Demorest Mayor Jerry Harkness, center in back, says the council was aware of Mark Musselwhite's widely publicized arrest for public indecency in 2009. Harkness says of all the options they had for naming an interim manager, Musselwhite was "the clear winner." (livestream image)
Less than 24 hours after hiring former Gainesville Mayor Mark Musselwhite to serve as interim city manager, Demorest officials are addressing questions about his widely publicized arrest for public indecency 13 years ago.
On June 20, 2009, a DNR official and sheriff’s deputy arrested Musselwhite at a Rabun County campground. According to a report filed by the AJC at the time, Musselwhite was sitting at a campsite naked, holding a beer, when law enforcement questioned him about a complaint they’d received.
Musselwhite, then 43, told the officials “he was hot and had been in the creek,” the paper reported, citing an incident report filed with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.
Musselwhite was charged and booked at the Rabun County Detention Center. His arrest made national news. The case was quietly settled in Rabun County Superior Court in September 2009. According to the Rabun County Clerk of Court’s Office, Musselwhite forfeited his $500 cash bond on a charge of public drunkenness.
Demorest Mayor Jerry Harkness says the city council was aware of what he called “allegations” against Musselwhite when they hired him during a meeting on Thursday, December 8.
“I am not qualified to speak on any charges, any allegations, that were in the past. We were looking to the future, looking to his experience, and looking for an interim city manager we could bring in and continue the city business. That was what was important to us,” Harkness tells Now Habersham.
Pressed on whether the council researched the case against Musselwhite, Harkness says, “I was aware of some allegations. We did look into that.”
Mayor Harkness says Kim Simonds resigned from her position as city manager. Interim city clerk Megan Chastain says Simonds’ last day in the office was Thursday. Given the abrupt nature of her departure, Harkness says the council’s window was “very short to find someone to come in quick.”
“We had reached out to numerous different parties over a short period of time and came up with a couple of options, and he [Musselwhite] was the clear winner,” Harkness says.
Asked if Musselwhite would be considered as a candidate to succeed Simonds full-time, the mayor says, “I can’t speak for Mr. Musselwhite whether he would want to apply, but we would absolutely encourage that.”
Now Habersham has been unable to reach Musselwhite for comment. His first day on the job as Demorest’s interim city manager is Monday, December 12.
Mr. Robin Earl May “Pops,” age 59, of Cornelia, Georgia, passed away on Thursday, December 8, 2022, following a brief illness.
Mr. May was born on September 7, 1963, in Commerce, Georgia, to the late Bobby Earl May and Brenda Jean Crocker Arrowood. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brother, Dennis Mitchell May.
Robin was an avid Country Music fan and loved to play on his guitar. He enjoyed going fishing and going on vacations to Savannah, Georgia. Robin was a Maintenance Supervisor in the Poultry Industry for over 20 years. Robin will be remembered for having a big heart and being willing to help anyone in need. He was a loving and dedicated husband, daddy, grandpa, and brother and was known to his grandchildren as “Papa May.”
Survivors include his loving wife of 42 years, Tina May, of Cornelia; sons, Joshua Maye and his spouse, Teresa, of Demorest; Christopher Maye and his fiancé, Allison, of Gainesville; Brandon Maye, of Cornelia; grandchildren, CJ, Eli, and Khaya Maye; sister and brother-in-law, Dianne and Dean Davis, of Baldwin; half-sister, Leitner Helfrich and half-brother, Curtis Maye, both of South Georgia; and numerous aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Funeral Services will be held at 2:00 p.m., Sunday, December 11, 2022, at the Whitfield Funeral Homes, South Chapel, with Rev. Mickey Umberhant, Rev. Mike Garroutte, and Rev. Aaron Elrod officiating. Interment will follow in the Wade Family Cemetery.
The family will receive friends from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Saturday, December 10, 2022, and from 12:00 p.m. to 1:45 p.m., Sunday, December 11, 2022, at the funeral home prior to the service.
Flowers will be accepted, or memorial donations may be made in Mr. May’s Memory to the American Cancer Society or St. Jude Children’s Hospital.
Arrangements have been entrusted to the Whitfield Funeral Homes & Crematory, South Chapel, at 1370 Industrial Boulevard, Baldwin, Georgia 30511. Telephone: 706-778-7123.
Marijuana, ecstasy, and methamphetamine drug agents say they seized from a home in Canon, GA, on Dec. 7, 2022. (ARDEO)
Authorities charged a Toccoa woman with trafficking methamphetamine after her arrest at a home in Franklin County this week. 29-year-old Carolyn Nicole Vinson was one of two people arrested after investigators say they found a quantity of drugs in the home. The other person is identified as 46-year-old Rocky Lee Holmes of Canon.
The arrests on December 7 were the result of a joint drug investigation conducted by the Appalachian Regional Drug Enforcement Office (ARDEO) and Franklin County Sheriff’s Office.
“As a result of the investigation, marijuana, ecstasy, and approximately 1.8 ounces of methamphetamine were seized,” says ARDEO Special Agent in Charge Trent Hillsman.
In addition to trafficking, agents charged Vinson with possession of marijuana and possession of a Schedule I drug. They charged Holmes with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.
Both suspects were transported to the Franklin County Jail following their arrests. Hillsman says it is an ongoing investigation.
For more information about ARDEO or to provide tips on criminal activity, look for ARDEO@appalachiandtf on Twitter or follow on facebook@appalachianrdeo and/or Instagram.
Cornelia will host one of Habersham’s biggest holiday events this weekend. Christmas in Cornelia is scheduled from 4 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, December 10, in the historic downtown district.
