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Georgia reinstates Medicaid for thousands kicked off by mistake

Georgia public health agencies are currently undertaking Medicaid redeterminations for just shy of 3 million people and have until next year to complete them. (Sofi Gratas/GPB News)

Georgia is one of 30 states that was flagged by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services late last month for its improper handling of automatic renewals, as the state continues to reevaluate eligibility under Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program.

During Medicaid unwinding, automatic renewals, also known as ex parte renewals, are supposed to make it easier for eligible people to keep their Medicaid by allowing agencies to use existing income and demographic information to determine people’s eligibility.

It’s one of several waivers states can apply to their unwinding plan. Read more about Georgia’s adopted waivers here.

But by mid-September, an error in this process removed Medicaid coverage from almost 18,000 adults and kids in Georgia, according to the Department of Community Health. They’ve since had that coverage reinstated, DCH said, with assistance from CMS.

Other states saw as many as 100,000 people affected by noncompliance with guidelines for automatic renewals.

Here’s what happened

States are supposed to assess people’s Medicaid and CHIP eligibility at an individual level. By doing so, public health agencies can ensure that only those no longer eligible for the health insurance programs have their coverage rescinded.

Instead, the 30 states flagged by CMS have or had been conducting renewals at a household level. That resulted in some family members losing coverage even if they could have maintained it through automatic renewals, simply because others didn’t turn in the right information.

“It is something that we’re very concerned about, because ex parte renewals are the best way to help families renew their coverage, it’s the least burdensome route for families,” said Brittney Newton, senior policy analyst for Voices for Georgia’s Children.

Georgia’s U.S. senators and other congressional members expressed their concerns about the issue too, in a letter sent to Secretary Xaviar Becerra of the Department of Health and Human Services and CMS Administrator, Chiquita Brooks-LaSure.

Ongoing challenges

Nationally and in Georgia, far more people have been renewed through the ex parte process rather than by turning in renewal forms.

Still, since early on, the unwinding process has proved confusing for many people.

Newton said it still is. Many families she’s heard from aren’t aware they’ve lost coverage until they need it.

“Sometimes they’ll go to refill a prescription or go to the doctor, and then that’s when they find out that they no longer have coverage,” Newton said.

Those who do lose coverage but are still eligible have 90 days to reach out to the state. Georgia also has an appeals process for people who feel they’ve been wrongly denied coverage.

Since the start of Medicaid unwinding in Georgia, almost three times as many people have lost their health insurance coverage in Georgia because of procedural reasons rather than changes in eligibility.

“The issue is just the volume,” said Sheryl-Anne Murray, vice president of Market Operations for CareSource, one of three primary Medicaid providers in Georgia.

But while the volume of people going through redetermination is one thing — just shy of 3 million people in Georgia are expected to go through redeterminations — barriers to reaching those in rural areas or those without stable housing is another, Murray said.

“We’re pushing, pushing, pushing the information out there, text messages, phone calls, emails, advertisements,” Murray said. “We’re pushing to make sure members are aware of this and they need to act.”

This article comes to Now Habersham through a news partnership with GPB News

Thomas “Daulton” McLendon

Thomas “Daulton” McLendon, age 24, of Demorest, passed away on Thursday, October 12, 2023.

Born on October 6, 1999, in Atlanta, he was a son of Jim and Carrie Bateman McLendon of Demorest. Daulton graduated from Habersham Central High School in 2018, then went on to attend the University of North Georgia before working in the family business. He enjoyed nature, including hiking and canoeing. His love of nature led Daulton to document his experiences through photography. Daulton was a soccer fan who played on school and travel teams. Daulton shared his love of the sport by assisting coaching younger players in the community. Daulton was an avid sports fan and could often be found cheering on the Baltimore Ravens, the Atlanta Hawks, and the Leverkusen Soccer Club. Those who knew him felt Daulton’s beautiful, giving, loyal, honest, and compassionate soul. He was loved and treasured by his friends and large family. Daulton had a quick wit and great humor that would put a smile on your face. He was a member of First Baptist Church of Cornelia.

He was preceded in death by his maternal grandfather, Frederick Leo Bateman; uncle, Frederick Leo “Rick” Bateman, Jr.; and aunt, Tonya René Carroll.

