This Lula chicken house went up in flames Tuesday evening, September 26, 2023. Firefighters saved a nearby chicken house, but this one was destroyed. (Photo by Banks County Fire and Emergency Services)
A Lula chicken house went up in flames Tuesday night, destroying the structure and leaving an untold number of birds dead.
Shortly after 7 p.m. on Tuesday, September 26, units from Banks County Fire and Emergency Services responded to a report of a structure fire at 131 Emory Chambers Road. Crews arrived to find a chicken house fully involved and another burning, says Banks County Fire Chief Steve Nichols.
Firefighters quickly extinguished the smaller fire that Nichols says was caused by flames spreading to it. They contained the original fire. The chicken house was in operation at the time and did have chickens in it, says Nichols. It was a total loss.
Nichols says there were around 20,000 chickens in the house that was destroyed. He says none survived.
Firefighters cleared the scene around 9:15 p.m. At this time, the cause of the fire is listed as accidental but remains under investigation.
Uncle Shuck’s Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch offers fun for the whole family with a unique twist on the time-honored fall trip to the pumpkin patch. (Photo Credit: Destination Dawsonville)
Fall has arrived, and with it, all of the beauty and fun of the season. If you like selfies with sunflowers, hayrides, pumpkin picking, and moonshine, Dawson County makes for a good day trip.
Fausett Farms
Revel in fields of sunflowers at Fausett Farms through October. A family-owned farm since 1858, for 60 years the primary product was poultry. That ended in 2011, and now the farm offers nearly a million sunflowers for picking, photography, and tours on 30+ acres of beautiful rolling land with mountain backdrops.
Regular admission is $6 per person with kids under 5 free. The farm charges $35 for professional photographers who are charging clients for sessions.
The Fausett Farms Sunflower 5K and Fun Run takes place this year from 7:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 7. This family-friendly event includes a 5K running through the fields of sunflowers. There is also a 1-mile fun run option for kids. After the run, take a walk and explore the sunflowers to get the perfect family photo or selfie.
Register online or on the day of the run. For more information, visit the Fausett Farms Sunflower 5K and Fun Run event page on Facebook.
Burt’s Farm is a 40-acre farm featuring thousands of homegrown pumpkins, popcorn, Indian corn and ornamental gourds and offers a unique experience for all ages every Fall. (Photo Credit: Destination Dawsonville)
Take a two-mile hayride through a pumpkin patch, a covered bridge filled with singing pumpkins, and thousands of colorful zinnias ready for picking. At the end of the ride, get a glimpse of Amicalola Falls, which is the tallest cascading waterfall in Georgia and the third tallest east of the Mississippi River.
The Burt’s Farm hay ride has become such a popular fall tradition that a fleet of tractors and covered wagons are at the ready to welcome you.
Pick a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch and take home edible memories from the country store. Burt’s has an impressive selection of winter squash, gourds, and Indian corn, fresh-baked pumpkin pies, pumpkin rolls, candied popcorn, and other fresh-baked goodies.
The pumpkin patch and store are open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and the hayride runs daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Uncle Shuck’s Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch offers a unique twist to the time-honored fall pumpkin patch trip.
Each year, a 15-acre, elaborate corn maze is a different design. With choose-your-own pumpkins, jumping pillow, tire mountain, kids maze, and gem mining, there’s an activity for every age and interest.
On Friday and Saturday nights in October, brave the scary-good horror of The Dark Rows, a unique haunted trail through some of the most twisted trails of a separate cornfield, illuminated only by the moon. Just be warned, you will not be alone! The misty October night air always seems to bring out the worst in this little patch of corn. Great for a night of fiendish family fun.
Uncle Shuck’s Corn Maze is open through November 16. Hours are as follows:
For two nights only, hop on a hayride tour of the Dawsonville City Cemetery, Town Jail, Old Courthouse, and the Dawsonville Pool Room, with creepy stories at each stop.
the Haunted Ghost Walk starts and ends at the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame, with a ghost story told inside the Museum.
This event runs Oct. 20-21 from 7 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. and includes four 30-minute hayrides nightly. To buy tickets, click here.
56th Annual Mountain Moonshine Festival and Car Show
On the last weekend of October, Dawson County will celebrate one of the longest-running festivals in the U.S. The 56th annual Mountain Moonshine Festival celebrates the history of Prohibition-era moonshining, the birthplace of stock car racing and the formation of NASCAR racing.
