The Cleveland Police Department, White County first responders, Georgia public safety departments and the Northeast Georgia community are continuing their desperate search for Mattie Mizell, a 69-year-old woman who walked away from her home on Jan. 1, 2022.
Mattie Mizell was seen leaving her Cleveland residence near White Street on foot the morning of New Year’s Day wearing a purple/blue hoodie and blue jeans or pants.
At 2:40 p.m., White County Middle School surveillance footage captured Mizell walking northwest on Old Blairsville Road. Around 3:00 p.m., residents living on Allison Drive saw Mizell walking on their street.
The search for Mizell begins.
January 2, 2022
Searchers use Georgia DOD drones to try and help locate Mattie Mizell. The 69-year-old Cleveland woman apparently walked away from her home New Year’s Day. Police say she may have dementia. (photo by wrwh.com)
The search for Mizell reconvenes in the early morning and continues through the day. Department of Defense drones are used to search for her, alongside assistance from several other state and local public safety agencies.
The Cleveland Police Department receives footage from a business near NOK Drive that shows an individual they believe to be Mizell walking in the direction of Babyland General Hospital in Cleveland on the afternoon of Jan. 1.
January 3, 2022
The search for Mizell continues, beginning at 8 a.m. when public safety officials gathered at the White County Middle School gymnasium where they set up a makeshift command center.
Cleveland Police Chief Jeff Shoemaker held a debriefing following the day’s search to share what information they had with the public.
The Cleveland Police Department sends out an additional search party and helicopter unit to Babyland General Hospital on NOK Drive.
Cleveland Police, other first responders, White County Middle School officials and Mizell’s family join Chief Shoemaker for a livestreamed debriefing on the continued search for Mizell.
January 4, 2022
The search continues.
Cleveland Police identify a truck driving on NOK Drive around the same time they believe Mizell was walking along the road. They have asked the driver of the truck, which they believe to be an orange/copper late-model Ford F-150 or Ford Ranger, to contact them as soon as possible.
Police want to speak with the driver of this truck to see if they saw Mattie Mizell in the area of NOK Road on Jan. 1, 2022. (photo Cleveland Police Dept.)
There is still no sign of Mizell. If you see Mizell or anything indicating where she may be or may have been, please contact White County E-911 at 706-865-0911 or the Cleveland Police Department at 706-348-7078.
There is bipartisan energy behind calls to ramp up enforcement of a federal behavioral health parity law, which advocates say insurers are not currently following. (Micheile/Unsplash)
(GA Recorder) — A little-known federal law passed when President George W. Bush occupied the White House requires insurers to give behavioral health care equal footing with medical benefits.
That means, if a person’s co-pay is $10 to have chest pains checked out by a medical doctor, then an insurer that offers mental health coverage cannot charge a higher co-pay for the same person to see a behavioral health specialist about anxiety or depression. The law applies to both mental health and substance use disorder treatment.
But advocates question whether that nearly 14-year-old federal law – the enforcement of which is partly left to the states – is being enforced in Georgia. A coalition of advocacy groups has pegged ramping up enforcement of the law in Georgia as its top priority this year.
“We have no idea if the state is following federal law,” Abdul Henderson, executive director of Mental Health America of Georgia, recently told a group of lawmakers. “Georgia has not done anything to determine if group health plans and insurers in the state are following the law. I have a saying regarding parity, and it goes, ‘In states where there is no enforcement, you will find non-compliance.’
“In Georgia, we are nowhere near knowing how bad the situation really is,” Henderson added.
Lawmakers appear interested in finding out, though. A yet-to-be-unveiled behavioral health proposal – including both legislative and funding measures – is expected to focus at least partly on parity. Other states, like Texas, have also ramped up enforcement of the federal parity law in recent years.
There is bipartisan and high-placed support building for the proposal – parity, in particular – and it happens as Georgia ranks near the bottom when it comes to access to mental health treatment.
“This is something we’re going to need to talk about. This is going to be a hollow effort if we don’t cover this issue right at the outset.”
– Speaker David Ralston said of parity
But that momentum going into the session doesn’t guarantee anything. Former U.S. Sen. David Perdue’s decision to challenge Gov. Brian Kemp in the GOP primary has created an uncertain political climate going into the session, and then there’s the insurance industry.
“Mental Health Parity has been the law of the land since 2008, and insurers are working every day to make sure our plan members have access to both behavioral and physical health services that meet their needs and which are affordable,” Jesse Weathington, president and CEO of Georgia Association of Health Plans, which represents health insurers at the state Capitol, said in a statement.
“The reality is Georgia has historically underinvested in mental health delivery and there is a severe provider shortage, which the pandemic has only worsened. That can’t be solved overnight by duplicative regulations targeting payors or without increasing the number of providers.”
Lawmakers added funding for mental health services in the 2021 session, but about $32 million of the cuts made early in the pandemic remain. The state’s behavioral health system has reported feeling strained during the pandemic, but its leaders submitted a flat budget at the governor’s request. Kemp is set to unveil his proposed spending plan this month.