In addition to his loving parents, he is survived by his brother, James “Garrett” McLendon of Dahlonega; maternal grandmother, Peggy Boutwell Carroll of Hampton, Florida; maternal grandfather, Francis Levon Carroll of Hampton; paternal grandmother, Barbara Gwen McLendon of Fairburn; paternal grandfather, Thomas O. McLendon of Summer Haven, Florida; maternal step-grandmother, Mary Lynn Bateman; uncles: Lynwood Stephens Bateman (Corrie) of Whitehall, Montana, Nathan Todd Bateman (Sonya) of St. Mark, Florida, and Bert Crosson (Haley) of Tifton; aunts, Tracey McLendon (Selena) of Palmetto and Holly McLendon of Fairburn; cousins: Callie, Madison, Woody, Jonathan, Nathan, Connor, Erik, Erica, Ivy, Logan, and Cubbie; godmother, Glenda Thornton; and a host of other relatives and close friends.

A private ceremony will be held. A celebration of life will be held in November.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Habersham County Animal Shelter, 4231 B Toccoa Highway, Clarkesville, Georgia 30523, or a charity close to your heart.

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.

Margaret Kinsey Crawford

Margaret Kinsey Crawford, age 73, of Gainesville, entered rest Sunday, October 15, 2023, at her residence with her loving husband, Teddy, by her side.

Margaret was born November 5, 1949, in Etowah, Tennessee. She retired from Schreiber Foods and then became a homemaker. She & Teddy attended Free Chapel Worship Center.

You may sign the online guestbook or leave a condolence at www.wardsfh.com.

Ward’s Funeral Home & Cremation Services, Gainesville, is honored to serve the family of Margaret Kinsey Crawford.

Repairs to lap pool filtration progressing

Safety concerns sparked by cloudy water forced Habersham County to close the lap pool at the Ruby C. Fulbright Aquatic Center on Tuesday, September 19, 2023. (Rob Moore/Habersham County)

There is good news for swimmers in Habersham County. The lap pool inside the Ruby Fulbright Aquatic Center could be reopening soon.

Repairs got underway Friday, with five of the eight valves replaced.

A few of the valves that were ordered will not work, so they had to get a rush order on parts that will work, and those are scheduled to arrive today (Monday).

“We’re hopeful to be back in business late this week or early the week of the 23rd,” said Habersham County Parks and Recreation Director Brooke Whitmire.

Once all repairs are made, the Habersham County Environmental Health staff will inspect the pool to ensure the water quality has been maintained.

The problem first surfaced in September when the lap pool water became cloudy. Since then, Recreation Department officials say the water quality has been maintained, but the lack of visibility made it unsafe for people to swim since lifeguards could not see all areas of the pool.

Whitmire noted that not everything will immediately return to normal the minute the pool opens.

“Swimmers should expect water temperatures to be colder than normal as it will take a few days for the heater to warm the water back up,” she said.

Nature’s canvas

Vibrant fall colors are beginning to paint our local landscape. The next two weeks should bring some of the brightest colors we’ve seen this fall across North Georgia.

Leaf watching – or as many refer to it, leaf peeping – is a favorite pastime in the region. As we look ahead to peak coloration during these last two weeks of October, it seemed like a good time to take a look back at last year’s fall foliage.

The images in this video were captured along routes in Helen, Clarkesville, Clayton, and Highway 76 in Rabun County.

Meet Brontosaurs, your future paw-some pup-o-saur!

Hi, I'm Brontosaurs - Bronto for short. I'm good with other dogs and children and walk well on a leash. I'm eager to bring Jurassic-sized love and fun into your home!

Meet Brontosaurs, an 8-month-old “paw-some-saurus” who’s ready to stomp her way into your heart and make your dino dreams come true! Bronte, or Bronto for short, started her journey as a feral pup. But thanks to some “paw-sitively” dedicated volunteers and staff, she’s now a remarkably sweet and gentle companion.

I know, I know. I’m cute!

This petite dog weighs under 30 pounds and loves hanging out with other dogs. Bronto’s outdoor antics will have you “dino-sore” with laughter. Whether she’s chasing her tail like a T-Rex in pursuit of prey or engaging in playful “ruff-and-tumble” games with her doggy friends, her energy is infectious.

