Mt. Airy residents will pay more for water and garbage services next year. The town council on Monday voted to raise the base water rate by $3 per month and increase garbage fees by $3 per can.
Before the vote, Mt. Airy Town Clerk Sheri Berrong pointed out the town has not raised water rates since 2018. Mayor Ray McAllister stated that the council and staff looked at water rates last year, and it was costing more to make water than what the town was selling it for to its customers.
The town’s garbage collection costs have also risen, according to the council. Mt. Airy’s current provider, Waste Management, informed the town it was going up on its rates. Previously, they were charging the town $11.50 per can. The town bid out the service and the low bidder was FCS Sanitation of Toccoa, GA. The bid was $14.00 per can. One unnamed bidder quoted $21 a can. Berrong reminded the council that the town also incurs costs due to staff maintaining the trash cans.
Following the discussion, council member Patrick Ledford made a motion to increase the rates for both water and garbage. Councilmember Ken Moore seconded the motion, and it passed 4-0.
The move will raise Mt. Airy’s base water rate to $20 per month for customers living inside city limits and $33 a month for those living outside city limits. The base garbage rate will increase from $15 per month to $18 per customer.
The increases go into effect on January 1. A notice will be provided with customers’ December bills.
The Mt. Airy Council also voted unanimously to proceed with road repairs on Wood Springs Drive. According to Mayor McAllister, the road is cracked pretty badly and has grass growing through it. They have been building houses on that road and only have a couple of lots left to build. The town delayed paving the road until the developers were done building.
Berrong gave the council a rough estimate of $20,000 to complete the roadwork. She reminded the council that the contractor has not inspected the road and it could cost more depending on the condition of the road base.
The council voted to move forward with the project using Local Maintenance and Improvement Grant (LMIG) funds from the Georgia Department of Transportation. Moore made the motion, and councilmember Adam Tullis seconded it. The vote was 4-0. Councilmember Chris Greene was absent.
There are more tree farms than you might think within easy driving distance of Northeast Georgia. The Kinsey Family Farm in Hall County is one of them. (Jessica Waters/Now Habersham)
It was always, somehow, the coldest morning of the year when my dad would wake my brother and me, herd us into the beat-up old farm truck, and point the nose of that pumpkin-orange IH 1210 towards Mount Rainier. The mountain was visible from our front door as a hunched, white-capped giant guarding over the foothills landscape in the predawn darkness.
Those yearly trips into the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, where we would hike – permit in hand – through the woods in our early-Christmas-gift REI boots, munching on trail mix and arguing over the merits of each tree, formed my lifelong love of this Christmas tradition. Watching my father carefully dig up the chosen tree, wrapping the root ball in a burlap feed sack before my brother and I fulfilled our part of the chore and carried the tree between us back to the truck forever made the thought of an artificial tree impossible to contemplate, even when, later in life, the simplicity of those some-assembly-required Tannenbaums would have been a much easier – and cheaper – option.
And I can truly say it is only when the scent of tree sap and crushed needles hits my senses on the way home from picking a tree – whether it is at a nearby forest, a tree farm, or a local tree lot – that it truly begins to feel a lot like Christmas.
Each year, when the excitement of Christmas had passed and preparations for the New Year were underway, my dad, brother, and I would take the tree under mom’s watchful eye and plant it along the strip of woods between our yard and the front pasture. During a trip to the old homestead a couple of years ago, it was a thrill to see those trees were still there … although it did make me feel rather old to see that many of them were now four to five times as tall as the old house.
After much debate between my brother and me during each year’s hike, we inevitably picked either a Grand fir (usually when I got my way) or the Noble fir (when my brother got his way). The Grand fir, one of Washington’s four native firs, was my favorite, partly because the needles were, to my mind, a prettier, brighter shade of green than the Noble fir, and the needles were flat and rounded. They were also less pointy than the hockey-stick curved needles of the Noble fir, which made the Grand much more pleasant to carry and decorate. Since I had a bad-girl habit (at least according to my mom) of sneaking into the living room and falling asleep under the tree, watching the twinkling lights and the fire in the nearby fireplace, the softness of the needles was a key factor for me.
(Jessica Waters/Now Habersham)
The Noble fir, however, did have stronger branches, which meant we could pile on the ornaments! Both trees have a distinctive, strong, resiny, Christmassy smell, though the Grand’s scent also carried a slight citrus note. Since moving away from the Pacific Northwest, I have missed the attributes of these two firs and the memories associated with them. Frasier firs are fine trees, but for this PNW girl, they have just never made the grade. So when I found out, while researching area Christmas tree farms for this article, that there was a Northeast Georgia tree farm that imported fresh-cut trees from the Pacific Northwest, I knew I had to make the drive to the Kinsey Family Farm northwest of Gainesville.
The farm, a full-feature nursery, garden décor, and harvest store as well as a pumpkin patch and Christmas tree farm, is an expansive, 50+ acre spread, nicely set up for a large influx of customers with plentiful parking, some cute farm animals nearby for the kiddos, and what is possibly the largest area selection of Christmas trees, along with beautiful fresh swags and wreaths. And just as importantly, their staff members are not only very helpful and friendly but are quite knowledgeable and happy to help with your selection of just the right tree for your family.
