Alumnus leaves $1.5M estate gift to UGA

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July 16, 2024

The University of Georgia has announced a gift of $1.5 million from the estate of the late Joshua W. Jones, Grady College alumni and distinguished professional in the field of political communications.

$1 million of the endowment will benefit the School of Public and International Affairs, with the remaining $500,000 directed toward Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. Between the two schools, six new funds will be created in Jones’ honor.

Jones, who passed away in July 2023, earned multiple degrees from UGA in SPIA, Grady and the Terry College of Business. He expressed commitment to advancing the programmatic offering of the Public Affairs Certificate Program, and was a dedicated member of the SPIA Board of Visitors since 2016. Jones was the principal of Halifax Strategies Inc. where he provided counsel to an array of clients in the public and commercial sector.

“Josh Jones had a knack for spotting opportunities for students and bringing resources to the table to make those ideas come true,” said Matt Auer, dean of the School of Public and International Affairs. “Josh was a key part of the SPIA brain trust. I miss his original thinking and his can-do spirit. And I am deeply grateful for his enduring investment in SPIA.”

This article comes to Now Habersham in partnership with WUGA

After Trump assassination attempt, Secret Service comes under heavy criticism

By

Shauneen Miranda

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July 15, 2024

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas. speak at the daily press briefing at the White House on July 15, 2024 in Washington, D.C. The press briefing focused on the assassination attempt on Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump and the U.S. Secret Service response. (White House livestream image)

WASHINGTON (States Newsroom) — As the nation reels from the attempted assassination against former President Donald J. Trump and the Secret Service comes under intense scrutiny, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Monday said “we are in a heightened and very dynamic threat environment.”

The former president and official 2024 GOP presidential nominee survived a shooting on Saturday that killed one person and left two others injured at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

“Both President Biden and former President Trump are constantly the subject of threats,” Mayorkas said during a White House press briefing in which he defended the performance of the Secret Service. Members of Congress are organizing hearings to examine whether security lapses occurred.

“The United States Secret Service, we, including the FBI and our other partners across the federal government, take the threats very seriously and adjust security measures as warranted,” Mayorkas said. He added that “maintaining the safety and security of the president, the former president and their campaign events, is one of our most vital priorities.”

Mayorkas said that in light of the shooting, Biden ordered Secret Service protection for Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an independent presidential candidate.

The secretary also said that “both prior to and after the events of this past weekend, the Secret Service enhanced former President Trump’s protection based on the evolving nature of threats to the former president and his imminent shift from presumptive nominee to nominee.”

Trump is in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for the Republican National Convention, where he was officially nominated as the GOP presidential candidate on Monday alongside his newly chosen running mate, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance.

Mayorkas also echoed Biden’s pledge Sunday for an independent review, saying it will “examine the Secret Service’s and other law enforcement actions before, during and after the shooting, to identify the immediate and longer term corrective actions required to ensure that the no-fail mission of protecting national leaders is most effectively met.”

In the aftermath of the shooting, Pennsylvania Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro identified the person killed as Corey Comperatore, who was a former fire chief. Shapiro said Comperatore “died a hero” and “dove on his family to protect them” the night of the shooting.

The FBI is continuing its criminal investigation into the incident and has identified the shooter as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. Crooks was killed at the scene.

Mayorkas expressed support for Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle.

“I have 100% confidence in the director of the United States Secret Service. I have 100% confidence in the United States Secret Service and what you saw on stage on Saturday, with respect to individuals putting their own lives at risk for the protection of another, is exactly what the American public should see every single day. It is what I indeed do,” he said.

Pressed on CNN whether it was a security failure, Mayorkas said, “When I say something like this cannot happen, we are speaking of a failure.”

Congressional investigations multiply

Meanwhile, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have called for investigations into the attempted assassination of Trump.

The Secret Service is set to brief members of the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Accountability on Tuesday.

The committee will also hold a hearing at the beginning of next week, once Congress returns from its week-long recess, with Cheatle set to testify.