Come enjoy the holiday market, live entertainment in Fender’s Alley, free photos with Santa and the Grinch, and hayrides through Cornelia’s Christmas light display. There will also be face painting and kids activities and, of course, hot cocoa and s’mores.
In preparation for the event and expected crowds, Cornelia is closing a couple of roads. Hodges Street will close at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, December 10, and at 1 p.m., the city will close Clarkesville Street and the Historic Train Depot parking lot.
Festival parking will be available in these locations:
Public Parking in Appletree Alley
Public Parking on North Main St. at Connextion Church
Public Parking below Fenders Diner on Wells Street.
Public Parking at City Hall on Foreacre and Larkin Streets
Public Parking on S. Main Street across from Fire Station.
North Main Credit Union
Margaret Ballard Center
Cornelia Library
Grassy lot on Stovall Street
Public parking on Stovall Street behind Renew Dental.
I would say that Miles Through Time Automotive Museum is hidden away at the back of the Old Clarkesville Mill, but it’s hard to be stealthy with a Volkswagen Bug with neon flashing headlights perched on a pole some 15 feet above the entrance.
Through the doors, before finding my way into the expansive hall filled with more than 100 years of automotive history, I had a chance to wander through dozens of vendor booths in Vintage Garage Antiques – a sister venture for MTT owner Sean Mathis.
One of the vendor booths in Vintage Garage Antiques. (Jessica Waters/Now Habersham)
Vintage Garage Antiques is a more recent addition to Mathis’ museum and helps provide financial support for the 501-c-3 museum. In addition, the constantly-changing variety of antiques, knick-knacks, collectibles, and crafts carefully laid out in each vendor’s section provides walk-in traffic for the museum, which is Mathis’ passion.
“Our whole point is, if you’re a car enthusiast, from any spectrum, you’re welcome. The whole idea of this … the museum, the cruise-in … it is all to bring everyone together and to pass the knowledge along,” Mathis told Now Habersham as he showed us around the museum, packed with decades of memorabilia and actual automobiles — from the days of horse and buggy to Model Ts and Model As, to cars from the 30s, muscle cars and even a 2022 Ford Mustang Shelby GT 500, sitting alongside a Shelby actually owned by Carroll Shelby himself.
MTT is more than just one person’s car collection and is different from big corporate museums, Mathis explained. Every vehicle in the museum is privately owned – several have been donated to the museum, but the rest are privately owned and are on temporary loan – which means they will be replaced with other displays.
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Miles Through Time getting in the Christmas spirit. (Jessica Waters/Now Habersham)
Shelby – originally owned by Carroll Shelby (Jessica Waters/Now Habersham)
A few of the automobiles currently on display (Jessica Waters/Now Habersham)
Full-sized wooden auto replica (Jessica Waters/Now Habersham)
‘The General’ from The Great Locomotive Chase, filmed in NE Georgia. (Jessica Waters/Now Habersham)
“There is always something new, you never know when we’re going to be bringing something new through the door,” he said. “In addition to cars, the museum contains everything from a replica of the very first Phillips 66 filling station, a camera collection, motorcycles, and even an airplane.”
“There is something for everyone,” said JennyPhillips, who mans the entrance to the museum and manages Vintage Garage Antiques on a daily basis.
MTT owner Sean Mathis with the car that started it all – his grandpa’s 1959 Cadillac, which was used in the film “When Last We Spoke,” with Melissa Gilbert, Corbin Bernsen, and Cloris Leachman. The movie was filmed in Toccoa. (Jessica Waters/Now Habersham)
Just as important to Mathis, MTT is a place where conversations happen, interests are shared, and a community is built.
“I’ve always been a car guy. I inherited my grandpa’s car and felt so privileged to own it, I wanted to share it with people,” Mathis said. “This is built to outlast me, though. The idea is to get more people involved in preserving this history.”
And this coming weekend is a good time to get to know that community and the museum.
On Saturday, Dec. 10, starting at 11 a.m., Vintage Garage Antiques will be hosting a cruise-in and chili cookoff as a part of their Toys for Tots drive and First Responder weekend. Visit the website to learn more about the Museum and Vintage Garage Antiques and to learn how to join the cruise-in and chili cookoff.
Texas cornbread, with crisp browned edges and a tender, crumbly inside. (Jessica Waters/Now Habersham)
Chili & Cornbread – Texas style
Chili has never been a dish I have spent much time with, but in honor of the upcoming cookoff, I thought I’d share my grandfather’s chili and cornbread recipes. They are, I am sure, quite different from what many southerners are used to.
Texas may be as far south as you can get… but there is a big difference, in many ways, between “southern” and “south!”
*Disclaimer – Papaw made his cowboy chili and cornbread over a campfire (he was even known to make his chili right in the campfire coffee pot). I’ve tried to keep as true as possible to his ingredients and methods but used my own cooking experience and some online research to update the handed-down verbal “how-tos” into recipes that accommodate today’s ingredients, equipment, and serving sizes. Secondary Disclaimer – I make no claim to or proceed under any pretense of health consciousness for this week’s recipes. You will probably notice that my recipes and culinary travels will either be super healthy or completely ignore the dictates of healthy eating. Food, as with life, rarely occupies middle ground.
Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread
Fixins for skillet cornbread (Jessica Waters/Now Habersham)
What you’ll need
Several slices of bacon 2 cups ground cornmeal 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp kosher salt 2 large eggs 1 ½ cups buttermilk
Heat oven to 400℉
Cook up 4 or 5 slices of bacon, reserve 2 tablespoons of bacon grease, and then put the skillet in the oven to keep warm. (Bacon is not used in this recipe, just the grease. If you don’t want to cook the bacon, thoroughly grease the bottom and sides of the pan and put it in the oven) You want the skillet and the coating of grease to be hot when you add the batter so that the edges crisp up immediately and the cornbread does not just sit in any oil, soaking it up, making for soggy, oily, sad cornbread)
In a mixing bowl, combine 2 cups ground cornmeal, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, and 1 tsp kosher salt (or ½ tsp table salt). Stir with fork to combine.
In another bowl, whisk together 2 large eggs, 1 ½ cups buttermilk, and the 2 tablespoons of cooled, but still liquid, bacon grease (substitute 2 tbs melted Crisco, or 2 Tbs vegetable oil if you did not cook bacon).
Add the cornmeal mix to the buttermilk mix, stirring as you add. Mix with a fork just until blended. Break up any large lumps, but do not overmix (there will still be small lumps).
Remove the pan from the oven (please do not burn yourself!) and immediately pour the cornmeal batter into the pan. Place the pan back in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. (A wooden toothpick inserted in the middle will come out clean).
Let cool before cutting, and use a metal spatula to remove slices from the pan. (Depending on how well seasoned your cast iron pan is, it may or may not stick.)
Note: Texas cornbread does not have a cake-like consistency (just like Texas chili doesn’t have beans or tomatoes), nor does it have any sweeteners included in the preparation, but if you want dessert, just take the cornbread and dip it in, or drizzle it with honey, maple syrup, or my favorite, blackstrap molasses.
Texas cowhand campfire chili
serves about 4
Cooking up some Texas cowhand chili from scratch (Jessica Waters/Now Habersham)
What you’ll need:
1 cup dark brewed coffee 3 cups water 6 dried chiles 2 Lbs beef, cubed 2 tsp. salt 1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper 2-6 Tbs vegetable oil ½ large onion, diced 2-3 large fresh peppers, chopped (Jalapinos for milder, serrano for hotter, or some of each) 6 cloves garlic, crushed 2 tsp. Mexican oregano 2 Tbs. cumin seed, toasted and crushed (or 1 Tbs. cumin powder) 1 Tbs. Masa Harina
Add coffee and water to a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat while you prepare chiles.
Prepare chiles. With scissors or a sharp knife, cut off the stem and cut open each chile from top to bottom. Brush, shake or tap the seeds out and discard. In a dry cast iron skillet, toast chiles over medium-low heat for 2 minutes per side. Do not char, as that can make some types of chiles bitter.
Add chiles to the saucepan with boiling water and coffee. Turn heat off, cover pan, and let sit for 30 minutes.
Place chiles and ¼ – ½ cup of the coffee/water mix (reserve remaining liquid) in a blender (or a Ninja-type processor) and blend until the chile skins have been completely incorporated and the mixture is a paste the consistency of heavy cream. Add a few more tablespoons of soaking liquid if needed. Set aside.
Toss beef cubes with 2 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper. In the skillet that you toasted the chiles in, bring 2 Tbs. vegetable oil to medium high heat, and drop half of the beef cubes into the skillet to sear for about 3 minutes per side (about 1 song on the radio, per side). Do not stir them; you want them to get a nice brown crust on each side, without cooking them through, as they will get plenty of cooking when simmering. Put them in, leave them for 3 minutes (lower heat slightly and stir briefly if you see they are burning!), then use a spatula and flip them over, and leave them on the other side for 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon/spatula or tongs to a clean plate and add enough oil to do the same with the second batch of beef cubes, making sure to let the oil heat in the pan before adding the second batch of beef so that the beef sears in the oil, instead of absorbing the oil.
Lower the heat to medium low, and add an additional tablespoon of vegetable oil to the skillet. Add onions and jalapeno/serrano peppers and saute, scraping the bottom of the skillet with the spatula to loosen browned beef bits. After 3-4 minutes, when onions begin to soften, add garlic and saute for 2 more minutes. Stir in cumin and oregano during the last 30 seconds.
Add browned beef and chile paste to skillet and heat over medium-high heat until bubbling. Lower temperature to low and stir gently until at a low simmer (barely any bubbles breaking the surface). Cover skillet and simmer for 2 ½ hours. Remove lid and stir. Simmer for 30 more minutes.
Let sit for 30 minutes, allowing beef to soak up liquid. Sauce should be thick, coating meat. If chili looks dry, add ¼ cup beef stock or water, and simmer 10 more minutes. If chili remains too liquid after cooling 30 minutes, stir in 1 Tbs. masa harina.
Serve with cornbread. Or let cool, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Chili, like spaghetti, is always better the second day!
Papaw – my mother’s dad, taken at the west Texas ranch in 1946.
Ingredients notes:
Meat: Chuck roast with only light marbling (do not use Prime grade, it contains more marbling) is a good choice for chili con carne. If it’s too tender, it will fall apart during cooking and you’ll have sloppy Joes, not chili with chunks of meat!
Chuck has good flavor, but is too tough without long cooking, so is not appropriate for many other dishes, and can often be found for a cheaper price than other cuts.
Chiles: Using a paste you make fresh from dried chiles will result in a fresher, more flavorful chili than using chili powder. Use the type of chiles you include in order to determine the heat of your chili; trying to increase the heat by increasing the number of chiles will cause the chile flavor to overpower the flavor of the meat. The addition of fresh jalapeno and/or serrano peppers will also allow for customization of the spiciness. You can use six of the same chiles, or combine different types of chiles to influence the heat and the flavor. Here are some of the more commonly-available dried chiles – most available at local grocery stores. If you choose to use chili powder, eliminate chiles, cumin and oregano and add ½ cup chili powder (more or less, to taste) at the same time you add the cumin.
