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Gainesville advances to finals

By
Todd Holcomb
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Gainesville advanced to the finals for the first time in ten years with a win Friday over Roswell, 35-28. Prince Avenue Christian stayed alive in the playoffs as well, defeating St. Francis, 24-20.

It was a rough weekend for Oconee fans as both Oconee County and North Oconee lost their semifinal matchups. Here’s a recap:

Class 7A

Carrollton 35, Colquitt County 27: Carrollton drove 99 yards for a 7-0 lead after stopping Colquitt County three times and the 1-yard line. Then down 17-14 with 29 seconds left in the first half, Carrollton drove 65 yards on four quick plays, with Bryce Hicks going over from the 1-yard line as the half ended. Carrollton never trailed again. Hicks rushed for 205 yards on 37 carries and threw a 9-yard TD pass to Jordan White for a 28-17 lead with eight minutes left in the third quarter. Freshman Julian Lewis was 17-of-26 passing for 248 yards and two touchdowns. Caleb Odom had six receptions for 117 yards. His 42-yard reception from Lewis set up Hicks’ pivotal score before halftime.

What it means: Carrollton, in its first season in the highest classification, is in its first state final since 2013 and can win its first championship since 1998. Joey King, who led Cartersville to state titles in 2015 and 2016, became one of fewer than 40 coaches all-time to lead two schools to state finals and can join a list of fewer than 20 to win titles at two. Colquitt County, under first-year coach Sean Calhoun, who was Carrollton’s coach for five seasons, went 13-1, its best finish since 2018.

Mill Creek 48, Milton 14: Mill Creek scored touchdowns on its first five possessions After Milton got within 35-7 in the second quarter, Mill Creek’s Miles Gindlesperger returned an onside kick 50 yards for a touchdown. Hayden Clark was 7-of-8 passing for 143 yards and two touchdowns. Makhail Wood had five receptions for 153 yards and three touchdowns. Cam Robinson rushed for 100 yards on 15 carries.

What it means: Mill Creek avenged a 2021 quarterfinal loss and reached its first state final in its 19th season. Milton finished 10-4 under first-year coach Ben Reaves. The game, which started at 5 p.m. at neutral Lakewood Stadium in Atlanta, drew a sparse crowd and sparked debate about the GHSA’s Class 7A minimum seating requirement of 6,000. Milton did not meet the minimum, and Mill Creek declined to waive the rule, prompting the move to a venue more than 30 miles from either school.

Class 6A

Gainesville 35, Roswell 28: Gainesville’s Baxter Wright completed his first 15 passes and finished with 208 yards and four touchdowns, and Darius Cannon scored on a 94-yard kickoff return and a 23-yard reception. Roswell had a first-and-goal from the 3-yard line in the final two minutes but failed to score after Ja’Quez Sims’ second-down sack. Roswell had another scoreless drive into the red zone earlier in the quarter.

What it means: Gainesville, coming off a 5-5 finish in Class 7A, is in the finals for the first time since its 2012 Class 5A championship team led by Deshaun Watson and is in position for its first undefeated season since 1925. Josh Niblett became the only new coach to take a team to the finals this season, and Gainesville became the only finalist that didn’t make the playoffs in 2021. Roswell finished 12-2 and was stopped short of its first finals appearance since 2016.

Hughes 42, Rome 3: Prentiss “Air” Noland was 21-of-24 passing for 242 yards and three touchdowns, two to Jediyah Willoughby. D’Marcus Brown had three sacks. Hughes intercepted three passes, and Xavier Leonard returned one for a touchdown. Hughes led 14-0 in the first quarter and put the game away with three scores in the fourth.

What it means: Hughes, the 2021 runner-up and the preseason No. 1 team, improved to 14-0 and returned to the finals in search of its first championship. Rome finished 12-2, stopped short of its first finals appearance since its 2017 Class 5A championship.

Class 5A

Ware County 31, Dutchtown 7: Warner Robins scored touchdowns on its first three possessions and led 24-0 midway in the second quarter. R.J. Boyd rushed for career-high 144 yards on 16 carries, and Nikaeo Smith was 12-of-17 passing for 149 yards and two touchdowns. Jarvis Hayes had eight receptions for 110 yards.

What it means: Ware County, which opened in 1958, is in the finals for the first time since 2012 in pursuit of its first championship. Jason Strickland, who led Fitzgerald to championship games in 2015 and 2016, is now one of fewer than 40 coaches all-time to lead two schools to state finals. Dutchtown finished 12-2 with its first semifinal appearance in history under first-year coach Niketa Battle.

Warner Robins 35, Cartersville 10: Malcolm Brown rushed for 190 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries, and Isiah Canion was 16-of-25 passing for 140 yards. Warner Robins held Cartersville to 29 yards rushing and led in total yards 402-270. Daniel Barber kicked field goals of 47, 34 and 23 yards.

What it means: Warner Robins won its 14th consecutive playoff game, remained in contention for its third straight title and became the third school in history, joining Buford and Eagle’s Landing Christian, to reach six straight finals. Cartersville finished 12-2, beaten in the playoffs by Warner Robins the past three seasons.

Class 4A

Benedictine 42, Troup 21: Luke Kromenhoek was 9-of-15 passing for 215 yards and three touchdowns. Za’Quan Bryan had five receptions for 76 yards. RaSean Matthews had two receptions for 71 yards and a touchdown and scored on a 30-yard run. Benedictine led 35-0 at halftime and surrendered two fourth-quarter touchdowns with its reserves in the game.

