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First Look: Habersham Central’s 2024 varsity football schedule

By
Zack Myers
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For some, it’s the day we’re all waiting for: Habersham Central High School recently finalized its 2024 varsity football schedule and it’s here!

I’ve taken a look at each team on the slate to look at what the Raiders will be up against in the fall and written up scouting reports on each opponent.

Disclaimer: There is a lot of information and a lot of numbers included below. If you’re a stats nerd – like I can be at times – proceed.

If you don’t care for all the numbers, check out our graphic containing the schedule to see when and where the Raiders will play, starting with the scrimmage on August 2 against Oconee County.

Now, let’s get into the fun!

August 2 – Oconee County Warriors (Scrimmage) – Home

HEAD COACH: Ben Hall (3rd season)

2023 RECORD: 5-7, 3-2 Region 8-AAA

POSTSEASON: No. 2 seed; Beat Douglass in first round 28-14, lost to Lumpkin County 45-42 in double overtime in Dahlonega in second round

2023 STATS: Scored 303 points, gave up 312 points; Passing: 96/182, 1,326 yards (110.5 yards per game), 9 touchdowns; Rushing: 447 carries, 2,354 yards (196.2 yards per game), 30 touchdowns

RETURNING PLAYMAKERS: The Warriors are returning players responsible for 32 of 39 total touchdowns.

Caiden Wood, an upcoming junior running back, did a lot for Oconee County in 2023.

Wood carried the ball 187 times for 950 yards and 17 touchdowns, including a 33-carry, 324-yard, five-touchdown performance against Lumpkin County in the state playoffs.

Wood also notched 18 receptions for 369 yards and five trips to the end zone.

Upcoming senior wide receiver James Holland completed his junior campaign with 44 catches for 522 yards and three scores.

Quarterback Titus Watkins, an upcoming senior, connected on 88-of-145 passing attempts for 1,129 passing yards, eight touchdowns, and two interceptions.

Watkins added 65 carries for 328 yards and four touchdowns in the run game.

The Warriors will have 19 defensive players returning that recorded at least one tackle in 2023. Those 19 players were responsible for 339 total tackles, six sacks, two tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, and two interceptions. The group is made up of 14 upcoming seniors and five upcoming juniors.

Upcoming junior linebacker Zach Weeks finished his sophomore campaign with 81 total tackles, a sack, an interception and a forced fumble.

ALL-TIME RECORD VS HCHS: 4-2

MOST RECENT MATCHUP: The Warriors have won four straight contests against the Raiders. The most recent game was 23 years ago when Oconee County took a 28-6 win on the road in Mt. Airy on Oct. 12, 2001.

August 16 – Stephens County Indians – Away

HEAD COACH: Wes Tankersley (7th season)

2023 RECORD: 10-2, 4-1 Region 8-AAA

2023 POSTSEASON: No. 1 seed; Beat Carver (Atlanta) 31-13 in first round, lost to Wesleyan 33-26 in second round

2023 STATS: Scored 394 points, allowed 173 points; Passing: 111/219, 1,533 yards (127.8 yards per game), 13 touchdowns; Rushing: 416 carries, 2,159 yards (179.9 yards per game), 26 touchdowns

RETURNING PLAYMAKERS: Stephens County is returning players responsible for 35 of 51 total touchdowns from a season ago. The Indians also return 1,745 of their 2,159 rushing yards and all 1,533 passing yards from 2023.

Upcoming senior running back Javin Gordon shouldered the load for the Indians in the run game with 274 carries for 1,635 yards (136.3 yards per game) and 20 touchdowns. He had eight games with more than 100 yards on the ground.

Gordon also tallied 19 receptions for 273 yards and two touchdowns. He finished 2023 with 142 kick return yards, 144 punt return yards, one punt returned for a touchdown and 2,194 all-purpose yards.

Tripp Underwood, the upcoming senior quarterback, was 110 of 217 on pass attempts for 1,523 yards (126.9 yards per game), 13 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

Upcoming junior Davon Swinton was an exciting two-way player for the Indians in 2023.

On the offensive side, Swinton had 11 receptions for 226 yards and three touchdowns.

On the defensive side of the ball, he recorded seven interceptions with 239 yards on those returns, including three returned for touchdowns. Swinton also returned a fumble for a touchdown.

Brock Tankersley, an upcoming senior receiver, had 17 receptions for 204 yards and two touchdowns in his junior season. He also tacked on 32 carries for 169 yards and a touchdown in the ground game.

On the defensive side, Tankersley returned a fumble and an interception for touchdowns.

The Indians’ kicker Luke Waters hit 46-of-48 point after touchdown (PAT) attempts and made 12-of-14 field goal tries with a 33-yard long.

Waters accounted for 82 points for the Indians in 2023.

On defense, over half of the total tackles from a year ago return in the form of nine seniors, five juniors and one sophomore.

Leading the pack on defense was upcoming senior cornerback Jonah Swinton with 95 total tackles, one tackle for loss, two interceptions, five passes defended, and one forced fumble.

Fellow upcoming seniors Garrett Addison (MLB) and Jakob Lunsford (DT) had 67 and 64 total tackles, respectively.

Addison had four tackles for loss, four sacks, eight hurries, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.

Lunsford had 18 tackles for loss, four sacks, one hurry and two fumble recoveries.

In total, the Indian defense is returning 52 tackles for loss, 12 sacks, 10-of-19 interceptions, 25-of-41 passes defended, 3-of-8 forced fumbles and 8-of-10 fumble recoveries.

ALL-TIME RECORD VS HCHS: 34-12-1

MOST RECENT MATCHUP: A 31-29 heartbreaker for Habersham fans as the Raiders led the entire game until an Indian field goal with five seconds left put the visitors ahead to start the 2023 season with a loss. Game story

August 23 – Flowery Branch Falcons – Away

HEAD COACH: Jason Tester (3rd season)

2023 RECORD: 5-6, 3-3 Region 8-AAAAA

2023 POSTSEASON: No. 4 seed; lost to Creekside, 63-6, in the first round on the road.

2023 STATS: Scored 325 points, allowed 349 points; Passing: 173/307, 2,532 yards (239.3 yards per game), 27 touchdowns; Rushing: 239 carries, 1,277 yards (116.1 yards per game), 15 touchdowns

RETURNING PLAYMAKERS: Returning one player responsible for 14 of 39 total touchdowns from 2023.

