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Bethlehem Baptist welcomes new pastor

By
Margie Williamson
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Pastor Rick Hermann, formerly of Christ Place Church in Oakwood, has been called to serve as the new pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Clarkesville, Georgia. Hermann, shown here with his wife, Charyl, and their five children—Ty, Karis, Kate, Joy, and Mary Charlotte— will begin his ministry at Bethlehem in December. (photo submitted)

At 43 years old, Rick Hermann has had his share of ministerial and pastoral experiences. While he spent a total of 15 years on staff at Christ Place Church in Oakwood, Georgia, he has served as the senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Greensboro, Georgia, and as the Central Campus Pastor at Christ Place. As of the vote on Sunday, November 10th, Hermann will serve as senior pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church of Clarkesville, beginning December 1st.

On Sunday, Nov. 10, Hermann preached his first sermon at Bethlehem Baptist in what can only be described as an electric setting. Over four hundred and twenty-five members and guests attended the service, filling the sanctuary and balcony, and requiring overflow seating to be set up in the church’s vestibule.

After the service, Hermann and his family withdrew while ballots were marked and then counted. The family returned to a standing ovation as the overwhelmingly positive vote was announced. Hermann received more than 99% of the vote.

Hermann describes himself as “deeply humbled and grateful for the opportunity to pastor Bethlehem Baptist Church of Clarkesville.” In addressing the deacons and staff members at a dinner on Friday night, Hermann stated that he has never felt God’s direction in his life as clearly as his call to Bethlehem. He said, “My family and I are filled with excitement and anticipation, believing that God has opened a wonderful door for this church and me to journey together.”

(Photo by Matthew Butler/Bethlehem Baptist Church)

5 reasons

Five reasons Hermann is excited about his new position at Bethlehem Baptist
When interviewed, Hermann spelled out five reasons he’s excited to be starting this journey with Bethlehem Baptist and the community of Clarkesville. First, Hermann acknowledged the resilience and faithfulness of the church in its 200 years of history. “This is a place where people can find purpose, direction, and friendships that guide them along life’s path,” he shared.

Second, Hermann looks forward for he and his family to connect with the people here.
“There is nothing more valuable than people,” Hermann explained, “and I look forward to serving, caring for, and building meaningful bonds with each person I have the privilege to pastor.”

Third, Hermann sees Bethlehem Baptist as a vibrant, multigenerational church with people of all ages—from babies to grandparents—working together to serve our community, meet needs, and spread the gospel.

Fourth, Hermann notes that every person seeks love, purpose, community, hope, and forgiveness. “Whether they realize it or not, they are searching for Jesus,” Hermann said. “Bethlehem Baptist will continue to faithfully preach and teach the gospel, impacting lives in Clarkesville and beyond.”

Bethlehem Baptist Church in Clarkesville, Georgia (Photo courtesy Habersham Baptist Association)

Finally, Hermann shared that all people long for a place that feels like home and family, and he sees Bethlehem Baptist as that place. “Bethlehem is a beacon of hope for Clarkesville—a place where burdens feel lighter, where people are loved and encouraged, and where we can worship together. I look forward to sharing from God’s Word how we can continue to grow as this kind of church.”

Family man

Hermann is married to Charyl and has five children, Ty, age 17; twins Karis and Kate, age 14; Joy, age 10; and Mary Charlotte, age 7. While he begins his work at the church December 1st, he will begin preaching both services on Sunday, December 22nd.

Bethlehem Baptist Church is located at 624 GA-197 in Clarkesville, Georgia. Sunday Services are at 8:30 am (traditional worship with choir) and 10:45 am (contemporary worship with a praise team). All are welcome.

Hill Delivers Double Double but Lions Fall to Berry 47-44

By
Joseph Garwood
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(Photo by Logan Creekmur)

SEWANEE, Tenn. – Despite a second consecutive double double from Andelin Hill, Piedmont women’s basketball fell short to Berry 47-44 on Sunday afternoon at the CCS / SAA Classic in Sewanee, Tennessee.

Much like Saturday’s contest against Sewanee, this one went back and forth with multiple momentum shifts. Unfortunately, the Vikings were able to shut down the Piedmont offense late and there were no heroics on the Lions’ side down the stretch this time.

Hill paced the team again, scoring 12 points and grabbing 12 rebounds in the loss, while Kelsey Banks was also in double figures.