What it means: Defending champion Benedictine, overcoming a 2-2 start, is in the finals for the fourth time in nine seasons and seeking its fourth title in that span. Troup, denied its first championship game appearance, finished 12-2.

Cedartown 28, North Oconee 20: Harlem Diamond had 108 yards from scrimmage (56 rushing, 52 receiving) and scored three touchdowns, one a 10-yard run that gave Cedartown a 28-13 lead early in the fourth quarter. North Oconee’s final drive was stopped at the 37-yard line. Cedartown was held to a season-low 231 total yards but limited North Oconee to 136 yards and forced two turnovers to none of its own. Carlos Jones recovered a fumble and returned an interception 61 yards for a touchdown and a 14-6 lead in the second quarter.

What it means: Top-ranked Cedartown won the only No. 1-vs.-No. 2 semifinal and reached the finals for the first time since 2001 in pursuit of its first championship since 1963. North Oconee finished 13-1 and fell in the semifinals for the second straight season.

Class 3A

Cedar Grove 23, Oconee County 0: Cedar Grove held Oconee County to 121 total yards, none passing, and posted its second straight shutout. Quinterio Lawson pressured Oconee County into a safety, and Adonijah Green blocked a punt that set up a 3-yard scoring drive. The Saints iced the game with a 14-play, 99-yard drive that ended with Demarcus Smith’s 5-yard TD run with 1:16 left in the third quarter for a 23-0 lead. Elliott Colson was limited to 12-of-20 passing for 89 yards, but Cedar Grove rushed for 218 yards.

What it means: Cedar Grove, the defending champion, earned its second consecutive shutout and stayed on track for its fifth title in seven seasons and got a rematch with region rival Sandy Creek, which the Saints beat 49-34 on Oct. 21. Oconee County failed to win a fourth straight playoff road game and finished 9-5 under first-year coach Ben Hall.

Sandy Creek 49, Carver (Atlanta) 14: Sandy Creek took a 35-8 lead into halftime after trailing 8-0. Geimere Latimer was 16-of-33 passing for 304 yards and four touchdowns. Cameron Watts had eight receptions for a career-high 170 yards and three touchdowns, and Kaleb Cost had six catches for 93 yards and one touchdown. Cost also scored on two short runs and intercepted a pass.

What it means: Sandy Creek, beating Carver for the second time this season, is in the finals for the first time since its 2012 Class 4A championship team. Carver, the 2021 runner-up, finished 9-4.

Class 2A

Fitzgerald 19, Fellowship Christian 9: Fitzgerald scored a safety on St. Francis’ first play from scrimmage, led 19-0 at halftime, forced three turnovers, and allowed only 124 total yards and nine first downs. St. Francis didn’t score until late in the third quarter. Fitzgerald went up 9-0 on a 12-play, 63-yard drive late in the first quarter, recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff and scored on an eight-play, 43-yard drive to go up 16-0. Ty Solomon rushed for a team-leading 83 yards on nine carries.

What it means: Fitzgerald, the defending champion, won its 20th consecutive game. Fellowship Christian, the last of six former Class A Private schools in the 2A playoffs, finished 10-4 and fell in the semifinals for the third time in four seasons. The previous two were in Class A.

Thomson 20, Appling County 14: Jontavis Curry rushed for 171 yards on 15 carries and caught a 19-yard TD pass. His 77-yard TD run with seven minutes left gave his team its final 20-14 margin. Appling County drove to Thomson’s 16-yard line in the final two minutes but was denied.

What it means: Thomson avenged its 2021 Class 3A quarterfinal loss to Appling County and reached the finals for the first time since 2016 in pursuit of its first title since 2002. Appling County, never a finalist, lost in the semifinals for the second straight season and finished 11-2.

Class A Division I

Swainsboro 22, Irwin County 21: Landen Scott kicked 32-yard field goal on the game’s final play. It was the first successful field goal of his career. His lone previous attempt, taken earlier in the game, was blocked. He’s also missed an extra point. Demello Jones scored Swainsboro’s three touchdowns and ran for 169 of his team’s 331 rushing yards. Ty Adams rushed for 97 yards. Swainsboro won despite going 0-for-7 passing.

What it means: Swainsboro coach Scott Roberts defeated his alma mater to put the Tigers in their first final since their 2000 Class 3A championship team. Swainsboro (13-0) is one victory from its first undefeated season since 1940. Irwin finished 11-2, its streak of five state finals ended.

Prince Avenue Christian 24, St. Francis 20: Keon Rogers scored three touchdowns, his third on a 12-yard run in the third quarter for a 21-14 lead. Prince Avenue ran out the final 5:33 of the game after St. Francis got within 24-20. Rogers rushed for 84 yards and two touchdowns, caught two passes for 81 yards and a touchdown and intercepted a pass. Aaron Philo was 14-of-25 passing for 210 yards. Ethan Christian, beaten on a post pattern in the third quarter, made a touchdown-saving play near the goal line, chasing down the receiver, wrestling the ball away and returning it to the 35 to preserve a seven-point lead.

What it means: Prince Avenue, the preseason No. 1 team, is in the finals for the third straight season and can win its second title. St. Francis, playing its first semifinal, finished 10-4 after a 5-6 finish in 2021.

Class A Division II

Bowdon 45, Lincoln County 28: It was a back-and-forth game until midway in the third quarter, when Bowdon scored two touchdowns four minutes apart – a 43-yard run by T.J. Harvison and a 52-yard run by Robert McNeal – to take a 38-21 lead. Harvison rushed for 203 yards and three touchdowns on 23 carries. McNeal rushed for 144 and two touchdowns on eight carries and was 5-of-11 passing for 111 yards and a touchdown. The two accounted for 467 of Bowdon’s 470 total yards.

