On a cold, rainy day, Northeast Georgian veterans, their families and community members gathered to honor veterans that dedicated their lives to serving the United States.
Northeast Georgia’s Grant-Reeves VFW Post 7720 Honor Guard, and veterans from area veteran support organizations, held a Veterans Day ceremony at the war memorial outside of the Rabun County Courthouse. Volunteers distributed red carnations to veterans, their spouses and families.
A crowd of veterans, their families and community members stood at the Rabun County War Memorial in cold temperatures and pouring rain to show support for local veterans. (Hadley Cottingham/Now Habersham)
Jim Morgan, commander of the Habersham-based chapter of the Disabled American Veterans, spoke to the gathered crowd about a veteran’s dedication to service.
“When our time of service was over, our oath continues to stand,” Morgan said. “We continue to fight for our community, our veterans and to continue to defend and protect our country. Even though we can’t serve in that uniform, we proudly wear patriotic clothes, pins and hats to show everyone what we’ve done.”
Disabled American Veterans Chapter 15 Commander Jim Morgan spoke at Thursday’s event about the dedication of veterans, not only to their country, but to their neighbors, communities and fellow veterans. (Hadley Cottingham/Now Habersham)
He says that even after veterans leave the service of the U.S. military, many remain dedicated to serving their communities through community service, like offering support for other veterans and volunteering at food banks.
The honor guard gave a three-volley salute and played Taps as they closed out the ceremony, honoring local veterans.
Rabun County Veterans Day ceremony photo gallery
1 of 6
Danny Stephens, member of the Grant-Reeves VFW Post 7720 and Honor Guard Bugler, plays Taps to honor veterans in the pouring rain. (Hadley Cottingham/Now Habersham)
The Grant-Reeves Veteran Honor Guard, which has served Northeast Georgia's military families for over 50 years, prepares to honor veterans with a three-volley salute. (Hadley Cottingham/Now Habersham)
Michael Darby, a veteran who served in the US from 1956 to 1961, between the Korean and Vietnam wars, attended the ceremony in uniform. (Hadley Cottingham/Now Habersham)
The Rabun County War Memorial was adorned with flags and a wreath, honoring those who served. (Hadley Cottingham/Now Habersham)
Disabled American Veterans Chapter 15 State Senior Vice Commander Doug Wayne salutes the flag as it is raised. (Hadley Cottingham/Now Habersham)
Red Carnations were presented to veterans, their spouses and their families. (Hadley Cottingham/Now Habersham)
The ceremony was shorter than normal due to a threat of showers but members of the Roy Head Post 16 of the American Legion along with the general public took time Thursday morning to honor U.S. veterans and those serving in the military.
Post-Commander Mike Allen conducted the ceremony that recognized members of the different branches of the military.
In his address, Commander Allen talked about holding onto the Constitution of the United States and the nation’s founding principles.
“In America, there comes a point and time when the people, I’m talking about people as a whole, they stand up and say enough, it’s time to move forward. We’re at that point ladies and gentlemen, we are at that point,” said Allen.
“So as an American citizen, and I’m not talking about Republicans I’m not talking about Democrats, I’m talking about American Citizens, stand up and be counted, stand up for what you believe, stand up for your heritage,” he said.
At the conclusion of the program, White County Color Guard performed a 21 gun salute to service members who gave the ultimate sacrifice in service or have since passed away.
Earlier in the day the Northeast Georgia Veterans Society dedicated a veterans monument at Helen Veterans Park.
Jack P. Nix Elementary School has a veterans program Thursday evening at 6:30 PM and White County Middle School students and staff have scheduled a program to salute veterans Friday morning at 9 AM.
Frances Ellene Stanley, age 82, of Cornelia, entered heaven Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021, at the Northeast Georgia Medical Center, Gainesville.
Ellene was born in Pulaski, Mississippi, to the late Allen & Mattie Permenter Varner. She was an LPN where she worked a number of years at West Orange Memorial Hospital in Winter Garden, Florida, & Cathedral Gerontology Center in Jacksonville, Florida. She was loved by all who knew her and will be deeply missed.
Left to cherish her memory, daughter, Sandra Stanley; sons, Carl Gregory Farmer & Ronnie Glenn Farmer; sisters, Jonelle Weems & Geneva Hawthorne; 4 grandchildren, Corie Madara, Carlie Starr, Cody Farmer & Katherine C. Stanley; 3 great-grandchildren, Bryson, Caroline & Paisley also survive.
