Land on Duncan Bridge Road near Hwy. 365 has already begun to be cleared in anticipation of the Red Apple Crossroads project. (Patrick Fargason/Now Habersham)
BALDWIN, Ga. — Documents obtained by Now Habersham through an open records request show that an annexation request submitted to the City of Baldwin by Cook Construction involves a large-scale commercial development planned along Georgia Highway 365 and Duncan Bridge Road.
The records, released by the city in response to the request, show the application was submitted at 3:15 p.m. Friday, Jan. 2. The request seeks to annex approximately 88.4 acres into Baldwin, with an additional about 20.9 acres already inside city limits, for a total project area of 109.38 acres.
Red Apple Crossroads
The proposed annexation and development submitted by Cook Construction for the city of Baldwin. Click to enlarge (Source: City of Baldwin)
The proposal is identified in the application materials as Red Apple Crossroads, part of a broader Red Apple Innovation Corridor concept aimed at capturing retail spending currently leaving the area and expanding Baldwin’s commercial tax base.
According to documents included with the application, the proposed development could include a grocery store, multiple retail buildings, restaurants, a gas station, medical offices and senior assisted living facilities. The developer is seeking to rezone the property primarily to Highway Business (HB).
Documents submitted with the application describe the project as a significant economic opportunity, projecting approximately $100 million in private investment, 1,030 to 1,740 permanent jobs, and roughly $2.12 million in annual recurring revenue for the city through property taxes, sales taxes, business licenses and utilities. The materials state that commercial development could strengthen city services without raising residential tax rates.
During Tuesday night’s Baldwin City Council work session, Mayor Doug Faust cautioned that the application had just been received and had not yet been reviewed in detail. He said the request represents both opportunity and change for the city.
“This is something that represents a substantial opportunity for the city to gain revenue through new businesses and new employment opportunities,” Faust said. “It also is a substantial change to that particular area of the city. We’re going to need to know a lot more about it.”
Traffic Study
While the application includes conceptual site plans and narrative justification, it does not include a traffic impact study. The developer’s letter references preliminary discussions with the Georgia Department of Transportation and cites a 2009 GDOT study that suggested improvements at the Duncan Bridge Road and Ga. 365 intersection, but no updated traffic analysis was included in the materials released.
The records show the annexation request involves multiple property owners and parcels currently zoned agricultural or low-intensity use. One parcel included in the overall development concept already lies within Baldwin’s city limits, making the remaining property contiguous, a requirement under state annexation law.
Utility correspondence included in the records indicates Baldwin’s water and wastewater systems currently have available capacity, though no long-term infrastructure upgrades or cost-sharing agreements were detailed.
The Baldwin annexation request comes weeks after Cook Construction’s attempt to annex what appears to be the same property into Cornelia collapsed following a lengthy public hearing. Cornelia later enacted a 180-day pause on new annexation requests.
The Baldwin City Council emphasized Tuesday that the annexation request will be reviewed publicly and that residents will have opportunities to provide input before any decision is made.
Law enforcement responds to the scene where a person was reported to be barricaded in a home in east Toccoa on Jan. 8, 2026. (Photo by Steve Fournier)
TOCCOA, Ga. — Law enforcement officers from multiple agencies have cleared the scene of a residence on Highway 123 in Toccoa after determining a 911 call of a barricaded gunman with hostages was a false alarm commonly known as “swatting”.
Early reporting from Now Habersham and Steve Fournier, a former press photographer, revealed a large law enforcement response along Highway 123 in Toccoa on Thursday. The initial incident temporarily shut down part of the roadway and alarmed nearby residents.
Fournier, who lives nearby, told Now Habersham he observed approximately 25 law enforcement vehicles at the height of the response. Officers established a perimeter and positioned snipers with long rifles trained on a home roughly 200 yards from Fournier’s residence.
“They had long rifle positions set up as far as where I live,” he said. “It was pretty freaky there for a few minutes.”
