Raider football closes season with awards banquet

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December 12, 2023

Raider banquet — Habersham Central High School Head Football Coach Benji Harrison (center) addresses a crowd of parents and players with his coaching staff behind him at the annual Raider Football Banquet Sunday at Level Grove Baptist Church in Cornelia. (Zack Myers/NowHabersham.com)

Habersham Central High School honored members of its football program at its annual Raider Football Banquet Sunday at Level Grove Baptist Church in Cornelia.

Head coach Benji Harrison guided the event along throughout the afternoon as members of the eighth grade, junior varsity and varsity teams were lauded for their performances on the gridiron during the 2023 season.

Harrison said his main purpose in doing the banquet after the season is to send off the seniors in a shower of appreciation.

“That’s the big thing for me is to really let all those seniors know how much we appreciate them. The underclassmen as well. It’s to celebrate the fact they put in a lot of work,” Harrison said. “At the end of the year, you want to celebrate their accomplishments individually and as a team.

“To me, it’s just a celebration and a way of saying ‘Thank you,’ ‘We really see all the sacrifices you make,’ and ‘We appreciate you,’ he continued.

VARSITY

Overall, 17 different athletes garnered hardware for their hard work across the varsity season.

More than 30 athletes were recognized for their academic achievements of maintaining a 93, or better, average during football season.

Around 12 of those were acknowledged by Region 8-AAAAAA for maintaining higher than a 95 average.

Scholar Athletes Academic Award

Senior Brad Chosewood was honored as the Raiders’ highest grade earner.

The offensive lineman, who was also named to the All-Region First Team Offense, is also on pace to be the HCHS Class of 2024 Salutatorian.

Breakout Player of the Year

The Raiders’ coaching staff split this award for this season, honoring an offensive and defensive player that showed up big for the team this season.

On the offensive side of the ball, Donovan Warren was the recipient of the award.

Warren, a sophomore running back, stepped into a backup role after an early season transfer pushed junior Antonio Cantrell into the starting role.

The sophomore finished his breakout season with 45 carries for 279 yards and four touchdowns. He crossed the 100-yard mark in a loss to Gainesville and was two yards shy of the century mark against Shiloh in the final regular season game.

On the defensive side, lineman Alex Ethridge took home the honors.

The senior totaled 34 tackles (9 solo, 25 assists) with 3.5 tackles for loss, one sack and a fumble recovery in his final season for the Raiders.

Ethridge’s efforts earned him a Second Team Defense All-Region nod.

Special Teams Player of the Year

Senior Somdee Satiphone was the pick for Special Teams Player of the Year.

The wide receiver/defensive back two-way player returned kickoffs for the Raiders this season.

In his nine returns, he covered 339 yards, averaging 37.7 yards per return. Satiphone took two kicks back to the house, the first in the Stephens County game and then again a little over a month later against Jackson County.

Offensive Player of the Year

Once again, the coaching staff honored a pair with this award.

Cantrell led the team in rushing this season with 695 yards on 158 carries for 11 touchdowns.

He averaged 4.4 yards per carry and finished the season with three 100-yard games.

Junior Landyn Savage played wide receiver this season for HCHS.

Savage pulled down 15 catches for 155 yards and a touchdown.

Both Cantrell and Savage landed themselves on the Second Team Offense in All-Region voting.

Elevation Award

This is a first-time-given award for the HCHS staff and they were looking for it to go to someone who elevated their game from the previous season.

In 2022, then-junior Jarred White finished the season with 21 total tackles (7 solo, 14 assists).

In his elevated and final season, White bumped those numbers up considerably.

White had four games where he had 10-plus total tackles. He finished the season with 85 total tackles (27 solo, 58 assists) and 5.5 tackles for loss.

White added in a sack, an interception, a pass defended, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

His efforts in his senior year earned him a Second Team Defense All-Region nod.

Defensive Player of the Year

Senior linebacker Hayden Gailey was named the Defensive Player of the Year.

Gailey finished the season with 67 total tackles (41 solo, 26 assists), 2.5 tackles for loss, three interceptions, four passes defended and one forced fumble.

Gailey also punted for the Raiders and earned First Team Punter All-Region acknowledgement.

Joseph York Perseverance Award

Senior defensive lineman Nate Hurley was named the Joseph York Perseverance Award winner in the 20th year the honor was given.

The award is “presented to the Habersham Central High School football team member who exemplified the attributes of perseverance, valor and bravery in his actions during the season.”

Harrison said Hurley earned the award for sticking out the football program until his senior year, which was the first time he was able to start for the Raiders.