What it means: Bowdon (13-1) is in the finals for the first time since 2001 in pursuit of its first championship since 1992. Lincoln County finished 10-3 after its first semifinal run since 2012.

Schley County 35, Johnson County 6: Jay Kanazawa was 17-of-23 passing for 338 yards and three touchdowns, and Jalewis Solomon had 10 receptions for 224 yards and two touchdowns and intercepted a pass. Malachi Banks rushed for 72 yards and caught a 37-yard TD pass. Schley County led 14-0 in the first quarter and was never in danger from there.

What it means: Schley County, which opened in 2000, reached its first championship game. Johnson County, which had been the division’s only unbeaten team, finished 13-1 after making the semifinals for the first time since 2005. Johnson County’s Germivy Tucker ran for 218 yards and took the state lead in rushing yards with 2,916, the fifth-highest single-season total in state history.

GIAA CHAMPIONSHIPS

Three teams extend state-title streaks. John Milledge Academy and Thomas Jefferson Academy won their fourth consecutive state titles, Central Fellowship Christian won its third straight, and St. Anne-Pacelli won the first in school history at the GIAA championships Thursday and Friday at Mercer’s Five Star Stadium.

Here’s a recap of the championship games in each classification:

Class 4A

St. Anne-Pacelli 10, Stratford Academy 0: St. Anne-Pacelli of Columbus defeated Stratford Academy of Macon for the second time this season to earn the first football championship for a program that began in 1960. Both teams moved from the GHSA this season. The Vikings (12-1) took advantage of a dropped punt snap for the game’s only touchdown, taking over inside the 10-yard line and eventually scoring on an 18-yard pass from Cam Ellis to Cooper Trombley with 2:09 remaining in the third quarter. They added a field goal early in the fourth quarter for the final margin. Ellis was 9-of-10 passing for 106 yards and rushed for 89 yards. Stratford Academy (9-4), in its first season under Chance Jones, was seeking its first championship since 2004.

Class 3A

John Milledge Academy 49, Deerfield-Windsor 0: John Milledge Academy of Milledgeville completed its fourth consecutive unbeaten season and extended its winning streak to a state-record 50 games with a shutout of Deerfield-Windsor, which moved back to the GIAA this season after spending the past two years in the GHSA. Briggs Eady scored two rushing touchdowns and threw for one to Baylen Zielinski, who also ran for a score. John Milledge (13-0) led 21-0 at halftime and finished with a 485-44 advantage in total offense (unofficially). Head coach J.T. Wall, a former Georgia and NFL fullback, is 138-14 in 12 seasons at his alma mater. Deerfield-Windsor of Albany last won a state championship in 2012.

Class 2A

Central Fellowship Christian 46, Brentwood 7: Central Fellowship of Macon finished off a 13-0 season in which only one game, a 33-29 victory over Tiftarea Academy on Sept. 2, was decided by fewer than 10 points. Quarterback Jeb Walls passed for 243 yards and four touchdowns and ran for 106 yards and two scores. Jaylun Goodrum had three receiving touchdowns and one rushing touchdown. The Lancers were state champions the past two seasons in the Georgia Association of Private and Parochial Schools. Brentwood of Sandersville was the 2A champion in 2021.

Class A

Thomas Jefferson Academy 38: Robert Toombs Academy 8: Beans Hunt rushed for 161 yards and three touchdowns on 13 carries and ran in three two-point conversions to lead Thomas Jefferson of Louisville to the ninth championship in school history and to avenge a regular-season loss against Robert Toombs. The Jaguars (10-2) had 313 yards rushing on 49 carries and attempted just two passes, completing one that went for a 10-yard touchdown from Cam Beasley to Carson Peavy. John Durden added 62 yards and a touchdown rushing. Robert Toombs of Lyons was seeking its first title since 2013.

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Gainesville teen charged with breaking into home, assaulting three female victims

By
Now Habersham
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Joseph Salazar

A Gainesville 17-year-old has been charged with breaking into a residence and assaulting three female victims inside the home.

Hall County Sheriff’s Office investigators say Joseph Salazar illegally entered the residence on Thompson Bridge Road just before 11 p.m. December 2, while the victims were sleeping. According to arrest warrants, Salazar made intimate physical contact with two of the victims. He allegedly grabbed the third victim during the incident.

Deputies responded to a 911 call from the residence, and they were able to detain Salazar.

Deputies determined Salazar was under the influence of drugs, the sheriff’s office says. He was taken to the hospital for treatment before being booked at the Hall County Jail.

The investigation determined the suspect knew his victims.

Authorities charged Salazar with two counts of sexual battery against victims over 16 years old, three counts of simple battery, criminal trespass, and obstruction of an officer. He was charged with obstruction for initially resisting arrest at the scene, the sheriff’s office says.

“The warrant indicates he refused to let go of one of the victims, and he refused to show deputies his hands when he was commanded to do so,” says Hall County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson B.J. Williams.

Salazar remained in the Hall County Jail Monday morning.

Bob McGrath, ‘Sesame Street’ legend, dies at 90

By
Joy Purcell
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FILE - Bob McGrath, right, looks at the Cookie Monster as they accept the Lifetime Achievement Award for '"Sesame Street" at the Daytime Emmy Awards on Aug. 30, 2009, in Los Angeles. McGrath, an actor, musician and children’s author widely known for his portrayal of one of the first regular characters on the children’s show “Sesame Street” has died at the age of 90. McGrath’s passing was confirmed by his family who posted on his Facebook page on Sunday, Dec. 4, 2022. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)

Bob McGrath, an actor, musician and children’s author widely known for his portrayal of one of the first regular characters on the children’s show “Sesame Street” has died at the age of 90.