This three-day event will be held at the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame and Dawsonville City Hall’s Main Street Park. Activities include a Moonshine Run, kids’ activities, a parade including vintage stock cars and more, live music, food trucks, arts and crafts, and vendor booths.
Country music artist Jacob Bryant will perform from 4:30-6 p.m. on Friday, October 28.
Another highlight is a huge car show featuring show cars, race cars, and the largest gathering of moonshine-hauling cars in the United States.
The festival is KARE for Kids’ largest fundraiser. All proceeds go toward the purchase of clothes, school supplies, medical needs, and Christmas gifts for children in need in Dawson County.
The Mountain Moonshine Festival and Car Show takes place October 27-29 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Visit the website for each day’s full schedule and the festival’s Facebook event page for more details.
This story is in my first book. The artist began the chapter with this beautiful drawing. It was from the first sentence I ever wrote. And that’s how that works.
Dreams can come true, but it’s all up to you. It doesn’t matter how old you are or even how shy or bold you are. Aspiring to achieve a goal keeps hope alive and pushes us to new heights we are meant to reach.
The virtual vision of seeing yourself accomplishing something you always wanted to do may be more than a dream; it may be a calling from another source.
Before I was twenty years old, I became aware of a nagging within my soul to write. When I was ten, I dreamed of dancing; at fifteen, it was acting, and then I was sure it was writing.
So, I became an Interior Designer.
I married, had children, divorced, married again, aged, and lived. It was good that God allowed me to be a designer because it mostly paid the bills.
I have met very few dancers who could feed or help a few kids through college. Only a few actors make it to the big time. And, writing pays nothing unless your books have sold in multitudes or Queen Oprah has blessed you.
God put me in a career to be what I intended to be when I needed it.
It took me a while to accept that I would not be on Broadway or win a Pulitzer, but I would give my profession the best of me, and in turn, it provided me a rewarding career.
When I retired, I thought, “Ah, I can rest now! I can do whatever I want. I might finally be able to play more golf, read a book on a beach, or lay in a hammock!”
The minute I was ready to retire, all plans changed.
I vividly remember going to bed and not being able to sleep. I had not quite finished decorating a large home before the curtains closed on my career stage. However, it was not the work keeping my eyes open.
It was as if someone was standing beside the bed and nudging me on my shoulder, almost poking me. It was aggravating.
Story topics ran through my mind at a rapid pace. I pondered in the darkness how to write this or that article. I knew that writing bug never went away! It had haunted me for 48 years. Now, it was keeping me up at night!
Through those years, I would pen an occasional op-ed or a story, and to my surprise, they ended up in print. “I might write more once I grow tired of lying on that beach during retirement.” It was my game plan.
Weeks passed, and the nudging would begin every night when my head hit the pillow. Finally, one morning after one of these poking-filled nights, I said aloud, “God, if you want me to write a story, you will have to pen the first sentence!”
Immediately after, I poured my coffee, and as the black coffee filled the cup, my first thought was about the old black Mercury my family owned in the early ’60s.
I took my coffee to my office and wrote the story’s first sentence that started my journey into finally achieving an old dream.
“In the wee hours of an early August morning in 1962, my father’s black Mercury drove onto a dimly lit, silent downtown street in LaGrange, Georgia.”
I don’t know how many pages I wrote that day, but from then on, the keyboard’s tapping never stopped. The only thing that ended was the poking.
A new career was born, which was different from the game plan. I intended to lie in the hammock first and then write. I would have fallen out of the dang thing anyway!
You see, it was God’s intent for me, not mine. We all need to listen to the purpose of God in our lives. What is it that pushes us forward? What is our calling? What do we have to do to achieve it? Do we dare try?
We are always capable of reinventing who we are. We are still the ones driving the Mercury in our lives. We may need to tune into the right voice on the radio.
I hope you always believe you can achieve more for yourself and others. Be the best you can be. I pray you feel a never-ceasing poke on your shoulder to remind you of your purpose.
It might be the best thing that ever happened to you.
The Piedmont volleyball team cruised in conference play yet again with a 3-1 win over Agnes Scott Wednesday on the road.
The Lions now move to 4-0 in conference play set for a weekend showdown against the only other undefeated league team, Covenant, in a tri-match at LaGrange.
Piedmont totaled 52 kills to the Scotties 32 as Jenna Ash led all competitors with 12 kills. Reigning CCS Player of the Week Katie Hubbard also was in double digits with 10 kills.
