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Lafayette Gober

By
Now Habersham
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Lafayette Gober, age 80, of Cornelia, Georgia, passed away on Monday, May 6, 2024.

Graveside Services will be held at 1:00 p.m., Friday, May 10th, 2024, at the Yonah Memorial Gardens with Bisop Ernest Burns, Rev. Greg Gober, Rev. Ann Nicely, and Troyce Simmons officiating.

The family will receive friends from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Friday, May 10th, 2024 at the Whitfield Funeral Home, North Chapel prior to the service.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Whitfield Funeral Homes & Crematory, North Chapel, 245 Central Avenue, Demorest, Georgia 30535. Telephone: 706-778-1700.

White County proclaims May 28 Sgt. Andy Negra Day

By
Dean Dyer
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White County Commissioners join Andy Negra and his daughter, Mary Owens (center) for a special presentation honoring the soon-to-be 100-year-old WWII veteran. Joining them, from left, are commissioners Craig Bryant, Travis Turner, Terry Goodger, Lyn Holcomb and Edwin Nix. (Dean Dyer/WRWH.com)

Not many people make it to 100 years, but Andy Negra of the Skylake community in White County will reach that milestone on May 28.

Monday night, the White County Board of Commissioners honored the well-known local World War II veteran, issuing a proclamation designating May 28 as Sergeant Andrew “Andy” Negra, Jr. Day in White County.

Commissioner Terry Goodger read the proclamation highlighting Negra’s life as a soldier, career, and family man.

“We honor him for his service to the country, family, friends, and community,” said Goodger.

After the meeting commission meeting, Negra shared his philosophy of life.

“God only gave us one day at a time. He didn’t promise us tomorrow. He didn’t promise us anything other than that particular day, and he also says take care of yourself: If you can take care of yourself, you can take care of somebody else,” said the nonagenarian. “The main thing is take care of yourself. The second thing was have a positive attitude. If you harp on the bad things, it gets worse, but if you have a positive attitude and look around you and see the beauty of what God has provided for us you can’t help but enjoy life and get the best out of life.”

As part of his military service, Negra served in Normandy, France, where he landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day. Last year, he was able to return there for a celebration. He plans to return this year for the 80th year of freedom celebration.

‘It’s up to Mike Johnson’: Marjorie Taylor Greene again stalls vote on U.S. House speaker

By
Jennifer Shutt and Ariana Figueroa
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U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, center, and Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, right, both Republicans, speak to reporters on the steps of the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)

WASHINGTON (States Newsroom) — Georgia Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene of Rome and Kentucky’s Thomas Massie left a meeting with U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday, saying the “ball is in his court” on whether they hold a floor vote to remove him from leadership.

Greene filed the so-called motion to vacate in late March and has been using it as leverage ever since to try to get Johnson to move further to the right and not put certain bills on the House floor for up-or-down votes.

Last week, Greene said she would call for a vote this week on kicking Johnson out of the speaker’s office, but after meeting with him for two hours on Monday and 90 minutes on Tuesday, she said it’s up to him whether she calls for a floor vote.

“It’s really simple. It’s up to Mike Johnson to be our Republican speaker,” Greene said. “And we’ll see what he does. And again, it’s actions for me. I do not care what words he says.”

Greene declined to say what her deadline may be for Johnson to comply with her four proposed changes, but she noted it’s “pretty short.” She declined to say if there would be more meetings with the speaker.

Massie said Johnson shouldn’t prolong agreeing to the four suggestions from him and Greene.

“If it does become obvious that he’s just trying to drag this out, we’ll do him a favor, we’ll do you a favor, we’ll do the GOP a favor and we’ll call this motion to vacate,” Massie said.

Any vote to remove Johnson is likely to fail, since House Democratic leaders announced last month they would support keeping him as speaker.

Four demands for the speaker

Greene, speaking on Steve Bannon’s livestreamed show before the meeting, said she had four requirements that Johnson must meet if he wants her to set aside the motion to vacate.

He must:

  •  Agree not to hold floor votes on additional aid to Ukraine amid its ongoing fight against Russia’s invasion;
  • Agree not to hold floor votes on bills that don’t have the support of a majority of the chamber’s 217 Republicans;
  • Defund the Department of Justice’s special counsel; and
  • Agree to move a 1% spending cut if Congress doesn’t approve all dozen of the annual government funding measures before the Oct. 1 deadline.