Hurley finished the season with seven total tackles (2 solo, 5 assists), one tackle for loss, one sack, two interceptions and four forced fumbles.

Shane Dover “All-in” Award

The Shane Dover “All-in” Award is in just its second year of being given out.

Dover passed away January 4, 2022 after an apparent heart attack. Harrison mentioned in his remarks about the award’s importance that Dover had worked with and coached with him from his arrival in 2015 until Dover’s passing.

“We wanted to find a way to keep his legacy going,” Harrison said. “There’s one thing I know about Shane and it’s this program meant a whole lot to him. He was truly all in.

“We wanted a way to continue to honor him and keep his memory strong each year and try to pick guys that he would be proud of,” Harrison continued. “That’s who we try to get for that award. Guys that, if he were sitting in that room voting with us, he’d be right in line with who we picked for that award.”

The 2023 recipients of the Shane Dover “All-in” Award were seniors Aidan Cianci and Jacob Adams.

Cianci finished his season with 35 total tackles (9 solo, 26 assists), a tackle for loss, three quarterback hurries, and one forced fumble. He earned an honorable mention spot in the All-Region voting.

Adams made the Second Team Offense in All-Region voting.

Captains

Harrison named six captains for the 2023 football team, all of which are seniors.

Carter Barrett, Davey Sanders, Jonah Wilson and Wesley Sisk joined Chosewood and Gailey for the honor.

“You’ve got to have great leadership throughout your program, but you better have great leadership at the top of your program,” Harrison said. “Your seniors better be leaders. Those guys were. There’s different ways to be a captain, there’s different ways to lead and I thought all those guys did it in a unique way.”

Sanders and Wilson both earned honorable mention All-Region nods as well.

WCON Player of the Year

Senior Braden Henslee was honored as the WCON Player of the Year.

The First Team Defense All-Region defensive lineman finished the season with 84 total tackles (22 solo, 62 assists), nine tackles for loss, two sacks, two quarterback hurries, and one pass defended.

Bob Turpin MVP

The coaching staff split their MVPs with an honoree on each side of the ball.

For the defensive side, Barrett took home the hardware.

Barrett, who was named Defensive Player of the Year in All-Region voting, finished the year with 110 total tackles (55 solo, 55 assists), 10.5 tackles for loss, four passes defended, three fumble recoveries and one forced fumble.

The offensive MVP was junior receiver Zeke Whittington.

Whittington had 63 catches for 862 yards and nine touchdowns. He finished the season just one yard shy of 1,200 all-purpose yards.

Jimmy Williams Courage Award Nominees

The Jimmy Williams Courage Award is given out a little differently than the others listed above as the nominees are announced at the end of year banquet and the winner is chosen by vote of the Ring of Honor committee and then announced prior to the Ring of Honor golf tournament in 2024.

“Courage can go a lot of different ways,” Harrison said. “It can be courage when you’re coming back from an injury, it can be courage when you’re dealing with something in your personal life and you found a way to persevere through it and didn’t let it hold you back.”

The nominees for this year’s Jimmy Williams Courage Award are seniors Christian Boss, Wesley Sisk and Somdee Satiphone.

Boss started the season as Christian Remillard and was adopted this year. Despite that going on, Boss never lost focus throughout the season and was a big piece of the Raiders’ offensive line.

Wesley Sisk has been through a myriad of injuries and, according to Harrison, “never let them hold him back and keep him out of a game.”

Satiphone has been through personal issues, including recently losing a parent.

“I think all three of those guys, their stories are a little different,” Harrison said. “Each one of them is a little unique, but I think they all exemplified courage in how they’ve carried themselves and to make it to their senior years and have the years they did. It definitely involved some different forms of adversity that all of them overcame.”

FCA All-Star Game

The Raiders had seven senior players selected to play in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes All-Star Game, which will be played at Lakeview Academy on Thursday.

Wilson, Adams, Ethridge, Satiphone, Sanders, Cianci and Hurley will all get to play in the contest.

JUNIOR VARSITY

Outstanding Defense

For the JV squad, Sawyer Burgess and Aaron Hitchcock walked away with awards for their contributions to the defense this season.

Outstanding Offense

On the offensive side of the ball, Paris Wilbanks and Jay Feltus were the standouts celebrated for their accomplishments.

EIGHTH GRADE

For those upcoming to the high school ranks, four awards were given for the successes of their season.

Aron Guerrero was honored with the Outstanding Offense Award and Preston Tatum picked up the Outstanding Defense Award.

The Raider Award was split between Owen Gailey and Eli Akridge for their performances on the field.

As for the MVP Award, that was garnered by Brayson Gates.

