NEWS

Governor and First Lady Perdue Celebrate Success of Pre-K Program

2010-05-04T09:04:00.001-04:00

ATLANTA – Friday, Governor Sonny Perdue and First Lady Mary Perdue, along with leaders from Georgia’s Department of Early Care and Learning, celebrated the finale of the One-In-A-Million Celebration. The event celebrated Georgia’s Pre-K Program’s service to its millionth child. Governor and First Lady Perdue also presented a check to Canine Assistants® the recipient of funds collected by Pre-K children and their families through out the year.

“We are happy to be a part of this success and what we will see in years to come,” said First Lady Mary Perdue. “As you think about these young minds we’re training in Georgia Pre-K, it’s those one-by-one positive introductions to education that have an incredible collective effect on Georgia’s future.”

Georgia is the first state in the nation to serve more than one million Pre-K children in a voluntary, universal, lottery-funded program. The Millionth Child Campaign was launched by Mrs. Perdue in July 2009 and emphasizes the importance of a quality learning experience that includes a strong early literacy program. Throughout this year’s celebration more than one million books have been read, more than one million minutes have been read to children, and more than two million pennies have been collected.

Funds raised will go towards adopting two dogs for the Canine Assistants program. Canine Assistants® is a non-profit organization, founded in 1991, which trains and provides service dogs for children and adults with physical disabilities or other special needs. In addition to physically assisting those with disabilities, Canine Assistants’ service dogs are instrumental in removing many of the barriers faced by the disabled in today's society. Service dog or seizure dog team sponsorships are instrumental in providing the necessary care (general and veterinary) and training that the dogs require.

“Sonny and I are pleased to present this donation to Canine Assistants. Pre-K children and their families from all over the state collected over two million pennies,” said First Lady Perdue. “It is a wonderful achievement!”

Millionth Child Campaign activities began last year and have continued through 2010. Activities included reading for the Million Book Campaign and the collection of one million pennies. Supporters of the program include the Georgia Lottery Corporation, School Specialty, SunTrust Bank, Georgia Public Broadcasting, Junior League, the Pearson Foundation, Scholastic, and Staples.

“We are thrilled with the outpouring of support that the Millionth Child Celebration has received,” said Bright from the Start Commissioner Holly A. Robinson. “This exciting campaign could not have been successful without our generous partners, outstanding providers and teachers, and most importantly, the one million children who have benefitted from Georgia’s Pre-K Program.”

The Georgia Pre-K Program was established in 1993 to provide four-year-old children with high quality preschool experiences. Bright from the Start assumes the responsibilities of the Office of School Readiness, the Georgia Child Care Council, and the Child Care Licensing Division of the Office of Regulatory Services in the Department of Human Resources. Bright from the Start administers Georgia’s Pre-K Program, licenses center-based and home-based child care, administers federal nutrition programs, houses the Head Start Collaboration Office, oversees the state’s network of resource and referral agencies, administers Child Care and Development Funds (CCDF) quality dollars, and works collaboratively with Smart Start Georgia to blend federal, state, and private dollars to enhance early care and education.

Quarters to Semesters: Plans Are Moving Forward at NGTC

2010-05-04T09:03:00.001-04:00

North Georgia Technical College and the other 25 institutions in the Technical College System of Georgia will begin holding classes under the semester system in August 2011. At its March meeting, the TCSG Board approved the conversion from Quarters to Semesters. The semester system is used by more than 80% of the colleges and universities across the United States.

“Many in our student leadership were enthusiastic when I told them that semesters will give students additional time to master some of the more challenging subjects that they sometimes feel rushed to complete under the quarter system,” said NGTC President Steve Dougherty.

“This will be a carefully planned conversion. We have patterns to follow from previous conversions – and lessons that have been learned from them as well,” said NGTC Vice President of Academic Affairs Vicki Nichols. “Furthermore, while doing the conversion, we are actually able to make some significant improvements in programs. In fact, for the last year our faculty and staff have been actively involved in the curriculum review process for their programs. Just as we teach with a hands-on approach, we’re taking that same approach with this project.”

