The evidence is played on a screen during opening statements in the trial of Greg McMichael and his son, Travis McMichael, and a neighbor, William "Roddie" Bryan at the Glynn County Courthouse, Friday, Nov. 5, 2021, in Brunswick, Ga. (Octavio Jones/Pool Photo via AP)
Jurors were shown graphic close-up police photos Monday of the gunshot wounds that killed Ahmaud Arbery.
Glynn County police Sgt. Sheila Ramos walked the jury through dozens of crime scene photos she took about an hour after the shooting during the second day of the trial for three white men who chased and shot Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man after he was spotted running in a neighborhood just outside the port city of Brunswick.
Glynn County police Sgt. Shelia Ramos testifies during the trial for Ahmaud Arbery’s shooting death at the Glynn County Courthouse on November 8, 2021, in Brunswick, Georgia. (Pool photo)
Several jurors could be seen squirming as Ramos showed Arbery’s body lying in the street under a bloodstained covering. Other images showed close-up views of the gunshot wounds to his wrist as well as grievous injuries to his chest and underneath one of his arms.
Ricky Minshew, then a Glynn County police patrol officer, testified he saw Arbery bleeding when he arrived at the scene about a minute after the gunshots sounded, but didn’t try to render medical aid, saying he was alone and it wouldn’t have been safe. He radioed for 911 operators to send emergency medical responders.
Former Glynn County police officer Ricky Minshew points out defendant Travis McMichael during the trial for Ahmaud Arbery’s shooting death at the Glynn County Courthouse on November 8, 2021, in Brunswick, Georgia. (Pool photo)
“Without having any other police units to have my back, there was no way I could switch to do anything medical and still watch after my own safety,” Minshew said. He said he heard Arbery make a noise he described as a “death rattle.”
Father and son Greg and Travis McMichael and their neighbor, William “Roddie” Bryan, are charged with murder in the February 2020 slaying. The McMichaels armed themselves and used a pickup truck to pursue Arbery after they spotted him running in their neighborhood. Defense attorneys say Travis McMichael fired in self-defense.
This article appears on Now Habersham through a news partnership with GPB News
The Habersham County Board of Education recognized two educators at their Monday night meeting for going “above and beyond,” for students and their families.
Once a month, the school board, alongside Peach State Federal Credit Union, recognize those who go the “extra mile” to improve the lives and further the educations of their students with the PSFCU “Extra Mile” and “Service Above Self” awards.
At their November meeting, the Habersham County Board of Education recognized two secondary educators, Habersham Central High School teacher Gulnur Pendaz and Wilbanks Middle School Paraprofessional Marthe Freeman, for their hard work.
Ege Keskin (left) and Gulnur Pendaz (right), who teaches Honors/AP Chemistry and Physics at HCHS, have both been recognized for their contributions to student life at the high school.
Pendaz received the Extra Mile Award after being nominated by the HCHS administration. The HCHS physics and chemistry teacher is recognized for her dedication to helping struggling students, especially in the areas of math and science, as well as those learning to speak English.
Pendaz has spearheaded multiple after-school activities to help students, as well as give her own students experience in leadership and service. One of her programs, the “Shining Stars,” is a club of upperclassmen who volunteer to help students with math and science.
“Once she pitched the idea to some of her AP Chemistry and Physics students they jumped at the chance to help others,” the administration said in their nomination letter for Pendaz. “Mrs. Pendaz is now working on matching students so that her volunteers can build peer relationships with their tutees that will hopefully last not just through the rest of this semester but through the rest of this year and beyond.”
Wilbanks Middle School Paraprofessional Marthe Freeman received the Service Above Self Award for her contributions to keeping Wilbanks Middle running and in the best shape possible. WMS Assistant Principal Chris Chitwood says that there was a time that the middle school was down to two custodians, leaving faculty and staff stressed when it came to keeping the school safe and clean. Chitwood says Freeman would spend part of her lunch break in the cafeteria helping custodians clean up to keep the school tidy.
“Mrs. Freeman is the definition of a ‘selfless person,'” says Chitwood. “She never seeks credit and always is willing to help behind the scenes for the good of others. I can’t think of a better example for this award than Mrs. Freeman. We are proud to have her at our school.”
