Trump to rehouse student loans, other programs amid push to close Education Department

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March 21, 2025

President Donald Trump announces a proposed shift of Education Department programs to the Small Business Administration and the Department of Health and Human Services during a press availability in the Oval Office on March 21, 2025. (Source: White House livestream)

WASHINGTON (States Newsroom) — President Donald Trump said Friday that the U.S. Small Business Administration would handle the student loan portfolio for the slated-for-elimination Education Department and that the Department of Health and Human Services would handle special education services and nutrition programs.

The announcement — which raises myriad questions over the logistics to carry out these transfers of authority — came a day after Trump signed a sweeping executive order that directs Education Secretary Linda McMahon to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure” of the department to the extent she is permitted to by law.

“I do want to say that I’ve decided that the SBA, the Small Business Administration, headed by Kelly Loeffler — terrific person — will handle all of the student loan portfolio,” Trump said Friday morning.

The White House did not provide advance notice of the announcement, which Trump made at the opening of an Oval Office appearance with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

The Education Department manages student loans for millions of Americans, with a portfolio of more than $1.6 trillion, according to the White House.

In his executive order, Trump said the federal student aid program is “roughly the size of one of the Nation’s largest banks, Wells Fargo,” adding that “although Wells Fargo has more than 200,000 employees, the Department of Education has fewer than 1,500 in its Office of Federal Student Aid.”

‘Everything else’ to HHS

Meanwhile, Trump also said that the Department of Health and Human Services “will be handling special needs and all of the nutrition programs and everything else.”

It is unclear what nutrition programs Trump was referencing, as the U.S. Department of Agriculture manages school meal and other major nutrition programs.

One of the Education Department’s core functions includes supporting students with special needs. The department is also tasked with carrying out the federal guarantee of a free public education for children with disabilities Congress approved in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA.

Trump added that the transfers will “work out very well.”

“Those two elements will be taken out of the Department of Education,” he said Friday. “And then all we have to do is get the students to get guidance from the people that love them and cherish them, including their parents, by the way, who will be totally involved in their education, along with the boards and the governors and the states.”

Trump’s Thursday order also directs McMahon to “return authority over education to the States and local communities while ensuring the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely.”

SBA, HHS heads welcome extra programs

Asked for clarification on the announcement, a White House spokesperson on Friday referred States Newsroom to comments from White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt and heads of the Small Business Administration and Health and Human Services Department.

Leavitt noted the move was consistent with Trump’s promise to return education policy decisions to states.

“President Trump is doing everything within his executive authority to dismantle the Department of Education and return education back to the states while safeguarding critical functions for students and families such as student loans, special needs programs, and nutrition programs,” Leavitt said. “The President has always said Congress has a role to play in this effort, and we expect them to help the President deliver.”

Loeffler and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said their agencies were prepared to take on the Education Department programs.

“As the government’s largest guarantor of business loans, the SBA stands ready to deploy its resources and expertise on behalf of America’s taxpayers and students,” Loeffler said.

Kennedy, on the social media platform X, said his department was “fully prepared to take on the responsibility of supporting individuals with special needs and overseeing nutrition programs that were run by @usedgov.”

The Education Department directed States Newsroom to McMahon’s remarks on Fox News on Friday, where she said the department was discussing with other federal agencies where its programs may end up, noting she had a “good conversation” with Loeffler and that the two are “going to work on the strategic plan together.”

UGA loses to Gonzaga, but March Madness still on the march in Georgia

By

Orlando Montoya

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March 21, 2025

It was the biggest game in Georgia basketball in a decade. In fact, Thursday, March 20, was the first time Georgia was in the NCAA tournament in 10 years. And even though they lost to basketball powerhouse Gonzaga, March Madness is still coming to Georgia in a big way.

Atlanta’s State Farm Arena will host the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight South Regional games later this month. The 16,000-seat venue will feature the Sweet 16 on Friday, March 28, followed by the Elite Eight on Sunday, March 30. The games are hosted by Georgia Tech and are among the biggest in college basketball.