Law enforcement officers divert traffic on Orlando St. near E. Currahee St. in Toccoa following the report of a barricaded suspect. (Photo by Steve Fournier)A Georgia State Patrol car blocks traffic on Cherokee Blvd. and Orlando Dr. (Photo by Steve Fournier)The incident drew law enforcement officers from Toccoa Police, Georgia State Patrol, Department of Public Safety, and the Stephens County Sheriff’s Office. (Photo by Steve Fournier)The line of law enforcement vehicles could be seen all the way down E. Currahee St. (Photo by Steve Fournier)
According to Toccoa Police Chief Bruce Carlisle, a male caller claimed he had “hostages and sniper rifles” and demanded that police “send in S.W.A.T.” before hanging up. “Attempts to make contact with the caller proved futile,” Carlisle said in a 3:00 p.m. update.
Multiple agencies, including the Stephens County Sheriff’s Office, Georgia State Patrol, and Georgia Bureau of Investigation, assisted the Toccoa Police Department at the scene.
“Contact was made with the occupant, and a subsequent search determined that there were no hostages and no sniper rifle,” Carlisle said. “One male was the only one in the residence.”
Investigators are actively working to determine more information about the initial call.
(Source: SCSO Facebook) - booking photo of Tracy Holbrook, 58, of Carnesville
The Stephens County Sheriff’s Office Crime Suppression Unit (CSU) arrested a wanted fugitive yesterday evening. Tracy Holbrook, 58, of Carnesville, was taken into custody at a residence on Waters Edge Drive in Martin, Ga.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, Holbrook was wanted after “successfully fleeing SCSO deputies in a vehicle pursuit in September of 2024.”
Authorities received an anonymous tip about Holbrook’s location through their mobile app earlier this week. Deputies went to the home on Waters Edge Drive the following day for a follow-up investigation.
At almost 6 p.m., the unit found Holbrook “beneath a truck” on the property. He was arrested and taken to the Stephens County Jail “without incident.”
Holbrook faces multiple charges in Stephens County, including two counts of illegal possession of controlled substances, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession and use of drug-related objects, and prescription drugs not in their original containers.
He is also charged with felony fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement, failure to maintain lane, speeding in excess of state and zone speed limits, and removing or affixing a license plate with intent to conceal or misrepresent.
During the arrest, deputies found a gun near Holbrook. As a result, he has been charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Officials noted in their social media posting that Holbrook is also wanted in Franklin County, Ga., for “similar charges.” He remains in jail awaiting a bond hearing
On Jan. 8, 2025, the U.S. House voted 230 to 196 to send legislation extending health care subsidies to the Senate after Democrats and 17 Republicans forced a vote on the issue. (livestream image US House Clerk/YouTube)
WASHINGTON (States Newsroom) — The U.S. House approved a bipartisan bill Thursday to resurrect the enhanced tax credits that expired at the end of last year for people who purchase their health insurance from the Affordable Care Act marketplace.
The 230-196 vote sends the legislation to the Senate, where Republican leadership is unlikely to put it on the floor without considerable changes, which a bipartisan group of senators appears close to finalizing. Seventeen Republicans voted with every Democrat to pass the bill.
House GOP leaders didn’t want to bring the bill up in their chamber, but a handful of their own members signed a discharge petition in December, forcing the vote amid rising health care costs.
Massachusetts Democratic Rep. Jim McGovern said during floor debate on Wednesday evening “it’s about damn time” the chamber took up a bill to address the now-expired tax credits, arguing lawmakers have a “moral obligation to act” to help people afford health insurance.
“This Congress musters up the will to spend trillions of dollars on tax breaks for billionaires and to send the Pentagon billions of dollars more than they even asked for. And the administration came up with tens of billions of dollars to bail out Argentina, for God’s sake,” McGovern said. “But somehow helping moms and dads, grandparents and kids afford trips to the doctor is a step too far for this Republican leadership.”
New York GOP Rep. Mike Lawler said he only backed the bill after Republican leaders declined to bring up a bipartisan two-year compromise bill he helped negotiate last year.
“I am voting in favor of this discharge and of this legislation to send it to the Senate so that the Senate will have the opportunity to put forth a reform package that can pass Congress and become law,” Lawler said.
Republicans and Democrats, he said, agree that the country’s health care system is in need of a serious overhaul. He called on his colleagues to find solutions to the bigger, more structural issues.
“Enough of the blame game on both sides,” Lawler said. “Let’s focus on actually delivering affordable health care for Americans.”
