SAUTEE NACOOCHEE — The Folk Pottery Museum of Northeast Georgia announces a new featured exhibit, The Pottery of Whelchel Meaders. It opened on October 8, 2021, and will be on display until April 1, 2022.
Whelchel Meaders
The exhibit features traditional items such as pitchers, whiskey jugs and candle holders as well as more decorative pieces such as a “Boo” pot, a coffee maker and a variety of face jugs in all sizes.
Born in the Mossy Creek area of White County, Georgia, Whelchel was born into a family that had been potting since the late nineteenth century. He came to pottery after a career with the United States Navy followed by over thirty years working for the Georgia Department of Transportation.
“As a key member of the Meaders family, Whelchel has always been a potter of interest to the museum,” says Folk Pottery Museum director Meghan Gerig. “The pieces in this exhibit reflect an evolution of a niche artistic language that has been around for generations. Yet, Whelchel, through creativity, experimentation, and collaboration, has found a distinct style. From face jugs to candle holders, this exhibit summarizes a lifetime of dedication to folk culture.”
Also on display in the Museum is the People’s Choice winner from the 2021 Folk Pottery Show & Arts Festival. “Nature Speaks” by Rex Hogan of Cleveland is a sculptural piece depicting a crow over its nest of eggs.
The Museum is open seven days a week, Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 1 to 5 p.m. A modest admission is charged. Ensuring the safety of visitors to the Museum is a priority. Masks are required and social distancing is recommended.
The Folk Pottery Museum of Northeast Georgia is located at 283 Highway 255 North, a quarter-mile north of the intersection with Georgia Highway 17, and four miles southeast of Alpine Helen.
This week we’ll continue to explore the gas giants of the outer solar system by taking a peek at the planet that has been the butt of many a joke: Uranus.
Uranus is the 7th planet from the sun. It is the 3rd largest by diameter coming in behind Jupiter and Saturn. It was discovered in 1781 by William Herschel. Interestingly, he did not initially realize it was a planet but rather thought it was a comet or even just a star. It was the first planet discovered with the use of a telescope since it is essentially invisible to the naked eye. However, with even just a small telescope or strong binoculars, it is easy to find as a pale blue dot in the night sky. It even appears as a small disc through a 2-3″ telescope.
If you live to be a healthy 84 years old you will live long enough to see Uranus take one trip around the sun. It rotates around its center every 18 hours and interestingly rotates on its side.
Rotation: One of the most interesting facts about Uranus is that it rotates on its side. What does that mean, exactly? Relative to its orbit, Uranus is tilted over 90 degrees. This causes several interesting things to happen on the planet throughout its year. The most important is that rather than having a normal day/night cycle, the poles each receive sunlight for half of the orbit around the sun (42 years) and the other half is spent in total darkness. The equatorial regions see a normal day/night cycle only during a small part of the orbit around the sun when the equator is directly facing the sun. Despite receiving barely any sunlight for half the orbit the equator is still hotter than the poles, and we don’t know quite why.
Uranus sitting on its side Source: NASA
Uranus’ Atmosphere: Uranus’ atmosphere is much like the rest of the gas giants being comprised of mostly hydrogen and helium. Unlike Jupiter and Saturn, it has a high abundance of methane in its upper atmosphere. These molecules are what give Uranus its blue color when viewed through a telescope. Unfortunately, very little is known about the inner workings of Uranus because no spacecraft has been there since Voyager 2 in 1986. What we do know is that the atmosphere is fairly bland when viewed by a telescope in comparison to the rest of the outer planets. Winds are extremely strong, though, with maximum wind speeds of over 500MPH occurring near the north pole. One reason for the bland look is thought to be because Uranus is the coldest planet in the solar system with a minimum temperature in its outer atmosphere of just above absolute zero.
The Rings: That’s right, just like its nearby friends Jupiter and Saturn, Uranus also has rings. They are very dark, but more easily seen than Jupiter’s. The rings were not confirmed to exist until 1977 when they photographed a star disappearing 5 times before Uranus moved in front of it. This meant that Uranus had at least 5 distinct rings, but later large telescopes (including the Hubble) have been able to detect 13 distinct rings. They are all extremely small and much younger than the planet itself. The rings are believed to be the remnants of a moon that was destroyed by impact with an asteroid or comet.
An aurora on Uranus along with its faint rings Source: NASA
The Moons: Like the other gas giants Uranus also has a number of moons. It currently has 27 known moons. Most of these were discovered from Earth-based observations using large telescopes. The largest of these moons is Titania, though it is less than half the size of our moon.
