Meet Now Habersham’s first ‘Birthday Bash’ winner

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October 1, 2024

Now Habersham is celebrating ten years of serving Northeast Georgia with a year of monthly Birthday Bash giveaways!

This month’s winner is Brian Fortner of Eastanollee. Now Habersham presented Brian with a $100 gift card to LongHorn Steakhouse.

We have more great prizes to give away, and one could have your name on it!

To enter to win, sign up for our free weekday newsletter. As a subscriber, you’ll be automatically entered into each month’s drawing for a chance to win a fantastic prize.

NowHab’s free weekday newsletter sign-up is located near the top of our home page on desktop. Scroll through mobile to find it.

Brian says he signed up for NowHab’s newsletter because he has family in Habersham.

“I live just 20 minutes down the road. My wife grew up in Habersham, and her family is a big part of the Habersham community! It’s our second home!”

Brian adds that he loves seeing news and community updates on NowHabersham.com.

NowHab delivers Northeast Georgia news, weather, and sports straight to your inbox five days a week, 52 weeks a year.

Sign up now to stay connected, informed, and inspired…and good luck. You could be our next Birthday Bash winner!

Baldwin holds Fall Retreat this week

By

Jerry Neace

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October 1, 2024

Baldwin City Hall — (Joy Purcell/NowHabersham.com)

The Baldwin City Council will hold its Fall Retreat later this week at the Engineering Management, Inc. (EMI) Habersham office.

The Fall Retreat will be a two day planning session for council members and department heads to discuss strategic plans for the city over the next three to five years. The department heads will also give updates for their departments to the council. To see the meeting schedule, click here.

A quorum of the city council will be at the meeting. It is not anticipated that the council will take action on any particular item. However, with a quorum available, the council can take action on any specific item as the need may arise.

The retreat will be held Thursday, October 3, and Friday, October 4. Both meetings will begin at 8 a.m. and conclude at 5 p.m. The meeting will be held in the EMI Habersham office located next to Anderson Village at 202 Luthi Road in Alto.

Clarkesville extends due diligence for developer of old courthouse

By

Brian Wellmeier

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October 1, 2024

old county courthouse property — The old Habersham County courthouse was built in 1964. It housed the county's courts and judicial offices until 2013 and county administrative offices until 2019. The building now sits empty and decaying on a prime piece of real estate in downtown Clarkesville. In 2016, it was appraised at around $1.3 million. (NowHabersham.com)

Commercial real estate firm Parkside Partners has requested another 15 days of due diligence on the former courthouse building in Clarkesville.

Clarkesville City Council approved the extension at a special called meeting Monday, Sept. 30.

If the deal goes through as planned, Parkside will repurpose the structure to make way for the construction of 21 luxury residential and condominium-style units that would overlook the downtown square.

“Today is Parkside’s last day (to extend due diligence) – that’s why we had this meeting,” City Manager Keith Dickerson said. “I don’t know what exactly the issue is. I know there were pricing issues, but they’re looking for 15 days to figure out whether or not they’re going to continue forward with this.”

Dickerson added: “I think their intent is still to try and move forward with this, but I’m a little concerned that it’s probably going to end. This is like the last grasp – (that’s) the way I’m looking at it.”

All parties involved are in agreement on the 15-day extension, according to Dickerson, who told Now Habersham after the meeting that Parkside “had some concerns” regarding the title.

Executive Director of Partnership Habersham Charlie Fiveash said more information should be available in the near future.

“It’s really all part of the same challenges of the lot lines and getting a clear title, especially with the Ag Center building,” Fiveash said. “That’s a little bit of what’s holding us up. It’s nobody’s fault. It’s just a matter of getting clarity of where the lot lines will be drawn.”

Fiveash said Parkside has so far invested more than $200,000 into the former courthouse structure in Clarkesville.

Rocky Branch Road development

Council members also voted Monday to approve the rezoning of an 80-home development proposed on Rocky Branch Road. At a regular meeting earlier this month, council approved the annexation of the 13.5-acre property but not the rezoning.

The vote to approve the rezoning was unanimous.

Approval of the annexation into the city in effect rezones the property from low intensity to R-II (multifamily) – a step forward for a proposal that drew vocal opposition from the public at a planning and zoning meeting in August.

The proposed number of units is not final and could be reduced before the request reappears before Clarkesville’s Planning and Zoning Commission – either in the coming months or by early next year.

Week 7 scores & recaps

By

BLITZ Sports

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October 1, 2024

Monday wrapped up the Week 7 schedule in Northeast Georgia after games were delayed due to Hurricane Helene. Here’s a full wrap on the week, including some heavy-weighing region games.

Lumpkin County 29, White County 23 (MON)

A game played on Monday evening in Cleveland was all that it was hyped up to be. It was a QB duo between Tripp Nix and Cal Faulkner. The latter started out with an 89-yd TD run midway through the first, but Nix retaliated with a 9-yd TD rush to cap a 99-yd drive to open the second. Faulkner went back to work with a 75-yd TD, and Nix again responded with his own 6-yd run. Faulkner completed the hat trick with a 3-yd plunge just before the half to put Lumpkin up 21-14. Noel Lammers found pay dirt early in the third, but the PAT was blocked to keep it 21-20. Early in the fourth, Hayden Vandegriff nailed a 35-yd FG for the 23-21 lead. Nolan Matthews then made a statement a couple of minutes later, scoring a 47-yd TD. Lumpkin got a 2-point conversion to make it 29-23, courtesy of Faulkner – AJ Scott. Faulkner had a booming hit late to turn it over on downs and help seal the win.#6

Rabun County 50, Providence Christian 14 (SAT)

The Wildcats dominated throughout the contest, taking a 50-14 home win against Providence Christian. Reid Giles and Lake Evans both had first-quarter TD runs in the first. The Storm got on the board late in the half, as it was only 15-7 at the break. Noah English punched in 2 TDs in the third, and Giles added another to pad the lead up to 36-7 heading into the final stanza. Shaun Fruster had a 70-yd TD in the final quarter to put the icing on the cake.