Kinsey Farm sells a variety of choose-and-cut and pre-cut trees. (Jessica Waters/Now Habersham)Kinsey Farm also sells Christmas trees that are ‘balled and bagged’ for replanting after the holidays. (Jessica Waters/Now Habersham)The Kinsey Family Farm in Hall County also features a harvest store. (Jessica Waters/Now Habersham)
Kinsey Family Farm tree prices were on the upper end of the scale, but the availability of live, you-cut, fresh-cut, and pre-cut trees and the wide selection of tree types, all of which were of excellent quality – healthy, full, and judiciously trimmed – justified the price range. The large section of more reasonably-priced pre-cut trees is good for those with a more conservative budget than those seeking fresh-cut or live root trees. And one of my favorite sections of the large tree barn was what they call “Charlie Brown” trees. Advertised at $24, I expected this selection of trees to be scrawny, 3-foot “junk” trees with lopsided branches and holes.. but instead, I found a large selection of pretty, decently-sized, full, symmetrical, healthy trees… an unbeatable deal in these days of $100 drooping, sad looking trees at the local box store.
(Jessica Waters/Now Habersham)
And I can truly say it is only when the scent of tree sap and crushed needles hits my senses on the way home from picking a tree – whether it is at a nearby forest, a tree farm, or a local tree lot – that it truly begins to feel a lot like Christmas.
Tree farms in and around Northeast Georgia:
Barn Hill Tree Farm — 417 Oklahoma Ave W, Dahlonega, GA — Out of Stock/Closed for the Season
Becks Christmas Tree Farm — 648 Christmas Tree Rd., Bowersville, GA — No details on tree varieties or prices published.
Berry’s Christmas Tree Farm — 70 Mt. Tabor Rd., Covington, GA — Choose/Cut/Carry: Leyland Cypress ($9/ft.) Carolina Sapphire ($9/ft.), Murray Cypress ($9/ft.), Cedar ($8/ft.), Virginia Pine ($8/ft.). Pre-cut: Fraser Fir (prices vary), Blue Ice ($9/ft.). Pet-friendly (leashed)
Blessed Pastures Farm — 340 Rock Creek Rd. SW, Calhoun, GA — Choose/Cut/Carry: Mostly Murray Cypress, some Carolina Sapphire, and Eastern Red Cedar. No pre-cut Fraser Firs. Cash only. No prices listed.
Bottoms Christmas Tree Farm — 5880 John Burruss Rd., Cumming, GA — Choose/Cut/Carry: Leyland Cypress, Virginia Pine, Carolina Sapphire, White Pine, Deodar Cedar. Pre-cut: Fraser Fir. Choose/Cut/Carry $10/SF, precut individually priced. Pet-friendly (leashed)
Choestoe farms — 130 Twiggs Rd., Blairsville, GA — Choose/Cut/Carry:Murray Cypress. Prices depend on size (6-9 ft) and range between $45-$85.
Christmas Carroll Tree Farm — LaFayette, GA — (2 locations, see website for more information) Choose/Cut/Carry: Leyland and Murray Cypress, and Carolina Sapphires starting at $30, pre-cut North Carolina Fraser Firs, individually priced.
Coker Tree Farm — 2280 Macland Rd., Marietta, GA — Choose/Cut/Carry: Murray Cypress and Carolina Sapphire trees ($10/ft.) Pre-cut: North Carolina Fraser Firs (Price varies, but approximately $12/ft.)
Cooper’s Tree Farm — 5577 Winder Hwy., Braselton, GA — No Choose/Cut/Carry this year. Pre-cut Fraser Firs available. Prices not listed.
Hartland Farms — 1791 Flat Rock Rd. Hartwell, GA — Does not specialize in Christmas trees but does offer Carolina Sapphire and Green Giant Arborvitae trees as part of their normal tree farm selections. Visit the website for more information.
Holly Hill Christmas Tree Farm — 276 Woodland Ln., Dahlonega, GA — Choose/Cut/Carry: White Pines and Cypress. Pre-cut: Fraser Firs. Prices not published.
Hunters’ Christmas Tree Farm — 14680 Wood Rd., Milton, GA — Choose/Cut/Carry: Leyland Cypress sold out. Pre-cut: Fraser Firs (Starting at $14/ft.)
Jacks Creek Tree Farm — 2291 Price Mill Rd., Bishop, GA — Choose/Cut/Carry: Leyland Cypress, Red Cedars, Blue Ice Spruce, Carolina Sapphire, Green Giant. Pre-cut: Fraser firs. Tabletop trees ($30). Other tree prices not listed, but they do offer a distance discount: Show proof that you live 30+ miles away and receive $5 off any Christmas Tree.
Kinsey Family Farm — 7170 Jot-em Down Rd., Gainesville, GA — Choose/Cut/Carry:Carolina Sapphire Cypress, Murray Cypress. Live (root ball): ‘Hoopsii’ Blue Spruce, Norway Spruce, Dwarf Alberta Spruce, Deodar Cedar, ‘Carolina Sapphire’ Arizona Cypress. Pre-cut: Fraser Fir, Noble Fir, Douglas Fir, Balsam Fir (limited), Blue Spruce, Nordmann Fir, Scotch Pine. “Charlie Brown” trees – $24. All other prices vary.
Kittle Christmas Tree Farm — 949 Salem Valley Rd., Ringgold, GA — Choose/Cut/Carry: Leyland Cypress, Carolina Sapphire, White Pine. Prices not published
May Lan Tree Plantation — 56 Cooley Bridge Rd., Pelzer, SC — Choose/Cut/Carry: Virginia Pine, Eastern Red Cedar, Leyland Cypress. Prices not published
Mike’s Christmas Tree Farm — 3847 Loganville Highway (Hwy 20), Loganville, GA — Choose/Cut/Carry: Virginia Pine, Red Cedar, White Pine, Leyland Cypress, and Scotch Pine. Trees are $35, any size. Limited inventory. Call before visiting.