Maxwell Britton, right, was one of dozens of Coweta County residents hoping to convince the House Redistricting Committee not to expand their district north into Fulton County. (Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder)
ATLANTA (GA Recorder) — Georgia lawmakers’ efforts to redraw the state’s political lines continued apace Monday, despite bipartisan criticism that the process is moving too fast and carving up too many of the state’s smaller cities.
The House unveiled a new legislative map shortly before a 1 p.m. meeting of the chamber’s redistricting committee, leaving some activists and residents who had planned to attend scrambling to figure out what the changes meant.
Committee members say they need to move the mapmaking along swiftly because of reporting delays at the U.S. Census Bureau caused by the pandemic. Candidates will need to know which districts they are in before they qualify for 2022 elections in March.
But American Civil Liberties Union deputy political director Vasu Abhiraman said too much haste could create unintentional oversights Georgians could be stuck with for the next decade, giving the example of one Georgia Tech student apartment complex with about 2,000 residents he said was isolated from the rest of the campus in the House map.
“To act like the earlier town halls or even the time after the Census numbers came out were good enough is like telling an editor to send suggested edits for a piece of writing without having seen the thing that they’re trying to edit,” Abhiraman said. “This is the most valuable period of public feedback, and I would encourage the committee to open it up for a lot longer so that genuine, good faith oversights within the process can be pointed out by people who understand these communities.”
Acworth Republican Rep. Ed Setzler said the maps were based on feedback from the public, and the latest iteration proves committee members are still making changes to suit the public interest.
Setzler held a scorecard from the Princeton Gerrymandering Project which gave two plans submitted by House Republicans and Democrats B grades.
“Both pretty doggone good scores relative to what could be expected, so the premise that we need to drag this out weeks and weeks and weeks and weeks and weeks and somehow make it better, a lot of work has gone into these maps, and I think we’ve got proof positive the maps before you are solid maps,” Setzler said.
But people who signed up to speak at the four-hour-long meeting disagreed.
Many said they were from cities the maps would unnecessarily carve up into smaller districts, requiring constituents to have more than one representative to turn to for help.
Long Tran said he has lived in Dunwoody for ten years, where he has been a coach and led a Cub Scout pack. The current plan would slice off a small portion of the city, which would make Cub Scout civics lessons a bit more advanced political science.
“We often meet with our local city council and our state rep, and this adds a strange dynamic when we as a pack talk about being united as a community and focused as one community and this puts up a division that we have to explain to our younger generation, and I think it’s not needed when our population has not grown to the point where it’s justified to provide two state reps for one city,” Tran said.
Suzanne Brown of Peachtree City did not mince words when she took the podium to critique the map that shows the Fayette County community split among three House districts.
“That’s just ridiculous,” she said. “We only have about 30,000 residents, but you’re cutting the north half one way, the center part another way and a little teeny part on the bottom. It’s going to be in a district that goes all the way to Stockbridge. What are they going to have to do with anything going on in the southern part of Peachtree City? I really feel that the plan you have right now is going to be a loss of voice for so many parts of Peachtree City by throwing us into districts that have a majority population that are completely different from our own.”
The city of Stockbridge is 21% white and Peachtree City is about 80% white, according to U.S. Census estimates.
Julie Bolen, redistricting chair for the Georgia League of Women Voters, said the proposed map could do more to unite cities that are small enough to encompass their own legislative district.
“I think this is a universal concern across small cities in Georgia,” she said. “The current map splits 64% of Georgia cities unnecessarily. According to the 2020 Census, those cities have sufficient population to fit into a single district, and yet the proposed maps reduce that by only a single percentage point, from 64% to 63%. We have a chance to reunite communities and comply with one of the principal tenets of fair redistricting, and that’s keeping communities together.”
Many others came to support Sharpsburg Republican Rep. Philip Singleton, a self-described constitutional conservative whose rightwing beliefs have sometimes put him at odds with his own party. Singleton has joined a suit to block the state from using its barcode balloting system and has gotten crossways with House Speaker David Ralston.
Singleton’s Coweta County district is set to stretch north to south Fulton County, moving him from a district that went nearly 75% for Donald Trump in the last election to one that went 66% for Joe Biden.
