UNLV Vice President of Public Safety Adam Garcia discusses Wednesday’s shooting while Las Vegas Metro Sheriff Kevin McMahill, left, and Gov. Joe Lombarod look on. (Photo: Dana Gentry/Nevada Current)
A gunman opened fire Wednesday on the University of Las Vegas campus, killing at least three people and wounding a fourth.
In addition to the four gunshot victims, four people were taken to hospitals with symptoms of panic attacks. Two law enforcement officers were treated for minor injuries suffered while searching for victims.
Police are not releasing the shooter’s identity until his next of kin is notified.
CNN cites a law enforcement source as saying the suspected shooter is “a 67-year-old college professor with connections to schools in Georgia and North Carolina.”
It remains unclear what if any, connection he had to UNLV.
Shooting started inside business school
Police said the shooting started on the fourth floor of the building that houses UNLV’s Lee Business School, and the gunman went to several floors before he was killed in a shootout outside the building.
UNLV Vice President of Public Safety Adam Garcia said campus police received notification of a shooting at 11:45 a.m. Wednesday.
“Two of our detectives responded to the scene and immediately engaged the suspect in a shootout,” Garcia said at a news conference Wednesday evening. “The suspect was struck and is deceased at this time.”
The gunman was killed near where students were gathered outside the building to eat and play games.
Las Vegas Metro Sheriff Kevin McMahill said if the officers had not killed the attacker, “it could have been countless additional lives taken.” He called the shooting “a heinous, unforgivable crime.”
RUN-HIDE-FIGHT
After receiving the report of shots fired, the university sent out a mass alert to students and the community on X (formerly Twitter). The university advised there was an active shooter on campus.
“This is not a test. RUN-HIDE-FIGHT,” the alert said.
UPDSouth – UNLV
UPD Alert – UNLV
University Police responding to confirmed active shooter in BEH. This is not a test. RUN-HIDE-FIGHT. https://t.co/qhKQ6oXNVZ
Students and professors barricaded themselves inside classrooms and dorm rooms for several hours. The university advised them to remain sheltered in place, even after the shooter was confirmed dead so that police could conduct an orderly evacuation.
Police have confirmed there is no further threat. Police ask that you continue to please shelter in place. Police are evacuating buildings one at a time. This remains an active investigation. https://t.co/lv6a2YgqEp
UNLV will be closed for the remainder of the week and officials are evaluating plans for next week, the final week of the semester, according to Garcia.
President Joe Biden issued a statement following the shooting, calling on Republicans to join with Democrats in tightening the nation’s gun laws. There have been 631 mass shootings in the United States this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive.
“This year alone, our nation has experienced more than 600 mass shootings, and approximately 40,000 deaths due to gun violence,” Biden said. “This is not normal, and we can never let it become normal.”
Dana Gentry of Nevada Current contributed to this report
House Redistricting Chairman Rob Leverett, left, speaks with House Minority Leader James Beverly before the start of a committee hearing. (Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder)
(GA Recorder) — A state House committee approved Georgia’s GOP-drawn congressional maps on a party-line vote Wednesday, teeing up the map for a full vote Thursday.
That could be the final vote of a special legislative session that began Nov. 29 after U.S. District Court Judge Steve Jones ruled that lawmakers’ last redistricting attempt in 2021 didn’t protect Black voters’ rights under the Voting Rights Act.
Jones asked for new state House, Senate, and Congressional maps on his desk by Friday. The House and Senate maps have made it through both chambers despite Democratic opposition and await Gov. Brian Kemp’s signature. The new Congressional borders are also likely to sail through, but all three maps have an uncertain future.
Democrats say Jones is likely to find they do not fix the problems with the previous maps and reject them, in which case the court would appoint an expert to redraw them without respect for incumbents’ current district lines.
At the same time, Republicans are crossing their fingers that a pending appeal of Jones’ order will find success, allowing them to go back to the maps they approved in 2021.
In either event, time is running short for Georgians contemplating a run for elected office in 2024, with party primaries scheduled for March.
Speaking to reporters after the hearing, House Redistricting Committee Chair Rob Leverett said he is “cautiously optimistic that we’ve done what the judge wants.”
“I just don’t want to second guess Judge Jones,” he added. “Judge Jones knows well what his order said. I think he was very clear about what it meant, but I would not presume to tell the judge what he meant.”
