The City of Cleveland will hold a public meeting Tuesday, June 20, for those interested in submitting an application for a potential package store license within the city.
“All interested applicants, agents, or parties seeking to submit an application are encouraged to attend. Attendance is not required, but applicants and/or agents are strongly encouraged to attend,” says Cleveland City Administrator Kevin Harris.
He says they’ll discuss information about requirements, processes, and the upcoming lottery.
Applications will be provided during the meeting and will be available online after the meeting at www.cityofclevelandga.org. Applications may also be picked up at Cleveland City Hall from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, through July 13.
Tuesday’s meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. at the Cleveland Police Department/Oak Springs Center, located at 342 Campbell Street.
11th annual Atlanta Juneteenth Parade and Festival Saturday, June 17, 2023. (Aaleah McConnell/Georgia Recorder)
(GA Recorder) — June 19, once an afterthought for many, is getting more recognition across the country two years after gaining official status as a federal holiday.
And Georgia, a state with a rich Black history and culture, is the perfect place for many freedom-loving Americans to observe the importance of Juneteenth to Black communities around the state.
“This is a tremendous day where the slaves were given notice that, hey, the things that you’re doing, you don’t have to do that anymore. You can leave. I thought that was something that we really needed to pay homage to and work on,” said state Rep. Miriam Paris, a Macon Democrat who was a long-time proponent of making Juneteenth a state holiday in Georgia.
“Just the idea that now they are thinking about discontinuing diversity and inclusion conversations,” Paris said. “We’ve got to do what needs to be done. To make sure that we take forward motion to know our own history.”
Member of the Tuskegee Airmen at the 11th annual Atlanta Juneteenth Parade and Festival Saturday, June 17, 2023. (Aaleah McConnell/Georgia Recorder)
Last year, Gov. Brian Kemp signed off on a bill sponsored by then Columbus Democrat Rep. Calvin Smyre that officially made Juneteenth a state holiday in Georgia.
To keep Black history alive, a multitude of Juneteenth celebrations kicked off on Saturday and each focused on a unique scope of the holiday. Several events took place in the metro Atlanta area, ranging from cookouts and parades to fashion shows.
Marching to a new beat
From the state Capitol to Centennial Park, Georgians of all stripes marched, danced, and even double-Dutched their way through the city as part of Atlanta’s Juneteenth Parade and Music Festival.
The Juneteenth krewe included: the Atlanta Ol’ Skool Drummers, an all-male percussion group; Marching to Harmony Inc., a nonprofit group aiming to protect music and art programs in public schools; and Power Up by Atlanta Public Schools, which offers summer learning programs for K-12 students. Rep. Mesha Mainor, an Atlanta Democrat, participated in the parade. Also on hand were a couple of members of the heroic Tuskegee Airmen.
11th annual Atlanta Juneteenth Parade and Festival Saturday, June 17, 2023. (Aaleah McConnell/Georgia Recorder)
The crowd cheered on as the Seed and Feed marching band, a colorful and eclectic Batucada drum ensemble, and the 40+ Double Dutch Club passed through. But some groups were there to raise awareness, including the New Afrikan Scout Organization, which is a youth program formed in the late 1970s that aims to instill pride and unity amongst children of African descent.
“We have Black history month and we celebrate Martin Luther King’s birthday. Juneteenth is our Independence Day. Our nation has an Independence Day for Black people that were slaves. So I’m a product of Juneteenth. This is a significant day, and we should celebrate it,” Mainor said.
‘Community full of culture’
While the parade made its way through downtown, a Juneteenth celebration honoring Black hair and beauty took place at Pullman Yards. The Beaute Noir Fest is the brainchild of Janelle Stephens, CEO of the haircare brand Camille Rose Naturals, and it drew in a diverse crowd with its beauty panels, photo stations and stations for local Black entrepreneurs.
MC Lyte being presented with the Legacy Award at Camille Rose Naturals’ BEAUTÉ NOIR FEST in Atlanta, Ga. Saturday, June 17, 2023. Aaleah McConnell/Georgia Recorder.
“Our community is full of culture, especially when it comes to our hair, our beauty and our style,” Stephens said. “We’re the trendsetters, our culture is at the forefront when it comes to creating styles of our own.”