Uranus and its moons Source: NASA
Uranus remains a relatively unexplored planet. The only satellite to visit it was Voyager 2 back in 1986. No missions are currently planned to study it any further so we will have to rely on Earth and Hubble-based observations to learn anything else about this pale blue planet in the outer reaches of our solar system.
Get out this week and enjoy the cool nights for some stargazing!
Riders gather at the start of the 2020 Twin River Challenge, a cycling event to benefit student scholarships at Tallulah Falls School. (Jarrod Coffey/Special for Tallulah Falls School)
Registration continues for one of Northeast Georgia’s premier cycling events. The Twin Rivers Challenge, hosted by Tallulah Falls School, is set to take place on October 23.
“With the leaves at peak color in late October, this is the perfect time to visit the region known for its scenery and hospitality,” says TFS Director of Communications and Media E. Lane Gresham.
The ride will begin and end on the Tallulah Falls School campus with routes taking riders through both Habersham and Rabun counties and across two rivers – Tallulah and Soque. Riders will have the choice of three challenging and scenic routes – 70, 46 or 33 miles. Support and Gear (SAG) stops will be available at regular intervals along the routes. A post-ride meal will be provided for all riders.
2020 Twin Rivers Challenge (Jarrod Coffey/Special for Tallulah Falls School)
Now in its seventh year, the Twin Rivers Challenge has raised over $310,000 to benefit student scholarships at the private day and boarding school in northern Habersham County.
“With more than 70% of TFS students receiving some portion of financial aid, it is clear this special event makes a difference,” says Gresham.
Last year’s event attracted over 120 riders.
This year’s challenge begins at 9 a.m. Saturday, October 23. Registration opens at 7:30 a.m. Parking and registration will be located on the TFS main campus located off of U.S. 441/GA 15 in Tallulah Falls. The registration fee is $45.
Northeast Georgia Health System is returning the mobil medical unit it's been using since the pandemic outbreak and is, instead, increasing its internal critical care capacity. The region's largest healthcare system expects to increase the number of ICU beds it has by nearly 24% by pandemic's end. (photo courtesy NGHS)
GAINESVILLE — Northeast Georgia Health System is expanding the critical care capacity at its two main hospitals. The health system plans to add 20 more ICU beds in Gainesville and Braselton to meet the long-term needs of the region.
The decision to make critical care more accessible to patients north of Atlanta developed from the pressures COVID-19 has placed on the regional health system.
Northeast Georgia Medical Center, Gainesville.
“While the pandemic is far from over, we know we will increase the number of critical care beds across our hospital system,” says Dr. Larry Dudas, Northeast Georgia Medical Center’s medical director of Critical Care. “That’s what our community needs long term, regardless of COVID, as the population continues to grow. We need to grow to anticipate and meet the future need.”
Before the pandemic, Northeast Georgia Medical Center operated 67 critical care beds in Gainesville and 18 in Braselton. Those numbers climbed to 150 in Gainesville and 44 in Braselton at the peak of the pandemic back in January. To meet those rising demands, NGMC converted existing space to provide critical care, opened new critical care units, and added critical care physicians and staff.
NGHS Executive Director of Medical Nursing Elizabeth Larkins at a press conference in August 2021. (NGHS livestream)
“Our team has been amazingly flexible, and we’ve received tremendous support from the state that allows us to meet the needs as they continue to ebb and flow,” says Elizabeth Larkins, a registered nurse and NGMC’s executive director of Medical Nursing. “We’re still adjusting the number of critical care beds each day based on demand and the resources we have available. It’s stressful on everyone involved, especially given the national nursing shortage, but we have to find ways to continually adapt to meet the challenge our community faces.”
When the pandemic eventually reaches its end, NGMC anticipates operating at least 81 critical care beds in Gainesville and 24 in Braselton on a regular basis – a nearly 24% increase in critical care capacity from pre-pandemic levels.
More visible changes are also coming to NGMC Gainesville, as the mobile medical unit outside the North Patient Tower will be taken down later this month. The state loaned the unit to NGMC last fall to help the hospital manage increased care demands due to COVID-19.
Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Braselton
“We’re very thankful for the help the state provided during a critical period of this pandemic,” says Dr. John Delzell, NGMC’s COVID-19 Incident Commander. “The state requested we return the unit, and timing was right as our number of COVID patients is declining and site prep to build a future patient tower nearby are beginning. We are making other plans to flex our capacity, though, just in case the numbers creep back up.”