#2 Jefferson 49, West Hall 7 (SAT)

The opening kickoff was a 95-yd TD return for Rett Hemphill. He added the next score as well on a rushing TD, and Gavin Markey had 2 rushing TDs and one passing to Talan Childress. Dallas Russell and Mickell Pittman added scores on the ground in a 49-0 first half. Starters were out by the final drive of the first half, and the defense stifled a West Hall team that came in with one of the top-scoring offenses in the entire state.

Towns County vs Dixie (SC)

This contest was canceled and will not be rescheduled.

Winder-Barrow 57, Habersham Central 43 (SAT)

The Raiders fought hard on the road Saturday at Winder-Barrow, but came away with a 57-43 loss. Winder got up 14-0 early before Paris Wilbanks hooked up with Zeke Whittington on a TD midway through the first. In the second, Donnie Warren found pay dirt to get Habersham within 22-14. Later in the quarter, a safety make it a 22-16 game, though the Bulldoggs went up 28-16 at the break. In the second half, Wilbanks linked up for a 64-yd TD to Jay Feltus, as the Raiders were within 28-22. Antonio Cantrell had a short-yardage TD late in the third, but Winder was up 43-29 heading into the final quarter. Wilbanks threw his third TD of the game to Whittington, a 15-yd throw and catch, midway into the fourth as Hab Central was within 50-36. Despite a Wilbanks interception into the end zone, they got another shot at it and Cantrell scampered in from a few yards out to make it a 50-43 game with 2:03 left in the contest. The ensuing onside kick try was no good, and led to a Winder TD.

#4 Stephens County 35, Franklin County 3 (MON)

The Indians originally were going to play Saturday, but due to power outages at Franklin, the game was moved to Monday evening. Stephens County earned a 35-3 win. Franklin drew first blood, but that was completely it. Javin Gordon had a 2-yd TD run, and Tripp Underwood threw TD passes to Gordon (19-yd) and Jonah Swinton (25-yd). Gordon had 2 more rushing TDs of 1 and 12 yards in the third to seal the win.

#10 Commerce 42, #10 Elbert County 20 (SAT)

The Tigers had quite the change of plans. Of course playing on Saturday, the location was changed at the last minute (the night before) to being at home due to resources/power at Elbert. That was huge for Commerce, who got up quickly 14-0 on TD runs by Jacari Huff and Jaiden Daniels. Early in the second, Tysean Wiggins scored from 33 yards out for the 21-0 lead, and Huff’s 40-yd TD later in the quarter made it 28-6. That held through the half. Huff’s 3 TD run was another big one, a 58-yd run early in the third. Terrence Burtch had a 7-yd TD to put the game out of reach at 42-13 midway through the third, which held true to the fourth. The Blue Devils got a garbage-time TD late, but the Tigers grabbed their first region win.

#9 GAC 21, Dawson County 16 (SAT)

The Tigers made a valiant effort early on despite losing 21-16. Dawson got on the board in the first after Owen Wooten’s interception led to a 44-yd field goal by Jacob Felkai. That 3-0 lead was good all the way until GAC punched in a TD with 4:34 left in the half. The Spartans added another TD on a 70-yd pass, though Felkai knocked in a 29-yd FG, making it 14-6 at the half. The second half started with another GAC TD as the Spartans appeared to began to pull away. However, Dawson County got a third Felkai FG (about 40 yards) and a Gunnar Weaver – Dylan Edwards 6-yd TD to get within 21-16 with 3:49 to go in the game. Felkai’s amazing game continued as he got a successful onside kick. It resulted in nothing, but a great effort by the Tigers in this one.

Union County 40, Lakeview-FO 33 (MON)

Union County took on Lakeview-FO on Monday on the road, and made it a game. It was 13-0 Panthers quickly on a pair of TD runs by Connor Schuknecht. Kamden Kendrick threw a pair of TD passes to Tyler Parker, and Schuknecht had a 59-yd TD late in the third as well. Union trailed 33-32 when LFO scored with 3:37 to play. Down to 4th & 11, a Kendrick to Maddox Young 26-yd TD gave the Panthers a 40-33 lead (Young had the 2PC as well). Lakeview made a run at it, but turned it over on downs to Union, who bled the clock out for the win.