Leverett said lawmakers considered a number of factors, including keeping communities of interest intact and trying to draw compact, contiguous districts with equal numbers of people in them.
“We tried to balance all those factors as best we can and draw districts that we think are good for the citizens of Georgia,” he said.
Democrats say the House map moves too many voters into new districts and pairs incumbents – two sets of Democrats and one pair of Republicans would be placed in the same district under the new maps.
The Senate map adds new majority-Black districts as Jones ordered, but Democrats said the judge will strike it down because many Black voters in those districts were drawn in from previously-existing majority-Black districts, which they say disregards the goal of helping people in areas where they have been disenfranchised.
Democrats also cry foul over the proposed Congressional map, which creates a new majority Black district but dismantles another majority-minority district.
House Minority Leader James Beverly predicted the three maps will equal three strikes from Jones.
“I think that each one of them went beyond the scope of the order,” he said. “I think the judge is going to say, it’s going to be up or down, either it complied with my order or didn’t. And if it didn’t, then the special master is going to start. So I think it’s just up or down when it gets to the judge, and I think he’s going to say down for all three. So yeah, special master, here we go.”
The Clarkesville City Council tabled the short term rental ordinance at their Monday night meeting until February. (Jerry Neace/NowHabersham.com)
The Clarkesville City Council tabled its proposed short-term rental (STR) ordinance during the council’s regular meeting Monday night. The ordinance, under review for several months, encountered a hurdle when Councilmember Angelia Kiker expressed concerns, primarily regarding a provision restricting short-term rentals to 5% of the total units within the city limits.
City Manager Keith Dickerson clarified that the percentage could be subject to change later. He highlighted the broad definition of “short-term rental,” including the potential inclusion of various businesses. The use of a percentage, as opposed to a fixed number, accommodates future annexations, automatically adjusting the cap.
Dickerson explained that, according to the current zoning map, the city is predominantly zoned R-1, which prohibits short-term rentals. The ordinance references Georgia law as the guiding framework for short-term rentals, but Dickerson cautioned about the evolving nature of this issue over the past three years.
In areas across northern Georgia where tourism is strong, short-term rentals are putting the squeeze on an already tight housing market.
Councilmember Brad Coppedge emphasized the need to prevent Clarkesville from becoming oversaturated with short-term rentals in order to safeguard property values. He proposed a quadrant-based approach, dividing the city into 15 infrastructure quadrants to manage short-term rental density effectively.
Coppedge argued that looking at the city in quadrants would prevent undue concentration in any one area, ensuring better management of short-term rentals. He advocated for strategic planning to protect property values and prevent neighborhoods from becoming oversaturated with STRs.
Clarkesville Mayor Barrie Aycock asked about the current number of short-term rentals in the city. Dickerson responded that the city may have four that are active currently. Coppedge clarified that the policy under discussion is not for the present but for future considerations.
While Coppedge advocated for thorough planning, Kiker found the ordinance’s complexity unintended. She stressed that the ordinance’s goal was to protect both homeowners and short-term rental property owners. Coppedge countered, stating the quadrant approach provides clarity upfront for property owners.
Kiker added that when the council started this process, they didn’t know how many STRs were in the city. She said the intent was to streamline the process so those property owners could get a business license to operate in the city and to be treated respectfully and like a business.
After a motion by Coppedge to defer the vote for further refinement failed to receive a second, Council member Rick Wood proposed tabling the issue until February. This motion, seconded by Coppedge, received unanimous approval, indicating the council’s commitment to ensuring a well-thought-out policy for short-term rentals.
If we’re honest, I think most of us simply want to be reassured our existence matters. Somewhere, somehow, someplace, we must add value to a world that ticks away time and tells us what we lack and why we lack it.
Confidence
My daughter, Hart, at the age of four, believed she could do anything. The entire world was between her fingers. There was no mountain too high – river too wide – valley too low (you know the song). Hart was grounded in goodness and value. And she often sang at the top of her lungs, “I’ve got the whole world in MY hands,” never realizing her wording wasn’t quite right.
Hart’s confidence while doing anything from a flip on the trampoline to learning to ride a bike reiterated the determination that she could do it. Always pushing through – always striving to do better – move faster – learn more – be more. I used to be that way too – and probably you did too.