“We are grateful to the brave Secret Service agents who acted quickly to protect President Trump after shots were fired and the American patriots who sought to help victims, but questions remain about how a rooftop within proximity to President Trump was left unsecure,” Rep. James Comer, chairman of the committee, said in a statement Monday.

“Americans demand answers from Director Kimberly Cheatle about these security lapses and how we can prevent this from happening again,” said Comer, a Kentucky Republican.

U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle (U.S. Secret Service photo)

In a statement on Monday, Cheatle said the Secret Service understands the “importance of the independent review announced by President Biden yesterday and will participate fully.”

“We will also work with the appropriate Congressional committees on any oversight action,” she said.

Cheatle also noted that the “Secret Service is working with all involved Federal, state, and local agencies to understand what happened, how it happened, and how we can prevent an incident like this from ever taking place again.”

House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green wrote a letter Sunday to Mayorkas requesting multiple documents, saying “the seriousness of this security failure and chilling moment in our nation’s history cannot be understated.”

“No assassination attempt has come so close to taking the life of a president or presidential candidate since President Reagan was shot in 1981,” said Green, a Republican from Tennessee.

Senators also plan probes

Efforts to conduct investigations into the attempted assassination are also ramping up in the Senate.

Michigan Sen. Gary Peters and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul — the respective chairman and ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee — said Monday that the committee is launching a bipartisan investigation and plans to hold a hearing soon to look into the “security failures” leading to the attempted assassination of Trump.

The two sent a letter to Mayorkas and FBI Director Christopher Wray asking for a briefing for committee members and requesting information from the Department of Homeland Security, the Secret Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. They also asked that either Mayorkas, Wray or an “appropriate designee” appear at a committee hearing on the matter by Aug. 1.

“There is no place for political violence in our nation, and Saturday’s shocking attack should never have been allowed to happen,” Peters said in a statement on Monday.

“Our committee is focused on getting all of the facts about the security failures that allowed the attacker to carry out this heinous act of violence that threatened the life of former President Trump, killed at least one person in the crowd, and injured several others,” he said.

Additionally, Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican and ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, led fellow GOP members of the panel on Monday in urging Chairman Dick Durbin to “hold a hearing into the circumstances that led to this tragedy.”

Graham and nine fellow Republicans also asked the Illinois Democrat to invite Cheatle, Mayorkas and Wray to testify in front of the committee.

HabCo BOE holds first millage rate public hearing; no roll back this year, members say

By

Jerry Neace

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July 15, 2024

HabCo BOE PH 1 — The Habersham County Board of Education holds its first of three millage rate public hearings on Monday, July 15. (Jerry Neace/NowHabersham.com)

The Habersham County Board of Education (HabCo BOE) held its first of three millage rate public hearings Monday morning. Only two citizens attended the hearing, but both asked the board members several questions.

The Board has elected not to roll back the millage rate for 2024, a move the school board has not made in over a decade. Board members said the decision is based on the state passing on costs.

One such unfunded mandate is employee insurance, which will increase by $1,377,720 for the next school year. Another cost is employee pay raises. Classified employees will receive a 4.1% raise. The state will cover the Governor’s $2,500 increase in teachers’ salaries that fall within the QBE formula. However, for teachers outside the formula, the school board will match those employees’ raises. Those employees include band teachers, art/music teachers, and some special education teachers.

The cost of pay raises for non-QBE positions in Habersham will be $847,807.

Another cost not covered by the state is the retention of 46 positions covered by the American Rescue Plan grant. That grant will expire in September. It will cost the school board $2,766,689 to retain those positions.

Public comments

Jim Hudak of Clarkesville questioned the retention of the 46 employees. He asked when the employees were hired and did they know that there was limited funding for those positions? Chief Financial Officer Staci Newsome told Hudak that the employees were hired three years ago and that they did know that they were hired with limited funding.

He asked if they were teaching positions or administrative positions. Newsome responded that they were a mixture.

The slide presented during the Board of Education public hearing demonstrates the challenges the BOE faces and millage rates of surrounding school systems. (Jerry Neace/NowHabersham.com)

Newsome presented a slide demonstrating the millage rates of 15 school districts in the northeast Georgia region. It demonstrated that Habersham County Schools was third lowest in the region.