Kaylee Ashcraft, a two-time CCS Rookie of the week, added five more aces in the contest as she leads the league and sits inside the top-10 nationally in aces this season.
Vanessa Manzo added four aces while leading the team with 25 assists.
The Lions appeared to be in control early with a 25-8 win in the opening set and held the Scotties to just 14 in the second set. The third set, however, saw trouble brewing for Piedmont.
Piedmont led 23-19 late in the third needing just two points to close out the straight-sets victory, but the Scotties rallied to take a 25-24 lead, and from then on it was nearly point-for-point.
Agnes Scott took two to lead 29-28, but a service error gave Piedmont a point to tie it at 29. The Scotties closed it out with two straight to take the marathon set, but it was too much to ask for a complete comeback as Piedmont closed it out with a convincing fourth set win 25-10.
Up next, the Lions will have their first CCS tri-match of the season at LaGrange taking on the Panthers and Covenant.
TURNING POINT:
— After a tightly contested third set that saw ASC take it in extra points, Piedmont left no doubt in the fourth set claiming a 25-10 victory.
STANDOUT PERFORMANCES:
— Jenna Ash led Piedmont with 12 kills in the contest while adding four aces.
— Taylor Herrmann led the Lions with her 20 digs.
The Piedmont women’s soccer team dominated from start to finish in a 2-0 home shutout of Agnes Scott on a beautiful Wednesday night in Demorest.
The Lions held a 32-3 edge in shots and found a goal in each half to extend the program’s winning streak over the Scotties to 20 contests.
Piedmont was threatening in the early going, but unable to find the back of the net as Agnes Scott goalkeeper Olivia Rosario stood tall.
However, the Lions kept attacking, and just past the midway point of the half, they were able to find the only goal they needed as Jocelyn Maseda beat the defense and fed a beautiful pass that senior Gabbie Hayes was able to finish off the inside of the far post.
The goal marked Hayes’ first of the 2023 season and first since 2021.
Piedmont dominated the shot count and went to the break with an 18-2 edge in shots.
The second half saw more of the same, with the Lions threatening consistently but unable to find the goal to give them separation. Once again, however, it was a senior that found the offense that was needed, as Elissa Lotter weaved her way through the Scotties’ defense and delivered a beautiful finish to put the game away with just over 10 minutes left.
The win marks Piedmont’s second consecutive shutout, coming on the heels of Sunday’s 1-0 triumph over Millsaps on the road.
Up next, the Lions will have a week to get rested before a pivotal road matchup with Huntingdon slated for 7 p.m.
TURNING POINT:
– In full control but only up by a 1-0 margin, Lotter’s trek through the Agnes Scott back line put the game away.
STANDOUT PERFORMANCES:
– Lotter is now second on the team with two goals on the season.
The Lady Indians took a 24-15 wild road win at Rabun County on Wednesday, taking the win streak to six in the process.
TFS was able to scratch across a pair of runs in the first, only to see the Lady Wildcats put up five runs in the home half. The Lady Indians tied the game with a 3-run second, but Rabun went ahead 7-5. After both teams scored twice in the third, Tallulah Falls got an 8-run fourth that propelled the girls to a 15-9 lead.
Rabun’s four runs in the bottom half made it a 15-13 game. TFS then tallied nine runs in the fifth to provide insurance with a 24-13 lead. The home team got two more in the final half-inning to cap the scoring.
Abby McCoy had a team-high five RBI, while Katie Anderson, Alana Strachan, and Charlotte Stafford all had three RBI apiece. Lizzy Wanner had two hits and two RBI, and Anderson had a triple for TFS. Callie Craver earned the win while striking out a pair of batters.
The Lady Indians had a prior record of 1-7 before the 6-game win streak that has the team at .500 heading into their season finale on Thursday.
Janice Loretta Watkins Lovell, age 82, of the Batesville Community, took her heavenly flight home on Wednesday, September 27, 2023.
Born in Cornelia, Georgia, on September 13, 1941, Mrs. Lovell was the daughter of the late Barney and Willie Pearl Watkins. Mrs. Lovell had worked at Ethicon, and she was a homemaker. She enjoyed ceramics, painting, and gardening. Mrs. Lovell was an excellent seamstress and she also enjoyed baking. She was a member of Bethlehem Baptist Church. In addition to her parents, Mrs. Lovell is preceded in death by husband, Earl Lovell, and sisters Betty Dalton and Lanell Woodall.
