It was a night for voters to hear what the candidates are all about and how they intend to manage the day-to-day ins and outs of local government and the educational system.
Eight Habersham County Commission candidates and four Board of Education candidates expressed why they would be the better choice during Now Habersham’s 2024 HABCO Primary Debate.
The debate was held at the Demorest Municipal Complex on Thursday night, May 9th. Audience members gathered in person and online to watch as the candidates laid out their visions for the future on issues such as impact fees, smart growth, school safety, and salaries.
At times, the disagreements between candidates were obvious, but every one of them consistently expressed a love for Habersham County and the people who live here. While their opinions may vary, the common thread of the night was a desire to serve.
Now Habersham’s Nora Almazan and Jerry Neace moderated the event in front of a crowd of around 150 potential voters. Thousands more tuned in to the livestream and its recording (above).
Some who attended Thursday night’s debate expressed appreciation for the opportunity to hear the candidates. Many commented that the evening helped them determine who they would vote for.
All of the county commission and school board candidates in Habersham County qualified to run as Republicans. Their names do not appear on the Democratic ballot. Anyone wishing to vote for Habersham County Commission and Board of Education candidates must vote in the Republican primary.
Advance voting is now underway. Primary election day is May 21st.
Justin Freeman Bohannon, age 34, of Demorest, passed away on Monday, May 6, 2024.
Born on December 12, 1989, Justin was the son of Marty and Annette Moore Bohannon. He studied auto mechanics at North Georgia Technical College and enjoyed working on cars. Justin was an avid outdoorsman and loved fishing and kayaking. He was preceded in death by grandparents Pearl Bohannon, Loyd Bohannon, Brenda Moore, and Johnny Moore.
Survivors include his parents, Marty and Annette Bohannon of Demorest, brother and sister-in-law Trent and Christie Bohannon of Mt. Airy, sister and brother-in-law Amanda and Ray Vinson of Demorest, nephews Hunter Bohannon and Tucker Bohannon of Mt. Airy, niece and nephew Katlyn Vinson and Landon Vinson of Demorest, as well as numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, and extended family.
Graveside services will be held on Monday, May 13, 2024, at 3:00 PM at Hillside Gardens Cemetery, with Pastor Donald Grizzle officiating. The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Monday, prior to the service, from 2 to 3 PM.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the funeral home for final expenses.
The Georgia State Patrol says two people were trapped after their car wrecked on GA 365 near Tom Arrendale Interchange Thursday afternoon.
A release from the Georgia State Patrol says the wreck happened around 12:20 p.m. Thursday when a car left the roadway at the end of the GA 365 onramp.
Habersham County Emergency Services rescued the two people from the wreckage and transported them to Northeast Georgia Medical Center Gainesville. Their names have not been released.
The Georgia State Patrol was called to the scene, and investigators are looking into what caused the wreck. The roadway was cleared at 2:09 p.m. Thursday.
A house in Gillsville caught fire while the family slept Thursday morning, according to Banks County Fire Chief Steve Nichols. The fire was reported at 379 Queen Road shortly after 1 a.m. on May 9.
When firefighters arrived, they found smoke coming from the home. They quickly put out the fire, which spread to the crawl space under the house, causing moderate damage,
The cause of the fire was ruled accidental, but the electric storm in the area at that time could not be ruled out as a contributing factor, says Chief Nichols.
The fire was contained to the crawl space and did not cause any other damage.
A 3-year-old child is in critical condition at the Augusta Burn Center after a man allegedly kidnapped and tried to kill the child on Interstate 85 in South Carolina on Wednesday, according to a news release from the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office.
Investigators in South Carolina said they were notified of the kidnapping and began following Joshua Bennet Dornellas, 32, of Anderson, South Carolina who was suspected of allegedly kidnapping the 3-year-old child on Wednesday. Dornellas was believed to be driving south on Interstate 85 in a Gold 2001 Ford F-150.
Hart County deputies tried to stop Dornellas, but the suspect took off and a chase ensued. Troopers took primary control of the chase on Interstate 85 southbound at mile marker 172.
As the chase approached mile marker 165, several troopers tried to do a Box-In maneuver but it was unsuccessful. As the interior began to fill with smoke from a fire that the suspect possibly set, the suspect exited the driver’s window while traveling at approximately 55 mph.
The vehicle continued south striking an embankment and becoming fully engulfed with the child inside. Troopers, MCCD officers, deputies from Franklin and Hart Counties, and deputies from South Carolina were able to extinguish the fire. Then they located the 3-year-old child in the floorboard of the driver’s side with severe burns.
The child, who is a South Carolina resident, was flown to the Augusta Burn Center in critical condition.
The driver was arrested and taken to the hospital with possible injuries. He is facing criminal charges, but the release of those charges is pending the release of additional information.