Guy Keirn of Clarkesville asked, “What’s the cost per student for each one?” Newsome responded that she had not figured out the cost per student for each district. She offered to factor that cost for Keirn. She added that the price per student could be found at the Georgia Department of Education website.

Keirn had another concern he expressed to the board members. “It’s always a concern with the exponential growth of the budget. I’m worried about the people that have lived here a long time, that the reassessment, I’m concerned for people on fixed income.”

He recently moved from Florida “because of things like this.” He added that he retired from government work. Keirn asked the board members not to take his next comment personally. “We waste a lot of money,” he said.

School Superintendent Matthew Cooper addressed Keirn and said that the question shouldn’t be how much is being spent but “what is the community getting in return for what’s being spent?” Cooper told Keirn that the school system ranked in the top ten in the state with graduation rates for the last three years out of 180 school systems throughout the state.

Challenges

Cooper said Habersham County has some unique challenges when compared to the region. The size of the system, being one of them.

“We broke 1,000 students last year, students that don’t speak English as their primary language.” He added that the system had a large number of special education students, and all of those students needed to be served.

Cooper told Keirn that the board decided years ago to keep Woodville and Hazel Grove Elementary Schools open, a decision that many school systems would not have made. He said they would have closed those schools because of their size to save money. He added that Habersham has a 9th-grade academy. Many school systems did away with those to save money.

He added that the board decided to have an alternative school that costs money. Over the last eight years, that school prevented over 300 students from dropping out of school and receiving their diplomas, and they are now contributing to society.

With the challenges the school board faces, “A lot of boards in this situation would have probably raised the millage rate with these challenges we are having,” Cooper said. He added that the school board will be taking it year to year and look at rolling the millage rate back in the future.

Jim Hudak speaks with Chief Financial Officer Staci Newsome and Assistant School Superintendent Patrick Franklin after the first millage rate public hearing Monday morning, July 15, 2024. (Jerry Neace/NowHabersham.com)

Tax exemption

Hudak told the board members that he and his wife have been retired for several years and are on fixed incomes. They also have seen health insurance increases. He told the board, “It’s getting tougher and tougher to make ends meet.”

Cooper pointed out that the county offered an exemption that exempted those 65 years of age and older from paying the school tax. He told Hudak that there was an income provision in the exemption.

Chairman Doug Westmoreland closed the millage rate public hearing after comments.

The next public hearing will be held at 5:30 p.m. Monday, July 15. The final millage rate public hearing will be at 6 p.m. on Monday, July 22. Both hearings will be held in the Habersham County Board of Education Meeting Room at 144 Holcomb Street in Clarkesville.

Margie Geneva Teal

By

Now Habersham

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July 15, 2024

Margie Geneva Teal, age 82, of Clermont, Georgia, passed away on Thursday, July 11, 2024.

No Formal Services will be held.

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

Trump picks Ohio U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance as his running mate

By

Jennifer Shutt and Ariana Figueroa

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July 15, 2024

MILWAUKEE, Wis. (States Newsroom) — Donald Trump announced Ohio U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance as his running mate Monday during the first day of the Republican National Convention, capping off months of speculation about who would get the nod as his vice presidential pick.

Vance has not been a member of Congress long, having less than two years experience as a senator and having voted against major bipartisan bills throughout his tenure in the upper chamber.

Before becoming a U.S. lawmaker, Vance served in the Marine Corps during the Iraq war, worked as a venture capitalist and wrote a book about growing up in Appalachia. He holds a law degree from Yale.

“After lengthy deliberation and thought, and considering the tremendous talents of many others, I have decided that the person best suited to assume the position of Vice President of the United States is Senator J.D. Vance of the Great State of Ohio,” Trump, who will be nominated as the 2024 Republican presidential candidate on Thursday night, posted on social media.

“J.D. has had a very successful business career in Technology and Finance, and now, during the Campaign, will be strongly focused on the people he fought so brilliantly for, the American Workers and Farmers in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Minnesota, and far beyond….,” Trump added.