Frequent updates on the progress of the implementation will be communicated in the coming months from both TCSG and NGTC in a variety of ways including press releases, speaking engagements, and web portals. “A fundamental, systemic change such as this can lead to a lot of confusion and misinformation so open communications during the transition period are a must,” noted Dougherty. “Even if the question seems simple or superficial, bring it forward to us. If one person is asking a question, many more will be interested in the answer.”

The coordinated system-wide conversion effort is being spearheaded by the central office of the TCSG and each technical college is actively participating in the plans for implementation. The quarter to semester conversion offers many benefits for students, communities and colleges. For example, it advances seamless education in Georgia for TCSG students by aligning academic calendars with Georgia’s primary and secondary schools as well as the colleges and universities. This conversion will provide enhanced instructional opportunities for our students and will smooth transfer and matriculation between institutions, both for those dual-enrolled high school students as well as for technical college students who choose to pursue advanced degrees.

The Technical College System of Georgia is a unified system of technical education, custom business and industry training and adult education. The programs use the best available technology and offer easy access to lifelong learning for all Georgians. This system is part of a seamless education process for Georgia in which students can transfer credits efficiently as they advance from secondary schools to technical colleges and to the university system.

For more information on programs of study at NGTC, please contact 706-754-7700 or visit the website at www.northgatech.edu.

Board of Commissioners Meeting

2010-05-04T08:17:00.000-04:00

The White County Board of Commissioners met yesterday at 4:30 in the White County Courthouse. The meeting was started off with the Invocation given by Pastor David Wright, of the Cleveland Seventh Day Adventist Church.

The acknowledgements were, recognizing Scout Troop 48, presenting a proclamation to designate May 6th as “A Day of Prayer in White County”. They then honored the Chattahoochee United Methodist Church on their 150th anniversary.

At the end of the meeting, the monthly financial report was given by Vickie Niekirk. This would turn out to be her last report given at the White County Board of Directors. Hours after giving the report, the City of Toccoa named her to be their Finance Director.

The next regular meeting of the Board of Commissioners is scheduled for June 7.

White County Loses Chief Financial Officer

2010-05-04T08:02:00.000-04:00

The city of Toccoa has a new finance director.

In a unanimous vote during a called meeting Monday night, the city commission selected Vickie Neikirk to fill the position. Neikirk is the current Chief Financial Officer in White County.

Toccoa City Manager Jay Johnson said Neikirk stood out from a large group of applicants.
“For Vickie, her experience in local government finance was directly relevant to our needs and we felt her personality would be a good fit to our management team in Toccoa,” said Johnson.

City commissioners were also excited about the choice, praising Neikirk’s resume and qualifications.
Neikirk has worked in White County since 2004, having worked as the Financial Administrator in Hall County prior to that dating back to 2001.

She said she is excited to take over the post, adding that the city’s leadership drew her to Toccoa.
“The management team was very impressive,” said Neikirk. “I love their openness and their genuineness and how they want to take Toccoa to the next level and I want to be a part of that.”
One of the things Neikirk said she would like to produce eventually for the city is a Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, having done so in her two previous positions.

Such a report, she said, would be prepared and sent to a national government finance officer’s association for review, and if approved, the city would receive a Certificate of Excellence.

But first, budget time is fast approaching.

Johnson said he will have a preliminary budget completed soon and Neikirk will jump right in to help with work for both this fiscal year and next.

“She will be of great help in closing out the current year’s budget and getting ready for the audit and beginning the process to implement next fiscal year’s budget, but depending on what happens in the budget work sessions, we may have more work for her as well,” said Johnson.
Meanwhile, Neikirk said she has a lot to come in and learn.

“Anytime you start a new finance position, you have to learn the system, software, and how everything fits together,” said Neikirk. “That will be a challenge, but I am looking forward to it. I understand that I have a great staff and I am looking forward to getting to know them and what they are capable of. I know they have a lot to bring to the table.”