Until somewhere somebody told us a lie. The lie that says there are mountains too high, rivers too wide, and valleys too low. Superheroes do not exist. And, you really can’t do it. Even if you try.
The simple truth
I am here today to tell you 3 simple words, “You are AMAZING!”
Want to know why? Because there is no other human being on this planet like you. Stop and consider what I just said. Some of us are unkind to ourselves. We feed ourselves a negative narrative and before long, we believe that narrative.
“I will never get this done.”
“I don’t have the skills to do this.”
“I am ugly.”
” I am stupid.”
“No one likes me.”
“I’ve accomplished nothing in my life.”
“People think I’m a joke.”
The sentences can fill pages upon pages of narrative, and if you are honest with your beautiful self, you’ve said these horrific words once or twice or millions of times to that incredible reflection in the mirror.
Our thoughts
I read the results of a study that concluded any given day we think 50,000 thoughts. OK…I think more than that. My mind is this constant barrage of thoughts intertwining and running all over each other. Of those 50,000 thoughts, the average person only thinks 10,000 positive thoughts. That means 80% of our thoughts are either negative or worthless.
The good news is we can control those thoughts. We can make it better by stopping the negative mantras we’ve been telling ourselves since we were quite young and beginning with fresh and new ones. Philippians 4:8 tells us, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me – put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”
Instead of “I will never get this done” try – “I am more than capable of getting this done.”
Instead of “I don’t have the skills to do this” try – “I am more than equipped.”
Instead of “People think I’m a joke” try – “It only matters what God thinks I am. He created me to be purposed, unique, and filled with abundant goodness.”
Change to positive
Write a positive sentence each morning to yourself. Start with this one, “God adores me; therefore, I adore myself.”
You Are Amazing! Climb those mountains! You’ve Got This!
Sen. Jason Esteves, an Atlanta Democrat, is among the Democrats arguing the new GOP-drawn congressional map contradicts the judge’s order. (Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder)
(GA Recorder) — Georgia Republican senators voted Tuesday in favor of a controversial congressional map after deflecting criticism that the redrawn districts unfairly target a Democratic congresswoman while also conflicting with a federal judge’s order directing the state to remedy voting rights violations against Black voters.
Democratic lawmakers expressed indignation on Tuesday over Republican legislators’ redistricting plans to create a new majority Black congressional district that detractors contend actually strips away minority voting power. Republican officials countered that their proposed map satisfies U.S. District Court Judge Steve C. Jones’ order that the state redraw by Friday a revised version of its 2021 political map that includes a predominantly Black congressional district in west metro Atlanta.
Meanwhile, Gov. Brian Kemp is expected to give his stamp of approval this week for redrawn House and Senate legislative maps that GOP lawmakers in the House and Senate passed Tuesday.
The proposed congressional map would form a new 6th district of 52% Black voting age population that extends from the city of South Fulton into Cobb, Fayette, and Douglas counties. The plan also would cause a major shift in Democratic U.S. Rep Lucy McBath’s suburban Atlanta 7th District, where the current minority demographic of 67% Black, Asians and Hispanics would flip to two-thirds majority white.
Republican Sens. Frank Ginn, John Kennedy, Steve Gooch, Billy Hickman and Mike Hodges listen to debate Tuesday. (Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder)
The GOP’s proposed map would significantly diminish McBath’s chances for reelection without the large contingent of minorities who tend to vote for Democratic candidates living in a district that now consists primarily of Gwinnett County and a small sliver of Fulton County.
Senate Democrats said Tuesday that removing McBath’s minority opportunity district contradicts Jones’ warning against doing so in order to create a new majority Black district.
Sen. Jason Esteves, an Atlanta Democrat, accused GOP lawmakers’ of favoring party loyalty while redrawing districts that significantly pack nearly 1.6 million voters of color into four districts of metro Atlanta.
On Tuesday, Senate Bill 3EX was passed by a party-line vote of 32-22, advancing the GOP-endorsed map to the House chamber as the legislative special session winds down.
“This map not only failed to meet the court’s order, but it furthers this body’s history of the majority party trying to desperately hold on to power to the people of Georgia,” Esteves said.