Mary Jay Thompson

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Now Habersham

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December 12, 2023

Ms. Mary Jay Thompson, age 66, of Cornelia, Passed away on December 11, 2023, at Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville.

Ms. Thompson was born November 16, 1957, in Toccoa, Georgia, to the late R. B. and Geneva Shirley Thompson. Ms. Thompson had spent most of her life in Habersham; she was retired from American Bag and Linen and was a member of the Demorest Church of God.

Ms. Thompson was loved by her family and will be greatly missed by many.

Survivors include a son and daughter-in-law, Tracy and Julie Fry, Hollywood; Daughter, Jessica Martin, Cornelia; brothers, Jackie Thompson, Clarkesville and Dennis Thompson, Cornelia; special friend, Toad Galloway, Cornelia; eight grandchildren and several other adopted grandchildren also survive.

A memorial service will be held at a later date.

An online guest register is available and may be viewed at www.mcgaheegriffinandstewart.com.

McGahee-Griffin & Stewart Funeral Home of Cornelia, Georgia (706/778-8668) is in charge of arrangements.

Hall County child molestation suspect arrested in North Carolina

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Staff Report

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December 12, 2023

Jordan McLain (Hall County Sheriff's Office)

A Lawrenceville man remains in the Hall County Jail following his arrest this week for child molestation.

Jordan Micah McLain, 26, was booked into the Hall County Jail on Monday, December 11, following his arrest in Catawba County, North Carolina. Investigators with the Hall County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) had been searching for McLain since warrants were issued for his arrest in March of this year, an HCSO spokesperson says.

Investigators charged McLain with felony child molestation after a seven-month investigation into a reported assault on a female child under the age of 16. The alleged crime occurred in February 2017 and was reported to law enforcement after the child told a family member.

The sheriff’s office says McLain was acquainted with the victim and her family.

McLain is being held without bond.

Zelenskyy pitches Congress on Ukraine military aid, but it’s tied to stalled border talks

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Jennifer Shutt, Ariana Figueroa, and Ashley Murray

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December 12, 2023

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meets with U.S. Senators during his visit the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, December 12, 2023. (President Volodymyr Zelenskyy /Facebook)

WASHINGTON (States Newsroom) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy struggled Tuesday to convince members of Congress to approve billions in additional aid to his country at a crucial moment in the nearly two-year war with Russia.

But the outlook was grim as lawmakers remained deadlocked on another piece of a supplemental spending bill under debate in the Senate that would send funds to Ukraine — major changes in immigration policy at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Zelenskyy huddled behind closed doors in the morning with senators before meeting with House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican. He then traveled to the White House in the afternoon, where he met privately with President Joe Biden before the two held a joint press conference.

Biden told Zelenskyy before their meeting that he didn’t want him to give up hope and urged Congress to “do the right thing.”

During the press conference, Biden said he believes there’s “strong bipartisan political support for Ukraine,” arguing the Republicans who oppose additional aid “don’t speak for the majority.”

Biden said he didn’t want to make promises but said he was “hopeful” that Congress would approve another aid package, though he didn’t say how soon that would be.

“The world is watching what we do,” Biden said. “It would send a horrible message to aggressors and allies if we walked away at this time. And it would hurt our national security.”

President Joe Biden and visiting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hold a press conference at the White House as Biden’s request for additional aid to Ukraine is at risk of collapse in Congress. (President Volodymyr Zelenskyy/Facebook)

Zelenskyy said during the joint press conference at the White House that other European countries are “safe from Russian aggression” as long as Ukrainian troops are able to fight its military.

“Ukraine can now tackle the Russian dictatorship, so our children and other nations won’t have to shed their blood and sacrifice their lives defending against Russian aggression,” Zelenskyy said.

Ukraine’s military has made “significant progress” since the beginning of the war, taking back 50% of the territory that Russia claimed following its February 2022 invasion, he said.

Zelenskyy said there is a “clear plan” for military action in 2024 but declined to get into specifics.

During his visit to Capitol Hill earlier in the day, Zelenskyy urged lawmakers to approve additional funding for the U.S. Defense and State departments to send military assistance to his country, which in turn will allow Ukrainian fighters to keep Russian President Vladimir Putin from moving closer to NATO countries allied in Europe and North America.

But Zelenskyy cannot broker a bipartisan agreement on U.S. border policy, the issue that is really holding up aid to Ukraine as well as Israel and Taiwan. Those talks continued Tuesday, though there isn’t enough time to approve any agreement that might be reached before Congress leaves Thursday for a three-week winter break.

Senate leaders speak out

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, said after the morning meeting that he planned to work as long as it takes to get an agreement on U.S. border policy to advance funding for Ukraine.