“I just thought it was a perfect time for us to bring the tastemakers, influencers, people who are behind the scenes, other business owners that are really really making things happen, but they’re not necessarily always on the front line,” Stephens said.
Plug for voting
Over at East Point City Hall, hundreds camped out in lawn chairs to take part in the NAACP Juneteenth concert featuring acts like Keith Washington and Angela Winbush. With plenty of good food and music, the East Point community united to remember the day when freedom applied to all Americans.
“So until 2,000 troops showed up in Galveston, Texas and said, this war is over, Black people are not going to be enslaved anymore. And that didn’t happen until June 19. So that’s why we do Juneteenth.” said Richard Rose, president of the NAACP Atlanta Chapter.
Rose, who has picketed for equal rights since the age of 13, not only reminded concert-goers about the history of Juneteenth but also about the importance of voting.
“We have to make sure that we vote. We have to participate in this democracy,” Rose said. “We have to remind people where we are, that it is just not a fun time. It’s a commemoration. It’s a recognition. It’s a time of chance to say, this is who we are, we are here, we are part of this country.”
NAACP Juneteenth Concert in East Point Saturday, June 17, 2023. (Aaleah McConnell/Georgia Recorder)
Historical perspective in Valdosta
This year marked the 31st annual Juneteenth festival in Valdosta, and similar to the NAACP, the Southside Library Boosters, along with the New Georgia Project, set out to create bonding within their community.
“The theme for this year is unity. And it’s not even unity, just with the people in communities. unity in different age groups and different generations,” said Louis Gordon, field manager for the New Georgia Project’s Valdosta branch.
The week-long festival included a classic car showcase, live performances and a tribute to the Divine 9, a council of historically Black fraternities and sororities. And organizations like the New Georgia Project were there to inform people about their voting rights.
“As far as education goes with the community, (New Georgia Project) will be out there, you know, so we’ll be educating people on voting rights and how to get registered, how to be heard in your community,” Gordon said.
And while the message to get out and vote was pitched, the Southside Library Boosters advocated for access to education and library resources, given that at one point in time, Black people in the South were denied access to quality education.
“For decades, there was no library on the south side of town,” founding member of the Southside Library Boosters, Beverly Richardson-Blake, said. “So, in order for our children to get books, they had to go to the north side.”
“(But now) we did get there, and now it is undergoing some renovations. But at one time, the southside was a thriving area. You know, there were stores, there were businesses. There was access to information, and that has kind of dwindled away. So as the library reopens, one of the things we want to do is take a look back at what the south side of Valdosta used to look like.”
Soul food served up Dublin style
A growing organization out of Dublin, called Cultureshock of Dublin, held its fourth annual Taste of Juneteenth festival over the weekend. Not only was it a celebration of traditional soul food, but the festival also served as a platform to bring awareness to challenges in the Black community, including mental health care and dietary health.
“People always come together with food and music. So why not use that platform to just be able to connect better,” said Sheree Jackson, one of the founding members of Cultureshock.
For Jackson, starting the Juneteenth festival was one way to join hands with neighbors to have a positive impact in their city.
“It originally started with wanting to have resources, you know, for the community,” Jackson said. “We just wanted to bring that (to Dublin) and be an asset to our community, just to be exposed to different cultures and different ways of doing things. Because we do live in an area where a lot of people don’t have access or means to go outside of their city, so we just want to be an answer and a convenience. as well as incorporate fun, food and fellowship.”
On Monday, June 19, the Sautee Nacoochee Center will observe the United States’ newest Federal holiday with a day full of events for Juneteenth. The day is set aside to commemorate the announcement of the abolition of slavery and the emancipation of Black citizens throughout the United States on June 19, 1865.
At SNC, the day will be dedicated to raising funds for the Bean Creek Missionary Baptist Church cemetery. Educational materials and opportunities will be offered throughout the day.
Schedule of events
Audrey Davenport, Curator & President of the Regional African American Museum of Northeast Georgia (RAAMNG), located in Cornelia, will be on campus from 1 until 4 p.m.
Beginning at 1 p.m., she will present a Think & Listen session for willing participants. She describes this interactive activity as “Thinking and allowing others to think, with no attachment to who we are, our role or experience, and intentionally taking the time to empty the glass and think and go deeper.” Contact the Center to participate.
