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Clarkesville to close House Street

By
Jerry Neace
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The Clarkesville City Council unanimously voted to close House Street after the city manager raised concerns about illegal dumping and traffic hazards. (Jerry Neace/Now Habersham)

The Clarkesville City Council voted Monday night to close a rarely used, somewhat hazardous side street on the south side of town.

House Street is a short stretch of road located off of Spring Street. It runs behind Dunkin’ Donuts and ends in a steep drop off at the Wilbanks Lumber Yard, which recently expanded.

House street is located off of Spring Street and runs behind Dunkin’ Donuts in Clarkesville. (Jerry Neace/Now Habersham)

City Manager Keith Dickerson explained to council members that House is an old city street that may have possibly serviced the lumber yard years ago. He said he had hoped Dunkin’ Donuts would use it for a another exit. As it stands now, all visitors must enter and exit the shop from the same point on Washington Street. Dickerson said the city discussed giving Dunkin’ Donuts access to House Street, but the owners declined the offer.

“It’s slowly deteriorating and slowly going away. Two things are happening. People have figured out that they can drive down there and dump stuff,” he said, “and the other thing is that the GIS brings some of the trucks into Wilbanks [Lumber Yard] on House Street. They have a hard time getting out of there.”

Dickerson said the city keeps having to pick up trash dumped along the road and he sees no reason to keep it open.

House Street is being used for illegal dumping, the city manager says. Once the road closes, the city will no longer be responsible for its upkeep. (Jerry Neace/Now Habersham)

“Nobody is using this road and nobody should be on this road,” he said.

Dunkin’ Donuts and the Wilbanks family own the property lining House Street. Councilmember Franklin Brown asked if Wilbanks was ok with the road being closed. Dickerson stated that they were fine with it. Brown then made the motion to close off House Street. Councilmember Terry Gladden seconded the motion and it carried unanimously.

No date has yet been set for when the road will officially close.

Meissner Corporation to create 1,700 jobs in Athens-Clarke County

By
Staff Report
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The Meissner Corporation plans to open a second manufacturing and research facilty in Athens-Clarke County. The new campus will double the company's U.S. footprint and create around 1,700 jobs. (Faceook)

Meissner Corporation, an industry leader in advanced microfiltration and therapeutic manufacturing systems, today announced plans to open a plant in Northeast Georgia. The company will invest nearly $250 million in a new facility in Athens-Clarke County. The project will create more than 1,700 jobs over the next eight years, state economic development officials say.

Meissner, headquartered in Camarillo, California, is one of the world’s largest privately held companies in the bioprocessing sector. It develops, manufactures, supplies, and services products and systems for the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industries.

The company recently played a leading role in the industry’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Meissner provided critical products which enabled the development, manufacture, and distribution of numerous lifesaving therapeutics and vaccines.

‘Ideal location’ to expand

Company president, Christopher Meissner, calls Athens-Clarke County an “ideal location” from which to serve clients on the East Coast and worldwide.

“We are thrilled to embark on this important expansion and are excited to build our second U.S. manufacturing campus in Athens-Clarke County,” says Meissner. “We sincerely appreciate the partnership with state and county officials, and are eager to break ground to join the community in Athens-Clarke County.”

Meissner’s new facility will be located at the Christian Industrial Tract, located at 1310 Spring Valley Road, in Winterville. When complete, the new campus will more than double the company’s manufacturing footprint in the United States. The campus is expected to consist of multiple structures, including state-of-the-art cleanroom facilities, laboratories, research and development, and office space.

The company plans to work with the University System of Georgia and Technical College System of Georgia to explore potential internship and collaborative opportunities with schools such as the University of Georgia, Georgia Tech, and Athens Technical College.

Operations are expected to begin in early 2026. The company will be hiring for a broad range of jobs, including technicians, scientists and engineers as well as information technology and administrative positions.

For information on employment opportunities, visit www.meissner.com.