Other area scores
North Hall 43, Pickens 27 (SAT)
Lakeview 49, Riverside 0 (SAT)
Chestatee 56, Johnson 0 (SAT)
Jackson County 48, Alcovy 10 (SAT)
East Forsyth 14, Flowery Branch 10 (SAT)
#2 Hebron Christian 66, East Jackson 7 (SAT)
#5 Gainesville 48, Johns Creek 0 (WED)
#3 Cherokee Bluff vs #8 Oconee County (SAT) *Game moved to 10/17
#5 Monroe Area 48, East Hall 42 (SAT)
#2 Prince Avenue Christian 43, Hart County 21 (SAT)

BYE: Banks County
BYE: #2 Buford

SEE ALSO

Dragons make quick work of Spartans with blowout region-opening win [VIDEO]

2 injured in 3-vehicle wreck on GA 365

By

Jerry Neace

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October 1, 2024

Georgia State Patrol — File photo (Daniel Purcell/NowHabersham.com)

Two people were injured in a three vehicle wreck that closed GA 365 southbound temporarily between Cornelia and Baldwin Monday afternoon.

According to Habersham County Public Information Officer Rob Moore, emergency units were dispatched to the wreck at 5:20 p.m. to GA 365 south just before Duncan Bridge Road.

According to Moore, a Stephens County Emergency Medical Services ambulance, on its way back from a transport to Gainesville, stopped with the wreck until Habersham County Emergency Services units arrived.

The wreck closed the southbound lanes of GA 365 while first responders attended to the injured. Two people were transported to Northeast Georgia Medical Center-Gainesville with unspecified injuries.

One southbound lane was reopened just before 6 p.m. First responders reopened GA 365 completely at 6:41 p.m.

Georgia State Patrol is investigating the wreck. Now Habersham has reached out to GSP for further information. The agency has not responded.

Top leaders from both parties push for disaster relief after Helene

By

Brian Wellmeier

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October 1, 2024

U.S. Rep. Austin Scott, a Georgia Republican, talks to reporters on Friday, Oct. 13, 2023. (Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)

In the wake of Hurricane Helene, U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) and Rep. Austin Scott (R-GA) have come together to lead a bipartisan push for federal relief to the agriculture industry.

On Tuesday, Oct. 1, Ossoff and Scott joined Georgia’s entire Congressional Delegation and urged members of Congress and President Joe Biden’s administration to bring disaster relief funding to agricultural producers in areas impacted by the recent Category 4 storm.

“To prevent deep and lasting economic damage to the agricultural industry in the southeastern United States, it is imperative that Congress make appropriations as soon as possible upon the completion of damage assessments to fully fund unmet agricultural disaster relief needs in our states and across the nation,” Ossoff and Scott wrote to congressional leadership. “Farmers and growers nationwide, not only those damaged by Helene, have now faced multiple growing seasons without sufficient federal support. Our constituents are counting on us to act swiftly.”

Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Kentucky and Tennessee were among the states ravaged by Helene. Federal officials say up to 600 people are still unaccounted for since the storm hit late last week.

“Federal agricultural disaster assistance is essential to help our states and our nation recover,” Ossoff and Scott wrote. “We urge you to work with the administration to ensure disaster relief resources are made available to our growers. Thank you for your support, and we look forward to working with you to secure these critical resources.”

Jimmy Carter and hometown of Plains celebrate the 39th president’s 100th birthday

By

Bill Barrow and Charlotte Kramon

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October 1, 2024

ATLANTA (AP) — Jimmy Carter is preparing to celebrate his 100th birthday on Tuesday, the first time an American president has lived a full century and the latest milestone in a life that took the son of a Depression-era farmer to the White House and across the world as a Nobel Peace Prize-winning humanitarian and advocate for democracy.

Living the last 19 months in home hospice care in Plains, the Georgia Democrat and 39th president has continued to defy expectations, just as he did through a remarkable rise from his family peanut farming and warehouse business to the world stage. He served one presidential term from 1977 to 1981 and then worked more than four decades leading The Carter Center, which he and his wife Rosalynn co-founded in 1982 to “wage peace, fight disease, and build hope.”

“Not everybody gets 100 years on this earth, and when somebody does, and when they use that time to do so much good for so many people, it’s worth celebrating,” Jason Carter, the former president’s grandson and chair of The Carter Center governing board, said in an interview.

“These last few months, 19 months, now that he’s been in hospice, it’s been a chance for our family to reflect,” he continued, “and then for the rest of the country and the world to really reflect on him. That’s been a really gratifying time.”

The former president was born Oct. 1, 1924 in Plains, where he has lived more than 80 of his 100 years. He is expected to mark his birthday in the same one-story home he and Rosalynn built in the early 1960s — before his first election to the Georgia state Senate. The former first lady, who was also born in Plains, died last November at 96.

FILE – Former President Jimmy Carter and his wife, former first lady Rosalynn Carter, hold hands as they walk from a state funeral for former President George H.W. Bush at the National Cathedral, Dec. 5, 2018, in Washington. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)

The Carter Center on Sept. 17 hosted a musical gala in Atlanta to celebrate the former president with a range of genres and artists, including some who campaigned with him in 1976. The event raised more than $1.2 million for the center’s programs and will be broadcast Tuesday evening on Georgia Public Broadcasting.

In St. Paul, Minnesota, Habitat for Humanity volunteers are honoring Carter with a five-day effort to build 30 houses. The Carters became top ambassadors for the international organization after leaving the White House and hosted annual building projects into their 90s. Carter survived a cancer diagnosis at age 90, then several falls and a hip replacement in his mid-90s before announcing at 98 that he would enter hospice care.

Townspeople in Plains planned another concert Tuesday evening.