Ancho Chiles (dried poblano peppers) Mild – 1,000-1,500 SHU (Scoville scale) sweet/smokey/earthy Pasilla Chiles (dried chilaca peppers) Mild (1,000-2,500 SHU) )sweet/fruity/earthy Guajillo Chiles (dried mirasol peppers) Medium (2,500-5,000 SHU) tangy/crisp/smokey Chipotle Chiles (dried jalapeno peppers) Medium (2,500-8,000 SHU) smokey/earthy Chile de Arbol Chiles (dried Arbol peppers) Medium (15,000-30,000 SHU) nutty/smokey Cayenne Chiles (dried Cayenne peppers) Medium (30,000-50,000 SHU) neutral
Spices: Mexican Oregano is not the same as Greek oregano – it has a slightly different flavor, and is preferred for chili, but you can substitute Greek oregano 1:1.
Cumin: You can use ground cumin, but like peppers, the flavor will be better if you make your own from cumin seeds. Over medium heat in a dry skillet, heat cumin seeds for 1 minute, stirring consistently. Lower heat to low, and toast for another 2 minutes. Pour into a spice/coffee grinder or Ninja and grind in 30-second intervals until the consistency of table salt. You can also use a mortar and pestle.
Local developer and real estate agent Wade Rhodes addresses the Demorest City Council at their Dec. 8, 2022 meeting. He and local economic development director Charlie Fiveash encouraged the council to reconsider the city's ordinance requiring separate water meters at multi-unit industrial properties. (livestream image)
The Demorest City Council is considering a possible variance to its ordinance requiring one water meter per unit for multi-unit buildings after a developer appealed for a change.
Local developer and real estate agent Wade Rhodes asked the council to scale back its ordinance, saying requiring developers to install multiple meters on industrial property is a “discouraging economic factor.”
“I’d like to have just one water meter and let me provide water for these tenants because there’s no retail, the water usage is minimal,” Rhodes told the council. “I just think a $12,000 investment in water meters just economically doesn’t make any sense to me in these kinds of situations.”
Executive Director of Partnership Habersham Charlie Fiveash backed up Rhodes’ comments. Relying on his years of industrial development experience in the metro Atlanta area, Fiveash said single meters are “pretty common” for low-impact water users across North Georgia and the metro area.
Fiveash pointed to neighboring Baldwin as an example, saying it’s more commonplace for an industrial building there to have only one meter.
He said limiting industrial properties to one meter puts the city in the position where it only has to collect one meter and doesn’t have to go through the collection process of multiple meters. For larger water users, the city could install separate submeters, he said.
“The reality is, nobody’s in there taking showers. Nobody’s doing any cooking. It’s typically the modest water users in these industrial buildings,” said Fiveash.
Demorest charges meter installation and relocation fees.
Mayor Jerry Harkness told Rhodes the council still has “some digging” to do to research the matter. They’ll revisit the issue at their January meeting.
FILE - Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., center, gestures during a news conference at the Capitol in Washington, July 28, 2021, while working on a bipartisan infrastructure bill with, from left, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio. Though elected as a Democrat, Sinema announced Friday, Dec. 9, that she has registered as an Independent, but she does not plan to caucus with Republicans, ensuring Democrats will retain their narrow majority in the Senate. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona announced Friday she has registered as an independent, a renegade move that could bolster her political brand but won’t upend the Democrats’ narrow Senate majority. She says she will not caucus with Republicans.
Sinema, who faces reelection in 2024, has been a vibrant yet often unpredictable force in the Senate, tending toward the state’s independent streak and frustrating Democratic colleagues at times with her overtures to Republicans and opposition to Democratic priorities.
“I just don’t fit well into a traditional party system,” Sinema she said in an interview Friday.
In the interview, Sinema said she hasn’t decided whether she will run for reelection. But she said this was the time to be “true to myself and true to the values of the Arizonans I represent.”
“I don’t expect anything to change for me,” she said. “This will just be a further affirmation of my style of working across all the political boundaries with anyone to try and get something done.”
While unusual for a sitting senator to switch party affiliation, Sinema’s decision may well have more impact on her own political livelihood than the operations of the Senate. She plans to continue her committee positions through the Democrats. Her move comes just days after Democrats had expanded their majority to 51-49 for the new year, following the party’s runoff election win in Georgia.
In a statement, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Sinema had informed him of her decision and asked to keep her committee assignments — effectively keeping her in the Democratic fold.
“Kyrsten is independent; that’s how she’s always been,” Schumer said. “I believe she’s a good and effective senator and am looking forward to a productive session in the new Democratic majority Senate.”
The Democrats “will maintain our new majority on committees, exercise our subpoena power and be able to clear nominees without discharge votes,” he said.
In case of tie votes, Vice President Kamala Harris will continue to provide the winning vote for Democrats.
Sinema, who has modeled her political approach on the maverick style of the late Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona, will join a small but influential group of independent senators aligned with the Democrats — Sen. Angus King of Maine and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.
At the White House, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre praised Sinema as a “key partner” in passing some of President Joe Biden’s priorities and said the switch “does not change the new Democratic majority control of the Senate. … We have every reason to expect that we will continue to work successfully with her.”
Sinema has been at the center of many deals brokered during this session of Congress — from a big, bipartisan infrastructure package Biden signed into law to the landmark bill approved this week to legally protect same-sex marriages.