Upcoming senior wide receiver Jeremiah Ware is the only player returning to have scored from last fall. From his wide receiver spot, he brought in 50 catches for 1,132 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Only three other players that will return caught a pass, which accounted for four receptions and 23 yards.

In the backfield, Ware is also the only returning player to have thrown the ball for the Falcons, connecting on his one pass for 12 yards.

Flowery Branch is returning 42 of its 239 carries for 174 yards.

Upcoming junior Griffin Harper carried the ball 38 of those times for 161 yards.

Harper will also be the returning player with the most tackles for the Falcons. He totaled 21 tackles, one tackle for loss and two fumble recoveries.

Fellow upcoming junior Carter Jackson will be second with 19 total tackles and a sack in 2023.

Overall, the defense will bring back four seniors and seven juniors that recorded a tackle in the fall. They will account for 75-of-306 total tackles, one tackle for loss, one sack and two fumble recoveries.

ALL-TIME RECORD VS HCHS: 2-0

MOST RECENT MATCHUP: The Falcons and Raiders last played in 2011 when Flowery Branch offense popped off for 56 in a 25-point victory over the HCHS.

August 30 – White County Warriors – Home

HEAD COACH: Chad Bennett (3rd season)

2023 RECORD: 5-6, 3-3 Region 7-AAA

2023 POSTSEASON: No. 3 seed; lost to Bremen, 40-17, in the first round on the road.

2023 STATS: Scored 376 points, allowed 334 points; Passing: 136/238, 1,727 yards (157 yards per game), 16 touchdowns; Rushing: 392 carries, 2,234 yards (203.1 yards per game), 31 touchdowns

RETURNING PLAYMAKERS: White County will be returning players responsible for 24 of 47 total touchdowns from 2023, with 15 of those belonging to the quarterback’s rushing stats.

Upcoming senior quarterback Tripp Nix connected on 131-of-230 pass attempts for 1,692 yards (169.2 yards per game), 16 touchdowns and four interceptions. He added 120 carries for 501 yards and 15 touchdowns to the run game.

Noel Lammers, an upcoming junior running back, contributed 47 carries for 223 yards and two touchdowns to the rushing attack.

After Nix and Lammers, the Warriors are only returning players who accounted for 10 of their 392 carries and 38 of the 2,234 rushing yards from a year ago.

Upcoming sophomore Gaines Clark is the leading receiver returning. His 21 receptions was third among last season’s receivers. His 230 yards was fourth and his five touchdowns was the most among those catching passes.

Counting Clark’s stats, White County is returning 31-of-134 receptions, 310-of-1,731 receiving yards, and 7-of-16 touchdown catches.

Just under a quarter of the team’s all-purpose yards will be back next season.

Hayden Vandegriff, an upcoming senior, brings back experience in the kicking game as he was 42-of-46 in PATs and 6-of-8 in field goal attempts, totaling 60 points for the Warriors.

The defensive side of the ball will have experience returning as well. In total, 15 seniors, five juniors and four sophomores that recorded tackles a year ago will be back.

Those 24 players accounted for 764-of-896 total tackles, 28-of-30 tackles for loss, all 13 sacks recorded, 10-of-12 fumble recoveries, 9-of-12 forced fumbles, and three interceptions.

Topping the list in total tackles was upcoming senior Jon Scott with 158. He tacked on four tackles for loss, three sacks, and a forced fumble.

Fellow senior Alex Johnson had 103 total tackles, three tackles for loss, a sack, fumble recovery and a forced fumble.

ALL-TIME RECORD VS HCHS: 5-9

MOST RECENT MATCHUP: The Warriors knocked off the Raiders, 34-6, in Cleveland in 2023, snapping a two-game skid in the series.

September 6 – Cherokee Bluff Bears – Home

HEAD COACH: Tommy Jones (7th season)

2023 RECORD: 4-6, 4-4 Region 8-AAAA

2023 POSTSEASON: N/A

2023 STATS: Scored 223 points, allowed 196 points; Passing: 85/162, 871 yards (87.1 yards per game), 4 touchdowns; Rushing: 355 carries, 1,919 yards (191.9 yards per game), 27 touchdowns
RETURNING PLAYMAKERS: The Bears aren’t returning a quarterback who threw more than 12 passes in 2023, so it’s unclear what that situation will look like.

Upcoming seniors Caleb Cooper and Connor Griffin will be the top returning ball carriers with each toting the rock 17 times apiece. Cooper amassed 90 yards and Griffin was just behind with 89. Both scored a pair of touchdowns.

Cherokee Bluff will have 12 total players who contributed at least one carry returning. Including Cooper and Griffin’s contributions, that returns 94-of-355 carries for 377 yards and seven touchdowns.

The top-three yardage receivers will come back in senior Landon Kemp (190 yards) and juniors Malcolm Millsap (145) and Braylon Jackson (137).

Millsap and senior Jordan Justice are the only two receivers who scored for the Bears.

Kemp and fellow senior Rylan Ackerman will be the top two returning tacklers with 37 each.

Kemp had a tackle for loss, interception and fumble recovery. Ackerman had six tackles for loss and a shared sack.

The defensive side will return eight seniors, six juniors and nine sophomores that contributed a tackle last fall. That experience brings with it 21.5 tackles for loss, 4-of-13 sacks, 18-of-40 hurries, 4-of-8 interceptions, 2-of-5 forced fumbles and 2-of-5 fumble recoveries.

ALL-TIME RECORD VS HCHS: 0-0

MOST RECENT MATCHUP: Cherokee Bluff first snapped a football in 2018 and, in the Bears’ short history, have not yet played the Raiders on the gridiron. That changes in 2024.

September 13 – Loganville Red Devils – Away (Region)

HEAD COACH: Gene Cathcart (2nd season)

2023 RECORD: 5-6, 3-3 Region 8-AAAAA

2023 POSTSEASON: No. 3 seed; lost in the first round to Mays, 65-7, in the first round.

2023 STATS: Scored 292 points, allowed 403 points; Passing: 204/369, 2,916 yards (265.1 yards per game), 24 touchdowns; Rushing: 236 carries, 1,075 yards (97.7 yards per game), 15 touchdowns

RETURNING PLAYMAKERS: The Red Devils are returning players responsible for 21 of their 42 total touchdowns last fall.

Upcoming junior quarterback Brody Hannah was 201-for-364 through the air for 2,910 yards and 24 touchdowns. He also threw 14 interceptions along the way and tacked on a rushing score.