People wait in line ahead of a “Jimmy Carter 100: A Celebration in Song” concert at the Fox Theatre, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in Atlanta. Former President Carter turns 100 years old on Oct. 1. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

The last time Jimmy Carter was seen publicly was nearly a year ago, using a reclining wheelchair to attend his wife’s two funeral services. Visibly diminished and silent, he was joined on the front row of Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church in Atlanta by the couple’s four children, every living former first lady, President Joe Biden and his wife Jill and former President Bill Clinton. A day later, Carter joined his extended family and parishioners at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, where the former president taught Sunday School for decades.

Jason Carter said the 100th birthday celebrations were not something the family expected to see once his grandmother died. The former president’s hospital bed had been set up in the same room so he could see his wife of 77 years and talk to her in her final days and hours.

“We frankly didn’t think he was going to go on much longer,” Jason Cater said. “But it’s a faith journey for him, and he’s really given himself over to what he feels is God’s plan. He knows he’s not in charge. But in these last few months, especially, he has gotten a lot more engaged in world events, a lot more engaged in politics, a lot more, just engaged, emotionally, with all of us.”

Jason Carter said the centenarian president, born only four years after women were granted the constitutional right to vote and four decades before Black women won ballot access, is eager to cast his 2024 presidential ballot — for Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democrat who wants to become the first woman, second Black person and first person of south Asian descent to reach the Oval Office.

FILE – Former President Jimmy Carter greets attendees as he departs the funeral service for his wife, former first lady Rosalynn Carter, at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Ga., Nov. 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Pool, File)

“He, like a lot of us, was incredibly gratified by his friend Joe Biden’s courageous choice to pass the torch,” the younger Carter said. “You know, my grandfather and The Carter Center have observed more than 100 elections in 40 other countries, right? So, he knows how rare it is for somebody who’s a sitting president to give up power in any context.”

Jason Carter continued, “When we started asking him about his 100th birthday, he said he was excited to vote for Kamala Harris.”

Early voting in Georgia begins Oct. 15, two weeks into James Earl Carter Jr.’s 101st year.

Walz, Vance prep for debate as hurricane politics swirl around presidential campaign

By

Ashley Murray

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October 1, 2024

Election 2024 Debate — This combination of photos shows Democratic vice presidential candidate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, left, at the DNC on Aug. 21, 2024, in Chicago, and Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, on Sept. 25, 2024, in Traverse City, Mich. (AP Photo)

WASHINGTON (States Newsroom) — Republican U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance and Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will face off Tuesday night for a vice presidential debate, the final scheduled in-person exchange between the campaigns as polls continue to show a tight race just over five weeks out from November’s election.

The debate, hosted by CBS News, is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. Eastern and last for 90 minutes. The event will air live on local CBS affiliate stations and stream on the CBS News app, CBSNews.com, YouTube and Paramount+.

MORE How to watch the debate

The matchup between the running mates of former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris brings together two men who both claim congressional records and previous service in the U.S. armed forces.

The debate also comes as the southeastern U.S. reels from the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which barreled inland as a tropical storm that brought record-breaking flooding and claimed more than 100 lives — a third of them in North Carolina, a swing state in the 2024 presidential election.

Republican National Committee and Trump campaign officials said Monday that Vance, Ohio’s junior senator, plans to attack Walz during the debate on several fronts, including tying Walz to the Biden administration.

“No amount of Minnesota nice is going to make up for the fact that Walz embodies the same disastrous economic, open-border and soft-on-crime (record) Harris has inflicted on our country over the last four years,” said Minnesota GOP Congressman Tom Emmer, who has been standing in as Walz during Vance’s debate prep.

“J.D. Vance is prepared to wipe the floor with Tim Walz and expose him for the radical liberal he is,” Emmer told reporters on a Monday morning call.

But Jason Miller, senior adviser for the Trump campaign, warned “Walz is very good at debates. I want to repeat that Tim Walz is very good in debates, really good. He’s been a politician for nearly 20 years.”

Trump posted Monday on his Truth Social platform that he will be doing a “personal play by play” of the debate.

The Harris campaign has not revealed details about Walz’s debate preparation. CNN reported that Walz is nervous and has been practicing with Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg as a stand-in for Vance.

Walz spent Saturday in Ann Arbor at the University of Michigan Wolverines vs. University of Minnesota Golden Gophers football game, where he was greeted by local elected officials and rallied students about the importance of the youth vote, according to the campaign.

Military service, China

Trump campaign surrogates said debate watchers are guaranteed to see Vance attack Walz on his military service.

Vance touts his own four years in the U.S. Marine Corps from 2003 to 2007, during which he was deployed to Iraq in 2005 as a military journalist.

The Trump campaign maintains Walz retired to avoid being deployed to Iraq. Trump campaign officials featured two veterans on Monday’s call who slammed Walz for being a “turncoat.”

“He deserted his post and his unit after 24 years of military service,” said Tom Behrends, a retired Command Sergeant Major for the Minnesota National Guard.

Walz, a former six-term congressman who represented the state’s 1st Congressional District, served in the Army National Guard for 24 years prior to running for office. He deployed to Italy between 2003 and 2004 to support Operation Enduring Freedom, a non-combat post.

A fact check by PolitiFact found he filed his candidacy paperwork in February 2005, a month before the Walz battalion was notified of possible deployment within two years. Walz filed retirement paperwork five to seven months before the deployment notification, according to the fact check.