Kevin Roberts, president of the conservative Heritage Foundation, received the news while he was speaking to reporters at the foundation’s all-day policy fest in downtown Milwaukee.

“You will see a broad smile on my face,” Roberts said, adding that he and Vance are “good friends” and that he “personifies” Heritage’s values.

“He listens. He’s thoughtful. He’s funny. He and I had a similar upbringing and a challenging childhood, so we hit it off like that when we met. He’s obviously going to be his own man. He’s got to work with our conservative standard bearer,” Roberts said. “The second thing is in terms of policy, he understands the moment we’re in in this country, which is that we have a limited amount of time to implement great policy on behalf of forgotten Americans.”

Trump’s former Vice President Mike Pence has distanced himself from Trump since the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol building — requiring Trump to find a different person to join him on the ticket this year.

Pence was in the Capitol that day when a pro-Trump mob attacked police officers, broke into the building, and disrupted Congress’ certification of the electoral college votes for President Joe Biden.

Pence has been critical of how the Republican Party has changed under Trump’s leadership, including rejecting how the platform evolved on abortion this year.

The Biden-Harris campaign immediately slammed the selection of Vance.

“Donald Trump picked J.D. Vance as his running mate because Vance will do what Mike Pence wouldn’t on January 6: bend over backwards to enable Trump and his extreme MAGA agenda, even if it means breaking the law and no matter the harm to the American people,” said Biden-Harris 2024 Chair Jen O’Malley Dillon.

“Over the next three and a half months, we will spend every single day making the case between the two starkly contrasting visions Americans will choose between at the ballot box this November: the Biden-Harris ticket who’s focused on uniting the country, creating opportunity for everyone, and lowering costs; or Trump-Vance – whose harmful agenda will take away Americans’ rights, hurt the middle class, and make life more expensive – all while benefiting the ultra-rich and greedy corporations.”

Vance background

Vance was born in Middletown, Ohio, in August 1984. After graduating from high school in 2003 he enlisted in the Marine Corps, later deploying to the Iraq War.

He attended Ohio State University, where he received a bachelor’s degree in political science and philosophy in 2009. Vance went on to attend Yale Law School, graduating in 2013 before working for the law firm Sidley Austin LLP.

Vance gained national attention with his 2016 memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis,” which tells the story of him growing up in poverty in the Rust Belt. However, the book faced backlash from many historians and journalists over his depictions of Appalachia and the people who live there.

The 39-year-old worked in San Francisco in the tech industry as a venture capitalist. He served as a principal at one of the firms of Peter Thiel, the co-founder of PayPal.

Vance later moved back to Ohio and raised more than $90 million to co-found a venture capital firm in Cincinnati, Narya Capital, which received financial backing from Thiel.

Vance ran his first campaign for U.S. Senate in 2022, defeating Democratic candidate and former U.S. House Rep. Tim Ryan with 53% of the vote.

Since being sworn into office in January 2023, Vance has voted against several big-ticket legislative items, including the law that raised the debt limit, the national defense policy bill and two must-pass government funding packages.

Aid to Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan

Vance also voted against legislation that held $95 billion in military and humanitarian assistance for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan as well as a ban on TikTok within the United States unless the social media app’s Chinese parent company sold it.

Vance was among the 18 senators who voted against that emergency spending bill heading to President Joe Biden’s desk. Another 79 senators voted to approve the legislation.

During floor debate on the supplemental spending package, Vance spoke out against sending more aid and arms to Ukraine, arguing that there were parallels between its fight to eject Russia from its borders and the U.S. war in Iraq.

“And the same exact arguments are being applied today, that you are a fan of Vladimir Putin if you don’t like our Ukraine policy, or you are a fan of some terrible tyrannical idea because you think maybe America should be more focused on the border of its own country than on someone else’s,” Vance said.

“This war fever, this inability for us to actually process what is going on in our world to make rational decisions is the scariest part of this entire debate,” he added.

Bipartisan efforts

Vance has also worked across the aisle on bipartisan legislation during his somewhat brief tenure in the U.S. Senate.

He sponsored a bill alongside Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, Pennsylvania Sens. Bob Casey and John Fetterman, all three of whom are Democrats, to address rail safety in the aftermath of the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine.