“Our Ukrainian friends’ cause is just, and if the West continues to stand with them, they can win,” McConnell said.

Referring to Zelenskyy as “inspirational and determined,” McConnell said Ukraine’s military has “defied the world’s expectations” by holding off Russia’s military as well as Putin’s “aggressive, imperialist aspirations.”

McConnell said later Tuesday during a press conference that it would be “practically impossible” to move an agreement on border security through both chambers of Congress this year if those talks yield a deal.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, said following the morning meeting that he would like Congress to stay in town past Thursday.

“Last night, I got on the phone with Speaker Johnson and urged him to keep the House in session, to give a supplemental a chance to come together,” Schumer said.

“If Republicans are serious about getting something done on the border, then why are so many of them in such a hurry to leave for the winter break?” Schumer added. “Has the border simply been an excuse to kill funding for Ukraine?”

Without additional military and humanitarian aid, Schumer said, Russia’s chances of defeating the Ukrainian military would increase, a scenario that would represent “a historic and colossal tragedy.”

“If Russia is victorious, future generations will remember this as a moment of shame for the West, for the United States and for those in the Senate who sought to block it,” Schumer said. “This is a moment when a friend in need called on our help. We must rise to the occasion.”

Zelensky met with U.S. House Speaker during his visit to the U.S. Capitol. (President Volodymyr Zelenskyy /Facebook)

Johnson said in a statement after his meeting with Zelenskyy that he is supportive of Ukraine’s fight against Russia but that “our first condition on any national security supplemental spending package is about our own national security first.”

“(W)e needed a transformative change at the border,” Johnson said. “(T)hese are our conditions because these are the conditions of the American people, and we are resolute on that.”

White House request

The Biden administration in October asked Congress to approve more than $105 billion in emergency aid to Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and the U.S. border.

Senate Democrats released a $110.5 billion spending package last week that would have provided funding for all four of those areas. But Republicans blocked the bill from moving forward, insisting the legislation include changes to immigration policy.

Those talks have been stuck for weeks as a bipartisan group of senators attempted to broker an agreement.

The group — headed by Connecticut Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy and Oklahoma Republican Sen. James Lankford — have so far been unable to settle on a deal that appeals to both conservatives and progressives.

Murphy said Tuesday that negotiations on border security “continue to make progress.”

“We’ve made some proposals that, you know, put us outside of our Democratic comfort zone,” Murphy said. “We need Republicans to stretch, and if they do, we can get there.”

He added that the White House got involved in negotiations over the weekend.

“As we get closer to an agreement, they have to be at the table,” Murphy said of the Biden administration.

Murphy, Lankford, and independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona met with White House staffers Tuesday along with U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

Graham calls Murphy ‘very unhelpful’

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said he felt Zelenskyy was being used by Democrats in negotiations about border security and that he disagrees that “Ukraine’s losing the war.”

“Senator Murphy has been very unhelpful,” Graham said, referring to earlier comments in which Murphy and Democrats accused Republicans of holding aid to Ukraine hostage if there are no policy changes to the Southern border. “His attitude about what’s going on is off base — we’re not holding the border hostage.”

Graham added he’s not confident that an agreement on border security can be reached by Murphy.

“I have no confidence he’s ever going to get a deal we can live with because he’s worried about selling it to the left,” Graham said.

A major sticking point for Democrats is the push from Republicans to make changes to the asylum system that Democrats argue would set a higher bar for asylum seekers for initial “credible fear of persecution” screenings.

Graham said he is willing to work with Johnson on getting any deal through the GOP-led House.

“(Johnson) will stand up to the anti-Ukraine votes if you give him something to work with,” Graham said. “I will help him do that.”

Graham said he told Zelenskyy that Ukraine funding is in peril because of the Biden administration’s border policies. He added that Zelenskyy has “done everything anybody could ask of you,” and that the snag in border security negotiations is not Ukraine’s problem.

“You didn’t make this problem,” Graham said of Zelenskyy. “It will affect you, in fact, the whole world. But (the Biden administration’s) policy choices matter.”

Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming, the No. 3 Republican, said that any aid to Ukraine is “not going to happen” unless the Southern border is addressed in the supplemental.

In the emergency supplemental, Senate Democrats included $1.42 billion for staff hires for immigration judges, such as clerks, attorneys, and interpreters; $5.31 billion for U.S. Customs and Border Protection to expand border security, such as fentanyl detection; and $2.35 billion for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for operational costs, fentanyl detection and enforcement.

“There will be no national security bill … it has to be addressed,” Barrasso said of the border security policies.