Prolonged fight over ACA tax credits
Democrats originally established the enhanced ACA marketplace tax credits during the coronavirus pandemic in an attempt to get more people health insurance coverage. They set the subsidies to expire at the end of 2025.
The debate over the sunset date simmered in the background for much of last year but surged to the forefront in October after Democrats shut down the government and repeatedly demanded GOP leaders negotiate an extension to the expiring enhanced tax credits.
The shutdown ended in mid-November after Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., agreed to give Democrats a vote on a health care bill of their choosing in December.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., ultimately decided to bring up a three-year extension of the enhanced tax credits without any changes, but it failed to get the 60 votes needed to advance.
A proposal from Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy and Idaho Sen. Mike Crapo, both Republicans, that would have provided funding through Health Savings Accounts for some ACA marketplace enrollees during 2026 and 2027 also failed to move toward final passage.
A House Republican health care bill passed that chamber last month, but doesn’t have the bipartisan support to move through the Senate and become law.
Senate problems
Thune said Tuesday any renewal of the enhanced ACA marketplace subsidies would need reforms to move through that chamber.
The bill, he said, would need to set income limits on who qualifies for the enhanced tax credit and eliminate ACA health insurance plans that have $0 premiums, a feature Republicans allege allowed insurance companies to enroll people without their knowledge to receive the subsidy.
“And then the second component would be some sort of a bridge to (Health Savings Accounts). An expansion of HSAs so that you’re getting more money into the pockets of the American people, the patients, if you will, the consumers, as opposed to insurance companies,” Thune said. “And then finally you’ve got to deal with the Hyde issue.”
The Hyde Amendment has been a feature of government spending bills for decades, preventing federal dollars from going to abortions unless the pregnancy is the result of rape, or incest, or threatens the woman’s life.
Republicans want the prohibition to apply to all ACA marketplace health insurance plans without any way for Americans to pay for the coverage themselves, the way they do now. Democrats have rejected the change as a non-starter that would restrict abortion access in blue states.
‘Be a little flexible on Hyde,’ says Trump
President Donald Trump waded into that debate this week, telling House Republicans during a policy retreat at the Kennedy Center they must be “flexible” about the Hyde Amendment in order to broker a health care deal that can reach his desk.
“You have to be a little flexible on Hyde. You know that. You’ve got to be a little flexible,” Trump said. “You’ve got to work something. You’ve got to use ingenuity. You’ve got to work. We’re all big fans of everything, but you’ve got to have flexibility.”
Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser rebuked Trump for the comment, writing in a statement that to “suggest Republicans should be ‘flexible’ is an abandonment of this decades-long commitment. If Republicans abandon Hyde, they are sure to lose this November.”
States have a patchwork of laws addressing abortion coverage in ACA marketplace health insurance plans, with 25 prohibiting coverage with certain exceptions and 12 requiring abortion coverage, according to analysis from the nonpartisan health research organization KFF.
“In states that do not bar coverage of abortions on plans available through the Marketplace, insurers may offer a plan that covers abortions beyond the permissible Hyde amendment situations when the pregnancy is a result of rape, or incest or the pregnant person’s life is endangered, but this coverage cannot be paid with federal dollars.”
Any ACA marketplace health insurance plan that offers abortion coverage in circumstances outside those three exceptions must charge each enrollee $1 for that coverage, according to KFF.
Behind the scenes in the Senate
A bipartisan group of senators has been talking behind the scenes for months about how to extend the ACA marketplace subsidies with changes.
Ohio Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno said Thursday he expects the group, which has agreed on a “framework,” to release a bill next week, though he cautioned that’s just one small step.
“We have agreement that we think we have a skeleton of a deal. But it’s all fun and games until you have it on paper in a bill form,” Moreno said. “So we have to do that. And then we have to go sell the heck out of it to our conference. And again, look, this is politics. There’s people on both sides that want this to fail. So we have to get past that massive mountain.”
Ohio Republican U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno speaks with reporters in the Capitol building in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)
Moreno said the tentative plan is to revive the enhanced ACA marketplace tax credit for another two years with modifications.
The bill would also:
Extend open enrollment for this year until March 1.
Cap the enhanced subsidy for people making under 700% of the federal poverty level, or about $109,550 in annual income for one person, according to the guidelines for 2025.