Efforts to eliminate funding for the special counsel who has been investigating former President Donald Trump and the proposals to force an automatic spending cut are highly unlikely to make it through the Democratic-controlled Senate or gain President Joe Biden’s approval.

Greene said on Bannon’s show that she isn’t willing to negotiate with Johnson on those issues.

“I have high expectations and they have to be met in full,” Greene said. “There is no middle ground. There is no compromise.”

Following the meeting, Johnson said he’s working through some of the ideas and suggestions from Greene.

“That’s part of the process here,” the Louisiana Republican said. “I’m optimistic that we can get to some resolutions on all that.”

He did not go into details, but said, “they’ve been very productive discussions.”

Georgia oversight panel ruminates on 2020 election hiccups as 2024 showdowns loom

By
Stanley Dunlap
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Georgia Election Board member Janice Johnston, far right, on May 7 said it’s a “travesty” that the board did not further investigate a complaint about the recount and preservation of several thousand ballots cast in Fulton County’s 2020 presidential election. (Stanley Dunlap/Georgia Recorder)

(Georgia Recorder) — The Georgia Election Board voted Tuesday to reprimand Fulton County and appoint an independent monitor for the 2024 election for violating state law while conducting a recount of the 2020 presidential election.

In a 2-1 vote on the panel that oversees how counties conduct elections, members agreed to admonish Fulton County and order a monitor for this year’s campaigns. That allows the county to avoid paying a fine or having the attorney general investigate the double-counting of 3,075 ballots and other allegations of irregularities during the 2020 presidential recount. Georgia election officials determined mistakes in 2020 by county election workers would not have changed the outcome.

Georgia Secretary of State investigators said they are unable to determine how many of the invalid ballots were included in the results used to certify the 2020 election Democrat Joe Biden narrowly defeated GOP nominee Donald Trump by nearly 12,000 votes.

State officials reported that there were 3,075 duplicate ballot images, but they were unable to determine how many of the ones cast were tabulated in the recount. The court case revolves around apparent discrepancies between the initial recount totals in November 2020 and the corrected totals released a day later by Fulton County.

According to Fulton’s initial results, Trump received 137,240 votes out of 524,659, while Biden received 381,144. Following a recount requested by Trump’s lawyers, the final results led to the former president gaining seven additional votes and Biden losing 932.

In January 2021, Fulton officials acknowledged failures to properly back up data to servers during the recount. A Fulton election official told the state election officials that the discrepancy likely resulted from the mishandling of ballot batches and that changes have since been made to separate ballots once they’re scanned.

Election board member Ed Lindsey Jr. offered a motion Tuesday to reprimand Fulton and appoint an independent monitor who could be in place prior to the November general election.

If the state election and Fulton officials fail to agree on who to hire as the election monitor, he said, then he would recommend in July that the board ask the state attorney general to take the case.

“My purpose here is not to let it ride but to move this matter forward so that we can have some assurance regarding the 2024 election,” said Lindsey, a Republican and former lawmaker who was appointed to the state election board by the Georgia House of Representatives in January 2022.

State Election Board member Janice Johnston, an appointee of the Georgia Republican Party, voted against the motion, citing the need for a more comprehensive examination of Fulton’s election operations.

“With over 140 violations of election laws and rules, it would be a travesty not to refer this to the Attorney General and let this ride,” she said.

Charlene McGowan, general counsel under Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, said that despite the recount discrepancies, the election results are still accurate after being counted three times. That includes the initial tally by the Dominion Voting Systems equipment, a full-hand count, and another rescanning of ballots, which led to the dispute about the double counting of ballots.

“The paper ballot is the record of the vote,” McGowan said. “It is the most important document and it is what is used to tabulate the vote and to tabulate the results. As long as we have that paper ballot, we have the paper trail that accurately records the voter’s choice.”

Georgia’s Secretary of State opened an investigation after a complaint was filed in July 2022 by Georgia resident Joseph Rossi and Kevin Moncla, a far-right Texas activist, alleging that Fulton County failed to correctly conduct a machine recount and other irregularities tied to the 2020 election.

The complaint also says that the county is missing more than 17,000 ballot images that were requested for inspection from the 2020 election.

The state Legislature passed a law requiring ballot images to be kept as public record after the 2020 election and state officials said that not having all of the ballot images from that year doesn’t mean that the votes weren’t correctly tabulated.