Workers are currently renovating space inside the existing North Patient Tower in Gainesville to create a new medical observation unit to handle increased capacity as needed. The 14,000 square-foot space on the ground floor will include 24 observation rooms and support space for staff. The unit is expected to open by the end of the year.
Artist rendering of lobby area of Northeast Georgia Medical Center’s future tower. (Soure: NGHS)
Plans for a future tower, currently expected to open in late 2024, include features that will also aid critical care, like rooms designed to easily convert to negative pressure space and be more adaptable based on the level of care a patient needs.
While health officials may be opening up more space for critical care, the ultimate aim in this pandemic is to not have to use it. Says NGHS President and CEO Carol Burrell, “We continue to encourage people to get vaccinated against COVID-19, so, if they are infected, they are much more likely to avoid hospital care or death.”
Playing for a shot at their first-ever region championship, the Lady Indians fell just short in a 3-0 loss to Athens Academy at home. TFS was coming off a thrilling 3-1 win over #7-ranked George Walton in the region semifinals on Thursday that set the stage for the match with #1-ranked Athens Academy.
Alba Romanos (photo by Austin Poffenberger)
The first set saw TFS take a brief 4-3 lead before Athens Academy jumped out to a 10-5 lead that forced a timeout. The Lady Indians pulled to within 10-12, highlighted by a Barrett Whitener ace. Nancy Fisher went on a nice serving run to get to a one-point set at 15-16, making the Lady Spartans use a timeout to regroup. Back-to-back Alba Romanos Gracia aces gave TFS a 19-17 lead, but Athens Academy closed out the set with an 8-2 run to claim the set, 25-21.
The second set saw the Lady Indians trailing early before battling back to within 4-7. However, Athens Academy pulled ahead 11-4 and rode the lead wire-to-wire to a 25-10 conclusion. That gave Athens Academy a comfortable 2-0 lead.
The final set may have been the best played by both sides, as TFS went up 5-2 with Sarah Jennings at serve. Athens Academy pulled even at 5-5 before a monster block by Addy McCoy and kill by Whitener made it 8-5 Tallulah Falls. The Lady Spartans then went on a major run to go up 14-9 and force a TFS timeout. What followed was a 5-point serving run for Romanos that included three aces by her and a solid block by Whitener. Later in the set, it was 14-14. Jennings gave TFS a pair of leads with separate kills, and eventually, the Lady Indians were up 23-19 but couldn’t close it out. It went back and forth until the 28-26 win for Athens Academy.
The Lady Indians (22-11) will next play in the state tournament, which is slated for next Tuesday. The girls are guaranteed at least one home match. TFS finishes the regular season as Region Runner-Up for the fourth year in a row.
SCORES:
TFS L 0-3 vs #1 Athens Academy: 21-25, 10-25, 26-28
Jessica Kay Vaughan, age 31, of Statham, Georgia went home to be with the Lord on Friday, October 15, 2021.
Ms. Vaughan was born on May 17, 1990, in Georgia. Jessica was a very independent woman and she was free-spirited. Jessica was a loving mother to her daughter, Allysa.
Survivors include her father and step-mother, Carsel and Patricia Vaughan, of Cornelia; daughter, Allysa Vaughan, of Statham; sisters, Janine Vaughan, of Statham; brothers, Casey Vaughan, of Statham; step-brother, Brian and Jeanette Gregory, of Atlanta; paternal grandparents, Carsel and Judy Vaughan, of Ivydale, WV
A Private Family Graveside will be held.
Arrangements have been entrusted to the Whitfield Funeral Homes & Crematory, North Chapel at 245 Central Avenue, Demorest, Georgia 30535. Telephone: 706-778-1700.
Michael Myers is back again for another frightening turn
Halloween Kills marks the sequel to the 2018 retcon and while it certainly satisfies the rabid fan base, I’m not sure if it does anything to advance the franchise.
The movie picks up immediately after the events of the previous one where Jamie Lee Curtis’ Laurie and her daughter Karen (Judy Greer) and granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak) trap Michael Myers inside the Strode house and watch it burn, but then realize firefighters are on their way to put it out.
The firefighters put out the fire, Michael does his gruesome shtick and continues his path of carnage.
On the 40th anniversary of the very first Halloween, the residents of Haddonfield are remembering the events of that fateful night and vowing to make sure it never repeats itself. That is, of course, until Michael makes his presence known and the townspeople decide to unite to take Michael out once and for all.
