Robert Franklin “Bob” Honeycutt, Sr., age 88, of Cornelia and formerly of Greenville, South Carolina, passed away Monday, August 17, 2015.
Cheryl Ann Arnold Patton
Funeral services for Cheryl Ann Arnold Patton, age 64, of Toccoa will be held on Wednesday, August 19, 2015 at 3:00 PM from the River Point Community Church. Pastor Kevin Mangum and Pastor Michael Welborn will officiate with interment to follow the service in Hills Crossing Baptist Church Cemetery.
Edwin Phillip Herring
Edwin Phillip Herring, age 45, of Mt. Airy, Georgia, passed away on Monday, August 17, 2015, at his residence following an extended illness.
Clinton Martin White
Funeral services for Clinton Martin White, 84, of Cornelia, will be held on Wednesday, August 19, 2015 at 3:00 p.m. at Whitfield Funeral Home, North Chapel in Demorest, followed by a private graveside service. The family will receive friends on Tuesday, August 18, 2015 from 6-8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Trial Underway in Lawsuit Against Habersham County Commission and Airport Authority
Former Airport Authority member, Dr. Jay Hughes, is questioned by Plaintiffs’ attorney, Julius Hulsey, Monday in court. Habersham County Attorney Donnie Hunt listens to the exchange.
Suit alleges defendants violated open records and meetings laws
Testimony is underway in a lawsuit filed by a number of individuals and the Habersham County Pilots Association against the Habersham County Airport Authority and County Commission. The lawsuit alleges the Airport Authority failed to provide proper public notification of at least four specially called meetings last year and that defendants refused to comply with open records requests. The suit also claims “spoliation” of evidence and addresses concerns about County Commissioners’ and Airport Authority members’ use of private email to conduct public business.
Senior Judge Robert Struble is presiding over the non-jury trial which began Monday in Habersham County Superior Court.
Dispute leads to suit
The lawsuit stems from a dispute over the Airport Authority’s decision last year to end a longtime contract with Habersham County Airport’s Fixed Based Operator (FBO) James Tatum.
The Airport Authority entered into contracts with a new FBO – Blue Sky Flight Services – and opened a $50,000 unsecured line of credit without Commission approval.
The judge issued an order in January requiring the County Commission to review and publicly act on those contracts.
Plaintiffs allege discussions about the FBO contract were held during improperly called meetings and that officials used private emails to share information and avoid transparency.
They also want the court to recognize spoliation of evidence because a computer used by Airport Authority Chairman Robert Ginn was reportedly wiped clean after he returned it to its owner, Georgia Tech. (Ginn was doing consulting work for the university at the time).
Plaintiff’s attorney Julius Hulsey told the court during opening arguments Monday, “This is purely a case of public interest. My clients have no vested personal interest in this case other than wanting to have good government and government people can have confidence in.” He says his clients have paid more than $80,000 so far pursuing the case.
County Attorney Donnie Hunt who’s representing both the County Commission and Airport Authority countered, “They filed this suit, not because of concerns about bad government. They filed it to try to force the county to keep Mr. Tatum.”
Who’s responsible?
Hunt argued against the inclusion of the County Commissioners in the lawsuit insisting the Airport Authority is its own corporation established by the State Legislature. He accused the plaintiffs of trying to blur the legal distinction between the two, “They know they’re separate entities.” As such, Hunt argued, “The County was under no duty to post (meeting notices)” nor to “provide staff to the Airport Authority for (record) searches.”
The Airport Authority is comprised of a group of volunteers appointed by county commissioners.
The plaintiffs are asking the court to:
- Injoin the defendants from violating open meetings, open records and public record retention laws.
- Impose fines against all defendants
- Pay plaintiffs attorney fees
- Impose the presumption of spoliation for those records that have been lost
The trial is expected to continue through Tuesday.
Roads Less Traveled: The Falls- Part Three
If you love waterfalls, SW NC and NE GA are definitely some of the best places in the country for you to live. First, check out Part 1 and Part 2 of my “The Falls” series which each feature 2 waterfalls from the aforementioned region. In addition, check out my NC Highway 28 edition for more falls. I’ll be covering two more in this edition of Roads Less Traveled: Holcomb Creek Falls in Rabun County, GA and Crabtree Falls on the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina.
FEMA Reimburses HEMC for Winter Storm
HEMC President/CEO Jonathan Cantrell accepts a FEMA check from Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) Director Jim Butterworth. (PHOTO/HEMC)
Life in Motion: Family Legacy
“It was very touching.” ~ Trudy Wade, descendant of Henry and Tempy Wade
Benefit Ride Held for Baldwin Fire Chief
With his left arm in a sling and a smile on his face, Baldwin Fire Chief Joe Roy made his way through the crowd Saturday thanking his fellow public safety officers and supporters. “The recovery has been rough, but I am getting better every day,” Roy assured them. The scene yesterday was a far cry from where Roy was just three weeks ago.