Bronte’s infectiously lovable attitude extends to her interactions with kids, where she exhibits her gentle nature. She’s a remarkable leash walker, and her patience and well-behaved demeanor on walks will have you and your family enjoying outdoor adventures with ease. As a bonus, she’s also incredibly cute, making her an instant hit with the kids and a perfect addition to any family.

Bronto at play with her shelter pals. (HCACC)

So, if you’re ready to embark on a “dino-mite” adventure filled with endless tail wags and snuggles, come meet Bronto at the shelter. Adopting Bronte will surely add a positive touch to your life, turning every day into a “roar”-ring good time!

Click image to schedule a time to meet me!

Raiders fall big to Gainesville in rain-soaked clash

A smattering of Raider faithful remained after halftime to see the end of a rainy game between Habersham Central and Gainesville on Friday, Oct. 14, 2023 in Mt. Airy. (Zack Myers/NowHabersham.com)

The buzzsaw that is the Gainesville Red Elephants football team rolled through Mt. Airy Friday night and walked away with a 49-7 victory over Habersham Central High School in a dreary rain-soaked affair.

The Raiders (3-4, 1-2 Region 8-AAAAAA) fell behind quickly and were never really able to gain level footing in the contest.

Gainesville (7-0, 3-0 8-AAAAAA), which is ranked No. 2 in the state in Class AAAAAA by MaxPreps, won the toss and took the ball on the opening kick.

The first offensive play for the Red Elephants was a 50-yard run for senior running back Gavin Hall.

On the Raiders ensuing drive, they fumbled the ball on the second play and junior linebacker Carmelo Byrd scooped the ball and scored.

Gainesville forced a punt on the next drive for Habersham Central, blocking it and recovering the ball on the 11-yard line.

From there, on the first play, senior quarterback Baxter Wright (8-of-11, 144 yards, 3 TD) found Sky Niblett.

That touchdown pass gave the Red Elephants a 21-0 lead less than three minutes into the contest.

“You’ve got to make them earn everything,” Habersham Central Head Coach Benji Harrison said. “We let them bust a play right off the bat. Then we turned it over right off the bat, then we had two blocked punts right off the bat. You’re not going to do that and win against anybody, much less a team like them.”

That second blocked punt came six minutes later and set up a one-play, 33-yard touchdown pass caught by senior Eric Hart.

Gainesville went up 42-0 following two scores – an 11-yard pass to Travien Watson and a 21-yard run by Hall – in the second quarter and held that lead at halftime.

Harrison said his message at the break was to “forget the scoreboard” and work on things that can help them prepare for the remainder of the season.

“We did everything as bad as we could possibly do it in the first half against a good football team,” Harrison said. “Forget the scoreboard, don’t look at the scoreboard. Everything we didn’t do well, let’s try to improve on it in the second half and build momentum because there’s things we’re going to do in the second half of this game we’re going to do next week and the following week, so let’s work on us and try to solidify some of the things we messed up in the first half and fix them for the second half.”

With a running clock in the second half, running back Donnie Warren (16 carries, 115 yards, 1 TD) took a tough run to the end zone, capping off a 10-play, 86-yard drive for the Raiders.

The final score of the contest came on a 46-yard run by Gainesville’s Zion Buffington.

“We knew we’d dug ourselves probably too big of a hole in that first half, but let’s just go and do things the right way, handle ourselves the right way and do what you know how to do regardless of who’s lined up across from you,” Harrison said of the mentality for the second half. “We knew it was a tough battle from the get-go, but you can’t start the way we did and now you’ve got to learn from that because next week is a big one against a team we feel like we match up with well.”

Next week, Habersham Central returns to the friendly confines of Raider Stadium to face the Raiders of North Forsyth.

Harrison said the coaching staff has seen North Forsyth and credits their built-up confidence in making them a tough team.

“The thing they’ve got is they’ve graduated some guys, but the thing they do is they’ve created a little tradition of winning,” Harrison said. “When you do that, even when you graduate guys, you still feel confident when you go into a game. That’s what I see from them.”

The game will be senior night, but Harrison said that should be a little extra motivation from the senior leadership on the team.