‘A real linchpin’
A special commission formed in pre-pandemic times to review the state’s behavioral health system called parity in insurance coverage “central to all the issues being considered by the commission” in a report issued early last year.
A Carter Center report called parity “fundamental to the ability to access behavioral health treatment.” The report also found that greater enforcement would benefit taxpayers, with insurers paying for more treatment people are entitled to and potentially fewer people turning to costlier state services like hospitalization and crisis services down the road.
Jeff Breedlove, chief of communications and policy at the Georgia Council on Substance Abuse, has called the recent rise in substance use “the epidemic within the pandemic.” (Jill Nolin/Georgia Recorder)
House Speaker David Ralston is a major driving force behind the bipartisan push to address mental health shortages in Georgia. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder (2021 file photo)
House Speaker David Ralston, a Blue Ridge Republican, called parity “a real linchpin, as it were, for the rest of our agenda.”
“This is something we’re going to need to talk about,” Ralston said in a December interview. “This is going to be a hollow effort if we don’t cover this issue right at the outset.”
Proponents argue that enforcing parity requirements could vastly improve access to mental health and substance use disorder treatment across the state, as well as increase the likelihood of people receiving the care they need ahead of a crisis.
“This is one of those fundamental issues that underlies so many of the other challenges that we face,” said Helen Robinson, associate director of public policy with The Carter Center’s mental health program.
For example, enforcing parity could help plug the behavioral health workforce shortages in rural communities, Robinson said. If providers could count on adequate and fair reimbursement, there would be more of them – and more of them who accept insurance, she said.
“This impacts everyone and impacts people with public and private insurance, and it impacts people at all parts of the state, all demographics. So, it is truly one of those issues that the state could have great impact on Georgia families by prioritizing parity,” Robinson said.
Georgia residents can report suspected violations to the state today, but few have. That may say little about how widespread the problem is, though.
In 2017, Georgians were 4.2 times as likely to have to go out of network for an office visit for behavioral health services when compared to primary care, according to a Milliman report.
Jeff Breedlove, chief of communications and policy at the Georgia Council on Substance Abuse, has called the recent rise in substance use “the epidemic within the pandemic.” (Jill Nolin/Georgia Recorder)
“I do think that a lot of people don’t know that there’s a federal law that entitles them to this type of coverage,” said Jeff Breedlove, chief of communications and policy at the Georgia Council on Substance Abuse.
“And I blame the insurance companies because they waste no amount of money on advertisements for things they want you to know about,” he said.
Consumers who are aware but are experiencing a behavioral health crisis also may not have the time, energy or resources to challenge a denial. They may give up rather than press their insurer or file a complaint, Robinson said.
“We really can’t leave it to the individual, the parent or the consumer to have to fight the insurance company,” Robinson said. “I would like people to know their rights, but I also would like the state to step in and to regulate and enforce parity on behalf of families.”
‘Good people policies’
The state Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner, which regulates health insurers in Georgia, pointed to the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services when asked why the state had not been enforcing the law.
“To answer your question, CMS is the federal agency with first authority for enforcing federal parity laws,” agency spokesman, Weston Burleson, said in a statement. “That being said, we are empowered to conduct investigations into Georgia-based insurers for violations of relevant law where evidence warrants it, but as of yet, we have only received five complaints since January 1, 2017.
“We are aware of legislation being introduced on this topic this upcoming session and have met with various stakeholders to provide our feedback. We look forward to working with all involved to ensure every Georgian has access to the care they need,” he said.
Burleson said Commissioner John King was unavailable for an interview. King, a Republican, was only recently elevated from the interim commissioner status he’s held for more than a year as an appointee of the governor. His elected predecessor, Jim Beck, reported to federal prison in Alabama last month to serve time for stealing from a former employer. King is running for a full term this year.
But King told a group of lawmakers in November – including his Democratic opponent next year, state Rep. Matthew Wilson, who raised the issue at the meeting – that he sees the need to address parity.
“I want to come up with a good, thoughtful and sustainable solution but working with, obviously, the industry,” King said at the time.
Burleson told lawmakers the agency was looking into requesting additional information from insurance companies on mental health using “existing authority.” He said there was also an effort to fund a data analyst position within the agency.
Wilson argues the agency could be doing more, saying the 2008 federal law has given King and commissioners before him broad powers to enforce parity.
“I think for too long we’ve had state leaders who haven’t viewed good people policies as being good for business,” the Brookhaven Democrat said.
Over at the state Department of Community Health, which oversees Medicaid, an agency spokeswoman said the agency is working with CMS to implement recommendations from the reform-minded behavioral health commission.
A bipartisan spark in hyper-partisan times
Advocates and some lawmakers have declared this year “the year for mental health.” And Ralston said he’s optimistic the bipartisan spark behind the issue will withstand any election-year shenanigans.