Including Hannah’s rushing stats, Loganville returns four players who carried the ball last year, totaling 19 carries for -34 yards and Hannah’s lone touchdown.

The receiving crew will bring back three players that caught passes in 2023, but two of them were top-notch receivers.

Upcoming seniors Ahmad Souare and Tyler Breedlove put together an impressive resume in their junior campaigns.

Souare caught 68 passes for 1,310 yards and 16 touchdowns. Breedlove caught 28 for 461 and two scores.

The defensive side will be returning some experience in the form of 12 seniors, nine juniors and a sophomore that all recorded tackles last season.

The group will be led by senior free safety Bryce Genske, who had 74 total tackles, two tackles for loss, three interceptions and one of those interceptions returned for a touchdown this past fall.

Overall, 416-of-705 total tackles, 27-of-47 tackles for loss, 6-of-11 sacks, 3-of-4 interceptions, 15-of-21 passes defended, 2-of-6 fumble recoveries and 3-of-5 forced fumbles will return to the Loganville sideline in 2024.

ALL-TIME RECORD VS HCHS: 4-6

MOST RECENT MATCHUP: Despite being former region foes for years, the Raiders and Red Devils haven’t seen each other on the football field since 2011. HCHS emerged victorious to the tune of a 47-45 win on that occasion.

September 20 – Bye Week

September 27 – Winder-Barrow Bulldoggs – Away (Region)

HEAD COACH: Robert Paxia (2nd season)

2023 RECORD: 4-6, 1-5 Region 8-AAAAA

2023 POSTSEASON: N/A

2023 STATS: Scored 176 points, allowed 335 points; Passing: 86/169, 1,118 yards (111.8 yards per game), 9 touchdowns; Rushing: 397 carries, 2,080 yards (208 yards per game), 15 touchdowns

RETURNING PLAYMAKERS: The Bulldoggs are returning players responsible for 20 of last year’s 25 total touchdowns.

Winder-Barrow won’t miss much of anything in its offensive backfield.

Upcoming senior quarterback Evan Lynn was 82-of-156 for 1,076 yards and nine touchdowns in 2023. He also threw 10 interceptions. Lynn added 56 carries for 62 yards and two touchdowns in the run game.

Speaking of the run game, a pair of running backs shouldered the load rushing last season and they’ll be back for their junior campaigns in 2024.

Demetrius Dowdy carried the ball 179 times for 1,013 yards and six touchdowns.

Xavier McCoy handled 115 rushes for 708 yards and four touchdowns.

Overall, the Bulldoggs will bring back 394 carries for 2,045 yards and all 15 touchdowns on the ground from 2023.

The receiving corps will return 62-of-86 receptions for 732-of-1,117 yards and 5-of-9 touchdowns from the fall.

Upcoming junior Kenyan Glasper was tops in receptions (20) and yards (332), and second in touchdowns (2) among the team’s pass catchers.

Winder-Barrow will return eight seniors, six juniors and six sophomores with some game experience, but not a lot of the team’s stats on defense.

The 20 returning defenders will bring with it 155-of-575 total tackles from 2023. Only 9-of-21 tackles for loss, 6-of-13 sacks, 7-of-14 hurries, 1-of-10 interceptions, 1-of-3 fumble recoveries, and 1-of-5 forced fumbles will be back in 2024.

ALL-TIME RECORD VS HCHS: 10-17

MOST RECENT MATCHUP: The Raiders were on the losing end of a 45-14 contest on the road in 2021 the last time these two teams faced off.

October 4 – Clarke Central Gladiators – Home (Region)

HEAD COACH: David Perno (9th season)

2023 RECORD: 5-5, 2-4 Region 8-AAAAA

2023 POSTSEASON: N/A

2023 STATS: Scored 291 points, allowed 231 points; Passing: 101/177, 1,466 yards (146.6 yards per game), 13 touchdowns; Rushing: 311 carries, 1,976 yards (197.6 yards per game), 20 touchdowns
RETURNING PLAYMAKERS: The Gladiators are returning players responsible for 15-of-38 total touchdowns from the 2023 season. The bad news is all 15 of those came from two sources.

Upcoming senior running back Corey Watkins, Jr., ran the ball 170 times for 1,367 yards and 12 touchdowns. He had six games with more than 100 yards on the ground.

In the passing game, Watkins, Jr., also had 10 receptions for 118 yards and a touchdown.

The final two touchdowns accounted for came from senior wide receiver Xayvian Berry, who caught just five passes for 34 yards.

Berry and Watkins, Jr., make up two of three players to catch a pass that will return in 2024.

Overall, the Gladiators are returning 1,582 of their 4,126 all-purpose yards – just 38 percent – from 2023.

Clarke Central does not have defensive stats listed.

ALL-TIME RECORD VS HCHS: 20-5

MOST RECENT MATCHUP: The Raiders played the Gladiators for 12-straight seasons from 2000-2011, but haven’t competed against each other since. That matchup in 2011 resulted in a 34-20 win for Clarke Central.

October 11 – Alcovy Tigers – Away (Region)

HEAD COACH: Spencer Fortson (3rd season)

2023 RECORD: 4-6, 3-4 Region 3-AAAAAA

2023 POSTSEASON: N/A

2023 STATS: Scored 179 points, allowed 250 points;

RETURNING PLAYMAKERS: Alcovy does not have stats listed for the full 2023 season.

ALL-TIME RECORD VS HCHS: 0-2

MOST RECENT MATCHUP: This pairing hasn’t been seen on a football field since 2007, which saw the Raiders take a 34-14 win over the Tigers in Mt. Airy.

October 18 – Fall Break – Bye Week

October 25 – Apalachee Wildcats – Home (Region)

HEAD COACH: Mike Hancock (2nd season)

2023 RECORD: 0-10, 0-6 Region 8-AAAAAA

2023 POSTSEASON: N/A

2023 STATS: Scored 132 points, allowed 417 points; Passing: 114/232, 1,411 yards (141.1 yards per game), 7 touchdowns; Rushing: 276 carries, 1,223 yards (122.3 yards per game), 9 touchdowns
RETURNING PLAYMAKERS: The Wildcats are returning players responsible for 8-of-17 total touchdowns from the fall.

With 51 percent of its all-purpose yards returning, Apalachee has some experience in spots on the field.