House Redistricting Committee Chair Bonnie Rich and Rep. Philip Singleton speak before the Monday, Nov. 8 committee hearing. The map produced by the committee could determine the future of Singleton’s political career. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder
Dozens of residents came to the meeting to denounce the plan they said would leave their rural, conservative community represented by an urban liberal.
“I don’t accept your attempt to California my Coweta,” said Maxwell Britton, a Coweta resident who said he “escaped” from the Golden State after 15 years there. “I know why you’re redistricting my county, and I’m truly awake. This is a move to disenfranchise our representation as a county and my voice. I do not consent. I will not give up or forget, and I’m representing thousands of Cowetans that will hold you accountable.”
Singleton has submitted an alternate proposal he says would preserve the communities he represents and still comply with all state and federal requirements.
The committee is set to meet again Tuesday morning. If they vote on a map, it will head to the full House, and if it passes there, move on to the Senate.
The Senate’s proposed map for its new boundaries will move to the full chamber for a vote Tuesday – just a week after GOP leaders first unveiled it. Critics have derided the Republican-drawn plan as being rushed and not adequately reflecting the state’s growing diversity and its politically divided electorate.
Senate Republicans currently hold a 34-22 majority in the chamber and propose surrendering one of those seats. The Princeton Gerrymandering Project gave the map a failing grade for being too partisan and not offering more competitive districts.
Wanda Dillard Woodall, age 75 of Mount Airy, Georgia went home to be with the Lord on Monday, November 08, 2021.
Born in Clayton, Georgia on February 13, 1946, she was a daughter of the late Gwyn & Eula Marr Dillard. Wanda was a loving mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She retired from Chicopee Manufacturing after many years of service and was a member of Victory Baptist Church. In her spare time, Wanda loved working in her flower beds, cooking biscuits for everyone that would come by, and spoiling her family. She played a special nanny for many children along the way.
In addition to her parents, Wanda was preceded in death by her sister, Gwendolyn Dillard, and by her brother, Doug Dillard.
Survivors include her daughter & fiancé, Jane Shoemaker & Roger Whitmire of Toccoa, GA; son, Heath Woodall of Mount Airy, GA; grandchildren, Jennifer & Xavier Rogers of Suwanee, GA; Zac & Sarah Franks of Clarkesville, GA; Christopher Woodall & Isaiah Woodall both of Mount, Airy, GA; great-granddaughter, Cambrie Woodall of Mount Airy, GA; brother & sister-in-law, Jimmy & Pat Dillard of Baldwin, GA; sister, Yvonne Waters of Easley, SC; several nieces, nephews, other relatives, & friends.
Funeral services are scheduled for 2:00 p.m. Friday, November 12, 2021, at Hillside Memorial Chapel with Rev. Austin Kelley officiating. Interment will follow in the Victory Baptist Church Cemetery.
The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. on Thursday.
The family would like to express their appreciation for the love & care provided by The Oaks @ Scenic View skilled nursing & PruittHealth Hospice.
Flowers are accepted or donations may be made in memory of Wanda Dillard Woodall to Pruitt Health Hospice, 715 Queen City Parkway, Suite 200, Gainesville, GA. 30501.
Arrangements by Hillside Memorial Chapel, Clarkesville, Georgia. (706) 754-6256
Lincoln Burgess is shown here with his pre-K teacher Leslie Turner. Lincoln turned 5 ten days before he died in a wreck in Alto, GA. In an emotional online tribute to her former student, Turner writes, "You touched more people in 5 years than most touch in a lifetime."
To Leslie Turner, Lincoln Burgess was more than a student, he was “the sweetest soul” she has ever known. The 5-year-old who greeted her with winks and hugs died last week in a car wreck in south Habersham County.
Lincoln was buried today along with his aunt Cynthia Wade who also died in the wreck on GA 365 at Mt. Zion Road on October 29.
“If I had known when you said ‘can I have one last hug’ on Friday before you walked out the door that it would be our last, I would’ve never let go,” Turner writes in an emotional online tribute to Lincoln.
His pre-K teacher at Habersham Head Start in Baldwin, Turner tells Now Habersham, “I actually prayed that he be put in my classroom this year because I fell in love with his infectious personality and just him in general from the moment I met him when he gave me a wink.”
The little boy with the big cheeks and even bigger heart had that effect on people.