Survivors include son Mark Lovell and his wife Deana of the Batesville Community, daughter Tracy Lovell Cunningham and husband Robert of Flowery Branch, grandchildren Conner Earl Lovell, Emma Brooks Lovell, and Bobby Cunningham, brother Wayne Watkins of Clarkesville, sister Elaine Rumpel of Florida, and brother-in-law Telford Dalton of Demorest.
A private service will be held at Providence Baptist Church Cemetery.
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger speaks to business leaders and elected officials Tuesday afternoon, September 26, at the White County Rotary Club meeting. (Jerry Neace/NowHabersham.com)
He came to White County to speak about the many different programs his office runs for the people of Georgia, but there was no escaping the topic most people wanted to hear about: Georgia’s elections. Specifically, his handling of the 2020 presidential election and that infamous call with then President Donald Trump asking him to “find” 11,780 votes “because we won the state.”
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger didn’t disappoint. Georgia’s top election official spent a portion of his time Tuesday at the White County Rotary Club sharing details of his office’s investigations into allegations of election fraud. The gist of his remarks was they found none.
Through numerous audits and recounts over the last three years, Secretary Raffensperger said his office concluded that there was no election fraud on a large scale as some alleged.
Thousands of voters ‘skipped’ the presidential race
Raffensperger explained that in the 2020 presidential election, approximately 28,000 Georgia voters “skipped” the presidential ballot altogether. Still, those same voters did vote down the ticket for other Republican candidates.
Georgia’s Republican congressional candidates received approximately 33,000 more votes than then-President Trump. Republican candidates who ran for state Senate and House seats received approximately 5% more votes than Trump.
Localizing those numbers, Raffensperger said that in White County, about 70 people did not vote for Trump but did vote down ballot.
Dead people voting
After the 2020 election, Trump and his allies alleged that 10,315 dead people voted in Georgia. After investigating that allegation over three years, the Secretary of State said his office could only find four who had voted.
In several of those instances, the individual voter had passed away, but their spouses received the absentee ballot, filled it out, and sent it back. Another instance involved an elderly person who moved away, but the address to receive their absentee ballot was not changed. The individual who bought the house received the absentee ballot, filled it out, and returned it. Then that individual voted again at their precinct.
Underage voting
The Georgia Secretary of State’s Office also investigated allegations that 66,000 underage voters cast ballots in the 2020 presidential election.
That conspiracy arose from apparent confusion over a state law allowing young adults to register to vote at the age of 17½, but not vote until they are 18.
According to Raffensperger, the people making those allegations were only looking at the year of registration and not the age of the individual when the vote was cast. He said that his office has the date of birth and the day-month-year of every registered voter in the state.
Election investigators determined there were no underage voters.
Non-registered voters
Another allegation that surfaced after the 2020 election claimed there were 2,400 non-registered voters who cast ballots. Again, Raffensperger said his office confirmed that every vote was from a registered voter.
A separate claim alleged over 2,000 felons cast ballots.
After investigating that allegation with the Board of Pardons and Parole, Raffensperger said the State Elections Office found only 74 were still under a felony sentence and were ineligible to vote.
Double-counting
One of the most widely circulated election conspiracy theories centered on claims that ballots were double-counted at a tabulation center in Fulton County’s State Farm Arena.
State Farm was the site where pollworkers Ruby Freeman and her daughter Wandrea “Shaye” Moss worked. The two were maliciously maligned by Trump and many of his supporters over false allegations of fraud in counting the ballots.
Raffensburger said his office looked into the matter and reviewed all of the surveillance tapes and did not find any evidence that ballots were double-counted. The GBI conducted its own investigation into the matter and came to the same conclusion.
Secretary Raffensperger said that President Trump actually had someone “hand-picked” to look at the State Farm Arena claims. U.S. Attorney Bobby Christine was appointed to the Northern District of Georgia after U.S. Attorney BJ Pak resigned under pressure. Immediately after his appointment, Christine investigated the allegations that votes were double counted and said, “there was nothing there.”
Election integrity
The embattled Secretary of State and his family were threatened following the 2020 election and his refusal to overturn the results. Still, Raffensperger won the GOP nomination and defeated his Democratic opponent to win reelection two years later.
A key witness in the Congressional January 6 Committee hearings, Raffensperger has remained a steadfast proponent of election integrity.
“Election integrity, election security is my top priority,” he told the handful of Rotarians in Cleveland.