Ticket prices? They’re not cheap. Some seats are selling for a few hundred dollars, while premium resale tickets are listed in the — whew! — thousands. One Sweet 16 ticket even topped $1,200.

This article comes to Now Habersham in partnership with GPB News

Judge continues probe into deportation flights to El Salvador

By

Ariana Figueroa

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March 21, 2025

American Civil Liberties Union lead attorney Lee Gelernt holds a press conference outside the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia after a March 21, 2025, hearing on deportation flights that occurred despite a court’s restraining order in place. (Ariana Figueroa/States Newsroom)

WASHINGTON (States Newsroom) — A federal judge Friday probed the U.S. Department of Justice about whether the Trump administration knowingly defied his court order to return deportation flights to the United States and questioned the president’s authority to invoke a wartime law during peacetime.

The case, which is likely to head to the U.S. Supreme Court, will test President Donald Trump’s authority to invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 and apply it to any Venezuelan nationals ages 14 and up who are suspected members of the Tren de Aragua gang amid his mass deportation plans.

Three deportation flights containing some Venezuelans subject to the proclamation that Trump signed last Friday were in transit when U.S. District Court Judge James Emanuel Boasberg issued a temporary restraining order to block the removals. But the administration continued sending the men to a notorious mega-prison in El Salvador.

The Trump administration published a highly produced video detailing the operation, but has not been forthright with answers to questions Boasberg posed about it.

“The government’s not being terribly cooperative at this point, but I will get to the bottom of whether they violated my order, who ordered this and what the consequences will be,” Boasberg said Friday.

Wartime law

Boasberg also pressed the Department of Justice attorney Drew Ensign on whether the Trump administration can deport people under the Alien Enemies Act without allowing the deportees to prove they are not members or associated with the Tren de Aragua gang.

“How do they challenge that removal?” Boasberg asked.

The Alien Enemies Act allows nationals of a country deemed an enemy of the U.S. to be detained and deported without due process of law regardless of immigration status.

Boasberg also raised concerns of using the proclamation when the U.S. is not at war.

“The policy ramifications for this are incredibly troublesome,” Boasberg said of the Alien Enemies Act. “This is a long way from the heartland of the act.”

A panel of judges in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit will hear oral arguments Monday afternoon on the Trump administration seeking an emergency stay on the restraining order.

Restraining order

Boasberg asked DOJ attorney Ensign to clarify how he interpreted the oral temporary restraining order issued on March 15.

He asked Ensign if he relayed to the Trump administration that his order included returning any Venezuelans back to the U.S. who were deported under the wartime authority.

“I understood your intent, that you meant that to be effective at that time,” Ensign said of the oral temporary restraining order.

In filings, the Department of Justice has argued that Boasberg’s oral argument was not binding because it was not written.

For nearly a week, the Department of Justice has evaded pointed questions from Boasberg about the timing of the deportation flights on March 15.

Boasberg said Thursday he would give the Trump administration until Tuesday to submit a declaration on whether the government was invoking the state-secrets privilege and a brief “showing cause why they did not violate the Court’s Temporary Restraining Orders by failing to return class members removed from the United States on the two earliest planes that departed on March 15, 2025.”

In Friday filings, Trump officials said they are currently having Cabinet-level conversations about using that privilege to block Boasberg from obtaining details about the timing of the deportation flights.

Flight location an issue

The Department of Justice has also argued that because the flights were no longer in U.S. airspace or territory when Boasberg issued the restraining order, they were not under U.S. courts’ jurisdiction.

Lead attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union Lee Gelernt pushed back on that claim. He told Boasberg that some immigrants on those deportation flights to El Salvador were returned to the U.S. because of mistakes and that the El Salvadoran “government would not take them.”

He said that included someone who was not a Venezuelan national, and a woman because the mega-prison is for men only.

He said the ACLU will submit an affidavit late Friday with more details.

Gelernt said the ACLU is also questioning the type of removal for people on the third flight, even though the Trump administration said those on that flight had final orders of removal and were not subject to the Alien Enemies Act.