Please share online condolences and memories with the family at www.wardsfh.com.
Ward’s Funeral Home is honored to serve the family of Frances Ellene Stanley.
Hall County Sheriff’s Office investigators have charged a Gainesville man with aggravated battery under the Family Violence Act in connection with a shooting this week off of GA 136/Price Road.
Deputies arrested Tony Joseph Savage, 45, early Wednesday morning at the Hall County Sheriff’s Office Headquarters.
Deputies responded to the initial call about the shooting on November 9 at Northeast Georgia Medical Center Gainesville where the victim was transported for treatment.
According to the initial investigation, at approximately 10 p.m. Tuesday, Savage shot the 53-year-old woman in the abdomen with a pellet rifle. The incident occurred during a domestic dispute between Savage and the victim inside his residence in the 5000 block of North Forest Boulevard, officials say. The victim suffered serious injuries.
After the initial call, deputies located Savage at his residence, where they took him into custody without incident. Savage remained in the Hall County Jail without bond Wednesday afternoon.
House Redistricting Committee Chair Rep. Bonnie Rich speaks to fellow lawmakers after they approved new House maps. (Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder)
ATLANTA (GA Recorder) — The Georgia House approved new borders for their districts on a mostly party-line vote Wednesday, 99 to 79.
If the maps pass the Senate and receive Gov. Brian Kemp’s signature, the new lines will shape Georgians’ choice of their state representatives under the Gold Dome for the next decade.
“I am proud that we have not only drawn a map that is legally sound, but is also fair,” said Speaker David Ralston, a Blue Ridge Republican. “Now, not everybody’s going to be happy. Not all the Republicans are going to be happy and that’s the case with every piece of legislation that we pass, but we have done the best we can to balance competing priorities with the (Census) data that was delivered to us.”
Suwanee Rep. Bonnie Rich, the Republican chair of the House Redistricting Committee, said despite complaints from Democrats and some constituents represented by Republicans, the maps comply with the law and will provide fair representation for all Georgians.
“As an elected Republican woman from Gwinnett County, I’m very proud of the number of minority opportunity districts that we have drafted here,” she said. “My family, my children and I have benefited greatly from our diverse community. We have had a rich experience. And now I know that my neighbors, my friends, my children’s friends and their parents, they all have an opportunity to do what I’m doing here too. Our maps have ensured that. Our maps are representative of our state.”
The map will likely help bolster the state’s Republican majority, researchers with the nonpartisan Princeton Gerrymandering Project found, with a 5% bias towards Republicans, but with all factors considered, they gave the plan a B, indicating that it is better than average, but still has room for improvement.
From left, state Reps. Park Cannon, Erica Thomas, Michael Smith and Bonnie Rich look over maps in the House chamber. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder
The GOP holds the majority in the Georgia House 103-77. Republicans have a 34-22 edge in the state Senate.
In addition to a lack of competitive districts, Princeton also identified a small decrease in the number of minority districts, which include majority-minority and minority-influence districts. The new map contains 109 total minority districts, two fewer than the current map.
Not including pairs in which one member is not seeking re-election, the map will force eight incumbent lawmakers to face off for re-election, Rich said.
They are Snellville Democratic Reps. Rebecca Mitchell and Shelly Hutchinson, Republican Reps. Dominic LaRiccia of Douglas and James Burchett of Waycross, Republican Reps. Danny Mathis of Cochran and Robert Pruitt of Eastman, and Republican Rep. Gerald Greene of Cuthbert and Democratic Rep. Winifred Dukes of Albany.
Greene has represented a south Georgia legislative district for nearly four decades, at first as a Democrat.
Minority Leader James Beverly, a Macon Democrat, said it was unfair to pair the two Democrats from Gwinnett County, which saw the most growth in the 2020 Census, instead of drawing one of the two into a nearby open district.
“This is a perfect example of politicians using their power in the redistricting process to settle some personal or political grudge rather than to benefit the public good,” he said. “That’s not right. It undermines public confidence in our democracy, and the people of Georgia deserve better.”
Rich said the committee avoided pairing incumbents whenever possible, but some matches were unavoidable because of the high population growth in metro Atlanta and the need to comply with federal laws.
Republican Reps. Danny Mathis and Alan Powell look over the new maps. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder
“Coming from one of the four pairings in this map, if I can set aside my personal ambitions and my personal feelings to do what’s best for the state of Georgia, I think that each and every one of us can do that,” Burchett said. “I’m appealing to you, just from a personal perspective, just to say, ‘Hey, this is not about you. This is about the state of Georgia. This is about your constituents. This is about the future of Georgia.’”