“Lincoln was on the Autism spectrum but that didn’t get in his way,” says family friend Breanna Strickland. “He was such a sweet, kind, and happy child who loved everyone he met.” He was the first to rush over to comfort those who were sad and, according to Turner, greeted every day with joy and excitement.
Lincoln on the playground at Baldwin Head Start. (photo by Leslie Turner)
“The teachers would all rush to his car when he got there in the mornings because they all wanted to be able to walk him to class,” she says. “Same thing in the afternoons, a rush to see who would win the race to get to walk him to his car. He made everyone feel special.”
It is that specialness that Turner and so many others now sorely miss.
“My heart is shattered and empty and aches walking in the school each day. The little reminders that you aren’t there sneak up on me,” she writes. Still, in her grief, she finds reason to celebrate the hilarious, witty, old soul she knew Lincoln to be and the many lessons he taught her.
“You taught me to love unconditionally, say sorry first, forgive immediately and never hold a grudge. You were wise beyond your years.”
Coping
Lincoln’s 9-month old brother Hudson was gravely injured in the wreck and remains hospitalized in Atlanta. The boys’ mother, Jessica Burgess, says her son was put into a medically-induced coma and placed on a ventilator to help him recover. He’s in the pediatric ICU and is expected to remain in the hospital until December.
“Hudson needs prayers,” his mom tells Now Habersham. She says there’s been “little to no change” in his progress. He’s developed a fever and required a blood transfusion.
Lincoln Burgess will be buried alongside his aunt Cynthia Wade on Monday, November 8, 2021.
The community continues to rally around the family, offering prayers and financial support. Clearview Baptist Church in Cornelia has scheduled a fundraiser for next weekend and online fundraisers have raised nearly $7,000 to help cover funeral and medical expenses for the Wade and Burgess families.
“We are so thankful for everything our community is doing for us,” says Burgess.
As family and friends prepared their final goodbyes, the depth of their loss became even more achingly real. Baldwin Head Start closed half-day Monday so that students and staff could attend Lincoln’s funeral. They wore his favorite color, red.
It’s important to Turner for people to know that Lincoln’s mother always took great care to make sure her children were properly secured in their car seats. If not for that, both boys might have died. It’s a sobering reminder, she says, “of how crucial car seat safety truly is.”
To help Lincoln’s classmates cope, his teachers left his classroom cubby with his name and picture on it. Now, when they’re missing him or thinking of him, they can draw him a picture or write cards and letters and leave them in his cubby.
Turner’s open letter to her former student ends with a pinky promise to “honor you and your memory forever.”
“There are some people you meet in life, that you’ll remember forever and they will have a lasting impact,” she writes. “Lincoln Malcom was that person to everyone who had the privilege of knowing him. He made life better.”
The Tallulah Falls School Pit Vipers traveled to Memphis, Tennessee, with two competition barbecue teams and one goal – to earn the right to be called World Junior BBQ League Champions. The teams finished the Nov. 6 competition as Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion, winning $13,250 in prize money with an additional $20,000 waived for the team to travel to compete at the Memphis in May event.
“Bringing home the top two trophies truly made for a tremendous experience, said Head Pit Master Tom Tilley. “I am super proud of these kids. This is a well-deserved honor, but I am actually not surprised by the results because these kids are fantastic pit masters.”
Team results were as follows:
1st and 3rd, chicken
1st and 2nd, ribs
1st and 6th, pork
1st and 3rd, brisket
The Pit Vipers include freshmen Marc Crotta of Cornelia, Jake Owensby of Cornelia, Teyrk Tilley of Tallulah Falls and Zach Freeman of Clarkesville, sophomores Joel Bourlet of Tallulah Falls, Brooke Hayes of Cornelia and Matthew Wolfe of Clarkesville. The TFS Pit Viper dessert maker is freshman Lily Turpin of Demorest.
“This was a very unique experience and a really fun event because the adults had to stand 12 feet away,” Owensby said.
According to the Kansas City BBQ Society national rankings, the Pit Vipers are ranked No. 3 in ribs and No. 7 in chicken. In the Georgia BBQ Championship rankings, the Pit Vipers are No. 1.