Despite the fact that no widespread election fraud was found in the state of Georgia stemming from the post-2020 presidential election investigations, Raffensperger still supported changes to the state’s voting laws. He said bills passed by the legislature requiring voter identification and election audits are meant to increase voter confidence in the process.
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger visits with White County poll workers during his visit to the county on September 26, 2023. (Bryce Barrett/White County)
Raffensperger on Fulton DA, Dominion, and MAGA
Following the Rotary Club meeting, Raffensperger spent a few minutes with Now Habersham covering a range of topics.
He refused to comment on the ongoing election interference case now making its way through Fulton County Superior Court. Trump and 18 alleged co-conspirators were indicted earlier this year on racketeering and other charges. Asked his opinion of the case, the Secretary of State witheld comment, “due to it being an ongoing legal matter.”
Raffensperger defended the state’s use of Dominion voting machines. The process requires voters to vote on computer screens, then print their paper ballots to be scanned. Groups such as the Coalition for Good Governance have pushed in recent years to force the state to move to straight paper ballots.
“We implemented paper ballots in 2020,” he said, referring to the Dominion method. “We believe the best way to have an efficient, accurate election is to have the ballots scanned because it’s so much faster.”
Although threatened and maligned by many in Trump’s camp, Raffensperger refused to criticize MAGA. He said the group of Trump loyalists believe in conservative Republican principles including, “small, limited effective government” and getting “the maximum value for every tax dollar given to whoever that governing authority is.”
Asked if he has plans to run for higher office, Raffensperger told Now Habersham he’s focused on next year’s election.
“Right now I am focusing on the 2024 election. We expect that to be hotly contested. That’s why we’re doing security checks of all 159 counties. We need to get that under our belt.”
Doris Vinson Southerland, age 92, of Marietta, Georgia, formerly of Demorest, Georgia, passed away on Tuesday, September 26, 2023.
Mrs. Southerland was born on September 15, 1931, in Habersham County, Georgia, to the late Otis Terrell and Janette Turpen Vinson. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her loving husband of 57 years, George Perry Southerland; sister, Nancy Vinson Palmer, Mable Vinson Bearden. Doris was a 1948 Graduate of Demorest High School, where she played basketball. She was a Certified Dental Assistant serving at several dentist offices in the Atlanta area throughout the years. Doris and her husband, George, retired to Demorest, and she then served as the Personnel Manager at Cornelia Bank until her second retirement. Mrs. Southerland was a member of Demorest Baptist Church and a former member of Powder Springs Baptist Church. Doris will be remembered for the remarkable and wonderful woman that she was and especially for the selfless acts of kindness she showed others.
Survivors include her daughter and son-in-law, Rita and Ralph Connell, of Marietta; step-grandchildren, Calen Connell, of Honolulu, HI; Lorna Connell, of Woodbine, NJ; Cheryl Connell, of Woodbine, NJ; sister, Sue Vinson Bearden, of Demorest; brother, William Vinson, of Social Circle; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Funeral Services will be held at 12:00 p.m., Saturday, September 30, 2023, at the Whitfield Funeral Home, North Chapel, with Rev. Ted Tedder officiating with a musical tribute provided by Rev. Ryan Showalter and Amara Showalter. Interment will follow in the Yonah Memorial Gardens.
The family will receive friends from 11:00 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. on Saturday, September 30, 2023, at the funeral home prior to the service.
Flowers may be accepted, or memorials may be made to Demorest Baptist Church, 755 Central Avenue, Demorest, Georgia 30535.
Arrangements have been entrusted to the Whitfield Funeral Homes & Crematory, North Chapel at 245 Central Avenue, Demorest, Georgia 30535. Telephone: 706-778-1700.
Bradley Scott Jones, age 54, of Mt. Airy, Georgia, went to his Heavenly Home on Friday, September 15, 2023.
Mr. Jones was born on March 21, 1969, in Habersham County, Georgia. He was preceded in death by his father, W.J. Garrett and maternal grandparents, Benjamin Thurston Jones and Ella Mae Norris Jones.
Bradley was well known in the logging community, having worked for several companies in the area throughout the years. Bradley was also an avid fisherman, spending many hours doing what he loved. He will always be remembered as a loving father and grandfather.