Moss Family Christmas Tree Farm — 121 GA-140, Adairsville, GA — Choose/Cut/Carry: Murray Cypress, Green Arborvitae, and Carolina Sapphire. Pre-cut: Fraser, Concolor, Turkish, and Canaan Firs. Prices not published.
Raulston Acres Christmas Tree Farm — 2572 Georgia 95, Rock Springs, GA — Choose/Cut/Carry: Murray Cypress, Blue Ice Cypress, Carolina Sapphire, Virginia Pine, White Pine. Pre-cut: Oregon Douglas Fir. Farm-grown trees approximately $9/ft., and pre-cut trees $12-$13/ft.
Santa Land Christmas Tree Farm — 2574 Concord Rd., LaFayette, GA — Choose/Cut/Carry: Cypress trees up to 7 feet available $8 per foot, including tax. Cash or check only.
7 G’s Farm — 2377 Old Kings Bridge Rd., Nicholson, GA — Out of stock/Closed for the season.
Silver Creek Christmas Tree Farm — 226 Spur 101 SE, Silver Creek, GA — Choose/Cut/Carry:Murray Cypress, White Pine, Carolina Sapphire. Pre-cut: Fraser Firs. Prices not published.
Sleepy Hollow Farm — 628 Sleepy Hollow Rd., Powder Springs, GA — Choose/Cut/Carry: Leyland Cypress, Carolina Sapphire, and Virginia Pines (limited stock). Pre-cut: North Carolina Fraser Fir. Farm-grown trees are $10-$12/ft. Pre-cut are $12-$15/ft.
Sorrells Christmas Tree Farm — 156 Radisson Road Seneca, SC — Choose/Cut/Carry:Carolina Sapphire, Eastern Red Cedar, Leyland Cypress, Murray Cypress, Virginia Pine, White Pine. Prices not published.
Southern Tree Plantation 2226 Owltown Rd., Blairsville, GA, limited inventory. Contact before visiting.
Thompson’s Tree Farm — 1829 Prospect Rd., Lawrenceville, GA — Choose/Cut/Carry: Green Giants, Blue Ice, and Carolina Sapphires. No Fraser Firs. Prices not listed.
West Wood Farms — 139 West Wood Farms Dr., Mineral Bluff, GA — Choose/Cut/Carry: Carolina Sapphire, Juniper, and Murray Cypress, starting at $13/ft.
Wheeler’s Christmas Tree Farm — 662 Hall Rd., Cairo, GA — Choose/Cut/Carry: Murray & Leyland Cypress, Carolina Sapphire, and Blue Ice Cedar. Prices not published.
Young Road Christmas Tree Farm — 139 Young Rd. SW, Cartersville, GA — Choose/Cut/Carry:Eastern Red Cedar, Leyland Cypress, Virginia Pine, White Pine. Pre-cut: Fraser Firs. $12/ft. Any variety. Cash only.
Yule Forest — 3565 Hwy. 155 N., Stockbridge, GA — Choose/Cut/Carry: Leyland Cypress, Green Giant, Virginia Pine, Blue Ice Cypress, Carolina Sapphire, Burkii Cedar. Pre Cut Fraser Fir, Blue Spruce. Prices vary.
(Jessica Waters/Now Habersham)
CHOOSING A TREE
Tips: Look for a tree that…
Has been kept in water, out of the direct sunlight
Does not have dry, brittle twigs or a sour, musty smell
Is not losing green needles (the loss of old brown needles from the inside of the tree when shaken does not indicate a problem with the tree.)
Has needles that feel pliable and fresh.
Is the right size for the space and is not too large for your tree stand. Avoid whittling the sides of the trunk down to fit a stand. The outer layers of wood are the most efficient in taking up water and should not be removed. Also, do not remove the bottom whorl of branches from the tree to fit it in the stand. Be sure that the handle (the butt of the tree – the space between the lowest ring of branches and the bottom of the trunk) is long enough to allow display of the tree without cutting off the lower whorl of large branches. USDA grading rules specify trees should have a minimum 6” handle and a maximum of 1 ½ inches for every foot of tree height.
Types: Choose a tree that suits you
These days, you can find Firs, Pines, Cedars, Spruces, Cypresses, and a few miscellaneous trees being sold as Christmas trees. Firs and Pines are your best best for needle retention and are some of the most traditional Christmas trees. Spruces tend to be the best for rigid branches (for heavy ornaments), with the Scotch pine being the exception, having very strong branches. The Fir trees will have the strongest scents, while Spruce and Cypress trees have no or little scent, making them good for those with allergies. Firs, White Pine and Cypress trees are your best bet for soft needles, while the Spruces are very prickly.
FIR
Balsam – Dark green, ¾” to 1.5” flat needles, rounded at the tip, with excellent retention, but weaker limbs do not do well with heavy ornaments. Strong, long-lasting scent. Classic Christmas tree shape
Canaan – Short, soft needles that are dark green on the upper surface and silvery blue on the underside. Combines the strong fragrance of the Balsam Fir with the better needle retention of the Fraser Fir.
Fraser – Arguably one of the most popular Christmas trees, and typically the tree used at tree lots, box stores, and fundraising tree stands. Short, ½” – 1” flat needles that are dark green on top and blue-green underneath. Good needle retention, Branches tip up and are slightly rigid, but not the best for very heavy ornaments. Light sweet/pungent scent. Nice pyramid shape.
Noble – Short, 1” upturned needles that are rich deep green on top with a blue-green underside. Rigid branches make it well-suited to heavy ornaments. Upturned needles with medium green top and blue-green underside. Extremely aromatic.
White or Concolor – Blue-green needles, with a whitish tint, that are ½” – 1 ½” with good retention. Nice pyramid shape and light, citrus scent.