Two Republicans broke ranks and voted against the plan, Rep. Philip Singleton of Sharpsburg and Rep. Charlice Byrd of Woodstock.
Singleton’s district was the topic of much discussion at House Committee hearings, with dozens of sign-bearing protesters lamenting its proposed transformation from a district that voted 72% for Donald Trump to one that voted 68% for Joe Biden.
Singleton made one last dramatic plea from the House floor for his colleagues to vote the measure down.
“If you allow your voice to be silenced, or you willingly submit your voice to a select few, you are complicit in the destruction of our republic, you are creating a functional oligarchy,” he said. “All that is required for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing. I want everyone in this room to have an equal voice.”
Democrats were equal in their opposition to their plan, but they took a different tack in their criticism.
Decatur Democrat Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver said the map violates the Voting Rights Act by dividing minority communities.
“The Stonecrest community is split into three separate districts,” she said. “My city of Decatur, where I’ve practiced law for a good while, if I had the corner office, which I don’t have the corner office, I could look at three different districts. The city of Decatur is four square miles. It has four representatives. The district line separating House District 91 and House District 116 divides the community of Stockbridge, the Groveway community in Roswell. A community of African American churches that vote and pray together has been divided by a split precinct.”
Garden City Democratic Rep. Carl Gilliard criticized the Republican-led committee for calling a vote Wednesday on a version of a map that was publicly unveiled just two days earlier.
“Of all the public comments recorded, a vast majority came before the release of the map that we are voting on today,” he said. “Communities across Georgia learned for the first time last week exactly how their representation would change. And in response, they were given two options, come to the state Capitol in the middle of the workday, or go on the portal and put your information in.”
Rich said public feedback found its way into the map by way of summer listening sessions, online comments and Capitol hearings earlier this week, and she criticized Democrats for not getting involved earlier in the process.
“In addition to the 88-plus hours that I made available, in the four separate emails that went out to every member of this body, I also offered to meet with each and every one of you at any other time, if none of those times that I suggested were convenient for you,” she said. “Some people did take me up on that. Most Democrats didn’t, and that’s unfortunate for their districts, and for their constituents.”
The Senate passed its map Tuesday, also along party lines, and the House Redistricting Committee gave its approval to the plan Wednesday, setting it up for a vote from the full body. Once both chambers approve the other’s plan, they will await Gov. Brian Kemp’s signature, and the Legislature will turn to its final task of the special session, redrawing the state’s 14 congressional district boundaries.
About 20 percent of Georgia hospitals got an “A’’ in the Leapfrog Group’s autumn patient safety ratings, released Wednesday.
That’s a lower percentage than in the spring when 31.6 percent earned the top grade.
The safety grades come out twice a year. They are meant to provide safety information to consumers so they can make informed decisions about where to seek care. Hospitals that get high grades heavily promote those results to potential patients and clients.
The ratings reflect performance on more than 30 evidence-based measures of patient safety, including for the first time, post-operative sepsis, blood leakage, and kidney injury.
Overall, sepsis in all settings, including post-operative sepsis, kills more than 270,000 people a year and is the costliest condition in U.S. hospitals, the Leapfrog Group said. Black people are twice as likely as white people to be diagnosed with sepsis.
Georgia’s “A’’ hospitals include smaller rural facilities as well as large urban and suburban medical centers. Piedmont Healthcare, the largest hospital system in the state, had six facilities make the top grade.
Nationally, 32 percent of hospitals earned an “A’’ grade. The five states with the highest percentages of “A” hospitals are Virginia, North Carolina, Idaho, Massachusetts and Colorado.
The grades are compiled using information from the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the Leapfrog Hospital Survey and other supplemental data sources.
Founded in 2000 by large employers, the Leapfrog Group is a national nonprofit focused on improving the quality and safety of American health care.
“As the pandemic continues, we all have heightened awareness of the importance of hospitals in our communities and in our lives,” Leah Binder, president and CEO of the Leapfrog Group, said in a statement. “It is critical that all hospitals put patient safety first. Now we have more information on more hospitals than ever before, so people can protect themselves and their families.”
Does it seem like the holidays become a blur? One day it’s Halloween and then in the blink of an eye, it’s Thanksgiving and Christmas. The retailers who get a jump start on putting out their displays confuse us at times when you walk in and see almost all three at once.