Survivors include his daughter and son-in-law, Ashlee and Alex Bearden, of Demorest; daughter and son-in-law, Madison and Logan Hudson, of Clarkesville; mother, Barbara Garrett, of Demorest; his beloved dog, Hollywood; grandchildren, Brayden, Colton, Jaxon, and Hallie; siblings and their spouses, Dale Jones, Todd Jones, Stacey Jones and Sharon, Dale Garrett, Tonya Kastner, Stephanie Smith and Zack, Roy Garrett and Heather; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Memorial Services will be held at 4:00 p.m., Sunday, October 1, 2023, at the Whitfield Funeral Home, South Chapel, with Pastor Chad Parham officiating.
The family will receive friends from 2:00 p.m. to 3:45 p.m., Sunday, October 1, 2023, at the funeral home prior to the service.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Whitfield Funeral Homes, P.O. Box 1113, Cornelia, Georgia 30531, to assist the family with final expenses.
Arrangements have been entrusted to the Whitfield Funeral Homes & Crematory, South Chapel, at 1370 Industrial Boulevard, Baldwin, Georgia 30511. Telephone: 706-778-7123.
Enotah Judicial Circuit Superior Court Judge Raymond George (left) and Cleveland Mayor Josh Turner (right) speak with Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger at the White County Rotary Club meeting on Tuesday, September 26, 2023. (Jerry Neace/NowHabersham.com)
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger briefly spoke to approximately 30 business leaders and elected officials during a lunchtime visit with the White County Rotary Club at North Georgia Barbeque in Cleveland Tuesday afternoon.
He gave an overview of what the Secretary of State’s office does for the citizens of Georgia. Many people know that the Secretary of State’s office oversees elections throughout the state, given the amount of media coverage his office has received since the 2020 presidential elections.
As secretary of state, Raffensperger oversees other divisions within his office, including divisions regulating incorporations, securities, and charities.
There are more than 1.4 million corporations listed in the state of Georgia. Secretary Raffensperger says his office is currently working to update its software in an effort to operate more efficiently and reduce the amount of lag time on the website for businesses to update their information. They have also worked to reduce the amount of time and paperwork required for a small business to become incorporated.
“That software hadn’t been updated in 20 years,” he said.
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger hosted a FinFit workshop at Brenau College in Gainesville on September 14, 2023. (NowHabersham.com)
Raffensperger told those in attendance that a bill was introduced by his office to the state Senate to “prevent, try and impede, stop financial exploitation of our seniors. It was always an issue, but during COVID, it ramped up to a whole different level,” he said. Raffensperger added, “What we really found distressing, a lot of times, it was close family members.”
Raffensperger explained that the challenge the securities division and financial planners have is that once a family member is added to an account, the transaction can’t be stopped, whether it is $50,000 or $250,000.
The bill his office introduced allows for a “five-day pause,” giving financial institutions and financial planners the opportunity to call the account holder and ask that individual if they meant to move money from their account to another account, allowing time for those transactions to be stopped.
“That’s protecting seniors,” said Raffensperger.
The Secretary thanked State Senator Steve Gooch (51-Dahlonega) and his Senate colleagues and the House of Representatives for passing that bill and Gov. Brian Kemp for signing it into law.
“We’re making sure we can protect our seniors,” Raffensperger told the audience.
Financial literacy
A panel of entrepreneurs and financial leaders, led by GPB Reporter Donna Lowry, appeared at the FinFit workshop in Gainesville. The panel included Gainesville’s Amanda Wilbanks, owner of the Southern Baked Pie Company. Panelists offered attendees insight and opinions on how best to fund their small businesses. The program was offered free of charge as a service of the Georgia Secretary of State’s Corporations Division. (NowHabersham.com)
Raffensperger shared with the audience that his office has two financial literacy programs ongoing in the state. One for high school students and one for small businesses and entrepreneurs.
The financial literacy program for high school students is free and is available to all school districts. When a person leaves high school, they should know something about civics and finances, said Raffensperger. He encouraged those in the financial planning industry to assist schools with this program.
(NowHabersham.com)
The financial literacy program for small businesses and entrepreneurs was available online at the height of the pandemic but is now available in person. Raffensperger and his colleagues in the Secretary of State’s Office have already hosted seminars in Gainesville, Dalton, Savannah, and other cities across the state. The program assists individuals who want to start their own business or already have a business and want to grow.
Starting small
Raffensperger also spent time during his remarks addressing the controversy surrounding the 2020 presidential election.
He wrapped up his address by giving a shout-out to the White County Chamber and to the business community.
“Every business starts small. The power of a small business is it’s usually a community-based business,” he said. “When your small business does well, God bless you, but also you are blessing your community. The better your business does, the better your community does.”