“Senior night, it’s not a distraction. If anything, I think it motivates those seniors to realize it could be their last time playing on this field,” he said. “I think that’ll motivate them, but the motivation will be that it’s another opportunity that means a lot and we’ll be ready to play.”

The Raiders have three games remaining on the schedule, including North Forsyth. Those contests, in Harrison’s opinion, are “huge” to getting into the playoffs and determining any kind of seeding for the playoff bracket.

Still, he’s taking the schedule one game at a time.

The head coach said his team will have to prepare well this next week and “flush” this loss to Gainesville and move on.

“We’ve got to put this one behind us, which I think we will,” Harrison said. “We’ve got to go play a really good four quarters of football against a team that, if we don’t, it won’t be good.

“I like our team. I like how we’ve been playing,” he continued. “I don’t like how we played tonight, but I feel like we’ll bounce back quick and go have a good showing next week.”

Juror screening nears in Fulton County RICO case

Booking photos from the Fulton County conspiracy case charging Donald Trump and allies with trying to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election results. Top row, from left Jeffrey Clark, Sidney Powell, Jenna Ellis, Michael Roman, Ray Smith, David Shafer, Sen. Shawn Still. Center row, from left, Mark Meadows, Rudy Giuliani, Donald Trump, John Eastman, Kenneth Chesebro. Bottom row from left, Robert Cheeley, Harrison Floyd, Stephen Lee, Scott Hall, Misty Hampton, Cathleen Latham, Trevian Kutti. (Photos from Fulton County Sheriff’s Office)

(GA Recorder) — The Fulton County District Attorney’s Office and the defense attorneys representing Kenneth Chesebro and Sidney Powell are preparing to screen jurors for the first 2020 presidential election interference trial in which Donald Trump and 18 of his allies are charged with felony racketeering charges.

Fulton prosecutors and defense attorneys for Chesebro and Powell are waiting for Superior Court Judge Scott McAffe’s approval of a jury questionnaire for 900 prospective jurors.

Attorneys for the defendants and prosecutors submitted questions last week to McAfee regarding prospective jurors’ political affiliations. McAfee said he would work out the final questions before jury selection begins.

Scott Grubman, Cheebro’s lawyer, said McAfee’s jury selection plan was too fast, affecting Chesebro’s chances of receiving a fair trial.

Last month, McAfee summoned 450 Fulton County residents to appear on the opening day of the trial, and another 450 people to appear on Oct. 27.

The pair are set to be the first Trump co-defendants to stand trial on Oct. 23 in the sweeping racketeering case.

No court dates are set yet for Trump and his 16 other co-defendants, who were all charged on Aug. 14 under Georgia’s RICO Act (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act).

The quest to find 12 impartial jurors and an alternate tops this roundup of recent developments in the case and things for you to know for the coming week.

New developments in voting systems breach

There will be an opportunity for Fulton district attorneys to examine new information that has been uncovered regarding a Coffee County voting system breach retrieved last week from former county election director Misty Hampton’s desktop computer.

The GBI discovered this month more than 15,000 emails and documents from Hampton’s office computer that the attorneys for the Coffee County Board of Elections had claimed were lost

Hampton’s communications were uncovered as part of an investigation sparked in 2022 by a civil lawsuit with leading plaintiffs, the Coalition for Good Governance, challenging the security of the state’s electronic voting system.

Hampton is accused of allowing computer specialists to hack voting systems in early 2021 alongside former Coffee County GOP chair Cathy Latham. They face felonies for tampering with electronic ballots and tabulating machines, moving ballots without authorization, and removing voter data from a computer without authorization.

The plaintiffs in the voting systems lawsuit reacted last week to the Georgia Bureau of Investigations’ retrieval of videos and other documents allegedly showing an orchestrated breach of Coffee’s voting equipment after the 2020 presidential election.

“Few people believed the bizarre claims made by the Coffee County Board of Elections and their attorneys that Misty Hampton’s emails were suddenly lost shortly after she was terminated in February 2021,” the Coalition for Good Governance said in a statement.

Scott Hall, a bail bondsman from Atlanta, entered a guilty plea on Sept. 29 to charges related to illegally accessing voting equipment in the Coffee County elections office.

Fulton DA spars with U.S. Judiciary Chairman

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis fired back last week at U.S. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, claiming her motives for pursuing criminal charges against Trump and 18 co-defendants is a political stunt.

