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Finding the perfect JOY

By
Lynn Walker Gendusa
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It was the beginning of December, and it was time to hang my old Christmas wreaths on my windows and front door. Once finished, I decided they looked just too tired and bland.  What could I do creatively to make these wreaths come alive?

I traveled to Hobby Lobby to look for ideas and found the perfect one! Three letters in glittering gold, JOY. I took my find home and hung the word from red and gold ribbon on my dull wreaths. The sun caught the glittering decoration, and, by gosh, those wreaths became downright “joyful!”  

Christmas is about God, family, friends, and laughter.  It is about children, imagination, and sugar cookies. Christmas is a time for giving to those we love and to those we may never meet. The joy of Christmas is discovered when it is shared with others.

Many years ago, while in high school, Tina was a seventeen-year-old girl who owned a beautiful coat that her friends admired. The extravagant jacket, made from camel hair and lamb’s wool, was a special gift from her usual frugal mother. The coat featured a delicate heather plaid pattern and a luxurious chocolate fur lining, making it unique and treasured by Tina. 

One day, Tina heard a story about a younger girl who attended the same school. Although Tina didn’t know the girl personally, the story touched her deeply. 

Fourteen-year-old Sara had lost her mother, leaving her responsible for caring for her alcoholic father and her younger brother. It was an understatement to say that Sara carried a heavy burden on her slender shoulders.

Sara was a pretty girl with long blonde hair and an angelic face. Although she was too young to hold a regular job, she earned money by babysitting and doing odd jobs around her neighborhood. She desperately needed a winter coat and, for months, she saved her dollars and spare change to buy the most modest, yet warm jacket she could afford.

As the winter winds picked up, Sara layered herself in sweaters to go to school. Finally, she thought excitedly, “This weekend, I will buy my coat, and pray I have enough money!”

Once Saturday arrived, she excitedly approached the old cabinet in the hallway to retrieve the money she had safely hidden in a tin can. When she opened the cabinet door, she was horrified to discover that the can was missing, along with every cent of her hard-earned cash. She searched the shelves desperately as hot tears filled her eyes, realizing the painful truth: her money had been stolen.

Sara knew that her dad had discovered her savings and knew how he had spent it. Unfortunately, her suspicions were confirmed. Around the corner, she found him slumped in the old chair in the living room, surrounded by empty liquor bottles scattered across the floor.

Upon hearing Sara’s story, Tina slid her beautiful, extravagant coat off her shoulders. The cold air stung her bare skin as she handed the coat to a friend who lived near Sara.  “Please put this in a beautiful box and place it on Sara’s porch on Christmas morning, without a note indicating where it came from,” she instructed her friend.

“Won’t your mother be upset about this?” her friend asked.

“Maybe for a little while, but I think she will understand,” Tina replied. “You see, while receiving the coat brought us happiness, giving it away will bring us joy.”

Sara never discovered who sent her the mysterious package wrapped in red flocked paper and topped with a giant white bow on Christmas morning. However, when she draped the coat over her shoulders, the warm fur enveloped her, filling her heart with happiness. 

When school resumed after the holidays, Tina was standing by her locker when she saw Sara walk through the door, wearing the luxurious coat and sporting a broad smile that lit up her angelic face. As Tina hung her new, inexpensive jacket in her locker, she couldn’t help but smile, realizing the true richness of Christmas joy.

My Christmas wreaths have been revitalized by the addition of gold glitter, which represents joy. For those of you who feel that Christmas is too commercialized, overwhelming, or simply too much trouble—and who can’t wait for the season to be over, I encourage you to seek out your own joy. Once you find it, share it with someone who needs it.  Your Christmas spirit will be renewed, just like my wreaths and the enthusiasm of two teenage girls from long ago.

Christmas is special because an angel appeared and proclaimed, “Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy!” What a wonderful message that is.

_____

Lynn Walker Gendusa

This story includes parts from the first essay I wrote in college. I made a promise to my professor that I would strive to get it published in the future. I dedicate this to the memory of Dr. Fred Freeman of LaGrange College in LaGrange, Georgia, who believed that one day my words would be shared. 

Merry Christmas to everyone! — Lynn

 

Avatar: Fire and Ash

By
Justin Hall
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No one can ever fault James Cameron for being an ambitious filmmaker when it comes to the Avatar films. Cameron pours his heart and soul into making these films a purely cinematic experience, and it shows in aces.

