Back Columbus Blue serves up 10th annual holiday luncheon

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December 5, 2025

Back Columbus Blue served up its 10th annual Christmas Appreciation meal to hundreds of first responders in Columbus. Co-founder of Back Columbus Blue Jed Harris said the luncheon is “to show appreciation and offer encouragement.” Assistant Police Chief Joyce Dent-Fitzpatrick told Now Network News “this is our first real Christmas party within the community, and it means that they are actually taking care of us today. That means a lot to us. We get served today,” she said.

The annual tradition started ten years ago with two friends at lunch. “The way this began, our friend Paul Voorhees we were sitting across from each other and I remember it was the summer of 2015 and there was a lot of unrest across the country concerning citizens and law enforcement and he looked at me and he said to me Jed, let’s see if we can do something to show appreciation for our Columbus Police Department. It started there,” Jed Harris recounted.

Ten years later others are asking how to create similar support for first responders in their communities. “We’ve had people not only from neighboring counties but from other states reach out and say can you advise us how to do that,” Harris said.

Back Columbus Blue also hosts an annual golf tournament, and they’ve raised enough proceeds to start awarding college scholarships this year to local law enforcement personnel and their families. Today’s luncheon at St. Luke’s Ministry Center was aimed at serving as many first responders as possible. About 450 meals were served.

Piedmont University to host 37th annual Lessons and Carols this weekend

By

Patrick Fargason

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December 5, 2025

DEMOREST, Ga. – Piedmont University will welcome the holiday season with its 37th annual Lessons and Carols, a long-standing community tradition set for Dec. 5-6 at the Piedmont University Chapel.

The cherished event, known across the region for its blend of scripture readings, choral works, and congregational carols begins at 7:30 p.m. each evening. Tickets are available online and at the door; advanced purchase is encouraged by clicking the link, here.

Directed by Bobby Ivey, Piedmont’s assistant professor and director of choirs, this year’s program will feature the Piedmont Chorale, the Sewell Organ, and the Cherokee Bluff High School Chorus under the direction of choral director Jenna Coon.

University officials said Lessons and Carols has become one of Piedmont’s most beloved traditions; a moment each year when students, faculty, and residents gather to celebrate the season through music.

Highlights of the 2025 program include See Amid the Winter’s Snow by Dan Forrest and Gloria Fanfare by Jeffery Ames. Attendees will also be invited to join in singing familiar carols accompanied by the organ and bras quintet. The evening concludes with the candlelit singing of Silent Night, a signature moment that organizers describe as especially memorable.

Tickets cost $10 for adults and $5 for seniors and children. Proceeds support Piedmont’s music students and help sustain the university’s annual community performances.

Hart County Sheriff warns residents of jury-duty phone scam

By

Patrick Fargason

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December 5, 2025

HARTWELL, Ga. – The Hart County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents about a phone scam in which callers impersonate law enforcement and demand money from victims.

Sheriff Chris Carroll said the agency received multiple reports Tuesday from citizens who were contacted by someone falsely claiming to be with the sheriff’s office. The caller told victims they had missed jury duty and now had a warrant for their arrest. The scammer then instructed them to come to the sheriff’s office, but also warned they would be arrested upon arrival.

From there, Carroll said, the caller attempted to pressure victims into paying money over the phone to “resolve” the warrant, requesting payment through Bitcoin or other electronic methods.

“This is a scam,” the sheriff’s office said in its alert, emphasizing that law enforcement will never call demanding payment. The agency also stressed that it does not accept Bitcoin or any electronic payment for warrants, fines, or jury-duty issues.

Residents who receive such a call are urged not to send money or provide personal information. Instead, officials advise hanging up and contacting the Hart County Sheriff’s Office directly at (706) 376-3114 to verify the claim.

Carroll asked the community to share the warning so others do not become victims.

CDC vaccine committee overturns decades-old hepatitis B recommendation for newborns

By

Maya Homan

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December 5, 2025

CDC Immunization — Members of a key CDC advisory committee, known as the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, met in Atlanta on Dec. 4. (Maya Homan/Georgia Recorder)

ATLANTA, Ga. (Georgia Recorder) — A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention committee voted to eliminate a recommendation that all newborn babies receive a vaccine against hepatitis B, ending a policy that has been in place since 1991 to protect Americans against an incurable liver disease that can lead to cirrhosis, cancer and liver failure.