Upcoming sophomore Colin Eishen was the only person to throw a pass for the Wildcats last year that is eligible to return in 2024. He finished his freshman campaign connecting on 6-of-7 attempts for -7 yards. But that was not the total of Eishen’s offensive contributions.

Eishen carried the ball 12 times for 36 yards and a touchdown. His largest stat line came from the receiver slot as he caught 25 passes for 301 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Aside from Eishen, upcoming senior running back Favian Williford is the only returning ball carrier from 2023.

Williford carried the rock 92 times for 529 yards and two scores. He also contributed to the receiving game with 26 receptions for 350 yards and a touchdown.

Overall, the receiving corps from the fall can bring back 72-of-113 receptions, 832-of-1,411 yards, and 4-of-7 touchdown catches.

The Wildcats do not have defensive stats listed.

ALL-TIME RECORD VS HCHS: 4-8

MOST RECENT MATCHUP: The Wildcats and Raiders have played every season since 2016 and has been overwhelmingly in favor of HCHS in that stretch with the Raiders winning seven of the eight matchups. Last season, HCHS knocked off Apalachee, 42-15, on the road. Game story

November 1 – Jackson County Panthers – Home (Region)

HEAD COACH: Korey Mobbs (2nd season)

2023 RECORD: 4-6, 2-4 Region 8-AAAAAA

2023 POSTSEASON: N/A

2023 STATS: Scored 236 points, allowed 276 points; Passing: 114/208, 1,347 yards (134.7 yards per game), 10 touchdowns; Rushing: 349 carries, 1,856 yards (185.6 yards per game), 18 touchdowns

RETURNING PLAYMAKERS: The Panthers are returning players responsible for just 2-of-29 total touchdowns in 2023.

Upcoming junior quarterback RJ Knapp started the final six games for Jackson County. In those contests he was 75-of-133 through the air for 840 yards and five touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Knapp also carried the ball 41 times for 217 yards and a score.

Zack Scott, an upcoming senior quarterback, started the first four contests for the Panthers and, ultimately, threw passes in six games as well.

Scott finished the season 36-of-72 for 391 yards, two touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also added 66 yards on 15 carries in the run game.

Both the run game and the receivers room is going to be looking for someone to step up in 2024.

The rushing attack returns 74-or-349 carries, 372-of-1,856 yards and just 1-of-18 touchdowns.

The receiving corps brings back 8-of-114 receptions, 94-of-1,359 yards, and 1-of-9 touchdowns.

Overall, just 15 percent of the all-purpose yards from 2023 will be back.

On the defensive side of the ball, 14 players who registered tackles last fall will be eligible to return.

The group will be led by upcoming seniors Josh Mendoza and Cooper Galley.

Mendoza, a defensive end, recorded 53 total tackles, 15 tackles for loss, four sacks, 17 hurries, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

Galley, a free safety, also notched 53 total tackles, a tackle for loss and an interception.

The returning group brings with it 282-of-632 total tackles, 28-of-56 tackles for loss, 9-of-16 sacks, 28-of-62 hurries, 4-of-6 interceptions, 21-of-37 passes defended, 1-of-2 fumble recoveries and 2-of-5 forced fumbles.

ALL-TIME RECORD VS HCHS: 1-9

MOST RECENT MATCHUP: Last season’s matchup was an all-out thriller: a double-overtime affair that saw an interception from senior defensive back Hayden Gailey wrap up a 34-27 win for the Raiders. Game story

Stats were pulled from MaxPreps. The potential returning players mentioned assumes all players – freshmen, sophomores and juniors – from the 2023-24 school year will return to play for the same school. Obviously this could/would change with transfers or athletes choosing not playing next season.
Head coach, 2023 records, all-time records vs HCHS and results of the most recent matchup were all pulled from the Georgia High School Football Historians Association website. Habersham Central’s specific page can be found here.

Fight for congressional majorities launches against backdrop of presidential campaigns

By
Jennifer Shutt
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The 2024 struggle for control of Congress is expected to be especially close, with the state and national parties spending millions of dollars. Candidates winning a seat in the House spent on average about $840,000 in 2000, but that price tag has steadily increased ever since, reaching $1.4 million in 2010 and $2.8 million in 2022. (Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)

WASHINGTON (States Newsroom) — The 2024 battle for control of Congress is underway in the states, accompanying the accelerating race for the presidency.

Republicans are preparing to funnel money and staff into a select few Senate races in an effort to flip that chamber back to their control, while Democrats are looking toward the districts President Joe Biden won as their pathway back to the majority in the House.

The campaigns are expected to be especially close, with the state and national parties spending millions of dollars, all against the backdrop of the presidential campaigns.

It’s possible that the House and Senate will continue to be split between the parties, but political observers see the prospect of a big switch. If current trends continue through the year, the Senate could well swing from Democratic to Republican control, and the House could flip from the GOP to Democrats.

The margins are tight. House Democrats only need a gain of five seats to regain power and Senate Republicans only need two, come November.

The 2024 Senate map is favorable for Republicans, who are defending 11 seats compared to 23 for Democrats. The GOP has a decent chance of picking up its two needed seats in states that have voted more conservatively in recent years, such as Ohio and Montana. The two Democratic incumbents there — Sherrod Brown and Jon Tester — will also be campaigning in states that former President Donald Trump easily won in 2016 and 2020.

In the House, GOP leaders have launched an impeachment inquiry into Biden that could risk reelection chances for the 18 Republicans who represent swing districts carried by Biden.

Republicans are also going up against new redistricting maps in Georgia and the rest of the South. Democrats are favored to pick up three seats there — Alabama, Florida, and Louisiana — and potentially gain anywhere from two to six GOP-held seats in New York.

House Republicans have struggled all year to govern with their slim majority and to unify behind a Republican speaker of the House. It took Kevin McCarthy 15 rounds of votes to win the gavel last January. Then, 10 months later, eight Republicans and all Democrats voted to remove him from the position. 

That move was not only followed by three weeks of infighting but any legislative work — including advancing government funding by a quickly approaching deadline — was halted. House Republicans finally tapped Rep. Mike Johnson from Louisiana as their speaker.

House GOP fate seen tied to presidential race

Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales notes in his latest ratings that “Republicans still have a narrow advantage to maintain their majority, but the presidential race hovers over the entire fight for the House.”