Avatar: Fire and Ash, the third installment of this epic sci-fi franchise, delivers sensational spectacle perhaps better than the previous two films. Nearly every scene has something that has a sense of wonder and awe that only could have been the brainchild of Cameron and his crew. Fire and Ash is visually resplendent if thematically repetitive, which is more or less what we should expect from an Avatar movie.

The movie picks up after The Way of Water in which Sam Worthington’s Na’Vi Jake Sully and Zoe Saldana’s Neytiri and their family are grieving the loss of their child Neteyam. Neytiri has a total contempt for humanity following the loss.

The family gets ambushed by a new clan of the Na’Vi known as the Mangkwan a.k.a. the Ash People led by the ruthless Varang (Oona Chaplin). Varang and the other Ash People are far different from the peace-loving tribes of the previous film, who have a desire to disintegrate anyone who crosses their path.

Stephen Lang’s Quaritich returns, still trying to find his son Spider (Jack Champion), and his character goes through one transition after another. First, he’s still Sully’s enemy. Then, he’s forced to help them search for Sully’s family as well as Spider. Then he may have a desire to team with the Ash People. His role provides a sense of moral ambiguity, but he still has a lot of the characteristics from the earlier films.

Spider is perhaps the dominant character who undergoes an arc as he becomes the first human who is able to breathe the air on Pandora without the aid of a mask. Spider proves willing to be in the thick of the action, but he’s in jeopardy most of the time. He gets as much screen time as Worthington and Saldana. Sigourney Weaver returns as Kira, Jake and Neytiri’s daughter, who also has an arc trying to save Spider from certain doom.

From the moment I saw the first film, I was impressed by James Cameron’s vision, so I had no hesitation settling in for the spectacle he promised. Once again, Cameron doesn’t just raise the bar for visual effects—he pushes it several levels higher. His creativity in building the world of Pandora is unmatched. The visuals aren’t there simply to dazzle; they serve a deeper purpose, transforming Pandora into a fully realized environment that feels authentic, immersive, and richly detailed. Every frame looks crisp and alive, making the world not just something we see, but something we believe in.

As for the rest of the film, I’m pretty sure I won’t be alone in the sense that, from a storytelling perspective, Cameron seems to be stuck on repeat as he seems much more content with revisiting the themes from the first two movies instead of giving us completely new material.

Cameron can’t seem to resist giving us themes of environmental issues as well as mumbo jumbo spirituality that hit on the nose way too much and way too often. The film is 197 minutes long, and sometimes the themes are asking a lot to digest.

Still, one thing is for sure: Cameron’s vision is one that is virtually unparalleled in the world of cinema, and at a time when very few filmmakers are allowed to embrace and execute their visions with the amount of cost, length, and spectacle that Cameron gets.

Fire and Ash is a step or two down from the previous films in terms of its narrative structure, but if you can get past that, it’s an absorbing, immersive experience that only a virtuoso like Cameron can deliver. On that level, he knows exactly what he’s doing.

Grade: A-

(Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, bloody images, some strong language, thematic elements and suggestive material.)

Reviewer’s Note: I saw this movie at the World’s Tallest IMAX at Royal Cinemas and IMAX in Pooler.

‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ launches with $88M domestically, $345M worldwide

By
Jake Coyle
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James Cameron, right, director and co-writer of "Avatar: Fire and Ash," poses with his wife Suzy Amis Cameron at the premiere of the film on Monday, Dec. 1, 2025, at Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

NEW YORK (AP) — “Avatar: Fire and Ash” opened with $345 million in worldwide sales, according to studio estimates Sunday, notching the second-best global debut of the year and potentially putting James Cameron on course to set yet more blockbuster records.

Sixteen years into the “Avatar” saga, Pandora is still abundant in box-office riches. “Fire and Ash,” the third film in Cameron’s science-fiction franchise, launched with $88 million domestically and $257 million internationally. The only film to open bigger in 2025 was “Zootopia 2” ($497.2 million over three days). In the coming weeks, “Fire and Ash” will have the significant benefit of the highly lucrative holiday moviegoing corridor.

But there was a tad less fanfare to this “Avatar” film, coming three years after “Avatar: The Way of Water.” That film launched in 2022 with a massive $435 million globally and $134 million in North America. Domestically, “Fire and Ash” fell a hefty 35% from the previous installment. Reviews for “Fire and Ash” were also more mixed, scoring a series-low 68% “fresh” score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Yet those quibbles are only a product of the lofty standards of “Avatar.” The first two films rank as two of the three biggest box-office films of all time. To reach those heights, the “Avatar” films have depended on legs more than huge openings.