Berry jumped out to a double-digit lead early, but once again, the Lions fought back and eventually stretched their lead to 42-32 early in the fourth quarter. But from there, the Lions saw their shooting go cold, scoring just two points in the final 8+ minutes of action.

Piedmont went just 3-of-15 from beyond the arc and committed 21 turnovers on the day.

The loss snapped a seven-game winning streak for the Lions over the Vikings.

Up next, the Lions will have over a week to rest before hosting Berea next Monday, November 25 at 4 p.m. in the team’s home opener.

TURNING POINT:
– After Piedmont led 42-32 with 8:39 left in the fourth quarter, Berry finished the game on a 15-2 run to storm back for the victory.

STANDOUT PERFORMANCES:
– Hill paced the Lions in scoring (12 pts) and rebounding (12 reb) while also making all six free throws.

Trump’s Pentagon pick paid woman after sex assault allegation but denies wrongdoing, his lawyer says

By
Eric Tucker
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FILE - Pete Hegseth walks to an elevator for a meeting with President-elect Donald Trump at Trump Tower in New York, Dec. 15, 2016. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary, paid a woman who accused him of sexual assault to head off the threat of a baseless lawsuit, according to Hegseth’s lawyer.

Hegseth was accused of sexual assault in 2017 after a speaking appearance at a Republican women’s event in Monterey, California, according to a statement released by the city. No charges were filed.

His lawyer, Tim Parlatore, told The Associated Press on Sunday that the sexual encounter was consensual and that the woman who made the accusation days later was the “aggressor.” That assertion has not been confirmed in the statement released by the city.

Parlatore said a payment was made to the woman as part of a confidential settlement a few years after the police investigation because Hegseth believed the filing of a threatened lawsuit could have gotten him fired from Fox News, where he was then a popular host. Parlatore would not reveal the amount of the payment.

“He was falsely accused and my position is that he was the victim of blackmail,” Parlatore said, calling it a case of “successful extortion.”

The Washington Post earlier reported details of the payment. The newspaper also reported it obtained a copy of a memo sent to Trump’s transition team this past week by a woman who said she is a friend of the accuser that details the sexual assault allegations.

Trump’s transition team had no immediate comment Sunday on the memo.

The person who reported the assault — whose name, age and sex were not released — had bruises on the right thigh, according to the city’s statement. No weapons were involved in the encounter, the person told police.

The incident occurred sometime between 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 7 and 7 a.m. the following morning, according to the city’s statement.

Hegseth was in Monterey at the time to address the California Federation of Republican Women during a banquet dinner held at the group’s biennial convention, according to social media posts and promotional materials from the time.

Monterey officials said they were withholding further details included in the police report because it included analysis and conclusions by law enforcement officials that are exempt from release under state public records law.

At the time of the 2017 accusations, Hegseth, now 44, was going through a divorce with his second wife, with whom he has three children. She filed for divorce after he had a child with a Fox News producer who is now his wife, according to court records and social media posts by Hegseth. His first marriage ended in 2009, also after infidelity by Hegseth, according to court records.

After the accusations first surfaced last week, Steven Cheung, a spokesman for the Trump transition, issued a statement saying the president-elect is “nominating high-caliber and extremely qualified candidates to serve in his Administration.”

“Mr. Hegseth has vigorously denied any and all accusations, and no charges were filed. We look forward to his confirmation as United States Secretary of Defense so he can get started on Day One to Make America Safe and Great Again,” Cheung said.

___

Betty White forever: New stamp will honor beloved actress

By
Joy Purcell
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Dale Stephanos created the digital illustration based on a 2010 photograph by Kwaku Alston. Greg Breeding, an art director for USPS, designed the stamp. (USPS)

The U.S. Post Office is honoring the life and work of Betty White. The beloved comedic actor is getting her own stamp.

White was a mainstay on national television for seven decades. Her career included iconic roles on “The Golden Girls” and “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.”

Betty White, who gained younger generations of fans as she entered her 90s, was also revered as a compassionate advocate for animals.

It’s been nearly three years since she died in 2021, just weeks before her 100th birthday.

The stamp, designed by a post office art director, is based on a 2010 photograph of White. It will be available next year.

Stanimirovic’s last-second shot sends TFS over Towns County

By
TFS Athletics
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It came down to the final seconds, and Tallulah Falls ran an inbounds play with 10 seconds to go to perfection. The result was a dish down in the block to Todor Stanimirovic, who banked it off the glass for the 55-53 win Saturday at home.