Neikirk will start her position as Toccoa Finance Director on May 24. She replaces Emory Stephens, who retired last year.

Flash Flood Watch

2010-05-03T09:10:00.000-04:00

White County is currently in a Flash Flood Watch. The watch extends throughout all of Northeast Georgia.

Widespread rainfall totals of 2 to 3 inches are being expected, with higher amounts between 4 and 5 inches possible.

These amounts will likely cause minor to moderate flooding on some creeks and rivers, with flash flooding on smaller creeks in the mountainous and urban areas of north Georgia likely.

Parts of northwest Georgia have already received 1 to 2 inches of rain overnight with rain still falling.

Qualifying Closes

2010-05-03T09:05:00.000-04:00

With the deadline to qualify for a post on the Board of Education, or the White County Commission, coming to a close, there were 12 who qualified for the Board of Commissioners, and 3 qualified for the Board of Education.

Those who qualified for the District one post on the Board of Commissioners were, Terry Goodger, Rebecca Yarbrough, Jerry Nicholson, and Bobby Adams.

Lyn Holcomb qualified for the County Commission District 2 post on the County Commission.

For District three, Edwin Nix, Steve Hood, Brian Robinson, and Randy Ellis all qualified.

District four saw Craig Bryant, Chris Nonnemaker, and Terry Harris sign up.

For the Board of Education seat for District 2, LaMerle Edwards and Amy Crumley qualified.

Finally, for the Board of Education District 4 seat, Barry Vandiver qualified.

White County Census Mail Back Rates

2010-05-03T09:00:00.000-04:00

United States Census Workers are now starting to come to the homes of those who didn’t fill out the form and mail it back.

As of April 27, 2010, the last day returned census forms were counted and reported, White County had a participation rate of 73%. The participation rate for the City of Cleveland was 71% and Helen reported a 66% participation rate. The State of Georgia participation rate is 70%.

These participation rates are a tremendous improvement over the 2000 Census where the rate for the county was 56%, Cleveland 58% and Helen 43%.

The census workers will have an ID that will show that they work for the U.S. Census Bureau.

Concert Success

2010-05-03T08:09:00.000-04:00

By all accounts, the Brantley Gilbert concert that was held on Saturday at the White County Football Stadium was a great success.

The numbers on the final amount of people who went are not available as of yet.

There were no major incidents at the concert, and the heavy rain held off until after the concert was over.

The concert was opened up by “The Other Side of Homer” at 7. Brantley Gilbert took the stage at around 8:30. The concert ended near 10:30.

Sheriff’s Office on Concert Security

2010-04-30T09:06:00.000-04:00

With major Brantley Gilbert concert tomorrow, The White County Sheriff’s Office is ready to handle the security of the event. I spoke with Captain Jim Couch about the steps that they will be taking to keep the concert safe.

“The White County Sheriff’s Office was contacted by the White County Chamber of Commerce, regarding the concert that will be scheduled for Saturday, May 1st. We have put together a coordinated effort with the White County EMS, White County Fire Department, and the White County EMA for doing all the plans and site-work for the security for the event.” Couch says

Couch also says that there will be volunteers to help with the security.

“We have not only Deputies who will be there working traffic and also providing event security, but we will also be working with some volunteers, parents of some of the students there who will be helping with some security and parking vehicles.”

The Sheriff’s Office is considering the concert a major event.

“We have tagged it as a major event, therefore we are planning for the worst, and hoping for the best. Of course now we’re concerned about the weather issue, but I believe we’ve got a 50-50 chance of rain. We will be providing plenty of security there, and hopefully it will go good, and everybody will enjoy the concert.”

The concert is taking place in the White County Football Stadium.

Sheriff’s Office Investigates Burglary

2010-04-30T09:00:00.000-04:00

The White County Sheriff’s Office was called to investigate a Burglary at Goats on the Roof. Captain Jim Couch with the White County Sheriff’s Office tells WNGA news the information.