McGrath’s passing was confirmed by his family who posted on his Facebook page on Sunday: “The McGrath family has some sad news to share. Our father Bob McGrath, passed away today. He died peacefully at home, surrounded by his family.”

Sesame Workshop tweeted Sunday evening that it “mourns the passing of Bob McGrath, a beloved member of the Sesame Street family for over 50 years.”

McGrath was a founding cast member of “Sesame Street” when the show premiered in 1969, playing a friendly neighbor Bob Johnson. He made his final appearance on the show in 2017, marking an almost five-decade-long figure in the “Sesame Street” world.

The actor grew up in Illinois and studied music at the University of Michigan and Manhattan School of Music. He also was a singer in the 60s series “Sing Along With Mitch” and launched a successful singing career overseas in Japan.

“A revered performer worldwide, Bob’s rich tenor filled airwaves and concert halls from Las Vegas to Saskatchewan to Tokyo many times over,” Sesame Workshop said. “We will be forever grateful for his many years of passionate creative contributions to Sesame Street and honored that he shared so much of his life with us.”

He is survived by his wife, Ann Logan Sperry, and their five children.

——

This story corrects that McGrath studied at the University of Michigan, not Maryland.

 

Here’s when drug prices will start to decrease for Medicare recipients

By
Casey Quinlan
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(GA Recorder) — Starting next month, a $35 cap on insulin prices will go into effect for millions of Medicare recipients. The lower pricing is one of the first of several policy measures Americans will see in the coming months and years under the Inflation Reduction Act signed into law in August.

The bill also requires pharmaceutical companies to pay rebates for drugs where prices surpass inflation for Medicare Part D and mandates that the government negotiate drug prices on some prescription drugs for people who have Medicare — the first time Medicare has been given that power. While it’s unclear how many people will ultimately benefit from the various changes, 49 million people are enrolled in Medicare Part D plans, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.

The Medicare Part D rebates began in October. That same month, Medicare also began paying more for some biosimilar drugs to create more competition, lower the cost and improve access to those drugs for consumers. Biosimilars are drugs that are very similar to an existing drug and have an average sales price that isn’t higher than the other drug.

The insulin cap that goes into effect next month benefits Medicare Part D recipients, who also no longer have to meet a deductible on their insulin. A  $35 cap on insulin pumps for Medicare Part B recipients goes into effect July 1, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Richard Frank, senior fellow in economic studies and director of the University of Southern California-Brookings Schaeffer Initiative on Health Policy, said there are a couple reasons that the law reduces the cost for insulin before other measures.

“The whole history of health reform in this country is that you really want to try to frontload real benefits to real people. And insulin, because of the relative technical simplicity, is a great place for that right away. You give sick people who really need the help, and where there’s been a lot of crazy cost-sharing for patients, earlier, so the benefits of the legislation start to become apparent pretty quickly,” he said.

Medicare patients spent $1 billion on insulin in 2020, according to Kaiser Family Foundation, and an estimated 16.5% of people with diabetes rationed their insulin in the past year, which can be extremely harmful to their health, according to an Annals of Internal Medicine article published in October.

But the Health and Human Services Department’s process for negotiating drug prices will take much longer. This process will apply to certain types of drugs, including biologics, or drugs that come from biological sources like sugars or proteins that don’t have generic or biosimilar competitors, or brand-name drugs where the company holds the patent, known as single-source drugs. Here’s the timeline:

In September, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will list the 10 Part D drugs whose negotiated prices will take effect in 2026. Negotiations begin in October and end in August 2024, according to Kaiser Family Foundation’s timeline.

  • Another round of negotiations for 15 Part D drugs starts in February 2025 and ends in November 2025, with prices to take effect in 2027.
  • The negotiation process for 15 Part D or Part B drugs starts in 2026 and prices will go into effect in 2028.
  • In 2027, 20 Part D or Part B drugs will be announced and in 2029, those prices will hit consumers.
  • In 2028, 20 more Part D and Part B drugs would be chosen to be fully implemented in 2030.
  • The last round of 20 Part B and D drugs prices would be seen in 2031.

“The bill is designed to have Medicare negotiate for the drugs that have the highest aggregate spending, so it really does give you the most bang for the buck,” said Emily Gee, vice president and coordinator for health policy at the Center for American Progress.

The price changes should start to have a real impact on Americans in 2026. “They’ll get roughly a 30% haircut on that deductible portion of their drug in a lot of cases. Most people would notice that,” Frank said.

According to an analysis of the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act from the Center for American Progress, an elderly middle class couple living in Pittsburgh, where one person is diabetic and takes insulin, could save $575 on insulin each year starting next year, and as much as $2,430 each year for their household — because of the $2,000 limit on annual out-of-pocket costs — beginning in 2025.

How will pharma respond?

A U.S. Department of Health and Human Services report released in September showed drug companies increased prices for several drugs by more than 500% between 2016 and 2022, and some experts worry that pharmaceutical companies could find loopholes in the new law.

Juliette Cubanski, deputy director for the program on Medicare policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation, said there might not be very much drug companies can do to stop from being selected for the first negotiation process at this point. But in general, they could try to put up barriers to implementation, such as raising legal challenges against the law. Cubanski said one other response could be higher launch prices for new drugs.