The Indians (2-1) held a halftime lead before Towns County rallied in the third. Still, TFS was up by one going into the final period. The lead changed hands throughout the fourth, but the Indians wouldn’t be denied the win on the home court.

Neyo Bain had seven points in the opening quarter, as Tallulah was up 18-15. In the second, Kayra Aksu had a few buckets as part of a huge run that had the Indians up 10. The lead stood at seven going into the half.

(TFS Athletics)

Tallulah Falls didn’t get a third quarter point until under four minutes on the clock. By then, the lead had shriveled down to a 31-31 tie. Brian Neely’s layup gave a small cushion heading into the final stanza.

In the fourth, Noah Massong hit a clutch 3-pointer, and Alberto Battino had a 3-point play. Aksu had one moments later to put TFS up 51-48 with 1:17 to go. Towns County tied the game with a long-range shot with 10 seconds to go, leading to the heroics of Stanimirovic, who finished with a team-high 11 points.

Aksu had 10, Hayden Bootle had nine, Bain and Neely seven apiece, Battino five, and Massong and Jovan Pavlicic three each.

The Indians move to 2-1 on the season.

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS

Lady Indians lead wire-to-wire in win over Towns

By
TFS Athletics
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The Lady Indians led wire-to-wire in a decisive 60-41 win over Towns County Saturday night at home. TFS led by as many as 27 points until late.

The Lady Indians jumped out to a strong start, as Breelyn Wood scored a dozen in the first quarter alone, including a buzzer-beating 3-pointer. That had TFS up 17-9.

The lead ballooned to 13 in the second, as the home team held a comfy 26-13 advantage at the break. Lia Sanjur had 10 points in the second half, and 8th-grader Handley James ignited the crowd with a 3-pointer on her first-ever varsity shot in the third quarter.

(TFS Athletics)

Wood led with a game-high 23 points. Sanjur closed with 14 and Haygen James 10. Marian Nino had seven, Handley James four, and Asia Molodynska two.

The Lady Indians are now 2-1 on the season.

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS

By
UGA Sports Information
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UGA QB Carson Beck redeems himself with a win against Tennessee after a disappointing loss to Ole Miss. Beck ran for the go-ahead score against the Vols in the 3rd quarter Nov. 16, 2024, in Athens. (Georgia Bulldogs/Facebook)

ATHENS, Ga. — The No. 12-ranked Georgia football team got key contributions from veteran starters, freshman backups and everything in between in the Bulldogs’ 31-17 win over No. 7 Tennessee in front of a sellout crowd of 93,033 at Sanford Stadium on Saturday night.

The win was the Bulldogs’ eighth in a row over the Volunteers, who went ahead 10-0 in the first quarter and were outscored 31-7 the rest of the way. Quarterback Carson Beck paced the Bulldogs offense with 347 yards passing, throwing a pair of first-half touchdown passes to tight end Oscar Delp and running for the go-ahead score in the third quarter. Beck completed passes to 10 different receivers, with tight ends Ben Yurosek and Delp combining for nine receptions for 106 yards.

Relying heavily on the passing attack, Georgia (8-2, 6-2 SEC) finished with 453 yards of offense — seven Bulldogs had at least two receptions — while holding Tennessee (8-2, 5-2) to 313 yards, more than 150 below the Vols’ average coming into the game. Linebackers Jalon Walkerand Smael Mondon Jr. and defensive back KJ Bolden all had eight stops to lead the defense.

The Volunteers forced Georgia into a three-and-out on the Bulldogs’ opening drive and then quickly moved the ball deep into Georgia territory. On third-and-goal at the 1, tight end Miles Kitselman lined up in the backfield, took the handoff and dove over the pile into the end zone for a 7-0 Tennessee lead with 10:09 left in the first quarter.

After Georgia’s offense was forced to punt again, the defense came up with the Bulldogs’ first big play, A 6-yard sack by Chambliss followed by a QB pressure from Chambliss on the next play killed Tennessee’s next drive and forced a punt.

Georgia was forced to punt on its next drive, and punter Brett Thorson saved a touchdown with an open-field tackle after a 26-yard return by Boo Carter. The Vols started their next drive at the Georgia 37, but they didn’t get much closer. Another Chambliss sack and a Warren Brinson tackle behind the line of scrimmage forced Tennessee to settle for a 52-yard Max Gilbert field goal and a 10-0 lead with 43 seconds left in the opening quarter.