Vance wrote in a statement released when the bill was unveiled in March 2023 that with the legislation “Congress has a real opportunity to ensure that what happened in East Palestine will never happen again.”

“We owe every American the peace of mind that their community is protected from a catastrophe of this kind,” Vance wrote. “Action to prevent future disasters is critical, but we must never lose sight of the needs of the Ohioans living in East Palestine and surrounding communities.”

The bipartisan legislation has yet to advance in the Senate to either a committee markup or a floor vote.

Ashley Murray contributed to this report.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

Rev. George Telford Tanksley

By

Now Habersham

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July 15, 2024

Rev. George Telford Tanksley, age 91, of Cornelia, passed away Sunday, July 14, 2024.

Born in Cornelia on August 19, 1932, Rev. Tanksley was the son of the late Fred and Georgia Bell Simmons Tanksley. He was a Baptist minister for over 60 years, having served churches in Georgia, Kentucky, Ohio, Louisiana, Tennessee, and North Carolina. Rev. Tanksley was also a brick mason and builder for many years. In addition to his parents, he is preceded in death by his wife, Juanita Ansley Tanksley, granddaughter Michelle Tanksley Wikle, brother Charlie Tanksley, and sisters, Brenda Sosebee and Vera Ansley.

Survivors include son and daughter-in-law Frankie and Martha Tanksley of Cornelia, daughter and son-in-law Patricia and Junior Abernathy of Dahlonega, daughter Sandra Tanksley of Clarkesville, sister and brother-in-law Emma and Jimmy Evans of Mt. Airy, grandchildren Lisa (Randy) Anderson, Sonja Goss, Jeffrey (Shana) Tanksley, Angela Hester, Trent Goss, Marty (Crystal) Abernathy and Blake Wikle, twelve great-grandchildren, seven great-great grandchildren, as well as numerous nieces, nephews and extended family.

Funeral services will be held at 3:00 PM, Tuesday, July 16, 2024, at Hillside Memorial Chapel with Rev. Junior Abernathy, Rev. Marty Abernathy, and Rev. Austin Kelley officiating. Interment will follow the service in Macedonia Baptist Church, Dahlonega. The family will receive friends at the funeral home prior to the service on Tuesday from 1:00 PM until 3:00 PM.

An online guest book is available for the family by visiting www.hillsidememorialchapel.com.

Funeral arrangements are in the care and professional direction of Hillside Memorial Chapel & Gardens, Clarkesville. 706-754-6256

Piedmont men’s basketball earns 2023-24 NABC Team Academic Excellence Award

By

Danielle Percival

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July 15, 2024

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Piedmont men’s basketball team has once again earned the Team Academic Excellence Award from the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) for the 2023-24 season. Additionally, five student-athletes were also recognized by the NABC on the 2023-24 Honors Court.

Piedmont’s honorees:

#2 Griffin Neville
G / 6′ 2″ / Graduate Student

#32 Jesse Harbin
G / 6′ 2″ / Senior

#1 Joe Helenbrook
F / 6′ 8″ / Senior

#4 Noah Reardon
G / 6′ 1″ / Senior

#5 Ryan Jolly
G / 6′ 3″ / Graduate Student

For Harbin and Reardon, this marked their second time on the Honors Court listing, while Jolly earned the honor for a third year in a row.

This is the 11th straight season the Lions have earned the team academic honor, taking the award in each year under Head Coach Greg Neeley.

The NABC Team Academic Excellence Awards recognize men’s basketball programs that completed the 2023-24 academic year with a team GPA of 3.0 or higher. The NABC Honors Court, meanwhile, includes junior, senior, and graduate student men’s basketball players who finished the 2023-24 year with a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher.

Over 2,100 players earned spots on the NABC Honors Court, and over 360 programs received NABC Team Academic Excellence Awards for 2023-24.

Located in Kansas City, Missouri, the NABC was founded in 1927 by Phog Allen, the legendary basketball coach at the University of Kansas. Allen, a student of James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, organized coaches into this collective group to serve as Guardians of the Game. The NABC currently has nearly 5,000 members consisting primarily of university and college men’s basketball coaches.