Marjorie Taylor Greene, other Georgia Republicans rush to Trump’s defense

By
Ross Williams
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 04: U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) pushes through the crowd gathered outside the courthouse where former U.S. President Donald Trump will arrive for his arraignment on April 4, 2023 in New York City. With his indictment, Trump will become the first former U.S. president in history to be charged with a criminal offense. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

(GA Recorder) — Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene and other state Republicans have rushed to former President Donald Trump’s defense, some of them speaking out before the indictments were unsealed Tuesday afternoon.

Greene and her retinue made their way through a New York City street swarming with photographers, protesters and counter-protesters Tuesday morning, pushing their way to a park bench, where she grabbed a megaphone and proclaimed Trump’s innocence.

Trump pleaded not guilty Tuesday afternoon to 34 New York state felony offenses related to alleged hush-money payments.

“This is the former president of the United States of America, and the government has been weaponized against him,” she said in remarks that were live-streamed. “I’m here to protest and use my voice to take a stand. Every American should take a stand. This is what happens in communist countries, not the United States of America. We have to take a stand against the injustice, the corruption and the communist Democrats who are taking our legal code, twisting it, manipulating it, and perverting it into something it was never meant to be.”

Greene received some shouts of support from the audience, but parts of her brief speech, organized by the New York Young Republican Club, were drowned out by shouting, whistle blowing and blunt requests for Greene to vacate the city.

Afterwards, in an interview with Right Side Broadcasting Network back inside her van, Greene said she spoke with Trump Monday and he is “completely committed to fighting this injustice.”

Other Georgia Republicans – including congressional representatives Buddy Carter, Rich McCormick, Austin Scott, Andrew Clyde, Barry Loudermilk and Mike Collins – have publicly criticized what they argue is a politically motivated case designed to sideline Trump in the 2024 presidential election.

In a Tuesday letter to his constituents, Clyde called the charges a “sham.”

“Make no mistake — this is all about 2024,” the Athens Republican wrote. “The establishment is terrified that they can’t legally defeat Trump in the upcoming election, so they’re yet again abusing and misapplying the law in a dangerous and desperate attempt to take him down. This brazen political persecution should righteously anger every American, regardless of their political stripes.”

Scott, who is a Tifton Republican, dismissed the indictment as an attempt to embarrass Trump when interviewed Friday on ABC News.

“In America, the government is not supposed to hunt you no matter who you are, and that is exactly what’s happened here,” Scott told ABC.

Scott said he’s personally open to another GOP presidential candidate courting his support next year but said the indictment has made Trump the “absolute nominee for the Republican Party in 2024.”

In an ABC News/Ipsos poll conducted just after news of the indictment broke, 79% of Republicans and 48% of independents said the charges were politically motivated. Only 16% of Democrats felt the same way, with the majority, 64%, saying the charges were not political. In total, 47% of those polled said they believe the charges are driven by politics, 32% said they are not, and 20% were unsure.

But the ABC News poll also suggested Americans are taking the charges seriously. Half of the respondents said they view the indictment as serious, and 45% said Trump should be charged with a crime. Another 32% said the former president should not be charged, and 23% said they were not sure.

Georgia Democrats have remained mostly mum on the indictment news.

New York prosecutors asked for a January trial date. Trump has other legal challenges in the meantime, including a probe from Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis into whether then-President Trump attempted to illegally interfere with the 2020 election results. She said in January that decisions in the case were “imminent.”

A portion of a Fulton County special grand jury’s report was released in February, stating that a majority of jurors believe at least one of the 75 witnesses perjured themselves while testifying about President Joe Biden’s narrow election win as it met from June to December. The grand jury recommends Willis press charges against those witnesses, but the publicly released version does not say who they are.

Under a blue Colorado sky

By
Lynn Walker Gendusa
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Denver, Colorado, skyline

Home for my adult son is the mile-high city of Denver. It is where a cloudless azure sky envelops the snowcapped Rockies, which sparkle in bright sunlight. Every visit, I am never sure if it is the altitude or the beauty which takes my breath away.

During one long Easter weekend, we traveled to Boulder, home to the University of Colorado. We strolled the brick mall streets downtown where tulips and manicured perfection replaced cars. Street performers filled the air with vibrations from guitars, fiddles, and folk songs.