“If the race for the White House is competitive, then the fight for the House should be a close, district-by-district battle,” Gonzales said. “But if the presidential race turns into a lopsided affair, then the presidential winner will likely bring the House majority with them.”

With the recent expulsion of GOP freshman George Santos, who was plagued by scandal, and McCarthy’s early retirement, the balance of power for House Republicans is now 220-213. That means Johnson can only afford to lose three GOP members on party-line votes.

The first year of the 118th Congress also didn’t involve much governing to tout on the campaign trail.

So far, only 34 bills and resolutions have become law out of 724 votes this year. In 2022, for comparison, 549 votes were held and 248 bills and resolutions became law, according to the Clerk of the House.

The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter rates 24 House races as “toss ups,” with 14 of those seats held by Republicans and 10 by Democrats.

Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the UVA Center for Politics projected in late December that in the House, “court rulings in key redistricting cases, coupled with the political fallout from the Republicans’ internal chaos, gives Democrats a fighting chance to recapture the lower chamber.”

The report, from Thomas F. Schaller, noted that “one has to go back to the late 1800s to find an instance of divided government taking the form of a Republican Senate and a Democratic president and House.”

“Since 1968, all five of the other six possible permutations of divided government have occurred except Republicans controlling just the Senate,” he wrote.

Another challenge for House Republicans is that Johnson, for the first time, is tasked with raising millions of dollars for the party. Last year, McCarthy raised about $24 million for the GOP’s political action committee, according to Open Secrets.

Redrawn districts

The majority could be made with a handful of races. Several federal court orders require the redrawing of congressional districts that will boost Democrats’ chances of flipping seats.

However, that’s not the case for North Carolina. The delegation is split between seven Republicans and seven Democrats, but the GOP-controlled state legislature adopted a map that greatly favors Republicans.

Under the new North Carolina map, it’s expected that Republicans are favored for 10 seats and Democrats three. One seat held by a Democrat is rated as a “toss up,” according to The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter.

Several Democrats — Reps. Jeff Jackson, Wiley Nickel, and Kathy Manning — have announced they would not seek reelection, arguing that they were gerrymandered out of their seats.

However, a coalition of voting rights groups and several Black voters filed a lawsuit against that new map. The suit, following another earlier, argues that the new map violates federal law under the Voting Rights Act by racially gerrymandering seats in the state legislature and congressional districts.

But the new map that favors Republicans in North Carolina could be offset by the New York map.

A recent ruling from New York’s highest court has Democrats eyeing two to six current GOP swing districts that Biden won, making the state a battleground for the 2024 elections. The current New York delegation is made up of 15 Democrats and 11 Republicans.

A new congressional seat in Alabama is rated as “likely Democrat,” according to The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter.

Additionally, Louisiana was ordered by the U.S. Supreme Court to draw a second majority-Black district before the 2024 elections that will likely favor Democrats. Republicans currently hold five of the six congressional seats in Louisiana.

Will it be a GOP Senate?

Republicans are on track to regain control of the Senate, though Democrats in red states hope to hold them off against the odds.

The West Virginia Senate seat currently held by Joe Manchin III is highly expected to shift to GOP control after the centrist Democrat retires. 

Republican Gov. Jim Justice and Rep. Alex Mooney are among the leading candidates in the Republican primary, scheduled for May 14.

In Montana, the Republican primary on June 4 will determine who faces Tester in the general election. And Ohio voters will choose on March 19 which GOP Senate candidate moves onto the November ballot.

Arizona is another pickup opportunity for Republicans.

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema narrowly won as a Democrat six years ago, but she’s since switched her affiliation to independent. And she hasn’t yet said if she’ll run for reelection, leaving Democrats unclear about whether she could pull votes away from their official nominee. The primary is set for Aug. 6.

The Arizona, Montana, and Ohio Senate races are all rated as “toss ups” by The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter.

Another four races for seats currently held by Democrats are rated as “lean Democrat,” meaning those campaigns are considered “competitive,” though “one party has an advantage.”

The 11 Senate seats that Republicans will defend in November are rated as either likely or solid Republican, meaning they aren’t considered “competitive.”

Democrats currently hold 48 seats in the Senate, though two other independents, Maine’s Angus King and Vermont’s Bernie Sanders, are reliable blue votes, as is Sinema. That effectively gives Democrats a 51-seat majority.

Republicans hold the other 49 seats, meaning they’ll need at least two pickups to regain control of the floor and committees.

While Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, would very much like to become majority leader once again, there’s always the possibility of another 50-50 split.

That would leave Senate control up to the presidential election since Democrats held the majority during the first two years of the Biden administration thanks to the power given to Vice President Kamala Harris under the Constitution to break tie votes.

Money, money, money

As is the case with nearly all modern elections, results will come down to turnout and fundraising.

Following the money has become somewhat complicated, given all candidates have their personal campaign accounts, many have political action committees – or PACs – and the political parties have their own central fundraising committees.

That alphabet soup includes the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and National Republican Senatorial Committee in the Senate. In the House, it’s the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and National Republican Congressional Committee.

Open Secrets, the nonpartisan nonprofit organization that closely tracks campaign spending, reports the amount of money spent to win election to the House and the Senate has risen considerably.

Candidates winning a seat in the House spent, on average, about $840,000 in 2000, but that price tag has steadily increased ever since, reaching $1.4 million in 2010 and $2.8 million in 2022.

Politicians hoping to become a U.S. senator have experienced a similar trend, though the cost of winning is significantly higher for the upper chamber.

Senators spent about $7.3 million on average to win the election in 2000 before that figure rose to $9.8 million in 2010 and $26.5 million during the 2022 elections.

Campaign spending can go much higher than that average, especially when Republicans and Democrats zero in on a few races in attempts to flip a chamber to their party’s control.

Senate candidates in Georgia spent $255 million during the 2022 cycle when Herschel Walker unsuccessfully tried to unseat Sen. Raphael Warnock. In Pennsylvania, another competitive race, candidates spent $167 million. And in Florida, they spent $130 million, according to Open Secrets.

The most expensive House election during 2022 was in California’s 47th District, where candidates spent nearly $32 million. Democrat Katie Porter, who is now running for Senate in the primary, won that race.

The 14th Congressional District in Georgia came in second, with candidates spending nearly $30 million. Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene of Rome ultimately won that seat in one of the state’s most reliably conservative districts.

The third-and-fourth-most expensive House races were in the California districts held by former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, and McCarthy.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, a Louisiana Republican, had the fifth-most-expensive House race in the state’s 1st Congressional District. Candidates there spent more than $20 million.