Banks County K9 saves injured person, aids burglary investigation in Cornelia

By

Nora Almazan

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July 15, 2024

Pressley and Becka K9 — Cpl. Josh Pressley and K9 Becka of the Banks County Sheriff's Office. (photo Banks County Sheriff's Office/Facebook)

A K9 from the Banks County Sheriff’s Office is credited with saving a life and advancing a burglary investigation in Cornelia over the weekend.

On July 12, K9 Becka and Cpl. Josh Pressley assisted the Cornelia Police Department (CPD) in locating a seriously injured person who had suffered a mental episode.

The incident occurred around 1:40 a.m. Officers had searched the perimeters with no success in locating the individual who was bleeding and needed medical attention, says CPD Major Kevin Marsteller. He says the area was thick with vegetation and difficult to search.

K9 Becka picked up the scent and quickly located the person who was in and out of consciousness. Officers were able to render aid until EMS arrived.

“We are fortunate to be able to utilize K9 Becka’s expertise and help along with Cpl. Pressley,” Marsteller says. “The individual who was injured would possibly have a different outcome had it not been for Becka’s keen senses.”

Tracking burglars

Those keen senses also helped Cornelia police with a burglary investigation.

On June 30 and July 12, ABC Foods off Veteran Memorial reported burglaries. Major Marsteller says CPD investigators believe the same person is involved in these incidents.

According to Marsteller, an individual smashed the front glass door of the grocery store, took multiple items, and fled on foot. K9 Becka tracked to a nearby apartment complex approximately a quarter mile away, where officers canvassed the area.

Marsteller could not be specific about the evidence Becka found but said the bloodhound definitely furthered the investigation.

“K9 Becka is an invaluable asset. We are thankful for Banks County Sheriff’s willingness to assist,” he says.

Becka is a Scent Evidence K9 and an alumnus of the Georgia Bloodhound Team. Together with Scent Evidence K9 Master Handler Pressley, she has helped recover many missing people and evidence in Banks County and surrounding communities.

This article has been updated with the correct spelling of the Major’s name

Federal judge dismisses Trump classified documents criminal case

By

Ashley Murray

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July 15, 2024

(States Newsroom) — The federal classified documents case against former President Donald Trump was dismissed Monday by a Florida judge on the grounds that the Department of Justice unlawfully appointed special counsel Jack Smith.

The order, while likely to be appealed, makes the possibility even more remote that Trump will be tried before the election on any of the federal charges pending against him. The order came on the first day of the Republican National Convention, during which Trump will be officially nominated as the 2024 GOP presidential candidate.

Trump, who on Saturday was injured at a Pennsylvania rally in what is being investigated as an attempted assassination, has also been federally charged in Washington, D.C., for his alleged attempts to subvert the 2020 presidential election results. The case is pending as a result of the U.S. Supreme Court’s presidential immunity decision.

In May, Trump was convicted of 34 felonies in New York state court for falsifying business records related to a hush money payment ahead of the 2016 presidential election. Trump’s sentencing has been delayed until September while the court reviews the federal immunity decision.

In Monday’s 93-page order, federal District Judge Aileen Cannon wrote Smith’s appointment violates two clauses of the U.S. Constitution that govern how presidential administrations and Congress appoint and approve “Officers of the United States” and how taxpayer money can be used to pay their salaries and other expenses.

“Upon careful study of the foundational challenges raised in the Motion, the Court is convinced that Special Counsel’s Smith’s prosecution of this action breaches two structural cornerstones of our constitutional scheme—the role of Congress in the appointment of constitutional officers, and the role of Congress in authorizing expenditures by law,” wrote Cannon, who sits on the bench in the Southern District of Florida.

She was nominated by Trump in 2020 and confirmed by the U.S. Senate later that year.

In February, Trump’s team filed the motion to dismiss the case, accusing Smith of being unlawfully appointed and paid.

The classified documents case against Trump presented a historic first for the United States — a former sitting president had never been charged with federal crimes.