Sen. Shelly Echols, a Gainesville Republican who chairs the Senate’s redistricting committee, acknowledged this week that the map was drawn up to help maintain Republican control in nine of the state’s 14 congressional districts.
The Senate bill contains language that allows the 2021 congressional map to be reinstated in time for the 2024 election if the state successfully appeals Jones’ ruling.
Jones ruled in October that the Republican-controlled Legislature in 2021 passed legislative and congressional district maps that violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act by diluting Black voting power.
Echols disagreed that the new proposed map eliminates minority opportunity districts in a way that violates the court order.
“Judge Jones made it clear on page 510 of the order that we cannot eliminate existing minority opportunity districts in drawing the new majority Black districts,” she said. “While he doesn’t define that term, it’s clear he’s referencing two majority Black districts. District 7 was not a majority Black district in the 2021 plan and is not a majority Black district under this plan.”
“To be clear, the Voting Rights Act protects distinct racial groups, not coalitions of (ethnic) voters,” Echols added.
GOP lawmakers send House, Senate maps to governor’s desk
Republican lawmakers in the House and Senate also signed off on the other chamber’s map Tuesday. Those final votes sent the legislative maps to Gov. Brian Kemp’s desk to sign or veto.
In the House, the Senate map was bitterly debated Tuesday before passing with a 98-71 vote. Democrats accused GOP lawmakers of pushing through a map that fails to address the judge’s order.
Sens. Sally Harrell and Michael “Doc” Rhett, who are both Democrats, look at maps on Tuesday. (Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder)
The Senate plan adds two new majority Black districts, but Democrats have called the Republican plan a “shell game.” Rep. Saira Draper, an Atlanta Democrat, said GOP lawmakers are “shuffling around Black voters like a deck of cards” instead of complying.
“This Republican proposal, unfortunately, is nothing more than a thinly veiled attempt to maintain the status quo and continue to disenfranchise Black voters,” Draper said. “In other words, the Republican proposal is a hoax.”
But her GOP colleagues countered that they did what the judge outlined as a remedy in his order. Specifically, Jones instructed lawmakers to create two additional majority Black Senate districts in south metro Atlanta and five additional majority Black House districts in south and west metro Atlanta and the Macon-Bibb County area.
Jones also included this line: “The State cannot remedy the Section 2 violations described herein by eliminating minority opportunity districts elsewhere in the plans.”
Black voters in Georgia have historically backed Democratic candidates at high rates. But the remedial maps advancing through the Legislature are expected to yield minimal Democratic gains in the House and likely none in the Senate.
Today, Republicans control both chambers with a 33-23 majority in the Senate and a 102-78 lead in the House.
Republicans have defended the maps as an attempt at complying with the order.
“It almost seems to me that the objection to this plan is that it does not, in construing the judge’s order, maximize Democratic gains,” said Rep. Rob Leverett, an Elberton Republican who chairs the House redistricting committee. “But the Voting Rights Act doesn’t require that. It doesn’t protect political parties. It doesn’t try to ensure the viability or success of any party. It protects voters.”
“If we’re trying to maintain the status quo, I think we’re doing it wrong. We’re not doing it very well,” Leverett also said, pointing to the two new Black majority districts created under the new Senate map.
The proposed House map would result in population shifts in 56 of the 180 districts while also forcing three sets of incumbent Democrats and a pair of sitting Republican legislators to face each other in upcoming elections. HB 1EX was passed by the Senate on a party-line vote of 32-21.
“In a perfect world, the House could have added five new districts without any drastic changes to the existing districts, but there was no feasible way to do that, while complying with the judge’s order,” Cornelia GOP Sen. Bo Hatchett said. “And contrary to assertions that the House was overly partisan in this component of the plan, the House did not inflict political casualties on solely the opposing party, it inflicted damage on both parties.”
Sen. Elena Parent, an Atlanta Democrat, said Jones referred the General Assembly to plaintiffs’ experts’ plans that would have kept 86% of voters in their present district or only affected voting demographics in 25 districts. Republicans propose redrawing Parent’s district from majority white to majority Black.
A number of voting rights and redistricting organizations criticized the Republican-backed new legislative districts as partisan gerrymandering.
Hatchett, who is vice chairman of the Senate Reapportionment and Redistricting Committee, expressed confidence that the House map is in compliance with Jones’ instructions.
“There is too much at stake for us not to comply,” he said.