With control of the House, Senate, and White House all in front of voters this November, it’s likely that campaign spending records will be set once again.

Bonnie Lamb Holbrook

By
Now Habersham
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Bonnie Lamb Holbrook, age 69, of Clarkesville, passed away Wednesday, January 3, 2024.

Born in Decatur, Georgia, on May 8, 1954, Mrs. Holbrook was the daughter of the late Paul B. Lamb, Sr. and the late Margaret Barrett Lamb. She was a 1972 graduate of Columbia High School in Dekalb County, and she later attended Dekalb College. Mrs. Holbrook was a loving wife and mother and took great pride in staying home to raise her kids. After moving to Habersham County in 1997, Mrs. Holbrook worked in real estate and in Customer Service for Habersham Electric Membership Corporation. Bonnie was a Bible study leader, a wonderful cook and seamstress, and a shopaholic. She and John also enjoyed riding Harleys. Bonnie’s greatest joys were her grandchildren and being surrounded by family. She was a member of The Gathering Church.

Survivors include her husband, John Preston Holbrook, Sr. of Clarkesville; daughter and son-in-law Patricia Lynn Baker-Turchi (Frank) of Asheville, NC; sons and daughters-in-law Joshua Aron Baker (Mercy) of Clearwater, FL, and John Preston Holbrook, Jr. (Jenna) of Hoschton; brother and sister-in-law Paul B. Lamb, Jr. (Carol) of Columbus; sister-in-law Ann Holbrook Smith of Louisville, KY; grandchildren Cody McFadden, Jordan Turchi (Becca), Nicholas McFadden, Heidi Kjellander, Amanda Kjellander, Dylan Murphy (Sara), Ethan Murphy, Jessica Baker and Hollynn Holbrook, and great-grandchild Myla Turchi.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, January 6, 2024, at 2:00 PM at Hillside Memorial Chapel, with Pastor Buddy Lamb (Schomburg Baptist Church) officiating. Interment will follow the service in Hillside Gardens Cemetery.

The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Friday, January 5th, from 5-7 PM and prior to the service on Saturday from 1-2 PM.

Online condolences may be sent at www.hillsidememorialchapel.com.

Arrangements are in the care and professional direction of Hillside Memorial Chapel & Gardens, Clarkesville, GA. 706-754-6256

Felisa Delgado Rivera

By
Now Habersham
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Felisa Delgado Rivera, age 64, of Baldwin, passed away on January 1, 2024.

Born in Guanajuato, Mexico, on September 22, 1959, Mrs. Rivera was the daughter of Juana Castro and the late Thomas Delgado. Mrs. Rivera was employed at Fieldale Farms, Inc., where she worked in packing. She was a member of St. Mark Catholic Church. Mrs. Rivera was a loving wife and mother and loved spending time with her family.

Survivors include her husband of 44 years Saturnino Rivera of Baldwin, mother Juana Castro of Mexico; daughter and son-in-law Margarita Rivera and Juan Barroso of Mt. Airy; son and daughter-in-law Alejandro and Daniela Rivera of Baldwin; son Juan Rivera of Baldwin, brothers Salbador Delgado, Adolfo Delgado, Juan Delgado, Gregorio Delgado, Ramon Delgado and Alberto Delgado, sisters Elvira Delgado and Clementina Delgado, as well as eight grandchildren.

A Funeral Mass will be held at 12:00 PM, Friday, January 5, 2024, at St. Mark Catholic Church with Fr. Jose Luis Hernandez-Ayala officiating. Interment will follow the service in Hillside Gardens Cemetery. The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Thursday, January 4, 2024, from 6 to 9 PM.

Arrangements are in the care and professional direction of Hillside Memorial Chapel & Gardens, Clarkesville, GA. 706-754-6256

Federal disaster assistance available to Northeast Georgia livestock producers

By
Dean Dyer, WRWH Radio
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(Hadley Cottingham/NowHabersham.com)

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) reminds Northeast Georgia livestock producers they have until the end of this month to apply for federal disaster assistance.

Georgia State Executive FSA Director Arthur Tripp, Jr. says farmers who suffered grazing losses during 2023 have until Jan. 30 to report their losses and enroll in the Livestock Forage Disaster Program.

To date, twenty-five Georgia counties have met the drought severity levels that trigger LFP eligibility. They include the Northeast Georgia counties of Habersham, Lumpkin, Towns, and White.

Livestock producers who sustained grazing losses on privately owned or cash-leased land due to drought are eligible, as well as those who sustained losses due to fire on federally managed land.

James Dallas Burton

By
Now Habersham
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James Dallas Burton, age 79, of Alto, passed away on Thursday, January 4, 2024.

Mr. Burton was born on December 3, 1944, in Gainesville to the late Eva Mae Burton Garner. He was retired from Deep South – Winn Dixie and was a member of Friendly Mission Baptist Church.

In addition to his mother, Mr. Burton was preceded in death by his wife, Brenda Joyce Roach Burton; grandparents by whom he was raised, Grant and Dora Burton; brother, Larry Holland.

Survivors include daughter Eva Michelle Burrell of Cleveland; son and daughter-in-law Wesley Burton (Tracey) of Alto; grandchildren Gentry Brawner (Cory), Ethan Burton, Cody Ballenger (Brittney), Austin Foley, Tyler Thomas, and America Thomas; great-grandchildren James Dillon Brawner, Lillie Ella Rae Brawner, Macie Ballenger, and Mason Ballenger; sisters, Laverne Lewallen, and Tammy Murray both of Cornelia; brother and sister-in-law, Tim Garner (Sandra) of Lula; sister-in-law, Sherrie Holland of Mt. Airy; numerous other relatives and friends.

Memorial services are at 3 pm on Sunday, January 7, 2024, at Friendly Mission Baptist Church, with Rev. Danny O’Kelly and Rev. Devin O’Kelly officiating.

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

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

Coroner releases name of man found dead at Lake Russell

By
Jerry Neace and Joy Purcell
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A park employee found the man's body in a picnic area near Lake Russell Beach on the morning of Jan. 3, 2024. (JerryNeace/NowHabersham.com)

Habersham County Coroner Kasey McEntire has identified the man found dead near Lake Russell Beach on Wednesday as Nicholas Patterson of Cornelia.