It was a lively scene dominated by young folks sporting a bit of a hippie vibe. Boulder had changed little from the university town it was in the late 1960s, although it had better restaurants and shops. And instead of barefooted, long-haired 60’s hippies, the people I saw on that visit wore sneakers and hair in all colors. Groovy!

The hippies I once knew spread flowers and peace. Some protested, experimented with drugs, and listened to rock music splashed with defiance. Our parents’ generation was labeled the “establishment,” and they often believed the world would eventually be doomed by these errant Baby Boomers.

“Their music is horrific; they are all druggies and are not true Americans!” The establishment shouted as the chants of the hippies rose to drown out adverse reactions to their culture.

Most generations believe the next generation will never be as accomplished as they are, and they declare America is going “down the tubes.” They believe the country is destined to fail because of the bad behavior of irresponsible, crazy kids.

Anybody remember our parents not allowing the boys to wear long hair? Anyone recall the moms and dads condemning the gyrations of Elvis or the mania the Beatles produced?

Well, I wore bell bottoms, owned Elvis albums, and who among Baby Boomer readers didn’t watch the Beatles on Ed Sullivan?

But our parents were wrong. We grew up and became productive citizens. The long-haired hippie boy of the ’60s is now CEO of some company somewhere, and the flower-child girl at Woodstock is now a grandmother, retired from the company she founded in the ’70s.

My son, Corey, in his seersucker suit, Easter 1980.

On Easter Sunday, that weekend we were in Colorado visiting my son, we walked into the Highlands United Methodist Church in Denver, a noble old church, which had seen multiple generations pass through its doors since 1926. The air was crisp, the sky brightly blue, and frankly, it closely resembled a time forty years earlier when my little boy wore a seersucker suit and carried his Easter basket to church.

Since church attendance had been declining and younger folks had not been participating as much in services across our land, and since I was no longer in the Bible Belt, I wondered what I would see that Easter day.

We took our seats in old wooden pews, where I noticed, mixed between the Bibles and Methodist hymnals, were children’s storybooks. I thought it was a bit odd, but after a few moments, I understood.

Many children, escorted by parents, noisily ran toward their seats. Toddlers were dressed in Easter colors of blue, pink, yellow, and purple. Siblings with disheveled hair and infants cradled in their parents’ arms filled every seat in the church.

Finally, the sanctuary was alive with songs, babies crying, children jabbering, and happiness. The 1960s hippie had become the grandparent. He sat beside the 1980s college student who had become the parent who sat beside the child who was reading the book he’d pulled from the back of the pew.

The young minister, wearing a peach-colored Easter blazer, enthusiastically stood to welcome all. After old Easter hymns were sung, he delivered a rip-roaring, happy sermon filled with God’s word and celebration for the risen Lord.

The world isn’t doomed because young folks listen to rap music instead of the Beatles or Guns N’ Roses. America isn’t lost because a newbie hippie is dressed in ragged khakis with purple hair and rings in his nose.

I found hope and solace in witnessing the return of young families to worship the Lord. One generation will pass on the word of God to the next. As I studied the congregation, I was pretty sure the grandmother in front of me once wore a flower in her hair, and the toddler’s father once followed the Grateful Dead.

No, the world isn’t doomed if we continue to pass our faith forward so the five-year-old boy in the seersucker suit may one day return to find hope in a church under a blue Colorado sky.

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Lynn Gendusa

Lynn Walker Gendusa is an author and columnist whose work appears regularly on NowHabersham.com and in USA Today newspapers. Her latest book is “Southern Comfort: Stories of Family, Friendship, Fiery Trials, and Faith.” She can be reached at www.lynngendusa.com. To enjoy more of Lynn’s inspirational work about faith, home, family, life, and love, click here.

Rosenbaum missing: Official timeline

By
Now Habersham
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The Habersham County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday released a timeline of events in the ongoing search for Joel Rosenbaum. The 65-year-old Lawrenceville man disappeared on January 26 after being released from the Habersham County Detention Center.

He was last seen around 7 p.m. on January 26 walking past the Chevron gas station on Monroe Street, less than a half mile east of the county jail.