Cross Creek in Demorest overflowed its banks early Thursday, cover the roadway. (Photo by Rick Austin)
Habersham County Public Works, Emergency Services, Sheriff’s Office, and other personnel continue to deal with the impacts of the overnight severe weather.
UPDATED road openings and closing as of 11:00 a.m. by PIO Rob Moore.
Trees with power lines:
Habersham Mills Road
Alfred Taylor Road
Riverbend Road
Flooded:
East Glade Creek Road
Wilson Road
Rock Road / Dicks Hill Parkway
Open / Cleared Roads:
Zeb Bryson Road
Garrett Road
Yearwood Road
Daniel Road
Stonepile Road
Ayersville Road
Sutton Mill Road
Alleys Chapel Road
Wheeler Road
Echota Road
Fred Pitts Road
Hills Mill Road
Hank Fry Road
Adams Road
Orchard Road
Pea Ridge Road
Hardman Road
Jim Thomas Road
Phillips Street (now opened)
Current road closures as of 10:30 a.m. according to Lynn Smith, Habersham E-911/EMA Director.
Trees Down in Road:
Yearwood Rd
Echota Rd
Wheeler Rd
Phillips St.
Trees down with power lines
Habersham Mills Rd
Hills Mills Rd
Alfred Taylor Rd
River Bend Rd
Ray Belford, age 78, of Clarkesville, passed away on May 8th, 2024, at Northeast Georgia Medical Center. He was born on April 14th, 1946, in Franklin, NC, to the late Charlotte Carver. He graduated from North Habersham High School and worked mostly in retail until his retirement. Ray was well known for his woodworking. He was also preceded in death by his brother, Sherman Belford.
Surviving are his children, Rhonda (Steve) Hostetter of Dickson, TN, Kevin (Deanne) Belford of Cumberland Furnace, TN, Dana LaPrade of Cornelia, Chaston Belford of Cornelia, and 8 grandchildren. He is also survived by his sister, Barbara (Bill) Newton of Charleston, SC.
A Celebration of Life for Ray will be held at a later date.
The stage is set for tonight’s HABCO Primary Debate at the Demorest Municipal Complex. Join us for dinner and meet the candidates from 5 to 6:15 p.m. Meals will be available for purchase from the Oba food truck (Brazilian BBQ). The debate begins at 6:30 p.m. and will feature all of the candidates for the Habersham County Commission and Habersham County Board of Education.
The severe weather has impacted our community and we want everyone to be safe and aware of road closings. If you are unable to attend in person, please join our live-stream on NowHabersham.com and the Now Habersham Facebook page.
Candidates will discuss a wide range of topics including what is the best way to lower property taxes and resolve a nearing-capacity landfill? Should an increase in sales tax or some version of LOST be added in our county? Should teachers be trained to carry weapons? How can all students succeed in the school system?
There are eight County Commissioner candidates and 4 Board of Education candidates who will give their ideas on these issues and others Thursday night at the Demorest Municipal Complex in Demorest, GA.
Knowing who is best suited for the job of making the community better is difficult. That is why Now Habersham is hosting a debate for you, our readers, to be able to hear what the candidates have to say and how they plan to help us move forward in the growth that is coming to our county.
Habersham County Emergency Services personnel clear a tree from a car after a driver slid into it on Ayersville Road in Mt. Airy. Severe overnight storms on May 9, 2024, left a trail of damage across northern Georgia. (Daniel Purcell/NowHabersham.com)
Severe storms swept across northern Georgia overnight. Emergency crews from across the region responded to numerous reports of fires, downed trees, and power lines as heavy rain and high winds swept through the region.
“It was like a hurricane and a tornado mixed,” described Now Habersham’s Daniel Purcell, who was traveling on Highway 115 between Dahlonega and Habersham County at the height of the storm around midnight.
“It was like a hurricane and tornado mixed,” he said, describing the heavy rain and wind that swirled around him. “I was dodging trees and power lines just to get home.”
First responders and utility crews stayed busy through the night responding to weather-related emergencies.
Debris from the storm was blown onto Hwy. 115 near Truett McConnell University in Cleveland. Emergency officials across the region spent the early morning hours repsponding to numerous reports of fires, downed trees and power lines. (Daniel Purcell/NowHabersham.com)
On Yeoman Lake Road in Clarkesville, 911 received a call that a tree fell on a house and car. Crews had to remove fallen trees from the road to reach the house. All occupants were reported to be safe, and no injuries were reported.
In Demorest, a downed tree and power lines reportedly trapped occupants inside a vehicle.
Emergency officials reported lightning struck a house on Trotter Road in Clarkesville. There was no fire, but the power company had to cut electricity to the home to prevent potentially damaged wiring from catching on fire.