The move to forgo a political party will scramble the Senate election landscape for 2024 as Democrats already face a tough path to maintaining Senate control. Her switch risks splitting the Democratic vote in Arizona between her and the eventual Democratic nominee, giving Republicans a solid opening.
A splintered ballot could help Republican recruiting efforts as they seek to perform better than their losses in the recent midterm elections. A weak GOP field contributed to Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly’s reelection in Arizona last month.
A political action committee, Primary Sinema, that is raising money to support a potential challenger, said the money it has already raised will now be used to back “a real Democrat” in 2024.
Abandoning the Democratic Party is a striking evolution for a politician who began her career as a Green Party member and antiwar activist known as a “Prada socialist.” The shift has been particularly vexing for progressive activists who now see her as one of their chief antagonists.
In a video explaining her decision, she said: “Showing up to work with the title of independent is a reflection of who I’ve always been.”
The first-term Sinema wrote Friday in The Arizona Republic that she came into office pledging “I would not demonize people I disagreed with, engage in name-calling, or get distracted by political drama. I promised I would never bend to party pressure.”
She wrote that her approach is “has upset partisans in both parties” but “has delivered lasting results for Arizona.”
Ahead of the 2024 elections, Sinema is likely to be matched against a well-funded primary challenger after angering much of the Democratic base by blocking or watering down progressive priorities such as a minimum wage increase and Biden’s big social spending initiatives.
Sinema’s most prominent potential primary challenger is Rep. Ruben Gallego, who has a long history of feuding with her.
The senator wrote that she was joining “the growing numbers of Arizonans who reject party politics by declaring my independence from the broken partisan system in Washington.”
Sinema bemoaned “the national parties’ rigid partisanship” and said “pressures in both parties pull leaders to the edges — allowing the loudest, most extreme voices to determine their respective parties’ priorities, and expecting the rest of us to fall in line.”
“In catering to the fringes, neither party has demonstrated much tolerance for diversity of thought. Bipartisan compromise is seen as a rarely acceptable last resort, rather than the best way to achieve lasting progress,” she wrote.
Along with West Virginia’s Joe Manchin, she has been one of two moderate Democrats in the 50-50 Senate, and her willingness to buck the rest of her party has at times limited the ambitions of Biden and Schumer.
Sinema is a staunch defender of the filibuster, a Senate rule effectively requiring 60 votes to pass most legislation in the 100-member Senate. Many Democrats, including Biden, say the filibuster leads to gridlock by giving a minority of lawmakers the ability to veto.
Last January, leaders of the Arizona Democratic Party voted to censure Sinema, citing “her failure to do whatever it takes to ensure the health of our democracy” — namely her refusal to go along with fellow Democrats to alter the Senate rule so they could overcome Republican opposition to a voting rights bill.
While that rebuke was symbolic, it came only a few years since Sinema was heralded for bringing the Arizona Senate seat back into the Democratic fold for the first time in a generation. The move also previewed the persistent opposition that Sinema was likely face within her own party in 2024.
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Cooper reported from Phoenix. AP writer Seung Min Kim contributed to this story.
Demorest Mayor Jerry Harkness, center, discusses with council the hiring of Mark Musselwhite as interim city manager during the council's Dec. 8, 2022, meeting. (livestream image)
The Demorest City Council on Thursday voted to hire former Gainesville Mayor Mark Musselwhite as interim city manager. The council voted unanimously to hire Musselwhite at a rate of $2,000 per week until a permanent successor to Kim Simonds can be hired.
Simonds recently stepped down as Demorest city manager this week after four years on the job. Musselwhite will now take over that role as the council searches for a permanent successor.
“We are a city manager type run government here in Demorest, so, without a city manager running our day-to-day operations, we do need someone to come in and step in, to fill in, on an interim basis,” said Demorest Mayor Jerry Harkness.
Harkness added, “We searched around for someone who can come in, step in for a short time before we can advertise it [the job], publicize it, and hire someone.”
While he did not elaborate on what led to Simonds’ departure, Harkness did say he was grateful for all she had done.
Former Demorest City Manager Kim Simonds (Facebook)
“Kim served us for numerous years, and I appreciate everything that she’s done for the city and all the hard work that she’s put in here at the city, and we appreciate her very much.”
The council did not set a timeline for naming a permanent successor.
Simonds’ departure comes two years after a highly-publicized split with former Demorest Mayor Rick Austin over her decision to fire the city’s police chief. Simonds fired chief Robin Krockum after he refused her directive to fire a police officer who criticized the city’s trash cans on social media. Following intense public and legal pressure, Simonds and the council members who backed her, Nathan Davis and John Hendrix, moved to reinstate Krockum.
Of the three, only Hendrix remains with the city. Nathan Davis resigned from the city council earlier this year.
The Okefenokee Swamp attracts some 650,000 visits each year and is a major economic driver in Ware, Clinch and Charlton counties. (Photo Georgia River Network)
(GA Recorder) — The pressure to block a mining project at the edge of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is intensifying: U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland has written a letter to Gov. Brian Kemp expressing her “serious concerns” about plans that she says threaten the largest blackwater swamp in the nation.
The letter from the director of the federal agency tasked with protecting America’s natural resources comes in the final stages of Twin Pines Minerals applying for permits from the state Environmental Protection Division. The company wants to dig for heavy metals along 582 acres located three miles away from the refuge that straddles the Georgia-Florida border.