Habersham County Public Information Officer Rob Moore issued the following statement on April 4 after the latest search for Rosenbaum failed to turn up any new leads:

“As with every missing person, the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office takes this case very seriously and hopes for successful location of Mr. Rosenbaum. Our hearts go out to his family and friends, who have described him as a friend to all. We are not sure Mr. Rosenbaum is still in the area at this time, as there have been possible sightings in the Rabun County area. Unfortunately, without new information, a sighting, or a tip that provides a possible starting point, we have to rely on the public to report any contact or possible sightings of Mr. Rosenbaum so that we can deploy resources to that area. Today (Tuesday), we brought in a world-renowned canine tracking team with a very successful track record, but found no indication that Mr. Rosenbaum is or has been in the area around where he was last seen.” – Rob Moore, Public Information Officer, Habersham County Sheriff’s Office

Timeline as of April 4, 2023

  • Jan. 26 – Joel Rosenbaum, 65, of Lawrenceville was released from the Habersham County Detention Center in Clarkesville following his arrest on traffic charges and left on foot with the clothes on his back (grey and red Atlanta Falcons shirt, black pants, and white tennis shoes) and his driver’s license.
  • Feb. 2 – A search party, made up of Rosenbaum’s friends, volunteers, state, and local law enforcement personnel canvassed the Clarkesville area, but turned up no new information and no new leads in the case.
  • Feb. 10 – Habersham County Sheriff’s Office again asked for the public’s help, publicizing a $10,000 reward offered by Rosenbaum’s family for information leading to his whereabouts.
  • Feb. 20 – Friends and family of Rosenbaum concentrated their search efforts in the Clayton, Georgia area after a Rabun County woman reported she thought she had seen him in that area. Habersham County Sheriff’s Office investigators also followed up that lead during that search effort.
  • April 4 – Specialty tracking dogs were brought in to assist Habersham County Sheriff’s Office investigators with the ongoing search effort, but uncovered no evidence that he is still in the area.

What we know:

  • The last known sighting of Mr. Rosenbaum in Habersham County was at a convenience store a couple of minutes’ walk from the Habersham County Detention Center in Clarkesville, where the clerk saw him walking toward the downtown square.
  • Searches in Clarkesville and Tallulah Falls uncovered no new leads.
  • The Atlanta native is 5-foot-6, 140-150 pounds.
  • Rosenbaum’s family is offering a reward leading to his whereabouts.

How can the public help?

Anyone with information or who has seen Rosenbaum is asked to contact Investigator George Cason at the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office at (706) 839-0560 or submit an online tip at https://www.habershamsheriff.com/tips

Bobby Elwood Griffin

By
Now Habersham
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Bobby Elwood Griffin, age 83, of Mount Airy, passed away peacefully Sunday, April 2, 2023, at his residence.

Mr. Griffin was born December 8, 1939, in Bay, Georgia, to the late Walls A. Griffin and the late Hazel Marie McMillan Griffin. Mr. Griffin was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 53 years, Judith Deen Griffin, and two grandsons, Caleb Nation and Michael Griffin. He was a farmer, rancher, and retired as a custodian with Hebron Baptist Church. He was a member of Level Grove Baptist Church in Cornelia.

Survivors include his children, J. Marie (John) Griffin-Taylor of Mount Airy, Ann (Michael) Nation of Pelzer, SC, and Robert (Cathy) Griffin of LaMoille, IL, and six grandchildren also survive.

A graveside service will be held Thursday, April 6, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. at Antioch Congregational Christian Church Cemetery, with Rev. John Williams officiating.

Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Swain Funeral Home in Baxley, Georgia.

Indians clinch playoff spot with win over Rabun

By
TFS Athletics
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Caden Walker (Austin Poffenberger)

The Indians not only took an 11-4 win on the road Tuesday at Rabun County, but clinched a postseason berth in the process.

TFS scored 5 runs in the opening inning, and 4 more in the final stanza to earn a dominating win. After a Caden Walker RBI single to get things started, Davanta Brown was hit by a pitch with the bases full to bring in another. Chase Pollock also got plunked on the next at-bat, making it a 3-0 game. The Indians got 2 more runs before the inning was over.