The speaker said the commission will release new legislative and funding proposals soon. He said he’s interested in changes that will bolster the workforce, make sure school systems have mental health professionals on campus and ensure law enforcement officers are trained to identify mental health issues.
“I think mental health is not a party issue. It’s a Georgians issue,” Ralston said in December. “I think it would be just a tragedy if we were to allow that issue to be sidetracked by the political gamesmanship. I know that’s going to be out there on other issues, but you know, mental health is too important, and so I don’t really think it will become a casualty of election-year politics.”
Breedlove with the Georgia Council on Substance Abuse isn’t worried so much about party politics.
“We have people in the Gold Dome that say, ‘I’m a conservative Republican,’ or ‘I’m a progressive Democrat,’” Breedlove said. “What I would say to them when the insurance lobby pushes back on this is the following: Conservatives that say they’re pro-family, this a pro-family issue. And progressives who say they’re pro-people, and therefore equity and inclusion, well, this has that issue too.
“The issue of parity means equality, it means fairness, it means that there won’t be discrimination, and logically, when it’s not being enforced in our state, that means there is,” he said.
A man with a Kemp for governor sign listens as Gov. Brian Kemp announces his support for so-called constitutional carry in Georgia. (Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder)
(GA Recorder) — Gov. Brian Kemp plans to make firearms a central issue of the coming legislative session with the announcement of his support of legislation to expand gun rights.
Kemp did not go into specifics speaking at a Wednesday morning press conference at a massive gun store and indoor shooting range in Smyrna, but he pledged to support “constitutional carry,” a term used by gun rights advocates to describe states where those who are entitled to own a firearm do not need a license.
“It will be a true constitutional carry, and I’ll kind of defer that to us working the details out,” Kemp said. “And the good thing is I think there’s like 12 constitutional carry bills that are filed, many by members that are standing behind me today, so we’re going to work with them to perfect the legislation, and we’ll be talking more about that in the days to come, but this is basically just going to give people their constitutional right to carry without a piece of paper from the government.”
Kemp can’t pass legislation on his own, but he wields significant influence at the state Capitol as the Republican governor of a Republican majority state. Kemp made gun issues a central issue of his 2018 campaign, gaining national attention for one ad in which Kemp jokingly pointed a firearm at a young man who wanted to woo his daughter.
Last year, a bill to expand gun rights faltered after a deadly shooting spree at Asian American-owned spas in Cherokee County and Atlanta shocked the nation.
House Speaker David Ralston told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution last month he could be open to constitutional carry legislation during the session, depending on the specifics of language.
Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan struck a similar tone speaking with reporters at the Capitol Wednesday, calling himself a strong Second Amendment supporter, but saying he will need to see the details of Kemp’s proposal before deciding whether he will support it.
“I’m looking for which vehicle makes the most sense for the 11 million Georgians,” he said
Kemp’s announcement comes after former Sen. David Perdue, his most serious challenger in the GOP primary, criticized the governor for not passing a gun right expansion sooner.
“Law-abiding citizens should be able to exercise their Second Amendment rights to carry a firearm without having to pay for and carry a government permit,” Perdue said in a statement. “Twenty-one states have constitutional carry, but despite his promises on the campaign trail, Brian Kemp has failed to make it a reality in Georgia. As Governor, I’ll work with the state legislature to finally enact constitutional carry.”
Speaking at the Cobb County gun store, Kemp defended his record on public safety, including his support for bills to prevent cities and counties from cutting their police budgets and impose stricter punishment for street racing.
“I made a lot of promises when I ran,” Kemp said. “Georgians will realize if they look at my record in conjunction with the people that are standing with me today from the Georgia General Assembly, we’ve been fulfilling all those promises — heartbeat legislation, the largest teacher pay raise in state history, what we’re doing with local private sector health insurance costs, trying to get more access to people on Medicaid, even though the Biden administration continues to block us on that issue, and many, many other things.”
“But we’ve also been dealing with a global pandemic,” he added. “It doesn’t make my priorities and what I promised people I would do any different. We’re going to tackle that this year, and there seems to be a lot of legislative support for it.”
There was plenty of support among the crowd at the gun store as well, which included local elected officials and gun rights activists from around the state.
For Reggie Dickey of Effingham County, president of the Georgia Hunting and Fishing Federation, Kemp’s proposal is just a matter of cutting red tape.
“The only people that’s going to be able to carry is people who can legally own one anyway. It’s not going to help the criminals. It’s just going to keep it just like it is. It’s just going to be less hassle for people to get it,” he said.
Dickey, one of many in the crowd wearing a Kemp for governor sticker on his shirt, said he’s committed to voting for the incumbent in the primary.
“He’s somebody you can talk to, somebody you can depend on to do what he says,” Dickey said. “He’s going to try as hard as he can. I’ve always found him honest, and that’s hard to find in a politician.”
