Leslie Fowls Wyatt was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, “Nina,” and follower of Jesus. Leslie lived to create a loving and caring home filled with fun and over-the-top family traditions. Her favorite was a yearly trip to the beach with her children and grandchildren, ensuring that her kids from across the country came together. Leslie was an avid cross stitch artist, gardener, sugar cookie baker, and devoted prayer warrior. Some people love to be loved, but she loved to give love.
She is preceded in death by her mother and father (Dorthy & Donald J Fowls) and survived by her husband (Wallace Lee Wyatt), three children (Joshua, Nicholas, and Emily Browning), their spouses, whom she loved just as her own (Becky, Kate, and Matt), seven grandchildren (Isaiah, Luca, Norah, Brielle, Wynne, Charleigh and soon-to-be baby Lewyn), and her siblings (Earl, Don and Laura). Leslie fiercely loved her family and built a beautiful legacy. We “love you all the way around the world and back again and again.” We often heard her say, “y’all behave”– we promise we will.
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10
Visitation will be from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. Monday, Oct. 16, 2023, at Riverbend Church, 1715 Cleveland Highway, Gainesville. Celebration of Life will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 17, 2023, at Riverbend Church, Gainesville. A 3:00 p.m. Interment will take place at Kennesaw Memorial Park, Marietta.
You may sign the online guestbook or leave a condolence at wardsfh.com.
Ward’s Funeral Home & Cremation Services, Gainesville, is honored to serve the family of Leslie Fowls Wyatt.
Pro-Israel protesters gather near Woodruff Park in Atlanta after war broke out between Israel and Palestine. (Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder)
(GA Recorder) — A week ago Saturday, rockets began to pour out of Gaza and Hamas militants stormed Israeli villages, killing and kidnapping civilians as well as military and police.
The surprise attack left the key U.S. ally shaken and bloodied, and more violence is expected in a blooming conflict that could have major implications at home and abroad.
Georgia’s elected officials and regular citizens expressed shock, sadness and anger in the first week of the Israel-Hamas war, though the targets of those emotions varied from person to person.
Gov. Brian Kemp announced Friday that he has instructed the state treasurer to buy $10 million in bonds from Israel as a show of support, which he said was the highest available amount on the market. The state’s total current bond investment in Israel is $25 million, according to his office.
“Israel is one of Georgia’s strongest allies and greatest friends, and our support for its people as they endure horrific attacks from terrorists is unwavering,” Kemp said in a statement. “Though this conflict was not of Israel’s choosing, we know they will be victorious in this fight against evil and those who seek its destruction.”
Kemp, who visited Israel in May on an economic development trip and met with Israeli leaders, also ordered the U.S. and Georgia flags to fly at half-staff on state property until sunset on Saturday.
Gov. Brian Kemp shakes hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a visit to Israel in May. (Via X, formerly Twitter)
And he blasted former President Donald Trump on social media after the GOP presidential frontrunner made comments at a rally criticizing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and calling Hezbollah “very smart.”
“It is never acceptable to praise deranged murderers or undermine one of our closest allies in their darkest hour,” Kemp said Thursday on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Sen. Jon Ossoff, a Democrat who is Georgia’s first Jewish U.S. senator, returned early from a bipartisan Senate national security delegation trip to Asia because of the turmoil. Ossoff’s staff said the senator spoke with Israeli President Isaac Herzog from the U.S. embassy in Beijing on Tuesday.
“The American people and the people of Georgia stand in support of and, in solidarity with, the Israeli people at this moment of outrage and tragedy,” Ossoff said in remarks read by a staff member at a solidarity event held this week in Sandy Springs.
The fallout also quickly touched the Gold Dome, where future legislative debates will likely be shaped by the attacks and ongoing response to those attacks. A bill defining antisemitism in state law that would have enabled stricter penalties for those who commit crimes inspired by antisemitism stalled this year amid concerns that it could stifle legally protected speech criticizing Israel’s government. That bill remains alive for next year.
Sen. Jon Ossoff talks with Israeli President Isaac Herzog from the U.S. Embassy in Beijing. (Via X, formerly Twitter)
State Sen. Russ Goodman, a Cogdell Republican, was visiting Israel with a group when Hamas attacked. He said he could hear rockets being launched from the protective Iron Dome and automatic weapons being fired near his hotel.