“That’s just one of those side effects from this legislation that we can’t really control in this country because we don’t have any sort of organized approach to setting the price of drugs the way that other countries do,” Cubanski said. “The Inflation Reduction Act provisions are expected to be helpful at constraining the growth in drug prices for existing drugs, but doesn’t have any provisions in it to limit the level at which drug prices are set for new drugs coming to market.”

The government can only negotiate for drugs that have been on the market for a certain number of years – nine years for small molecule drugs, typically pills, including some cancer treatments, and 13 for biologics, which use living cells and are difficult and more expensive to manufacture.

“I think there is an effort by pharmaceutical companies to bring innovative products to the market because there is, I think, a recognition among the pharmaceutical industry that that is where they have kind of the upper hand in prices and price negotiations — when we’re talking about drugs that are truly unique and innovative and don’t have competitor products,” Cubanski said.

She added that the possibilities of how drug companies could respond are largely unknowable at this point, however, because there is still so much to be done on the policy level.

They could also try to take their financial burden to the private insurance market or use citizen petitions to try to halt generic drugs from being approved by the FDA, at least for a while, NBC News reported.

Gee said she sees those messages about cost-shifting or raising launch prices as a scare tactic from pharmaceutical companies and said there isn’t really anything holding them back from raising prices now.

“But there’s very little discipline for them now because the market is so concentrated,” she said. “If they could raise their price another $10, why wouldn’t they do that now? It’s hard to see why they would be leaving money on the table today.”

Kelly Lynne Jackson

By
Now Habersham
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Kelly Lynne Jackson, age 62, of Gillsville, entered rest Sunday, December 4, 2022, at her sister’s house surrounded by her family.

Kelly was born July 25, 1960, in San Pablo, CA, to the late Evander Loyd & Ruth Desma Bennett Jackson. She was saved as a young girl and was ready to meet her Jesus. She exemplified the love Jesus had for her in caring for others. Kelly made her career just that. She loved the elderly and had a big heart for them. She loved making sure they were very much loved on and cared for. Kelly was proud she had the pleasure of taking care of Granny Buffington for four years. She loved her girls and her grandchildren. Family was an important part of her life. She was a member of East Hall Baptist Church and was preceded in death by her daughter, Stacy Michelle Archer.

Left to cherish memories, daughter, Dalana (Brannon) Russell & Kayla Motes (Kevin Chorvat); sister, Kim (Tony) Buffington; brother, Bill (Libby) Davis; 6 grandchildren, Daylan Butler, Desman Russell, Elijah Russell, Kaden Chorvat, Lee Aercher & Evander Berry; 5 great-grandchildren and a host of other relatives also survive.

Funeral services honoring Kelly will be held at 3:00 p.m. Tuesday, December 6, 2022, at the Ward’s Funeral Home Chapel, with Rev. Larry Buffington & Rev. Jason Buffington officiating. She will be laid to rest at the Lebanon United Methodist Church Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 1:00 p.m. until the service time on Tuesday, December 4, 2022, at the funeral home.

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

Ward’s Funeral Home of Gainesville is honored to serve the family of Kelly Lynne Jackson.

Piedmont University names former Florida University System Chancellor Marshall Criser as next president

By
Staff Report
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Piedmont University has named Marshall Criser, former chancellor of Florida’s university system, as its next president.

The announcement comes after a broad-based search that began after Dr. James Mellichamp, who has served as president for the last 10 years, announced his retirement in June.

“We are really excited about Marshall Criser as our new president. He is innovative, smart, and brings a long list of accomplishments as a university and corporate leader. He has worked with faculty members and community and political leaders to lead Florida’s higher education system to a No. 1 ranking in the nation. He’s committed to student success, and he’s got roots in our region. We are excited about him bringing all his skills, energy, and passion for students to Piedmont,” said Board Chairman Gus Arrendale.

“We also heard that he is very effective at bringing people together, and he is respected and trusted by all. He loves outreach to the community, engagement with everyone on campus, and he is chomping at the bit to get going.”

Other members of the Board commented on Criser’s “thoughtfulness, respect for all members of the community, strategic mindset, sense of humor, personal values, attention to detail, and calming presence,” a press release from Piedmont University states.

Criser recently stepped down as chancellor of the State University System of Florida, a post he held for eight years. As chancellor, he served on the Florida Talent Development Council and the Credential Review Committee. He currently serves as a member of the Florida Council of 100, where he is a former chair. He is also a member of the Enterprise Florida Board, the Florida Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, co-chair of the Florida Chamber of Commerce Past Chairs Council, and the Florida Chamber 2025 Strategic Planning Committee.

He is also a former president of AT&T Florida.

Criser graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in business administration and completed the Advanced Management Programme at INSEAD in Fontainebleau, France.

Criser and his wife, Kimberly Robbins Criser, have been married for more than 40 years. Kimberly is a graduate of Florida State University with a degree in economics. She currently serves on the UF Health Leadership Council for Pediatrics and the board of Opening Nights, an annual series of cultural and performing arts events in Tallahassee, Florida. They share four daughters, three sons-in-law, one son-in-law to be, and four grandchildren.

Criser’s start date is January 1, 2023.

Piedmont’s beleaguered past

When Criser takes over as Piedmont University president next year, he assumes leadership of an institution beleagured by deteriorating relations between the administration and faculty. Cracks in the relationship began surfacing in August 2018 after a fired tenured biology professor, Dr. Robert Wainberg, filed a lawsuit for breach of contract against the school. Allegations against Dr. Mellichamp followed in affidavits from students and staff filed in connection to that suit.

Dr. James Mellichamp

Former Wainberg colleague and then- mayor of Demorest, Dr. Rick Austin, claimed under oath that Mellichamp had sexually harassed and assaulted him. Former student Paul Allen-King claimed Mellichamp “tacitly approved” of predatory conduct by another professor when Mellichamp was chair of the music department in the early 90s.