The damage also extended into Banks County, where units responded to several fire calls. There was a report of a tree that fell onto a house on Cindy Drive.
‘Pure chaos’
According to Purcell, about a mile outside Cleveland, the weather turned from light rain and wind to “pure chaos.”
“You couldn’t see five feet in front of you,” he said.
Sitting at the stoplight in downtown Cleveland around 12:45 a.m. he said “the whole town went black” because of a power outage.
Much of the damage occurred between midnight and 2 a.m. as severe thunderstorms entered the region from the west. The rain and high winds were part of a system that spawned tornado watches across North Georgia, including one issued for Hall County around 11:30 p.m.
Roads across the region were impacted, with around two dozen roads in Habersham County alone reported blocked by fallen trees. Most of those roads were on the north end of the county around Clarkesville, including Trotter Road, Hardman Road, and the Orchard Road area. Most of those blockages have been cleared, and the roads reopened.
Power outages and road hazards
Crews from Georgia Power and local electric cooperatives spent the day working to restore electricity to thousands of customers left in the dark by the storm.
Public safety officials warned motorists to stay off the roads in the hours following the storm. Lingering flooding and the potential for trees to fall still exist. Officials advise not to cross bridges or culverts where flooding is observed and not to drive on flooded roads.
Treat any non-operational traffic signals as four-way stops and expect all downed utility lines to be energized even if buildings around them are not.
Several Northeast Georgia school systems are closed today due to the weather.
Today, schools are closed for students and staff in Habersham and Stephens counties. White County High School is closed due to a power outage. All other White County schools are open; however, school officials tell Now Habersham that buses may be late.
Tallulah Falls School is open today, however, students unable to get to school safely due to road conditions or experiencing power outages will be excused.
Severe storms swept through the area overnight and more threatening weather is expected.
A Tornado Watch is in effect until 1 p.m. today for the entire region.
Habersham County School Superintendent Matthew Cooper says school system officials were out checking road conditions before dawn Thursday.
“We have found numerous roads closed, numerous trees down, as well as downed power lines,” he said.
Cooper said road conditions are “unsafe for buses and student drivers.” Because of that, all schools will be closed for students and staff.
“We urge commuters to use real caution if traveling this morning,” Cooper added.
The White County Sheriff’s office has released information about the arrest of two people last week on drug charges.
White County Sheriff Rick Kelley, in a news release, said on Thursday, May 2, deputies conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle occupied by 41-year-old Matthew Young of Lawrenceville and Heather Rutledge, age 48, of Cumming.
Kelley said a K9 gave a positive alert to narcotics in the vehicle. During a subsequent search, he said deputies found a kilogram of suspected methamphetamine.
Authorities charged Young and Rutledge with trafficking meth. The sheriff’s office said Rutledge had an outstanding felony parole violation warrant against her.
Both were booked at the White County Detention Center.
A 33-year-old Fayetteville man has been charged with aggravated assault with a weapon after firing shots outside a home on Lake Burton early Wednesday morning, investigators said.
Christian Caleb Fortune was arrested and booked into the Rabun County Detention Center on two felony aggravated assault charges, discharging a firearm while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and disorderly conduct.
Rabun County Sheriff Chad Nichols says deputies were dispatched to a home in the 300 block of Finch Drive around 2 a.m. on May 8 after reports of a man firing gunshots. When deputies arrived at the residence, Nichols says they found Fortune outside with a handgun.
According to investigators, deputies spoke with two people inside the home, identified as Ryan Ochoa and Katrina Stuart. The pair told deputies there was a verbal altercation over issues in the movie industry.
“Both told deputies that Fortune was drunk, became aggressive, and eventually took out a gun,” says Nichols.
Stuart and Ochoa told deputies they feared for their safety, sought shelter away from Fortune, and called 911. Fortune allegedly moved around the home with the gun before going outside and recklessly firing multiple shots, says Sheriff Nichols.
According to Rabun County Sheriff’s Investigator Kevin Angell, Fortune then allegedly concealed the weapon before deputies arrived.
“Deputies collected nine 9mm spent casings from the front of the property and a Beretta handgun from a vehicle,” says Angell.
Authorities arrested Fortune and booked him on the two felony assault charges and the two misdemeanors.
Investigators have confirmed that the parties involved in Wednesday’s altercation are actors.
According to the Internet Movie Database (IMDB), Ochoa is an actor/singer whose recent credits include the films Room for Rent and The Samuel Project. Stuart, too, is listed as an actor/singer, and Fortune has several acting credits to his name.
Investigator Angell says it’s fortunate no one was hurt.
“It’s never ok to mishandle a firearm, especially in the presence of others and certainly not while you’re intoxicated,” he says.
Fortune remained in the Rabun County jail as of Wednesday afternoon without bond.