In the third, Danny Grant singled home Pollock, while 2 runs in the fourth advanced the lead to 7-0. Rabun County bounced back with a pair of runs in both the fifth and sixth to close the gap to a 7-4 contest.

In the last inning, Frankey Moree worked a bases-loaded walk, Grant doubled in a couple guys, and Cole Bonitatibus walked with the bases loaded to cap off the scoring.

Rohajae Pinder earned the win after going 6 frames and allowing 4 earned runs on 4 hits and 2 walks while striking out 7. Moree, Pollock, and Grant all had 2-hit games, while Grant had 3 RBI and one each for Pollock and Moree.

The win is the fourth straight for the Indians, matching the program record achieved once in 2022 and twice in 2021. Overall, TFS is now 10-9 and 7-3 in region play.

Kemp says no to HB 319, his first veto of second term

By
Sarah Kallis
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Gov. Brian Kemp (Credit: Riley Bunch)

Gov. Brian Kemp vetoed House Bill 319 on Tuesday. HB 319 is the first veto of his second term and of the 2023 legislative session.

HB 319 would require legislative approval for a year-after-year tuition increase larger than 3% at a public Georgia college.

The bill passed the House and Senate nearly unanimously but ran into trouble on Kemp’s desk.

Kemp said that the bill oversteps the Board of Regents’ power.

“Because of the constitutional reservation of authority in the Board of Regents, the legislation cannot be adopted without the approval of Georgians through exercise of their franchise,” he said in a statement.

The Board of Regents governs the University System of Georgia and is appointed by the governor.

__________

This article appears on Now Habersham through a news partnership with GPB News

Francis “Frank” Alexander Cahill

By
Now Habersham
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Mr. Francis “Frank” Alexander Cahill, age 88, of Clarkesville, Georgia, passed away on Sunday, April 2, 2023, peacefully in his home.

Mr. Cahill was born in Albany, New York, to the late Frances and Ferdie Cahill. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his loving wife, Betty Whitmire Cahill, and son, Lonnie A. Smith, of Colorado Springs, CO.

Survivors include his sons, Matthew Cahill, of Clarkesville; daughters, Desiree Cahill, of Margate, FL; Jackie Cahill, of Catawba, NC; grandchildren, Ashley, Kyle, Frankie, Melonie, Gennea, Mackinzie, Emily Rose; nine great-grandchildren.

A Funeral Mass will be held at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, April 8, 2023, at the Whitfield Funeral Home, North Chapel. Interment will follow in Yonah Memorial Gardens.

The family will receive friends from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., Friday, April 7, 2023, at the funeral home.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the Whitfield Funeral Homes & Crematory, North Chapel, at 245 Central Avenue, Demorest, Georgia 30535. Telephone: 706-778-7123

Trump hit with 34 felony counts of falsifying New York state business records

By
Jacob Fischler and Ashley Murray
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Former President Donald Trump sits stoically in a Manhattan courtroom on Tuesday, April 4, 2023. He pleaded not guilty to 34 counts against him. Trump is the first U.S. president to be charged with a crime. (pool photo)

Former President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty Tuesday to 34 New York state felony offenses related to what prosecutors say were hush money payments to an adult film star.

In a brief but historic appearance in a Manhattan trial court, Trump, the first former president to face criminal prosecution, learned he was charged with falsifying business records 34 times from February to December 2017.

Trump’s former attorney, Michael Cohen, paid Stormy Daniels, a porn actor who said she had a sexual relationship with Trump, $130,000 in exchange for her silence about the supposed relationship during the 2016 presidential race, according to a 16-page indictment and attached statement of facts that were unsealed Tuesday.

Trump then repaid Cohen in 34 payments over the course of 2017 but described them in Trump Organization records as payments for legal services meant to cover up the payment to Daniels, prosecutors said.

Trump, a Republican candidate for president in 2024, denies having an affair with Daniels.

​​“These are crimes in New York no matter who you are,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said following the arraignment.

“Everyone stands equal before the law,” he added. “No amount of money and no amount of power changes that enduring American principle.”