Anthony Michael Hall plays the ringleader in charge of hunting Michael down and coins the often-repeated phrase, “Evil dies tonight!.” As for Curtis, she spends much of her time in a hospital room recovering from her injuries with a deputy (Will Patton) who may have a connection to the Halloween of 40 years ago.
The original Halloween was a staple of a new kind of horror. It combined atmosphere and suspense in a clever way that made its premise intriguing and its characters compelling. I can’t say the same about all the detours that the series has taken since then.
I didn’t think the 2018 retcon was in the same league, but it certainly gave a similar feel as the original and I guess we shouldn’t expect anything more. This sequel, on the other hand, has some moments of buildup and others that are flat-out perfunctory.
Halloween Kills may provide the type of gory thrills that the Saturday night crowd may crave, but the ’78 and 2018 films were better made and had more to offer.
I’m right on the edge, but I can’t quite spare this one from the knife.
Grade: B-
(Rated R for strong bloody violence throughout, grisly images, language and some drug use).
Dahlonega’s Gold Rush Days Festival, a weekend event in one of Georgia’s favorite mountain towns, kicks off tomorrow for its 67th year.
The Gold Rush Days Festival started in 1954 as a celebration of the city’s history, where the first major Gold Rush in the United States hit Dahlonega in 1829. In the mid-’50s, Dahlonega citizens gathered together to remember those who came before them and their town’s history.
Gold Rush volunteers set up the stage in Downtown Dahlonega, where local bands, singers and entertainers will perform over the weekend.(Hadley Cottingham/Now Habersham)
In the 21st century, Dahlonega’s Gold Rush Days Festival is a massive event that draws tens of thousands to the region for a weekend of arts and crafts vendors, live music, food, shopping, games, dancing, competition and community togetherness.
Some of the festival’s events include the coronation of the Gold Rush king and queen, a beard-growing competition, hog calling, an old-time fashion show, cloggers and a magic show by Piedmont University professor Henry “Doc” Johnson.
The event, organized by the Gold Rush Days Festival Inc., (previously known as the Dahlonega Jaycees), is one of the largest events in Northeast Georgia.
The festival has been named one of the top 20 events in the Southeast by the Southern Tourism Board, and the organizers expect to see “well over” 100,000 people attend over the course of the weekend. And all the money raised by the organizers goes back into the community through charity.
Gold Rush Days organizers (from left to right) Kim Harbert, Melissa Walton, Thomas Odom, Dathan Harbert and Mallory Odom have been planning this year’s festival for over a year after 2020’s festival was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Hadley Cottingham/Now Habersham)
“The money that we raise through the selling of booth spaces, parade entries and our commemorative t-shirt sales, all of [that] money is returned back to the community,” Dathan Harbert, Gold Rush Days Inc. Treasurer says. The Gold Rush Days Festival Inc. gives back with scholarships, education, Christmas gifts for struggling families and helping community members with rent, utilities, mortgage and car troubles during tough times.
Other local organizations operate parking at the event, where parking fees support other area-based charities. The event is also a huge money-maker for local restaurants and businesses, who are prepared for their busiest weekend of the year.
The event, as a whole, is to keep Dahlonega’s community strong. Promoting tourism to bring revenue to the city and donating to local charities may seem like the biggest part of keeping Dahlonega charming, but the community relationships that thrive during the event are the lifeblood of the city.
Downtown Dahlonega will be brimming with festival-goers during the town’s signature Gold Rush event Oct. 16 & 17. (Hadley Cottingham/Now Habersham)
Harbert says that the best part of Gold Rush Days is seeing so many people, himself included, spend time with their loved ones.
“It’s like a big family reunion in-the-streets kind of thing,” Harbert says. “Everybody’s out and about, everybody’s happy, everybody’s having a good time. I run into so many people, and that’s the fun part. You’ll see families literally having get-togethers in the street.”
If you’re still not convinced that Dahlonega’s biggest event is worth your time, Harbert says that just visiting the area for shops, wineries, gold mining museums and tours will make you fall for one of Georgia’s gems.
“The town of Dahlonega is beautiful, and even if we weren’t having an event, there would be something to offer,” Harbert says “[…] There’s lots to do here. If anything, just come back to Dahlonega during Gold Rush to fall in love with the town again.”