From 1 to 3 p.m., Sharon Mumbi of Cumming will demonstrate the creation of her work as a fiber artist. Sharon, the founder of Africasy, specializes in creating handmade leather Ankara Beaded handbag clutches, Fedora hats, ponchos, and sandals. She is an SNC juried artist, and her work is for sale in the gallery shops.
At 2 p.m. in the Community Hall, Davenport will conduct a tour of the Regional African American Museum of Northeast Georgia Exhibition, followed by a question-and-answer period. The exhibition is available for viewing beginning at 10 a.m. Included in the exhibition is a display of the Cornelia Regional Colored High School (CRCHS) building blueprints and plaque, digitized original materials related to the RAAMNG, a slide presentation supplementing the panels with CRCHS reunions, and video recordings relevant to RAAMNG.
From 10 a.m. until 5 p.m., material presenting the history of Bean Creek Missionary Baptist Church will be on display in the Community Hall.
In the Folk Pottery Museum, a family packet of material that includes activities, reading lists, and online resources will be offered, along with hourly readings of Laban Carrick Hill’s Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave. Additionally, panels from the 2019 Dave Drake exhibit will be on display.
From 5:30 until 8:00 p.m., the community will gather to celebrate with a supported potluck featuring chicken barbecued on site. Folks can “RSVP” for the potluck on the SNC website.
A program of recognition and celebration will follow on the Outdoor Stage. Included in the program will be a recitation by local youth of two Juneteenth-related books. Members of the Bean Creek Missionary Baptist Church Choir will lead folks in lifting their voices.
“Juneteenth celebrates African American freedom and achievement. It also serves as an important reminder that the work to fulfill America’s promise of equality and justice is ongoing,” says SNC Marketing and Development Coordinator Jennie Ingliss
The day’s activities are free of charge, and all are welcome. The Center’s grounds are open for families and churches to gather, picnic, and recreate.
For more information, contact the Center at 706-878-3300 or at [email protected].
Introducing Bleu, a handsome Shepherd mix who is eagerly seeking his forever home. Bleu loves to play with other dogs and surprised us by being gentle and playful with kids too. Right now, the shelter is overcrowded, and he is hoping to quickly meet his forever family.
Bleu has surprised us all by blossoming into a truly wonderful companion. Inside this once standoffish dog, we discovered a heart full of humility and friendliness that simply needed some gentle coaxing to come to the surface.
If you want a loyal and friendly dog, Bleu is the one for you. He’s great with other dogs and loves being around children. Let’s find Bleu a home where he’ll be loved and cared for. You’ll be amazed at how he can become an even more amazing dog when given a chance.
Bleu is 70 lbs and approximately 5 years old.
Click here to make an appointment to meet Bleu at the Habersham County Animal Shelter. The shelter is located at 4231 Toccoa Highway in Clarkesville, Georgia.
Personnel from multiple agencies searched for two days to find a missing father who drowned in Lake Hartwell. His body was located late Saturday afternoon, June 17, 2023. (Elbert County Emergency Services/Facebook)
Searchers have recovered the body of a father who disappeared Friday in Lake Hartwell. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division identified the victim as 45-year-old Constantin Pascal of Lawrenceville.
“Based on statements from witnesses, while pulling his son on a tube, the father noticed that the child’s life jacket had come unfastened. He immediately put the boat in neutral and jumped into the water from the vessel to assist the child, but the man did not resurface after entering the water,” says the agency’s spokesperson Mark McKinnon.
According to McKinnon, a passerby rescued the juvenile and transported him to the Payne’s Creek Boat Ramp on Lake Hartwell.
Two days of searching
The incident happened near Payne’s Creek Campground. Deputies responded to the area around 6:30 p.m. Friday, June 16. First responders searched late into the night and resumed their search Saturday.
Game Wardens, with assistance from Hart County Fire, the Hart County Sheriff’s Office, Anderson County, South Carolina Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit, and the Elbert County Fire Dive Team, searched the lake using SONAR and underwater drones.
They also conducted surface searches and used divers in several locations, McKinnon says.
On Sunday, June 17, at 6:40 p.m., the Elbert County Fire Dive Team recovered Pascal’s body in 43 feet of water.
