Home Blog Page 1421

Demorest firefighter loses courageous fight against cancer

By
Joy Purcell
-
Demorest Firefighter Garrett Reiser passed away on Sept. 11, 2022, just months after being diagnosed with brain cancer. He will be buried on Wednesday, Sept. 14, with full fire department honors. People are being asked to line Historic Hwy. 441 in Demorest for his funeral procession.

Assistant Demorest Fire Chief Jerry Palmer has been in the fire services for decades. He’s faced a lot of tough assignments in his day, but none more heart-rending or challenging than what he now faces.

Palmer is planning the funeral of a young firefighter who passed away over the weekend after a short but courageous battle with cancer. On June 21, doctors diagnosed Garrett Reiser with glioblastoma, an aggressive and lethal brain cancer. On Sunday night, September 11, he passed away.

Gone too soon

“We knew it was coming, we just didn’t know it was coming with only a few hour’s notice,” says Palmer, expressing the pain and shock Reiser’s colleagues felt at hearing the news.

Though just 22, Garrett Reiser had worked with the Demorest Fire Department for over five years. He was known as a hard worker, selfless, kind, and positive. He was the type of person anyone would be blessed to call a friend.

“I saw a side of the kid that was just unbelievable in the face of all this,” says Palmer. “He didn’t whine. He didn’t cry. He was a comfort to everybody else.”

“He was a heck of a dude,” adds Baldwin firefighter Jacob Roy.

Roy came to know Reiser through a mutual firefighting buddy. He sponsored a bass fishing tournament last month to raise money for medical expenses. He was scheduled to meet Reiser this week to give him the $2,000 they raised. Now, Roy says, “I’m going to have to hand it off to one of his family members.”

Brothers’ beach trip

By all accounts, family, faith, and fighting fires were at the center of Garrett Reiser’s life. One of seven children, public service was in his blood. One of his brothers is a firefighter in Demorest and another is an AirLife paramedic.

Ten days before his death, Garrett returned to work for his final shift. Weakened by cancer, he rode along on calls with his best friend, Capt. Payton Cagle. He then spent what was to be the last week of his life with his brothers in Florida. They returned home on Saturday. Within 24 hours, he was gone.

Deeply saddened by the loss, Palmer finds some solace in knowing how Garrett spent his final days.

“Who that’s ever had this [glioblastoma] can say when asked what did you do on your last week on earth? ‘My brothers and I went to the beach and had a blast!'”

The veteran firefighter marvels at how much the young firefighter taught him.

“We were 33 years apart in age but I learned so much about life from this kid who never batted an eye. He never got angry at God. He never questioned the plan. He never did any of that,” says Palmer. “The world’s a lesser place without him in it.”

Paying tribute

Garrett Reiser

Garrett Reiser is survived by his parents Emory and Deborah Reiser, of Cleveland, and six siblings.

He will be buried with full fire department honors on Wednesday, September 14. The funeral is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Gethsemane Baptist Church in Cornelia. On the way to the church, a procession will carry Reiser’s body from Hillside Funeral Home in Clarkesville down Historic Highway 441 past his firehouse in Demorest.

The procession is scheduled to leave Hillside Funeral Home on GA 197 South around 12:20 p.m. It will head north and turn left onto Railroad Avenue, then left onto Historic Highway 441.

Palmer asks the community to pray for Reiser’s family and, “if you’re so moved, on Wednesday to line the roads in honor of this young man. That would be an awesome and well-deserved tribute.”

Garrett Reiser obituary

Defending champ Georgia downplays return to No. 1 in Top 25

By
Associated Press
-
Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett (13) throws from the pocket during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Samford Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022 in Athens, Ga. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Defending national champion Georgia needed only two games to convince voters it should return to the top of the AP Top 25.

Coach Kirby Smart says September rankings are “never a big deal.”

“It only matters at the end of the year,” Smart said Monday, adding he is “a lot more worried about how we execute a combo block than I am worried about what we’re ranked. And hopefully, the kids are the same way.”

The Bulldogs (2-0) are winning with defense, which was also their strength in winning their first national title since 1980. They have given up only three points in two games.

Georgia will try to continue its impressive defensive showing when it opens its Southeastern Conference schedule at South Carolina on Saturday.