“I strongly recommend that the State of Georgia not move ahead with approval for this proposed mine in order to ensure that the swamp and refuge are appropriately protected, consistent with all appropriate legal processes,” Haaland wrote to the Republican governor.
Haaland’s sentiments are echoed by conservationists, Okefenokee park officials, and many others who say mining will threaten a swamp that is home to endangered animals and 600 plant species and a popular tourist destination for paddlers and nature enthusiasts.
The Alabama-based company says it will use a mining process to remove titanium dioxide, a pigment found in white paint and plastics, without endangering one of the Southeast’s most diverse ecosystems.
The mining would occur along Trail Ridge, a hydrological divide between the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and St. Marys River.
Haaland, who visited the swamp in the fall, said that the proposed mining activity poses serious risks to the long-term hydrology and future of the swamp’s ecosystem, concerns that have also been expressed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Among the concerns is that the mining will lower the water level in the swamp while making the area more susceptible to severe droughts.
“We are not alone in this assessment, as some of the preeminent experts on this ecosystem and hydrology at the University of Georgia have also raised the alarm about the threat that this type of mining activity in this area poses to the swamp,” Haaland said in the letter.
She also raised concerns about the potential impact to cultural values, referring to the swamp’s role as part of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation ancestral homeland. Tribal members view the Trail Ridge landscape feature at the center of the mining proposal as a likely travel corridor used by their ancestors, she said.
The mining proposal, she wrote, “poses an unacceptable risk to the long-term hydrology and future of the swamp ecosystem and these cultural values.”
Haaland wrote the letter on Nov. 22, but the missive was not widely circulated until this week. Kemp’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.
Kemp has refrained from publicly giving his opinion on Twin Pines’ plans, leaving it to the EPD to make the final decision. A 60-day public comment period will be opened once the EPD decides the application process complete.
Among the responsibilities of the Department of the Interior are the management of wildlife refuges and other public lands, and providing protection to Native American tribes.
Steve Ingle, the president of Twin Pines, strongly rebuked Haaland’s letter as a desperate plea to the governor that he argued should be ignored. Ingle compared it to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ reversing its decision to take back oversight of the permit process in order to get more input about the mine’s potential harm to Muscogee Creek Nation burial grounds.
“The attempts to distort the truth and shut down this project get more desperate as we get closer to a permit,” Ingle said in a statement. “It is an extremely sad reflection on those in power. It is just one more, non-fact-based, disturbing appeal by the Secretary of the Interior and is consistent with the emotional decision they made with respect to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to revoke the jurisdictional determination last year. That attempt was quickly pulled back because there was no legal basis for it.”
The Charlton County Commission has endorsed the mining plan, saying it will provide hundreds of good-paying jobs to the region. Ingle stated that the operations would be miles away from the refuge boundary.
“At the end of the day, everyone needs to remember, our so-called ‘mining’ is nothing more than temporarily extracting sands and soils to levels comparable to the height of a typical home roofline and replacing it with a covering of natural, native plant species,” he said.
Atlanta attorney Josh Marks compared Haaland’s letter to U.S. Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt’s opposition in the 1990s to DuPont’s proposal to strip-mine titanium from 38,000 acres near the boundary of the Okefenokee.
The intense pressure from environmental groups and the federal government led to DuPont pulling its request in 1999.
Marks fought DuPont’s project as a Sierra Club activist then and is now fighting Twin Pines’ plans that could encroach farther into the Okefenokee with the company eyeing thousands more acres to mine in the future.
“It is great to see Sec. Haaland speaking out for the Okefenokee and against TPM’s dangerous project,” Marks said in a message. “This is now the second Interior Secretary I’ve met who has shown extraordinary leadership on the swamp’s behalf.
“Sec. Babbitt did the same thing 25 years ago in opposing DuPont’s (Okefenokee) proposal,” Marks said. “And hopefully Gov. Kemp will listen to her just as Gov. Zell Miller listened to Sec Babbitt, and say no to (Twin Pines).”
A bipartisan group of lawmakers have said they plan to refile legislation next year that would prevent further mining around the Okefenokee along Trail Ridge.
And the Southern Environmental Law Center is challenging in federal court the Corps’ decision in August to return control of the project to the state Environmental Protection Division.
Jamie Rappaport Clark, president and CEO of Defenders of Wildlife, praised Haaland for highlighting extensive research and advocating on behalf of scientists, elected officials and agency leaders.
“Digging near Okefenokee, or any wetland, is reckless and wrong-headed, period. Allowing any mining in the vicinity of Okefenokee could lead to a catastrophic draining of the swamp which would irreparably transform it from the vibrant and biodiverse wilderness we know today,” she said in a statement.
Rena Peck, executive director of the Georgia River Network, said Haaland’s input should be strongly taken into account by the state along with the tens of thousands of letters, emails and calls pressuring the governor’s office and EPD to deny the permit.
“As an outdoorsman we are hopeful the governor will save the swamp and the outdoor recreation economy that depends on it,” she said.
Ingle, however, argues the pushback has been hyperbolic since the early stages of the proposal when he said the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ignored science and instead “created hysteria” that became “full-blown partisan, weaponizing the regulatory process to achieve its objective.”
“That is not supposed to be the American way,” he said. “We have followed the regulatory process in good faith from the beginning with an abundance of science demonstrating provable methodologies and will continue to do so.”
A rear-end collision on GA 365 in Baldwin injured a driver who’s now charged with misdemeanor marijuana possession and DUI.
Leonard Bailey of Flowery Branch was driving a Honda Odyssey Touring van north on Highway 365 around 2:42 p.m. Thursday when the crash occurred. Troopers say Bailey was following too closely and ran into the rear of a Chevrolet Spartan box truck near Kudzu Hill Drive. After impact, the van traveled off the right shoulder of the highway and struck a ditch.