Require people eligible for the enhanced tax credit to pay at least $5 per month or $60 per year for their health insurance to ensure the enrollee knows about their coverage.
Fine insurance companies $1,000 for “deliberately causing fraud, meaning signing someone up without their consent.”
ACA marketplace enrollees eligible for the enhanced tax credit would have a choice in 2027 to either keep the lower premium that stems from the health insurance company receiving the subsidy, or move to a Health Savings Account where they would receive the money from the government.
“The final piece, which I think is the biggest sweetener to the whole deal, is putting back in place cost-sharing reduction payments, which, according to (the Congressional Budget Office), reduce premiums for everybody in the exchange by 11% and save the federal government money,” Moreno said, later clarifying that would happen in 2027.
There is not yet a final proposal regarding how ACA marketplace plans handle abortion coverage in states where it’s allowed, he said.
The handshake agreement, Moreno said, is intended to give Congress time to overhaul the bigger issues facing the country’s health insurance and health care systems in a way that reduces costs.
Gang of negotiators
Moreno said the core group of negotiators, which he nicknamed the EPTCOG gang on his text chain, includes six Democrats and five of his Republican Senate colleagues. There are 24 senators total in the “extended OG” gang.
Moreno believes one of his advantages in the negotiations is that he hasn’t been around the Senate that long, having just been elected in 2024. He said senators are also handling the details themselves, instead of deferring much of the work to staff.
“This has been principals only. We don’t even allow staff in meetings,” Moreno said. “And the idea is if we can’t work it out, there’s really no point in tasking this with staff.”
New Hampshire Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, one of the negotiators, said Wednesday she wasn’t aware of a deadline for the negotiators to release a bill. She also brushed aside the possibility of changes to how the ACA handles abortion coverage.
“There is no need to come to a compromise because it’s already been dealt with in the Affordable Care Act,” Shaheen said. “There is very specific language on how it is dealt with. And I think that applies to whatever happens with the Affordable Care Act.”
Shaheen said Thursday the House vote “provides momentum” for Senate negotiators.
The Habersham Board of Education listens to updates in technology at its January work session. (Patrick Fargason/Now Habersham)
CLARKESVILLE, Ga. – The Habersham County Board of Education received updates Thursday on facilities improvements, technology upgrades, enrollment growth, and strategic planning during its January work session.
Facilities Director David Leenman told the board progress continues on long-discussed modifications to the weight training classroom. He said coaches have been visiting other schools to identify best practices and are working with district staff to determine what will fit local space and needs, with more details to come later.
Leenman also updated the board on baseball field improvements at Wilbanks Middle School, where new bleachers are expected to arrive in February. He said the previous bleachers were sold following Habersham’s successful season last year drew crowds larger than existing seating could accommodate.
Calter Moore (left) and Jennifer Rider give technology updates to the Board during its work session. (Patrick Fargason/Now Habersham)
Bandwidth Upgrade
IT Coordinator Jennifer Rider briefed the board on a planned bandwidth upgrade. She said the district placed a bid in October and awarded the contract to Habersham EMC/Trailwaves. The increased bandwidth is scheduled to go live July 1.
Rider said the district has already completed network upgrades at each school to support future growth and is aligning its two internet circuits to fully handle the expanded capacity. She added that the upgrades also include improvements to the district’s hard-wired phone and intercom systems, with those items expected to come before the board as a business item Monday night.
Technology Improvements
District Data Coordinator Calter Moore presented a strategic plan progress report focused on technology and professional development. Moore said the district recently launched a technology badging program that allows staff to complete virtual courses and earn credentials. He said 20 staff members have already completed Level One certification since the program began about a month ago.
Moore also highlighted a new monthly technology newsletter for staff, support for 22 instructional technology platforms, and a successful pilot of the ParentSquare communication tool at Habersham Central High School. He said student enrollment has grown from 7,015 before winter break to 7,054 this week, with additional growth expected.
Rider said the district has completed more than 3,600 technology support tickets since the start of the school year and repaired more than 800 Chromebooks. She said online testing has been successful and the district is preparing for spring testing, which will include video components requiring additional infrastructure and equipment.