“I will continue to pray for our brothers and sisters in Israel, and I will stand with them in solidarity against the disgraceful attacks from both the terrorists that surround them and terrorist sympathizers here at home,” Goodman said in a statement Thursday.
Some context
Gaza is a 140-square-mile Palestinian enclave bordered by Egypt, Israel, and the Mediterranean Sea.
People living there say the Israeli government suppresses their rights, using laws restricting their ability to travel and participate in politics, a blockade preventing basic goods from arriving, constant surveillance, and violent repression.
Israeli authorities say sanctions against Gaza are necessary for security.
Human rights groups like Amnesty International have accused Israel of violating international law in its treatment of Palestinians, a charge Israel and the United States government disagree with.
The attacks
It was from Gaza that on Oct. 7, a group of militants from Hamas, an Islamist Palestinian political party designated as a terrorist group by the U.S. and other nations, broke through a sophisticated, fortified border and launched a surprise attack.
Fighters reportedly swarmed into Israel using land vehicles, boats, and motorized paragliders. Israeli and international media described armed men arriving in multiple towns and indiscriminately killing or capturing civilian men, women, and children, as more than 6,000 rockets were launched toward Israel, according to Israeli officials.
As of Friday, the Israeli death toll stood at more than 1,200 people killed and another 3,227 injured, Israel reported.
A bloody attack on a late-night music festival where at least 260 people were reportedly killed particularly horrified international observers, as did reports that Hamas had targeted children and babies.
Netanyahu shared photographs he described as “horrifying photos of babies murdered and burned by the Hamas monsters.”
Atlanta protests
Images like those were on the minds of over a hundred pro-Israel demonstrators in downtown Atlanta Thursday as they waved blue and white Israel flags and waved signs with slogans like “Stand with Israel” and “Free the Hostages.”
Marc Urbach of Alpharetta marches in support of Israel. (Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder)
Marc Urbach waved an American flag and carried a sign reading “Israel’s 9/11.” He said he felt compelled to drive from his Alpharetta home to show his support.
“No nation would put up with this, as you would agree,” he said. “No nation would allow its citizens to be murdered. So Israel has to fight back against evil. If you can imagine any of our cities, Austin, any of our southern cities getting 5,000 rockets shot at them, what would be the response from the United States? It would be utter destruction from President Biden and his administration would destroy the enemy. So that’s what Israel is going to have to do, unfortunately.
“Unfortunately, in any war, innocents and civilians are killed,” he added. “That’s just what happens in any war. You know that. So Israel will do its best not to bring that to civilians, but they’re stuck. They’re stuck with Hamas. And until Hamas is rooted out, this will continue.”
Other marchers did not distinguish between Hamas and other Palestinians.
“The world is waking up to see the truth of Palestine,” said one protester who identified himself as Benjamin, an Israeli-born Atlantan, but declined to give his last name. “They’re murderers. They are terrorists. They want to kill us and they want to come for you. It’s all about the Sharia. It’s all about the Khalifa. It’s not about freedom. It’s not about the land. It’s a religious war against the Jewish people, 1939, happening again, 2023, Holocaust for the Jews.”
But the division lines are not perfectly drawn along religious or ethnic lines.
Ari Bee, a Jewish activist, said they have been called a traitor to Judaism for their support of Palestine.
“(Jews) have been harassed and intimidated, we have been kicked out of our homes, and I understand why we are scared and why we believe that Israel makes us safe,” they said. “I don’t agree with that, but I do (understand). People are coming from a place of activation here, and I can just stand for what’s true and hope that other people eventually join us in understanding that all human lives matter and that $2 billion in U.S. aid to allow Israel to just do whatever it wants to Palestinians is absolutely unacceptable.”
Bee and a few other Palestine supporters crossed paths with the pro-Israel demonstrators on the way to a competing rally.
Atlanta Police, Georgia State Patrol, and Georgia State University police officers were gathered downtown en masse and kept the two sides separate, but in a few cases, stragglers from one camp came upon members of the other, sometimes leading to shouted taunts, curses or expletives from both directions.