Lisa Adkins, a data analyst from Kennesaw who also wore a Kemp sticker, also supports the proposed changes, calling them a “no-brainer.” She said she’s planning to vote for Kemp in the June primary, but she could be persuaded to support Perdue.
“Arguments don’t do a lot for me, I’d rather see action,” she said.
Kemp’s opponents on both sides of the aisle were quick to respond, with Perdue taking credit for the announcement.
“I’m glad Brian Kemp is answering my call for constitutional carry in Georgia,” Perdue tweeted. “But real leaders lead from the start – and it’s time Georgia had a Governor who shows principled leadership when it matters most.”
Gun safety group Moms Demand Action said such legislation would endanger law enforcement officers and the public by making it easier for people with dangerous backgrounds to carry weapons.
“While these politicians are embracing radical policies like permitless carry in a pathetic and dangerous effort to curry favor among gun extremists, we’ll be fighting for laws that would actually prevent gun violence in our communities and make Georgia safer – starting with repealing ‘Stand Your Ground,’” said Georgia Moms Demand Action volunteer leader Courtney Spriggs in a statement.
The campaign of Stacey Abrams, the Democrat Kemp or Perdue will likely face after the primary, also took a swipe at the move.
“The same guy who pointed a gun at a teenager on TV now panders with reckless proposals threatening Georgia lives,” tweeted Abrams’ campaign manager Lauren Groh-Wargo. “As her opponents run to dangerous extremes and fight desperately to salvage their political careers, @staceyabrams is fighting for Georgians and their safety.”
Georgia Recorder senior reporter Stanley Dunlap contributed to this report.
The Athens-Clarke County Police Department has arrested two more suspects as part of their continuing efforts to target criminal street gang activity. Nigel Turner, 23, and Keyona Lumpkin, 36, both of Athens, bring to 18 the number of suspected gang members and gang associates arrested in recent weeks in Northeast Georgia’s best-known college town.
Turner was arrested for an existing warrant for felony probation violation. He is currently on probation for aggravated assault, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, violation of the Georgia Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act, entering auto, and possession of tools for the commission of a crime.
Police say Turner has violated the terms of his probation “numerous times” and “has a violent criminal history involving firearms.”
Police arrested Lumpkin on three counts of possession of a Schedule II substance with intent to distribute and two counts of possession of a Schedule IV substance with intent to distribute. At the time of her arrest, Lumpkin was out on bond for the same charges.
In addition to the arrests, police say they have seized 12 firearms, as well as drugs and stolen property during all the recent arrests.
“ACCPD is committed to protecting the community and will continue to focus our efforts on violent criminal street gangs,” the police department says.
Anyone with information about criminal street gang activity in Athens-Clarke County is asked to use ACCPD’s Crime Tip Line at 706-705-4775, email the Gang Unit at [email protected], or contact their anonymous tip website.
I love new recipe discoveries. A friend shared this recently via Facebook. There were so many comments raving about its deliciousness, I had to give it a try.
Captain Rodney’s Boucan Pepper Glaze is the main ingredient. It’s origins came as the result of a happy accident. The glaze is made from a combination of pure cane sugar, apple cider vinegar, sweet peppers, and scotch bonnet peppers. It delivers a little sweet heat to almost any dish.
The problem was I had all the ingredients for the dip EXCEPT for the Captain Rodney’s. No worries, pepper jelly can be substituted:)
The dip is easy to make and incredibly tasty!
Ingredients
½cupmayonnaise
8ouncescream cheeseat room temperature
2cupscheddar cheesegrated
2wholegreen onionssliced thin
⅓cupbutter crackerscrushed
8slicesbaconcooked and crumbled, or bacon bits
½cup Captain Rodney’s Boucan Pepper Glaze or pepper jelly
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
For easier mixing, allow the cream cheese to come to room temperature.
Mix together the mayonnaise, cream cheese, cheese, and green onions.
Spread in an 8 or 9-inch pie dish. Top with crushed crackers.
Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes or until heated through.
Remove from the oven and top with cooked, crumbled bacon and Captain Rodney’s Boucan Glaze or pepper jelly. Serve with sturdy crackers, tortilla chips, or Frito Scoops.
Next time I will make this with the real deal Captain Rodney’s glaze. Apparently it’s available at most grocery stores. This dip would be perfect for tailgating or an appetizer when you need a little “tide me over” before dinner!
WASHINGTON (GA Recorder) — U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Tuesday stressed that Democrats are prepared to change Senate rules to pass voting rights legislation — and linked the move to the attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump.
“The election subversion efforts we’re seeing all across the country today are a direct continuation of Jan. 6,” he said at a press conference, referring to Republican state lawmakers who back legislation that imposes stricter voting requirements on their states, following Trump’s defeat. Congress is preparing to mark the one-year anniversary of the Capitol attack on Thursday with speeches and ceremonies.
Schumer’s comments came even as Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin III of West Virginia said earlier in the day that he was opposed to Senate rule changes unless they were bipartisan. Manchin is a key vote for the advancement of voting legislation in the evenly divided Senate.