Latino voters concerned about economy, feel neither party pays them close attention, poll says

By

Ross Williams

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December 12, 2023

Rep. Reynaldo “Rey” Martinez a Republican from Loganville, said neither party can afford not to engage with Latino voters heading into next year. (Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder)

(GA Recorder) — With less than a year to go before the 2024 election, Georgia’s Latino voters are thinking about economic issues, and while they align more with the Democratic Party on average, majorities say both parties either don’t care too much about or are hostile toward their community.

Those are some of the findings of a UnidosUS survey of Latino voters in Georgia conducted last month.

Hispanics are the second-fastest growing group of Georgians in the 2020 census, after people who identify as Black, but the major parties have often misunderstood or oversimplified them, leading to weak or no efforts to earn their votes, said Clarissa Martinez, Vice President of UnidosUS’ Latino Vote Initiative.

“In 2022, only three months before the election, a large majority of Hispanic voters in Georgia reported no outreach from either party in what was a highly competitive midterm election,” she said. “We hope that improves this cycle. Our poll today shows that both parties have work to do to better engage and expand support with Hispanic voters.”

Top 5 issues for Latino voters

Pollsters asked the respondents to list their top three most important issues, and inflation led the pack with 53%, followed by jobs and the economy at 47% and health care at 41%.

“The focus or concern about health care, it’s really about costs,” said Sylvia Manzano, vice president of operations at BSP Research, which conducted the poll. “Premiums, co-pays, deductibles, it’s not so much about quality of care, but it’s about the ability to cover those expenses, and consistent with that concern is 76% of Latino voters in Georgia support Medicaid expansion in the state.”

Rounding out the rest of the top five issues for Latino Georgia voters are crime and gun violence at 24% and immigration and border issues at 23%.

Regarding immigration, 52% said they want elected officials to provide a path to citizenship for Dreamers, or undocumented people brought to the U.S. as minors, and 51% want paths to citizenship for long-U.S.-residing undocumented immigrants. Only 29% said leaders should prioritize increasing border security, and 18% said they should finish the wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Only 10% of the respondents said abortion is a top issue for them, but 69% said they think it is wrong to make abortion illegal.

Party alignment

A third of those surveyed said they think Democrats would be better at addressing their top concerns, compared with 25% for Republicans. Another 16% said both parties would be equally good, and 13% said neither would be any good. Men and people over 40 were slightly more likely to say Republicans would do better on their top issues.

Across a range of issues, Georgia Latinos said they believe the Democratic Party is closer to their values, but a sizable chunk said they aren’t feeling the love back.

Overall, 43% of those polled said the Democratic Party doesn’t care too much about the Latino community, with another 11% saying they are hostile toward the community and 46% saying they care a great deal.

But if Democrats have their work cut out for them to inspire Latino voters, Republicans’ work is even more daunting.

A full half of respondents said Republicans don’t care about the Latino community and the rest were split evenly into saying Republicans do care or that they are hostile toward the community.

President Joe Biden is relatively popular with Georgia Latinos, with 48% saying they approve of his job in the White House and 42% saying they disapprove. If the election were held today, 53% said they would vote for Biden over Republican frontrunner Donald Trump, who would get 32% of the Georgia Latino vote. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis fares slightly worse, losing to Biden 22-57.

With Georgia’s electoral votes decided by fewer than 12,000 ballots in the 2020 election, Latino voters could help decide which party is celebrating this time next year.

Need for outreach

“It is incumbent upon elected officials and policymakers to make sure that they pay attention to the needs and wants of Latino voters,” said Jerry Gonzalez, CEO of the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials Latino Community Development Fund. “Latino voters will be a driving force in Georgia for the 2024 election cycle, and we’ll be deciding the outcome of those elections and we’ll have national implications as well.”

State Rep. Reynaldo “Rey” Martinez, a Republican from Loganville, said neither party can afford not to engage with Latino voters heading into next year.

“We’re waiting for both parties to reach out to us. It’s very, very important,” he said. “We have a lot to offer here in Georgia; we just crossed the million population mark. We’re about 10% of the population here in Georgia. It seems like both Republicans and Democrats are now reaching out to us and are concerned.”

Martinez predicted Latinos will show up in big numbers for the election, but just like in any other community, in order to win votes, the parties will need to put in work, he said.

“I’m very excited to see what the Hispanic community is going to offer in 2024, but again, both parties have a lot more work to do to reach out, whether it’s TV ads, radio ads, messaging, attending events, showing up where the Hispanic events are and just preaching their issues, whether it’s Democrat or Republican, we need to reach out to the Hispanic community.”