Gelernt argued that in immigration law, those with final orders are required to be notified what country they are being deported to. He said that was not the case with the immigrants on the third flight, which originally went to Honduras before heading to El Salvador.

“We asked the judge to clarify that with the government, because it seems very doubtful that Venezuelans had a final order that said you could be removed to El Salvador,” Gelernt said to reporters after Friday’s hearing.

The White House earlier this week said of the men on the deportation flights, 137 were alleged Tren de Aragua members and deported under the Alien Enemies Act.

Attorneys for several of the 238 Venezuelan men deported argue their clients are not members of the gang and were only targeted by immigration officials because they had tattoos and were Venezuelan nationals.

El Salvador prison

Gelernt said that because the Trump administration is paying the government of El Salvador $6 million to imprison the men, he believes those men who were deported under the wartime law can be returned, although it would be a lengthy process.

“I think we very much think the federal court can order the U.S. to get them out, since they’re constructively in U.S. custody,” he said outside the courtroom. “The U.S. is apparently paying for it all. (El Salvador is) doing it at the behest of the United States.”

Human Rights Watch, a nonprofit that monitors human rights conditions around the world, has raised major concerns with the conditions of the prison and has noted that the group “is not aware of any detainees who have been released from that prison.”

Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela’s authoritarian president, called this week for the men taken to the mega prison to be returned to Venezuela, calling on El Salvador president to “not be an accomplice to this kidnapping, because our boys did not commit any crime in the United States, none,” according to CNN.

“They were not brought to trial, they were not given the right to a defense, the right to due process, they were deceived, handcuffed, put on a plane, kidnapped, and sent to a concentration camp in El Salvador,” Maduro said.

Several of the men who were transferred to El Salvador’s prison initially fled Venezuela because they experienced violence from officials after they partook in political protests against the Maduro regime, according to court filings.

Georgia Senate sends tax refund, income tax cut to governor’s desk

By

Stanley Dunlap

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March 21, 2025

1NATION — FILE PHOTO — Cornelia Republican Sen. Bo Hatchett defended the merits of state income tax reduction House Bill 111 during a March 20 Senate floor session. Hatchett sponsored a a tax cut measure that is backed by Gov. Brian Kemp. (Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder)

ATLANTA (Georgia Recorder) — A pair of Georgia bills that would lower the state income tax rate and provide an extra refund to taxpayers later this year are now awaiting Gov. Brian Kemp’s signature.

The state Senate Thursday greenlighted House Bill 111 and 112, the fourth in a series of tax rebate package bills in recent years that the Republican governor prioritized.

Under HB 111, the state income tax rate of 5.39% would be reduced to 5.19% effective July 1, which would save taxpayers about $869 million.

The income tax bill was adopted by a 30-23 vote, primarily along party lines with majority Republican support. Senators unanimously supported HB 112, which would allow Georgians who filed income taxes to receive an additional refund later this year.

If signed into law, a $250 rebate would go to individual filers, $375 to heads of households and $500 to married couples filing jointly.

Sen. Josh McLaurin, a Sandy Springs Democrat, said the one-time time tax refund will mean more money sooner to most Georgians than a permanent reduction in the income tax rate.

“Some of us will be voting for immediate tax relief because $250 matters a lot more than $30,” McLaurin said. “We do not need to be making structural changes that cripple our ability to respond to social ills for the rest of time.”

Sen. Elena Parent, an Atlanta Democrat, said the problem with the income tax reduction is that it delivers outsized benefits to Georgian who are at the top of the income bracket at the expense of the average taxpayers.

Acworth Republican Sen. Ed Setzler disputed that the income tax reduction was favorable to the top 1% of wealthy Georgians. He said a majority of filers in the top income bracket are from small business owners, who could put the $3,000 refund from the state to good use.

Cornelia Republican Sen. Bo Hatchett, the sponsor of the income tax legislation, said that 100% of the overall tax savings goes to 100% of taxpayers.