In November 2020, the college sued the city of Demorest in what some viewed at the time as a retailiatory move against Austin. While the lawsuit cited a series of allegations against the city regarding water and sewer rates, campus policing, and development, the only remedy the suit asked for was that Austin be removed from his job as mayor and from his tenured position as a biology professor at Piedmont.

In April 2021, Austin filed a countersuit.

The legal wrangling and costs that followed took a toll and it all came to a head when on May 9, 2022, the Piedmont University Faculty Senate passed a no confidence vote against Mellichamp following faculty layoffs. Faculty leaders cited mismanagement, lack of transparency, and the pending lawsuits among their concerns. They asked the board of trustees to appoint an interim president while conducting a search for a new president.

On May 11, Board of Trustees Chairman Gus Arrendale released a statement dismissing the Faculty Senate’s request to remove Mellichamp. He defended the president saying, “Piedmont University has thrived during President Mellichamp’s decade of leadership.”

On June 7, Dr. Daniel Silber, Piedmont’s Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, resigned in protest over a second round of proposed staffing and budget cuts. A week later, a prominent faculty member resigned alleging “underhanded,” “unethical,” and “abusive” behaviors by Dr. Mellichamp and his spouse, Dr. Daniel Smith.

For a second time, the Faculty Senate asked the Board of Trustees to act, requesting they suspend and remove Mellichamp and Smith from campus so an investigation could be conducted into their alleged misconduct. The Board of Trustees did not follow through on that specific request, but on June 20, 2022, President Mellichamp announced his retirement pending the selection of a permanent successor.

More divisiveness followed after the Board of Trustees’ Executive Committee reneged on a pledge by the head of the presidential search committee to include faculty, students and other stakeholders in the process to find a new president. Chairman Arrendale released a statement on June 29, 2022, saying their decision to limit the search committee to only trustees was made to “maintain the level of strict confidentiality required by potential candidates.”

In a highly unusual move in September of this year, Piedmont faculty passed a resolution of no confidence in the executive committee saying its management “has been damaging to the University’s reputation, stature, and sustainability.” Faculty members had hoped the vote would spur the board to elect new officers and a new executive committee. No immediate action was taken. Now, with the announcement of Criser’s hiring, Piedmont alumni, faculty, administrators, and trustees are undoubtedly hoping to usher in a new era as the university concludes its quasquicentennial celebrations and looks to the future.

Playoff field set: Georgia vs. Ohio State; Michigan vs. TCU

By
Ralph D. Russo, AP College Football Writer
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Georgia players hoist the trophy after defeating LSU in the Southeastern Conference Championship football game Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022 in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Georgia, Michigan, TCU, and Ohio State were chosen Sunday to play in the College Football Playoff, giving the Big Ten multiple teams in the four-team field for the first time.

The defending national champion and top-ranked Bulldogs and fourth-seeded Buckeyes will meet Dec. 31 at the Peach Bowl in Atlanta. The second-seeded Wolverines and third-ranked Horned Frogs, the lone first-timer in the final four, will play at the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Arizona, on the same day.

The national championship game is Jan. 9 at Sofi Stadium in Inglewood, California, and it could be a rematch of rivals Ohio State and Michigan in what will soon be Big Ten country as the conference expands.

The Buckeyes and Wolverines have never played outside of their annual regular-season game in a bitter rivalry that dates to 1902.

With some drama, but not much controversy, the CFP selection committee’s top four fell into place over championship weekend. The most interesting part of the unveiling was whether the committee would pair Michigan and Ohio State in the semifinals and whether Alabama might be able to slip in as the first two-loss playoff team.

In the end, the committee sprung no surprises.

Committee chairman Boo Corrigan, the athletic director at North Carolina State, said Ohio State’s wins against Penn State and Notre Dame helped push the Buckeyes in over Alabama.

“As we looked at the total body of work, the committee was comfortable with Ohio State State at No. 4 and Alabama at 5,” he said in an interview with ESPN. Corrigan also said the committee did not make any special effort to avoid having a rematch of Ohio State and Michigan in a semifinal.

Georgia (13-0) won the Southeastern Conference championship game in a rout and Michigan (13-0) similarly took the the Big Ten title.

TCU (12-1) suffered is first loss of the season in the Big 12 championship, falling in overtime to Kansas State. The loss made for an uneasy night for Heisman Trophy contender Max Duggan and the Horned Frogs, but in the end they had already built enough equity during their improbable season to stay in the top four.

Ohio State (11-1) was given a second life in the playoff race when Southern California lost the Pac-12 championship game Friday night. A week after star quarterback C.J. Stroud and the Buckeyes lost at home to coach Jim Harbaugh and Michigan, they slipped into the final playoff spot, the best of a flawed batch of contenders.

Alabama (10-2) was fifth in the committee rankings, missing the CFP for just the second time in its nine-year history. The Crimson Tide, with a little lobbying from coach Nick Saban, were hoping to become the first team to lose two games and make the playoff.

The committee instead simply moved Ohio State from fifth last week to fourth this week, setting up just the second matchup ever between the Bulldogs and Buckeyes. The only time Georgia and Ohio State have played was in the 1992 Citrus Bowl, a Buckeyes’ victory.

“They got a lot of really great players because we recruit a lot of the same kids,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said.

For Georgia, it is the second straight CFP appearance and third overall. This time, though, Smart’s Bulldogs enter as the No. 1 team and clear favorite after following up last season’s national title with a perfect season. Stetson Bennett and the ‘Dawgs will try to become the first team to repeat as CFP champions.