Rescued: 52 animals in Northeast Georgia hoarding, breeding case

By

Joy Purcell

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December 11, 2023

rescued animals2 — One of the dogs rescued from a breeder who fled with over 150 other animals from a location in Flowery Branch. In all, 52 dogs and cats will soon be searching for new homes. (HSNEGA/Facebook)

Animal welfare agencies rescued 52 dogs and cats from a hoarding and breeding operation in Flowery Branch.

The Humane Society of Northeast Georgia (HSNEGA) and Hall County Animal Services jointly conducted the rescue. The animals range in age from three days to eight years old. Their owner left them behind while fleeing with over 150 other dogs and cats, a Humane Society press release states.

The animals suffered varying degrees of neglect. The Humane Society’s medical team is treating them for illness and infection. Most of the cats have upper respiratory infections. Two cats, which were pregnant when rescued, are in foster care until they give birth. All of the animals are receiving preventative treatment and will be spayed or neutered before becoming available for adoption.

HSNEGA says the animals will be ready to adopt in the coming days or weeks, depending on their medical needs.

A ‘lifetime of neglect’

“It’s evident that all of these animals have survived a lifetime of neglect while their owner profited from cruelty,” says HSNEGA President and CEO Allison Mayfield. “Despite how they have been treated, they are eager for human interaction and affection. We are deeply grateful for the opportunity to help end this cycle of cruelty and focus on the next, better chapter of their lives.”

Groomers clean up one of the rescued cats. (HSNEGA/Facebook)

Mayfield expressed appreciation for the partnership with Hall County Animal Services and the foster families who took in some of the rescued animals. She also thanked Angel’s Pet Grooming which spent two full days bathing and shaving animals with the most severe fur issues.

“Without our network of supporters, we would be unable to step up and change the course of these innocent lives,” she says.

HSNEGA urges future pet owners to consider adopting a pet before buying from breeders or pet stores. Those who do buy their pets should seek out responsible breeders who take care of their animals and adhere to standards established by The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).

For updated information on the rescued animals, follow the Humane Society of Northeast Georgia on social media.

Hall County school superintendent signs on for three more years

By

Now Habersham

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December 11, 2023

Supt. Will Schofield — Hall County School Superintendent Will Schofield

The Hall County Board of Education and Superintendent Will Schofield have agreed to a three-year extension of Schofield’s current contract, which is set to end June 30, 2024.

The new contract will begin July 1, 2024, and will run through Jun 30, 2027.

Schofield’s current salary is $287,000 a year. His new contract calls for an FY25 salary of $302,000.

“This is great news to extend Mr. Schofield’s contract for another 3 years,” said Board Chair Craig Herrington.

Herrington says Hall County Schools have made “great strides” during Schofield’s tenure.

“He has expanded programs of choice and our business partnerships throughout this area. It’s been great to have someone in his position with such a passion for serving our children.”

Schofield says he appreciates the board’s confidence in him and is looking forward to staying on as superintendent.

“God has richly blessed my family by enabling us to call Hall County home, reside in this community, and for me to be of service to our families as they raise the next generation,” he says. “I am grateful for the confidence of this board, and I commit to keep working to make this school system ‘the most caring place on earth.'”

US Supreme Court asked to quickly rule on Trump claims of presidential immunity

By

Jacob Fischler and Ashley Murray

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December 11, 2023

WASHINGTON (States Newsroom) — Department of Justice Special Counsel Jack Smith asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday to expedite a decision on former President Donald Trump’s claims of presidential immunity in the 2020 election interference case.

Smith asked the justices to rule on a matter that ordinarily would first go to a lower federal appeals court, arguing that another layer of appellate action would likely mean the Supreme Court wouldn’t hear the case until its term beginning in fall 2024, delaying the trial even further.

Such a delay would push a Supreme Court decision into the heat of a general election, when Trump is favored to again be the Republican candidate for president.

A definitive answer from the Supreme Court would keep the trial slated to begin March 4, 2024, on schedule, Smith said.

“The United States recognizes that this is an extraordinary request,” Smith wrote. “This is an extraordinary case.”

In a statement from the Trump campaign, an unnamed spokesperson repeated Trump’s position that the prosecution is politically motivated.

“Crooked Joe Biden’s henchman, Deranged Jack Smith is so obsessed with interfering in the 2024 Presidential Election with the goal of preventing President Trump from retaking the Oval Office, as the President is poised to do, that Smith is willing to try for a Hail Mary by racing to the Supreme Court and attempting to bypass the appellate process,” the spokesperson said.

District court ruling

The case, one of four criminal proceedings the former president faces as he campaigns for another term in the White House, involves claims he sought to illegally overturn his reelection loss in 2020.