“Avatar” (2009), opened with $77 million domestically but held the top spot for seven weeks. It ultimately grossed $2.92 billion worldwide. “The Way of Water” also held strong to eventually tally $2.3 billion globally.

“The openings are not what the ‘Avatar’ movies are about,” said David A. Gross, a film consultant who publishes a newsletter on box office numbers. “It’s what they do after they open that made them the no. 2 and no. 3 biggest films of all time.”

For “Fire and Ash” to follow in those footsteps, it will need robust ticket sales to continue for weeks. Working in its favor so far: strong word-of-mouth. Audiences gave it an “A” CinemaScore.

In interviews, Cameron has repeatedly said “Fire and Ash” needs to perform well for there to be subsequent “Avatar” films. (Four and five are already written but not greenlit.) These are exceptionally expensive movies to make. With a production budget of at least $400 million, “Fire and Ash” is one of the costliest movies ever made.

“James Cameron is not known for his low budget movies,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore. “You can’t exactly create the world of Pandora on the cheap. If you’re going to have a 3D movie, an epic film that’s three hours and 17 minutes, it’s a huge buy-in of money, time, resources, and then you have to hope the audience wants to once again go along on that ride.”

“Fire and Ash” was especially boosted by premium format showings, which accounted for 66% of its opening weekend. A narrow majority of moviegoers (56%) chose to watch it in 3D.

The “Avatar” films have always been especially popular overseas. “Fire and Ash” was strongest in China, where its $57.6 million opening weekend surpassed the two previous movies.

‘David’ overperforms and ‘Marty Supreme’ sets a record

“Fire and Ash” didn’t have the weekend entirely to itself. A trio of other new wide releases made it into theaters in hopes of offering some counterprogramming: Lionsgate’s “The Housemaid,” Angel Studios’ “David” and Paramount Pictures’ “The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants.”

In the race for second place, “David” came out on top. The animated tale of David and Goliath collected $22 million from 3,118 theaters, notching the best opening weekend for Angel Studios, the Christian-oriented studio that emerged with 2023’s surprise hit “Sound of Freedom.”

“The Housemaid,” Paul Feig’s twisty psychological thriller starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried, opened with $19 million 3,015 theaters. The Lionsgate release, which cost about $35 million to make, is set up well to be one of the top R-rated options in theaters over the holidays. Based on Freida McFadden’s bestselling novel, it stars Sweeney as a woman with a troubled past who becomes a live-in maid for a wealthy family.

Trailing the pack was “The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants,” which collected $16 million from 3,557 theaters. The G-rated film, based on the Nickelodeon TV series, is the first “SpongeBob” theatrical movie since 2015’s “The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water.”

All of this weekend’s new films will hope the ticket sales keep rolling in over the upcoming Christmas break. Starting Dec. 25, they’ll need to contend with some new wide releases, including A24’s “Marty Supreme,” with Timothée Chalamet; Focus Features’ “Song Sung Blue,” with Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson; and Sony’s “Anaconda,” with Jack Black and Paul Rudd.

Before expanding on Christmas, “Marty Supreme” opened in six theaters over the weekend, grossing $875,000 or $145,000 per theater. That was good enough for not only the best per-theater average of the year, but the best since 2016 and a new high mark for A24. The film, directed by Josh Safdie and starring Chalamet as an aspiring table tennis player in 1950s New York, is the most expensive ever for A24.

Top 10 movies by domestic box office

With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore:

1. “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” $88 million.

2. “David,” $22 million.

3. “The Housemaid,” $19 million.

4. “The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants,” $16 million.

5. “Zootopia 2,” $14.5 million.

6. “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2,” $7.3 million.

7. “Wicked: For Good,” $4.3 million.

8. “Dhurandhar,” $2.5 million.

9. “Marty Supreme,” $875,000.

10. “Hamnet,” $850,000.

Northeast Georgia Christmas Forecast

By
Tyler Penland
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If you’re dreaming of a white Christmas, you’d best break out the suntan lotion because that is as close as we will get this year.