On the morning of July 25th Roy was standing in the intersection of Duncan Bridge and Mud Creek Roads participating in a firefighter’s fundraiser boot drive when he was hit by a pick-up truck. He was life flighted to Grady Hospital in Atlanta where he underwent emergency surgery and was admitted to ICU. Many of the people who rallied around him and his family in those early uncertain hours and days were among those who turned out Saturday to support him through a benefit ride to raise money to help with his medical expenses.
The benefit was organized by City of Baldwin employees. City Administrator Tommie Perry said at the time, “Joe has dedicated himself to this community for over 20 years and we want to pay it back.”
And pay it back they did.
More than 50 motorcycle enthusiasts, friends and fellow public safety officials turned out August 15th for the ride through the North Georgia Mountains.
Perry said it could take up to six weeks before Roy is fully recovered but it appeared Saturday he is well on his way. “All of the prayers have helped me and the love and support has been overwhelming,” Roy told the crowd.
Baldwin Mayor Jerry Neace led the riders in prayer. They then revved up their engines and hit the open road. Hall County Sheriff’s Officers Ricky Nix and Mike Free led the pack as they wound their way through Cleveland, Helen and Clarkesville on their way back to Baldwin.
Saturday’s ride was just the first of a series of benefits planned to help Chief Roy and his family. The city is raffling off a Yeti 45 Cooler valued at $350 to be given away during a Chicken Q fundraiser on Saturday, August 22. Raffle tickets are $5. Chicken dinner plates are $8. For tickets, contact Joe Norton or Phillip Kimbrell at the Baldwin Fire Department at (706) 778-8711.
Ride for Chief Roy
Saturday, August 15, 2015
Baldwin, GA
Photos by A.N. Williams
Click photos to enlarge
Cornelia Man Charged in Hwy. 365 Wreck
A Cornelia man is charged in connection with a wreck that sent one woman to the hospital. The accident happened around 7:52 a.m. Friday on Highway 365 near US 441 in Cornelia.
According to a report from the Georgia State Patrol, Joshua Brown was traveling north in the lefthand lane of GA 365 in a 1999 Ford Mustang when he lost control of his car and spun into the other lane. He traveled into the path of a 2003 Toyota Tacoma driven by Kathy Tart of Cornelia. After initial impact, both vehicles traveled off the east side of the road and struck a guardrail. Brown’s car came to rest on the shoulder of the road. Tart’s truck traveled over the guardrail and hit a tree.
The report states Brown had no visible injuries. Tart was transported to Northeast Georgia Medical Center with “non-incapacitating” injuries. Brown was cited for driving too fast for conditions.
Trump Talk in Habersham
(PHOTO/Politistick)
No, he’s not likely to campaign in Habersham County anytime soon, but he is certainly the talk-of-the-town. In fact, the whole country. Whether local voters of any political party would support a Donald Trump candidacy for President, it has become obvious that Trump’s influence is pivotal and influential in the current presidential campaign, whether he would actually win the Republican nomination, or not.
In a rural Georgia county like Habersham, where Democrats have seldom been found on any local election ballot for twenty years, Trump Talk has become a frequent topic of discussion in our mountain paradise. With this in mind, Now Habersham decided to talk about Trump with local residents. Here’s what we found:
Habersham County Republican Party Chairman Carl Blackburn told Now Habersham, “I have no idea if he might win the nomination or not, there’s sixteen people running!” Blackburn went on to tell us that he feels Trump has gained extraordinary attention because he has appealed to the populous and their frustration over national issues like immigration, relations with other countries like Iran and even gender topics.
Because Donald Trump is a widely known real estate baron and former popular television show host, we felt compelled to be thorough in our “Trump in Habersham” article. So we asked one hundred people randomly throughout the county what they thought about Donald Trump’s bid for the White House. Those willing to participate in the non-scientific, informal sidewalk survey were given 3 choices in which to respond: thumbs up, thumbs down, no comment. The unofficial results on the casual survey taken around Habersham County on Tuesday afternoon were: Thumbs up: 31; Thumbs down: 50; No comment 19
Democratic Party Chairperson for Habersham County, Virginia Webb, commented, “I recognize that Donald Trump is a famous person and one who everyone knows. But that may not make him a great statesman in dealing with the sensitivities of working with other countries. Would other world leaders take him serious?” Webb wondered. The Habersham Democrat leader also raised concerns over Donald Trump’s lack of tact when it comes to women’s issues and handling those with whom he disagrees. “I am offended by his on-going comments,” Webb said.
Wherever The Donald ends up within the 2016 presidential election, one thing’s for sure, his campaign and his hair are getting a lot of media attention.