As Bee spoke with reporters, a young man shouted at them from across the street.
“I don’t know why you have a yarmulke on your head, but you definitely don’t represent us,” he said.
“I understand I don’t represent Israel and Israelis, but I am a Jew,” Bee shouted back.
Israel and Georgia law enforcement
Demonstrators demand Georgia State University drop its GILEE program. (Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder)
As blue and white flags of Israel waved near Atlanta’s Woodruff Park, the black, white, green and red flag of Palestine flew a couple blocks away near Georgia State University.
A large crowd of mostly students gathered there to show their support for Palestinians in Gaza, who they feared would be victims of retaliation for Hamas’ attacks on Israel – as of Friday, at least 1,900 people have been killed in Gaza as Israeli air strikes continuously hammer the territory – and to demand their school put an end to a program that encourages partnerships between local law enforcement agencies and Israel.
The Georgia International Law Enforcement Exchange, or GILEE, advertises on its website that it provides peer-to-peer training for law enforcement and security professionals “in or from” 23 states and 12 countries.”
A university spokesperson did not respond to a request for more information on the program. The state passed a law in 2011 that limits open records requests about GILEE after a progressive student group began looking for information. Lawmakers said too much openness could put national security at risk.
Pro-Palestine marchers at Georgia State University. (Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder)
In June, former GBI Director Mike Register participated in the program, leading a 20-member delegation, including 12 Georgia police chiefs and command staff to Israel for two weeks of training with police there.
Reports indicate that one of the Israeli officers who previously trained Georgians was killed in the fighting in the town of Sderot.
“I spent time at the Sderot police station, learning from our Israeli counterparts,” said Georgia Insurance and Fire Safety Commissioner John King, a former police officer in Atlanta and police chief in Doraville. “Seeing what happened there makes me sick. It’s heartbreaking, and the terrorists responsible must pay.”
GILEE was founded in 1992 in hopes of preventing a terrorist attack at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, and despite its popularity with law enforcement and Georgia’s elected leadership, the program has come under question from student groups who charge it has an anti-Muslim bias.
Many of the students gathered on the campus Thursday said they worry Georgia law enforcement officers are learning to oppress vulnerable populations. Some, like senior Graciela Cain, said they fear U.S. departments will take techniques honed on Palestinians and use them against Black populations at home.
Pro-Palestine demonstrators at Georgia State University. (Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder)
“All of our struggles are interconnected, and we just want Georgia State to divest from spending that money on that when they could be spending the money on students,” she said. “I am a student here, it’s my senior year, I’m in the Africana Studies Department. I have students and friends who are single mothers who can barely pay to park on campus. Who can barely afford tuition. And this is a state university, and we should be able to come here and not worry about those things.”
The pro-Palestine demonstrators marched through the city chanting slogans like “Free Palestine” and “From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be Free” towards the university building where university president M. Brian Blake’s office was.
The pro-Palestine demonstrators marched through the city chanting slogans like “Free Palestine” and “From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free,” a reference to the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea where Israel exists today. They marched toward the university building where university president M. Brian Blake’s office was.
After negotiations with campus police and human resources, Cain entered the building with a professor to deliver a letter to Blake demanding the university pull out of the training program. Cain said she handed the letter off to a representative but is not confident it will be read or considered.
“I don’t think he’s going to look at it or care,” she said. “But the students, I’m glad they came through, made their voices very loud and clear.”
Georgia Recorder Deputy Editor Jill Nolin contributed to this report.
DEMOREST, Ga. – The Piedmont volleyball team earned a split in a Collegiate Conference of the South tri-match on Saturday afternoon at Cave Arena.
For the second consecutive weekend, the Lions began the afternoon with a win, triumphing over Belhaven 3-0. However, the Lions dropped a five-set heartbreaker to Maryville to close out the evening 1-1.
Match 1: Piedmont 3, Belhaven 0
The Lions dominated the Blazers from the early going and never looked back in a three-set victory to start the day.
Piedmont held Belhaven to single digits in dominant 25-9 fashion before taking control in the second and third sets as well on the way to their eighth conference victory.