(photo courtesy Tallulah Falls School)
Next up, the Pit Vipers travel to KCBS World Invitational in Shawnee, OK. There are 136 teams competing on Nov. 12. Every team in attendance must have at least one grand championship and the Pit Vipers have earned four over the past 10 months, Tom Tilley said.
Clarkesville’s not wasting any time getting ready for Christmas. Last week, the town dressed up with wreaths and lights in preparation for the holiday.
To some passersby, it seemed a bit premature. “What happened to Thanksgiving,” one person asked as Now Habersham stopped to take pictures. Still, it’s likely the early jump to the biggest shopping season of the year will help get people into the spirit of things.
So will the town’s big upcoming holiday celebration.
The lights are going up on the tree which will be lit on Dec. 3 during A Downtown Clarkesville Christmas.
A Downtown Clarkesville Christmas is scheduled from 5-7:30 p.m. on Friday, December 3. In addition to the annual Christmas tree lighting, there will be photos with Santa, live music, a fire pit for roasting marshmallows, hot cocoa, and Clarkesville’s very first cookie crawl. Buy a box, visit the participating merchants and go home with yummy treats!
Cornelia will host its big holiday celebration the following day, beginning at 6 p.m. on December 4.
Christmas in Downtown Cornelia will feature hayrides through the city park, s’mores and hot cocoa, photos with Santa, live entertainment, a holiday market, and cookie decorating.
The annual Habersham County Christmas Parade will be held at 6:30 p.m. in Cornelia on December 7.
Johnny Mack King, age 71, of Cornelia, Georgia, went to be with the Lord on Sunday, November 7, 2021.
Mr. King was born on December 3, 1949, to the late W. G. and Gladys Scott King, Habersham County, Georgia. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a son, Daniel Gosnell; sister, Lucille King Hamilton; brothers; W. C. King, Herbert King, Silas James King, Eugene King, and Thomas King.
Mr. King was a member of the Alto Congregational Holiness Church. He was retired from Fieldale Corporation with fifty years of loyal and dedicated service. Mr. King loved to cook and sing.
Survivors include his wife of twenty-two years, Sandra Elaine Rogers King, Cornelia, Georgia; daughter, Ivy Gosnell, Cornelia, Georgia; sons: Johnny Gosnell, Cornelia, Georgia and Anthony Gosnell, Cornelia; sisters: Martha King, Cornelia, Georgia, Ella Mae (Ulous) Harris, Clarkesville, Georgia, Betty (J. L.) Browner, Baldwin, Georgia, and Everean King, Cornelia, Georgia; brothers: Matthew King, Toccoa, Georgia, and Anthony King, Cornelia, Georgia; ten grandchildren; mother-in-law Thelma Rogers, Cornelia, Georgia
Funeral services will be held at 2:00 PM, Wednesday, November 10, 2021, at the Whitfield Funeral Home, North Chapel, Demorest, Georgia, with Rev. Scott Ledbetter and Rev. Benjamin Hawks officiating. Interment will follow in the Alto Congregational Holiness Church Cemetery.
The family will receive friends on Wednesday from 12:00 PM until the funeral hour.
Arrangements have been entrusted to the Whitfield Funeral Homes & Crematory, North Chapel at 245 Central Avenue, Demorest, Georgia 30535. Telephone: 706-778-1700.
Elora Galloway as Sam in "Trick r Treat." (photo by Through the Looking Glass: Artistic Imagery)
Now Habersham is pleased to announce this year’s winner of our HABoween Costume Contest is 4-year-old Elora Galloway of Demorest.
Elora dressed up this year as her favorite Halloween movie character, Sam from Trick r Treat, her mom Meghan Jackson says. “This photo was actually from our yearly Halloween photos we have done. She chose the pose and everything.”
The costume as captured in the photo by Through the Looking Glass: Artistic Imagery received 116 votes to win a $25 VISA gift card from Now Habersham
Congratulations, Elora!
Our thanks to Elora and her mom for entering our annual contest and to the nearly 300 others who submitted photos. Thanks, too, to the hundreds more who voted.
Here’s a look at a few more favorites.