Responding to a question asking why Bragg brought charges after his predecessor and federal prosecutors declined to do so, Bragg said his office had new evidence that wasn’t available to the prior district attorney and that New York state, as the “business capital of the world,” had a particular interest in prosecuting business fraud cases.

Trump has accused Bragg of being motivated by politics.

Just before arriving at the arraignment, Trump posted to his social media site, Truth Social.

“Heading to Lower Manhattan, the Courthouse” he wrote. “Seems so SURREAL — WOW, they are going to ARREST ME. Can’t believe this is happening in America. MAGA!”

Trump left the courthouse without commenting but is scheduled to speak later Tuesday at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

READ indictment here

Payments covered up campaign crime, DA says

Cohen’s payments to Daniels in 2016 exceeded campaign contribution limits — and because they were meant to boost Trump’s White House bid, they should be considered campaign funds, Bragg said. The records of Trump’s payments to Cohen, therefore, were meant to conceal a crime, making the false business records criminal.

“He could not simply say that the payments were a reimbursement for Mr. Cohen’s payments to Stormy Daniels,” Bragg said. “To do so, to make that true statement, would have been to admit a crime. So instead, Mr. Trump’s said he paid Mr. Cohen for fictitious legal services in 2017 to cover up actual crime committed the prior year.”

The indictment said the false business record was done “with intent to defraud and intent to commit another crime and aid and conceal the commission thereof.”

The payment to Daniels was part of a pattern Trump’s 2016 campaign employed to suppress stories about alleged Trump affairs, according to prosecutors’ statement of facts.

A longtime confidante of Trump, Cohen pleaded guilty in 2018 to campaign finance and fraud charges. He also pleaded guilty to lying to Congress.

He has said his crimes were in service of Trump’s 2016 campaign and has cooperated with authorities.

House Republicans attack DA

Bragg and U.S. House Republicans have publicly quarreled over the case, with the Republican chairs of the House Judiciary, Oversight & Accountability and Administration committees accusing Bragg of conducting a politically motivated prosecution.

Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan of Ohio and Oversight & Accountability Chair James Comer of Kentucky said in a Tuesday statement that Judge Juan Merchan should not impose an order on Trump not to speak about the case.

“To put any restrictions on the ability of President Trump to discuss his mistreatment at the hands of this politically motivated prosecutor would only further demonstrate the weaponization of the New York justice system,” they said.

“To even contemplate stifling the speech of the former commander in chief and current candidate for President is at odds with everything America stands for.”

Merchan did not issue a gag order Tuesday.

Jordan, Comer, and House Administration Chair Bryan Steil of Wisconsin wrote to Bragg last month, calling his prosecution politically motivated and demanding documents.

Greene headlines muted protest

U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia traveled to New York City for a Tuesday morning rally in support of Trump across the street from the Manhattan Courthouse.

According to videos and photos posted to Twitter, the Georgia Republican spoke for roughly 10 minutes through a bullhorn as supporters and journalists surrounded her, but counter-protesters largely muffled her comments with drums and whistles.

New York Republican Rep. George Santos, who is under several legal and ethical investigations, made a brief appearance in the crowd prior to Greene’s comments, according to news media reports.

Greene wrote on Twitter hours before the rally that protesters were “coming to commit assault that can cause audible damage to everyone’s ears, including NYPD.”

She wrote that protesters’ behavior should be considered “disorderly conduct” and that the “@NYCMayor better direct NYPD to lock these people up.”

New York City Mayor Eric Adams said in a Monday press conference that Greene should be on her “best behavior” during her visit.

In a “60 Minutes” interview that aired over the weekend, Greene defended her support for Trump and said other Republicans — including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and former House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin — “failed.”

Greene, a well-known 2020 election denier, sits on the House Committee on Oversight & Accountability and the Committee on Homeland Security.

Greene’s rally was presented in conjunction with the New York Young Republicans Club, which released a statement on March 30 that read in part: “President Trump embodies the American people — our psyche from id to super-ego — as does no other figure; his soul is totally bonded with our core values and emotions, and he is our total and indisputable champion. This tremendous connection threatens the established order.”