Ohio State is making its fifth playoff appearance. The last time the Buckeyes were the fourth seed was 2014 when they won their last national title.

Michigan is in for the second time, again as the second seed after losing to Georgia in the Orange Bowl last season.

“It’s a team that really works and competes, and I think they really understand if you want to have good things happen, you got to work, you got to compete for it,” Harbaugh told ESPN.

Last year, Michigan was the first team to reach the College Football Playoff after starting the season unranked in the AP Top 25.

TCU is now the second. The Horned Frogs also are just the 13th different school to make the field in nine years. That lack of variety is one of the main reasons the CFP will be expanding to 12 teams in the 2024 season.

The Horned Frogs, whose only national title came in 1938, have never played Michigan.

Man jumps to his death from Pitts Park bridge, police say

By
Joy Purcell
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Police say a Demorest man jumped to his death from the Judge Homer Sutton Bridge on GA 197 North on Dec. 2, 2022. (nowhabersham.com)

Police say a Demorest man jumped to his death from the Homer Sutton Bridge on GA 197 North in Clarkesville Friday night.

Danny Ray Still, Jr., 35, reportedly jumped into the Soque River adjacent to Pitts Park but was unable to swim.

A female who was with him called 911 around 6:21 p.m. on December 2. Habersham County E-911 dispatched law enforcement and emergency services personnel to the scene.

“After a brief search, responders located and recovered the body of a white male approximately 200 yards from the reported entry point,” says Clarkesville Police Chief Brad Barrett.

Habersham EMS transported Still to Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville.

Despite resuscitative efforts by medical personnel, Still died “as a result of injuries sustained from the fall and subsequent underwater submersion,” says Barrett.

“The preliminary investigation into the incident indicates that the male was in the midst of a mental health crisis and, as a result, made the decision to enter the water on his own accord,” says Chief Barrett. “At this time, there is no evidence in existence that would indicate foul play.”

The incident happened as hundreds were gathered a short distance away in downtown Clarkesville for the town’s annual Christmas tree lighting. Chief Barrett says the case remains under investigation.

—

This article has been updated with additional comments from Chief Barrett.

Robert G. Todar

By
Now Habersham
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Mr. Robert G. Todar of Toccoa, Ga, passed away peacefully in his sleep on December 1, 2022, at his home in Toccoa, Georgia, with loved ones by his side.

He was born in the Bronx, New York, on September 22, 1935, and served in the U.S. Army in the Korean War. He was a world traveler, an adventurer, multiple business owner in Toccoa, and an inspiration to all that knew him. He was married to the late Louise Todar.

He is survived by his five children, Georgia Barton of Jupiter, Florida; Bruce Todar of Okeechobee, Florida; Diana Davis of Toccoa, Georgia; Lyne Burnett of Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina; and Laura Linn of Chesapeake, Virginia. He also had five grandchildren and three great-children.

He will be greatly missed by all that knew him and is in the hands of the Almighty God looking down over us.

No services are planned at this time.

Habersham Crematory of Cornelia (678-617-2210) is in charge of the arrangements for Robert G. Todar.

Roads Less Traveled: When the moon goes red

By
Tyler Penland
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This week’s adventure is going to be a little different.

It’s been nearly a month since the lunar eclipse on the early morning hours of November the 8th. I spent a couple hours that morning taking photographs of the eclipse, and I’ve spent the past month processing those images in between work and other adventures. I thought about just sharing the finished product, but where’s the fun in that? Why not show the ugly stuff too.

My telescope of choice is a Celestron 130EQ. It is a classic Newtonian reflector telescope that is excellent for viewing the planets and deep sky objects as well. I have it on a tracking mount to track the stars and make astrophotography a bit easier. Unfortunately, the telescope and my camera don’t get along very well. This is largely a product of poor research on my end before buying. When directly attached the camera won’t focus on what the telescope is seeing thanks to Sony’s mirrorless design. Normally this design is fantastic, but not so much when you have a telescope like mine.

So what did I do? I went to work on the adapter. I sawed it in half and reattached the ends, a project my 1.5 year old son was fascinated by. This still wasn’t quite enough, but when hooked up to a 2x Barlow Lens (a “zoom” adapter for the telescope) I could finally focus on a decent sized area of the sky, almost big enough to shoot the entire moon at once. Almost.

Anyone who saw the eclipse knows that it was both low in the sky and dim. All lunar eclipses are dim, but the combo of eclipse and low sky angle made this one appear even darker. This means that without a longer exposure you won’t be able to get a particularly good photograph. One way to overcome this is taking a lot of photos at once. This can increase the detail and make editing better. The image below is an average of 20 separate 1 to 3 second images taken over the course of a few minutes about 1/4 of the way through the eclipse.

Not very pretty is it? Dark, right? And not to mention it’s not even the whole moon. Remember when I said I could *almost* get the whole moon in one shot? This is what I meant. Here’s the other half.

So far I’m 40 images and probably 30 minutes of processing time as my feeble old laptop merges and stacks the images. Next comes making the whole moon and editing. A quick export to light room, a few clicks and….

Well that sort of worked. I now have the whole moon, you can see some detail, but the overall image is still pretty dark, and for some reason the moon is shaped like an egg.

A few more clicks, some trial and error and…

There we go! A much better view of the moon and it’s round this time instead of shaped like an egg.

To date this is by far the best photograph I have ever gotten of a lunar eclipse. It was a fun first attempt and I will hopefully be more seasoned by the time the next one comes around in 2025.