Christmas Eve is expected to feature some clouds as a weak upper level system slides just to our north. No rain is expected, and skies will clear late Christmas Eve. Highs on Wednesday will soar into the mid/upper-60s in the mountains and low-70s for the warmer spots. Some record highs will likely be broken.

Santa will have nothing but clear skies to contend with as he makes his way through the area overnight. On top of that, he’ll have to shed the coat or he might get pretty warm. Lows will only bottom out around 50º, much warmer than he is used to at the North Pole.

Christmas Day will feel more like spring than winter. Highs will reach 70º in spots with most of the region topping out between 67º and 73º.

It won’t just be warm here locally, a large ridge will bring well above average temperatures even into the midwest. Highs on Christmas Day will be above freezing for nearly the entire country, although the northern third will remain quite chilly.

 

WWII Navy veteran Ira ‘Ike’ Schab, one of last remaining Pearl Harbor survivors, dies at 105

By
Associated Press
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FILE - An attendee asks Pearl Harbor survivor Ira "Ike" Schab, 103, to sign an U.S. flag during the 82nd Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day ceremony on Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023, at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Mengshin Lin, File)

World War II Navy veteran Ira “Ike” Schab, one of the dwindling number of survivors of the 1941 Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, has died. He was 105.

Daughter Kimberlee Heinrichs told The Associated Press that Schab died at home early Saturday in the presence of her and her husband.

With his passing, there remain only about a dozen survivors of the surprise attack, which killed just over 2,400 troops and propelled the United States into the war.

Schab was a sailor of just 21 at the time of the attack, and for decades he rarely spoke about the experience.

But in recent years, aware that the corps of survivors was dwindling, the centenarian made a point of traveling from his home in Beaverton, Oregon, to the annual observance at the Hawaii military base.

“To pay honor to the guys that didn’t make it,” he said in 2023.

For last year’s commemoration, Schab spent weeks building up the strength to be able to stand and salute.

But this year he did not feel well enough to attend, and less than three weeks later, he passed away.

Born on Independence Day in 1920 in Chicago, Schab was the eldest of three brothers.

He joined the Navy at 18, following in the footsteps of his father, he said in a February interview for Pacific Historic Parks.

On what began as a peaceful Sunday, Dec. 7, 1941, Schab, who played the tuba in the USS Dobbin’s band, was expecting a visit from his brother, a fellow service member assigned to a nearby naval radio station. Schab had just showered and donned a clean uniform when he heard a call for fire rescue.

He went topside and saw another ship, the USS Utah, capsizing. Japanese planes roared through the air.

“We were pretty startled. Startled and scared to death,” Schab recalled in 2023. “We didn’t know what to expect, and we knew that if anything happened to us, that would be it.”

He scurried back below deck to grab boxes of ammunition and joined a daisy chain of sailors feeding shells to an anti-aircraft gun above.

His ship lost three sailors, according to Navy records. One was killed in action, and two died later of fragment wounds from a bomb that struck the stern. All had been manning an anti-aircraft gun.

Schab spent most of the war with the Navy in the Pacific, going to the New Hebrides, now known as Vanuatu, and then the Mariana Islands and Okinawa, Japan.

After the war he studied aerospace engineering and worked on the Apollo spaceflight program as an electrical engineer for General Dynamics, helping send astronauts to the moon.

Schab’s son also joined the Navy and is a retired commander.

Speaking at a 2022 ceremony, Schab asked people to honor those who served at Pearl Harbor.

“Remember what they’re here for. Remember and honor those that are left. They did a hell of a job,” he said. “Those who are still here, dead or alive.”

By Jennifer Peltz and Jaimie Ding

Chambliss and No. 6 Ole Miss ace their test without Kiffin and beat No. 17 Tulane 41-10 in the CFP

By
Associated Press
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Mississippi quarterback Trinidad Chambliss (6) scores a touchdown against Tulane during the first round of the NCAA College Football Playoff, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, in Oxford, Miss. (AP Photo/James Pugh)

OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — Trinidad Chambliss ran for two touchdowns and passed for another, and No. 6 Mississippi looked unfazed by the defection of coach Lane Kiffin, beating No. 17 Tulane 41-10 on Saturday in the first round of the College Football Playoff.

Scoring runs of 20 yards by Kewan Lacy and 4 yards by Chambliss gave Ole Miss (12-1) a 14-0 lead before eight minutes had elapsed in the coaching debut of Pete Golding, who was promoted from defensive coordinator after Kiffin left for LSU on Nov. 30.