Willis wrote on Wednesday that the Ohio Republican is woefully ignorant of Georgia law and the U.S. Constitution in his claims that state criminal courts are improperly regulating the actions of federal officers. Jordan also accused Willis of acting brashly in media interviews about the case.

Jordan was criticized by Willis for making comments to conservative media broadcaster Mark Levin related to his desire to investigate the criminal prosecution of the Fulton election interference case.

Earlier this month, Jordan sent Willis a letter setting a Thursday deadline to turn over any communications between her office and U.S. Department of Justice special counsel Jack Smith.

Willis accused Jordan of being “ignorant” for abusing his power in Congress in an attempt to obstruct the Georgia interference case.

“As I have explained, your requests implicate significant, well recognized confidentiality interests related to an ongoing criminal matter, as well as serious constitutional concerns regarding federalism and separation of powers,” she wrote on Wednesday.

Fulton DA target influential conservatives as witnesses

Two influential conservative figures were added last week to the list of potential witnesses for the trial of the former Trump attorneys.

Fulton prosecutors requested Wednesday that judges in Michigan and Texas order Alex Jones, a far-right media personality, and Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel to testify at the trial.

Prosecutors wrote that they plan to ask Jones about his contact with Kenneth Chesebro, an attorney who orchestrated a GOP elector scheme to overturn Trump’s 2020 loss in Georgia.

Jones’ attorney said that the podcast host will challenge a Fulton subpoena but if Jones has to testify, he will invoke the Fifth Amendment in order to prevent incrimination.

According to the petition, McDaniel would testify about her interactions with Trump and his attorney John Eastman regarding the alternate electoral college scheme in Georgia and several other battleground states.

White County bike teams compete in The Duel At Dauset

Yonah Composite, 1st place Division II Team (WRWH.com)

JACKSON, Ga. – The White County mountain bike teams competed in the third race of the season on October 8th. The Duel at Dauset in Jackson is a course that gives the riders a good mix of what they’ve been racing on so far with a mix of technical riding and hills.

“It was a great weekend over our fall break with many families camping and enjoying the great local facilities. Our teams once again showed out on the podium with 10 riders earning medals,” said Jeff DeFoor, Head Coach White County High School Mountain Bike Team.

The White County High School team finished 7th in the Division I teams out of 27 and sits in 6th place in the team series. The team had 15 athletes competing between the middle and high school categories. For the middle school, Jesse Bowen took 2nd place and Chance Miller took 3rd place. Miller still leads the series and will continue wearing the leader jersey and Bowen is 3rd in the series points.

Hope Hogan, 5th place 8th Grade Girls (via WRWH.com)

Also competing in the 8th grade category were Asher Stewart finishing 20th, Carter Burford finishing 32nd and Benjamin Witcher finishing 47th. Diezel Griffin took 2nd place and Lucas Johnson finished 11th in 7th grade, Johnson also won the award for the highest-scoring male in the Mountain Bike Skills Course. In the 6th grade category, Rucker Anderson competed in his first race and finished in 9th place.

White County High racers included Caeden Allen who competed in JV1 and finished 13th. In JV2, Evan Adams took 1st place and now sits in 2nd for the series. Also in JV2 were Alex Wall finishing 18th, Colt Miller finishing 40th, and Nathan Witcher finishing 68th out of 75 racers. In the freshman category, Joe Murphy finished 42nd. Anna Kate DeFoor took home another 1st place finish in JV1 Girls and leads the series and will continue wearing the leader jersey.

Yonah Composite finished 1st in the Division II teams out of 17 and leads the team series results. They had 8 athletes competing between the middle and high school categories. In the middle school group, Hope Hogan finished 5th in 8th-grade girls and sits in 5th place for the series. Rush Chamberlain took 3rd place in 7th grade.

Caitlin LaRue 4th Place in Varsity girls (via WRWH.com)

The high school group consisted of Freshman Brayden Watkins finishing 6th and Levi Hogan finishing 28th out of 57 racers. Avery Himstedt finished 34th in the JV1 category. Elizabeth Himstedt took 2nd place in JV1 girls and sits in 2nd for the series. The LaRue sisters, Caitlin and Brianna took 4th and 5th respectively in Varsity Girls. Caitlin now sits in 3rd, and Brianna sits in 4th for the series.