“A reduction in taxes helps everyone,” Hatchett said. “It also helps spur further job creation, which also helps the very same people some of my colleagues highlighted today. It’s very important that we continue to budget conservatively so that we can continue to provide opportunities like this tax cut and like this rebate.”

Woman faces drug, fleeing charges after police chase

By

Brian Wellmeier

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March 21, 2025

GA 365 chase6 — A female suspect is apprehended Friday morning after an alleged attempt to flee from authorities (Daniel Purcell/Now Habersham)

A routine traffic stop escalated into a police chase early Friday morning, leading to the arrest of a woman on multiple charges that include reckless driving and drug possession.

According to the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office, Cornelia police first spotted a silver vehicle allegedly speeding at 80 mph in a 65 mph zone on Level Grove Road on the morning of Friday, March 21, before the vehicle turned onto GA 365 southbound.

Law enforcement officers from multiple agencies at the scene of where the chase ended on GA 365 on March 21, 2025. (Daniel Purcell/Now Habersham)

As the officer attempted to track the vehicle, according to police, the driver allegedly executed a U-turn and began heading north. Due to jurisdictional limitations, officers requested assistance from county authorities.

Authorities say the responding officer caught up to the vehicle and observed the driver allegedly make an abrupt lane change, nearly colliding with a tractor-trailer and causing a dangerous situation on the highway.

The driver then exited onto Level Grove Road, where she allegedly failed to stop at a stop sign before re-entering GA 365 northbound.

With emergency lights activated, an officer attempted to initiate a traffic stop, but the driver – later identified as Karina Garcia, 20, of Cornelia – allegedly failed to comply and continued down the roadway.

Police say that after Garcia refused to pull over, an officer executed a PIT maneuver and brought the vehicle to a stop.

Garcia was taken into custody at the scene, according to police.

Medical personnel were called to evaluate her condition, but police say she refused treatment.

During a routine search at the jail, a female officer allegedly discovered a baggie containing a white, crystal-like substance in Garcia’s pants. Further investigation confirmed the substance to be methamphetamine, according to authorities.

Garcia was booked into the Habersham County Jail and now faces charges of reckless driving, fleeing and attempting to elude law enforcement, possession of methamphetamine and crossing the guard line with contraband.

Florida fugitive arrested in Gainesville after chase

By

Brian Wellmeier

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March 21, 2025

Hall County deputies arrested a man wanted out of Florida for attempted murder following a short pursuit and foot chase early Wednesday morning.

Wesley Ramone Knight, 46, of Gainesville, was booked into the Hall County Jail on multiple local traffic offenses and a hold from Florida authorities, the sheriff’s office says.

Deputies spotted Knight’s vehicle around 10:10 a.m. on March 19 but lost sight of it. A short while later, another deputy located the 2007 Audi A4 2.0T headed north on U.S. 129/Athens Highway and tried to stop it, but Knight drove onto Monroe Drive, then Athens Street in Gainesville, authorities say.

Knight passed another vehicle on a double-yellow line and ran a stop sign before pulling into a parking lot on the 1400 block of Athens Street. The sheriff’s office says he then abandoned his car and ran toward Harrison Square Apartments.

The car kept rolling and struck a parked vehicle, prompting a crash investigation by the Georgia State Patrol.

Deputies, with assistance from Gainesville police officers, later apprehended Knight without further incident.

In addition to the Florida warrant for attempted second-degree murder with a firearm and aggravated battery with a firearm, Knight is charged locally with reckless conduct, fleeing or attempting to elude, reckless driving, failure to stop at a stop sign and passing in a no-passing zone.

The Leesburg Police Department in Lake County, Florida, issued the warrant for Knight’s apprehension. Florida authorities will determine the next steps in his extradition.

David Wayman Lolmaugh, IV

By

Now Habersham

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March 21, 2025

David Wayman Lolmaugh, IV, born on May 31, 1970, in Illinois, was called to rest on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, at the age of 54. He lived a life marked by dedication, service, and profound love for his family and friends. David’s professional journey led him to a successful career in corporate management with FedEx, where he was known for his strong work ethic and leadership skills.