I hope you enjoyed this foray into photo processing.

I’ll be back next week with a trip to one of my favorite places in the southeast: Linville Gorge.

Have a great week, and perhaps I’ll see you on the road…..

Outside my window

By
Lynn Walker Gendusa
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It was early Thanksgiving morning, and the streets were empty as I drove to the hospital. A misty rain fell as I scurried to the entrance, where I waited until the clock announced it was time to allow visitors to see loved ones.

My husband was sitting in his room’s recliner on the fifth floor, where all cardiac patients reside after open heart surgery. He was finishing his breakfast, and I needed more coffee since sleep seemed a distant luxury. Suddenly, the monitor above and behind him began to beep loudly with a heart rate number that soared to the stratosphere. It flashed orange, the noise zoomed louder, and I panicked. “What’s wrong?” he questioned when he noticed the fear in my eyes.

Hospital staff began running into his room in less than a few quick minutes. So many dressed in white and blue that I left so they could reach David amid wires and tubes. At the end of the hall, I gazed out the window and thought it was pouring rain on the muddy construction area below, but it was only my eyes streaming tears.

After a while and much work, his heart rate lowered a tad, and I returned to his side. David, one of the strongest men I know, was now lying in a bed, holding my hand to find comfort. Out of the blue, and after many healthy physicals, blood tests, and a life filled with active sports, my iron man needed to rest.

The hospital permitted me to stay the night to help ease both of us. David’s heartbeats stayed slightly below the number that caused a monitor to scream throughout the rest of the day and into the night. I was afraid to sleep as if I could control anything happening to those scrambled lines, high numbers, and chaotic dance rhythms displaying a functioning heart.

“Please, God, bring that heart rate down!” I pleaded a little before 2 am Friday morning. Two minutes later, just as I was about to sit down, something or someone told me to recheck the screen. When I did, the dancing lines were now performing a slow waltz. And the number had dropped 64 beats and was now at normal speed. I called the nurse.

Once she saw the waltz’s slow cadence, she excitedly proclaimed, “There must be an angel in this room!”

It was late on Friday night when I finally reached the entrance to my subdivision. Thanksgiving was over, and I envied those who had earlier dined with family laughing about old memories and holding hands in prayer. Christmas trees sparkled behind windows, and the big lighted tree near the lake threw colors into the water below.

As my car wound through the streets, I felt like I was behind a locked window, looking in awe at the rest of the world. While others gathered to celebrate, they, along with their holiday joy, were somewhere out there, just not in my view.

As tired as I was, when my head touched the softness of my pillow, my eyes would not close. My heart raced with uncertainty amid a million random thoughts. I prayed for calm and heard the voice again, “Lynn, trust me as you always have. Christmas joy is not found outside the window in lights and festivities. Instead, it is found inside your heart where I am and will always remain. Lean unto me and celebrate that I am with you.”

No soul on earth has not experienced the sad, brutal days of living. Those days when hope is distant, fear is present, and “what ifs” abound. Yet in those dark hours when life seems to belong to others, an angel can walk into your room, and a message will illuminate your heart.

Thanks to talented doctors, caring nurses, and countless prayers, my husband today sits in his recliner at home, attached only to the remote, watching football. Our holidays will be different this year, but our joy and thankfulness will abound.

If there is one thing I am assured of in life, God is always with us in our victories and pain. He pulls us out of our darkness and into his bright light, giving us peace and hope.

Yes, Christmas is not found outside our windows; it is within us all year long.

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” John 14:27

____________

Lynn Gendusa

About the author: Lynn Walker Gendusa is an author and columnist whose work appears regularly on Now Habersham. Her inspirational writings about home, life, faith, family, and struggles also are featured in newspapers in Georgia and around the country through the USA Today Network. In addition, Lynn’s stories appear in senior magazines and Guideposts and have been featured on MSN.com. Her latest book is “Southern Comfort: Stories of Family, Friendship, Fiery Trials, and Faith.” She can be reached at www.lynngendusa.com.

Branson “Jolly” Crumley

By
Now Habersham
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Branson “Jolly” Crumley, age 95, of Homer, Georgia, went to his heavenly home on Saturday, December 3, 2022.

Mr. Crumley was born on June 12, 1927, in Banks County, Georgia, to the late Morton and Grace Stephens Crumley. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his loving wife of 73 years, Carolyn M. Crumley, and his son, Donald Crumley. and his six siblings. Mr. Crumley was the last of his immediate family.

Jolly was known to his grandchildren as “Pa-pa Jolly.” He was a member of Mt. Carmel Baptist Church in Banks County. Mr. Crumley was a United States Army Veteran. He was a member of the Hollingsworth Masonic Lodge for over 55 years. Jolly was also a Baptist Minister, having pastored numerous churches in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.

Survivors include daughter and son-in-law, Sue and Randy Rylee, of Maysville; son and daughter-in-law, Kenny and Joyce Crumley, of Gillsville; daughter and son-in-law, Phyllis and John McClure, of Homer; nine grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren, three great-great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Graveside Services will be held at 2:00 p.m., Monday, December 5, 2022, at the Mt. Carmel Baptist Church Cemetery in Lula with Rev. Jerrell Beatty.

The family will receive friends from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Sunday, December 4, 2022, at the Whitfield Funeral Home, South Chapel

Flowers will be accepted or memorials may be made to Mt. Carmel Baptist Church Cemetery Fund,

Arrangements have been entrusted to the Whitfield Funeral Homes & Crematory, South Chapel at 1370 Industrial Boulevard, Baldwin, Georgia 30511. Telephone: 706-778-7123.

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