Walz led a U.S. House resolution in 2007 to honor the Minnesota service members for their deployment to Iraq, according to the National Guard.

Walz carries the distinction of being the highest-ranking enlisted soldier to ever serve in Congress, according to his congressional biography published in 2017.

Walz suffered hearing loss and tinnitus after specializing in heavy artillery for two decades, according to Department of Veterans Affairs records he shared with journalists when running for governor in 2018.

He wrote in a 2013 benefits application that blasts “would knock us down and after firing I had ringing in my ears,” according to the records reviewed by Minnesota Public Radio. Eventually Walz underwent surgery to improve his hearing loss.

Retired Sgt. 1st Class Tom Schilling, who joined the RNC call Monday, also attacked Walz’s trips to China and how the governor handled “the George Floyd thing,” referring to protests that rocked Minneapolis following the murder of Floyd, a Black man, by police.

“He had 30 trips to China that really haven’t been answered. As a governor, he let Minneapolis burn,” said Schilling, who served in the Minnesota National Guard.

Walz has said he’s proud of the way local, state and federal officials handled the protests in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Walz ordered full National Guard mobilization roughly three days into the protests. However, Democratic Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and state Republican officials both criticized parts of the response by Walz, according to a review by The Associated Press.

Walz taught for a year in the southern China city of Foshan. As a public school teacher in Minnesota he then took students on annual trips to China. In the past he said he visited China 30 times. When pressed for documentation of the trips by APM Reports, the Harris campaign said his visits totaled “closer to 15.”

Trump visits Helene’s destruction in Georgia

Trump delivered remarks Monday in front of a damaged furniture store in Valdosta wearing his signature red “Make America Great Again” hat.

“We’re here today to stand in complete solidarity with the people of Georgia, with all of those suffering in the terrible aftermath of Hurricane Helene,” Trump said, standing alongside American evangelist Franklin Graham, who was coordinating the delivery of supplies.

Trump also said the presidential campaigns should take a backseat to the storm response. “We’re not talking about politics now, we have to all get together and get this solved.”

Moments later he stated falsely that Biden had not taken calls from Georgia’s Republican Gov. Brian Kemp. Biden had spoken with Kemp by phone Sunday.

Journalists traveling with Harris in Las Vegas, Nevada, reported in the wee hours of Monday that the vice president was canceling her campaign events to return to Washington. D.C., to be briefed on the response to Helene.

Harris issued a statement Saturday saying that her “heart goes out to everyone impacted by the devastation unleashed by Hurricane Helene.

“Doug and I are thinking of those who tragically lost their lives and we are keeping all those who loved them in our prayers during the difficult days ahead. President Biden and I remain committed to ensuring that no community or state has to respond to this disaster alone,” she continued.

At his campaign rally Sunday in Erie, Pennsylvania, Trump criticized Harris for being in San Francisco “at fundraising events with her Radical Left lunatic donors, when big parts of our country have been devastated by that massive hurricane and are underwater, with many, many people dead.”

President Joe Biden delivered remarks from the White House early Monday and pledged federal support to the affected areas. Biden has already issued emergency declarations for Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. He also said he would visit the storm-ravaged areas as soon as his motorcade would not get in the way of response efforts.

Republicans for Harris

The Harris campaign continues to tout its growing endorsements from Republicans.

Former conservative Sen. Jeff Flake, of Arizona, announced his endorsement of Harris over the weekend.

“I’ve served with Kamala in the U.S. Senate. I’ve also served with Tim in the House of Representatives. I know them. I know first hand of their fine character and love of country,” Flake wrote on X Sunday.

Republican Voters Against Trump also announced on Sunday a new multi-million-dollar ad blitz in swing states.

The group launched a $5.8 million ad campaign in Pennsylvania’s Philadelphia, Harrisburg and Pittsburgh media markets. The ad launch is part of a $15 million campaign that will also reach Arizona, Michigan and Wisconsin, according to a press release.

“Many swing voters are going to be making up their minds in the coming weeks, and it’s critical that we let them know what’s at stake,” Sarah Longwell, the political action committee’s executive director, said in a statement.

“You can repudiate him without renouncing your deeply held conservative values. We’re here to help establish a permission structure for right-leaning swing voters to do the right thing and vote their conscience,” the statement continued.

Ahead on the campaign trail

Trump is scheduled Saturday to return to Butler, Pennsylvania — the location of the first attempt on his life, during which he suffered a non-life-threatening ear injury and one spectator was killed by gunfire while two others were severely injured.

Trump also plans to hold a town hall Thursday in Fayetteville, North Carolina, well east of the devastation caused by Helene.

Top moments from the Walz-Vance veep debate

By

Jennifer Shutt and Ashley Murray

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October 1, 2024

vice-presidential debate — The Republican vice presidential candidate, Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, and the Democratic vice presidential candidate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, participate in a debate at the CBS Broadcast Center on Oct. 1, 2024 in New York City. (Photo courtesy CBS News)

(States Newsroom) — The vice presidential candidates outlined vastly different visions for the country and traded barbs about their qualifications Tuesday during their first and only debate before Election Day.

Ohio Republican Sen. J.D. Vance, who’s on the ticket with former President Donald Trump, and Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz, running mate to Vice President Kamala Harris, stuck to their rehearsed, scripted remarks to answer many questions, though they deviated from the talking points more than once.