“The Sheriff’s Office was called to a new business, Goats on the Roof, on alt. 75 regarding a burglary that occurred. During the Investigation, it was found that a couple of the cash registers were removed, from the location some currency was removed with the cash registers. At this point, we do have some suspects in mind, and there is an Investigation continuing on that.” Couch Says

Couch says that arrests should be coming shortly.

DUI Simulator Teaches Valuable Lesson

2010-04-30T08:56:00.000-04:00

It wasn’t just the students taking turns in the DUI Simulator on North Georgia Technical College’s Clarkesville Campus. As part of a national tour, U.N.I.T.E. International is bringing the Stop Loss DUI Simulator to each of NGTC’s campuses this April.

The simulator gave participants three opportunities to make it home through a small town with a blood alcohol content (BAC) comparable to two to three drinks in an average-size person. For men, the BAC is set to 0.081 and for women it is set to 0.077, which is under the legal limit.
The simulation took place in a blaze-colored Dodge Caliber with participants wearing simulation goggles. Each driver’s progress was simultaneously displayed using a monitor placed on top of the car so that everyone could see their skills.

The general consensus of the steady stream of those who tried and those who looked on was that it was “pretty cool.” Although there were giggles of camaraderie during the invariably failing attempts through the course, all there recognized that this is no laughing matter.

“DUI is a consistent problem regardless of age bracket,” explained DWI Awareness Instructor Bill Taggart. “Most drunk driving accidents occur with a BAC between 0.06 and 0.01. The statistics show that 40% of all traffic fatalities are from alcohol-related accidents.”

The Drunk Driving Simulator allows a driver to operate in a simulated drunk mode. It demonstrates the dangerous effects of DUI/DWI driving, such as delayed response to controls and narrowing of the effective field of view.

“Oh! That is so real,” exclaimed Lynn Ward after her first simulated accident hitting a parked car. “My blood pressure just shot ‘way up,” she said making a hasty exit from the car before the exercise was complete. Nothing could convince her to finish, either.

“We try to bring in a variety of events and programs for the students here,” said Campus Life Director Sherry Seal. “This is the first time we’ve been able to negotiate the costs, but when you think about it, the experience is really priceless.”

The Stop Loss DUI Simulator was held on all three NGTC Campuses during the month of April.

Picture: Student Kenslei Krippner receives instructions before attempting the course in a simulated impaired state.

Students Excel at Skills Competion

2010-04-30T08:51:00.001-04:00

Students in a variety of study programs at North Georgia Technical College made a strong showing at the recent Georgia State SkillsUSA competition in Augusta. This year, students competed in 17 events and medals were won in 13. Students in Crime Scene Investigation, Commercial Baking, CNC Milling, Motorcycle Technology, and Marine Engine Technology will advance to National competition to be held in Kansas City, Missouri, June 21-26, 2010.

“This just confirms the great work that our instructors do and their commitment to go above and beyond their normal duties to help their students excel in such an event,” said Vice President of Academic Affairs Vicki Nichols. “We are very proud of our instructors and their students. Jason Smith did an outstanding job in his first year as our SkillsUSA coordinator.”

Working against the clock and each other, the participants proved their expertise in job skills for occupations such as electronics, technical drafting, precision machining, medical assisting, and culinary arts.

The contests are planned by technical committees made up of representatives of labor and management and are designed to test the skills needed for a successful entry-level performance in given occupational fields. Safety practices and procedures – an area of great concern to labor and management alike – are judged and graded and constitute a portion of a contestant’s score.

Taking first place in their events and receiving eligibility to travel to the National Competition are Jim Aiken of Helen in CNC Milling; Erica Young of Toccoa in Commercial Baking; Chris McConnell of Franklin, North Carolina in Marine Service Technology; Tyler Smallwood of Homer in Motorcycle Technology; and the Crime Scene Investigation Team consisting of Lorenda Vandergriff of Clarkesville, Connie Brock of Martin, and Jessica Hulsey of Cleveland.