The current three-dose series for hepatitis B includes one vaccine administered to infants within 24 hours of birth, and subsequent booster shots given one month and six months after the initial dose. There was a 99% drop in serious infections among children between 1990 and 2019, which is attributed to the universal vaccination policy.

The agency will leave in place a recommendation that babies born to mothers who test positive for hepatitis B receive a vaccine at birth. However, the new guidelines leave the decision in all other cases to “individual-based decision-making.” They also suggest that parents delay the first dose of the vaccine for at least two months after birth.

Friday’s decision comes after an 8-3 vote from a key CDC advisory committee, known as the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which is charged with setting national guidelines around which people should be vaccinated against a wide range of preventable diseases and when those vaccines should be administered. The recommendations play a key role in determining which vaccines insurance companies are willing to cover and how accessible those immunizations are to the public.

Retsef Levi, an ACIP member and professor of operations management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, called the updated recommendation a “very positive change in policy.” arguing that blanket vaccine recommendations force newborns to serve as “a safety net for adults’ mistakes.”

But Dr. Cody Meissner, another member of the committee who also serves as a professor of pediatrics and medicine at Dartmouth College, argued that there was no scientific evidence to support the changes implemented by the panel.

“Thoughtful inquiry is always commendable,” he told the committee. “But that inquiry should not be confused with baseless skepticism, which is what I think we’re encountering here.”

The updated recommendation for the hepatitis B vaccine mirrors COVID-19 vaccine guidelines passed by the same panel in September, which places new emphasis on the risks of immunizations, though the CDC’s own data shows that the vaccines are safe and effective for most people. As with the new COVID-19 vaccine recommendations, the updated hepatitis B guidelines will not take effect until being officially signed off by the CDC director.

A second vote, which passed 6-4, encourages parents to discuss using serology testing, a type of blood test that measures antibodies to gauge how well a patient’s immune system has responded to a disease, before allowing their children to receive additional doses of the hepatitis B vaccine.

The changed recommendations will not prevent doctors from administering hepatitis B vaccines to newborns, but may impact which insurance companies are willing to pay for the immunizations. Children enrolled in Medicaid or the Vaccines for Children program, which provides free immunizations to children who are uninsured or underinsured, will continue to be eligible for hepatitis B vaccines at birth under the new recommendations, according to program liaisons.

Health subsidies would continue for 3 years under Dem bill to be voted on in US Senate

By

Jennifer Shutt

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December 5, 2025

U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., speak with reporters during a press conference in the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025. (Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)

WASHINGTON (States Newsroom) — U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer announced Thursday the chamber will vote next week to extend enhanced tax credits for three years for people who purchase their health insurance from the Affordable Care Act marketplace, though the plan seems unlikely to get the bipartisan support needed to advance.

While it would typically be difficult for the minority leader to schedule a floor vote, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., agreed that Democrats could bring up a health care bill of their choosing in exchange for voting to end the government shutdown.

Schumer told reporters in recent days to “stay tuned” for details about the legislation while maintaining all Senate Democrats were united around the proposal. The three-year plan he previewed during his floor speech appears identical to one House Democratic leaders have been pressing for in that chamber.

“Any Republican who claims to care about premium increases on January 1 has only one realistic path, and that’s to support our bill for a simple, clean, three-year extension,” Schumer said. “If Republicans block our bill, there’s no going back. We won’t get another chance to halt these premium spikes before they kick in at the start of the new year.”

The vote will take place next Thursday, Schumer said.

Clock ticking on solution

Health care costs have surged to the forefront of the national conversation in recent months, with both Democrats and Republicans in Congress pledging to find solutions. Both agree much more time is needed to make larger, structural changes.

The Senate committee in charge of health care policy held a hearing Wednesday where senators began to coalesce around extending the enhanced tax credits beyond the end-of-December sunset date. But a bipartisan bill has not yet been introduced in that chamber on that subject.

Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Chairman Bill Cassidy, R-La., said just after the hearing wrapped up there will likely be a GOP bill, or even a bipartisan one, to counter Schumer’s bill.

“Yeah, absolutely,” Cassidy said. “I’d like to have a plan that both sides can vote for. But there will be a Republican plan if I have anything to do with it.”

Congress has an especially brief time frame to find a short-term resolution on the expiring tax credits, which would lead the cost of ACA marketplace plans to rise by hundreds or thousands of dollars.

Open enrollment for ACA marketplace plans ends at different times throughout the country, with some states finishing on Dec. 15. Residents of other states are able to sign up through varying dates in January, but with their coverage starting later in the year. Lawmakers are set to leave Capitol Hill on Dec. 19 for their winter holiday break.

A poll released Thursday by the nonpartisan health organization KFF showed nearly 60% of ACA marketplace enrollees could not cover the costs of a $300 annual increase in their premiums, while an additional 20% said they couldn’t afford a $1,000 jump in prices per year.

Gottheimer, Kiggans unveil House bipartisan bill

At the same time Schumer was speaking on the Senate floor, a bipartisan group of House lawmakers, led by New Jersey Democratic Rep. Josh Gottheimer and Virginia Republican Rep. Jen Kiggans, introduced a bill they said could address some of the short-term issues facing ACA enrollees.

“Although we may have different opinions over the long-term solutions for reforming marketplace health care or if there are even better and cheaper options for publicly available health insurance, we agree on the many aspects of the short-term solutions,” Kiggans said.

The legislation — which needs to pass a floor vote, make it through the Senate and garner President Donald Trump’s signature — would extend the enhanced ACA marketplace tax credits with new income caps, “guardrails for waste, fraud and abuse” and an overhaul of the pharmacy benefit manager, or PBM, system, Kiggans said.

The bipartisan group of representatives would then move on to the second part of their plan, not included in the bill, where they would try to make more structural changes to the entire country’s health care system.

Those bills, Kiggans said, would address hospital billing transparency, implement Health Savings Accounts and advance the Give Kids a Chance Act “to accelerate pediatric cancer treatments and expand access to life-saving therapies for children battling rare diseases.”

Gottheimer said the group wants House leaders to put their bill up for a vote before members leave town for the two-week, end-of-year break.

“In the last month, families have seen their health insurance premiums surge as they’ve shopped for insurance during open enrollment because enhanced premium tax credits are set to expire, as we all know, at the end of the year,” Gottheimer said. “In fact, because of this, for millions of families on the ACA, their health premiums will rise an average of 26% next year.

“In Jersey, where we live, it could be even rougher with a 175% increase. That’s $20,000 for a family of four. And that’s why we’re all here together to try to solve this problem, do something about it, and avoid a massive new tax on hard-working families,” he said.

Senators don’t see future in bipartisan House bill

Schumer and other Senate Democrats didn’t appear to take the bipartisan House plan seriously when pressed about it during an early afternoon press conference, asking reporters in the room whether Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., would actually put it on the floor for a vote.

“As for whatever House proposals there are, we’ll always look at something, but I don’t even see 15 Republicans supporting it right now,” Schumer said. “Sure an individual or two or three people can say this or that. It’s not going to solve the problem.”

Schumer maintained Senate Democrats’ three-year extension, which does not come with income caps or other changes to the tax credits proposed by centrist Republicans, is the best path forward.

He appeared frustrated when reporters asked him why he didn’t include changes that could have swayed at least some GOP senators to vote for the bill.

Schumer said it wasn’t worth it for Democrats to put together a bill that a few Republicans might support when he doesn’t expect Speaker Johnson to put the bill on the floor in that chamber given strong opposition to the enhanced tax credits by “half his caucus.”

“Come on,” he said. “The fault is there, not with us.”

Georgia ethics panel decides a GOP candidate for governor can loan $10M to aid his election

By

Jeff Amy

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December 5, 2025

AP25338734602631 — FILE - Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones speaks at a campaign event at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre on Oct. 15, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

CARROLLTON, Ga. (AP) — Republican Lt. Gov. Burt Jones is allowed to loan $10 million to his campaign for governor, Georgia’s ethics panel said Thursday.