The box truck was owned by Safety Plus Incorporated of Cornelia. It was being driven by 33-year-old Brandon Lathan of Mount Airy. Neither Lathan nor his passenger, 37-year-old Zachary Terrell of Baldwin, were injured.
Habersham EMS transported the 57-year-old Bailey to Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville with possible serious injuries. Authorities say he had less than an ounce of marijuana on him at the time of the wreck.
A state trooper from Georgia State Patrol Post 7 in Toccoa investigated the crash and charged Bailey with following too closely, possession of less than an ounce of marijuana, and driving under the influence.
It was the second serious injury wreck state troopers investigated GA 365 in Habersham County on December 8.
An early morning wreck at the intersection of Antioch Church Road near Clarkesville seriously injured a Toccoa man. A Cornelia teenager was taken to the hospital for treatment of minor injuries.
Habersham County Airport Manager Will Regan addresses the county board of commissioners on Nov. 21, 2022. Following his presentation, commissioners approved a $3.4 million loan to the airport to build 24 new hangars. (livestream image)
Questions are mounting over the Habersham County Board of Commissioners’ recent approval of a $3.4 million loan to the county airport. Habersham County Airport Commission members claim airport manager Will Regan misled county officials when he presented the proposal to them on November 21 asking for the loan.
Airport commissioners Dee Higgins and Andy Anderson both sent letters to county commissioners disputing Regan’s claims that the airport commission was aware of and in agreement with his plan to request $3,438,798 from the county to build 24 new hangars at the airport in Baldwin. Higgins and Anderson say they never saw the bids for the project, disputing what Regain told county commissioners.
Habersham County Chairman Bruce Palmer addressed the matter at the Airport Commission’s December 5 meeting.
“I’m sure there’s been some false statements that’s been made, and I won’t point fingers at who makes them, but there are things that happen and as Commissioners, we have to research our way through those things,” he said.
Palmer says he was at the Airport Commission meeting on September 12 when the airport commission voted to approve a hangar expansion project at a cost of up to $5.2 million.
“I know right before that, there was some talk about a called meeting to discuss those savings, but from the Board of Commissioners standpoint, whenever you all voted unanimously to approve going forward, that’s what we did, is we went forward,” he said.
At the November 21 meeting, local attorney, Doug McDonald warned the Commissioners that the Airport Hangar project that Regan would present to them that night had not been approved by the Airport Commission. In fact, the Airport Commission had not seen the tabulation sheets for the project’s cost.
Following up on McDonald’s statements, Habersham County Commissioner Bruce Harkness asked Regan several pointed questions.
“You heard Mr. McDonald state that he didn’t believe that this proposal had been brought before the Airport Commission. Do you know if that is true or not true?”
Regan replied, “That is inaccurate. On September 12, the Airport Commission was held and this conversation, the same tabulation, with revenue projections was brought forth to the commission, and it was motioned by Chris Limbach, a member, and that was seconded by Justin Schpansky and voted unanimously by the board for this to be brought to you all tonight.”
McDonald interjected, “The bids weren’t even in then!”
To which Regan responded, “That’s inaccurate as well. The bid tabulation was certified by the Lead Edge Design Group, that’s our consultant, on September 7, 2022. That’s in your packet as well.”
Commissioner Harkness pressed on, asking Regan, “So this was, all these tabulations and all these documents, costs, and everything was presented to the Airport Commission, and then they approved to pass it on to us?”
To that, Regan replied, “Yes sir.”
Based on those assurances, the county commission voted 3-1 to approve the $3.4 million project to add 20 T-hangars and four 60’X60′ corporate-style hangars to the airport.
(nowhabersham.com)
NowHabersham has reviewed the approved Airport Commission meeting minutes for September 12. In those meeting minutes, the Airport Commission did vote unanimously to move forward with the Airport Hangar/Capacity project up to $5.2 million. However, there is no record of bid tabulations being presented or discussed. Likewise, there is no record of financing options or the Phase 1 Hangar project costing $3,438,798. There also is no record that the Airport Commission discussed or approved utilizing ARPA funds to pay for any portion of the Airport Hangar/Capacity project.
The only discussion related to the Airport Hangar project on September 12 was what revenues should or should not be included in a loan repayment. This discussion resulted in the Airport Commission setting a date for a work session to determine and designate those revenues that would be applied to a loan repayment. That meeting was set for September 22.
There are no meeting minutes for the September 7 meeting when the bid tabulations were reportedly opened and certified by Lead Edge Design Group.
Higgins expressed his concerns about the impact the loan could have on county taxpayers in a letter he sent to the board of commissioners on November 28. In that letter, Higgins directly refutes Regan’s claims.
Portions of his statement were read to the commissioners during the special called county commission meeting on December 1 and copies were made available to the public. Higgins wrote:
“It was brought to my attention that the BOC voted and awarded the bids for construction of two 10 unit T-hangars and two 60’x120’ box hangars at the November 21st, 2022 meeting. I would like to inform the BOC that the AC (Airport Commission) did not review the information that was presented to you. The AC has never been given the chance to see the bid tabulations that were included in the Executive Summary. The AC was never allowed to view any of the bid tabulations until voted on by the BOC. It was the intent of the AC to request/seek approval for funding from the BOC. If funding was approved, the bid tabulations would then be presented to the AC for review. The AC would then determine if the hangar project would be self-supporting based on proposed rental rates, loan information, and the construction contract amounts. A recommendation would then be made to the BOC from the AC regarding the project.