Pascal reportedly was not wearing a life vest when he jumped into the water.
Third drowning in three days
This is at least the third drowning to impact Northeast Georgians in less than a week.
With the summer months in full swing, McKinnon advises there are steps people can take to help protect themselves and others against drowning.
“Even though it appears this one was just a very tragic incident, generally, people need to remember to wear life jackets, always closely supervise children, don’t boat or swim while impaired, and be sure not to try to swim above your ability.”
(GA Recorder) — New Hampshire Democrats will have at least 90 more days to change when and how the state plans to hold its 2024 Democratic presidential primary after the national party approved an extension in a committee meeting Friday.
Iowa, which proposed both a mail-in and an in-person caucus process, was found not compliant. But the state will be able to work with DNC staff on issues and come back to the committee later for approval, though an earlier decision to strip Iowa of its first-in-the-nation status stands.
Georgia Democrats didn’t receive more time to meet requirements for an early primary after its Republican secretary of state set a presidential primary date that doesn’t align with Democrats’ plans.
Democratic National Committee Rules and Bylaws Co-Chair Minyon Moore said while there’s some disagreement between the national party and New Hampshire Democrats on when the state should hold its Democratic primary election, President Joe Biden, who is running for re-election, wants them to be one of the first states to vote.
In Georgia, she said, the panel’s efforts to make the state one of the first in the country to vote for a Democratic nominee for president haven’t played out as hoped.
“After we passed our historic proposal to add Georgia to the early window, Democrats in Georgia — with considerable support from the DNC — launched a multi-front campaign that lasted over six months,” Moore said at the meeting in Minneapolis.
The Georgia secretary of state, she said, “expressed the willingness to move their primary to our desired date if both parties could agree to it.”
But Republicans in the Peach State didn’t agree, and the secretary of state set the presidential primary election date for mid-March, she said.
Because of that decision, Moore said, the Rules and Bylaws Committee didn’t need to extend the waiver that would have given Georgia more time to meet the panel’s requirements for an early Democratic presidential primary election. The early window is typically in February, with states allowed to hold their primaries when they wish, starting in March.
“Regardless, I think the foundation has been laid for 2028, and it is a discussion we need to continue,” Moore said.
Georgia’s delegate selection plan for 2024 wasn’t on the Rules and Bylaws Committee’s agenda for Friday, so the panel will take that up later this year.
The Democratic presidential nominating process previously started with the Iowa caucuses, followed by New Hampshire, then Nevada before South Carolina.
South Carolina, Nevada, and Michigan have met the requirements laid out, though New Hampshire and Georgia had not as of the Friday meeting.
New Hampshire Democrats are furious with the change and maintain that Republicas, who control their state governmet, arunwillingng to implement the changes the DNC has called for.
DNC Chair Jaime Harrison said at the beginning of Friday’s meeting that he understood the change is difficult for some but encouraged the panel to press ahead.
“This party has to continue to evolve like this country continues to evolve,” he said.
Delegate selection plans
Rules and Bylaws Co-Chair James Roosevelt, Jr., said that the process for approving each state’s delegate selection plans for the 2024 Democratic presidential primary could take a while.
In the past, he said, the panel did its best to finalize all the plans before the end of the year before the election, though they often end up working on some of the plans in the new year.
Rules and Bylaws member Scott Brennan of Iowa read a letter from Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart, who wrote the changes would “transform our caucuses into the most inclusive process in Iowa history.”
“For the first time, a police officer or firefighter working in a third shift, a single parent who may not have access to childcare, or those in the disability community who may be unable to leave their homes will be able to participate in the Iowa Democratic caucuses and make their voices heard in the presidential selection process,” she wrote.
The in-person caucus, Hart wrote, would be “on the same date as the Iowa Republicans and eight days prior to any other state’s presidential nominating contest.”
During those meetings, she wrote, the attendees would “elect unbound delegates to county conventions, elect precinct committee persons to county conventions and discuss platform resolutions.”
The mail-in ballots could be sent through the mail or filled out online under the proposal.
Hart also acknowledged the state Democratic Party needs to add more details to its plan before it could receive approval.