Second place winners included Larry Richard of Greensboro in Marine Service Technology, Sean Parker of Royston in Precision Machining, Matt Henson of Toccoa in Related Technical Math, Michael Kunde of Lavonia in Technical Drafting, and Cody Berrong of Royston in Welding.

Students who received a third-place medal included Jonathan Smith of Canon in Culinary Arts; Jonathan Patton of Clarkesville in Motorcycle Technology; Bryan Snyder of Clayton in Photography; the Mechatronics team made up of Brian Dodd of Baldwin and Andrea Kelley of Carnesville; and the Welding Fabrication Team made up of Kyle Bona of Franklin Springs, Adam Manns of Eastonallee, and Chase Rider of Toccoa.

“All of the students who participated in the Skills USA activities have grown in knowledge and confidence, and these experiences will remain as a positive influence in their life long after they graduate from NGTC,” said Vice President of Student Affairs Dr. Mike King. “We really appreciate the faculty who encouraged and helped these students prepare for and achieve this success.”

SkillsUSA is a national career and technical student organization with chapters at high schools and colleges across the country.

For more information on the programs of study NGTC, contact 706-754-7700 or visit the website at www.northgatech.edu.

Candidates For Vacant Seat Answer Questions

2010-04-30T07:15:00.000-04:00

The Eggs and Issues Breakfast was held on April 27th, the breakfast had all of the candidates running for the vacant seat as the 9th Congressional District of Georgia’s vacant seat in the United States House of Representatives.

The candidates on the ballot are Republicans, Chris Cates, Tom Graves, Bert Loftman, Lee Hawkins, Steve Tarvin, and Bill Stephens. Mike Freeman is the only Democrat on the ballot, and Eugene Moon, the only independent.

The candidates started by giving a speech and introduction, Hawkins said, “I know what it takes to keep the lights on and the doors open in a business. It helps to know what you're doing before you do it.”

Loftman said that as of right now, it was not clear what the job description was. Talking about the job duties in the Constitution.

Moon, who is the Independent said to the audience that he would answer to them, because he did not have a party that he had to answer to.

The Special Election to fill the vacant seat is less than two weeks away, and will be held on May 11th.

Deadline is Today for First-Time Homebuyer Credit

2010-04-30T06:02:00.000-04:00

Today is the deadline to file for the Government’s first time homebuyer tax credit of 8,000 dollars.

Homeowners wanting to move up to a new home also have until today to be under contract in order to receive the 6,500 dollar credit from the IRS. Both of the programs have been popular in Georgia, but will probably not be extended again.

With the popularity of the tax credit, there is a greater risk of scams, which is why the IRS wanted people to mail in their contract on their home with their tax return, as opposed to filing electronically.

According to the IRS, more than 71,000 Georgia Taxpayers have collected 506 million dollars in First-Time Homebuyer Credits.

Fire at Camp Barney

2010-04-29T10:10:00.000-04:00

Black Plumes of Smoke yesterday at Camp Barney on Highway 129 north prompted the response of the White County Fire Department.

The fire started in the amphitheater when a worker was repairing the sound system, according to Ana Newberry. The call to the Fire Department went out at around 12:15 pm. The camp is a Jewish Summer Camp and is located off of Highway 129 North.

The fire was put out at around 1 pm.

Newberry said the blaze caused plumes of smoke to appear north of Cleveland. Luckily, no campers were at the camp at the time and no injuries are reported.

White County Prepares for Major Concert

2010-04-29T09:14:00.001-04:00

The White County Chamber of Commerce is getting ready for the Brantley Gilbert concert. North Georgia Technical College is bringing Brantley Gilbert in concert on May 1st at the White County High School Football Stadium.

Tickets are on sale now, and there are several ways to purchase them. You can stop by the Chamber of Commerce office and purchase the tickets for $20, or go online, to whitecountyconcert.com. Tickets will also be available at the door the day of the show, for $30.