HABoween 2021
1 of 15
Koen Caudell, age 7, loves the Titanic and wore this amazing getup to Cornelia's trick-or-treat event. (Kristy Caudell/Facebook)
Analee Torres, 5, dresses in a stunning Snow White gown for Halloween. (Rey Sanchez/Facebook)
Adriel Sanchez, 17 months, looked warm and cozy in his elephant Halloween costume. (Jessica Lara/Facebook)
Little Leia Sithideth, who is 6 months old, dressed up as the Star Wars princess who shares her name. (Jenna Lee Sithideth/Facebook)
Dolly Parton and her coat of many colors, submitted by Kayla Ward Mitchell.
Barbie and sumo wrestlers, submitted by
A farmer and his John Deere, submitted by Keri Defoor Norton.
A bowl of mac and cheese, submitted by Christin Henry.
Future NASCAR driver, submitted by Mariah Cottrell.
Hocus Pocus, submitted by Tammy Collins Ayers.
Toy soldier, submitted by Jenny Medrano.
Operation game, submitted by Thad Oglesby
A farmer and his John Deere tractor, submitted by Keri Defoor Norton.
SnapChat, Spotify, YouTube, Netflix, cell phone and apps, submitted by Carrie Watts.
Squid Game, submitted by Lindsey Nation.
Woody and the sting ray, submitted by Sandy Foster.
Shawn Ryan Cooper, age 33, of Clarkesville, passed away Thursday, November 4, 2021.
Shawn was born in Bridgeton, New Jersey on July 3, 1988, to John Alton & Lori Kull Cooper. He and his family moved to Buford, Georgia in 1989. As a rising middle schooler, Shawn joined the band as a percussionist and continued in the band program at Buford High School. The decision to join the band was a life-shaping decision for Shawn as he majored in music education at North Georgia College and State University.
Shawn and his wife Sarah spent seven years as international teachers while living in Bangkok, Thailand and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia where he taught music to young students from around the world. Shawn and his wife and daughter moved back to Clarkesville in June 2021 where he became the music teacher at Mount Yonah Elementary School in Sautee Nacoochee, Ga. In his free time, Shawn loved to travel, play the guitar and spend time with his family.
Shawn was preceded in death by his father, John Cooper.
Survivors include his wife, Sarah Dean Cooper, daughter, Grace Cooper, mother, Lori Cooper, grandmother, Donna Whildin, sister, Melanie (Tony) Workley, brother, Chris (Katie) Cooper, and several aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews.
The family asks that those attending Shawn’s service wear bright colors in his honor.
Funeral services are scheduled for 4:00 p.m. Saturday, November 13, 2021, at Hillside Memorial Chapel. Shawn’s wishes were to be cremated following the service.
Donations made in lieu of flowers will go directly to an education fund for Shawn’s daughter, Grace Cooper. Please follow the link below if you wish to contribute. https://gofund.me/cd2408e7
Dale Patrick Marsh, age 72 of Cornelia, passed away on Sunday, November 7, 2021.
Born in Los Angeles, California on December 9, 1948, he was a son of the late Dale Leon and Virginia Trippy Marsh. Mr. Marsh was a Vietnam Veteran and proudly served his country in the United States Army.
Surviving are his wife, Mary Helen Lemay Marsh of Cornelia, son, Patrick Marsh of Cedartown, a brother, sister and a granddaughter.
Deputy Sheriff Lena Nicole Marshall, age 49 of Jefferson, passed away on Monday, November 8, 2021, at Northeast Georgia Medical Center.
Memorial service will be held at 2:00 P.M. Monday, November 15, 2021, at Free Chapel in Braselton. Sheriff Janis Mangum, Zac Billings, Lauren Stephens, and Rob Peladeau will officiate.
Deputy Marshall was born on October 18, 1972. She worked for Winder and Helen Police Departments and Barrow, Habersham, and Jackson County Sheriff’s offices.
She is survived by her daughters; Chelsea Marshall of Ballground, GA, and Kiley Harris of Hoschton, GA; son, Colten Harris of Jefferson, GA; Brothers, Noah Johnson of Denver, CO, and Mark Marshall of Richmond, CA; sister, Rachel Winslow of Roswell, GA and Katie Marshall of Richmond, CA.
She was preceded in death by her son, Austin Harris.
Memorial Park Funeral Home East Braselton Chapel, 5257 Highway 53 Braselton, GA 30517. is in charge of arrangements.