Apart from Greene’s appearance in New York, major pro-Trump protests appeared limited across the country Tuesday. The U.S. Capitol remained calm.

Democrats call for fair trial

Reaction from other political figures split along party lines, with several Republicans alleging political bias in the criminal process and Democrats saying the case should play out.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre declined to comment on Trump’s indictment.

“I’m just not going to speak to this case. I’m not going to go beyond what the president shared with all of you,” she said during the daily press briefing.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York released a statement following Trump’s surrender.

“I believe that Mr. Trump will have a fair trial that follows the facts and the law,” Schumer said in the statement. “There’s no place in our justice system for any outside influence or intimidation in the legal process. As the trial proceeds, protest is an American right but all protests must be peaceful.”

House Judiciary ranking member Jerrold Nadler of New York said the indictment appeared well-reasoned and urged Republicans not to interfere with the judicial process.

“This matter will play out in the New York criminal justice system, no matter how MAGA Republicans try to obstruct the process,” he said. “In a desperate attempt to protect Mr. Trump, the most extreme House Republicans are already trying to bully the law enforcement officers involved. I do not know how this case will be decided, but I do know that DA Bragg will not be deterred or intimidated by the political stunts Jim Jordan and (U.S. House Speaker) Kevin McCarthy throw at him.”

House GOP leaders defend Trump

Republicans in Congress posted messages on Twitter criticizing the indictment.

House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, a Minnesota Republican, tweeted Tuesday was “a historic low for our nation.”

“The Democrat Party has proven there is nothing they won’t do to hold onto power — even if it means weaponizing our justice system to target a political opponent,” Emmer wrote.

Fourth-ranking House Republican Elise Stefanik of New York posted to Twitter: “I stand with President Trump.”

“Another dark day in our nation’s history. The Far Left will stop at nothing to punish Joe Biden’s number one political opponent Donald Trump,” Stefanik tweeted about a half hour later.

House Deputy Whip Guy Reschenthaler of Pennsylvania blamed the indictment on the “extreme left.”

“The Left’s weaponization of our criminal justice system for their own benefit is truly un-American,” he wrote on Twitter.

Tennessee Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn said the “indictment is a gross abuse of power by a Democrat DA to get an outcome that the left has wanted for years.”

Utah Republican Sen. Mitt Romney began his statement by saying that he believes Trump’s “character and conduct make him unfit for office.”

“Even so, I believe the New York prosecutor has stretched to reach felony criminal charges in order to fit a political agenda,” he continued.

Other Republican members of Congress, however, were not focused solely on Trump.

Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin tweeted photos of a visit to Guymon, saying it was the first stop on his statewide tour.

“We discussed the ongoing drought, inflation, and the existential threat of communist China. Thanks to Mayor Kim Peterson for hosting us!” Mullin wrote.

Georgia Rep. Rich McCormick tweeted a photo of himself shaking hands with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as part of a congressional delegation to the country.

“I was able to ask questions AND witness firsthand the accountability of equipment and impact that our assistance is having,” McCormick wrote. “I will continue to fight to hold the Biden Administration accountable for doing the right things and for doing things right.”

Nebraska Sen. Pete Ricketts shared photos of a meeting with the Columbus Rotary in the afternoon after congratulating Finland for joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization earlier in the day.

“We heard firsthand about Finland’s highly capable military during my recent official visit. They’ll be a critical asset to the trans-Atlantic Alliance in the face of Russian aggression,” Ricketts wrote.

Other charges possibly looming

As he readies for another White House run, Trump faces other criminal investigations.

The U.S. Justice Department is investigating his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol after the congressional committee tasked with probing the causes of the insurrection made a criminal referral to the department.

Federal authorities are also investigating Trump’s handling of classified documents after his presidency. FBI agents retrieved boxes of classified material Trump took from the White House to his South Florida residence when he left office.

And a Georgia grand jury is looking into potential election interference from Trump during his reelection campaign in 2020. Trump was taped shortly after Election Day 2020 asking the Georgia secretary of state to “find” enough votes to overturn the state’s election results in his favor.