Earlier this month, U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan denied Trump’s motion to dismiss the case based on the argument that as a former president, he is protected from criminal prosecution and that he was already acquitted by the U.S. Senate in an impeachment trial.

Trump appealed that ruling last week to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, an intermediate venue between the district court and the Supreme Court, and asked the trial court to pause proceedings while the appeal is ongoing.

Trump’s legal team in early October filed a motion to dismiss the case based on presidential immunity.

The scheduling situation is similar to what courts faced as President Richard Nixon’s 1974 trial date on charges related to the Watergate scandal approached, Smith said Monday. In that case, the Supreme Court accepted prosecutors’ argument and expedited the appeal, he wrote, adding that the high court should make a similar ruling for Trump.

“It is of paramount public importance that respondent’s claims of immunity be resolved as expeditiously as possible — and, if respondent is not immune, that he receive a fair and speedy trial on these charges,” Smith wrote. “The public, respondent, and the government are entitled to nothing less.”

Prosecutors also asked the D.C. Circuit Appeals Court on Monday to expedite Trump’s appeal in that court if the Supreme Court declines to rule on the issue.

Election interference and other criminal charges

A federal grand jury indicted Trump in August on four counts for his alleged role in knowingly attempting to subvert the 2020 presidential election results through a series of illegal actions and false statements that culminated in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

The charges filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia included conspiracy to defraud the U.S.; conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding; obstruction of, and attempt to obstruct, an official proceeding; and conspiracy against rights.

The 45-page indictment details false statements that Trump and unnamed co-conspirators made about election results in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, and the subsequent fake electors scheme the group devised for those states.

The indictment also detailed Trump’s pressure campaign on former Vice President Mike Pence to “enlist” him in overturning election results.

Trump is facing four criminal cases as well as civil proceedings over his business matters in New York state as he leads in several polls ahead of the 2024 Republican presidential primary season. With less than five weeks left before the Iowa first-in-the-nation GOP presidential caucuses, a Des Moines Register/NBC News/Mediacom poll released Monday found Trump is the first choice of 51% of caucus-goers surveyed.

In addition to federal election fraud charges in Washington, D.C. scheduled for trial in March, Trump is facing another potential March criminal trial in New York state for alleged hush money payments to an adult film star.

The former president also faces a federal criminal trial in Florida in May over felony charges alleging he removed classified documents from the White House at the end of his presidency and improperly stored them at Mar-a-Lago, his South Florida estate.

A trial date has not been set for a Georgia indictment alleging that Trump and several co-defendants engaged in racketeering and criminal organization to interfere with 2020 presidential election results.

Attorneys for Trump did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment Monday.

Clark Lavant Whitmire

By

Now Habersham

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December 11, 2023

Clark Lavant Whitmire, age 61, of Mt. Airy, Georgia, crossed over into the arms of The Lord on Friday, December 8, 2023.

Mr. Whitmire was born March 7, 1962, in Hall County, Georgia, to the late Dean Talmadge Whitmire and Betty LaPrade Whitmire. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brothers, Michael Dean Whitmire and Chester McKinley “Kent” Whitmire; father-in-law, Warren “Pastor Butch” Nichols.

A proud graduate of Habersham Central High, Class of 1980, Clark Whitmire was a lifelong resident of Habersham County. Mr. Whitmire dedicated a significant portion of his life to serving his country, with an honorable four-year tenure in the United States Navy from 1980 to 1984. Following his military service, he continued his commitment to public service by working for the US Department of Agriculture, serving a total of 20 years with the US Federal Government. Additionally, he devoted eight years of his professional life to Habersham Hardware. His love for the outdoors was evident in his enjoyment of camping and fishing, pursuits that brought him joy and solace throughout his life. A voracious reader, he found pleasure in the written word and shared his passion for literature with those around him. Clark was a man of deep faith; being of the Baptist Faith, he was an ordained minister. His spiritual journey led him to actively participate in various churches and nursing home ministries, where he lovingly shared his belief in the teachings of Jesus. He had an innate ability to connect with people through humor and a genuine desire to bring laughter into their lives. Clark was a known jokester, and his laughter was infectious, leaving a lasting impact on everyone he encountered.

Survivors include his loving wife of 35 years, Caprice Whitmire, of Mt. Airy; daughter, Amanda DuBois, of Alto; daughter and daughter-in-law, Brittany and Sabrina Barrett, of Mt. Airy; grandchildren, Emily DuBois, James Barrett, and Barbara Barrett; mother-in-law, Shirley Nichols, of Alto; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Stacy and Melissa Nichols, of Winamac, IN; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Funeral Services will be held at 2:00 p.m., Wednesday, December 13, 2023, at the Whitfield Funeral Home, North Chapel, with Pastor Devin O’Kelley and Pastor Charles Grant officiating. Interment will follow in the Friendly Mission Baptist Church Cemetery with Pastor Eric Hulsey officiating and military honors provided by the US Navy as well as the Grant Reeves Honor Guard.