The stats were one-sided in favor of the Lions as well, as they held a 38-18 edge in total kills and delivered a .310 hitting percentage while holding the Blazers to a .000 hitting percentage.
Jenna Ash had an outstanding start to the day, leading the squad with 12 kills on a .429 hitting percentage while also adding eight digs. Freshman standout Kaylee Ashcraft nearly reached double digits, with nine digs and continued to amaze on her serve, with four service aces. However, junior setter Vanessa Manzo topped the team with five service aces for the match.
Reigning CCS Defensive Player of the Week Taylor Herrmann led with 12 digs.
Match 2: Maryville 3, Piedmont 2
In a matchup that was hard fought throughout, Maryville prevailed with a furious fifth-set rally to overtake the Lions.
The first set was back-and-forth in the early going, with neither side able to separate. However, the Scots turned a 15-all tie into an 18-15 advantage. From there, Piedmont was unable to recover, with Maryville taking the set by a 25-22 margin. Although the Lions had more kills in the set, the Scots took advantage of three Piedmont service errors while not making any of their own.
The Lions were undeterred, battling back to win the second set 25-22 as the Scots committed 11 attack errors compared to just six for Piedmont.
The third and fourth sets mirrored the first and second, with the Scots bouncing back and taking the third, 25-22, before the Lions were able to stay alive with a 25-20 win in the fourth set.
Playing just its third five-set match of the season, the Lions raced out to an 11-7 advantage and had the win within their grasp. Unfortunately, the Scots had one more rally in them, coming out of a timeout and outscoring the Lions 8-2 the rest of the way to take the victory.
Katie Hubbard led Piedmont with 13 kills, the only Lion to reach double digits in that category. Although Ash was held to nine kills, the senior from Cleveland, Georgia totaled a career-best 21 digs.
Herrmann led the squad with 30 digs, while Manzo (15) and Ashcraft (11) each reached double digits.
Up next, the Lions will take a short road trip to Toccoa Falls, taking on the Screaming Eagles this Monday, Oct. 16 at 6 p.m.
TURNING POINT:
– The Lions established control early against Belhaven, rolling to a 25-9 first set win.
– Against Maryville, the Scots used an 8-2 run in the fifth set to win the match.
STANDOUT PERFORMANCES:
– Herrmann totaled 42 digs over the two contests.
– Ash led the team with 12 kills in the win over Belhaven before delivering a career-high 21 digs against Maryville.
NEWS AND NOTES:
– Piedmont is now 2-1 in five-set matches, all of which have occurred inside Cave Arena.
MARYVILLE, Tenn. – The Piedmont men’s soccer team dropped a tough road contest Saturday afternoon to the Maryville Scots by a score of 4-3. It was a good, old-fashioned shootout as both teams combined for 41 shots.
The Lions were the first to crack the scoring open, as Jason Aussin picked out Delroy Mattis on the corner kick. Mattis climbed the ladder directly in front of the keeper in the six before heading the ball into the top left.
Maryville answered back shortly after, putting away its first and only goal of the half. Aussin had a chance to respond just minutes after the Lions conceded, but a one-handed, diving save from the keeper kept the contest level. The Scots also had a close call in the first half, but starting keeper Bobby Wood pulled off a brilliant save.
After taking a 1-1 score line to the break, Maryville scored just over 70 seconds into restart. Before the restart of play, Collin Sheeler replaced Wood in goal.
The lead doubled for the Scots in the 58th minute as it looked as though they could pull away. However, no more than 60 seconds later, the Lions were awarded a penalty that Aussin buried to bring Piedmont back within one.
With 14 shots on goal in the second half, there were chances for a comeback, but a late miscommunication on the back line cost the Lions a fourth goal with under ten to play.
Freshman Davis Knight continued his conquest of the CCS, putting away his 11th goal of the year and once again clawing Piedmont within one. With just four minute to work with, no equalizer was found and the game closed 4-3.
Up next, Piedmont remains on the road, this time traveling to Lookout Mountain to play Covenant on Tuesday, Oct. 17. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m.
TURNING POINT:
– Maryville capitalized on a back line mistake to make it 4-2 in the 81st minute.