Grand – Bright green, shiny flat needles, 1” – 1 ½” long with blunt, rounded tips. Resiny, citrusy scent. The needles alternate longer and shorter on the branch, which gives the branches a fuller look.
Nordmann – Deep, black-green, glossy needles that are longer than most other firs, giving it a softer look. Needle retention similar to Nobles and Frasers.
Douglas – 1” – 1.5” dark green, soft (what the Forest Service calls Flat, Friendly, and Flexible) needles that radiate in all directions from the stem, giving the tree a full appearance. Neele retention is poor. Strong, sweet, Christmassy fragrance, especially when needles are crushed.
PINE
Eastern White – Some of the longest needles out of all Christmas tree varieties, giving it a very soft look. Soft, flexible 2” – 5” green needles with a slight blue tint. Average needle retention, with a faint scent that makes it a good choice for those sensitive to strong smells. Requires lots of water.
Scotch (Scots) – 1” – 3”, medium, bright green, stiff needles with sharp ends. Excellent needle retention, needles will stay on even when dry. Strong branches with an open arrangement, good for heavy and/or large ornaments. Keeps aroma throughout the season.
Virginia – Dark green needles are 1 ½” – 3″. Strong branches densely arranged. Strong aromatic pine scent. Grows natively in Georgia.
Afghan – Soft, short needles with sturdy branches; open appearance; mild fragrance; average needle retention.
CEDAR
Deodar – Very short blueish-green, very prickly needles. Very strong, drooping branches.
Eastern Red – Dark, shiny, green needles that are very prickly to the touch. Strong, long-lasting scent. Poor needle retention (actually a juniper, not cedar).
SPRUCE
Colorado Blue – Blue-green or gray-green, short, stiff, sharp needles with an unpleasant odor when needles are crushed. Symmetrical form, with good needle retention.
Norway – ½” – 1” long, shiny, dark green needles with poor retention and a strong fragrance, and a nice conical shape.
White – ½” – ¾” green to bluish-green, short, stiff needles with a blunt tip; crushed needles have an unpleasant odor; good needle retention and strong branches.
CYPRESS
Leyland – Medium to dark green slender needles that are soft to the touch. Less sturdy branches that do not do well with heavy ornaments. Excellent needle retention, very little scent. Requires lots of water.
Murray – Variant of the Leyland Cypress bred to have improved qualities for the grower. Very little discernible difference to the Leyland for the consumer. Perhaps slightly darker than the Leyland.
Arizona Cypress (Carolina Sapphire& Blue Ice) – Arizona Cypress trees include the Carolina Sapphire and Blue Ice varieties. Carolina Sapphire’s best characteristics include a beautiful blue color and an excellent aroma. The Blue Ice has an unusual blue/gray color. Both have lacy-appearing needles with densely-packed limbs of low rigidity, making heavy ornaments unwise. Trees dry out fast, with medium to low needle retention. Light citrusy/minty scent.
MISC
Green Giant Arborvitae – Fast-growing evergreen with an exclamation point form. Similar in foliage to the Carolina Sapphire. Not traditionally thought of as a Christmas tree, but is less expensive and useful as a hedge planting after Christmas.
(Jessica Waters/Now Habersham)
CARING FOR YOUR TREE
Double-check that the seller makes a fresh cut straight across the base of the trunk to aid water absorption.
Keep your Christmas tree in a sheltered, unheated area such as a porch or garage to protect it from the wind and sun until you are ready to bring it indoors.
Keep the trunk of the tree immersed in a bucket of water. A seal of dried sap will form over the cut stump in four to six hours if the water drops below the base of the tree, preventing the tree from absorbing water later when the tree stand is refilled. If a seal forms, another fresh cut will need to be made before putting it in the stand. Don’t cut the trunk at an angle or into a v-shape.
Use a stand with a water reservoir that can hold one quart of water for every inch of the trunk’s diameter. Note: A tree will absorb as much as a gallon of water or more in the first 24 hours and one or more quarts a day thereafter.
Remember to check the water level in the morning and at night for the first week and refill as needed — it should always cover the bottom two inches of the trunk. Checking once per day should be sufficient after the first week.
Use fresh, cool water. Do not add bleach, corn syrup, aspirin, sugar or any other additive, and do not use hot water.
Do not drill holes in the base of the trunk, this does not improve water uptake.
Keep trees away from major sources of heat (fireplaces, heaters, heat vents, direct sunlight). Lowering the room temperature will slow the drying process, reducing water consumption each day.
Never burn any part of a Christmas tree in a wood stove or fireplace.
________________
(Tree data, needle photos, and care tips compiled from Kinsey Farm, USDA Forest Service, pickyourownchristmastree.org, Oregon State University Extension Service, realchristmastrees.org, Farmers Almanac and the Georgia Christmas Tree Association.)
Newly-elected Post 2 Clarkesville City Council member Brad Coppedge is sworn into office by Clarkesville Mayor Barrie Aycock on Dec. 5, 2022. (Jerry Neace/Now Habersham)
Clarkesville’s newest city council member is on the job. Mayor Barrie Aycock swore in Brad Coppedge Monday during a council work session.
Coppedge succeeds Roxie Barron as the Post 2 city council member after defeating Rick Wood in the November 8 special election.
After he was sworn into office, Coppedge told New Habersham, “I have waited for this opportunity. I certainly appreciate everything that the residents of Clarkesville did in voting me in to put me in here. Now, the work begins.”
Barron resigned from the Clarkesville City Council in March because she was moving to Florida. Coppedge will fill the remainder of Barron’s unexpired term through December 31, 2023.