Sometimes planning ahead is a good thing. Stop for a minute and think about what you want to be in bloom for Christmas. If it’s amaryllis, plant a bulb now!
This chart gives you an idea of when you’re amaryllis will bloom relative to the planting date. It usually takes six to eight weeks for amaryllis to bloom, but check the label on the variety you have — some bloom faster, and some slower.
Planting date
Bloom timeframe
Oct. 15
Nov. 19-Dec. 10
Nov. 1
Dec. 6-27
Nov. 15
Dec. 20-Jan. 10
Dec. 1
Jan. 6-28
Dec. 15
Jan. 19-Feb. 9
Jan. 1
Feb. 6-26
Jan. 15
Feb. 19-March 12
Feb. 1
March 8-29
Feb. 15
April 5-26
Amaryllis is a stunning addition to your holiday displays. The blooms are enormous. They make a statement! They come in a variety of colors from solid to bi-colored.
Easy, breezy, beautiful amaryllis
Few bulbs are easier to grow than amaryllis and few bloom with greater exuberance and beauty. Just plant the bulb in good potting soil, water regularly, and provide bright, indirect light. A support stake is handy for keeping the blooms upright, but little else is required. Most varieties will begin blooming six to eight weeks after planting; some can take as long as ten weeks.
If your amaryllis is not already potted, plant each amaryllis bulb in a 6-8″ pot. Heavy pots are preferable because lightweight pots may tip over under the weight of the blooms.
Plant the bulb, pointed-end-up, in potting mix. Pack the soil gently around the bulb so approximately one-third of the bulb remains above the soil line.
Place the pot in a location that receives bright, indirect light. Water sparingly until you see about 2″ of new growth. From then on, water regularly. As the plant grows, turn the pot periodically to encourage the flower stalks to grow straight. Flower buds will appear at the top of each stalk, followed by a dramatic floral display. To prolong the blooms, keep the pot out of direct sunlight.
Don’t be alarmed if your amaryllis bulbs sprout leaves first, and then the flower stalk emerges a little later. That’s what many varieties do. Others send up the flower stalk first, followed by the leaves. You should see the flower stalk peeking up between the leaves soon.
A rainbow of varieties
Amaryllis varieties
1 of 6
Red Pearl
Rilona
Christmas Star
Cherry Nymph
Marilyn
Flamenco Queen
Not only do amaryllis come in a variety of colors, they are also available in single and double blooms. With a 7″ flower, they definitely will put on a show stopping performance in your holiday display.
You should be able to find what you are looking for at Lowe’s of Cornelia or any other local nurseries. For some of the more exotic varieties you can always order online. One of the best sites is www.amaryllis.com.
Bear in mind if you order online, some of these varieties are on the pricey side and shipping is additional.
Get a head start on the holidays today by planting an amaryllis bulb.
Jack Thomson & DJ Broome (photo by TFS Bass Fishing)
The TFS bass fishing team hit the lake in the Clarks Hill tournament on November 6, as 93 teams competed in the senior tournament and over 50 in the junior division.
A pair of TFS teams competed, with middle schoolers DJ Broome and Jack Thomson leading TFS with an eighth-place finish in the junior division. The duo caught five fish, weighing in at 7.04 pounds.
Meanwhile, the high school tandem of Haygen James and Koen Eller placed 79th with one fish at 1.98 pounds. This marked the second tournament of the season for TFS, who compete next in February 2022.
St. Pius and Woodward Academy won’t be competing in the highest classification next year after all. They were among 34 GHSA schools that went home happy Wednesday after the Georgia High School Association approved their appeals to play in classifications other than the ones assigned them last month.
Most other private schools were less fortunate. Marist and Blessed Trinity lost appeals and will be in Class 6A, the second-highest class, joining St. Pius and Woodward. The four are currently in 5A or 4A. Greater Atlanta Christian will be in 5A, up from 3A. Lovett will be in 4A, up from 2A.
Others among 19 schools losing appeals were Kennesaw Mountain, Camden County and Richmond Hill. They will be in Class 7A. City schools Calhoun and Jefferson also lost appeals. Both will be in 5A. Other cities schools denied were Bremen, Thomasville, Vidalia and Social Circle.