A park employee found the 21-year-old’s body early Wednesday morning in a picnic area. Although foul play is not suspected, other details are pending further investigation, officials say.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the Patterson family at this difficult time,” McEntire says.

Personnel from the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office and Habersham County Emergency Services responded to the scene around 7:46 a.m. on Jan. 3. Authorities remained on scene for several hours.

(Jerry Neace/NowHabersham.com)

McEntire says Patterson’s body was sent to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Medical Examiner’s Office in Decatur for further examination.

Lake Russell is a 100-acre lake located near Mt. Airy in Habersham County that includes a seasonal grass beach and a campground with 42 sites for tents and RVs.

Car runs out of gas, ends up in 4-vehicle pileup on GA 365

By
Joy Purcell
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A Honda Accord that was rear-ended twice after running out of gas rests against the guardrail on the southbound side of GA 365 near Demorest-Mt. Airy Highway. (Rob Moore/Habersham County)

A driver was seriously injured after her car stalled on GA 365 when it ran out of gas Wednesday night. Another car rear-ended the disabled vehicle, setting off a chain-reaction wreck that spread across the northbound travel lanes.

The crash occurred around 6:45 p.m. on Jan. 3 at the Demorest-Mt. Airy intersection.

State troopers say 33-year-old Beatriz Ruiz of Mt. Airy was driving a Honda Accord north on GA 365 when the car ran out of gas. Ruiz was on the phone with 911 when another Honda Accord, driven by 30-year-old Ronald Burgess of Lexington, Georgia, rear-ended her vehicle in the righthand lane.

Shown is one of four vehicles that sustained disabling damage in Wednesday night’s wreck on GA 365 at Demorest-Mt. Airy Highway. (Rob Moore/Habersham County)

The impact pushed Ruiz’s car into the adjoining lane, where a Toyota RAV4 driven by Victor Coronilla, 25, of Rabun Gap, rear-ended it.

After impact, the RAV4 spun around, and a Chevrolet Equinox driven by Blanca Sanchez, 32, of Cornelia, struck its rear driver’s side.

Habersham County Emergency Services transported Ruiz by ambulance to Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville for treatment. The three other drivers and a 14-year-old female passenger in the Equinox sustained possible minor injuries but were not transported to the hospital.

The wreck disabled all four vehicles. Tow trucks had to remove them from the scene.

Detour and cleanup

Multiple agencies, including the Demorest fire and police departments, Clarkesville Police Department, and Habersham County Sheriff’s Office, responded to the wreck.

Troopers from Georgia State Patrol Post 7 in Toccoa investigated the crash. They charged Ruiz with improper stopping in the roadway.

Towing companies and Georgia Department of Transportation maintenance personnel work to reopen GA 365 at Demorest-Mt. Airy Highway. (Rob Moore/Habersham County)

The wreck shut down the highway near the crash site for more than an hour. Georgia Department of Transportation maintenance personnel assisted towing operators with cleaning up the widespread debris. The highway reopened around 8:09 p.m. Wednesday.

HCHS varsity basketball splits region openers with Shiloh

By
Zack Myers
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Habersham Central High School senior Kyia Barrett (23) drives past a defender in a 53-43 win over Shiloh High School on Jan. 3, 2024 in Mt. Airy. (Zack Myers/NowHabersham.com)

Habersham Central High School’s varsity basketball teams split results with Shiloh High School in the first region games for both schools Wednesday night in Mt. Airy.

The girls walked away with a 53-43 victory, while the boys had their 11-game winning streak busted by the visiting Generals.

Girls: Habersham Central 53, Shiloh 43

“After the game, I went in there and wrote ‘1-0’ on the board,” HCHS Head Coach Bill Bradley said. “As long as you’re writing numbers on the left side, you’re happy, regardless of what it looks like or what it feels like.”

The Lady Raiders (4-8, 1-0 Region 8-AAAAAA) took a 14-9 lead in the first quarter and never relinquished it.

The Lady Generals (3-10, 0-1 8-AAAAAA) couldn’t get footing as the game carried on, but kept the game within reach as the two teams matched scoring in the second quarter.

Another five-point swing for HCHS in the third pushed the deficit to 10, which it would hold through the final quarter.

As has been the story since she returned from injury, Kyia Barrett led the Lady Raiders with 23 points on the night. She knocked down an impressive 8-of-10 free throw attempts en route to her big night.

Karah Dean hit three 3-pointers on her way to 11 points.

Dean, one of the many freshmen on the team getting important minutes, has come out of her shell as the season has gone on.

“Karah hitting that three right off the bat, just having the confidence to take that shot rather than thinking, ‘OK, I’ve got to get it back to Kyia,’” Bradley said. “Nothing bothers her. That’s the reason I like Karah so much.”

Bradley said he likens Dean to former player Kelsey Banks and he’s pushing his current freshman like he pushed Banks a few years back.

“When Kelsey was a ninth and 10th grader, I recognized something in her, but I needed her to find toughness. By the time she was a junior, she was getting that toughness. By the time she was a senior, she was mixinging it up just as well as anybody else even though she was the smallest person on the team,” Bradley said. “With Karah, I liken her to Kelsey because I’m asking her to go be tougher and not just be a shooter. Go find something you can help your team with.”

With the kind of game Dean had, Bradley thinks other teams in the region will have to take notice of her.

“After a game like this, everybody in the league will be talking about ‘You’ve got to go guard 21 over in that corner because she’s going to hit that shot,’” Bradley said.

The head man said he’s seeing progress in his youngsters from the beginning of the season, including limiting turnovers trying to just get the ball back to Barrett.

“I’m starting to see others that are willing to do things. I saw one turnover where we got the ball and were just ‘Where’s Kyia,’ and just throw it and turn it over,” Bradley said. “Just like Oaklee (Jackson) coming off the bench and putting that thing hard on the floor and shooting that runner and scoring. That’s a big, huge bucket. It’s the only bucket she got tonight because she didn’t get a lot of minutes, but that’s a big bucket. Just a young kid saying ‘I’ll go make a play.’

“The more of that that happens, the easier it’s going to get for Kyia because people have to guard other people,” he continued.

Now, the ladies deal with a quick turnaround as Gainesville High comes to town on Saturday evening for a second region matchup before almost a full week off.

“Another big ballgame,” Bradley said. “It sure would be nice to be 2-0 (in region play) going into that week (off).”

According to Bradley, the Lady Raiders can expect a similar opponent in Gainesville as they had Wednesday with Shiloh.