Georgia was No. 1 for nine weeks last season, so offensive tackle Warren McClendon said the new ranking wasn’t big news for the players.

“We really don’t pay attention to the ratings,” McClendon said. “We worry about getting better day-by-day and this upcoming game.”

Georgia was No. 3 in the preseason AP Top 25 and moved to No. 2 following its 49-3 rout of then-No. 11 Oregon to open the season. The Bulldogs then climbed to No. 1 in this week’s poll, moving past Alabama following the Crimson Tide’s 20-19 win over Texas.

Georgia has played dominant defense despite having eight players from the unit selected in this year’s NFL draft, including five in the first round. Overall, Georgia had a record 15 players taken in the draft.

The defense took the lead again in Saturday’s 33-0 win over Samford. Georgia gave up only 128 yards and three first downs and led 30-0 at halftime.

It was a dominant but not satisfactory win. Smart was unhappy the Bulldogs settled for four field goals. After scoring touchdowns on its first seven possessions against Oregon, Georgia had to kick field goals on its first two possessions against Samford after moving the ball inside the 10.

Smart called that offensive showing “a huge step back.”

The shutout of Samford impressed the Top 25 voters, but the stalled drives provided motivation for improvement.

“Last week I don’t think we played to our standard,” McClendon said before Monday’s practice. “We have some things we need to fix, some things we need to prevent from happening and some pre-snap things we need to get better at. Just coming back in today, look at what we messed up on and get back to work.”

NOTE: WR Adonai Mitchell, who suffered a left ankle injury on Georgia’s opening drive against Samford, was held out of practice, according to Smart. Mitchell has not been ruled out against South Carolina. “We’re hopeful that he’s able to make it,” Smart said.

Garrett Duran Reiser

By
Now Habersham
-

Garrett Duran Reiser, age 22 of Cleveland, Georgia took his heavenly flight home to be with the Lord on Sunday, September 11, 2022, following a courageous battle with cancer.

Born in Savannah, Georgia on October 04, 1999, he was a son of Emory William, III. & Deborah Jean Kingery Reiser of Cleveland, Georgia. Garrett was a firefighter with the Demorest Fire Department with over 5 years of dedicated service. God was first in his life, next was his beloved family, and then his loyalty to his friends. In his spare time, Garrett enjoyed a good strategy game as well as a well-scripted drama at the Cinema. He was a faithful member of Gethsemane Baptist Church.

Garrett was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents, Mary Elizabeth Grier & Emory William Reiser, Jr.; twin niece & nephew, Willow & Wade Reiser, and another infant niece or nephew who awaited him in Heaven.

In addition to his parents, survivors include his siblings, Emory William, IV. & Charity Reiser of South Carolina; William Presten & Kori Reiser of Cornelia, GA; Quentin James Reiser of Cleveland, GA; Marshall Wade Reiser of Valdosta, GA; Catherine Mae Reiser & her boyfriend, Scott Hulsey; Logan Ryan Reiser, & Pearce Owen Reiser all of Cleveland, GA; grandparents, Morris Duran & Glenda Marie Kingery of Collins, GA; uncle David Duran Kingery of Savannah, GA; nephews, Hunter Reiser & Leyton Reiser; nieces, Jasmine Reiser & Lettie Reiser; girlfriend, Kyla Lakey of Dahlonega, GA; numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, other relatives, & a host of friends.

Funeral services are scheduled for 1:00 p.m. Wednesday, September 14, 2022, at Gethsemane Baptist Church with Rev. Shannon Irvin, Mr. Jerry Palmer, & Chief Ken Ranalli, & Mr. Larry Martin officiating. Interment will follow in the church cemetery.

The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 2:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. & 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 13, 2022.

An online guest registry is available for the Reiser family at www.HillsideMemorialChapel.com.

Arrangements are in the care of Hillside Memorial Chapel, Clarkesville, Georgia. (706) 754-6256

‘Completing the mission’: Memorial stair climb honors firefighters killed on 9/11

By
Joy Purcell
-
Seventeen firefighters and a handful of family and community members turned out Sunday for the second annual 9/11 memorial stair climb in Stephens County. (photo courtesy Red Bird Media)

Northeast Georgia firefighters climbed the stadium steps at Stephens County High School Sunday morning. Loaded down with 65 pounds of gear, they trudged up 2,071 stairs, the equivalent of 110 stories. Each step was a tribute to the firefighters who died in the 110-story World Trade Towers al-Qaeda terrorists destroyed on September 11, 2001.