The Bulldogs ended the quarter on a high note, with Beck connecting with wideout Dominic Lovett for a 38-yard gain to the UT 35 on the final play. On the second play of the second quarter, Beck scrambled for 14 yards to the 21. Two plays later, he found Delp in the back of the end zone for a touchdown, cutting the UT lead to 10-7 with 13:30 until halftime.

Georgia’s defense got a second straight stop and then the Bulldog offense embarked on one of the more unusual drives of the season. There was a 23-yard completion to tight end Lawson Luckie, followed by what looked like a Dillon Bell fumble on a rush that UT recovered, only for the officials after review to rule it an incomplete pass. On the next play, Beck hit wideout Arian Smith on the left side, and Smith fumbled after the catch but then recovered the ball about 10 yards down field, making it a 23-yard gain.

Later, on second-and-goal at the 4, Beck again found Delp in the back of the end zone for a touchdown. And a drive that looked like it might end with a turnover a couple of times instead ended with a score and a 14-10 Georgia lead with 6:36 left in the half.

Tennessee answered with a touchdown drive of its own. The Vols converted a fourth-and-2 at the Georgia 37 and later went ahead 17-14 with 1:54 to play in the half on Dylan Sampson’s 27-yard run. Georgia was able to drive into Tennessee territory and tie the game 17-17 on Peyton Woodring’s 36-yard field goal with 5 seconds to play in the half. At the break, UGA had a 238-189 advantage in total offense.

Georgia went on a long drive to take the lead in the third quarter, covering 87 yards in 12 plays and 7 minutes, 22 seconds. A 16-yard run by Nate Frazier got the drive started, Beck later hit Smith for 16 yards, and on third-and-7 at the UT 10, Beck ran through a big hole in the middle for the touchdown and a 24-17 lead — it’s the first time the Vols have yielded more than 18 points all season — with 5:32 remaining in the period.

Frazier scored on a 2-yard run with 2:26 remaining to put the Bulldogs ahead 31-17, capping a clock-bleeding drive that covered 92 yards in 12 plays and lasted 6 minutes, 21 seconds. It was Georgia’s longest scoring drive by yards of the season. Yurosek had catches of 21, 5 and 16 yards on the drive, the latter down to the 2 to set up Frazier’s win-sealing score.

The Bulldogs are back on Dooley Field next Saturday when they host UMass (2-8) at 12:45 p.m.

Over one hundred runners chased turkeys in Clarkesville

By
Nora Almazan
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It started at 8:30 a.m. with over one hundred runners chasing turkeys for the grand prize – a Butterball turkey!

Clarkesville First Methodist Church Preschool & Kindergarten hosted its first annual “The Great Turkey Chase 5k with a Fun Run” on November 16. The fun run had 35 participants, while the 5k had over 100 runners trying to catch a turkey.

The race started and ended behind Clarkesville First Methodist Church vying for the title of the ultimate ‘Winner Winner Turkey Dinner’. Turkeys were all hand-plucked, locally sourced, two-legged, uniquely dressed runners. (No turkeys were harmed during this race).

First place overall/male went to Jace Caudill. First place overall/female went to Avery Keim.

The 5k was professionally timed with all racers receiving a race t-shirt. All proceeds benefited the Clarkesville First Methodist Preschool, committed to rooting children in faith and growing them in love.

“Turkeys were chased! Runners were blessed! And our Preschool and Kindergarten kiddos are feeling the love. Thank you so much to everyone for making this a great success!” Pastor Ross Wheeler said.

 

 

Rollover wreck on GA 365 North

By
Staff Report
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An overturned vehicle rests in the northbound lanes of GA 365 at the Demorest-Mt. Airy Highway intersection on Saturday night, Nov. 16, 2024. (Jerry Neace/NowHabersham.com)

Northbound lanes on GA 365 are back open after a wreck at the Demorest-Mt. Airy Highway intersection.

Multiple emergency units responded to a report of a rollover wreck around 6:30 Saturday night, Nov. 16.

The northbound lanes were impacted for about an hour as crews cleared the wreckage and investigated the crash. Initial reports indicated multiple vehicles were involved. It is unclear if there were any injuries.

Now Habersham contacted the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office and Georgia State Patrol for information, but neither agency has responded. Check back here for further updates.

Walker Capelle leads men’s cross country at NCAA South Region Championships

By
Joseph Garwood
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JACKSON, Miss. – Piedmont men’s cross country took on Choctaw Trails in Jackson, Mississippi at the NCAA South Region Championships on Saturday.