David was a U.S. Army veteran, exemplifying the values of discipline and commitment that he carried throughout his life. His time in service not only defined part of his character but also instilled in him a deep sense of responsibility and duty to others.

Faith played an important role in David’s life. He was a devoted member of the Catholic faith, finding strength and solace in his beliefs. His community contributions were also significant. He was a former Scout Leader with the Boy Scouts and an Eagle Scout, roles that allowed him to guide and inspire young minds, fostering a spirit of adventure and personal growth.

Perhaps his proudest accomplishment was serving as a full-time caretaker for his best friend, Patricia Konarski. His selflessness and compassion were evident in his commitment to providing care and support, reflecting his dedication to those he cherished.

David is survived by his loving father, David Wayman Lolmaugh, III; his daughters, Sarah Lolmaugh and Erin Swinehart; his son, Christopher Lolmaugh; former wife and mother of his children, Amanda Linton; his sister, JuliAnne Ryberg; his nephews, Alec Laird, Aaron Laird, Shawn Ryberg, Jacob Ryberg, and David Swinehart; and close friend, Belinda Konarski. He was preceded in death by his beloved mother, MaryLynn Shuster Lolmaugh.

Funeral services are at 2:00 PM on Monday, March 24, 2025, at McGahee-Griffin & McEntire Funeral Home. Military honors will be provided by the Grant Reeves Veteran’s Honor Guard. The family will receive friends from 12 noon until the service hour on Monday at the funeral home.

David’s legacy of love, care, and service will continue to impact those who had the privilege to know him, making his absence profoundly felt by all.

An online guest register is available and may be viewed at www.mcgaheegriffinandmcentire.com.

McGahee-Griffin & McEntire Funeral Home of Cornelia, Georgia (706/778-8668) is in charge of arrangements.

Governor gets wish for 2025 Legislature as bill to limit lawsuit damage awards awaits his signature

By

Maya Homan

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March 21, 2025

ATLANTA (Georgia Recorder) — It’s official: Legislation intended to limit damages Georgia juries can award is heading to the governor’s desk.

Kemp’s legislative white whale, which will overhaul the way Georgia’s civil litigation system functions and make it harder to prevail in lawsuits against negligent businesses, passed in a 34-21 vote Friday afternoon. The bill was forced to return to the Senate after being amended by the House, where it passed Thursday afternoon with the bare minimum 91 votes required to clear the chamber.

Sen. Randy Robertson, who is the Senate GOP whip, urges his colleagues to vote against a proposed amendment to the Kemp-backed Kemp-backed bill creating new limits on lawsuits in Georgia. (Jill Nolin/Georgia Recorder)

The new limits to damage awards outlined in Senate Bill 68 are immensely popular with business interests like the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, but it took a good deal of arm-twisting by top GOP power brokers to convince enough legislators to jump on board. At the start of the 2025 session, Gov. Brian Kemp had pledged to drag lawmakers back to Atlanta for a special session if “meaningful, impactful” changes were not made to the state’s civil justice system by the end of the regular session on April 4. His office also threatened to back primary challengers to any Republicans who opposed the bill. Ahead of the Friday vote, Republicans in the Senate briefly paused floor proceedings to assemble for a caucus meeting attended by Kemp.

The legislation also faced fierce opposition from Democrats, trial lawyers and survivors of sexual assault and human trafficking, who held waves of protests as the legislators debated the bill in the House Rules Subcommittee on Lawsuit Reform. The bill was eventually amended to carve out greater protections for survivors of human trafficking, but lawmakers in both chambers voted down amendments that would have extended similar protections to children, the elderly and sexual assault victims.

As in the House, the final Senate vote did not fall cleanly along party lines. Sen. Colton Moore, a Trenton Republican whose votes are routinely out of step with his party, spoke out against the bill, and SB 68’s supporters included a few Democratic defectors: Sen. Ed Harbison of Columbus and Sen. Emanuel Jones of Decatur.