Looking ahead, Moore said the district is forming a committee of teachers and staff to begin developing guidance around the use of artificial intelligence in schools, calling it an emerging priority tied to the strategic plan.
Superintendent Patrick Franklin said the various technology and facilities projects will be carried out over multiple years as part of a long-term plan to complete upgrades systemwide.
Franklin closed the presentation by praising Moore and Rider for their leadership.
“I’m going to just brag for a couple minutes on these two leaders,” Franklin said. “They’re doing an amazing job. I really see the service that they’re providing to our staff and our students, and that’s what we need.”
Franklin said their forward-thinking approach is helping keep Habersham County Schools ahead of the curve compared to many other districts and thanked them for their work.
Vice President JD Vance takes questions from reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President JD Vance on Thursday blamed a federal immigration officer’s fatal shooting of a Minneapolis woman on “a left-wing network,” Democrats, the news media and the woman who was killed as protests related to her death expanded to cities across the country.
The vice president, who made his critiques in a rare appearance in the White House briefing room and on social media, was the most prominent example yet of the Trump administration quickly assigning culpability for the death of 37-year-old Renee Good while the investigation is still underway. Good was shot and killed by an ICE officer while she tried to drive away on a snowy residential street as officers were carrying out an operation related to the administration’s immigration crackdown.
Vance said at the White House that he wasn’t worried about prejudging the investigation into Good’s killing, saying of the videos he’d seen of the Wednesday incident, “What you see is what you get in this case.”
Vance said he was certain that Good accelerated her car into the officer and hit him. It isn’t clear from the videos if the vehicle makes contact with the officer. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said Wednesday that video of the shooting shows arguments that the officer was acting in self-defense were “garbage.”
The vice president also said part of him felt “very, very sad” for Good. He called her “brainwashed” and “a victim of left-wing ideology.”
“I can believe that her death is a tragedy, while also recognizing that it’s a tragedy of her own making and a tragedy of the far left who has marshaled an entire movement — a lunatic fringe — against our law enforcement officers,” Vance said.
His defense of the officer, at times fiery, came as Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and President Donald Trump likewise said the officer’s actions were a justified act of self-defense. Trump said Good “viciously ran over” the ICE officer, though video footage of the event contradicts that claim.
Trump has made a wide-ranging crackdown on crime and immigration in Democratic cities a centerpiece of his second term in office. He has deployed federal law enforcement officials and National Guard troops to support the operations and has floated the idea of invoking the Insurrection Act to try to stop his opponents from blocking his plans through the courts.
Trump officials made it clear that they were rejecting claims by Democrats and officials in Minnesota that the president’s move to deploy immigration officers in American cities had been inflammatory and needed to end.
“The Trump administration will redouble our efforts to get the worst of the worst criminal, illegal alien killers, rapists and pedophiles off of American streets,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday before Vance spoke.
She called Good’s killing “a result of a large, sinister left-wing movement.”
Vance was selected as Trump’s running mate last year partly for his ability to verbally spar, especially with the media. He opened his remarks by condemning headlines he saw about the shooting, at times raising his voice and decrying the “corporate media.”
“This was an attack on law and order. This was an attack on the American people,” Vance said.
He accused journalists of falsely portraying Good as “innocent” and said: “You should be ashamed of yourselves. Every single one of you.”
“The way that the media, by and large, has reported this story has been an absolute disgrace,” he added. “And it puts our law enforcement officers at risk every single day.”
When asked what responsibility he and Trump bore to defuse tension in the country over the incident, Vance said their responsibility was to “protect the people who are enforcing law and protect the country writ large.”
“The best way to turn down the temperature is to tell people to take their concerns about immigration policy to the ballot box,” he said.
Vance also announced that the administration was deputizing a new assistant attorney general to prosecute the abuse of government assistance programs in response to growing attention to fraud in childcare programs in Minnesota. The position “will be run out of the White House under the supervision of me and the president,” Vance said. The Justice Department did not immediately respond to questions about the new role.
Vance said the prosecutor will focus primarily on Minnesota, and will be nominated in coming days. Vance added that Senate Majority Leader John Thune told him he’d seek a prompt confirmation.