Another prominent city school perhaps got a break. Cartersville, originally slotted for 6A, was allowed to remain in Class 5A because another school, Jackson County, petitioned to play up in 6A and was approved. That meant the smallest school in 6A got to move down, and Cartersville was it. Cartersville has the No. 1-ranked football team in Class 5A currently.
Several schools petitioned to play in higher classifications, and almost all were approved. Holy Innocents’ and Trinity Christian, which currently are Class A Private schools, and Pace Academy, currently a 2A school, were admitted into 4A. Trinity Christian is the No. 1-ranked Class A Private football team, and Holy Innocents’ and Pace won nine state titles last academic year between them.
The classification decisions are effective for the 2022-23 academic year. The number of appeals, which took nine hours to hear, are probably the most in GHSA history. Private and city schools were the most affected by this reclassification, which used a 3.0 multiplier on out-of-district enrollment to address the belief that they have unfair competitive advantages.
“The reclassification committee the whole time was looking at competitive balance and out-of-district numbers, and I think we stuck by that today,” said Dr. Curt Miller, the reclassification committee chairman.
Appeals results
From 7A to 6A:
Won – Arabia Mountain, East Paulding*, Etowah, Rockdale County, St. Pius, Woodward Academy
Lost – Camden County, Carrollton, Kennesaw Mountain, Richmond Hill
From 6A to 5A:
Won: Cartersville*, Chapel Hill, KIPP Atlanta Collegiate
Lost: Blessed Trinity, Marist, New Manchester
From 6A to 4A:
Lost: Thomas County Central
From 5A to 4A:
Won: Perry, Riverdale, Starr’s Mill, Walnut Grove, Whitewater*
Lost: Calhoun, Flowery Branch, Greater Atlanta Christian, Jefferson, Jenkins
From 4A to 3A:
Won: Central-Macon, Cross Creek, Johnson-Savannah, Pickens*, Richmond Academy, Ridgeland, Sonoraville*, West Hall
From 4A to 2A:
Lost: Lovett
From 3A to 2A:
Won: East Jackson*, Therrell
Lost: Bremen, Thomasville, Vidalia
From 2A to A:
Won: Bryan County
Lost: Social Circle
*Six schools were allowed to move down to accommodate schools below that won petitions to move up. Those six withdrew their appeals once they became unnecessary. Other schools that didn’t appeal will be moved down today to account for others that won petitions to play up.
Schools petitioning to play up
All were approved except Fellowship Christian, which must remain in Class A Private.
7A: Milton
6A: Jackson County
5A: Mays
4A: Holy Innocents’, Pace Academy, Trinity Christian
3A: Savannah, Woodville-Tompkins
2A: Aquinas, B.E.S.T. Academy, Coretta Scott King, Davidson Fine Arts, Elite Scholars, Johnson-Augusta, Technical Career Magnet
Produced by Georgia High School Football Daily, a free e-mail newsletter. To join the mailing list, click here.
Grant-Reeves VFW Post 7720 Honor Guard (Daniel Purcell/Now Habersham)
The Grant-Reeves Veteran Honor Guard has served Habersham and other Northeast Georgia counties for over 50 years. The guard has embraced the traditions of giving veterans who have passed away a proper military burial for decades, but as time goes on, veteran honor guards across the country are disappearing.
Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 7720 Commander Bill Miles says that he has watched honor guards in communities become less and less common over the years, and says one reason they’re becoming so hard to find is that younger veterans don’t typically join veteran support organizations.
“We’re having a hard time [recruiting] Iraq and Afghanistan veterans to get involved in these organizations,” Miles says. “And these traditions are going away.”
According to Miles, there are very few honor guards left in the state and only a couple that are properly certified as veteran honor guards. He says the COVID-19 pandemic got in the way of many certifications due to safety precautions in place to limit contact between individuals. The Grant-Reeves Veteran Honor Guard wasn’t officially certified because of those precautions, but that didn’t stop them from providing funeral services to veterans over the past year and a half.
“We kept doing it, we just implemented some safety measures,” he says. “We thought it was the right thing to do, Every veteran deserves to have military honors performed at their service.”
The Grant-Reeves VFW Post 7720 Honor Guard delivers a 21-gun salute during a Memorial Day ceremony in downtown Clarkesville on May 30, 2021. (Belinda Baragona/VFW Post 7720 Auxiliary)
In addition to funerals, the honor guard participates in public events such as Veterans Day ceremonies. This year, the Grant-Reeves Honor Guard will pay tribute to veterans in a ceremony on November 11 outside the Rabun County Courthouse. They took part in Memorial Day observances in Clarkesville and Helen in May and the 9/11 tribute in Cornelia this past September.