At a press conference held immediately after SB 68’s passage, Kemp celebrated his legislative victory and commended lawmakers for their efforts in tackling such a complex issue.

Sen. John F. Kennedy defends the Kemp-backed bill creating new limits on lawsuits in Georgia. Kennedy was the bill’s lead sponsor. (Jill Nolin/Georgia Recorder)

“I was very excited to see bipartisan support in the House and in the Senate,” he said. “I think that says a lot to the people of our state, regardless of the rhetoric that was going on around the bill and the tough politics around it, it shows that people were very thoughtful and that this is a big issue for our state.”

Senate President Pro Tem John F. Kennedy, a Macon Republican who sponsored the bill, also applauded SB 68’s passage, adding that the bill will “continue to make sure that folks from the hardworking Georgians that have to pay insurance premiums to the rest of us that all want to live in this great state are doing so in a good, fair, competitive environment.”

Democrats swiftly condemned the SB 68’s passage, citing concerns that it could give companies less incentive to protect their customers.

“We know that, unfortunately, at some of these businesses, people are going to be harmed,” said Senate Minority Leader Harold Jones II. “This bill was a response to that, and that’s why I say the response was either protect Georgians or protect insurance companies, and it is clear that this governor and the Republican Legislature decided to protect insurance companies.”

Trial lawyers, who warn about the unintended consequences SB 68 could create for Georgians seeking justice through the civil court system, also condemned the bill’s passage.

Sen. Elena Parent, an Atlanta Democrat, pushes for additional changes to a proposal that would create new limits on lawsuits in Georgia. (Jill Nolin/Georgia Recorder)

“It will take years to know and understand the carnage this poorly written bill will leave in its wake as it is codified into law,” said Kara Phillips, a personal injury lawyer at the Atlanta firm Deitch & Rogers who has been speaking out against the bill. “During that time numerous survivors and victims across the state of Georgia will not have access to civil justice. Today is a bad day for Georgians.”

Though the most contentious part of the lawsuit debate is over, legislators still have some work ahead of them. A companion bill, Senate Bill 69, which was also authored by Kennedy, has yet to come up for discussion in the House Rules Subcommittee on Lawsuit Reform. It is expected to come up for a vote in committee next week.

Terry Lannon returns to lead Habersham Parks & Rec after 18-year hiatus

By

Jerry Neace

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March 21, 2025

The last time Terry Lannon led the Habersham County Parks and Recreation Department, George W. Bush was president, Ed Sealover was county manager, and Habersham’s population was just under 42,000. Fast-forward 18 years, and today, he steps back into the same job — as interim — in a county with a population of just under 49,000.

Unexpected opportunity

Lannon returned this week to run his old department following Brooke Whitmire’s departure. She left on March 3, and he was back on the job on March 18.

His return to public service came about unexpectedly.

After retiring last March, Lannon moved back to Clarkesville, where he has owned a home since 2005. Hoping to stay active, he looked into part-time opportunities.

“I was looking for some part-time work, and there was a part-time athletic supervisor here,” he said. “I thought, perfect — I can come back and work 20 hours a week.”

Interim County Manager Tim Sims announced during Monday’s commission meeting Terry Lannon’s appointment as interim director for the Parks and Recreation Department. (Jerry Neace/NowHabersham.com)

Weeks passed without a response, and Lannon assumed the opportunity had gone to someone else. Then, out of the blue, he received an email from Human Resource Director Ann Cain and Interim County Manager Tim Sims, asking if he’d consider stepping in as interim director.

During the March 17 commission meeting, Sims officially announced that Lannon would take over as interim director and help manage operations while the search for Whitmire’s successor begins. Cain said the position would be formally posted, and the county would receive applications to fill the position permanently.

A ‘vested interest’

When asked whether he’d consider applying for the full-time position, Lannon, who has worked 37 years in parks and recreation in three states, was open to the idea.