He says he’s looking forward to working with this team.
“Like I said during the campaign, I am working toward a better Clarkesville.”
Public health care nurse Donna Glaser administers a COVID shot during a vaccination clinic in Clarkesville in March 2021. (nowhabersham.com)
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is awarding states over $4 billion in funding to support public health nationwide. The Public Health Infrastructure, Workforce and Data Systems grant will last five years, with $3.2 billion given to state public health districts in the first year.
Georgia’s Department of Public Health will receive close to $100 million over a five-year period from the CDC grant. For its first year, the state DPH has $83 million to spend with just over $16 million left over for the following four years. The grant also includes more than $10 million dollars in separate funding for Fulton County.
DPH spokesperson Nancy Nydam said some of those funds will be used to purchase an electronic medical records system for the entire state public health department to “improve the availability and use of data throughout the state.” Several reports on the current data management system have found it to be outdated, sometimes providing inaccurate or misleading information.
The remaining funds haven’t been allocated to local public health districts yet, Nydam said. The grant encourages but does not require that states allocate at least 40% of grant money to local public health departments.
Georgia has 18 public health districts serving its 159 counties, each with a district office.
Brian Castrucci is a former public health worker and advocate as president of the de Beaumont Foundation, which supports public health policy.
He said to get the most out of this historic funding, Georgia should dole it out equally.
“Right now, it is critical to rebuild the public health system in rural America,” Castrucci said. “That’s where those district health directors have been so critical and so vital because they know the needs of their community.”
Many public health departments have been left unprepared for the next public health crisis following the COVID-19 pandemic, both because of a strained workforce and a lack of community support.
In fiscal year 2021, the Georgia Department of Public Health reported an employee turnover rate of 16.8%.
In a 2021 nationwide survey that did not include Georgia, half of respondents cited a need for more workers in order to continue responding to COVID-19. Regarding mental health, over half of respondents reported at least one symptom of PTSD related to the response to the pandemic.
“We were surging for COVID on a cracked foundation,” Castrucci said. “That’s what made it so difficult. This is our opportunity to fortify this workforce and in doing so, really protect the safety, security, and economic prosperity of the nation.”
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This article appears on Now Habersham in partnership with GPB News
A composite image of 900 THC oil vape pens confiscated at a package delivery hub in Gainesville on Nov. 28, 2022, and THC edibles confiscated at a separate location. (photos by Hall County Sheriff's Office)
An arrest warrant has been issued in connection to the recent seizure of $30,000 worth of THC oil vape pens in Hall County.
Authorities say they seized 900 vapes at a local package delivery hub on November 28. The pens were shipped to Hall County from California.
After the vape pens were confiscated, authorities obtained search warrants for the two locations in Hall County where the packages were being shipped. One was sent to Yearling Court, the other to Willow Ridge Circle.
At the Yearling Court address, investigators seized four more packages of THC oil-infused edibles, as well as some residue cocaine, the Hall County Sheriff’s Office says.
The sheriff’s office is investigating the case along with the Homeland Security Investigations Task Force. Authorities have not released the identity of the person named in the arrest warrant. They say the investigation continues.
Pictured left to right, front row, are Clarkesville city employees Kevin Sprinkle, Jason Poole, Julie Poole, Glenda Smith, Adam Ray, Michael Yearwood, Sarah Samsel, Caleb Gaines. Back Row: City council members Angela Kiker, Terry Gladden, hidden -Barrie Aycock, Franklin Brown, and Brad Coppedge. Not pictured,
Ryan Ledford, Jacob Segars, Brad Barrett, Meredith Lleshi, and Danny Clouatre.
(Jerry Neace/Now Habersham)
The Clarkesville City Council has revived its practice of publicly recognizing the city’s long-time employees.
During the council’s December 5th work session, the council presented certificates to those employees with five or more years of service, including Kevin Sprinkle (20 years), Jason Poole (21 years), Julie Poole (14 years), Glenda Smith (11 years), Adam Ray (9 years), Michael Yearwood (6 years), Sarah Samsel (5 years), Caleb Gaines (11 years), Ryan Ledford (11 years), Jacob Segars (5 years), Brad Barrett (20 years), Meredith Lleshi (5 years), and Danny Clouatre (16 years).
After presenting those in attendance with their certificates, Clarkesville City Manager Keith Dickerson and Mayor Barrie Aycock extended their appreciation. Joining them were city council members Angela Kiker, Terry Gladden, Franklin Brown, and newly sworn-in council member Brad Coppedge
The White County Board of Commissioners Monday night reluctantly approved a new contract with Waste Management, operators of the White County Transfer Station, and haulers of garbage to area land fields.
The contract contained substantial increases both in the tipping fee for garbage collectors using the facility and residents disposing of bagged household garbage.
White County Manager Mike Renshaw told the commissioners that the tipping fee will increase by 19 percent and the six-bag disposal free will increase from $5.00 to $5.50 at the transfer station.
The commissioners said they will keep the 6-bag fee at $5.00 at the White County Convenience Center on the Appalachian Parkway.
Renshaw advised the commissioners that Waste Management officials said these new fees are break-even numbers, they are not making any money.
In addressing that comment, White County Commission Chairman Travis Turner didn’t hold back when he said, “That’s just a bunch of bull. I’m sorry, there is no other way to say it. We’re not dumb, I mean, they are the gorilla in the middle of the room you heard me make that comment earlier; they have a monopoly on most trash and garbage operations throughout, well, probably the whole eastern seaboard if not the whole nation.”
The new fees will go into effect on January first and, according to Renshaw, will be the highest fees charged in the area.