Here are 10 telling moments from the vice presidential debate, moderated by “CBS Evening News” anchor Norah O’Donnell and “Face the Nation” moderator Margaret Brennan at CBS studios in New York City:

Vance on his past negative comments about Trump: “When you screw up, when you misspeak, when you get something wrong and you change your mind, you ought to be honest with the American people about it. It’s one of the reasons, Margaret, why I’ve done so many interviews, is because I think it’s important to actually explain to the American people, where I come down on the issues and what changed.“

“I’ve been extremely consistent that I think there were a lot of things that we could have done better in the Trump administration in the first round, if Congress was doing its job.”

Walz on bipartisan immigration bill and threats against Haitian immigrants: “We could come together and solve this if we didn’t let Donald Trump continue to make it an issue. And the consequences in Springfield (Ohio) were the governor had to send state law enforcement to escort kindergartners to school.”

Vance on the legislative branch: “Congress is not just a high-class debating society. It’s not just a forum for senators and congressmen to whine about problems. It’s a forum to govern. So there were a lot of things on the border, on tariffs, for example, where I think that we could have done so much more if the Republican Congress and the Democrats in Congress had been a little bit better about how they govern the country.”

Walz on access to fertility treatments: “Infertility treatments are why I have a child. That’s nobody else’s business.”

Vance on reproductive rights: “I want us as a Republican Party, to be pro-family in the fullest sense of the word. I want us to support fertility treatments. I want us to make it easier for moms to afford to have babies. I want to make it easier for young families to afford a home, so they can afford a place to raise that family. And I think there’s so much that we can do on the public policy front just to give women more options.”

Walz on trade and tariffs: “Look, I’m a union guy on this. I’m not a guy who wanted to ship things overseas. But I understand that, look, we produce soybeans and corn; we need to have fair trading partners. That’s something that we believe in. I think the thing that most concerns me on this is Donald Trump was the guy who created the largest trade deficit in American history with China.”

Vance on debating national health care policy: “You’re not going to propose a 900-page bill standing on a debate stage. It would bore everybody to tears, and it wouldn’t actually mean anything, because part of this is the give-and-take of bipartisan negotiation.”

Walz on previously saying he was in China during the Tiananmen Square massacre: “I’m a knucklehead at times.”

Vance on housing shortages: “What Donald Trump has said is we have a lot of federal lands that aren’t being used for anything, they’re not being used for a national park … and they could be places where we build a lot of housing. And I do think that we should be opening up building in this country.”

Walz on the peaceful transition of power following the election: “So America, I think you’ve got a really clear choice on this election of who’s going to honor that democracy and who’s going to honor Donald Trump.”

Hundreds missing in Southeast states after Hurricane Helene, federal officials say

By

Jennifer Shutt

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September 30, 2024

NCDOT_HELENE — A section of US 74 in North Carolina was submerged under floodwaters from Hurricane Helene on Sept. 27, 2024. (NCDOT photo)

WASHINGTON (States Newsroom) — White House Homeland Security Adviser Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall said Monday during a press briefing there are 600 people unaccounted for following Hurricane Helene, as federal officials mount a response to the catastrophic storm in states across the Southeast.

Sherwood-Randall said that could lead the death toll to rise into the hundreds but added officials are “very hopeful” some of those missing have cell phones that are not working and “actually are alive.”

“I’ll caution you, because we’ve seen this before, those numbers vary widely,” Sherwood-Randall said. “There’s a lot of reporting that doesn’t add up about the numbers.”

The Associated Press said Monday night more than 125 lives have been claimed.

President Joe Biden, who has held multiple briefings and calls on the hurricane, also announced late Monday he plans to travel to North Carolina on Wednesday. Biden had said he wanted to wait until his presence would not be disruptive to recovery operations.

Sherwood-Randall told reporters the Federal Emergency Management Agency and numerous other federal departments have moved staff and equipment into the Southeast to assist local and state emergency responders as residents struggle to access basic necessities.

FEMA, among many other recovery efforts, was speeding up its $750 payments to households that qualified for “serious needs assistance,” which can be used to pay for essential items like water, food, baby formula and medication.

“This is not the full extent of FEMA assistance to individuals, but it’s the first element of it that becomes immediately available with a major disaster declaration,” Sherwood-Randall said. “And it gets people cash when they’re absolutely desperate for it.”

Survivors who register for FEMA’s individual assistance program will be able to receive federal help repairing cars, homes and some other types of personal property that were damaged by the hurricane, she said.

People who have damage to their homes should first contact their insurance companies, but Sherwood-Randall noted there are several federal programs that help with the rebuilding and recovery process as well.

“If people have insurance, that’s, of course, very important for rebuilding. If they do not have insurance, they have access to federal assistance,” she said. “But it’s a long road to recovery for people because there’s so much work to be done. We have to acknowledge that.”

People who need assistance from FEMA should call 1-800-621-3362, register on https://www.disasterassistance.gov/ or fill out an application on the FEMA app, she said.

Disaster recovery centers opening

FEMA was also in the process of opening disaster recovery centers in affected communities.

“What’s important about these centers is they aggregate federal support in one place,” Sherwood-Randall said. “It used to be the case that survivors had to go to multiple different departments and agencies to find out what kind of help they could get access to. What we do is we put everyone together, either in a standing building that survived the natural disaster or in a trailer, if that’s necessary.”

Centers opened on Monday in Manatee County, Sarasota County and Hillsborough County in Florida, she said.