Marilyn Marks, executive director of the Coalition for Good Governance, described Tuesday’s board meeting as a forum for conflicting information provided by people with an ax to grind, officials with a reason to be defensive including  the secretary of state and Fulton, as well as members of the Georgia election board.

Good Governance is a lead plaintiff in a federal lawsuit contesting the security of Georgia’s electronic voting machines due to cybersecurity threats.

“The entire debate about the Rossi complaint concerning materially inaccurate Fulton 2020 audit tallies and machine recount tallies, including thousands of double-counted votes, made one thing crystal clear: the State Election Board is failing in its investigative duties by assigning the SOS office to investigate election code violations where the SOS office itself is accused of wrongdoing, as in this case,” Marks said in a statement. “The Board’s investigations must be conducted independent of interested parties to provide objectivity and transparency.”

Marks said that the dispute about the 17,000 missing ballot images could be resolved after Gov. Brian Kemp on Tuesday signed an election bill allowing the public to inspect paper ballots.

“However, thanks to the legislation Gov. Kemp signed today, the truth about the 2020 count, likely still confirming Biden’s win, will come out.  Given that the public will be able to require a new scan of the ballots themselves, the SOS claims that they cannot determine whether ballots were double counted will be shown to be false, with many ballots for both candidates being double counted in the official machine recount. The ballots representing the 17,000+ final votes where the images cannot be located can be examined now and their existence verified.”

According to state election investigators, Fulton might  not have all of the ballot images, but each of the original paper ballots are under seal due to pending litigation

In 2023, the election board rejected a state takeover of Fulton ballot counting following a lengthy performance review after the tumultuous 2020 presidential election brought some unwanted national attention to Georgia’s most populated county. The independent panel report did not find any proof of election workers engaging in intentional misconduct but noted Fulton election’s new leadership role is now resolving past problems with managerial oversight, disorganization, and mistakes in recounting ballots.

TikTok sues to block new U.S. law banning app if it is not sold

By
Jacob Fischler
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(Solen Feyissa/Unsplash)

(States Newsroom) — TikTok and its Chinese parent company on Tuesday challenged a recently enacted federal law banning the short-form video platform from the United States if it is not sold to a non-Chinese owner.

TikTok Inc., the U.S. company that operates the popular social media service, and ByteDance, its parent company founded by Chinese entrepreneurs, filed suit in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit over a law requiring ByteDance to sell its subsidiary or face a ban from U.S. app stores.

The law violates the First Amendment right to free speech, the companies wrote. The service is a free-speech platform, used by 170 million Americans monthly. While the government can dictate broadcast licenses that operate over public airwaves, it has no such authority over other platforms including newspapers and websites, they said.

“Congress has made a law curtailing massive amounts of protected speech,” the companies wrote. “The government cannot, consistent with the First Amendment, dictate the ownership of newspapers, websites, online platforms, and other privately created speech forums.”

Congress passed, and President Joe Biden signed, the law last month. Many lawmakers argued that TikTok was a tool of the Chinese Communist Party.

Sale not viable, TikTok says

The law’s alternative for TikTok to avoid a U.S. ban, for ByteDance to sell the platform, is unworkable, the companies said.

The algorithm at the core of TikTok’s product, as well as the platform itself, is powered by millions of lines of code developed by thousands of engineers over years, the companies said. Transferring that design to new owners who lack the years of expertise that TikTok’s current workforce has would be impossible within the nine-month deadline stipulated in the law.

The Chinese government would also likely not allow divestiture of the algorithm. China, like the United States, can regulate what technology can be exported, they said, and would likely reject a deal to allow foreign ownership of TikTok.

TikTok as a platform is globally integrated, so even if it were possible to find a new owner and transfer ownership of the product, it would lose much of the appeal — and the related market value — of connecting with users around the world, the companies wrote.

“Divesting TikTok Inc.’s U.S. business and completely severing it from the globally integrated platform of which it is a part is not commercially, technologically, or legally feasible,” they said. “The Act will therefore have the effect of shutting down TikTok in the United States.”

The companies asked the court to declare that the law is unconstitutional, bar Attorney General Merrick Garland from enforcing it and “grant any further relief that may be appropriate.”

National security concerns

Congress included the TikTok bill in a package of high-profile spending items, including military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. Biden signed the package into law April 24.

Several China hawks in Congress have expressed concerns that the Chinese government and its ruling Communist Party can compel ByteDance to provide data from TikTok users’ devices.