STANDOUT PERFORMANCES:
– Jason Aussin scored a goal and had an assist in the contest.
– Davis Knight scored once again, putting away goal number 11 on the year.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:
– Both teams had plenty of chances with a combined 41 shots.
– Piedmont narrowly held the edge in corners 8-6.
– There were 24 fouls and six yellow cards handed out.
DEMOREST, Ga. – The Piedmont women’s soccer team used a second half rally to push past Asbury for a 2-0 Senior Day win on a beautiful Saturday afternoon in Demorest.
After having its offense stifled in the first half, the Lions roared to life early in the second half, as Paige Kluba slipped past the Asbury back line and finished a perfectly placed feed from Sierra Judson to score the only goal Piedmont needed.
Then, for good measure, Sophie Wells made an immediate impact, adding to the score line for her first career goal in a Piedmont uniform.
Prior to the contest, the Lions honored 12 seniors for their contributions to the program.
It was a slow start offensively for both teams, but especially the Lions, who were held without a shot in the first 45 minutes by a stout Eagles defense. However, Piedmont goalkeeper Haylee Dornan did her part to keep the game scoreless, making a pair of first half saves.
Piedmont emerged from the halftime break with renewed energy, with Kluba finding her second goal of the campaign off Judson’s first assist.
It did not take long for the Lions to extend their lead, as Wells entered the game and found the back of the net less than a minute later off a blast from just outside the box.
Asbury mounted a furious attack in the final minutes, but did not convert, thanks to more good work in goal from Dornan.
Up next, the Lions will be right back in action, hosting CCS foe Berea tomorrow at 11 a.m.
TURNING POINT:
– Kluba and Wells delivered goals within the first 15 minutes and change of the second half to change the tenor of the contest.
STANDOUT PERFORMANCES:
– Kluba and Judson reversed roles on Saturday, as Judson (the team’s leading goal scorer) found Kluba (the team’s assist leader) for the game-winner.
– Wells made her short time on the pitch count, scoring mere seconds after entering the game for the first time.
WELCOME BACK ALUMNI:
– The Lions welcomed back a number of alumni to the WAC on Saturday
Piedmont alumni
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:
– The Eagles held a 17-7 shot advantage but the Lions were able to convert two of their three on target shots into goals.
City of Clarkesville Founders Gala tickets are on sale now at City Hall at 123 N. Laurel Street in Clarkesville. Price is $100 each. (City of Clarkesville Facebook post.)
To cap off its bicentennial year celebration, the city of Clarkesville will host a Founders Day Gala. The city has scheduled this evening of elegant attire and dining for Saturday, November 18, at Oak Heights (formerly the Charm House) in Clarkesville.
Tickets for the Gala are limited. Only 100 will be sold. The cost is $100 per person.
Earlier this year, when they announced the Gala, city leaders were still looking for a venue that would seat more than a handful of people. Recently, the city was able to secure that venue at the restored and renamed Charm House.
“Thanks to the generosity of the new owners, Barbara and Robert Mitchell, this wonderfully restored house will be open to the public for one special evening before it becomes their private residence,” says Clarkesville Mayor Barrie Aycock.
A night to celebrate
The Gala will begin at 5 p.m. with a cocktail reception. Guests will have an opportunity to tour the grounds. The reception will be followed by “an elegant and authentically historical dinner served to your table,” Aycock says.
The Piedmont University Music Department will provide the evening’s entertainment. Guest will dine as students and graduates perform a variety of music reflecting Clarkesville’s rich history of folk, gospel, traditional, and popular tunes.
“Guests are encouraged to don their most elegant attire, including ladies’ hats and gentlemen’s top hats,” says Aycock.
Clarkesville became incorporated in November 1823. The Gala ends a year of events the city held, marking that occasion.
Tickets for the Gala are now on sale at Clarkesville City Hall at 123 North Laurel Drive. You may purchase tickets during normal business hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The city accepts checks, cash, and major credit cards.
For more information about this event, contact Clarkesville City Hall at 706-754-4216. You may also contact Mayor Aycock at 706-768-0840, Leigh Johnston at 706-968-2801, or Clarkesville Main Street Director Colby Moore at 762-230-1962.