Gold Rush runs from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, October 16 and 17. Here’s a list of scheduled events:
Saturday, October 16th
8:00 am Gold Rush 5K sponsored by the Dahlonega Rotary
9:00 am Festival opens
10:00 am Beard Growing Contest and Hog Calling
10:30 am Kelli’s School of Dance and Conservatory
11:00 am Nealy Webster
11:30 am Old Time Fashion Show
12:00 pm The Raven Welch Band
1:15 pm GA Pick and Bow
2:00 pm King and Queen Coronation
2:15 pm Doc Johnson’s Magic Show
3:00 pm Gold Rush Parade
4:30 pm Radford Windham and Step Back Cadillac
Sunday, October 17th
9:00 am Festival opens
9:30 am Chuck Bell
10:45 am Ryan Little Eagle
11:30 am Cross-cut saw competition
12:30 pm Doc Johnson’s Magic Show
1:15 pm Synergy Cloggers
2:30 pm Out of the Blue
3:30 pm Arm Wrestling Tournament (weigh-in from 12:00 – 2:00 pm) – $25 entry fee per arm. Cash only.
The Habersham Central Raiders faced another tough region matchup Friday night on the road at Lanier. The Longhorns defeated the Raiders, 28-10. With the loss, the Raiders fall to 2-6 overall, 0-5 in Region 8-6A. The Raiders have two more chances to pick up a region win before the regular season ends. They take on Central Gwinnett Oct. 22 and Shiloh Nov. 5.
Elsewhere in Northeast Georgia on Friday, the No.1 Rabun County Wildcats (7-1) shut out Banks County, 63-0. Gunner Stockton was 32-of-39 passing for 454 yards and six touchdowns, three to Baxley O’Brien. Jaden Gibson had 11 receptions for 236 yards and two touchdowns. Next Friday, the Cats take on Elbert County (3-3)
It was a shutout in Commerce too, as the Tigers trounced the Franklin County Lions, 30-0.
The Clarke Central Gladiators moved closer to clinching their third straight Region 8-5A title. The Gladiators (5-2;5-0) have now won 14 consecutive region games. Friday’s 76-34 win over Greenbrier (3-4;2-2) opened up a two-game lead in the standings. Clarke Central’s only losses this season were to 6A’s No. 1 Buford and 3A’s No. 2 Oconee County.
Here’s the rest of your Week 9 area scores:
Northeast Georgia area games (Oct. 15)
*all scores final unless otherwise noted
Central 20 – Pickens County 7
Charlotte Latin 3 – Rabun Gap 38
Rabun County 63 – Banks County 0
Greenbrier 34 – Clarke Central 76
West Hall 0 – Dawson County 51
Union County 29 – Elbert County 52
Fannin County 35 – Model 7
Cedar Shoals 14 – Flowery Branch 34
Forsyth Central 10 – West Forsyth 42
South Forsyth 17 – Gainesville 9
Gilmer 6 – North Hall 47
Habersham Central 10 – Lanier 28
Johnson 0 – Apalachee 42
Lumpkin County 8 – Cherokee 55
Lakeview 6 – Mt. Pisgah Christian 35
Shiloh 0 – Buford 37
North Oconee 56 – East Hall 0
George Walton 0 – Prince Avenue Christian 61
Central Gwinnett 7 – Winder-Barrow 35
Franklin County 0 – Commerce 30
Georgia High School Football Daily contributed to this report. Click here to join their mailing list.
Anyone who received a Johnson & Johnson shot at least two months ago will be eligible for an additional dose, under a federal advisory panel’s recommendation Friday.
WASHINGTON (GA Recorder) — A federal vaccine advisory panel on Friday endorsed a second dose of Johnson & Johnson’s one-shot COVID-19 vaccine, meaning millions more Americans are expected to soon join the line for booster shots.
Anyone who received a J&J shot at least two months ago will be eligible for an additional dose, under the committee’s recommendation.
The Food and Drug Administration is expected to follow the advice of its advisory panel. Formal guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also is required and expected to occur as soon as next week.
Authorization of the second dose will essentially turn the one-dose J&J vaccine into a two-shot regime like those from Pfizer and Moderna, which use a different type of technology to spur the immune system to create antibodies.
That same population also has been recommended to receive a third dose of the Pfizer shot to ensure better protection against infection.
The one-dose shot from J&J’s vaccine division, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, initially was approved in February. Since then, more than 15 million Americans have received it.