Eric Gisler (D) takes the Oath of Office as GA State House Representative for District 121. (Photo by Ann Hollifield via WUGA News)
Eric Gisler was sworn in on Thursday as the Georgia State Representative for House District 121. Superior Court Judge Lisa Lott presided over the ceremony, which took place in the Oconee County Courthouse. The district includes most of Oconee County and the eastern part of Athens-Clarke County.
Gisler, a Democrat, won a Special Election held on December 9, 2025. That election was called to fill the vacancy left when former representative Marcus Wiedower resigned in October. He defeated challenger Mack “Dutch” Guest IV.
Gisler’s election in the seat long held by Republicans drew national attention.
This article comes to Now Habersham in partnership with WUGA News
GAINESVILLE, Ga. — One person was killed and another injured in a two-vehicle crash Thursday morning on Browns Bridge Road southwest of Gainesville.
Deputies with the Hall County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene near Ash Circle just after 10 a.m.
Authorities said the driver of a Toyota Tundra, an adult man, died at the scene. The driver of a Ford F-150 suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville for treatment.
Charges are pending. Investigators said additional details, including the identities of those involved, will be released once the crash report is complete.
Kathy Dianne Jenkins Mitchell, affectionately known as “Nana” by her grands, age 70 of Cornelia, passed away Thursday, January 8, 2026.
Born in Atlanta, Georgia, on May 15, 1955, Mrs. Mitchell was the daughter of the late Rupert and Lucy Nicholson Jenkins. She spent many of her professional years working at the Belk Department Store. Mrs. Mitchell especially enjoyed bragging on her grandbabies, as well as fishing and cooking. She was a member of Hillside Baptist Church in Cornelia. In addition to her parents, Mrs. Mitchell is preceded in death by son Jamie Loggins, granddaughter Eliana Loggins, brothers Donald Jenkins and Rickey Jenkins, sister Doris Free, brothers-in-law Lee Taylor, Miles Wilbanks, Ray Stewart, and Homer Free.
Survivors include her husband Bobby Mitchell of Cornelia, son Andrew Loggins (Cheryl) of Covington, daughters Amy Loggins Palmer (Jason) of Anderson, SC, Abby Geter (Cedric) of Gainesville and Nicole Dunn (Kevin) of Gainesville, sisters Joyce Taylor of Clarkesville, Willene Stewart of Mt. Airy, and Linda Wilbanks of Cornelia, brothers Jimmy Jenkins (Jimmie) of Clarkesville and Leon Jenkins (Diann) of Clarkesville, sisters in law Jeanette Jenkins of Lula and Barbara Jenkins Grant of Clarkesville, grandchildren Susannah Loggins, Asher Loggins, Sophie Geter, Carter Geter, Niyah Geter, Desi Geter, Emma Dunn, Garrett Dunn and C. J. Palmer.
Graveside services will be held on Sunday, January 11, 2026, at 3:00 p.m., at Hills Crossing Baptist Church Cemetery with Rev. Austin Kelley, officiating.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made to the American Cancer Society, 1552 Shoup Court, Decatur, GA 30033, or by visiting www.cancer.org/donate.
Arrangements by Hillside Memorial Chapel, Clarkesville, Georgia.
The walk is a solemn moment when a patient who is an organ donor is transported to the Operating Room for organ procurement, so the gift of life may be given to others.
Piedmont Columbus Regional hosted an honor walk commemorating a hero’s final act of service. Retired Army Sgt. 1st Class and Lee County, Ala. Deputy Sheriff Kevin Hagberg was hospitalized on Dec. 28 after suffering multiple strokes. The 55-year-old served our nation in the U.S. Army and was deployed to Afghanistan. He then worked for the Russell County Sheriff’s Office and most recently at the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputy salutes Deputy Sheriff Kevin Hagberg. (photo courtesy of Piedmont Columbus Regional Hospital)
With the support of his wife, Jennifer, Deputy Hagberg will be an organ donor— continuing his legacy of service to his country and community. Family and local law enforcement joined hospital staff in lining the hallways for the honor walk to pay their respects.
The need for organ donors is critical with over 100,000 people in the United States on the transplant waiting list. According to Life Link of Georgia, a donor can save up to eight lives, making the honor walk not only a tribute but also a reminder of the importance of organ donation. Go to LifeLinkFoundation.org for more information on organ donation.