They have also raised concerns that the Chinese Communist Party can manipulate content on the platform.

Sen. Mitt Romney, a Utah Republican, said last week the “overwhelming” share of pro-Palestinian content on TikTok compared to other platforms was a reason driving support for a ban among lawmakers.

In their suit, TikTok and ByteDance said the government has not presented evidence to back up concerns over data privacy or content manipulation and instead relied on hypothetical risks.

“Those speculative concerns fall far short of what is required when First Amendment rights are at stake,” they said.

Rep. John Moolenaar, a Michigan Republican who chairs the U.S. House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, said in a written statement posted by the committee’s X account Tuesday he was “confident that our legislation will be upheld.”

“Congress and the Executive Branch have concluded, based on both publicly available and classified information, that TikTok poses a grave risk to national security and the American people,” Moolenaar said. “It is telling that TikTok would rather spend its time, money, and effort fighting in court than solving the problem by breaking up with the Chinese Communist Party.”

White County Commissioner Edwin Nix reelected to ACCG board

By
Staff Report
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Edwin Nix

White County Commissioner Edwin Nix has been reelected to the board of managers of the Association County Commissioners of Georgia. He was sworn in during the ACCG’s annual conference in Savannah.

Nix was first elected to the White County Board of Commissioners in 2011 representing District 3. He previously served on the commission from 1999-2002.

“I am honored to continue serving on the ACCG Board of Managers,” Nix said in a statement. “ACCG plays a crucial role in supporting Georgia’s counties, and I look forward to contributing to its mission.”

Nix was selected by his peers to serve on the board.

“We are excited to welcome our newly installed Board of Managers, a group of dedicated leaders chosen by their peers to guide our organization,” ACCG Executive Director Dave Wills said in a statement. “Their commitment and expertise will be invaluable as we work together to advance the interests of Georgia’s counties.”

Nix also serves on the Chestatee Chattahoochee Resource Conservation and Development Council, the Georgia State Soil Commission, and the Stakeholder Committee for Management of the Lake Lanier Watershed. He lives in the Shoal Creek community with his wife, Linda.

Sea turtle nesting season underway in Georgia, after ‘three-island rush’ of sightings

By
Benjamin Payne
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File photo of a loggerhead sea turtle nesting at dawn on Ossabaw Island, Georgia. (Credit: Georgia Department of Natural Resources)

Georgia’s loggerhead sea turtle nesting season is officially underway, as four nests belonging to the federally protected species were spotted Sunday across Coastal Georgia.

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources described the opening salvo of nest sightings as a “three-island rush,” with one on Wassaw Island near Savannah, two on Blackbeard Island in McIntosh County and one on Glynn County’s Jekyll Island, where the Georgia Sea Turtle Center rehabilitation clinic is based.

“It was really exciting,” said Georgia Sea Turtle Center research manager David Zailo, on his reaction to learning that a volunteer had discovered the island’s first loggerhead nest at dawn.

“It’s a continuation of processes that have been going on for thousands of years,” he said. “And we’re working to make Jekyll Island a model system where we can balance wildlife thriving with limited development and tourism and recreational opportunities for people. So, to be able to see that continue is extremely rewarding.”

Jekyll Island’s first sea turtle nest of 2024. (Credit: Georgia Sea Turtle Center)

Zailo described his outlook for this year’s sea turtle nesting season as “cautiously optimistic,” pointing to the success of ongoing conservation efforts while also acknowledging how fragile the species is, even under the most favorable circumstances.

“They have to lay a lot of eggs to, in short, replace themselves since there’s very low hatchling survival,” Zailo said of loggerheads, whose female adults don’t start nesting until they reach their 30s. “And so these animals need to be able to nest repeatedly, for years upon years upon years, in order to help their population grow.”

The state’s loggerhead population has been increasing at about 4% annually since the early 1990s, according to the Georgia DNR.

However, the agency said that a computer model developed by the University of Georgia and the U.S. Geological Survey suggests that the species’ population will “plateau at current levels” for roughly the next 15 to 20 years, owing to sparse nesting levels in the early 2000s.

Last year saw a higher-than-expected sea turtle turnout: 3,431 loggerhead nests were identified. Although down from 2022’s record-high 4,071 nests, 2023’s output still doubled the 35-year average and easily surpassed the federal government’s recovery goal of 2,800 nests per year.