Judy Walker with the White County Chamber of Commerce says, “The Other Side of Homer will be opening at 7:00, they are from Homer, with Brantley Gilbert scheduled to take the stage at 8:30. We are excited about the opportunity to bring him in concert. People can contact the the White County Chamber of Commerce at 706-865-5356 for more information.”

There are several sponsors for the event. “We would like to thank a couple of other sponsors that we have, that is Georgia 1051, and Neff Rentals from Athens, and of course, our presenting sponsor which is North Georgia Technical College.” Walker adds.

The other sponsors for the Concert are Cool River Tubing, Boots, etc., and Williams Power Equipment.

If you would like to go to the concert, you need to purchase tickets now.

Four More Qualify for Election

2010-04-29T09:09:00.001-04:00

Four more candidates signed up Tuesday for the July party primary elections that will be held in July. Tuesday morning, Barry Vandiver qualified for the district 4 position on the White County Board of Education. Lyn Holcomb qualified for the County Commission District 2 candidacy.

Then, Tuesday afternoon, Chris Nonnemaker, who is the former County Commision Chairman, qualified as a candidate for District 4 Commssion. Brian Robinson qualified for the District 3 post on the County Commission.

All of the candidates who have qualified have done so under the Republican Party. The primary will be taking place on July 20^th. The qualifying period ends tomorrow at 12 noon.

National Day of Prayer Event

2010-04-29T07:42:00.000-04:00

With the National Day of Prayer coming up on May 6^th, there are several events scheduled to take place in North Georgia. One of the events is in Gainesville. Brad Farrow is in charge of the event.

“We welcome everyone to our National Day of Prayer Events. We have 2 events, one at 7 o’clock in the morning at the Gainesville Civic Center, it’s a breakfast, there will be a main speaker there, and the charge is 15 dollars, and you can pay at the door.” Farrow explains

He goes on to tell us about the event at noon.

“We also have a noon event at the downtown Gainesville square. It’s free, open to the public, and we will have several community leaders that will be present. So we invite everyone to come out and be with us, and honor the lord on that day.”

For more information on the National Day of Prayer, go to nationaldayofprayer.org

Butterworth Reaction to Impeachment of Baker

2010-04-29T06:30:00.000-04:00

A Republican lawmaker has filed a resolution to bring articles of impeachment against Democratic Attorney General Thurbert Baker for failing to file a lawsuit challenging a new federal health care law.

The Associated Press reports State Rep. Mark Hatfield, of Waycross, filed the legislation on Tuesday.

The resolution says that Baker is required by the Georgia constitution to follow Gov. Sonny Perdue's direction and file a lawsuit challenging the Democratic-backed health care bill.

However, State Senator Jim Butterworth, also a Republican, says it’s more important to focus on the real issue.

“The issue would be the disagreement with the Federal Government of an unconstitutional mandate to the states, and if Thurbert Baker, in his legal opinion, serving as the Attorney General if he truly believes that’s the answer, then we should seek some other course of action to address the problem.”

Butterworth also noted Governor Sonny Perdue has formed a group of legislators, which includes Butterworth and attorneys to address the healthcare bill issue.

Baker has said the state lacks a viable legal claim to file a suit.

The Republican-led House would have to approve the resolution by a simple majority.

Freeman Back in Race

2010-04-28T09:09:00.001-04:00

Gainesville Democrat Mike Freeman is going to jump back into the race to fill the seat vacated by former Representative Nathan Deal in the United States House of Representatives. Freeman is the former Democratic Party Chairman for Hall County.

He had originally dropped out of the election process to spend more time with his family.

Freeman was the only Democrat on the ballot to replace Deal as the 9th Congressional District of Georgia’s Representative.

Qualifying for the election goes through Friday for the primaries on July 20th.

Clermont Wants Representation

2010-04-28T09:02:00.001-04:00

Clermont wants representation on the Hall County Library Board of Directors. Mayor Nix requested to have a post on the board at last night’s meeting in Gainesville.

“The town of Clermont financially supports the Hall County Library system in that we provide a building and the cost of operating that with utilities and pest control and maintenance on the building,” Says Mayor Nix. He adds, “The bylaws of the library Board state that the ones who financially support the library system should have a member of the trustees on the board.”