Carol Jean Farmer, age 82, of Fort Payne, Alabama, formerly of Clarkesville, GA, passed away to her heavenly home on October 11, 2023.
Mrs. Farmer was born on September 14, 1941, in Fort Pierce, FL, to the late Hugh & Gladys King Blanton. She was a caretaker at Magnolia Hills in Georgia.
Carol Farmer was a strong and sassy woman who humbly served God with every living breath she took. She was an avid fisherman with her two tag-alongs (Josh & Mitchell). She even won a 2nd place award for the largest sunfish caught in the state of Georgia. Other than fishing, she was an avid “green thumb” gardener who enjoyed getting her hands dirty and anxiously waited to see the final flower come to life.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband of 53 years, Harris D. Farmer.
She is survived by her daughter & son-in-law, Carolyn & Mitchell Coleman; step-children, Eugene Farmer, Tina (Ricky) Waycaster, and Donna Farmer; brothers, Ronnie Clemmons and Wayne Clemmons; sister, Florence Horton; several grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and cousins.
She set an example for her siblings, children, grandchildren, friends, and even strangers at times on how to have faith in God. She was a blessing to everyone who knew her.
A graveside service will be held at 3:30 p.m., Sunday, October 15, 2023, at the Walkers Chapel Cemetery in Fort Payne. The family will receive friends on Sunday from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m. at the funeral home.
An online register is available and may be viewed at wilsonfhinc.com.
Funeral arrangements are in the care of Wilson Funeral Home and Crematory, 3801 Gault Avenue North, Fort Payne, Alabama, 35967. (256) 845-9150
Pine Hill Drive upper right corner borders the property for White County Moulding (Photo qpublic.net)
Complaints have been growing recently about the operation of a wood processing business in Cleveland. The Cleveland City Council addressed the matter Thursday night during a called meeting.
City Administrator Kevin Harris told the council that the number of complaints from citizens has been increasing concerning the noise and sawdust coming from White County Molding, a division of Atlanta Hardwoods, Inc. which is located at 176 Appalachian Trail.
The concerns have come primarily from residents of Pine Hill Drive, which is a community that has homes that back up to the company’s operation.
Harris stated in the last five business days, they have had two status meetings about this issue with fire, police, zoning officials, and city administration.
He told the council that the city has filed an official complaint with the Georgia Environmental Protection Division. EPD representatives are due to come to Cleveland within the next ten days to investigate the situation.
Company pledges half-million dollar remedy
A photo from a Pine Hill Drive resident shows sawdust covering outdoor objects. (WRWH.com)
Harris said the company, after several meetings, pledged $500,000 to put toward a solution within the next two weeks. White County Molding agreed to cease operations at 10:30 a.m. voluntarily. Friday to work on a solution.
Harris revealed that this is not something new; it’s been an issue since 2021, and he said they are determined to clear it up
“We are serious about addressing this problem, finding a real-time remedy,” Harris told the council. “Sometimes this thing does not happen overnight, but on the flip side, we’ve got to be diligent to making sure consistent progress (is made). We’re not afraid to use any means at our disposal to make sure our citizens are safe in their own communities.”
A few residents of the Pine Hill Drive neighborhood attended the October 12 meeting. One of them, Troy Bennett, told the council the situation is “a nightmare.”
City Councilman CJ McDonald lives in Pine Hill Drive, and he expressed his frustration saying, “Their word is worthless to me frankly, and I want action taken to ensure we’re safe.”
A 16-year-old boy who went to visit his grandfather in the hospital wound up getting a visit from police. The officers tracked him down inside Northeast Georgia Medical Center Habersham after a 911 caller reported he had a rifle.
The incident Thursday at the Demorest hospital caused the facility to go on a brief lockdown as law enforcement investigated.
Police respond to 911 call
Demorest Police Chief Robin Krockum says a 911 caller alerted authorities to a “white male in a hoodie who was assembling a rifle in his car” outside the building. The caller indicated the subject was possibly going to enter the hospital and gave the emergency dispatcher a description of the vehicle.
Demorest police officers and hospital security were among the first to respond.