“I would certainly entertain it,” he said. “If Tim (Sims) and the leadership were happy with my work, I’d definitely consider staying on.”

During his career, Lannon climbed the ranks. He went from officiating basketball games to program coordinator and spent 25 years as a department director. He led Habersham County’s recreation department from January 2005 through May 2007. That’s when he left to move closer to a family member facing medical challenges.

Today, Lannon lives minutes from the county rec department and said he is deeply committed to the area.

“I’ve been a taxpayer here since 2005. I’ve got a vested interest and a real love for this county,” he said. “Whatever I can do to serve my community, I’m all about it.”

Public outcry erupts over proposed Derelict Vehicle Ordinance in Habersham County

By

Jerry Neace

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March 21, 2025

junk car — (Daniel Purcell/NowHabersham.com)

Residents around the Habersham County area have taken to social media and the editorial page to express their frustration over a proposed Derelict Vehicle Ordinance in Habersham County. The proposal was presented to commissioners at their regular monthly meeting on Monday night, March 17.

Since then, hundreds have taken to social media to express their opposition to the proposal, which some call “government overreach.”

Posted by Now Habersham on Tuesday, March 18, 2025

The proposed ordinance seeks to prohibit the storage of derelict vehicles on public and private property, except in authorized salvage yards or repair facilities. It defines derelict vehicles as abandoned, inoperable, dismantled, junked, or unregistered and enforces removal within specific timeframes, with penalties for non-compliance.

Habersham County Planning and Development Director Mike Beecham explains the new Derelict Vehicle Ordinance to the commissioners during their monthly meeting on March 17, 2025. He’s accompanied by Habersham County Sheriff’s Office Code Enforcement Officer Justin Williams. (Jerry Neace/NowHabersham.com)

Habersham Planning and Development Director Mike Beecham’s presentation to commissioners on Monday was the ordinance’s first public reading. The second reading is scheduled for the commission’s April 21 meeting. Before then, staff and commissioners can make changes to the ordinance. After the second reading, commissioners can take action on the proposal.

Stong online objections

Since Now Habersham’s story about the Derelict Vehicle Ordinance first ran, over 350 people have commented about it on our Facebook page. Kevin Gaddis is among those urging county commissioners to reject the ordinance.

“This is a very overreaching ordinance. This gives way to broad of authority to code enforcement. It’s an abuse of authority if passed and a waste of the court’s time,” Gaddis said. “I urge the commission to think long and hard before passing this ordinance.”

Others expressed their views that the ordinance would change the nature of the county.

“Why are we trying to make this area a metro area?! Stop trying to make Habersham County something that it’s not,” Zach Chitwood commented.

Commissioners Bruce Harkness, Kelly Woodall, and Dustin Mealor contributed to the conversation by responding to numerous social media comments.

Commissioners respond

Harkness said he agrees with many that the ordinance is overreaching and does not support it.

“I think it’s overreaching and the government needs to be stopped from trying to invade the privacy and property of our taxpayers,” says Harkness. “For the record, I am not in support of this proposed new county ordinance. I will not vote for it at next month’s meeting.”

Mealor felt that it was a bit odd for the ordinance to be brought up without a more indepth discussion among the commission and staff prior to the public hearing. In fact, he says he was unaware of it until the week prior when he received his commission packet.

“My take on this is its gross overreach,” Mealor commented. “I have zero interest in supporting this and have requested it doesn’t even make it to another hearing and instead is canned.”

Addressing why the commission didn’t reject the ordinance outright, Woodall explained, “Legally, I can’t speak directly regarding a pending ordinance that’s being presented to the Board but know we are listening, and we are here to represent you,” he said. “We have to let the process play out before we can vote on it.”

Where did this come from?

Beecham tells Now Habersham the Derelict Vehicle Ordinance is not new. He says it has been in effect for more than 30 years.

“The same provisions have been in effect since at least 1992 in the Comprehensive Land Development Resolution (CLDR). The old Derelict Vehicle Ordinance was removed by mistake sometime in the recent past, and this was simply an attempt to put it back into effect,” he explains.