“Those firefighters were climbing to the top of the towers to save as many people as they could. They never came down,” says memorial stair climb organizer Susan Jordan. “If you can complete a mission for someone who gave it their all, there’s no better way to honor them.”

Loaded with 65 pounds of gear, firefighters made 33 round trips up the bleacher steps at Stephens County High stadium. All totaled, they hiked 4,142 steps but only counted the ‘up’ steps. “We don’t count the ‘downs’ because they [FDNY firefighters] didn’t come down,” says Stephens County firefighter Susan Jordan. (Red Bird Media)
Jordan is a third-year volunteer firefighter and EMT with the Big Smith Fire Station in Stephens County. She organized the inaugural memorial stair climb last year. Sixteen fellow firefighters from Stephens, Habersham County, and Cornelia joined her for this year’s event.

Promise kept

After the 9/11 attacks, many Americans vowed to never forget the loss, the sacrifice, and the unity they felt, but a lot has changed in 21 years. The deep political and cultural divides of a war-weary nation have given way to a general malaise. And while it may seem that many have forgotten, those who showed up at Stephens County High Sunday kept their promise to remember. They wore multiple lanyards around their necks and air packs, each bearing the name of one of the 343 firefighters killed at Ground Zero.

“It’s not just the firefighters and paramedics we remember; it’s their families too,” says Jordan. “9/11 changed their whole world.”

It changed the world.

The attacks on 9/11 led to decades of war in Iraq and Afghanistan and, closer to home, spurred significant changes in travel and public safety.

Loss and gain

“There’s so much in the fire service that we do now because of 9/11,” explains Jordan.

When the different agencies converged on the twin towers following the attacks, they used different 10 codes. That complicated radio traffic communication. As a result, “We have uniform call codes now,” Jordan says. “If we’re ok, we say we’re ok. If we’re trapped, we say we’re trapped. We don’t use 10 codes.”

The 9/11 attacks also resulted in accountability tagging systems. Now, when firefighters arrive on the scene, they’re required to ‘tag in’ so that command staff knows that they’re there. “So everyone who goes in, you know comes out.”

“For what we lost on 9/11, we also gained,” Jordan says, “but you can never replace what we lost.”

17 firefighters from Stephens and Habersham counties and Cornelia participated in the stair climb. Several family and community members also participated. Next year, organizers hope to make it an even larger community-wide event. (Red Bird Media)

It is that loss and the kinship she feels with her fellow firefighters that keep Jordan determined to grow and expand the 9/11 memorial stair climb. Next year, she hopes more fire departments will participate and members of the public too.

“It’s just important not to forget what happened on 911.”

Biden pitches ‘moonshot’ to cut the number of cancer deaths in half

By
Jennifer Shutt
-
Hoping to spur more progress in the battle against cancer, Biden has since called on Congress to authorize and fund a new Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health. (Getty Images)

WASHINGTON (GA Recorder) —  Hoping to channel the momentum that led scientists to land Americans on the moon more than 50 years ago, President Joe Biden doubled down Monday on his quest to halve the number of cancer deaths as part of his revamped “cancer moonshot” initiative

Speaking from the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston on the 60th anniversary of the former president declaring that America would put a man on the moon, Biden urged the medical and political communities to reduce the number of cancer deaths by half within the next 25 years.

“Cancer does not discriminate, red and blue. It doesn’t care if you’re Republican or Democrat. Beating cancer is something we can do together. And that’s why I’m here today,” Biden said.

Biden re-launched the cancer moonshot initiative, which he originally led during his time as vice president for the Obama administration after he was elected president in 2020.

Hoping to spur more progress, Biden has since called on Congress to authorize and fund a new Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health.

Modeled after similar agencies within the departments of Defense and Energy, Biden said Monday it would have “the singular purpose to drive breakthroughs to prevent, detect and treat diseases including cancer, Alzheimer’s, diabetes.”