“When law enforcement arrived on the scene, we located a vehicle matching the description given by our dispatch in the front parking lot. There were no occupants inside the vehicle when we arrived,” says Demorest Police Chief Robin Krockum. “We did see a compressed air canister in the vehicle, which would possibly indicate an airsoft-type gun.”
(Jerry Neace/NowHabersham.com)
Krockum says law enforcement officers entered the hospital at different entrances and began searching for the suspect. After hospital personnel directed them to the boy, who was with his grandmother, police questioned him.
“The juvenile told law enforcement that he had just purchased the airsoft rifle and was putting it together in the vehicle before coming to see his grandfather. He got out of his vehicle and put the rifle in the trunk before coming inside,” Krockum says.
After talking to the teen, law enforcement officers went back out into the parking lot with him to retrieve the rifle from the trunk of the vehicle. They confirmed it was an airsoft gun that shoots plastic BBs through compressed air.
A cautionary tale
The heavy law enforcement response to the hospital included units from the Clarkesville Police Department and Habersham County Sheriff’s Office.
Krockum says the juvenile “acted surprised” when officers approached him. No crime was committed and the boy does not face any legal repercussions. However, this case points to the frightening reality that today’s ‘fake’ guns are so realistic-looking that they can stir widespread public panic.
Sadly, as has happened in other states, kids with fake guns can elicit a lethal response from uniformed officers thinking they were dealing with armed suspects.
Fortunately, that did not occur in this case, but it is a cautionary tale for youth and adults.
“Even though no crime was committed, people should be aware of how things can be perceived,” says Krockum, “Especially in this day and time when these incidents occur at facilities like our medical center that deal with mental health patients, those suffering from substance abuse, or other people in crisis.”
Although, in this instance, the person in question turned out not to be a threat and the gun was fake, Chief Krockum says the person who reported it did the right thing. He urges people to “contact 911 if they see anything suspicious.”
“You can never be too cautious when it comes to the safety of the public. And we appreciate the public notifying us of what they saw.”
On November 7, Baldwin voters will go to the polls to elect a new mayor. The seat was left open by the resignation of Joe Elam earlier this year. Political newcomer Tom Whitney is running against incumbent Post 3 councilmember Stephanie Almagno.
Now Habersham asked the candidates to share their visions and views. Below are their responses.
Tell us about yourself:
Almagno: After more than 25 years in Georgia, I retired from my initial professional career in higher education, and in January of 2020, I was sworn in as a member of the Baldwin City Council. My husband, a small business owner, and I raised our daughter in Baldwin; she graduated from Habersham Central High School in 2018. When I’m not working on projects for Baldwin, I maintain a small organic farm where I grow heirloom produce to share with family and friends. Issues surrounding soil health and food independence have become central areas of interest for me.
Whitney: I have lived in the City of Baldwin for just over three years. Prior to moving here, I lived for 25+ years in the far west suburbs of Chicago. I left the big city for a simpler way of life and to escape its far-left progressive policies. I have been married to my wife Georgia for two years and have five children with ages ranging from 14-22 years.
I have over 20 years of experience in consumer finance, primarily tasked with leading/managing multilevel operations for Fortune 500 companies, including having been a regional executive where I managed the overall business process of a large fulfillment center with five vice president direct reports and aggregate production staff greater than 200 full-time employees. Prior to my career in finance, I served for 10 years as an associate pastor and youth minister in the United Methodist Church, and although my career path may have gone in an entirely different direction, it has always been my love for God and desire to serve his people that has been the driving force and foundation of my success.
Why are you running for Mayor of Baldwin?
Almagno: I‘m running for mayor because the city deserves someone ready to do the job on day one. I bring a love of our city, a vision for the future, and the strongest practical and theoretical background to the position. In the four years serving on council, we worked through a global pandemic and multiple natural disasters that affected the county, generally, and Baldwin specifically. Had I served at any other moment, I might not have had the breadth of on-the-job training as I received between 2020-2023. For example, council members were intentionally drawn into discussions of ARPA funding, GEFA loans for enterprise fund projects, and bonuses/salary discussions for essential workers. While working to understand the many financial, staffing, equipment, and infrastructure needs of running a city, I enrolled in a variety of training opportunities. This year, I earned the Certificate of Excellence for more than 120 hours of municipal training through GMA, Georgia Municipal Association. In these four years, I built personal relationships with staff and citizens addressing their concerns not only with the real-life knowledge of a complex city facing growth but also with best practices drawn from coursework and conversations with other officials elected throughout the state who’ve faced similar situations.
