The year 2024 was full of change, triumphs, tragedy and political transformation here in Habersham and across Northeast Georgia.
Now, as the minutes draw toward midnight for the start of a new year, North Georgians and the nation alike can reflect on the more memorable headlines – some of which will continue to evolve into the New Year.
For 2024, Now Habersham has selected the top 12 stories that have surprised, saddened and shaped the region in the last 365 days.
Apalachee High School shooting
Just over three months ago, the state of Georgia mourned after a shooting at Apalachee High School in early September.
In what’s now known as the deadliest school shooting in Georgia’s history, a 14-year-old Apalachee High School student named Colt Gray allegedly shot and killed two teachers and two students on Sept. 4. Nine others also were injured during the incident.
In the wake of the tragedy, thousands of high school students would stage demonstrations across Georgia – including a student-led walkout at Habersham Central High School – demanding action from lawmakers.
Schools throughout the state would also implement new measures to tighten security on their campuses. Here in North Georgia, Habersham and White County were among school systems to install Centegix – a wearable remote crisis alert system that can notify authorities and shutdown buildings within seconds.
Gray has been charged with murder and will be tried as an adult next year.
Maria Gomez missing persons case
Over the summer, a missing 12-year-old Hall County girl had law enforcement agencies and the public in high gear. For nearly two months, communities throughout the state shared her photo across social media platforms to raise awareness as police followed leads and searched for Maria Gomez.
Gomez had been missing since May 29, last seen at her home on Westside Drive in Gainesville, before she was found safe in Ohio.
Authorities believe Gomez had been at the home of Antonio Agustin-Ailon, who is now accused of kidnapping and sexual abuse. After initial contact through social media, according to police, Agustin-Ailon, 34, allegedly drove from Ohio to Georgia and took Gomez from her home in Gainesville and brought her back to Ohio.
Agustin-Ailon has since pleaded not guilty to the charges. If convicted, he could face life in prison.
2024 Presidential Election
Perhaps the most momentous story of 2024, one could argue, is the comeback of former President Donald Trump. Trump, a businessman and reality TV star, was elected in 2016 after he defeated former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Trump would come up short in 2020 after falling to President Joe Biden in a handful of swing states, including Georgia – which had gone blue for the first time since the election of Bill Clinton in 1992.
Just this year, Biden would announce his decision not to launch a bid for reelection and throw his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris. Harris, running alongside Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, would ultimately fare poorly against the former president on Election Day in November.
In an almost unprecedented comeback, Trump would trounce the Harris campaign in a decisive victory, sweeping all battleground states and securing the popular vote nationwide.
Trump is set to be sworn in to his second term as the 47th U.S. president on Jan. 20.
Now Habersham Debate
In another monumental moment, Now Habersham hosted its first debate.
During the event in May, eight Habersham County Commission candidates and four Board of Education contenders had the chance to lay out their visions and win over voters before the primary.
The debate, held at the Demorest Municipal Complex on May 9, drew an audience of around 150 in-person and thousands of viewers online. Now Habersham’s Nora Almazan and Jerry Neace moderated as candidates addressed issues of growth, school safety and employee pay.
The event marked a significant milestone for Now Habersham’s presence as a prominent, go-to news platform in North Georgia as well as a clear indication of the company’s future expansion in the region.
New sheriff in town – Joey Terrell turns reins over to Robin Krockum
After more than 15 years, longtime Habersham County Sheriff Joey Terrell, 55, decided to bid farewell to office.
Former Demorest Police Chief Robin Krockum will step into the role as sheriff on Jan. 1. With Terrell’s support, Krockum ran unopposed and was elected in November.
In 2008, after more than a decade with the agency, Terrell resigned from the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office to run against the acting sheriff, DeRay Fincher. Terrell won that race, implementing a gamut of policy changes for three more terms before he decided “it was time” to leave office in 2024.
“I don’t know what exactly the plan is,” Terrell told Now Habersham in December. “But I’m excited to see where it’s going … None of us is afforded tomorrow, but I’m kind of excited to see what I can do beyond law enforcement.”
In 2025 – and for the foreseeable future – Terrell’s successor will have a spate of issues to tackle as sheriff. The largest of those is arguably the Habersham County Jail, which is known to have limited capacity, instances of potential rights violations and an array of obsolescence issues.
Krockum, 52, has a 28-year career in law enforcement – first with the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office before he joined the Demorest Police Department. Krockum went on to lead Alto’s Police Department as chief when it was founded.
He came back to Habersham County Sheriff’s Office as a patrol commander under Terrell in 2009. He then returned to Demorest as police chief in 2016 until his retirement earlier this year – when Terrell brought him on as chief deputy amid the leadership transition.
Palmer voted out, Woodall takes District 1
Another leadership change was set in motion in May of 2024, after Commissioner Bruce Palmer – an active member of Habersham County’s top governing body – was defeated by local business owner Kelly Woodall.
Woodall, set to take office on Jan. 1, received 1,425 votes to candidate Eric Holbrooks’ 972 in a runoff election in June.
For the next four years, Woodall will represent Habersham County’s District 1 as officials face a slew of issues – from the jail to government spending, growth and development, the old courthouse building as well as issues of the landfill’s capacity.
Palmer, known to favor growth over the years, said he’ll remain involved in local government and continue to serve as a “vocal” advocate on county issues across the board.
Palmer has not ruled out a possible run for that seat again in the future, he said.