Biden earlier in the day named Dr. Renee Wegrzyn as the first director for the new agency, and noted in his speech she is a “leading biomedical scientist” who had led several biotechnology projects and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

As part of current and future research into cancer treatments, Biden said, the cancer moonshot initiative could help to “turn more cancers from death sentences into chronic diseases people can live with.”

Biden also lamented that for many people a cancer diagnosis comes too late, or comes with a complex path to treatment. And for some, he said, the process can reflect inequality.

“There are stark inequities based on race, disability, ZIP code, sexual orientation, gender identity and other factors,” he said.

But Biden committed to changing the way the current diagnosis, treatment and research process works for cancer.

“We don’t share enough data and knowledge to bring the urgency we need to find the new answers,” he said. “But for each of the ways we know cancer today, we know we can change the trajectory.”

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States with 600,000 people dying annually, according to the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

New fight opens in Congress over VA policy that sidesteps state abortion bans

By
Jennifer Shutt
-
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 08: Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-GA) speaks at a press conference, alongside members of the Second Amendment Caucus, outside the U.S. Capitol Building on March 08, 2022 in Washington, DC. The caucus held the news conference to talk about their support for Rep. Michael Cloud’s (R-TX) gun rights legislation, the “No REGISTRY Rights Act” which if passed would make it illegal to track gun ownership. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON (GA Recorder) — Democrats in the U.S. Senate are confident the Department of Veterans Affairs can implement a new policy that allows its doctors to provide abortions when the pregnancy threatens the patient’s life or health, or when it’s the result of rape or incest.

The VA announced the new policy last week to cheers from Democrats who have been searching for ways to broaden abortion access in states where the procedure has been outlawed since the U.S. Supreme Court ended the constitutional right to abortion in June. Abortion counseling and services would be provided to pregnant veterans and their beneficiaries in limited circumstances.

But Republicans have sharply criticized the VA for changing its longstanding no-abortions policy, with some pledging to keep the status quo.

Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth said this week that because VA hospitals are linked to teaching hospitals, those health care providers will have physicians on staff with the medical knowledge to perform the procedure.

In addition, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren said the Department of Justice would protect doctors from prosecution in states where abortion is now banned or heavily restricted.

“One of the strengths of VA health care is that every major VA hospital is affiliated with a teaching university, a medical university teaching facility,” Duckworth said. “So the skill, the ability to perform the procedures will be there.”

VA doctors also aren’t necessarily licensed in the state where they practice, she said, which means they likely would not face legal ramifications in states that have banned or restricted abortion.

VA doctors’ medical licenses could not be revoked for following VA abortion policy when it differs from state law “because many of them don’t have a license in that state because they are operating at the federal level,” Duckworth said.

Warren said she has “no doubt” that if a state’s attorney general or other prosecutor tries to put a VA health care provider in prison for acting in line with the VA’s new abortion policy, the U.S. Department of Justice would go to bat.

“The Department of Justice is there to defend the VA when the VA is acting in accordance with federal law,” Warren said.

Republicans vow to stop VA policy

Republicans pledged opposition. “This proposal is contrary to longstanding, settled law and a complete administrative overreach,” Illinois Republican Rep. Mike Bost, ranking member on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, said in a statement last week. “I oppose it and am already working to put a stop to it.”

Georgia Congressman Andrew Clyde led a group of 45 GOP lawmakers in a letter pressuring the VA to reverse course. Four other Georgia Republicans – Drew Ferguson, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Jody Hice and Barry Loudermilk – signed onto the letter.

“Make no mistake: your Department’s decision to expand and promote abortion services – ‘regardless of state restrictions’ – is blatantly illegal,” the letter says. “You must reverse course immediately, or we will be forced to take further action to hold your Department accountable for this overreach.”

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall told AL.com that he plans to prosecute any health care provider who violates the state’s abortion law.

“I have no intention of abdicating my duty to enforce the Unborn Life Protection Act against any practitioner who unlawfully conducts abortions in the State of Alabama,” Marshall told AL.com in a statement. “The power of states to protect unborn life is settled.”

Alabama’s abortion law bans the procedure unless the woman’s life or health is at risk, meaning Marshall would likely be trying to prosecute VA-affiliated doctors who end pregnancies that were the result of rape or incest.

The sharp GOP criticism of the new abortion policy is expected to lead to court challenges. If upheld, it could mean that a future Republican president would push the VA to reverse course, banning all abortions once again.