The family will receive friends from 1:00 p.m. to 1:45 p.m., Wednesday, December 13, 2023, at the funeral home prior to the service.

In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests that memorials be made to the family, in care of Whitfield Funeral Homes, P.O. Box 1113, Cornelia, Georgia 30531.

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

Authorities seek relatives of homeless man found dead in Gainesville

By

Joy Purcell

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December 11, 2023

DDS on Aviation Boulevard — The man's body was found in the woods behind the Department of Driver Services building on Aviation Boulevard in Gainesville, Georgia, on October 14, 2023. (Source: Google maps)

Authorities are searching for relatives of a man found dead in a wooded area near the Gainesville Department of Driver Services (DDS) in October.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation used fingerprints to identify the man. The Hall County Sheriff’s Office released his identity on December 11. Investigators say 63-year-old Scott Robert Danner was part of Gainesville’s homeless community.

“While we typically do not release identities of deceased persons prior to next of kin notification, our investigators have been unable to locate any of Mr. Danner’s relatives,” a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office explains.

A DDS client walking around the parking lot of the building on Aviation Boulevard discovered Danner’s body on Saturday, October 14. They notified DDS employees, who called 911.

Sheriff’s investigators are still waiting for the final autopsy and toxicology exam before announcing Danner’s cause of death. At this time, investigators say they do not suspect foul play.

If you are related to Danner or know someone who is, please contact HCSO investigators at 770-533-7813.

Weather impacts Monday start to school in Rabun County

By

Jerry Neace

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December 11, 2023

Rabun County schools were delayed two hours Monday morning due to downed trees and broken power poles on the roadways. Rabun County Schools Director of Operations and Facilities Jason Hogan explained that there were multiple trees down across roads throughout the county this morning due to the wind late yesterday and overnight.

Hardest hit areas

The worst location, according to Hogan, was just north of Clayton on US 441 in the “George Eller Curve” near the hospital, where trees fell onto power lines causing 5 or 6 power poles to break, blocking both north and southbound lanes of the major thoroughfare.

Mountain Lakes Medical Center Facilities Manager Brian Turner stated that the hospital never lost power.

Another area heavily impacted was the Low Gap/Lakemont area of Rabun County, where trees and power lines were down on the roadways.

As of 2:30 p.m. Monday, Georgia Power was reporting 7 outages in Rabun County, affecting 243 customers. The main areas affected were in the Lakemont and Wiley areas of Rabun County, with smaller outages affecting customers in the Mountain City area.

Storm system

The storm system that passed through northeast Georgia over the weekend brought rain and wind and spawned tornado watches in the north and central parts of the state. Temperatures dipped to below-freezing overnight Sunday after a weekend of heavy rain.

The same storm system affected western Tennessee with severe weather, where at least six people died when tornadoes touched down east of Nashville and in Clarksville, Tennessee.

TFS women’s air rifle team member best in nation in 18U category

By

TFS Athletics

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December 11, 2023

Olympic air rifle qualifier1 — TFS senior Brianna Walter competed at the Women's Air Rifle Olympic Qualifier in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the weekend of December 9, 2023. (TFS Athletics)

Brianna Walter’s historic season continues. The Tallulah Falls School senior over the weekend participated in a Women’s Air Rifle Olympic Team qualifying event, which featured some of the top shooters in the nation.

Walter shot a 622.4 in the 60-shot standing match, which uses a decimal system down to the tenth of a point. The event featured several current and former Olympic team members. Walter came in 30th, a few spots ahead of 26-year-old Ginny Thrasher, a Gold Medalist at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, when she was 18. Walter’s sister and college athlete Elysa Walter was 46th with a 617.9.

Brianna Walter at Olympic Qualifier (TFS Athletics)

The following day, Walter shot a 60-shot standing PR of 1124 in Colorado Springs at the Olympic Facility. Both days combined gave her a total of 1246.4, which was good enough to win first in the Under 18 category and 20th place overall. She was only 0.4 points behind 19th place (a current Olympic Team athlete) and was 2.5 points better than another current Olympic Team member.

Her performance this weekend makes Walter the top high school 60-shot standing athlete in the nation, as even the top U18 shooter on the men’s side was 1.6 points behind her. The last Team Qualifier is in March 2024 at Fort Moore (Ft Benning), GA.