“Gainesville is athletic. I don’t think they have the same guard play they’ve had in the past,” he said. “They’re going to be a lot like Shiloh in the post – just big and strong and try to bully you.”

The way the schedule sets up for HCHS, it needs to win these home games in region play because they have five of six games at home before flipping to five of six on the road to close out the regular season.

“Those home games are really important because the end of the season you go five out of six on the road and that makes it tough,” Bradley said. “Hopefully by that time we’ll have our kids seasoned and they’ll be old veterans and we won’t talk about them being freshmen anymore.”

The Lady Raiders will tip off with Gainesville at 4 p.m. Saturday at HCHS in Mt. Airy.

Boys: Shiloh 77, Habersham Central 59

The Raiders (11-3, 0-1 8-AAAAAA) also held a five-point lead after the first quarter, but that lead flipped to a one-point deficit by the half at 33-32 in favor of the Generals (10-3, 1-0 8-AAAAAA).

The Generals led by 11 after the third quarter in which they scored 25 with Jullien Cole netting 16 of his team-high 25 points in the period.

The visitors outscored the Raiders 19-12 in the final quarter, pushing the deficit to the final 18-point spread.

Shiloh unleashed the sharp shooters as they knocked down 14 3-pointers throughout the contest.

Cole alone sank five shots from beyond the arc. Four of those were in that third-quarter run.

Tylis Jordan had 16 and Hady Diane had 11 for the Generals. Diane knocked down three from deep.

As a team, the Raiders hit eight 3-point shots.

HCHS was led by Josiah McCurry with 15 and Brannon Gaines with 10 on the night.

The Raiders and Red Elephants will tip following the completion of the girls contest on Saturday in Mt. Airy.

Postgame

Following their game, the Lady Raiders gathered to celebrate Barrett scoring her 1,000th point for the program against Athens Christian on Dec. 29.

“What an honor for her,” Bradley said. “I just think about the hours and hours and hours of work that goes into it. Not just the number of shots that it took in-game, I’m talking about the number of hours that I’ve personally spent with her in a gym that nobody knows about. At 6:30 in the morning and she, I and her mom or she, I and her stepdad are the only ones around. Knowing those hours, I know there are hours I wasn’t a part of.

“Just thinking about those hours and what that means and how it takes that to make that accomplishment. It takes a lot of teammates. It takes good teammates that are willing to let you shoot it some and to go get your own,” Bradley continued.

Barrett has 11 games left in the regular season to keep adding to her total as a Lady Raider before moving on to Anderson University next season.

Fire damages mobile home west of Clarkesville

By
Daniel Purcell and Joy Purcell
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Smoke billows from the roof of a mobile home on Chuckwagon Road in the Fairview Community on the morning of Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024. (Daniel Purcell/NowHabersham.com)

An early morning mobile home fire in Habersham County forced two people from their home Thursday.

The fire was reported just before 1 a.m. on Jan. 4 on Chuckwagon Road in the Fairview community.

Initial reports indicate it began as a small interior fire. A man inside the home tried to put it out before firefighters arrived.

When Habersham County Emergency Services got to the scene, the fire was showing through the roof.

Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire. No one was injured.

A firefighter attacks the interior flames from the roof. (Daniel Purcell/NowHabersham.com)

 

The residents walk away from the home after surveying the damage inside. (Daniel Purcell/NowHabersham.com)
Habersham County firefighters clean up after extinguishing the fire. They were on scene for several hours. (Daniel Purcell/NowHabersham.com)

 

Turner to seek re-election

By
Dean Dyer, WRWH Radio
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White County Commission Chairman Travis Turner (WRWH.com)

CLEVELAND, Ga. — White County Commission Chairman Travis Turner has decided to seek another term. Turner said Tuesday that after much discussion with his family, trusted friends, and prayer, he will ask the citizens to allow him to continue to serve.

Turner, who has served as commission chairman since 2009, says he will run on his past service record.

“I feel like I have – I’ve had a steady hand in being able to fill the role as commission chairman to bring sound, steady guidance to our county, to our community, to our commission board,” he says.

Turner says he realizes that it is early, but he wants to make his intentions known as he implements a personal one-on-one campaign, talking with the voters.

“I can share my heart, I can share my thoughts of why, perhaps why, I govern the way I do.”

The party primary election is May 21 with the general election set for November 5.

White County agencies conduct school safety training exercise

By
Joy Purcell
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White County Sheriff's deputies Dylan Loggins, Victor Cirilo, Ken Daniels, and Wesley Vandiver take part in a school safety training exercise at Mount Yonah Elementary on Jan. 3, 2024. (Bryce Barrett/White County)

White County Public Safety partnered with the county board of education on Wednesday for a school safety training exercise. The morning event took place at Mount Yonah Elementary School. Local public safety agencies, educators, and state emergency responders participated in the training exercise.

While public safety has held these types of exercises before, the Jan. 3 event marked the first time they’ve trained using a unified command. Leaders from within law enforcement, fire and medical services, and the school system gathered at a centralized command post to direct training operations and coordinate their efforts.

Fire officials operating inside the command post are, from left, Josh Taylor and White County Fire Services Chief Michael LeFevre. (Bryce Barrett/White County)

The training was aimed at enhancing coordination and communication among agencies to better prepare them for a possible emergency. School administrators, members of the media, and others were allowed to observe the training from a viewing room at the school board office. They had the opportunity to observe live camera feeds from within the school, listen to first responders’ radio communications, and receive real-time narration from public safety officials.

The experience offered them a better understanding of what’s involved in dealing with crisis scenarios.

“This collaborative effort underscores the commitment of White County Public Safety agencies to continuously improve preparedness, ensuring the safety and well-being of the community in times of need,” said a release from the White County Sheriff’s Office.

Operating from the command post are, from left, Gus Sesum, EMT Brian Brown, Josh Taylor, Fire Chief Michael LeFevre, and Scott Justus. (Bryce Barrett/White County)
From left, David Shanks, Jonathan Jones, and Don Strength (Bryce Barrett/White County)
White County EMA Chief Don Strength (Bryce Barrett/White County)
Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) Mobile Command Unit (Bryce Barrett/White County)

Participating White County agencies included the Board of Education, Emergency Management, Fire Services, E911, the White County Sheriff’s Office, EMS, and the Georgia Emergency Management Agency and Homeland Security.

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