Chairman of the Library Board, Wayne Colston says, “I’ll be talking to Bill Blalock, the County Attorney in the next week or so and try to get his legal opinion. I appreciate what the City of Clermont has done, they value the library a great deal, but quite honestly, I’m not sure the way our constitution is written whether they’re entitled to representation or not.”

The lawsuit that Clermont filed against Hall county is still pending.

Census Preparing to Announce Data

2010-04-28T08:50:00.000-04:00

The census is preparing to announce the final mail back rates for the 2010 census. The announcement will take place tomorrow from 1-2 pm.

I spoke to Ed Davis who is the census representative in Atlanta about the importance of mailing back the census.

“The Census is important because it determines representation in Congress. Last Census, Georgia gained a house seat, Florida gained 2 house seats, so there’s a lot at stake here.”

He also says that the census determines a lot more than representation in the government.

“In addition, the census determines how the federal government will distribute 400 billion dollars a year in federal grants and programs for things like education, transportation and public safety. All of those grants that goes to things like municipalities, schools, colleges and universities, and hospitals with their research. All of that is determined by census data.”

Census takers are preparing to go out and get the information from those who did not mail the form back. Davis says that the cost is much greater to send the census takers as opposed to mailing it back.

“It costs of sending a census taker to your home is 57 dollars each time they are sent to your home.”

Membership Drive for Cleveland Better Hometown

2010-04-28T07:54:00.000-04:00

Cleveland Better Hometown is currently having a membership drive to help improve the community. The membership fee is 50 dollars for individuals.

If you are a company and would like to join Cleveland Better Hometown to make Cleveland a better place to work and live, the fee is 100 dollars.

All of the money raised goes back into community projects in the future.

Fire Department Has Busy Weekend

2010-04-27T09:27:00.001-04:00

Fire Fighters from all of White County were extremely and unusually busy over the weekend. Ana Newberry who is with the White County Fire Department says that it all started Friday night, when Volunteers from Station 5 and the City of Cleveland were called to an incident on Alex Stringer Road, where a lawnmower had caught fire, and then proceeded to burn all of the grass surrounding it. When the Volunteers got there, they put out the lawnmower and the grass fire.

On Friday night, after 8 pm, the Fire Department was called to a vehicle collision on Highland Road in Panorama Estates. The Vehicle ran off of the road and down into an embankment. Volunteers from station 3 and the City of Helen were called to help get the driver and passenger out of the flipped vehicle. One was taken by Emory Flight to Grady Hospital in Atlanta and the other was taken to the Northeast Georgia Medical Center. The injuries were non-life threatening.

On Sunday morning near 3 am, there was a fire at the Pardue Mobile Home Park south of Cleveland. The home was totally destroyed, but the people in the home escaped without harm.

On Sunday afternoon, near 2 pm, firefighters from station 3 were called to a report of a vehicle that had flipped and caught on fire. When the firefighters arrived, they saw that the vehicle was flipped over on it’s side, but no fire was to be seen. The driver of the vehicle refused to be treated, and the Sherriff’s Office is investigating.

The Fire Department was needed for 12 calls over the weekend.

Qualifying Begins at White County Courthouse

2010-04-27T09:05:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was the opening day of qualifying for this summer’s primary party affiliated elections. There are four positions open on the Board of Commissioners and two on openings on the Board of Education. During the first hour, there were three candidates who signed up to run for the Board of Commissioners.

Current Member of the Board of Commissioners, Craig Bryant was the first to sign up for the Commissioners position. Bryant qualified to run in District 4.

Terry Goodger qualified for District 1 and signed up. Former commissioner Edwin Nix signed up and qualified for the seat, qualifying for the District 3 post.

Lamerle Edwards also qualified to run on Monday, Edwards is on the Board of Education, and running for re-election for District 2.

Everyone who qualified is a Republican, and there will be qualifying held at the White County Courthouse until noon on Friday.