This article comes to Now Habersham in partnership with GPB News

Clarkesville names Clouatre police chief

By
Jerry Neace
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Clarkesville City Manager Keith Dickerson announced the appointment of Danny Clouatre as the next Clarkesville Police Chief. (Jerry Neace/NowHabersham.com)

Clarkesville has a new police chief. On Monday, the city council appointed Captain Danny Clouatre to succeed outgoing chief Brad Barrett.

A native of Habersham County, Clouatre served as Assistant Chief and Detective under Barrett. He joined the Clarkesville Police Department in 2005 and was promoted to Captain in 2007.

Clarkesville City Manager Keith Dickerson announced Clouatre as chief during Monday night’s Clarkesville City Council meeting. He said that when Chief Barrett turned in his resignation, the city received a lot of interest in filling that position.

Clarkesville City Manager Keith Dickerson announced the appointment of Ryan Ledford as the next Clarkesville Police Department Detective. (Jerry Neace/NowHabersham.com)

Dickerson explained that he talked with the mayor and council, and “we felt like everything here had been running so well that we wanted to stay in-house, and we want to continue this program well into the future.” He then congratulated Clouatre on his new position.

Clouatre’s promotion to chief left a detective vacancy open. The council appointed Clarkesville PD Patrol Commander and Sergeant Ryan Ledford to fill that position.

“We started asking around a little bit and we found out he was the perfect guy. He had already been working at it some,” Dickerson said of Ledford.

Sgt. Ledford joined the department in 2009. A White County native, Ledford graduated from North Georgia Technical College’s Criminal Justice Program in 2007.

Honoring two decades of service

The council recognized Barrett for his decades of service to the city during their May 6th meeting.

Dickerson presented Barrett with a plaque and read aloud the inscription: “After 22 years, we want to thank you for your exemplary service and dedication to the citizens of the City of Clarkesville. We, the Mayor and Council, along with the residents of Clarkesville, present this to you in recognition of your 22 years of service.”

The city also gave Chief Barrett a going away basket and gift.

City Manager Keith Dickerson presents a plaque to outgoing Police Chief Brad Barrett for his 22 years of service to the city. (Jerry Neace/NowHabersham.com)

“Thank you very much for your service. My four-and-a-half years have been just seamless. I appreciate everything you have done,” Dickerson told the longtime police chief.

Barrett thanked Dickerson for the plaque and going away gifts but did not make any public comments during the presentation.

The career law enforcement officer turned in his resignation to the Clarkesville City Council on April 2. He told Now Habersham at the time, “I’m leaving because it feels like the right time.”

Barrett said he is considering a possible move to the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office.

“I’m entertaining the idea,” he said in April, “but I’m not fully committed yet.”

Police chase on I-85 ends in crash, drug arrest

By
Staff Report
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A driver and his passenger were injured after the car they were riding in crashed during a chase on Interstate 85 in Franklin County, according to a news release from the Georgia State Patrol.

The release said a trooper with the state patrol’s Criminal Interdiction Unit tried to stop a Toyota Camry for traffic violations on I-85 North on Monday. When the trooper turned on his emergency lights, the driver of the Camry sped up and led the trooper on a chase, the release states.

The chase ended when the trooper used a PIT maneuver near the Lavonia exit to stop the car. After being stopped, the Camry went off the east shoulder of the road and overturned multiple times, says Sgt. J.R. Dean with GSP Post 52 in Hartwell.

The driver, 49-year-old Glen Richard Smith Jr. from Inman, South Carolina, and his passenger, 34-year-old Krystal Lynn Sykes from Graham, North Carolina, were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Smith was then taken to the Franklin County Detention Center where he faces charges of felony fleeing and possession of methamphetamine.

A pup with a heart full of love named Bear

By
India Kelley
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Bear is a 3-year-old mixed-breed pup ready for adoption from the Habersham County Animal Shelter in Clarkesville, Georgia. (Photo by Habersham County Animal Care and Control)

Hey there, I’m Bear, a 3-year-old, 45-pound mixed-breed pup. Life’s been a bit ‘ruff’ lately, but I’m still wagging my tail hoping my forever family will come and scoop me up soon.

You see, I ended up at this shelter after a mysterious adventure as a requested stray pickup. But don’t worry, I’m not letting that get me down. I’m just a pup with a heart full of love, patiently waiting for my chance to be someone’s best friend.

Oh, how I adore kids! Their giggles, their energy—it’s all so ‘pawsitively’ delightful. I dream of finding a family with kids who’ll play fetch with me in the yard and cuddle with me on the couch. They say I’m a natural with children, and I couldn’t agree more.