White County residents crowd into the county commission meeting room on Monday, December 4, to express their views on short-term rental regulations. (Dean Dyer/WRWH.com)
CLEVELAND, Ga. — A standing-room-only crowd attended Monday’s White County Board of Commissioners meeting for a public hearing on proposed revisions to the county’s short-term rental regulations.
The issue has become a hot topic for many residents, especially in the northern part of the county, where rentals have mushroomed.
Twenty of the approximately 100 people who showed up voiced their opinions to the board. Not all were critical of the work by the commission to get a handle on the situation. Many provided their ideas in hopes the board might use them in developing a final plan.
One of the proposals in the commission’s draft would prohibit short-term rentals in 609 identified subdivisions in the county unless their covenants allow for it.
Commission Chair Travis Turner said there was a lot of misinformation circulated prior to Monday’s public hearing, and it is a challenge to dispel that information and work on providing a workable solution to this issue.
After the hearing, Turner said the board and staff have a lot of work ahead of them. They will spend the next few weeks going over the information and comments and, “with a fine tooth comb,” again go through the proposal submitted by staff.
Based on some of the comments made during the December 4 hearing, Turner said the board recognizes that “there are some areas we may need to tweak, look at, but also, in certain areas, we may be on the right paths.”
White County is a popular tourist destination. With so many short-term rentals popping up to meet tourists’ requests, officials say it has dried up a lot of the long-term rental opportunities. That has affected businesses and manufacturers who need affordable long-term housing for their employees.
The commissioners will discuss the issue further before issuing a final draft, which is expected after the first of the year.
Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., speaks with members of the media at the Capitol after he was ousted as speaker on October 3. He announced his retirement on December 6. (livestream image)
WASHINGTON (States Newsroom) — Former U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy Wednesday joined the growing list of Congress members heading for the U.S. Capitol exits.
McCarthy’s planned departure by year’s end, following the expulsion of disgraced New York Republican Congressman George Santos, will leave the House GOP with a razor-thin majority in 2024.
The California Republican’s announcement also came one day after his ally Rep. Patrick McHenry of North Carolina, declared he will not seek reelection but will serve out the rest of his term.
McHenry served as Speaker Pro Tempore after McCarthy was ousted by eight House Republicans and all Democrats in early October.
GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, who led the charge on McCarthy’s ouster, posted a one-word reaction on X Wednesday — “McLeavin,’” he wrote — seemingly playing on McCarthy’s name, his decision to retire and the 2007 teen comedy “Superbad,” which featured a character named McLovin.
McCarthy ally Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia issued a response on X criticizing hard-right members for pushing the former House leader out.
“Well.. Now in 2024, we will have a 1 seat majority in the House of Representatives. Congratulations Freedom Caucus for one and 105 Rep who expel our own for the other,” Greene wrote. “I can assure you Republican voters didn’t give us the majority to crash the ship. Hopefully no one dies.”
The majority margin depends on which GOP members are present and voting during House floor votes.
‘You have a wave’
In addition to McCarthy and McHenry, nine House GOP members have announced retirement or decided to run for a different elected office.
Another, Rep. Bill Johnson of Ohio, is planning to resign in March 2024 to take the job as president of Youngstown State University.
Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma, who previously represented his state in the U.S. House for 10 years, told reporters Wednesday that he doesn’t attribute the swell of retirement announcements to tension in the House.
“Every year, this time of the year, you have a wave,” he said. “There’s gonna be another wave right before we come back from Christmas, too. So I don’t think it has anything to do with that. It’s just that people are rethinking why they’re here.”
Across the aisle, 21 House Democrats will retire or run for a different elected position, and longtime Democratic Congressman Brian Higgins of New York plans to resign in February 2024.
Here’s a rundown of House Republicans who are leaving:
Rep. Jim Banks of Indiana, seeking retiring U.S. Sen. Mike Braun’s seat.
Rep. Dan Bishop of North Carolina, running for North Carolina attorney general.
Rep. Ken Buck of Colorado, not seeking reelection in 2024.
Rep. Michael Burgess of Texas, not seeking reelection in 2024.
Rep. Kay Granger of Texas, not seeking reelection in 2024.
Rep. Bill Johnson of Ohio, leaving Congress March 2024.