Habersham County Sheriff Robin Krockum works inside his office at the Habersham County Sheriff's Office (Brian Wellmeier/Now Habersham)
HABERSHAM COUNTY, Ga. — The Habersham County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) released its annual crime statistics for 2025, reporting a decline in overall incidents and a significant drop in drug overdoses compared to the previous year.
According to the report, the Sheriff’s Office saw the total number of reported incidents fall from 3,408 in 2024 to 3,225 in 2025. Alongside this reduction in general crime, the agency’s narcotics unit reported 80 arrests and the seizure of substantial quantities of illegal drugs.
Narcotics Enforcement and Seizures
The HCSO in-house narcotics team focused heavily on drug distribution within the county. Of the 80 arrests made by the unit, officials noted that 30 were narcotics dealers who resided in Habersham County.
The operations resulted in numerous serious charges, including:
35 cases of possession with intent to distribute
13 narcotics trafficking cases
15 gun charges
9 sales cases
During these investigations, deputies seized a wide variety of controlled substances. The largest seizures by weight were marijuana (7 pounds, 1 ounce) and methamphetamine (26.5 ounces). Other seized contraband included 5 grams of fentanyl, 3 grams of heroin, 2 grams of cocaine, and hundreds of prescription pills, including Lortabs, Xanax, and Ecstasy.
Overdoses and Public Safety
Data released by the Sheriff’s Office indicates a sharp decrease in reported overdoses. The county recorded 12 overdose reports in 2025, down from 28 reports in 2024.
Crime Trends
A year-over-year comparison shows reductions across several major crime categories. Property crimes saw some of the most significant drops:
Theft by taking: Decreased from 116 to 68.
Burglary: Decreased from 49 to 27.
Entering auto: Decreased from 18 to 7.
Violent crime reports also trended downward. Aggravated assault reports fell from 32 in 2024 to 23 in 2025. Battery reports saw a slight decrease from 41 to 38, while family violence battery cases remained steady, with 40 reports in 2025 compared to 41 the previous year.
Incidents involving fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement also dropped significantly, from 26 incidents in 2024 to nine in 2025.
FILE - Fulton County Commissioner Dana Barrett speaks outside the Fulton County courthouse in Atlanta on Aug. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Kate Brumback, File)
ATLANTA (AP) — An elected leader in Georgia’s Fulton County announced that she is running to be the state’s top election official.
Fulton County Commissioner Dana Barrett launched her campaign for secretary of state Thursday. She joins a Democratic primary field that already includes former Fulton County State Court Judge Penny Brown Reynolds, who had a brief reality TV career, as well as Adrian Consonery Jr. and Cam T. Ashling.
Barrett, who was elected to the Fulton Board of Commissioners in 2022, was a vocal part of a Democratic majority that last year refused to vote to approve two Republican nominees to the county election board, saying their past actions made them unsuitable. A judge ultimately found the Board of Commissioners in civil contempt and imposed a fine of $10,000 a day until the nominees are appointed, though the ruling is currently on hold pending appeal.
In a Thursday news conference at a downtown Atlanta bookstore, Barrett said she was running to prevent elections from being handed “to extremists and election deniers who think that their voices are more important than yours.”
She defended commissioners’ decision to fight the court order, saying she didn’t believe the lower court had correctly followed the law and said it was important to appeal and “keep on fighting.”
“Your vote is your voice. And now they want to take that away, too,” Barrett said. “That’s why I was going to go to jail to protect Fulton County elections. That’s why I’m running to be the next secretary of state of Georgia.”
Current Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, is running for governor this year. Republican Gabriel Sterling, who served as one of Raffensperger’s top deputies, is running to replace him. Both Raffensperger and Sterling gained national prominence — and the ire of Trump and his supporters — when they defended Georgia’s presidential election results in 2020 after Trump called Raffensperger and urged him to help “find” the votes needed to overturn Democratic President Joe Biden’s narrow win in the state.
Rounding out the Republican primary are state Rep. Tim Fleming, Vernon Jones and Kelvin King. Fleming helms a legislative study committee that has been looking into how the state conducts its elections. Jones is a former Democratic state representative who switched parties and has championed Trump and his claims of a stolen election. King is married to Janelle King, a member of the Trump-endorsed majority on the State Elections Board.