The commissioners plan to look at alternatives to providing garbage disposal services for the county next year.
The electoral battle between Herschel Walker, left, and Sen. Raphael Warnock will soon come to a close. (Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder)
(GA Recorder) — When the sun rises Wednesday morning, Georgians will hopefully know who will represent them in the U.S. Senate for the next six years.
Democrats are hoping to elect incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock and end their year on a happy note. Though the party outperformed expectations nationwide, just narrowly losing control of the U.S. House, the Georgia GOP dominated statewide races, with the exception of the Senate race.
Warnock received nearly 38,000 more votes than Republican Herschel Walker in the Nov. 8 general election, but neither of them surpassed 50% of the vote, sending the race to a high-stakes runoff that was boiled down to just four weeks.
Republicans have been dreaming of a Walker win, which will keep the Senate at the 50-50 status quo. That means Vice President Kamala Harris would keep her tie-breaking vote, but Democrats would be denied an advantage on committee assignments, further reining in their ability to pass legislation.
Unlike in 2020, when Warnock and fellow Democrat Jon Ossoff helped deliver the Senate to Democratic hands in one fell swoop, the Senate will remain in Democratic control no matter who wins, but the stakes remain high, said Emory University political science professor Andra Gillespie.
“When the Senate is divided 50-50, it does give the minority power, more leverage, and there’s usually a power-sharing arrangement about how things are going to go. And with an outright majority, the Democrats won’t have to divide committee memberships, so it does actually matter.”
A 51st member will also make it easier for Democrats to confirm judicial and administrative appointments, said Daniel Paul Franklin, associate professor emeritus of political science at Georgia State University, and potentially even aid them in passing legislation despite the cloture rule requiring 60 votes to end debate in most cases.
“It’s possible, given how close Republican control of the House is, the Democrats may be able to get some legislation passed by peeling off a few Republican votes. I mean it’s possible. So in that case, control of the committees is going to be very important because you have to be able to advance bills out of committee,” he said.
Whoever wins will serve a full six-year term, and Democrats are hoping to build a buffer against potential future losses, Gillespie said.
“In 2024, Joe Manchin, Jon Tester, and Sherrod Brown are all up for reelection. They’re all red state Democrats,” she said, referring to senators from West Virginia, Montana, and Ohio.
“And so knowing that there are some vulnerabilities going into the 2024 cycle, if they have an additional seat, they have at least a one-seat buffer. It will not be enough to be able to make up for all three seats, but if something were to happen to one of those, then assuming that nothing else has changed on the Senate map, that would allow the Democrats to maintain control of the Senate.”
A scramble to turn out voters
The early vote in the race, which ended Friday, has shattered records for Georgia’s runoff, though it is difficult to draw direct comparisons because the length of the runoff was shortened by the state’s new election law.
White voters cast just over 1 million votes with a turnout rate of 28.1%, representing a little more than half of the early voting electorate, while Black voters cast more than 595,000 ballots with a turnout rate of 29.2% and making up 31.9% of the early vote.
The high turnout among Black voters as well as a spike in voters between 18 and 24 appears to be good news for Warnock, as those groups tend to favor Democrats. But the only tally that matters is the one counted Tuesday night, and Election Day could continue to see huge participation – the Secretary of State’s website lists more than 1.8 million early votes cast but records 7 million total active voters, many of whom could be planning to cast their ballot on Election Day.
Both sides have made turnout the center of their strategies, and their final day on the campaign trail saw them return to their strongholds to drum up last-minute support from their respective bases.
Warnock was in Atlanta to meet with Teamsters and Georgia Tech students, and Atlanta rapper Killer Mike ahead of a final evening rally.
“If you’ve already voted, your assignment is not yet done,” he told the crowd of Tech students. “Your assignment is to get some more of your friends. Matter of fact, call your father and your mother, your sister and your brother. Call Lottie, Dottie, and everybody. Tell them it’s time to vote.”
Walker spent his last day on the trail driving across bright-red north Georgia, with stops in Flowery Branch, Dawsonville, Ellijay and Calhoun before wrapping things up at a gun store in suburban Kennesaw with former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley.
“This is about turnout, and now that means that we got to get into the game, and you can’t sit on the sideline anymore because if we sit on the sideline, y’all see what we’re gonna get. We’re gonna get people that you can’t trust anymore,” Walker said.
“Whoever has voted, get your friends to vote, call your friends to vote; this is so important. And I say this, if you don’t have friends, what do you need to do? Make some friends and get them out to vote, pick up some friends,” he added.
The final four weeks have featured a frenzy of door-knocking, texting and phone banking as big names fly in from out of state to rally voters to the polls.
Former President Barack Obama came to Atlanta to stump for Warnock last week, but President Joe Biden has been absent from the state, although he did work the phones for him last week at a fundraiser in Massachusetts. Likewise, Walker’s rallies have featured a host of fans of former President Donald Trump, but the man himself has not held an event in state since before the primary.
Neither man is particularly popular among Georgia voters. An Emerson College poll released Dec. 1 found Biden at a 42% approval rating in the state, with 52% saying they disapprove of his job as president. But in a hypothetical 2024 presidential race, 44% of respondents said they would vote for Biden and only 43% said they would vote for Trump.
Trump was a major figure in getting Walker into politics. The two have been friends since Walker, a former football star, played for the Trump-owned New Jersey Generals in the short-lived United States Football League.
Trump’s endorsement and Walker’s fame as a Georgia Bulldogs champion helped him trounce the competition in May’s GOP primary. Walker won 68% of the vote in a six-man race, with Secretary of Agriculture Gary Black placing a distant second with 13% of the vote.