Rep. Debbie Lesko of Arizona, not seeking reelection in 2024.
Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California, leaving Congress December 2023.
Rep. Patrick McHenry of North Carolina, not seeking reelection in 2024.
Rep. Alex Mooney of West Virginia, running for retiring U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin’s seat.
Rep. Victoria Spartz of Indiana, not seeking reelection in 2024.
Rep. Brad Wenstrup of Ohio, not seeking reelection in 2024.
Several House Democrats are running for U.S. Senate, including:
Ruben Gallego of Arizona
Barbara Lee of California
Katie Porter of California
Adam Schiff of California
Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware
Elissa Slotkin of Michigan
David Trone of Maryland
Andy Kim of New Jersey
Colin Allred of Texas
Virginia’s Rep. Abigail Spanberger announced a run for governor, while Rep. Jeff Jackson of North Carolina is running for his state’s attorney general position.
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas is running for mayor of Houston.
Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota declared a long-shot run for the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination.
Three House Democrats from California who have said they will not seek re-election are Tony Cárdenas, Anna Eshoo, and Grace Napolitano.
Others stepping down include Earl Blumenauer of Oregon, Dan Kildee of Michigan, Derek Kilmer of Washington, John Sarbanes of Maryland, and Jennifer Wexton of Virginia.
Senate retirements
The makeup of the U.S. Senate will change in 2025, leaving the majority hanging in the balance as Sens. Jon Tester of Montana and Sherrod Brown of Ohio are expected to face tough races.
Manchin, of West Virginia, announced November 9 that he would not seek reelection, potentially opening a path for the state’s Republican Gov. Jim Justice, who announced a Senate run in April.
Other Democratic mainstays who will not seek reelection include Maryland’s 80-year-old Ben Cardin, who has served three terms; fourth-term, 76-year-old Tom Carper of Delaware; and 73-year-old Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, also in her fourth term.
Upon Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s death in September, Laphonza Butler filled California’s vacant Senate seat. Butler will not seek reelection.
GOP Sens. Mike Braun of Indiana and Mitt Romney of Utah have announced retirements.
A rear-end collision on Tuesday, December 5, 2023, tied up traffic on the Toccoa Highway near Clarkesville for nearly an hour. Fortunately, no one was injured. (Rob Moore/Habersham County)
Automobile accidents in Cleveland and Clarkesville disrupted traffic and sent one person to the hospital.
Collision on the Cleveland Square
EMS transported a Cleveland man to the hospital following a two-car collision on the Cleveland Square Monday morning.
According to the Cleveland Police Department, 44-year-old Jennifer Nicole Hill of Cleveland was driving a Jeep Grand Cherokee east on Highway 115, attempting to turn left onto GA 11. She failed to yield and pulled into the path of a westbound vehicle driven by 38-year-old Coker Bryan of Cleveland.
Hill told police she thought the other vehicle was turning.
Coker complained of shoulder and back pain and had bitten his tongue. White County EMS transported him to Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville for treatment.
Hill complained of minor injuries and her 12-year-old passenger complained of shoulder pain, but neither was transported.
Toccoa Highway tie-up
On Tuesday, December 5, Habersham County emergency personnel responded to a rear-end collision on Toccoa Highway outside Clarkesville.
The crash occurred just after 2 p.m. between the county fairgrounds and Hills Crossing Road.
No one was transported to the hospital, but the wreck tied up traffic on Toccoa Highway for about 45 minutes.
Santa will pay a visit to children and adults with special needs at Hillside Baptist Church in Cornelia on Saturday, December 9, 2023.
A very special event for very special families will be held this weekend at Hillside Baptist Church in Cornelia.
On Saturday, December 9, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., Santa is making an appearance to spend time with those who have special needs. This event is specifically designed to give special needs children and adults and their families time to enjoy the holidays away from the noise and crowds.
There will be something for all ages – 0 to 99 years old. Enjoy craft time, delicious food, and, of course, selfies with Santa.
“Every family can have their picture made with Santa,” event organizer Rhonda Stamey. “The special needs individuals and their siblings will receive a gift from Santa himself!”
You do not have to be a resident of Habersham County to participate. This free event is open to anyone with special needs and their families. Special needs can be physical or mental.
7 years of celebrating and socializing
Stamey and event co-organizer Athena Harkins devote a lot of time to planning this event. They rely on the generosity of community sponsors and the help of many volunteers.