Whitney: I love this city and the community it is a part of. There is nothing better than a place where people gather at the local ‘mom and pop’ restaurant and unite as a community under the Friday night lights in support of the local high school football team or watch the marching band lead the halftime entertainment! In many ways, the City of Baldwin is ‘small town America’ at its finest, and in other ways it is far from that. A brief drive around the city will open one’s eyes to the opportunities we have with aging infrastructure, and that doesn’t include the underground infrastructure that needs to be addressed. Attending a city council or town hall meeting will show how disengaged the community is in the decisions being made that affect their daily lives. If you speak with many community and city leaders throughout Habersham County, there is an overwhelming sentiment that Baldwin has ostracized itself from the greater community and that new leadership with new ideas is sorely needed. I agree.
This does not mean there aren’t great things going on in our city, nor does it mean that we haven’t made strides to improve damaged relationships. I believe, however, that the City of Baldwin has an identity crisis, and the time has come for new leadership with new ideas to step in and build a shared vision. The vision I am talking about is one that is shared by the entire community – its citizens and its businesses, not by a handful of leaders with a desire to retain a false sense of power. In fact, I find it ironic that the few people who have come out in opposition to my running for mayor are (some of) the same people that have asked me, ‘Why don’t you run for council? That is where the power is’ or ‘The Mayor doesn’t have any power, it is merely a ceremonial role.’ My answer to these questions has been and will always be ‘GOOD!’ The quest for power in government will only divide us, and the truth is, true power is with the PEOPLE that we have the pleasure of serving! I believe my over 20 years of experience in leadership and operations management makes me the right candidate at this period in our history to lead the City of Baldwin to build a shared vision, unite leadership, and return the power back to the people.
What is your vision for the city of Baldwin?
Almagno
My vision for Baldwin complements the infrastructure and budgetary work that we have accomplished during my four-year term. I will help Baldwin maintain its water and wastewater facilities to accommodate impending growth in the next 5-10 years. Because Baldwin supplies the majority of water to the county through agreements with sister cities, it’s imperative to maintain our infrastructure. This makes Baldwin a good community partner. Additionally, I’d like to bring outdoor recreational activities to the south end of the county. We’ve already initiated conversations for pickleball courts near city hall, a walking or biking trail off Stonepile Street, and the renewal of a small city park that’s been largely unused in recent years. In keeping with Baldwin’s agrarian past, I’d like to see us develop a community garden. This ongoing conversation needs to come to fruition. I want to continue to make Baldwin a great place to live, work, play & worship.
Whitney
Re-establish ourselves as both a player and partner across BOTH Habersham and Banks Counties. ‘If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.’
Repair bridges with community and civic leaders throughout Habersham County and grow new strategic partnerships
With the #1 residential growth opportunity being in Banks County, we need to engage and partner with school leaders to share ideas and ensure that the quality of our education is of the highest priority, as it has a direct impact on our ability to attract families, residential housing development, and home values.
My campaign will focus on:
• Community engagement – understanding and meeting the needs of our people through:
Small, targeted neighborhood meetings
Baldwin area business leadership forums
Transparency and advertising for EVERY meeting and event
Increase and enhance our online presence
Address aging infrastructure
• Address abandoned businesses and structures
• Address ongoing water losses – identification and prevention
A Flowery Branch man faces criminal charges associated with the ongoing sexual assault of a girl under the age of 10.
Thanh Dat Nguyen, 25, was arrested Thursday, October 12, on felony charges of aggravated sexual battery and child molestation.
The investigation determined the criminal assaults occurred multiple times between January 1, 2019, and December 31, 2021, the sheriff’s office says.
Hall County Sheriff’s Office investigators became aware of the crimes earlier this year when the victim disclosed the assaults to someone at her school.
Nguyen and the victim were known to one another. Nguyen remains in the Hall County Jail with no bond.