TAPS played in memory of those killed in action during the Memorial Day ceremony in Clarkesville on Monday, May 30, 2021. (Belinda Baragona/VFW Post 7720 Auxiliary)
The guard is comprised of volunteer veterans from the VFW, VFW Auxillary, Disabled American Veterans and American Legion, and offers flag folding and presentation, the playing of Taps and the 3-round volley to all honorably discharged veterans during their funeral services.
“It’s just the right thing [to do], they all deserve it,” Miles says. “It doesn’t matter if he did four years [of service] or if he did 28 like myself, we give it to everybody, and I think that’s a great thing. It’s a great service that we do in our community.”
If you, or anyone you know, is interested in being part of the Grant-Reeves Veteran Honor Guard, contact the Veteran Center through their website, or call them at (706) 778-4981.
Veterans Day is on Thursday, Nov. 11, and Northeast Georgia cities, schools and organizations have events in place to honor and celebrate the service of veterans.
Habersham County veterans with the Grant-Reeves Veteran’s Honor Guard will participate at the annual Veterans Day Ceremony at the Rabun County Courthouse. The event begins at 10:40 a.m. and goes to 11:45 a.m. Thursday. Following the events, the guard will return to Habersham County for another ceremony preceding the grand opening of the new Grant-Reeves Veterans Center in Cornelia, located at 174 Cornelia Crossing.
The ceremony will begin at 4:45 p.m., followed by a ribbon-cutting of the new center alongside the Habersham Chamber of Commerce. After the ribbon-cutting, the VFW Post will have cake, drinks and host a $1,000 jackpot Bingo night. All veterans that attend will receive a free hotdog, chips and drink.
The Grant-Reeves Veterans Center, which includes the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7720, VFW Auxiliary, Disabled American Veterans Chapter 15 and American Legion Post 84, serves veterans in Banks, Habersham, Hall, Rabun, Stephens and White Counties.
Northeast Georgia Veterans Day events
Other Veterans Day events in the Northeast Georgia area include Camp Toccoa’s Veterans Day observance program, beginning at 11 a.m. in the Camp Toccoa pavilion. All veterans, families and guests are welcome and encouraged to attend.
The Rabun County Chamber of Commerce will host a veterans appreciation dinner in the Rabun County Civic Center. Doors open at 4:45 p.m., and veteran admission is free. The admission for the spouses of veterans is $10, and other guests are $25.
Jack P. Nix Elementary School in White County invites community members and veterans to their annual Veterans Day celebration. It will be held Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at the school’s gymnasium. Entrance to the performance will be through the front office doors.
The Northeast Georgia Veterans Society will dedicate a monument to veterans at the Helen Veterans Park located at 726 Brucken Strasse in Helen at 9 a.m. Thursday.
The City of Lula will hold a Veterans Day celebration at the Lula Veterans Park. The celebration, beginning at 10 a.m., will feature the Hall County Sheriff’s Department Color Guard, performances by area singers, a veteran speaker and patriotic songs from Lula Elementary students.
VFW Commander Bill Miles
Showing support
VFW Commander Bill Miles says that attending these Veterans Day events is an important way to show veterans that their community appreciates them, but he also says that a very important part of letting veterans know they’re cared for is in the everyday.
“You should show support for your veterans every day,” says Miles. “If you see someone wearing a military shirt or hat, army, marines, whatever the branch, say, ‘hey, thank you for your service,’ because what you don’t realize is that may be the difference of making that person’s day.”
State and local investigators arrested and charged an Oakwood teenager with two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor. Allen Joel Ledesma possessed and transmitted at least two images of child pornography through Instagram, officials say.
Agents with the Hall County Sheriff’s Office and Georgia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force arrested Ledesma Tuesday after a search of his home on Sequoia Circle.
Investigators began working on the case on August 26 when they received a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The alleged crimes happened between April 12 and November 9 of this year, according to the sheriff’s office.
While executing the search warrant, agents say they seized one of Ledesma’s electronic devices. Forensic processing is pending.
Deputies booked Ledesma in the Hall County Jail, where he remained held on $11,400 bond Wednesday afternoon, November 10.
The safety grades come out twice a year. They are meant to provide safety information to consumers so they can make informed decisions about where to seek care. Hospitals that get high grades heavily promote those results to potential patients and clients.