Next up for Golding and Ole Miss: a CFP quarterfinal against No. 2 Georgia in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1

Tulane (11-3) and quarterback Jake Retzlaff moved the ball effectively at times, but the Rebels — who beat the Green Wave 45-10 on Sept. 20 — remained comfortably ahead throughout. Cornerback Jaylon Braxton had an early interception, and the Rebels’ defense had multiple fumble recoveries and fourth-down stops.

While Kiffin had asked to keep coaching Ole Miss through the playoff even while working for its Southeastern Conference rival, athletic director Keith Carter would not allow it. So the Rebels entered arguably the most significant game ever played at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium with a new coach — not to mention an unprecedented level of looming staff and roster uncertainty for a team contending for a national title.

In Mississippi’s famed Grove, artwork around tailgate tents depicted Kiffin in a negative light, including one showing him on a Christmas “naughty” list, with Golding in the “nice” column.

When Golding walked onto the field during warm-ups, the crowd roared. Fans continued cheering as Eli Manning, a former Ole Miss QB and two-time Super Bowl winner with the New York Giants, greeted the new Rebels coach on the sideline.

On the opposite sideline was Tulane coach Jon Sumrall, who was permitted to keep coaching the Green Wave after being hired by Florida. His hopes of returning to Tulane’s home city of New Orleans to prepare for the Sugar Bowl were dashed, and he’ll be packing up for Gainesville, Florida, to join the Gators.

Chambliss, who briefly left the game late in the first half after a big hit during an 11-yard scramble, finished with 282 yards passing. Lacy rushed for 87 yards before heading to the locker room in the fourth quarter with an apparent left shoulder injury. De’Zhaun Stribling caught five passes for 79 yards, including a 13-yard TD.

LSU transfer Logan Diggs added a 3-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

Retzlaff finished with 306 yards passing and a TD for Tulane, whose loss dropped non-power conference teams to 0-3 in CFP games (with James Madison playing at Oregon later Saturday night). Jamauri McClure gained 84 yards on 15 carries.

The takeaway

Tulane: The Green Wave could not afford a poor start on defense and got exactly that as the Rebels scored two TDs on their first seven offensive plays. As in the teams’ first meeting, Tulane moved the ball in spurts, finishing with 421 yards, but could sustain drives long enough to score.

Ole Miss: Kiffin’s absence didn’t inhibit the Rebels’ explosiveness on offense — at least not against a team from a non-power conference. The Rebels finished 497 yards of total offense, including four plays that went for 25 yards or more.

By Brett Martel

Legendary broadcaster Chuck Leonard dies

By
Robbie Watson
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Chuck Leonard funeral set/NowGeorgia.com

Legendary broadcaster Chuck Leonard has died his wife Carole Mashburn announced on social media last night. “Just 6 short years ago, Chuck delivered his last newscast. Tonight, just hours ago, he delivered his final farewell. We are heartbroken but rejoicing that he’s going to have the best Christmas ever.” Mashburn wrote.

Chuck Leonard whose real name is Charles Mashburn should have never made it out of his teens according to his wife who recounted how Chuck lost his leg in a farming accident in rural Alabama. He went on to begin a career in broadcasting doing radio in Enterprise, Alabama. He started working for WTVM in Columbus in 1981.

Generations of viewers grew up waking up with Chuck Leonard as the morning anchor for the local ABC affiliate. Leonard spent nearly four decades at the station beginning with a noontime show “Good Day”.  He also hosted a high school quiz program “Head to Head”. The city proclaimed December 20, 2019, as Chuck Leonard Day. That’s the day he retired after 38 years on air at WTVM.

Leonard was taken last week by ambulance from Columbus to Emory Hospital to await a liver transplant. “Today we learned that Chuck is not a candidate for a liver transplant. Due to his kidney failure, diabetes, and heart disease, he is much too sick,” Carole Mashburn wrote on Facebook. He was then transferred to the Columbus Hospice house where he died.

A memorial service will take place in January. His wife requested continued prayers for their two children. “Please continue to pray for Ann E and Michael as we navigate these holidays.” Mashburn wrote.

Hall County students to benefit from $2.2 million UGA medical scholarship

By
Staff Report
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Hall County natives and philanthropists, Doug and Kay Ivester (Photo by Terry College of Business)

A major gift is opening the door for future doctors from Hall County.