Manchin told reporters that it’s his preference to work with Republicans to come to a bipartisan agreement rather than change Senate rules.
“Being open to a rules change that would create a new direction, it’s very, very difficult,” Manchin said, according to Capitol Hill pool reports.
However, Schumer said that for months Democrats tried to negotiate with Republicans, but he said that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said that “it’s a bottom line, no one should cooperate on voting rights.”
On the Senate floor, McConnell argued that because the 2020 presidential election had the highest voter turnout, “our democracy is not in crisis.”
“There are senators on both sides who understand that any supposedly limited ‘carve out’ would bring the whole house crashing down,” he said.
“So there is not going to be any kind of bipartisan action, we know that,” Schumer said. “Our caucus is now engaged in active discussions about how we can restore the Senate.”
Schumer also suggested that Manchin is continuing to negotiate on changes in the filibuster.
“There are certain things he won’t go for, but there are certain things he’s talking about,” Schumer said. “Hopefully we can get 50 of us to come to an agreement.”
Current filibuster rules require a 60-vote threshold to advance and pass legislation, rather than a simple majority, and with an evenly divided Senate, Democrats need all of their members on board.
Democratic Sens. Raphael Warnock of Georgia, Jeff Merkley of Oregon, Alex Padilla of California and Senate Rules Committee Chairwoman Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota joined the press conference. Schumer said that Democrats will have a debate on changing rules by Jan. 17, which is also Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Schumer added that Democrats are working to get Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona and Manchin to agree to some type of filibuster carve out specifically to pass voting rights legislation.
Warnock said that Congress is running out of time to pass meaningful voting rights legislation.
“Let me be very clear,” Warnock said. “The elections are still run by the state. We’re just trying to provide a federal baseline that says everybody ought to have access, every American has to have access to the ballot.”
He said in his home state of Georgia, there is currently an effort in the state legislature to eliminate absentee ballot drop boxes in the entire state.
“It’s very clear what the Republican party is up to,” Warnock said. “They are trying to make it harder for some people to vote … and I predict that over the next few days you’re going to hear the same Republicans give a lot of lip service to bipartisanship.”
The Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University School of Law found that from Jan. 1 to Dec. 7 of 2021, at least 19 states passed 34 laws restricting voting access.
“There are solutions to this alarming and unprecedented attack on our democracy,” according to the center. “Congress has the power to take bold action now to protect American voters from the kinds of restrictions enacted this year and the looming threats to voters and elections that may be imposed in 2022 and beyond.”
Sinema has made it clear that under no circumstances will she change her position about carving out filibuster changes to advance any voting rights legislation.
“As she has throughout her time in the U.S. House and Senate, Senator Sinema also continues to support the Senate’s 60-vote threshold, to protect the country from repeated radical reversals in federal policy which would cement uncertainty, deepen divisions, and further erode Americans’ confidence in our government,” her office wrote in a statement, the same one she made in December in response to questions about her position on the filibuster.
Schumer did not specify which voting rights legislation Democrats would try to pass, but several pieces have been introduced.
One that Senate Democrats worked on with Manchin is called the Freedom to Vote act, which would establish Election Day as a national holiday and set minimum standards that each state must have for elections, such as two weeks of early voting and an option for same-day voter registration.
Another piece of legislation, the John Lewis Voting Rights and Advancement Act, would bolster the Voting Rights Act by establishing a new formula to require all 50 states to get special permission from the Justice Department before making any changes to voting laws or putting in place new voting requirements.
Police want to speak with the driver of this truck to see if they saw Mattie Mizell in the area of NOK Road on Jan. 1, 2022. (photo Cleveland Police Dept.)
An expanded search continues for a Cleveland, Georgia, woman who has been missing since New Year’s Day. She has still not been located, but Cleveland police may have a lead on a potential witness.
The police department received a photograph of a copper/orange that is either late a model Ford F-150 crew cab pickup truck or a Ford Ranger, observed driving on NOK Drive on Jan. 1 that may have seen Mattie Mizell.
“The driver of the vehicle may have seen our missing person, Mrs. Mattie Mizell, walking on the roadway and may be able to provide new information to assist the search efforts,” Cleveland Police Chief Jeff Shoemaker said. “We ask that the driver of this vehicle or anyone having knowledge of such a vehicle to contact the Cleveland Police Department at (706) 865-2111.”
The truck, pictured here, may have seen Mizell walking along NOK Drive on New Year’s Day. Police are asking the driver to contact them. (Photo courtesy Cleveland Police Department)
The 69-year-old Mizell, who police say has dementia, left her residence on White Street the morning of January 1. She was captured on video by White County Middle School’s security camera that same day walking in the northwest direction.
Searchers looked for Mizell much of Saturday, all day Sunday and Monday, and are continuing their search into Tuesday. They have been unable to find her.