But for the most part, Trump’s endorsement did not hold the magic it once did for Georgia Republicans. Other than Walker, only one other Trump-backed candidate was elected from a slate of his preferred Georgia candidates.
A Walker win, though, could put a little pep in Trump’s step as he heads into his 2024 presidential election bid.
‘A seriously flawed candidate’
Some conservative politicos have grumbled that a mainstream conservative like Black would have fared better in a general election given Walker’s lack of political experience and the scandals that have beset his campaign.
Despite strong Republican turnout in November, Walker got about 200,000 votes fewer than Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, who won handily over Democrat Stacey Abrams.
“The fact that he is a seriously flawed candidate may have resulted in a dropoff of 10% of a highly partisan vote,” Franklin said. “So yeah, I think if you had a more traditional candidate, Warnock might not have made the runoff and we might be awaiting the swearing-in of a Republican senator.”
Kemp has tried to transfer some of his success to Walker in the runoff. After running separate campaigns all year, Kemp campaigned with Walker last month and recorded an ad urging voters to support Walker.
Walker has been open about a history of mental illness – he says he has been diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder, previously called multiple personality disorder, and that he has sought treatment and overcome the disease.
But opponents say Walker has not been open about a history of violent behavior not associated with dissociative identity disorder. An ex-wife described an incident in which he held a gun to her head. A former girlfriend told the Daily Beast about an incident in which Walker laid his hands on her after she caught him with another woman. His son, conservative commentator Christian Walker, said his family had to move six times in six months “running from your violence.”
Over the summer, Walker’s campaign dealt with a series of reports detailing children Walker had fathered but not disclosed publicly, even to campaign staff. Two anonymous women have come forth with claims Walker encouraged them to have abortions despite Walker now running on an anti-abortion platform.
Walker has been accused of falsely inflating his academic record and business success. He was chastised by a moderator during the race’s one and only debate after he flashed a badge to bolster the false claim that he was a law enforcement officer.
Walker’s team has sought to tarnish Warnock’s reputation, running an ad with police body cam footage from a 2020 incident in which Warnock’s ex-wife told police he ran over her foot after an argument. Police found no sign of visible injury to her foot and Warnock was not charged with a crime.
Walker has also attacked Warnock over his church’s ownership of an Atlanta apartment complex described as decrepit and dangerous to residents. At events, Walker calls Warnock a hypocrite for pledging to help the poor while residents are evicted from the complex, styling his runoff bus tour as the “Evict Warnock” tour. A spokesperson for the company that manages the building told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that no tenants have been evicted for not paying rent since June 2020, and neither Warnock nor the church are involved in the building’s operation.
Danny Ray Still, Jr., age 35 of Demorest, passed away December 3, 2022.
Born in Hall County on April 26, 1987, Danny was the son of Tawana Freeman Still and Danny Ray Still. He was a graduate of Habersham Central High School class of 2005 and was employed by Papa Johns’s. Danny had an adventurous spirit and enjoyed hiking, camping, and exploring caves. He also enjoyed creating and sharing food experiences with those he loved, and he loved music. Danny was of the Baptist faith. He was preceded in death by grandparents Junior and Barbara Freeman, great-grandparents J.C. And Texie York, and uncle Danny Simmons.
Survivors include his mother, Tawana Freeman Still of Demorest, father Danny Ray Still of Cleveland, son Livingston Cade Still of Canon, brothers Austin Stuart Still (Ashley Conditt) of Augusta and Eric Simmons (Jennifer Bushnell) of Clarkesville, sister Danielle Still of Cleveland, mother of his son Katie Hill of Canon, aunt Monecia Simmons of Elberton, as well as numerous extended family and many friends.
Funeral services will be held at 2:00 PM, Thursday, December 8, 2022, at Hillside Memorial Chapel, with interment to follow the service in Habersham Cemetery. The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Wednesday, December 7, 2022, from 6-8 PM.
Linda Sue Rogers Henry, age 65, of Demorest, passed away on December 5, 2022.
Born in Demorest, GA, on February 25, 1957, Linda was the daughter of the late Harley and Annie Legg Rogers. Linda was the glue of her family; she spent her entire life caring for her family and caring for other people. Professionally she worked in home healthcare as well as medical transport. Linda also worked at the Victory Home Ministries thrift store.
Survivors include her husband Dwight Henry of Demorest, daughters Tonya Abernathy (Kenneth) of Demorest, Kimberly Edwards, Gracie Henry, and Chloe Morgan of Demorest, sons Shawn Martin (Jessica) of Demorest and Adam Martin (Heather) of Hartwell, 24 grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces, nephews and extended family.
A Celebration of Life will be held at 11:00 AM, Friday, December 9, 2022, at Hillside Memorial Chapel with Rev. Austin Kelley, officiating.
Kenton Hall was shot and captured by police after 18 hours on the run.
A Toccoa man arrested for murdering his wife three years ago has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus 60 years. The sentence, handed down Monday by Mountain Judicial Circuit Superior Court Judge Chan Caudell, is meant to ensure the 51-year-old Hall will spend the rest of his life in prison.
Following a six-day trial, a Stephens County jury convicted Hall of malice murder, felony murder, kidnapping, and two counts of aggravated assault. The charges stem from a brutal September 2019 attack on his wife, Patricia, and a Toccoa couple that was sheltering her.
Mountain Judicial Circuit Chief Assistant District Attorney Suzanne Boykin prosecuted the case, along with Assistant District Attorney Rebecca James.
The case was handled by Special Agent Shilo Crane of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Toccoa Police Department.