Attorney General Chris Carr, who is running against Jones, alleged it evaded campaign finance restrictions. But Georgia Ethics Commission decided in a meeting in Carrollton, Georgia, that a loan to a leadership committee counts as a contribution under state law, adopting a legal opinion that there is “nothing in the current statute which prohibits such a loan of personal funds.”

The opinion clears Jones to keep spending his family fortune to pursue the Republican nomination. Carr and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger are the other two top candidates in the GOP governor’s primary. They’re vying to succeed Gov. Brian Kemp, who legally can’t run again after two terms, along with numerous Democrats.

Republican and Democratic primaries are in May, followed by the general election in November 2026.

Under a 2021 state law, leadership committees can raise unlimited funds, can coordinate with candidates and can raise funds during legislative sessions when other fundraising is banned. But candidates can’t establish leadership committees until they win their party’s nomination for governor or lieutenant governor.

Instead, they are limited to candidate committees, which can raise a maximum of $8,400 from each donor. As the incumbent lieutenant governor, Jones controls a leadership committee, as does Kemp.

Rosario Palacios, executive director of liberal-leaning watchdog group Common Cause Georgia, said the decision only reinforces the injustice of leadership committees.

“We definitely think this is an unfair advantage that doesn’t allow for a true democratic process for voters,” Palacios said. “It’s not just about the two candidates here. This is not a fair process for anyone.”

Jones filed documents showing he made loans of $7.5 million and $2.5 million to the WBJ Leadership Committee when he announced his run for governor on July 8.

Carr argued that under Georgia law, loans could be made only to a candidate committee, not to a freestanding political action committee or leadership committee.

The commission earlier declined to investigate a complaint from Carr alleging that Jones broke state law because his previous financial disclosures didn’t show enough liquid assets to make such large loans to himself.

“It’s troubling that the commission shows no interest in understanding how Burt Jones went from claiming a net worth of $700,000 to loaning himself $10 million,” said Julia Mazzone, a spokesperson for Carr.

Jones’ campaign did not respond to the substance of the ruling, with spokesperson Kayla Lott only characterizing Carr as being “bad at being a lawyer.”

Carr announced his run for governor last year, saying he needed to raise money because he isn’t personally wealthy. Like Jones, Raffensperger has substantial personal wealth. Supporters of Carr have established an independent committee, but it can’t coordinate with Carr’s campaign.

Carr also sued in federal court to try to block Jones’ use his leadership committee. But in August, U.S. District Judge Victoria Marie Calvert dismissed the lawsuit, ruling that Carr should have challenged the constitutionality of the law. She said it was wrong to sue Jones and his campaign for “doing exactly what Georgia law allows them to do.”

Carr hasn’t filed a new lawsuit challenging the law’s constitutionality. That may reflect pressure from other Republicans who view leadership committees as a vehicle for them to maintain GOP political control. Kemp has made heavy use of his leadership committee.

In 2022, a federal judge ruled that a leadership committee for Kemp couldn’t spend money during the Republican primary that year, finding the “unequal campaign finance scheme” violated challenger David Perdue’s First Amendment right to free speech. However, that case never reached a final ruling on the law’s constitutionality.

Clarkesville ushers in holiday season with annual Christmas celebration Friday

By

Patrick Fargason

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December 5, 2025

CLARKESVILLE, Ga.- Downtown Clarkesville will transform into a festive holiday village Friday evening as the city hosts its annual Downtown Christmas celebration from 5 to 8 p.m.

The popular event, which draws families across Habersham County, will feature many of the same attractions residents have come other love, including: free professional photos with Santa, pictures with a Christmas llamas, craft vendors, games, live music and the ever-popular Cookie Crawl.

Shops around the square are encouraged to stay open late and welcome visitors as downtown businesses join in kicking off the holiday season.

City officials said portions of the East and West downtown parking lots will close early Friday to accommodate vendors, food trucks, live music, and Cookie Crawl stations. Visitors are encouraged to use the municipal lot, the old courthouse lot, or the parking areas behind the east side of the square.