Arkansas Sen. John Boozman, the top Republican on the panel that funds the VA, said Thursday he expects the court system may end up deciding whether the Biden administration had the authority to change the policy.

“In the past, we’ve had to carry legislation, specifically for in vitro fertilization. And now all of a sudden, they’re talking about abortion services at the VA, so I don’t think they have the authority to do it,” Boozman said.

The specific situations in which VA could provide abortion to ensure the life or health of the woman are “very vague,” Boozman said. “Because of that, I think I and many others are very concerned,” he said.

Florida GOP Sen. Marco Rubio, who said shortly after the announcement the decision was “grotesque and illegal,” said this week that he expects a future Republican president would undo the policy if it lasts that long.

“Well, if the current president switched it, a future president could switch it back,” Rubio said.

Mexico City Policy

The flip-flopping on an abortion policy isn’t without precedent.

The so-called Mexico City Policy, or global gag rule, changes every time control of the White House moves from one party to the other.

Originally implemented by President Ronald Reagan in 1984, the policy, when in place during Republican presidencies, prevents nongovernmental organizations operating in foreign countries from performing or actively promoting “abortion as a method of family planning” if they want to receive U.S. foreign aid dollars.

Montana Democratic Sen. Jon Tester, chairman of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, said Thursday he believes the VA did have the authority to change its abortion policy “because the VA is charged with taking care of people.”

He, however, expects it will be challenged in court.

“I hope they’re unsuccessful because, quite frankly, then what the VA would have to do is say, ‘Look, there’s a medical procedure we can’t use, so you’ll have to die.’ I think that’d be a pretty horrible thing, especially since most of the people who work in the VA are there because of the veterans, they are not there for any other reason,” Tester said.

Hawaii Democratic Sen. Mazie Hirono said she expects Republicans will do “everything they can to stop” the VA from providing abortions for patients whose life or health is at risk, or those that are the result of rape or incest.

She said she’s confident the VA has the authority to terminate pregnancies.

“They are going to provide abortions until a court order or some legal proceeding tells them they can’t do it,” she said. “But until then they can do it. They will do it.”

Georgia Recorder Deputy Editor Jill Nolin contributed to this report. 

North Wilkesboro Speedway revival

By
Tyler Penland
-

NASCAR fans across the country rejoiced earlier this week when it was announced the Cup Series would be returning to the famous North Wilkesboro Speedway.

Just a few months ago this track sat in ruins. Grass grew through the cracks, old garage stalls were nearly caving in and the property was covered in dust and weeds. That would change when Racetrack Revival was set up and announced that cars would once again grace the pavement. As a lifelong NASCAR, racing fan and general adventurer, I had to go see for myself.

The old Winston Cup Series logos still stand on the walls around the track and old signs throughout the facility take you back to another time some 25 years ago when NASCAR held its last event at the speedway.

The first event I made it up to was the modified racing. Bobby Labonte, Jimmy Blewett, and others held the first major event there since the track was permanently closed last in 2014. The stands were packed for this event as fans flocked to help get the speedway back up and running.

This first event and the Super Late Model event that followed a week and a half later would only be the stage setters for what was to come next: Dale Jr.

When Jr announced he would be coming to run a late model event for the CARS Tour I knew I had to go. This would be a once-in-a-lifetime kind of event with a packed house at a classic speedway. I packed my bag and made the trip to the track that Wednesday, stopping into a few NASCAR team shops on the way north of Charlotte.

I got to the track as early as I could, around 3:15, in an attempt to avoid the traffic. I was successful and managed to get a pit pass to get up close to the action. Dale Jr was driving the famous #3, this time with a Sundrop sponsorship throwing back to his own early career driving this car at short tracks around the NC/SC/VA area.

Once the car was driven to the starting area it quickly became surrounded by fans. I made sure to swoop in early for some photographs, but even I couldn’t get a clean shot of the car without fans in it.

Other cars, like those of eventual winner Carson Kvapil, saw less traffic around them.

Soon, Jr. himself would arrive, surrounded by a horde of fans and media. I was fortunate enough to sneak in for a quick photo and to get my 1998 crew shirt from his 1st Busch Series Championship signed.