A federal grand jury handed up a 37-count indictment in June 2023 charging the former president and his aide Walt Nauta with felonies related to mishandling classified documents after his term in office, including storing them at his Florida Mar-a-Lago estate.

A little over a month later a new indictment was handed up, adding new charges against the former president and also adding Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property manager Carlos De Oliveira as a co-defendant.

Cannon’s order dismisses the July 2023 superseding indictment.

The court will now close the case and cancel any scheduled hearings. Any pending motions are considered moot, according to Cannon’s order.

The Department of Justice did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement Monday that the “breathtakingly misguided ruling flies in the face of long-accepted practice and repetitive judicial precedence.”

“It is wrong on the law and must be appealed immediately. This is further evidence that Judge Cannon cannot handle this case impartially and must be reassigned,” the New York Democrat said.

This is a developing story that will be updated.

Gymnastics supporters will speak to HabCo Commission Monday

By

Jerry Neace

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July 15, 2024

HABCO Comm-6-24 (2) — Habersham County Commissioners will hear from supporters for the gymnastics program during public comments during its regular commission meeting Monday, July 15. (Jerry Neace/NowHabersham.com)

Supporters for the Recreation Department’s gymnastics program will speak to Habersham County Commissioners during Monday’s regular commission meeting. Three individuals have signed up to speak during the public comments portion of the commission meeting. They are expected to speak in support of the program.

During the budget public hearings in June, citizens spoke to the commissioners about privatizing some services that the county offers. One such service was privatizing the gymnastics program.

Privatization of services is not a new topic. Last year, during negotiations of the sale of the hospital, citizens scrutinized the cost of the county taking over the Total Fitness program. The county moved forward with taking over the program with Commissioner Dustin Mealor remaining skeptical, instructing staff to track revenues and expenses for the program.

The gymnastics program was scrutinized as well last year. So much so, the program was itemized so that county staff and commissioners could track the program’s revenues and expenses.

Last year’s budget for the gymnastics program expected expenditures to exceed revenues. The program’s budgeted expenditures were anticipated to be $435,811. Revenues were anticipated to be $214,100, resulting in revenues only covering 49% of the expenditures. The proposed 2025 budget has expenditures for the gymnastics program increasing by $60,489, an increase of 14%.

Other business

In other business, the commission will consider the purchase of a mobile veterinary clinic for the Animal Care and Control department. The vehicle is equipped with a surgical unit to allow for spay and neutering of pets. The original listing price of the vehicle was $105,000. However, the seller has agreed to sell the vehicle to the county for $75,000. The purchase of the vehicle will come out of the generous donation of $100,000 that was made recently.

The commission will consider moving forward with a land lease agreement with the property owner on Mize Road and indemnity agreement with the contractor that will be building a public safety radio tower on the property.

The Habersham County Commission will meet Monday, July 15 at 6 p.m. in the Jury Assembly Room in the Habersham County Courthouse at 295 Llewellyn Street in Clarkesville.

Georgia Law Enforcement Officials Study Counterterrorism in Israel

By

Nora Almazan

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July 15, 2024

Sheriff Gerald Couch in Israel — Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch recently traveled to Israel as part of the 31st delegation for the Georgia International Law Enforcement Exchange’s (GILEE) peer-to-peer executive training program. Couch is seen here to the far right on the front row. (Photo provided by Hall County Sheriff's Office)

A group of 17 Georgia police chiefs, sheriffs, command staff, and a deputy director of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation traveled to Israel for 16 days to learn about the country’s ongoing war with terrorist groups.

Coordinated by the Georgia International Law Enforcement Exchange (GILEE), the trip provides public safety leadership training by exposing executives to a war-torn environment.

Many challenges

“The police force in Israel faces challenges on a daily basis we can only imagine here in the United States,” says Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch who participated in the recent trip. “The Israeli Police agency suffered great losses during the course of the October 2023 terrorist attack with more than 60 killed defending their communities.”

Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch holds up a Georgia state flag during his visit to Israel. (Photo provided by Hall County Sheriff’s Office)

Couch says he was extremely impressed with the level of professionalism they maintained while functioning in a virtual war zone with threats on all sides.