DeFoor said they are halfway through their race series, with the next race coming up on Saturday, October 21st, at Road Atlanta in Braselton. This is also a Conference Championship meet.

According to Coach Defoor, this is the closest race to home and he encourages anyone interested in seeing what it’s all about to come out, races starting at 8:30 am. For more details, you can check out georgiacycling.org.

The historic Charm House gets a new lease on life and a new name

The Charm House is currently undergoing a major restoration project by the new owners, Barbara and Robert Mitchell. Once completed, the home will become their private residence and be called Oak Heights. (Jerry Neace/NowHabersham.com)

The historic home that sits on the hill above Washington Street in Clarkesville, known to the community as the Charm House, is being renovated by its new owners. The Greek Revival mansion is not only being revitalized, it is also being renamed.

The new owners are returning the property to its original name, Oak Heights.

A storied past

W.R. Asbury built the 7,586-square-foot home in 1907 on property obtained from the Clarkesville Presbyterian Church. Dominated by 20-foot-high Corinthian columns, the stately home quickly became the center of social life in Clarkesville. Asbury and his wife had four daughters. The family hosted many parties and receptions at their home in the early 1900s, according to information compiled in the mid-70s by another previous owner, Mabel Fry.

The Asbury’s called their home Oak Heights.

When another couple, the Wallaces, bought the home in 1936, they turned it into a tea room and boarding house and named their establishment the Charm House. It’s been called by that name ever since.

Many people have dined, slept, and been born in the Charm House.

Dr. Bruce Swain bought the house in 1943 and turned it into a medical clinic. Local folklore states he delivered over 1,000 babies in the house during the four years that he owned it.

In 1947, Dr. Lee Walker purchased the home and transitioned it from a medical clinic to a hospital. The Charm House was the only hospital in the immediate and surrounding area until Habersham County Hospital was built in Demorest in 1952.

The years that followed were not kind to the stately mansion on the corner of Washington Street. Passing through the hands of several owners, the Charm House fell into a state of disrepair. It deteriorated until Fry and Rhea Holloway purchased it in 1976. The pair undertook a major restoration project to return the home to its original elegance.

After restoring the Charm House, Fry and Holloway reopened it to the public in 1977 as a full restaurant and inn. Three years later, they closed the restaurant but kept the inn open, serving dinner to their overnight guests and “local diners.”

Eventually, the inn closed, and the Charm House became a private residence once again. It remained that way for many years.

Bob and Betty Congdon, both highly-regarded and beloved local educators, purchased the Charm House in 2011. Betty died in 2017. Bob passed away five years later. Following his death, their estate placed the house up for sale, and that’s how Barbara and Robert Mitchell came to own it.

A side view of the Charm House from Rocky Branch Road. Overgrown and unhealthy trees have been removed from this corner of the property as part of the restoration project. (Jerry Neace/NowHabersham.com)

A new name and era

The Mitchells, of Blue Ridge, first eyed the property while visiting their daughter Sean and her husband, Don Nix, a Clarkesville native. While visiting in 2022, Barbara saw the Charm House was up for sale. Smitten with the idea of restoring the home and living there at least part-time during the year, the Mitchells bought it.

Now, the couple is restoring the home back to its original magnificence. They hired Brookshire Construction to oversee the restoration project. Work began earlier this year. Construction crews are restoring the interior and exterior of the storied structure. They’re replacing windows and rotten wood throughout the building, repainting the interior, refinishing the floors, and repairing and cleaning the magnificent crystal chandeliers.

Crews removed a metal structure at the rear of the house and replaced it with a portico. The Mitchells removed several overgrown and unhealthy trees on the property.

Barbara Mitchell is an expert gardener and will begin work to improve the grounds in the near future.

Oak Heights will be the Mitchell’s private residence. It will not be open to the public. However, they have agreed to showcase the property and host Clarkesville’s Bicentennial Founders Day Gala on Saturday, November 18. That night they will show their support for their new hometown of Clarkesville by opening the doors to its past.

Now Habersham appreciates Clarkesville Mayor Barrie Aycock for her significant contributions to the research and collection of information for this article.