“We know there are still some missing pieces in this draft delegate selection plan that is designed to provide enough flexibility for the Iowa Democratic Party to respond to the continued uncertainty surrounding the presidential nominating calendar,” Hart said. “We look forward to providing more details to the committee once the calendar challenges are resolved.”
“Lynn, I don’t know how to be a good father because my father was unable to show me how.” I will never forget Dad sharing this with me after a dispute we had years ago.
Ray Walker’s father died when he was only 5 years old, leaving him with no recollection of his dad. According to photographs, he bore a striking resemblance to his father, but besides what his older brother told him, there is no memory. All the parental duties for Dad and his three siblings fell on his mother, Rose. What a strong woman she was to endure the Great Depression, World War II, and a myriad of jobs.
Dad flourished under his mother’s watchful, caring eyes, but loss always leaves scars. Yet, my father understood how to be a good parent because his mother showed him the way. We all can become exceptional parents through love, being responsible, providing discipline, and sharing quality time.
However, love requires duty, patience, understanding, and providing a child with the knowledge that we will never abandon them. Being a loving father is staying with your children whether you live with them or not. When a father dies is far different than when one walks away. Death cannot be controlled, but leaving a child creates a never-ending aching heart and countless long-lasting issues.
My paternal grandfather Robert E. Walker died when my dad was just 5 years old.
Fatherhood is a gift; some incredible men understand such an enormous blessing. They worry, provide, teach, shelter, and care for their children. These remarkable men need to form a committee of thousands to show others what being a present father means for their children and the world.
We are facing a heartbreaking pandemic of absent fathers, and it is affecting our daily lives. Countless studies have shown that children raised without a caring father are more prone to live in poverty, commit crimes, and face more psychological problems.
When a parent forsakes a child, they should be jailed! Fathers who do not pay child support also abandon their children and leave nothing but hardship and disappointment behind. It is unsuitable for society to allow those who do not support their offspring to roam free.
Communities of all races should race to find solutions to this epidemic. Women who become mothers without a partner and are not financially capable of caring for a child need to read the stinging statistics. Our poor decisions can unfairly affect a child forever. To bring a child into the world is to care enough for another human being to make ourselves knowledgeable.
Every job requires training. Why do we not train to be accountable, successful parents when it is the most important task we will be given in our lives?
Community leaders, mentors, churches, and education are needed to stem this far-reaching, heartbreaking pandemic.
My father learned from his mother the importance of fatherhood. He witnessed the struggles she incurred both financially and emotionally. He knew how to become the best of fathers was to love his wife. Thus, my brother and I grew up with parents who laughed, loved, and enjoyed each other until their lives ended. How fortunate we were!
My maternal grandfather John Pugh.
Charles Ketterling wrote, “Every father should remember one day his son will follow his example, not his advice.”
For a child to reach their purpose in life, it is to lead them with integrity, humbleness, courage, and discipline. Success as an adult is not about how much money we accumulate but how we earn the money deposited in the bank. Was it acquired through honesty, hard work, and honor? Dishonesty, bullying, and abuse are passed to the child who is watching.
The best memory of my grandfather, John, was that no matter how hard he worked at the lumber mill, he was dressed in his suit on Sunday morning. His pocket watch tucked in his vest, a Bible in his hands, and we were off to Sunday School and church. I learned from my grandfather that God was the ruler of his home and the love of his life—such an honorable, God-fearing man who raised wonderfully adoring, accomplished children.
He learned to be a shining example of the importance of fatherhood from the Lord himself.
Cynthia Renee “Cindy” Dorsey Knight, age 58, of Demorest, Georgia, took her heavenly flight home to be with the Lord on Saturday, June 17, 2023, following a courageous battle with cancer.
Born in Lumpkin County, Georgia, on April 29, 1965, she was the youngest daughter of Margaret Taylor Dorsey Smith of Cleveland, Georgia & the late Harmon Dorsey. Cindy was a graduate of White County High School, Class of 1983, and a graduate of North Georgia Technical College, Class of 1988, where she received a degree in cosmetology. She was a hairstylist for over 40 years and the owner of CK Salon in Clarkesville. In her spare time, Cindy loved cooking, reading, shopping/running errands with her sisters, and trips to the beach. Most of all, she enjoyed spending precious time with her family. Cindy was a member of Zion Interdenominational Church.