I was lucky enough to be near the car as he and his wife/daughters posed for photographs and snapped a couple of my own.

After that, I headed to meet some friends in the absolutely packed stands and I wouldn’t leave (or even be able to easily leave) those seats for a couple of hours. 20,000+ people packed around this tiny racetrack to watch Dale Jr make his first late model start in 20 years, but more importantly to see this track really come back to life. Every time Jr made a pass the place went wild, and I had to join in on the excitement myself.

I was only 5 years old the last time they packed the house in 1996, and I certainly never thought I would see the day when that happened again or much less be fortunate enough to be there for it. Seeing this track fill up brought great joy to my heart. While I am still an avid NASCAR fan, it just isn’t quite what it was back when I was growing up. I certainly still enjoy it, but being able to step back in time to more what it used to be was incredible.

I hope to make it back next May when the Cup Series makes its return, but for now, it is certainly safe to say that Racetrack Revival accomplished exactly what it set out to do. North Wilkesboro Speedway is revived.

After slow start, Lady Indians finish off with four straight wins, named Copper Bracket Champions

By
TFS Athletics
-
Kitty Rodenas (Austin Poffenberger)

The Lady Indians didn’t get off to the best of starts at their Rocky Top tournament in Tennessee. Friday night produced a pair of losses, and Saturday didn’t start out well with two more losses, handing the team a season-high four-match losing skid.

The fortunes then reversed for #4-ranked TFS, who finished off with four consecutive wins. That resulted in claiming the Bronze Bracket Championship.

Friday’s losses came against Summertown (18-25, 10-25) and Seymour (26-28, 17-25), the former of which snapped Tallulah Fall’s school record of six straight victories. Saturday began with losses to Farragut (14-25, 17-25) and Paintsville (22-25, 22-25), putting the team in desperate need of a win.

TFS then racked up four in a row to halt the losing streak and start a new winning one. Perry County was the first victim, as TFS won 25-20 and 25-6 to claim the match. Then came a win over Bell County (25-17, 25-20), Clinton (28-26, 25-20), and finally Whitley (27-25, 26-24) in a thriller to claim the Bronze Champions title. Bell County was a #1-ranked team in KY in its district, while Whitley was a top-10 ranked team as well.

With statistics still not finalized for the eight matches, it remains to be verified, but senior Sarah Jennings could have eclipsed two school records. She entered the tournament just 61 kills shy of the school’s all-time record, as well as a mere six aces shy of the all-time school record. With the tournament ending, TFS is now 16-7 overall on the season, and play Highlands (NC) at home on Monday.

MATCH SCORES:

Friday
TFS L 0-2 vs Summertown (18-25, 10-25)
TFS L 0-2 vs Seymour (26-28, 17-25)
Saturday
TFS L 0-2 vs Farragut (14-25, 17-25)
TFS L 0-2 vs Paintsville (22-25, 22-25)
TFS W 2-0 vs Perry County (25-20, 25-6)
TFS W 2-0 vs #1 Bell County (25-17, 25-20)
TFS W 2-0 vs #7 Whitley County (27-25, 26-24)

Candlelight vigil commemorating 9/11 to be held Sunday in Cornelia

By
Staff Report
-
In this 2021 photo, Northeast Georgia veterans fire a salute to the lives lost in the 9/11 attacks. VFW Post 7720 will again commemorate the occasion with a candlelight vigil at the Habersham County Veterans Wall of Honor in Cornelia beginning at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 11, 2022. (Hadley Cottingham/Now Habersham)

Sunday will be a day of reflection and remembrance as Americans honor the memories of those lost in the worst terror attacks ever committed on U.S. soil.

On September 11, 2001, al-Qaeda terrorists killed 2,977 people and injured over 25,000 more in a series of coordinated attacks using hijacked commercial airliners. The Grant-Reeves VFW Post 7720 in Cornelia will commemorate the occasion with a candlelight vigil at the Habersham County Veterans Wall of Honor in Cornelia.

The VFW Honor Guard will conduct a ceremonial bell tolling, rifle volley, and taps. VFW Post 7720 Senior Vice Commander Jim Morgan will deliver brief remarks.

The vigil begins at 7 p.m. and is expected to last about an hour. The community is invited to attend.