The Melvin Douglas and Victoria Kay Ivester Foundation has pledged $1.1 million to create the M. Douglas Ivester Scholar at the University of Georgia School of Medicine — the first seven-figure donation under the university’s new scholarship initiative. With matching funds from the UGA Foundation, the commitment grows to $2.2 million, making it the largest scholarship gift in the medical school’s history.

Beginning with the inaugural class, the scholarship will be awarded each year to students from the Ivesters’ hometown of Hall County, helping local students pursue careers in medicine without leaving their roots behind.

“Two of Mr. and Mrs. Ivesters’ great passions, Hall County and the University of Georgia, collided together, creating the opportunity to support UGA’s School of Medicine,” said Lynn Darby, president of the Ivester Foundation. “It seemed like a natural fit for our foundation, and one which we hope provides great paths for those Hall County students who want to become doctors.”

University leaders say the impact will be felt for generations.

“We are deeply appreciative of the Ivester Foundation for their remarkable gift,” said Shelley Nuss, founding dean of the School of Medicine. “Their generosity will impact and empower countless students as they begin their medical education.”

Giving back to their beloved Hall County

The new scholarship builds on the Ivesters’ long record of investing in local students. The family previously contributed more than $1 million to establish 10 Georgia Commitment Scholarships through the Howard E. Ivester Scholarship Fund, providing need-based aid for Hall County students attending UGA.

Their support reaches beyond Athens. The family has funded study-abroad opportunities through the Deer Run Global Fellows program, supported local elementary and high schools, helped construct the Howard E. Ivester Early College, and contributed scholarships at Lanier Technical College.

Mobile home damaged by fire; family cat rescued and treated

By
Joy Purcell
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A firefighter sprays down a burning mobile home on Cabin Creek Drive north of Cleveland, GA, on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (White County Public Safety Department)

HELEN, Ga. — Firefighters rescued a family pet from a burning mobile home Saturday morning in White County. Multiple agencies responded to the scene on Cabin Creek Drive off Helen Highway around 11:30 a.m. after a neighbor called 911.

Crews arrived to find nearly half of the structure in flames. The neighbor told authorities they did not believe anyone was home at the time of the blaze. Firefighters forced entry into the residence to check and found the family’s cat, Neville, according to a county spokesperson.

White County EMS treated the cat at the scene for smoke inhalation. Family members later transported Neville to a local emergency veterinary clinic for further evaluation.

After extinguishing the fire, fire crews remained on scene for several hours putting out hot spots to prevent the fire from re-igniting.

Besides the cat, no other injuries were reported.

The Georgia State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause of the fire.

GSP releases name of man killed in ATV crash near Hartwell

By
Joy Purcell
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HART COUNTY, Ga. — What began as a missing person report early Friday morning turned into a fatal ATV crash investigation in Hart County, according to authorities.

The Georgia State Patrol identified the driver Saturday as 33-year-old Ryan Gregory Large, a Hart County resident.

Deputies with the Hart County Sheriff’s Office were first called just after midnight Friday, Dec. 19, to Jud Cole Road after family members reported that Large had left the residence several hours earlier on a four-wheeler and had not returned. While searching for him, deputies located an overturned ATV on Bailey’s Garage Road behind Flat Shoals Church, west of Hartwell. They found Large’s body on the ground beside the vehicle.

Driver thrown from 4-wheeler

State troopers responded to the scene at approximately 1:26 a.m. on Dec. 19 to assist with the crash investigation. According to their preliminary findings, Large was driving a 2000 Honda FourTrax east on Bailey’s Garage Road when he lost control. The ATV left the north shoulder of the roadway and overturned multiple times.

Large was ejected from the vehicle. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family during this difficult time,” said Hart County Sheriff Chris Carroll.

Willene Roberts Edwards Beck

By
Now Habersham
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Willene Roberts Edwards Beck, 88, of Demorest, passed away on Friday, December 19, 2025.

Born in White County on May 29, 1937, to Joe and Lecy (Eller) Roberts, Willene grew up in the Lynch Mountain area of the Sautee Valley. After marrying Corbett Edwards, she moved to Habersham County. After Edwards’ passing, she moved to Dawsonville and later married Tom Beck.