In places like Asheville, North Carolina, where FEMA likely won’t be able to open a brick-and-mortar center, employees will go door-to-door, she said.

“FEMA literally goes knocking with an iPad in hand so they can help people register for the assistance they need because they may not have power, their cell phone may have run out and they need someone to help them get registered quickly,” Sherwood-Randall said.

FEMA was also planning to install 30 Starlink receivers in western North Carolina “to provide immediate connectivity for those in greatest need,” Sherwood-Randall said.

FEMA, the Federal Communications Commission and private cell phone companies were moving to install temporary cell phone towers and allow roaming, which would allow customers to use cell networks they don’t subscribe to, she said.

So far more than 3,500 federal employees involved in response and recovery efforts related to Hurricane Helene are on the ground throughout the Southeast, including more than 1,000 from FEMA, she said.

Multiple federal agencies in action

The Department of Defense was using helicopters and high-water vehicles to assist in search and rescue efforts. The Army Corps of Engineers was helping to restore electricity, assess infrastructure, including dams, and remove debris.

The U.S. Coast Guard had diverted thousands of personnel on post-storm assessments to help get ports in Florida reopened as quickly as possible.

U.S. Department of Agriculture staff, particularly in its Farm Services Agency, were working to provide emergency assistance to farmers with damage to crops and livestock.

Additionally, more than 50,000 utility workers from the United States and Canada were in the region to help the 2 million people without power get reconnected as soon as it was possible and safe to do so, Sherwood-Randall said.

“FEMA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are also making available generators of many different sizes that are ready to be deployed upon the request of any state,” Sherwood-Randall said. “And as power is being restored throughout parts of Florida and Georgia, power crews are being moved into other states to assist with additional restoration efforts.

“We see power outage numbers improving where restoration teams are able to gain access to communities and the debris is cleared.”

Authorities seize paraphernalia, methamphetamines from ‘makeshift’ homeless shelter in Toccoa

By

Brian Wellmeier

-

September 30, 2024

drugs — Two Toccoa men were arrested Monday, Sept. 30 on drug possession charges. (Stephens County Sheriff's Office)

Two homeless men were arrested on drug charges early Monday morning in Toccoa.

A Stephens County Sheriff’s Office deputy and an officer with the Toccoa Police Department were on patrol when they “observed suspicious activity behind a local business” on Big A Road, according to a news release.

Behind the business, the two officers observed what “appeared to be a shelter made of upright wooden pallets and articles of clothing.” The officers then made contact with Bruce Bailey, 31, and Tyler Toliver, 28, both of Toccoa.

As officers spoke to the men, they observed a plastic bag that allegedly contained needles and syringes on the ground beside Toliver. The deputy instructed the two males to stand before they allegedly gave the officers consent to search their persons and possessions.

The report states that the officers located a small plastic bag containing suspected methamphetamine in a crystal form, and after searching the makeshift shelter, officers then “discovered a syringe containing suspected methamphetamine in a liquid form, along with additional syringes and a rubber band commonly used for injections or blood draws.” The substance contained in the syringe later tested positive for methamphetamines, according to authorities.

Bailey and Toliver were arrested and charged with two counts of possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug related objects. They were booked into the Stephens County Jail on Monday without incident.

Kemp tours Helene damage in Augusta and pledges to push for fast federal disaster aid for Georgia

By

Stanley Dunlap

-

September 30, 2024

Gov. Brian Kemp and other state officials at a press conference following a tour of storm-ravaged Augusta. (Livestream image)

AUGUSTA (Georgia Recorder) —Gov. Brian Kemp joined several elected officials, emergency responders, and other officials Monday in Augusta-Richmond County as the area begins to slowly rebuild from the devastation caused when the remnants of Hurricane Helene struck the region and numerous other communities across the state early Friday.

Kemp’s delivered tried to reassure residents of Augusta, the rest of east Georgia and other communities statewide affected by the storm will have a surge of government resources to assist in rebuilding in the aftermath of Helene.

Kemp compared the extent of Helene’s destruction to that of a 250-mile-wide tornado that “spared no one” and, as of Monday morning, had claimed the lives of at least 25 people in Georgia and more than 90 people across the Southeast.

Kemp said that Helene was an unusual storm because it was a Category 2 hurricane that made landfall in Georgia.

More than half of the 1.3 million Georgia homes, businesses, hospitals and other places without power since Friday have been reconnected by thousands of utility line workers and other personnel.

About 500 people have been housed in temporary shelters across the state after the storm, and more than 350 clean water distribution sites have been set up.

“To see the level of destruction that a hurricane could do in this community, being this far from Lowndes County or Echols County and the Florida line, is unprecedented,” Kemp said. “I would just like to say our thoughts and prayers continue to be with all these Georgians that have lost their lives and their families in our local community.”

“So many of our fellow citizens that are struggling out there — we know people are frustrated,” Kemp said. “We know they are tired. We know they need power back on — need resources — and we are working 24/7 to deliver that.”

An Augusta residence avoided any serious damage from a large tree that was knocked over early Friday after Hurricane Helene made landfall. (Stanley Dunlap/Georgia Recorder)

The Garden City, famous for hosting the Masters golf tournament every spring, is one of the areas of Georgia hit hardest by Helene, which tore a path through the eastern side of the state after forecasters predicted metro Atlanta would take the brunt of the storm.