Beechams says the ordinance no longer needs to be in the CLDR but in the County Code of Ordinances.

“The location is changing in that the proposed ordinance is to be placed in the County Code section containing other nuisances. It seems logical to move it out of Land Development and into the Code section.”

The officers who would enforce the ordinance no longer fall under the Planning and Development Department’s authority; that task would belong to the sheriff’s office which assumed control of code enforcement in February.

Code enforcement

When code enforcement did fall under his department, Beecham says the ordinance was enforced on a complaint-basis system. With only two code enforcement officers, he says his department didn’t have the resources to look for violators arbitrarily. He feels that the same may apply to the sheriff’s office.

“I’ll defer to the Sheriff, but my thoughts are they will probably still work on complaints given the lack of manpower,” he says.

Beecham says the ordinance is not as pervasive as it appears.

“When the previous ordinance was in effect, I’d estimate one to two complaints received per month,” he says. Since the number of complaints was so low, it did not overwhelm the magistrate court. Beecham adds that “Most of those were resolved without going to court.”

Code enforcement officers issued citations but not fines. The citations were for court appearances due to non-compliance.

“All fines are imposed by the Magistrate Judge. Just as with other types of citations, the officers have little control over the fine imposed by the judicial process,” he says.

The proposed ordinance includes carve-outs for salvage yards, repair shops, and art installations. As such, Beecham says the popular bus graveyard off GA 365 on the south end of the county — a lot full of old abandoned buses now used for murals – would not be affected if the ordinance is approved.

Clarkesville man accused of child molestation

By

Brian Wellmeier

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March 21, 2025

Steven Alan Hayward (Habersham County Sheriff's Office)

A Clarkesville man was arrested for alleged past acts of child molestation against female victims who were under the age of 16, according to the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office.

Investigators were contacted about the allegations in September of last year, according to a report of the incident, after the complainant told police their “daughters had disclosed possible sexual abuse at the hands of a family friend” – now identified as Steven Alan Hayward, 38, of Clarkesville.

Hayward was arrested on March 13 and charged with child molestation before being booked into the Habersham County Jail on a $11,100 bond.

Howard Garnett Yearwood

By

Now Habersham

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March 21, 2025

Howard Garnett Yearwood, age 66, of Demorest, Georgia went to rest on Wednesday, March 19, 2025.

Mr. Yearwood was born on February 21, 1959, in Habersham County, Georgia, to the late Garnett William and Wilma Jean Marcus Yearwood. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his son, Michael Yearwood and his daughter-in-law, Kathy Brooks Yearwood.

Howard was a veteran of the United States Air Force and was very proud to have served his country as a dog handler for the Strategic Air Command. Following his military service, Howard devoted 18 years of his career to Lee Arrendale State Prison, where he retired. Howard was of the Christian Faith and found joy in the simple pleasures of life such as fishing, carving wood, as well as cooking, especially on his smoker and tending to his vegetable garden.

Above all, Howard cherished his role as a family man. He was a loving husband and father. He was known to his grandchildren as Papa Howard, and he thoroughly enjoyed created memories and traveling with his grandchildren.

Survivors include his loving wife of 9 years, Catherine Harrison Yearwood, of Demorest; son and daughter-in-law Johnny and Jennifer Yearwood, of Lakemont; adopted children Lauren Irvin-Engle and Joey Yearwood; stepchildren Heather Chandler, of Homer; and Kenneth Rogers, of Homer; grandchildren Alex, Ryan, Sarah, Dustin, Ashley, Ethan, Madeline, Lucas, Dakota, Kasen; and great-grandchild Samuel.

Funeral Services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, March 22, 2025, at the Whitfield Funeral Home, North Chapel.

The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Friday, March 21, 2025.

A Private Inurnment will be held at Yonah Memorial Gardens at a later date.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Whitfield Funeral Homes & Crematory, North Chapel, 245 Central Avenue, Demorest, Georgia 30535. Telephone: 706-778-1700.