Willene was preceded in death by her parents, both husbands, and her siblings: Dorothy Cantrell, Martha Cantrell, Lurlene “Cricket” Dixon, Euna Bell Hubbard, Ethylene Oswalt, Terrell Roberts, Harold “Happy” Roberts, Carl Roberts, Jack Roberts, William Roberts and Nettie Roberts. She was also preceded in death by her son-in-law, Edwin Brock, and great-granddaughters Summer Anderson and Michaela Gailey.

She was an avid gardener, often sharing the harvests from her flower and vegetable gardens. She loved to feed her family and was known for her big country breakfasts with homemade preserves and biscuits.

Willene is survived by her children: Patricia Edwards, Demorest; Lynn Bruce (Clayton), Dawsonville; Austin Edwards (Regina Mendez), Gainesville; and Steven Edwards (Rhonda), Sale City; siblings: Cynthia Justice (George), Dahlonega; Claude Roberts (Patsy), Demorest; grandchildren: Nicole Dover (Steve), Jonathan Brock (Mandy), Heather Brock, Kim Bruce (Buford Seay), Amanda Kendall (Robert), Brian Edwards (Bianca), Becky Solis, Debbie Dorsey, Tanya Dorsey, Matt McCutcheon (Erika), Amanda Bales (Cory), Trina Green, April Thomas (Christopher), Selina Hayes, Christopher Childers (Liz), Cody Sites, and Cheyenne Sites. Special friend Shirley Eller; 43 great-grandchildren, 8 great-great-grandchildren and a number of nieces and nephews.

The family wishes to thank the staff of The Oaks at Baldwin for their service and care.

Funeral Services will be held at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, December 23, 2025, from the Chapel of McGahee-Griffin and McEntire with the Reverend Bill Trotter officiating, grand-daughters Kim Bruce and Nicole Dover speaking.

Interment will follow in the Amy’s Creek Baptist Church Cemetery.

The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Tuesday from 1:00 p.m. until the service hour.

An online guest registry is available for the Beck family at www.mcgaheegriffinandmcentire.com

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

Stephen “Steve” Dellinger

By
Now Habersham
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Stephen “Steve” Dellinger, age 75, of Mt. Airy, Georgia, went Home on Wednesday, December 17, 2025.

Steve was born on August 19, 1950, in Knoxville, Tennessee, to the late Robert Blair Dellinger and Frances Elvira Ledford Dellinger. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sister, Jana “Jan” Louise Dellinger Richardson, and niece, Crystal Lee Richardson Smith.

Steve was a deeply religious man whose life was firmly rooted in his love for God and his Savior. He was a devoted member of the Lutheran Church, and his faith guided him in both his personal life and his interactions with others. A master carpenter by trade, Steve was entirely self-taught yet extraordinarily skilled. He took great pride in his work as a homebuilder, a career he devoted many years to, creating homes that stood as lasting testaments to his talent, dedication, and attention to detail. Steve served his country in the United States Army and was stationed in Germany during the Korean Conflict. One of Steve’s greatest personal achievements that was a source of deep pride, was his sobriety. He had been sober since 1993, a journey he embraced with determination and humility, often serving as an example of strength and perseverance to others. Steve was known for his clean-cut appearance and unmistakable style. He was rarely seen without his crisp, freshly starched white shirt and well-worn boots. He was also an avid fan of Bill Elliott, following racing with enthusiasm and loyalty. Though Steve could be ornery at times, he was deeply loved by those who knew him best. Beneath that tough exterior was a generous, gracious man with a kind heart, always willing to help others in quiet but meaningful ways.

Survivors include his son, Robert Edward “Eddie” Dellinger, of Toccoa; sister and brother-in-law, Amanda Blair Thomas and Josh Thomas, of Cornelia; sister, Carla Elaine Thomas Wilbur, of Baxter, TN; grandchildren, Jessica “Buster” Lyn Charles, of Clarkesville; Michael Anthony Charles, of Clarkesville; Katie “Koo” Charles, of Mt. Airy; great-granddaughter, Lillian “Lily” “Peanut” Jean Grace White; nieces and nephews, Kendall, John, Connor, Luke, Sarah, Scarlett, Sophie, Kallie, and Aiden.

The family wishes to acknowledge his loving granddaughter, Koo, who was his loyal caregiver for the last five years of his life.

Steve’s wishes were to be cremated with no formal services held.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the Whitfield Funeral Homes & Crematory, North Chapel at 245 Central Avenue, Demorest, Georgia 30535. Telephone: 706-778-1700.

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