During their stay, the delegation also toured different parts of the country, including war-torn areas bordering the Gaza Strip. The trip gave them a first-hand look at the challenges faced by law enforcement in a war zone.

Learning experience

“I gained a deep appreciation for the country and its resilient people during a time of war. Despite facing ongoing challenges and threats from several terrorist groups, the Israelis exhibit remarkable strength and determination. My time there was a valuable learning experience,” the Hall County Sheriff says.

GILEE is a research center within Georgia State University’s Andrew Young School of Policy Studies. The program has graduated more than 1,300 law enforcement executives in the U.S.

Over the past 33 years, countries from around the world have graduated from GILEE peer-to-peer exchange programs.

GSP identifies alleged DUI driver, 2 others injured in wreck near Tallulah Falls

By

Joy Purcell

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July 15, 2024

GA 15:US 441 wreck2 — Three people were injured when this Jeep and pickup truck, far left, collided at the intersection of GA 15/US 441 and Historic US 441 on July 12, 2024. (Rob Moore/Habersham County)

Authorities have charged a Clarkesville man with DUI in a wreck near Tallulah Falls that injured him and two others Friday afternoon.

According to the Georgia State Patrol’s preliminary crash investigation, 57-year-old Jeffrey Moss was driving a Ford Ranger pickup truck east on Historic Highway 441 north of Clarkesville. Troopers say Moss ran a stop sign at the intersection with GA 15/US 4441 and traveled into the path of a southbound Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by 77-year-old Ferd Kilby of Tiger.

The front of the vehicles collided, causing the pickup to spin and strike the Jeep on the passenger side.

The wreck injured Moss and Kilby, a passenger in the Jeep Cherokee, 77-year-old Harlene Kilby, also of Tiger.

Emergency personnel were dispatched to the wreck around 6:16 p.m. on July 12. Habersham EMS transported the injured patients to Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville with minor injuries, the State Patrol says.

In addition to DUI, troopers charged Moss with failure to stop at a stop sign, stopping in a prohibited place, and open container.

Georgia State Patrol Public Information Officer Courtney Lund says Moss was admitted to the hospital. Arrest warrants have been issued for him.

Witness warned 911

A witness to the alleged impaired driving says the wreck could have been avoided.

Brandon Thompson says he followed the beige-colored pickup truck for several miles and reported the driver to 911—but law enforcement never responded.

“The driver of the truck was driving very slowly and swerving off the road and back across the yellow lines,” Thompson tells Now Habersham. He says the pickup nearly hit several other cars and a motorcycle head-on.

“I called 911 directly to advise [them of] the driver and his actions, along with providing vehicle details. The dispatcher only asked why I thought the driver may be drinking, completely avoiding the fact that he nearly hit the motorcycle while I was speaking to them,” says Thompson.

After the pickup truck driver pulled into a gas station, Thompson says he and his family drove on to their destination.

“They [911] took my info, and I explained to the dispatcher that the driver pulled into the MM Mart just before the Orchard [Road] turn off. That’s when the dispatcher advised he would have his units on the lookout if they go in that area.”

Approximately 15 minutes later, according to Thompson’s timeline, another 911 caller reported the wreck. Law enforcement detoured southbound traffic on GA 15/US 441 for over an hour as crews worked the scene. The highway reopened around 7:30 p.m.

911 responds

In response to Now Habersham’s inquiry about the call, Habersham County E-911 Director Lynn Smith says she reviewed the recording. According to Smith, the call came in at 6:05 p.m., 11 minutes before the wreck.

“The gentleman stated he was pulling into the M-Mart. We received all the information and issued the BOLO (Be On the Lookout) at 6:06 p.m. to law enforcement,” Smith says.

She says the 911 caller “wasn’t dismissed but was interrupted to get the location of the vehicle and tag number, which was needed before we could issue the BOLO.”

After reviewing the recording and how the 911 operator handled the call, Smith says, “I see nothing wrong with how the call was handled on our end. I can’t make law enforcement go to the call, but it was given out within one minute of getting the information. I’m not sure what else we could have done.”

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