The Habersham County Veterans Wall of Honor is located at 668 US 441 Business across from Ethicon in Cornelia.

Ben Sorrells Brooks, Jr.

By
Now Habersham
-

Ben Sorrells Brooks, Jr., 77 of Cornelia, Georgia went home to be with the Lord on September 9, 2022.

Mr. Brooks was born July 8, 1945, to the late Ben Sorrells Brooks Sr. and Frances Ginn Brooks. Ben served three years in the United States Navy as an Aircraft Mechanic. Mr. Brooks worked for the DeKalb County Police Dept. as a Police/Training Officer, where he met his wife Cecilia Huff Brooks. They married on October 23, 1982. He started Northeast Georgia Environmental Service, LLC. and later worked as a project manager for his cousin, Don Brooks, at Falling Waters Construction. After retiring he spent time with his family including watching grandchildren, helping his son start his own business and serving others at First Baptist Church of Cornelia and the Cornelia Soup Kitchen. In addition to his parents, he is preceded in death by his grandmother Mae “Macie” Newman Ginn.

Survivors include his wife Cecilia Huff Brooks, of Cornelia; son and daughter-in-law Jeremy Ben and Tracy Brooks, of Lavonia; son and daughter-in-law Cecil Walton and Ashley Brooks, of Clarkesville; daughter and son-in-law Eleanor Esta and John Edmonds, of Cornelia; son Anthony Brooks, of Conyers; grandchildren Natalie Saucedo, Katie Saucedo, Benjamin Brooks, Christine Brooks, John Edmonds, Jr., Christina Brooks; brother and sister-in-law Walt and Len Brooks of Lawrenceville as well as a host of nieces, nephews and cousins.

A Celebration of Life Visitation will be held on Saturday, September 24, 2022, in the Banquet Room at First Baptist Church of Cornelia, from 4:00 pm until 6:00 pm. The Grant Reeves Honor Guard will be presenting military honors at 4:00 pm.

Flowers will be accepted, but Mr. Brooks’ wishes were donations to be made to the Habersham County Wall of Honor Veterans, P.O. Box 298 Demorest, Ga 30535.

Services have been entrusted to Whitfield Funeral Homes & Crematory, South Chapel 1370 Industrial Blvd., Baldwin, Ga 30511. Telephone 706-778-7123

Arrest made in string of auto thefts, burglaries in Clarkesville

By
Joy Purcell
-

Clarkesville police have arrested a suspect in the recent rash of auto thefts and burglaries on the city’s south side. Police took Coty Hardman into custody Friday after executing search warrants at a home just outside city limits.

Clarkesville Police Chief Brad Barrett says law enforcement located Hardman at the residence by tracking a stolen phone he was using.

“The owner had the ‘Find My Phone’ app on it and we used GPS to locate it,” Barrett says. “He [Hardman] was using the phone to text about some of the criminal acitivy that had taken place.”

That criminal activity allegedly includes a burglary and two auto break-ins that happened Thursday night, September 8. Police say Hardman forced his way into the dental office of Dr. James Farmer and stole a laptop and muzzleloader rifle. He also allegedly stole tools and equipment from a work van at Aire Serv Heating and Air. Barrett says Hardman left behind some of those tools when he broke into another vehicle in the parking lot at the Clarkesville Post Office.

One thing that set Thursday’s crime spree apart was that the perpetrator forced their way into the dental office. In previous burglaries, there was no forced entry.

Thousands of dollars in stolen items

Since mid-August, five vehicles have been stolen, approximately nine vehicles have been broken into, and at least three businesses in Clarkesville have been burglarized. The crimes have been centered along a two-mile stretch between Ingles grocery on East Louise Street and Robertson Loop Road.

“I can’t link him [Hardman] to all of what we’ve had, but he’s definitely a suspect in them,” says Chief Barrett. He adds, the value of what’s been stolen over the past several weeks reaches “well into the thousands of dollars.”

Information obtained by police indicates Hardman may have tried to sell the stolen items to random individuals. Beyond that, Chief Barrett says, there’s no “rhyme or reason” to the crimes. “He left behind a lot of valuable articles.”

Continued caution

Police have had their eye on Hardman for a while based on evidence and tips they received from the public. New information in the case indicates he may have had an accomplice.