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States Newsroom reported Jennifer Schutt contributed to this report

Would-be burglars electrocuted in Gainesville

By
Staff Report
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Two men were found dead inside this Georgia Power substation off Atlanta Highway in Gainesville before dawn on Monday, April 3, 2023. (Gainesville Police Dept.)

Two suspected thieves are dead after trying to steal from a power substation.

According to Gainesville police, around 3 a.m. Monday, emergency crews were called to the 2100 block of Atlanta Highway about a transformer fire.

When crews arrived, they found two men dead.

The investigation revealed the pair trespassed, broke into a fenced area, and attempted to steal from the substation. They were electrocuted and killed, police say.

(photo by Gainesville PD)

Gainesville Fire Department crews and Georgia Power employees worked to ensure the area was safe before retrieving the bodies. The two men have been identified as 44-year-old Christopher Blair Wood and 45-year-old Shane Joseph Long. Authorities sent their bodies to the GBI crime lab in Decatur for autopsies.

Substations convert high-voltage electricity into lower voltages that can be used in homes and businesses, according to Georgia Power.

The case remains under investigation. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the Gainesville Police Department at 770-534-5252.

Mary Street Park being revitalized with community center, pickleball courts

By
Staff Report
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AFTER | Here's how it looks now. Originally built in 1937, the lodge at 157 Mary Street has undergone extensive renovations. The building will be used as a community center. (Jerry Neace/Now Habersham)

It’s been years since the sounds of delighted children splashing and yelling for their moms to “watch me!” filled the air at Mary Street Park. Clarkesville closed its community pool years ago. It’s been even longer since Sharing and Caring first opened in Habersham and set up shop in the old brick lodge on Mary Street.

Now, the area is being brought back to life through the vision of city leaders and two taxpayer-funded investments.

Community Center

Next month, Clarkesville plans to reopen the lodge for use as a community center. The 2,400-square-foot facility, which was built around the time of the Great Depression, is currently being renovated. It’s on track to open in mid-May, city leaders say.

Contractors have been working on the building since December. It required substantial work due to its age and lack of upkeep.

The 86-year-old lodge sat vacant for years. Here’s how it looked in January of 2023. (NowHabersham.com)

 

So far, Clarkesville has spent approximately $135,000 on the project, says city manager Keith Dickerson. Once renovations are complete, the building will be available for the public to rent for meetings and special gatherings.

The Clarkesville City Council is still trying to work out the details. Council members discussed rental fees and how to manage the property during their monthly meeting on April 3. Although they did not reach any decisions, they say they hope to have a rental policy drawn up and ready to approve at their May meeting.

(Jerry Neace/Now Habersham)
The interior includes(Jerry Neace/Now Habersham)
(Jerry Neace/Now Habersham)

Pickleball courts

While progress is moving along steadily on the community center, work on Clarkesville’s planned pickleball courts has stalled.

The two new courts at Mary Street Park are being built where the pool used to be. Instead of youthful chatter, nearby residents will hear the ‘pop pop’ of plastic perforated pickleballs hitting players’ paddles.

(Pickleball took off during the pandemic and has become a favorite pastime of older adults. So much so that Habersham County transformed two of its tennis courts into six pickleball courts earlier this year.)

A gravel pad sits where pickelball courts are to be built at Mary Street Park in Clarkesville. (Jerry Neace/Now Habersham)

The Clarkesville City Council approved the courts’ construction last April at a cost of $82,500. To date, the city has only spent approximately $6,000 on the project, says Dickerson. He says the project stalled because of the weather and scheduling conflicts with the paving contractor.

“When you get into the wet season, and you’re talking about working in a hole up here and getting heavy equipment down there, it’s not going to be easy to do,” says Dickerson.

According to Dickerson, the project won’t move forward until the paving is completed.

The city is also waiting for park bathrooms to be delivered.

Clarkesville contracted with a company to have the bathrooms “pre-built.” They’ll be built in a factory, then delivered and installed at the same time. Dickerson says the pre-built unit costs a little bit more than stick-built construction but is easier and faster to install.

“They are nice bathrooms,” he says. “They look nice, and they are built to last and easier to maintain.”

The Mary Street bathrooms are included in the pickleball court project cost.

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