Drone pilot Tyler Dorsey works at his computer in the command center, set up in the White County Middle School gym, on Monday. Dorsey’s drone is one of two searching the area for Mizell. (Hadley Cottingham/Now Habersham)
The search, which originally encompassed the area surrounding WCMS, has since been expanded to include the Highway 129 North and GA-75 areas following reports of Mizell being spotted near NOK Drive on Sunday.
“We’ve shifted our search to those areas in hopes that we can possibly find her in the area,” Shoemaker says. “We’re not ruling out that she could have been picked up– she could have had a friend or someone that she met that could have picked her up and given her a ride.”
The police department received video footage Sunday that showed an individual, who they believe to be Mizell, walking along NOK Drive near Babyland General Hospital in Cleveland on Saturday.
Monday, Cleveland Police, the Georgia State Patrol and the Georgia Department of Public Safety extended another search party to the Babyland area, where a GDPS helicopter used in the search was grounded.
The Cleveland Police Department, Georgia State Patrol and Georgia Department of Public Safety are managing a search party near Babyland General Hospital. (Hadley Cottingham/Now Habersham)
“We suspect that she might have frequented that area, and may have even gone into Babyland General, but we cannot confirm that,” Shoemaker says. “We are asking anyone who may have been in the area, or a visitor of Babyland General on January 1 between the hours of 3 and 6 p.m. to call the Cleveland Police Department.”
Shoemaker says any information they can get on Mizell’s whereabouts could be helpful to the investigation.
“You may not have realized that you saw something, but you could have seen her in the parking lot, you could have seen her on the sidewalk, possibly getting into a car with someone,” Shoemaker said. “Any possible tips are greatly appreciated.”
Chief Jeff Shoemaker (left) and Fire Chief Seth Weaver (right) discuss the search with state law enforcement officials. (Hadley Cottingham/Now Habersham)
Hundreds of searchers fanned out across those areas over the weekend, continuing into Tuesday. The search party includes personnel from the Georgia State Patrol, Department of Natural Resources, Emergency Management Agency, and Department of Defense, as well as Cleveland Police and White County public safety officials.
Georgia Department of Defense officers are operating drones with heat sensors over the areas she may be located, as search helicopters also look for Mizell.
Cleveland police are growing increasingly concerned about Mizell’s condition after her possible exposure to winter storms, cold conditions and high winds Sunday night and into Monday, and temperatures dropped below freezing Monday night.
The police department, Mizell’s family, officials from WCMS and other involved personnel attended a debriefing following the conclusion of Monday’s search. Shoemaker asked the Cleveland community to continue to look out for any sign of Mizell.
Cleveland Police Chief Jeff Shoemaker held a debriefing following the day’s search to share what information they had with the public.
Officials are asking the public to continue to keep a lookout for Mizell, who is described as a Black female with black hair and brown eyes, approximately five feet three inches tall and 160 pounds. She was last seen wearing blue pants or jeans, a purple/blue hooded sweatshirt, and blue shoes with white trim.
“The community can help by searching the outer areas of their property to include garages, porches, shrubs and brush areas, vehicles or any area that a person may use for shelter in the rainy weather,” says Shoemaker. In addition, he encourages the public to check the sides of roadways, culverts, drains, and other areas where Mizell may have gone to seek shelter.
If you see Mattie Mizell or anything indicating where she may be or may have been, please contact White County E-911 at 706-865-0911 or the Cleveland Police Department at 706-348-7078.
Trent Crawford of WRWH contributed to this report.
The Rev. Otis Lavay McCullough, 92, formerly of Cornelia, Georgia, passed away January 4, 2022, following a short illness. A retired Southern Baptist minister, Lavay had served as full-time senior pastor from 1959 to 2003 for churches in Georgia, Oklahoma, and Texas. In addition, he served as interim pastor for various churches in Northeast Georgia through 2014.
A Funeral Service will be held Saturday, January 8, at 4 p.m., with a viewing beginning at 2 p.m. at Whitfield Funeral Homes & Crematory North Chapel, 245 Central Avenue, Demorest, Georgia, The Rev. Al Gilbert will officiate.
Lavay is preceded in death by his wife of 52 years, Gladys Marie Padgett McCullough, his beloved partner in ministry and life.
Born April 16, 1929, in Porterdale, Ga., to Ernest McCullough and Esther Louise Baird McCullough, Lavay grew up in Rockmart, a thriving mill community in northwest Georgia. Fond childhood memories include playing golf and caddying for mill executives and business owners, participating in Boy Scouts and the Rockmart High football team as manager, and delivering the Atlanta newspapers on his bicycle.
His life was marked at age 12 when he accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior at the leading of a faithful Sunday school teacher at Rockmart First Baptist Church. Lavay received his ordination as pastor at Rockmart First Baptist after surrendering to preach in 1957.