Men’s golf completes round one at Golfweek October Classic

(Photo by Jimmy Naprstek/Kodiak Creative)

SANDESTIN, Fla. – The Piedmont men’s golf team completed the first round of the Golfweek October Classic on Sunday afternoon in Sandestin, Florida.

The Lions fired an opening round of 311, placing them 25th out of the 25 teams competing in the event.

Eric Penland and Cam Lucas led the team on Sunday, with each delivering a 4-over 75. Penland was the only Lion to make multiple birdies on the day, carding a pair on his way to an even par inward nine.

Lucas also found something on the back nine, coming in at 1-over 37 on his final nine, including his lone birdie of the day, at the par-5 17th.

Penland and Lucas were the only two Piedmont scores in the 70’s as Josh Hebrink (80) and Adam Rogers (81) struggled down the stretch.

After finishing the event in fourth place in each of the past two seasons, the Lions will look to rebound with the second round tomorrow morning.

Emory sits atop the team leaderboard at -8 for the day while Carnegie Mellon’s Justin Chan leads on the individual side after opening with a 6-under 65.
LIONS ON THE LEADERBOARD:

25 Piedmont University 311 311
T65 Eric Penland (4) 75 75
T65 Cameron Lucas (5) 75 75
T107 Josh Hebrink (1) 80 80
T112 Adam Rogers (2) 81 81
125 Tom Yao (3) 0 0

 

Emergency managers hold regional meeting in Cleveland

Members of the Emergency Management Association of Georgia gather for a monthly area meeting at JumpinGoat Coffee Roasters in Cleveland on October 10, 2023. (Bryce Barrett/White County)

Emergency management officials are the first line of defense when disaster strikes. The regulations and techniques they employ change and evolve, adding to the already stressful nature of their jobs.

The Emergency Management Association of Georgia (EMAG) plays an important role in keeping emergency managers (EMs) updated on changes and training opportunities impacting their profession.

Recently, EMAG brought together EMs from across northern Georgia for its Area 1 monthly business meeting in Cleveland. The October 10 gathering provided them with an opportunity to learn, coordinate, and network.

A ‘hub for regional preparedness’

In a presentation streamed to local emergency management agencies across the state, GEMA/HS Training and Exercise Manager Melissa Slocumb shared updates to federal grant requirements. The director of UGA’s Institute for Disaster Management, Dr. Curt Harris, spoke about the university’s disaster management programs and capstone internship program.

That presentation was of particular interest to Habersham County Assistant EMA Director Melanie Bellinger, who also serves as EMAG’s state treasurer.

“UGA has a Certified Public Health (CPH) intern program that will allow the interns to work directly with EMAs to have a better understanding of what EMA does and assist them with day-to-day requirements of the position,” she explains.

While Bellinger says meetings such as this help “improve our knowledge in our position,” they also help with relationship-building. Area 1 covers 24 counties.

“The Area 1 Monthly EMAG Meeting serves as a hub for regional preparedness and collaboration. With representatives from counties around the region, the meeting offers a platform for local emergency managers to network and collaborate,” says White County Public Information Officer Bryce Barrett. “This allows local emergency management agencies to share updates in emergency management and foster more efficient mutual aid responses between counties.”

A ‘great networking tool’

Habersham County EMA Director Lynn Smith knows full well the impact these regional meetings can have. She served as Area 1 co-chair and then chair for four years before moving to the state level. For the past twelve years, Smith has served as EMAG’s state secretary.

“We meet monthly to share and discuss events in our respective areas. It is a great networking tool and gives you the opportunity to meet your neighbor that you may have to depend on during a disaster,” Smith says. “I have been deployed to multiple counties after tornados to assist. It is a very rewarding job.”

EMAG represents the interest of all the state’s local EMAs at the state level.

“We are their voice to the Georgia Emergency Management Agency,” Smith says. “We meet quarterly with GEMA command staff and discuss any concerns that the locals may have.”

White County Emergency Services Division Chief Don Strength now occupies the Area 1 Chair Smith previously held.

Another important function of EMAG is that it helps emergency managers maintain their required certification through continuing education. The organization sponsors an annual state conference where attendees can get their training and education hours.

Smith says, “We want to help as much as we can by keeping our neighboring counties up to date and prepared for anything that is coming in the future.”