Augusta and Valdosta, located more than 200 miles away near the Florida state line, have been the setting for a parade of state leaders who have offered their condolences and vowed to help marshal the resources needed for recovery.

Among the storm’s victims in Georgia was Blackshear Fire Department Assistant Chief Vernon “Leon” Davis, who was killed when a fallen tree struck his vehicle while he responded to an emergency call early Friday morning.

In McDuffie County, a 27-year-old mother and her one-month-old twin boys died after a tree fell on their home, and in Washington County, a four-year-old girl and a seven-year-old boy died after a tree fell on a burning house.

Republican and Democratic state officials and Congress members from Georgia have spent time over the last couple days getting an up close look at some of the hardest hit communities affected by the tropical storm.

At Monday’s storm recovery update, Kemp was joined by Augusta Mayor Garnett Johnson, Republican U.S. Rep. Rick Allen, Republican House Speaker Jon Burns, and some state lawmakers representing Augusta-Richmond and surrounding neighborhoods.

Kemp and U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, a Georgia Democrat, visited Valdosta over the weekend. Democratic U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock also spent Monday touring the Augusta area and meeting with Augusta-Richmond officials and residents coping with the aftermath.

Kemp said he’s been in contact with President Joe Biden and Federal Emergency Management Agency Director Deanne Bennett Criswell about disaster relief assistance.

“Just know that we will work in a bipartisan way on disaster relief in this state with our federal, state, and local partners,” Kemp said. “We have submitted our expedited emergency declaration. This is something that’s very rare, but this will help us, and I feel certain it will be approved by the president and federal partners.”

How to help with Hurricane Helene disaster relief in Georgia

Feeding Georgia is comprised of the state’s seven regional food banks. Donations can be made at https://feedinggeorgia.org/donate/

The American Red Cross of Georgia is housing displaced storm victims in shelters and providing other assistance across the state: https://www.redcross.org/local/georgia.html

To learn more about emergency government assistance for individuals and households visit: https://gema.georgia.gov/assistance/individual-assistance

Congress may break from its six-week recess and return to D.C. in the last days before an extremely close election to approve emergency spending for Hurricane Helene recovery and response.

On Monday, former President Donald Trump dropped in with supplies and made brief public remarks while standing in front of a collapsed wall of a brick building in Valdosta.

“As you know, our country is in the final weeks of a hard-fought national election,” Trump said, wearing a red Make America Great Again hat. “But in a time like this, when a crisis hits, when our fellow citizens cry out in need, none of that matters. We’re not talking about politics now. We have to all get together and get this solved.”

Helene has been described by Johnson as the worst in the city of Augusta’s nearly 300-year history. Since Sunday, the city’s water service has been temporarily disconnected in order to clean out trash and debris that was blocking the city from pumping water into homes, businesses and other buildings.

Some signs of normalcy are returning to Augusta, including the Augusta Regional Airport resuming regular service Sunday and people eating lunch at several local restaurants in downtown Augusta, just feet away from uprooted trees along sidewalks.

Power restoration expected to take several more days

As of Monday afternoon, 15,000 utility linemen and other workers from Georgia Power and out-of-state utilities were scattered throughout the state helping to restore power to 355,000 Georgians who were still without electricity.

As of daybreak Monday, there were 613,000 power outages remaining statewide, a total reported by Georgia Power and Georgia Electric Membership Corporation.

A lineman works to restore power after Hurricane Helene hit Habersham County on Sept. 27, 2024. (Daniel Purcell/NowHabersham.com)

According to Georgia Power, there were 72,000 outages in Richmond County at 63,400 in Columbia County, as well as several thousand more in surrounding counties as of Monday afternoon.

Local EMCs have been dealing with the arduous task of fixing 1.000 broken utility poles, double the number damaged by Hurricane Idalia in August 2023, Kemp said Monday.

Georgia Electric Membership Corporation reported Monday morning there were about 54,000 households and businesses in East Georgia and 232,000 local EMCs customers across the state without electricity.

Several thousand utility personnel from more than ten states are assisting Georgia’s EMCs in repairing the unprecedented amount of damage, including hundreds of trees on transmission lines and toppled towers.

According to Georgia Transmission, 80 of the more than 100 electrical substations damaged by Helene were back in operation by Sunday afternoon.

“Even with this considerable progress, EMCs are expecting several more days of outages, with the hardest hit areas expected to be out of power at least a week or more,” Georgia EMC said in a statement.

About 1,500 Georgia National Guard members have been involved in disaster relief efforts across Georgia. They’ve worked with assisting state and local emergency response agencies with removing people trapped in their homes by downed trees and debris and performing traffic control for blocked roads and at intersections.

On Sunday, Sept. 29, Georgia National Guard members began distributing the first shipment of Initial Response Resources from FEMA. (Photo shared on GEMA/HS X account)

The Georgia National Guard is using helicopters to help distribute supplies to counties impacted by Hurricane Helene. (GEMA photo on X)

Several hundred traffic lights across Georgia were not still not functioning as of Monday.

“We’re transporting critical supplies all over the state —food, water and generators,” Georgia National Guard General Dwayne Wilson said at Monday’s storm briefing in downtown Augusta. “We’re doing that not only by ground, but we’ve got helicopters. We’re trying to get critical supplies to where needed as fast as we can.”

Georgia Reporter Deputy Editor Jill Nolin contributed to this report.