Returning to the site of his individual win at the CCS Championships, Walker Capelle once again led the Lions, delivering a 26:19.1 time to finish 32nd overall and earn All-Region honors. Capelle was able to improve his time from the conference championship by two seconds.

Much like two weeks ago, Layton Bradford was next in line, delivering a 55th place finish. Three more Lions crossed the line in the top 100, led by Tucker Cox, who posted a 28:33.6.

Another senior crossed next as Jadon Gonzales delivered a 97th-place finish with a 28:39.6 just a few seconds ahead of Grady Sanders(99th) with a 28:41.1.

Keshawn Maxwell came home next with a 29:20.2 followed by Parker Snelson (30:16.7).

Overall, the Lions finished 14th out of 22 teams competing and trailed just Covenant within the CCS.

The race concludes Piedmont’s 2024 campaign.

PIEDMONT RESULTS:
32nd – Walker Capelle, 26:19.1
55th – Layton Bradford, 27:11.6
94th – Tucker Cox, 28:33.6
97th – Jadon Gonzalez, 28:39.6
99th – Grady Sanders, 28:41.1
112th – Keshawn Maxwell, 29:20.2
122nd – Parker Snelson, 30:16.7

Women’s cross country concludes season at NCAA Division III South Region Championships

By
Danielle Percival
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(Photo by Logan Creekmur)

JACKSON, Miss. – The Piedmont women’s cross country team concluded the 2024 season with the NCAA Division III South Region Championships Saturday as Skyler Seeber led the Lions with her 58th place finish.

Seeber was coming off an individual title at the 2024 Women’s Cross Country CCS Championship, also in Jackson, Mississippi, and ran a 24:19.80 Saturday.

Hannah Marlowe improved her time from the CCS Championship to finish second for the Lions with a 25:29.02, improving by over a minute and finishing in 87th place.

Junior Bella Caccamo ran a 26:11.39, while senior Tanea Davis recorded a 28:06.97.

Freshman Josalyn Hallman rounded out the competitors for the Lions as she ran a 33:19.09 to conclude her freshman campaign.

Overall, the Lions finished 18th out of 24 teams competing and trailed just Covenant within the CCS.

PIEDMONT RESULTS:
58th – Skyler Seeber, 24:19.80
87th – Hannah Marlowe, 25:29.02
107th – Bella Caccamo, 26:11.39
138th – Tanea Davis, 28:06.97
163rd – Josalyn Hallman, 33:19.09

Men’s basketball dominates season opener 85-62 against Johnson & Wales

By
Danielle Percival
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(Photo by Logan Creekmur)

DEMOREST, Ga. – In the 2024-25 season opener, the Piedmont men’s basketball team rolled to an 85-62 win over Johnson and Wales inside Cave Arena. The Lions were led by graduate student Griffin Neville, who scored a career-high 16 points.

It was a low-scoring affair through the opening minutes as Piedmont led 10-7 at the 13:00 mark. The crowd came alive when Israel Hall picked off a pass in the backcourt and dunked it home with 7:54 remaining in the first half to give Piedmont a 20-12 lead.

The Lions maintained control heading into the break with a 39-30 lead at halftime. The Lions used a 6-1 run out of the break to lead by 14, 45-31, but JWU scored seven straight to make it a seven-point game.

The Wildcats remained in striking distance and brought the deficit to four with just over 10 minutes remaining in the contest.

Johnson & Wales scored a 3-pointer with 7:08 on the clock to make it 64-58, and that was the last basket from the floor that Piedmont would concede. The Lions went on a 17-0 run down the stretch to lead by as many as 23, 81-58. The Wildcats made four free throws in the final seven minutes as Piedmont outscored JWU 21-4 in the final seven minutes of action.

Griffin Neville led Piedmont with a career-high 16 points while Dylan Patrick added 13, with nine of those coming in that final push for the Lions.

Up next, Piedmont will host Sewanee on Tuesday, November 19 inside Cave Arena at 7 p.m.

TURNING POINT:
–A 17-0 run in the final seven minutes helped the Lions seal the deal and earn the decisive victory.

STANDOUT PERFORMANCES:
–Graduate student Griffin Neville posted a career-high 16 points in the contest to lead the Lions.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:
–Four of Piedmont’s five starters ended the game in double-figures.
–Piedmont totaled 29 bench points in the game.
–The Lions dominated the turnover battle, committing just three while forcing 14.

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