He is a graduate of Mercer University in Macon, Ga., and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. He pastored Georgia churches: Oxford Baptist, Oxford; Blackshear Place Baptist, Flowery Branch; Sisters Baptist, Sandersville; Central Heights Baptist, Mt Airy; Alto Baptist, Alto; Higher Ground Baptist, Baldwin.
Lavay was the author of “Studies in Revelation,” a self-published verse-by-verse Bible study, and a member of Level Grove Baptist Church in Cornelia.
Since 2017, Lavay has resided in an assisted living community in Alpharetta, where he led Bible studies, sang hymns, and loved to pray with and for the residents and workers. He was known for his strong faith and love for Jesus. Occasionally asked to deliver a sermon during Sunday worship services, he always had one prepared just in case.
He is survived by his children and their spouses: Belinda and Greg Smith of San Marcos, Calif.; Laura and Jose Berrios of Alpharetta, Ga.; Andrew and Robin McCullough of Lafayette, Colo.
His grandchildren include Isaac Berrios, St. Louis, MO.; Joseph Berrios, Dallas, Texas; Clarisa Berrios and Elizabeth Berrios, Alpharetta, and Luke McCullough, Jack McCullough and Drew McCullough, all of Lafayette, Colo.
In place of flowers, and in honoring Lavay’s greatest desire to share the Good News of Jesus Christ, the family requests you give generously to your local church or a ministry of your choosing.
Arrangements have been entrusted to the Whitfield Funeral Homes & Crematory, North Chapel at 245 Central Avenue, Demorest, Georgia 30535. Telephone: 706-778-1700
The Habersham County Board of Commissioners voted 4-1 to make Interim County Manager Alicia Vaughn the sole finalist in the search for a permanent county manager during a special called meeting Tuesday night.
Interim County Manager Vaughn has served in the manager’s position since July, filling the vacancy left by Phil Sutton who resigned. Sutton held the position for nearly eight years.
She was one of three finalists the commission interviewed, which included former Fitchburg, Wisconsin City Administrator Patrick Marsh and former Baldwin City Administrator Jerry Neace.
Councilman Jimmy Tench was the single opposing vote in all three votes taken tonight, which included offering the position of county manager to Interim County Manager Alicia Vaughn, naming Bruce Palmer as the commission’s chairman and naming Bruce Harkness as the vice-chairman. (Hadley Cottingham/Now Habersham)
Commissioner Jimmy Tench was the lone dissenting vote against Vaughn, making a comment regarding Vaughn’s abrupt leaving of her position as county manager in Catoosa County.
“What are we going to do if she decides to come in here, puts her keys down on the table and says she’s ready to go home?” Tench asked.
“Then I guess we’ll be back in search for a county manager again,” newly-appointed Chairman Bruce Palmer said.
His question is similar to the ones Cornelia Attorney Doug McDonald raised at the Dec. 20 commission meeting when he called on Vaughn to publicly state why she left her position in Catoosa County. Tench also opposed Vaughn becoming the interim manager in July.
There are still some steps that need to be taken before Vaughn can be appointed to the manager’s position.
“We have to actually offer her the job and do a contract, and negotiate her contract,” Palmer said. “Then, at that time, we can officially name her as the manager.”
Palmer hopes to officially appoint her to the county manager’s position at the commission’s Jan. 20 commission meeting.
Ralph K. Montgomery, 75, of Demorest, Georgia passed away on Sunday, January 2, 2022.
Ralph’s wishes were to be cremated and no formal services are planned at this time.
Arrangements have been entrusted to the Whitfield Funeral Homes & Crematory, at 1370 Industrial Boulevard, Baldwin, Georgia 30511. Telephone: 706-778-7123.
Pike Electric workers get a powerline on Asbestos Road back upright after it was knocked down by Sunday night's storms. Habersham EMC and Georgia Power both pulled in outside crews to help with restoration efforts. (Hadley Cottingham/Now Habersham)
Georgia Power and regional electric cooperatives have restored power to most of their customers left in the dark by Monday’s windy winter storm. Approximately three thousand remained without power Tuesday evening, mostly in White and Rabun counties.
Crews worked have been working nonstop to get the lights and heat back on across Georgia following the storm. The state’s largest utility said it would have service fully restored by the end of Tuesday.
Georgia Power released a statement saying its “crews in the field have worked through the night to complete restoration. The remaining outages in east and northeast Georgia will be restored today [Jan. 4].”
A tree fell across Mountain Road in Clayton early Jan. 3, leaving the road impassable. (photo by Carrie Watts)
HEMC has not given a timeline for full restoration, but the local cooperative has made progress, restoring service to around 13,000 members in its six-county service area. The vast majority of HEMC’s remaining outages are in White County where a large number of trees fell.
The power outages began shortly after 4 a.m. January 3 as winds gusted between 40 to 50 mph. An official reading near Dahlonega clocked one gust at 49 mph.
The storm left a trail of damage across northern Georgia, toppling trees, downing power lines and blocking roadways. Flooding from heavy rains forced several bridges to close in Habersham County.