Patricia Hall sought refuge
Toccoa police officers apprehended Hall on September 24, 2019, hours after his wife’s body was found in a heavily wooded area off East Franklin Street in Toccoa.
Patricia Hall, pictured here with her husband, was found dead hours after he kidnapped her from a home on Mill Street in Toccoa on Sept. 23, 2019.
Prosecutors say Hall stabbed Patricia Hall to death after kidnapping her from a home on Mill Street on September 23, 2019. She had left him earlier in the day following an argument. Police say 64-year-old old Robert Maxwell and 66-year-old Nancy Johnson were trying to protect Patricia from her husband when he stabbed them and abducted his wife.
Maxwell and Johnson both survived the attacks.
“Robert Maxwell was very lucky to survive,” says Boykin. “He was in the hospital from September 23, 2019, until December of that year. He had four trauma surgeons operate on him the night he was stabbed.”
Kenton Hall was on probation at the time of the attacks. He was convicted in Franklin County in 2016 of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and given five years probation. Boykin says he had a criminal history of mostly theft cases out of Florida and Georgia.
Toccoa Police Chief Jimmy Mize says the prosecution delivered a “well-presented case.”
“This case is one that shows great cooperation within the departments that were involved from the GBI, our officers, and the sheriff’s office,” Mize says.
Boykin expressed her gratitude to Special Agent Shilo for his hard work investigating the case and to the jurors.
“I am very grateful to the jury for seeing that Mr. Maxwell, Ms. Johnson, and the family of Patricia Hall received justice.”
FILE - Insurrectionists loyal to President Donald Trump try to break through a police barrier, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, at the Capitol in Washington. Top House and Senate leaders will present law enforcement officers who defended the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, with Congressional Gold Medals on Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2022, awarding them Congress's highest honor nearly two years after they fought with former President Donald Trump’s supporters in a brutal and bloody attack. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Top House and Senate leaders will present law enforcement officers who defended the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, with Congressional Gold Medals on Tuesday, awarding them Congress’s highest honor nearly two years after they fought with former President Donald Trump’s supporters in a brutal and bloody attack.
To recognize the hundreds of officers who were at the Capitol on Jan. 6, the medals will be placed in four locations — at U.S. Capitol Police headquarters, the Metropolitan Police Department, the Capitol and the Smithsonian Institution. President Joe Biden said when he signed the legislation last year that a medal will be placed at the Smithsonian museum “so all visitors can understand what happened that day.”
The ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda comes as Democrats, just weeks away from losing their House majority, race to finish a nearly 18-month investigation of the insurrection. Democrats and two Republicans conducting the probe have vowed to uncover the details of the attack, which came as Trump tried to overturn his election defeat and encouraged his supporters to “fight like hell” in a rally just before the congressional certification.
Awarding the medals will be among House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s last ceremonial acts as she prepares to step down from leadership. When the bill passed the House more than a year ago, she said the law enforcement officers from across the city defended the Capitol because they were “the type of Americans who heard the call to serve and answered it, putting country above self.”
“They enabled us to return to the Capitol,” and certify Biden’s presidency, she said then, “to that podium that night to show the world that our democracy had prevailed and that it had succeeded because of them.”
Dozens of the officers who fought off the rioters sustained serious injuries. As the mob of Trump’s supporters pushed past them and into the Capitol, police were beaten with American flags and their own guns, dragged down stairs, sprayed with chemicals and trampled and crushed by the crowd. Officers suffered physical wounds, including brain injuries and other lifelong effects, and many struggled to work afterward because they were so traumatized.
Four officers who testified at a House hearing last year spoke openly about the lasting mental and physical scars, and some detailed near-death experiences.
Metropolitan Police Officer Daniel Hodges described foaming at the mouth, bleeding and screaming as the rioters tried to gouge out his eye and crush him between two heavy doors. Metropolitan Police Officer Michael Fanone, who rushed to the scene, said he was “grabbed, beaten, tased, all while being called a traitor to my country.” Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn said a large group of people shouted the N-word at him as he was trying to keep them from breaching the House chamber.
At least nine people who were at the Capitol that day died during and after the rioting, including a woman who was shot and killed by police as she tried to break into the House chamber and three other Trump supporters who suffered medical emergencies. Two police officers died by suicide in the days that immediately followed, and a third officer, Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, collapsed and later died after one of the rioters sprayed him with a chemical. A medical examiner determined he died of natural causes.
Several months after the attack, in August 2021, the Metropolitan Police announced that two more of their officers who had responded to the insurrection had died by suicide. The circumstances that led to their deaths were unknown.
The June 2021 House vote to award the medals won widespread support from both parties. But 21 House Republicans voted against it — lawmakers who had downplayed the violence and stayed loyal to Trump. The Senate passed the legislation by voice vote, with no Republican objections.
Pelosi, House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell will attend the ceremony and award the medals. Capitol Police Chief Thomas Manger and Metropolitan Police Department Chief Robert Contee are also expected to attend.
The Congressional Gold Medal, the highest honor Congress can bestow, has been handed out by the legislative branch since 1776. Previous recipients include George Washington, Sir Winston Churchill, Bob Hope and Robert Frost. In recent years, Congress has awarded the medals to former New Orleans Saints player Steve Gleason, who became a leading advocate for people struggling with Lou Gehrig’s disease, and biker Greg LeMond.
Signing the bill at the White House last year, Biden said the officers’ heroism cannot be forgotten.
The insurrection was a “violent attempt to overturn the will of the American people,” and Americans have to understand what happened, he said. “The honest and unvarnished truth. We have to face it.”
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By Mary Clare Jalonick, Farnoush Amiri and Lisa Mascaro, Associated Press