Rodriguez-Ramirez murder
One of the more tragic stories in 2024 was the murder of Minelys Zoe Rodriguez-Ramirez, the 25-year-old single mother who was found shot to death in Cornelia in October.
Rodriguez-Ramirez had last been seen at Walmart in Cornelia before she was later reported missing. Days later, authorities found Rodriguez-Ramirez’s body in the woods behind Walmart on Furniture Drive.
Police arrested and charged Angel DeJesus Rivera-Sanchez, 24, of Cornelia, with murder the following week. The suspect stood before Magistrate Judge Tricia Hise in the Habersham County Courthouse for a preliminary hearing on December 18.
With various questions still surrounding the case, the prosecution and defense will continue to make their arguments well into 2025.
Fatal River Point Church van accident
In June of 2024, another tragedy came at one of Habersham County’s most dangerous intersections: An SUV collided with a van carrying nine members of River Point Community Church on GA 365 at Demorest-Mt. Airy Highway.
It was the final day of River Point’s local community mission project, ‘Serve Wknd 2024.’ Two church vans were traveling together when the SUV struck one of them on the passenger’s side.
Five of the teens were injured. Of those, one was airlifted to Egleston Children’s Hospital in Atlanta in critical condition, and two others were transported to Atlanta-area children’s hospitals.
The 15-year-old boy, Teddy Bone, airlifted to Egleston Hospital in Atlanta, later died.
Authorities say Barry Clark, 64, was allegedly impaired when he ran the red light at the intersection and struck the southbound Ford Econoline van.
Clark has been charged for alleged crimes leading up to the boy’s death in a case that will continue to develop next year.
Hurricane Helene
About three months ago, Northeast Georgia dodged a potential catastrophe when Hurricane Helene came up Florida’s Panhandle and then rolled through Georgia, leveling communities across the state and North Carolina.
Had the storm not veered east, meteorologists believe North Georgia could have potentially seen the devastation experienced in western North Carolina, where cleanup efforts are still underway in areas decimated by Helene.
Still, Helene left notable damage throughout Habersham and surrounding counties, as crews spent days restoring electricity and clearing debris and downed trees from roadways.
Alicia Vaughn resigns
After more than three years in the position, Habersham County Manager Alicia Vaughn resigned following a county commission meeting in September.
The announcement of Vaughn’s departure came in September after a meeting in executive session between her and commissioners, though details of what might’ve led to the decision haven’t been disclosed by county officials publicly.
In an amended employment agreement, Vaughn was paid a severance package of six months of her base salary ($101,639.20), her COBRA insurance for health coverage for the same period (approximately $5,500), plus an additional 15% for a senior management retirement program (approximately $15,245.88).
Habersham County Finance Manager Tim Sims was named interim county manager in early December. Sims is also an applicant for the position, which has since been reposted as county officials search for Vaughn’s permanent replacement.
Commissioners plan to interview at least five qualified candidates, if not more, in the coming months.
The salary range for the county manager position is set between $120,000 and $175,000. To be considered, applicants must meet the minimum requirement of a Bachelor’s degree in public administration, government operations, accounting, business management or a similar field.
Old Habersham County courthouse
The old courthouse building, constructed in the 1960s, has stood on the square in downtown Clarkesville for decades.
And now, after withstanding a vote to demolish the structure earlier this year, the building will remain there on the square into 2025.
Despite ongoing efforts by the city of Clarkesville, Habersham County’s Development Authority and other officials, the motion to bring the building down failed 3-2 in early December.
Habersham County Commission Chairman Ty Akins and Commissioner Dustin Mealor voted in favor of demolition while Commissioners Bruce Harkness, Bruce Palmer and Jimmy Tench opposed the motion for separate reasons.
Tench has not told Now Habersham his reasoning for voting ‘no.’
Earlier this year, under a previous tentative agreement, Atlanta-based real estate firm Parkside Partners would’ve purchased the old courthouse and surrounding 2.07 acres for $500,000 with plans to repurpose the building for 21 luxury residential and condominium-style units that would overlook the downtown square. But, with the cost of redevelopment deemed too high, the deal fell through and Parkside terminated that agreement on Oct. 1.
County documents state the property the old courthouse sits on would be more valuable without the building itself. Latest appraisal figures obtained from Habersham County appraise the property at $900,000 with the building and more than $1 million without it.
The fate of the courthouse is yet to be seen, as commissioners are expected to take another vote on future demolition at a regular meeting in January of 2025.
Rabun County’s Gunner Stockton to lead the Dawgs in 2025
In an unforeseen turn, Tiger native and former Rabun County High School star football player Gunner Stockton will get his first college start as quarterback for the University of Georgia as the Dawgs take on Notre Dame in the second round of the college football playoffs.
Georgia and Notre Dame will collide on the gridiron at 8:45 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 1, in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.
Stockton, who has never started a college game, replaces quarterback Carson Beck. Beck previously led the offense for the last two seasons before he suffered an elbow injury against the Texas Longhorns in the SEC Championship in Atlanta on Dec. 7. He has since undergone surgery and declared himself eligible for the 2025 NFL draft.
Through a combination of runs and pass plays, Stockton was able to help Georgia defeat the Longhorns 22-19 in the SEC title game. Now, as the first day of 2025 approaches, the young quarterback from Rabun County will have his first major test of the year as the Dawgs face the Irish on the road to the National Championship.
