palmer said. “I will strive to do the best job I possibly can.”

Harkness’s reappointment comes only a day after his son, Jerry Harkness, was sworn in as the new mayor of Demorest.

“I promise the same, I’ll work hard for the citizens whether people agree with me or disagree with me,” Harkness said. “At the end of the day, I’m going to try to work hard for the taxpayers of this county and the citizens of this county, and I hope I don’t come across as being a gruff old man, but . . . I’m just trying to do what I believe is going to help our citizens, our children, our grandchildren, bring jobs to our county [and] keep taxes low.”

Councilman Jimmy Tench cast the only opposing votes to both Palmer’s and Harkness’s appointments. Tench has cast dissenting votes for every appointment to the chair or vice-chair position since January 2021.

Palmer will hold his first commission meeting as chairman on Jan. 20 at 6:00 p.m. at the Habersham County Courthouse.

Coach Shane Dover

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Now Habersham

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January 5, 2022

Coach Shane Dover, age 52, of Demorest, Georgia went home to be with the Lord on Tuesday, January 4, 2022.

Coach Dover was born on October 7, 1969, in Stephens County, Georgia. He was preceded in death by his father, Larry Dover; maternal grandparents, Brady and Ruby Benfield; and paternal grandparents, Clarence and Edith Dover; father-in-law and mother-in-law, Larry and Marilyn Zimmerman.

Shane was a well-loved coach, teacher, deacon and youth minister. He was retired from the Georgia Department of Transportation with 26 years of service. The day after retirement he began coaching and teaching for the last several years. Shane was a member of Habersham Baptist Church where he served as a deacon and youth minister. Shane’s true calling was working with youth in any capacity he could serve especially coaching and teaching. Coach Dover was loved by all who knew him, especially his family and students.

Survivors include his loving wife of 28 years, Kristie Zimmerman Dover, of Demorest; son and fiancé, Sawyer Dover and Dana Howington; Sutton Dover; and Slade Dover, all of Demorest; mother, Jeanne Benfield Dover, of Demorest; brother and sister-in-law, Shawn and Alysia Dover, of Clarkesville; niece and nephew, Carley and Seth Dover; sister-in-law and spouse, Lacey and Chase Butler; and nephews, Asher and Gabe Butler; and aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Funeral Services will be held at 12: 00 p.m., Saturday, January 8, 2022, at the Auditorium of Habersham Central High School with Rev. Doug Porter, Dr. Brian James, and Coach Benji Harrison officiating. Interment will follow in the Yonah Memorial Gardens.

The family will receive friends from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 6, 2022, and on Friday, January 7, 2022, at the Whitfield Funeral Homes, North Chapel.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the Whitfield Funeral Homes & Crematory, North Chapel at 245 Central Avenue, Demorest, Georgia 30535. Telephone: 706-778-1700.

Rev. Edward Eugene “Gene” Poole

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Now Habersham

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January 5, 2022

Rev. Edward Eugene “Gene” Poole, age 94, of Cornelia, passed away on Sunday, January 2, 2022.

Born on June 3, 1927, in Gainesville, Georgia, he was the son of the late Garnet Harlon and Edna Gillespie Poole. Mr. Poole was a master watchmaker and jeweler for 50 years and pastored part-time. He enjoyed racing and was a professional race car driver. Mr. Poole proudly served his country in the United States Marine Corp.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife of 73 years, Dorothy “Dot” Ruth Beaty Poole and his brother, Harlon Poole Sisk.

Surviving are his sons, Tom Poole and spouse, Marcus Young of Honolulu, HI and Rick Poole of Waipahu, HI; daughter, Renee Letourneau of Cornelia; grandson, Riverson Poole of Waipahu, HI; great-grandchildren, Hayven, Aveyah and Ezra; many other family and friends.

Funeral services are scheduled for 1:00 pm on Monday, January 10, 2022, in the Chapel of McGahee-Griffin & Stewart Funeral Home with Rev. James Gunn and Rev. David Turner officiating. Interment will follow in Yonah Memorial Gardens.

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

Flowers are accepted or donations may be made to First Baptist Church of Cornelia, P.O. Box 96, Cornelia, Georgia 30531.

Those in attendance are asked to please adhere to the public health and social distancing guidelines regarding COVID-19.

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.