“This is year seven,” says Stamey, “and we get as excited as the kids and adults do.”
Stamey and Harkins both have special needs children and understand the need for social outlets such as this. It gives people with special needs a chance to celebrate the holidays in a comfortable setting suited to them. It gives their parents and caretakers a chance to spend time with others “who understand this walk.”
“A lot of planning goes into this event, and we are looking forward to seeing everyone there!” says Stamey.
The city of Clarksville will play host Thursday evening to the Habersham County Christmas Parade. The parade will be the featured attraction of this year’s Downtown Clarkesville Christmas celebration taking place from 5 until 8 p.m. on December 7.
The celebration was postponed from an earlier date due to the weather. The evening’s activities will include a cookie crawl, music, and photos with Santa, starting at 5 p.m.
The parade starts at 6 p.m., traveling from Llewellyn Street down Washington Street to the old county courthouse.
Restaurants and shops will be open and there will be food trucks set up at the event for those who want to eat on the go.
Can’t make it on Thursday?
Clarkesville is adding another chance for you to get free photos with Santa. He’ll also be at the downtown gazebo from 5 to 8 p.m. on Friday, December 8.
Jeremy Medina was seriously injured in a batting cage accident on the Gainesville High School campus on the afternoon of November 20, 2023. (Hall County School District photo)
The family of a Gainesville High School baseball player seriously injured in a batting cage accident will update the community on his condition Wednesday.
Senior Jeremy Medina was struck in the head with a baseball bat during practice on campus on November 20. He’s been in a coma ever since.
Medina is a pitcher and catcher for the Red Elephants’ baseball team. Doctors at Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville are treating him. At the family’s request, the hospital says it will facilitate a press conference at 11 a.m. on December 6 to share an update on how Medina is doing.
#Prayers 4 Jeremy
On November 22, the Gainesville City School System released Medina’s name and confirmed he was in a coma.
“Jeremy and his family are firm believers in Jesus Christ and His redemptive love, and are requesting prayer during this extremely difficult time,” the school system said.
Teams from across the region are offering their support through social media.
The hashtag “Prayers4Jeremy” is circulating online, and the Chestate High School baseball team has added it to its social media profile.
Accompanying one of their posts, Chestateee shared a quote from former Pittsburgh Pirate Roberto Clemente, who said, “There is no brotherhood like the brotherhood of baseball.”
“Jeremy is full of fight and grit on the baseball field and we pray he continues to fight with the same grit,” the team wrote on Facebook. “We continue to lift up those involved with the accident in our prayers and positive thoughts.”
Crews cut in a temporary travel lane along SR 115 to move traffic over during construction of the roundabout. (Jerry Neace/NowHabersham.com)
Roundabouts in Habersham County are on the way. The Fairview community’s roundabout has made significant strides, while the Clarkesville counterpart faced a temporary setback earlier this summer due to infrastructure concerns and design intricacies.
Roundabout SR 115 and SR 105
The roundabout situated at the intersection of SR 115 and SR 105 is making noteworthy progress. Most utilities have successfully transitioned from the old right-of-way to the new one, with Windstream completing the removal of their last line on Monday afternoon, as confirmed by on-site construction workers.
Anticipated to conclude by next summer, the project is currently focused on setting slopes, establishing ditch lines, and creating temporary lanes in preparation for the central roundabout construction.
Crews demolish a house near Stoney’s at Historic 441 and SR 17 in Clarkesville on Tuesday. (Jerry Neace/NowHabersham.com)
Delays in Clarkesville
Despite the slight delay experienced in Clarkesville, where the right-of-way has been secured, requiring the removal of several structures, progress is evident. Houses and a barn were demolished earlier in the week, with Stoney’s scheduled for demolition on Wednesday and Thursday, clearing the area for the new roundabout.
Elizabeth Johnson, the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) District 1 Communications Officer, explained that the Clarkesville project is still in the pre-construction phase, with final stages anticipated before the project goes out for bid in late 2024.
The completion timeline for the Clarkesville roundabout may extend to early 2026 based on the SR 115/105 project timeline.
Residents and commuters can expect traffic delays during the construction of these projects. It may be necessary to find alternative routes to ensure timely arrivals.