In addition to her father, she was preceded in death by her sisters, Patricia Ann Carlyle Pardue & Pamela Irvin, and mother-in-law Janice Knight.
Survivors include her loving husband of 40 years, Marty Knight; son & daughter-in-law, Jonathan & Katelan Knight; all of Demorest, GA; mother, Margaret Taylor Dorsey Smith of Cleveland, GA; sisters & brothers-in-law, Jeannie & Truit Helton of Cleveland, GA; Sherrill & Doug Dockery of Clarkesville, GA; Lynn & Tony Hogan of Cleveland, GA; father-in-law, John Knight; brothers-in-law, Scott Knight; Danny Irvin all of Demorest, GA; a host of nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, extended family, friends, & her grand-dog, Ollie.
Funeral services are scheduled for 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, June 21, 2023, at Hillside Memorial Chapel with Rev. Gary Heffner & Rev. Tim Burpee officiating. Interment will follow in the Zion Interdenominational Church Cemetery.
The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 2:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. & 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 20, 2023.
Flowers are accepted, or donations may be made in memory of Cindy Knight to Hospice of Northeast Georgia Medical Center, ATTN: Toni – Hospice Inpatient Unit, 743 Spring Street N.E. Gainesville, GA. 30501.
The family would like to express their deepest gratitude to the Hospice of Northeast Georgia Medical Center, Inpatient Staff Unit, for their excellent care and compassion during this difficult time.
Future location of Rich and Savvy Cigar Lounge on the square. (Jerry Neace/NowHabersham.com)
The Clarkesville City Council has paved the way for a wine and cigar lounge to open downtown. Other establishments like it could follow.
In a special called meeting Thursday afternoon, the council approved an amendment to the city’s alcohol ordinance.
The Bar and Tavern Ordinance amendment authorizes retail businesses, specifically in Clarkesville’s Downtown Entertainment District, to derive 60% or more of their total annual gross revenue from the sale of alcoholic beverages. It removes the requirement for a percentage of sales to be derived from meals and food.
Restaurants, regardless of their location in Clarkesville, must still derive at least 50% percent of their gross annual sales from food and meals.
The new ordinance allows bars and taverns to sell wine and beer that can be consumed within the entertainment district. Liquor must be consumed on site. If owners want to sell pacakge beer and wine they must get a separate license for that.
Two residents who attended Thursday night’s meeting told Now Habersham they think this change will bring some unique establishments into the city, and possibly fill some of the vacant buildings on the square. Both residents asked to remain unnamed.
Cigar lounge coming to town
The Clarkesville City Council discusses the city’s Bar and Tavern ordinance before passing the measure. Shown, from left, are Angelia Kiker, Mayor Barrie Aycock, Brad Coppedge and Rick Wood. Councilmember Franklin Brown was not at the meeting. (Jerry Neace/NowHabersham.com)
Savannah Davis wants to use this new ordinance to open a wine and cigar lounge on the downtown square. She has been advocating for this amendment for over a month so that she can move forward with her business. The new establishment will be called the Rich and Savvy Cigar Lounge and will be located at 1442 Washington Street in Clarkesville.
After the amendment passed, Davis told Now Habersham, “I’m excited, and I have a positive outlook on what it will do to the Entertainment District as far as bringing people into the town.”
Clarkesville City Councilmember Brad Coppedge agrees.
“It’s unique in a sense that I believe this is going to be the only wine and cigar bar in the entire area,” he told Now Habersham. “We’ve got a lot of people who have come from other parts of the country – other parts of Georgia – and wine and cigar bars are pretty much around a lot of the bigger cities. I believe this is an opportunity to have something unique and different for the downtown area.”
The National Ranger Foundation has asked Congress to intervene and restore four Confederate soldier's names to the National Ranger monument at Fort Moore in Columbus, GA. (photo courtesy National Ranger Foundation/Facebook)
The names of four Confederate soldiers are no longer visible on a monument to U.S. Army Rangers at Fort Moore. Army officials confirmed the names have been obscured as they work to remove them completely. The actions are part of the law this year that also changed the Installation’s name from Fort Benning to Fort Moore.
National Ranger Memorial Foundation chairman Joseph Stringam objects to what he calls the monument’s defacement.