“It’s still under investigation, but we have reason to believe there may be another suspect,” Barrett says. It is that person who police now believe may be the man seen in surveillance images the police department publicly distributed back in August.

Surveillance images of a possible suspect in the recent rash of auto-thefts, break-ins and burglaries in Clarkesville. (photos from Clarkesville Police Dept.)

Police have charged Hardman with burglary, entering auto, and two counts of theft by taking. They expect to file more charges against him as the investigation develops.

While word of an arrest is welcome news, Barrett urges the public not to let down their guard.

“I would still urge the public to use extreme caution and continue to keep things locked. Even though we’re a small community and don’t have the crime rate of a big metropolitan city, crime still exists,” says Barrett. “It makes our job easier when the public uses a common sense approach of keeping valuables out of sight and keeping vehicles and doors locked.”

High number of rural Georgians call in to new 988 suicide prevention phone line

By
Jill Nolin
-
The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline – previously known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – is a national network of more than 200 crisis centers that helps thousands of people overcome crisis situations everyday. (image courtesy Dept. Health and Human Services)

(GA Recorder) — The mid-July launch of a new three-digit national suicide prevention phone line has driven an increase in call volume in Georgia, with a disproportionate number of callers dialing in from rural counties.

The number of rural Georgians reaching out for help is not too surprising, says Judy Fitzgerald, commissioner of the state Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities. Suicide rates in rural Georgia climbed during the pandemic even as overall rates declined, resulting in special efforts to promote 988 to the state’s agricultural communities.

“We already had a preview that something was happening there,” Fitzgerald said in an interview Thursday.

“The second thing, I think it’s a fair concept if stigma is high in a particular area – and we think in rural communities, it is higher; everybody knows everybody. So, if you’ve got a way to dial anonymously and not be known, maybe that’s a factor in rural settings,” she said.

Do you need help?
Call or text 988 or 1-800-715-4225 to reach someone at the Georgia Crisis and Access Line. You can also download the MyGCAL app.

Nearly two months after 988’s launch, it’s still too early to draw many conclusions from the early call data about what additional resources may be needed to ramp up state services to meet demand, Fitzgerald said. But that could come later this year ahead of the 2023 legislative session, which starts in January.

The state agency is projected to need an additional $283 million annually, as well as about $150 million for one-time construction costs for projects like additional and modernized crisis units around the state.

A spokesman for the governor’s office said Thursday it was also too early in the budgeting process to comment on whether 988-related funding might be included in Gov. Brian Kemp’s new spending proposals.

But Fitzgerald’s agency used the national program’s 45-day mark in late August to provide a public update Thursday on how the rollout is going so far and the trendlines that are starting to emerge.

“We do have early evidence that people we know need help who have been traditionally underserved are finding their way to support through this 988 (program),” Fitzgerald said during an hourlong public webinar.

“But I want to be clear, we are very early in the process here. It’s just the beginning of a long journey towards building capacity and walking alongside our fellow Georgians as we respond to the call for behavioral health crisis services,” she said.

Georgia has had its own crisis call center for 15 years and has seen its call volume rise since the pandemic. But 988 could as much as double the number of calls by next year, although the federal government has delayed plans to promote the program to give states more time to prepare.

About 38,000 calls, texts or chat messages were received in the first 45 days with nearly 28% of them from 988. Of the calls, 476 were from people whose state of distress was considered life-threatening, causing the call-takers to involve 911.

Of the calls that required a service for mental health and substance use crisis, the majority resulted in help being sent to the person or care being provided through a community service board or a hospital. About one-third of the calls were resolved over the phone.

About 10% of calls were either from people under the age 18 or someone calling on the behalf of a young person.

South Georgia accounted for a higher prevalence of crisis calls in the first month, with Webster County residents reaching out for help at twice the rate of those living in Fulton County. Dougherty, Baker, Lowndes and Early were other counties with high rates of crisis calls. Only two counties in Georgia – Echols and Quitman – registered no calls. About 10% of callers declined to provide their location.

There was also a higher rate of male callers.

“Some of that might be because men are less likely to reach out in typical outpatient services and may be more inclined to reach out to an anonymous hotline,” said Dawn Peel, director of DHBDD’s office of crisis coordination.

1...1,4201,4211,422...3,008Page 1,421 of 3,008