Several state highways in the region were temporarily blocked by fallen trees, a large number of them in the Sautee Nacoochee area where many residents remained without power Tuesday.
Five homes in White County were damaged by fallen trees, but there were no injuries reported, according to White County Public Safety Director David Murphy.
A tree, sawed in half to reopen Joe Black Road in Cleveland, took out a powerline running parallel to the road. (Hadley Cottingham/Now Habersham)A tree hangs among snapped power lines hanging above the road in Sautee. (Hadley Cottingham/Now Habersham)
Cleanup shifted on Tuesday from making roads passable to clearing debris. As big of a mess as the storm left, the biggest impact was by far the power outages.
The storm broke 30 HEMC power poles, which significantly slowed restoration efforts. At the height of the storm, over 45% of HEMC’s members were without electricity.
There are still downed trees and power lines across parts of northern Georgia and electric providers remind the public to remain vigilant. Avoid downed lines and cables and treat all lines as if they are energized.
An escaped cow wanders along State Highway 365, posing a threat to high-speed traffic. (Madi Nix/HCACC)
Editor’s Note: A recent town hall meeting in Habersham County revealed a number of public safety issues affecting the county. Over the next several weeks, Now Habersham will take a closer look at these issues and their impact on public safety personnel and the community at large. This is the first article in that series.
There’s a problem in Habersham County with cows, and other large livestock, striking out on their own for strolls outside their pastures. While it might sound like just another charm of rural Georgia, escaped cows are risks to the safety of Habersham’s drivers, farmers and public safety.
“We have a big problem . . . with cows escaping their pastures and getting into roadways,” Habersham County Animal Care and Control Director Madi Nix says. “Because we are a very rural area, this is more common than one might think.”
“The Cow Problem” is a problem animal control doesn’t handle alone. The sheriff’s office is usually involved with, too, as the departments work in tandem to corral wandering cows and other livestock.
“We deal with cows and other livestock all the time,” Habersham County Sheriff Joey Terrell says. “Dispatch has a ‘cow’ book with names of folks who own animals in areas of the county.”
Nix says this issue happens most often with black cows, which are hard to see and pose a threat to the safety of Habersham drivers.
“Some of the issues that we’ve had with livestock or with cows, in particular, is the immediate danger of somebody hitting one of these animals,” Nix says. “Either in the night or coming around the corner on that can be deadly. If somebody hits a cow in a vehicle, it’s a lot different than hitting a dog, per se.”
Habersham County Animal Control staff corral cows with HCACC vehicles off of a roadway. (Madi Nix/HCACC)
It isn’t just the safety of drivers, escaped cows are often bulls who are on edge, and are a safety risk to the animal control staff and officers dealing with them. That escaped livestock can also wreak havoc on other citizens’ farms, especially those with crops.
“We also have a big issue with folks that do hold these livestock not taking us seriously when officers are making contact in regards to the violation,” Nix says. “We get a lot of ‘It’s a cow, this is farmland, get over it.’ But not only are people’s lives in danger when they [cows] get into the roadway, but we have had citizens that rely on crops that have had their crops destroyed by neighbors’ cattle roaming onto their property.”
What happens with escaped cattle?
Nix says that usually, the cow is claimed and brought back to its pasture fairly quickly. But sometimes, it’s hard to track down the owner, even with the “cow book.”
“Every now and then we can’t find an owner and cow won’t stay out of the road,” Terrell says. “[The] last resort is getting with Madi and doing something with it.”
Nix and Terrell have had to work together to get a cow into a rented trailer and take it to a pasture where it could stay until it was reclaimed. The county’s shelter and animal control facilities don’t have a paddock or a transport vehicle for livestock, even though it’s an issue Nix says they deal with on a regular basis.
“The sheriff’s department nor animal control has the time or the ability to sit and babysit a cow for six hours while we make sure he tries not to get into the road,” Nix says. What the responders often have to do in that situation is take the cow to a nearby pasture and ask the property owner to keep the cow during a holding period.
“If within that holding time the owner is not found, if whatever animal that person has been holding for us wants to keep it, we’ll go ahead and do a transfer to that person,” she says.
Nix is hopeful that the county’s new animal shelter, which is included in the current SPLOST budget, will have an area for livestock to wait to be reclaimed.
What to do when you see lost livestock
Nix and Terrell both say that if you do spot a cow, or any other type of livestock out wandering in the roads, call the non-emergency dispatch line at (706) 839-0570. Do not call 911.
“When someone sees a cow or animal out [in the road] they should call dispatch and report it,” Terrell says. “If they know the owner, it would be great if they contacted them too.”
By reaching out to the non-emergency dispatch line, E-911 operators will be able to dispatch whichever sheriff’s officer or animal control officer is closest to deal with the lost livestock. Nix says if there’s lost livestock on your property, calling animal control directly at (706) 839-0195 is a better method of contact.