By relying on one dose instead of two, the J&J shot was heralded as logistically helpful in vaccinating harder-to-reach populations, such as those who may not be able to easily return for a second jab.
Early in the shot’s deployment, its use was briefly paused as federal regulators reviewed data on a rare but serious blood-clotting condition identified in some women. It was allowed to be used again 11 days later, with providers directed to inform patients about the warning about the rare blood clots.
Regulators on Friday found no evidence of serious safety concerns, though they did express frustration about receiving little time to independently review some of the company’s data.
But there was unanimous agreement that there was enough data to show that the benefits of a second dose of the J&J shot outweighed the risks.
One factor in that discussion was the effectiveness of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine, which has been lower than that of the two-dose vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer.
A lingering issue that the panel did not resolve is whether those who received the J&J vaccine should be able to get a follow-up dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, given the differences in the efficacy rates in those shots.
The FDA panel did hear a presentation from a scientist who helped lead a study on mixing doses from different drug manufacturers. But it did not vote on whether to recommend mixed doses or set a timeline for doing so.
Kentavius Broudmaine Walker, 25, of Toccoa has been sentenced to life in prison without parole, plus 10 years for the 2018 shootings of 17-year-old Spencer Reason and 18-year-old Joel Keshon Green.
After a nine-day trial, Walker was convicted of malice murder, felony murder, two counts of aggravated assault, two counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and five counts of violation of the street gang terrorism and prevention act, according to Mountain Judicial Circuit District Attorney George Christian.
Evidence was presented during the trial that Walker shot Reason in the head on July 26, 2018, in an incident on Prather’s Bridge Road. Reason was injured and hospitalized.
Evidence was also presented that Walker shot Green multiple times in broad daylight on Aug. 8, 2018, less than two weeks after shooting Reason. Toccoa Police responded to a report of shots fired and found Green lying on the side of the road. Green was pronounced dead at Stephens County Hospital.
Both incidents were investigated by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Region 8 office after their assistance was requested by the Toccoa Police Department.
The state also believes Walker was a member of the violent street gang “Sex Money Murder,” a set of the Bloods, and that the murders of Reason and Green were gang-related.
This article has been updated to reflect that one of the shooting victims died; the other was injured and hospitalized.
Habersham County Public Works Director Derick Canupp is leaving the job he’s held for the past 8 years to take a job in neighboring White County, WRWH News reports. Canupp will succeed White County Public Works Director David Cangemi who also recently resigned from his job.
On Wednesday, Habersham County announced Canupp was leaving his job as senior public works director. On Friday, the news broke he was moving to White County.
“I have decided to move on for numerous reasons,” Canupp told Now Habersham after his resignation was announced. “I have accomplished everything, and more, that I set out to do in Habersham. I have a larger vision for my professional development and growth. It is time to start a new chapter both personally and professionally.”
Derick Canupp has served with Habersham County’s public works department for 8 years. The county publicly announced his resignation on Oct. 13. His last day on the job is Nov. 11, 2021. (Photo via Habersham County)
Habersham County Commissioners Bruce Harkness and Bruce Palmer shared their experience with Canupp, as well as how his leadership has affected the county following the announcement of his resignation.
“Mr. Canupp has done an outstanding job for our county and our taxpayers,” said Commissioner Harkness. “He will be missed and his shoes will be hard to be filled. We will miss him [and] we wish him the best.”
Palmer echoed similar thoughts.
“Derick has been a tremendous asset to Habersham County,” Commissioner Bruce Palmer said. “I’m sure he will continue to be during the remainder of his employment with Habersham County. During his tenure, he has made numerous improvements to the road department, solid waste and airport. He has led those departments [through] storms as well as improvements.”
Canupp’s resignation will be effective Nov. 11, and the county is starting the process of finding someone to fill his position. Palmer says that the county will also work with Canupp and the public works department to make sure the transition to the next public works director will go smoothly with the current projects underway in Habersham.
“Until then, my staff will carry on the day-to-day operations,” Canupp says regarding the search for his replacement. “We have a very capable and experienced staff.”
White County officials are currently working through applications from individuals who will replace long-time White County Parks and Recreation Director Joe Gailey, who resigned back in August. County officials named Deena Cowart and Corey Collins as co-interim directors for the Rec Department as the county works on finding a replacement for Gailey.
This article has been updated with new information.
The Museum is open seven days a week, Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 1 to 5 p.m. A modest admission is charged. Ensuring the safety of visitors to the Museum is a priority. Masks are required and social distancing is recommended.