I love to play with toys and with kids! (Photo by HCACC)

I’ve been working hard on my manners, and I’ve got “sit” down pat. But let me tell you, I’m ready to learn even more tricks and show off for my new family.

Training sessions? Count me in! Toys? Oh, you bet I love ’em! Especially the ones that squeak! Whether it’s a rubber ball or a plushy friend, I’m all in for a game of tug-of-war or fetch. Let’s play!

Now, about those feline creatures… I’m not too keen on sharing my home with them. They seem a bit too mysterious for my liking. So, a home without cats would be perfect for me. As for dogs, I sometimes can be dog-selective so a meet and greet would be recommended to make sure I get along with any furry friends.

I’m already neutered, heartworm negative, and all my shots are up to date. So, what do you say? Wanna be my forever family? I’m available for same-day adoption, and I promise to fill your life with love, laughter, and lots of tail wags. Come meet me and
let’s start our adventure together!🐾

Click on Bear’s photo to schedule a time to meet him at the Habersham County Animal Shelter.

The Habersham County Animal Shelter is at 4231 Toccoa Highway in Clarkesville, Georgia. For more Pet of the Week ‘tails,’ click here.

183 UGA faculty petition to dismiss student suspensions tied to protests

By
Jeff Dantre
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(Grady.uga.edu)

One hundred eighty-three UGA faculty members signed a petition asking UGA President Jere Morehead and other top administrators to dismiss the immediate suspensions of students arrested Monday in a campus protest. They delivered the petition by email Friday afternoon.

The students were among 16 protestors charged with misdemeanors after refusing to relocate their activities to designated protest areas on campus.

The letter says UGA has the right to bring in the police and enforce campus free speech policies but calls the suspensions unwarranted and antithetical to the university’s mission.

Associate Professor Janet Frick told the Athens Banner-Herald that there are different perspectives about the tactics and content of the protest, but the signed faculty are concerned about the punitive nature of suspending the students.

The university acknowledged receipt of the letter but declined further comment.

This article appears on Now Habersham in partnership with WUGA

Volunteers for Literacy to host 2nd Annual Family Fun Fest

By
Nora Almazan
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Family Fun Festival, May 18th from 12pm to 2 pm at Pitts Park. (submitted)

Everyone is talking about Volunteers for Literacy’s (VFL) upcoming Duck Race. It is one of the coveted events of the Moutain Laurel Festival at Pitts Park in Clarkesville, GA. on May 18th.

VFL is hosting its 2nd Annual Family Fun Fest to add to the excitement. Last year, Bob Brooksher, a volunteer for VFL, coordinated a time to bring families into the park to have a great time leading up to the Duck Race. “For the past three years, I have been on ‘duck patrol’ with my kayak. We wanted to do something to get children off their screens and share fun and excitement as a family,” Brooksher said. “With the help of many volunteers and businesses, we created the Family Fun Fest. It was a success.”

This year, VFL has added new attractions for the event that is held at Pitts Park from 12 p.m. until 2 p.m. The Duck Race begins at 2 p.m. in the park.

Brooksher said this year, VFL is adding a Petting Zoo. Children will have the opportunity to experience animals as well as ride a pony.

There will be a knife and axe-throwing demonstration with age-appropriate participation opportunities for older children and adults. Forest Hilyer is an expert and outdoorsman who will be leading the fun at this event in a safe environment.

This year, there will be a photo booth for the family to get a fun family picture. Children can express their creativity in a paint-by-numbers photo booth that Brooksher is building.

A favorite from last year was the giant parachute. Children enjoyed creating a dome, running under it, and seeing what could be done.

Children will have the chance to paint a birdhouse in the nature crafts area. There will be a Bounce House, facing painting, games galore, temporary tattoos and so much more.

Brooksher recommends all wear comfortable clothes, and bring sunscreen and bug spray. There will be some chairs, but you may want to bring your own. Most of the Family Fun Fest activities will continue during the Duck Race and during the wait time for the calling of the much-anticipated winners of the race.

Plan on being at Pitts Park on May 18th from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. for Family Fun Fest and then to watch the Duck Race at 2 p.m. If you have any questions, visit  Volunteers for Literacy for more information or call 706-949-3157. 

SEE ALSO

13th Annual VFL Rubber Duck Race set for May 18

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