“The Ranger Memorial is a Ranger monument. It is not a Confederate monument. It has been privately owned and supported by Rangers, past, present and hopefully future.”
(photo courtesy National Ranger Foundation/Facebook)
In a statement, Army officials say the foundation gifted the monument to the Army in 1993. Stringam sent a letter signed by more than 100 retired Rangers to U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, asking Republican leaders to reverse the removal.
Ann Wilkie Robertson, age 88, of Clarkesville, Georgia, took her heavenly flight home to be with the Lord on Tuesday, June 13, 2023.
Born in Gaffney, South Carolina, on December 29, 1934, she was a daughter of the late Berry & Sara Jackson Wilkie. Ann was an office manager at Fort Gillem in Forest Park before retirement, with over 30 years of dedicated service. She married the love of her life, Lyman Franklin Robertson, Sr., on October 07, 1951. In her spare time, Ann enjoyed gardening and sewing. She also spent many years volunteering at various church events and loved working with children. Ann was a member of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Clarkesville.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her siblings, Joe Wilkie, Wayne Wilkie, & Jenny Lee Wilkie.
Survivors include her loving husband of 71 years, Lyman Franklin Robertson, Sr. of Clarkesville, GA; son & daughter-in-law, Len & Erika Robertson of The Netherlands; grandchildren, Anna Marie Robertson, Benjamin Robertson, & Thomas Robertson of The Netherlands; brother & sister-in-law, Raymond & Elizabeth Wilkie; other relatives, & a host of friends.
Funeral services are scheduled for 11:30 A.M. Monday, June 19, 2023, at Hillside Memorial Chapel with Rev. Chip Cranford officiating. Interment will follow in the Hillside Gardens Cemetery.
The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 10:30 A.M. until the service hour on Monday, June 19, 2023.
Flowers are accepted, or donations may be made to Bethlehem Baptist Church, P.O. Box 488, Clarkesville, GA. 30523
Former Banks County Fire Capt. and Habersham County businessman Richie Alford died on June 15, 2023, while vacationing in Florida.
“Richie died doing what he loved, which was helping others in their time of need.”
That’s how friends and colleagues of retired Banks County Fire Capt. Richie Alford are remembering him after receiving the devastating news of his death.
Alford was on vacation in Panama City Beach, Florida, when he went to rescue two distressed swimmers caught in a rip current Thursday afternoon. He did not make it back to shore.
“Today, we received a phone call that no one wants to get. We lost a friend and brother, not just a coworker,” the Banks County Fire and EMS Department said in a post on social media. “We are devastated and heartbroken.”
In an interview with the Panama City News Herald, Daryl Paul of Panama City Beach Fire Rescue said, “(Alford) jumped in the water to try and rescue two swimmers in distress, but unfortunately, he paid the ultimate sacrifice. When our units arrived on scene, he was submerged. … It was really tough conditions.”
Lifeguards pulled Alford ashore, and emergency medical crews performed CPR but were unable to revive him. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Banks County Fire Chief Steve Nichols says both of the swimmers that Alford went into the Gulf of Mexico to help, survived.
Alford retired from the Banks County Fire Department two years ago to open his own business, Habersham Glass, based in Cornelia.
Tributes to a ‘true hero’
Richie Alford’s colleagues called the 52-year-old from Lula, “a true hero.” They asked the community to pray for his family and friends in the days and weeks ahead.
Nichols told Now Habersham, “We’ll be back in town Sunday with his body.” McGahee Griffin and Stewart Funeral Home in Cornelia is handling Alford’s funeral arrangements. No details have yet been released.
A procession of firefighters will carry Alford’s body to the funeral home Sunday. It will travel from LaGrange to Cornelia along Highway 441 from Interstate 85 through Banks County. The procession should arrive in Cornelia around 3 or 3:30 p.m.
In addition to the honorary procession, the Banks County Fire Department is paying tribute to Alford with a fundraiser to assist his family. Banks County first responders have organized a memorial 5K and one-mile fun run for Saturday, July 22, at Banks County Primary School. They are now accepting online registrations.
All public safety participants are asked to wear their gear for the race in tribute to their fallen colleague.
“The goal of this day is to celebrate and remember the life of our friend and colleague. We want to support his family as much as possible, so all proceeds raised will be presented to the Alford family after the race.”