“I do feel that the AC supports the hangar construction, but not at the expense of the county taxpayer….”
In response to Higgins’ statement, county attorney Ralph Taylor sent a letter to the Airport Commission dated December 2. In that letter, Taylor clarifies the role of Airport Commissioners as established by county ordinance. He also defines the role of the county in awarding bids for public contracts. Georgia law is very specific about those procedures: Bids are submitted to the county, following established procedures, and there is no legal requirement for the bids to be presented to the Airport Commission for review or approval before the bid is awarded.
“I would encourage you as commissioners to speak with Commissioner Palmer with regard to any concerns or suggestions that you may have regarding the hangar project, or any other issues pertaining to the airport,” Taylor wrote.
Taylor’s response to the Airport Commission was seen by some as an attempt to circumvent the commission and stifle any discussion or debate.
That prompted Airport Commissioner Andy Anderson to submit his own lengthy letter in defense of Higgins and public discourse.
“…I objectively and subjectively support the hangar project. More so however, I support and respect the right to oppose and the desire to be represented accurately.
“There is herein a formidable mix of compensated public servants, well compensated contractors, as well as those volunteering their expertise and time without compensation. Given that diversity, there will always be conflict of interest and therefore an organizational culture of transparency should inarguably be the goal of all. Right or wrong, as a local government we have gone to significant length to silence or limit public comments and input during taxpayer related government meetings. Whether I agree with him/her or not, I find it impossible for me to silently watch as an appointed sub commission volunteer is indirectly “advised” to be silent or limit the audience for his/her clarifications, communications, and inquiries into matters, customers, and/or sub-contractors directly related to the business of the
commission he/she serves.
“Unfortunately, I am well versed in the inter commission communication as well as private communication related to the series of events that occurred during the BOC meeting on November 21, 2022. I am specifically speaking related to public comments in open meeting by Doug McDonald, questions rephrased multiple times by Bruce Harkness, and answers to those questions provided by the Airport Manager. I do not think any of these individuals had malicious or misleading intent. All three parties play an important role in the democracy of our local affairs, and I consider all three personal friends. Be that as it may, there was inaccurate information relayed that may have influenced the BOC vote. At least four Habersham County affiliated employees or contractors with full knowledge that the AC had never seen bid tabulations sat silent while the miscommunication occurred. Mr. Higgins felt obligated to clarify as he felt misrepresented.
“Mr. Higgins’s clarification email did not challenge the legality of the BOC vote on the bid process. His email did not question legal procedure. His email simply clarified to the BOC that the AC had not reviewed the information as was presented to the BOC.”
Anderson goes on to address his view of how the bid tabulations were handled:
“The hangar bids were opened in a non-closed-door fashion (I hesitate to say public). They were immediately deemed confidential and not shared with the AC. In and of itself, this feels wrong and warrants inquiry. The AC attempted to hold a work session to substantiate the hangar project’s ability to pay for itself. Given the lack of actual bid information, the validity of any numbers discussed was questioned. Whether I agreed with him or not, Mr. Higgins presented substantial opposition to the math suggested by the consultant. The work session ended without conclusion and the AC was told that there would be future opportunity to revisit the hangar rates and self-sustainability topic when actual bid and loan numbers were deemed suitable to be shared with the commission.”
“The answer to Bruce Harkness’s questions asking if the AC had seen this information should have been, “no, the AC has not seen the entirety and/or detail presented here tonight. The AC has not been allowed to see the bid tabulations. There is no legal requirement for the AC to see the bid tabulations. The airport commission evidently supports the project per their motion from the September meeting.
“…My intent is to strongly urge all administration and parties to embrace a culture of transparency, welcome inquiry into large expenses, welcome inquiry about sub-contractor invoices and practices, welcome customer intent verification when major long term liability decisions are being made based on reported intent of a county customer. Humans make mistakes. Commissions make poor choices. Sub commissions make unprepared proposals. We all have the responsibility to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars. As an appointed subcommittee, if we are not free to clarify, question, correct, inquire and/or if we are advised to limit those efforts to one outlet then we are advocating a culture of censorship in almost totalitarian manner. Great effort was made to dissolve an airport authority for lack of transparency and fairness, poor ethics, poor procedural practice, and basic lack of common sense. If an appointed AC member is not expected to provide a closer level of management oversight than is possible from a BOC position, not allowed to question, inquire, verify, and clarify, then why have a sub-committee at all?
“I am here to serve transparently but not here to tip toe or to be a rubber ‘yes’ stamp. Hopefully I remain a good fit for this Airport Commission.”
The Airport Commission members are appointed by the Board of Commissioners. They act as an advisory board to the county board of commissioners.
The county’s decision to loan the airport $3.4 million comes at a time when the county’s budget is under intense scrutiny. County Manager Alicia Vaughn has awarded top administrators significant salary and benefit increases and commissioners have approved a number of new positions this year while simultaneously raising taxes and informing the public they do not have enough money to fix the county’s roads and bridges or complete building projects voters approved in SPLOST VII.
Now Habersham reached out to Anderson, Higgins, and Vaughn for comment on this article. As of publication time, they had not responded.
The Habersham County Sheriff’s Office says a missing Mt. Airy man has been located and is safe.
Authorities issued a public lookout for 38-year-old Joshua Hyatt on December 7. He went missing after driving away from his home in a pickup truck earlier that day.
On the night of December 8, the sheriff’s office updated its lookout to say Hyatt was safe, but did not offer any other details.