Organizers say this year’s event is designed for all ages, with activities and entertainment spread throughout the downtown area.

Residents are encouraged to bring friends and family and make an evening of it in the heart of downtown.

“Let’s kick off the season together,” organizers said. “There’s something magical waiting for everyone in Clarkesville.”

Melania Trump wishes strength and toys from Santa during visit with hospitalized children

By

Associated Press

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December 5, 2025

White House — First lady Melania Trump reads "How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney?" to children and their families at Children's National Hospital, Friday, Dec. 5, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Allison Robbert)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Melania Trump on Friday visited a children’s hospital and wished the patients strength and lots of toys from Santa Claus as she continued a decades-old tradition for first ladies.

Two patients — an 11-year-old boy and a 5-year-old girl — escorted her into the festively decorated atrium at Children’s National hospital in the nation’s capital. Trump sat in a big red chair in front of a tall Christmas tree and read, “How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney?” by Mac Barnett, for about two dozen child patients and others in the audience.

After closing the book, she wished the children strength and “lots of toys.”

“I’m sure Santa will visit all of you this Christmas and bring you a lot of toys, so i wish you all a very merry Christmas and happy new year,” she said. “I wish you a lot of strength and love.”

President Donald Trump “is sending love and best wishes as well,” she said.

The first lady chatted individually with the children in the audience before she went off to visit privately with patients in the hospital’s hematology and oncology wing.

The Santa Claus in the room slipped her a gold-colored coin that said, “Believe” and “Merry Christmas.” She brought gifts for the patients, including tree ornaments stamped with “Be Best,” the name of her child well-being initiative.

The hospital visit continued a holiday tradition started by Bess Truman, who was first lady from 1945 to 1953.

By Darlene Superville

Cloudflare investigates outage that brought down sites including Zoom and LinkedIn

By

Associated Press

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December 5, 2025

AP25322469548416 — FILE - Lava lamps are seen through a lobby window at the headquarters of Cloudflare in San Francisco, Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)

MADRID (AP) — Internet infrastructure company Cloudflare on Friday said it was investigating an outage that took place in the morning that brought down several global websites including LinkedIn, Zoom and others, the second such crash to affect the company in less than three weeks.

Cloudflare said the issue had been resolved, and that it was “investigating issues with Cloudflare Dashboard and related APIs,” or application programming interface that allow software systems to communicate with each other.

Users on social media platform X also reported problems accessing the website.

Edinburgh airport had to shut down briefly on Friday morning. But the airport said the outage was a localized issue that was not related to an outage by the internet infrastructure company Cloudflare.

In November, a Cloudflare outage affected users of everything from ChatGPT and the online game, “League of Legends,” to the New Jersey Transit system.

Last month Microsoft had to deploy a fix to address an outage of their Azure cloud portal that left users unable to access Office 365, Minecraft and other services. The tech company wrote on its Azure status page that a configuration change to its Azure infrastructure caused the outage.

Amazon also experienced a massive outage of its cloud computing service in October.

Lockleer’s 37-point effort puts Tigers past Franklin in heavyweight bout [VIDEO]

By

BLITZ Sports

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December 4, 2025

Essien Lockleer put the Tigers on his back in a 37-point performance, as #4 Commerce (5-0) held off Hudson Huff’s 37 for #7 Franklin County (4-1) in a 76-69 heavyweight battle.

Commerce, playing at home, never trailed in the contest, though the Lions got within a few points with just over a minute left in the game. Lockleer and Huff went toe-to-toe in the second half, as the former had 26 of his 37 in that span, and the latter 24 in the final two quarters.

The Tigers got going early behind Bryson Parks and Lockleer riding out to a quick 8-3 lead. Maki Mitchell nailed a 3-pointer, but Huff retaliated with the first of his five. Lockleer had 11 points in the opening quarter as Commerce held a comfortable 21-10 lead.

Franklin County would not give in, as the Lions outpaced the Tigers 16-14 in the second. Huff had a 3-point play followed by another deep ball, helping his team to within four. He had 13 first half points, as the home team was up 35-26 at the break.

Hudson Huff opened the third quarter with a rare 4-point play, converting at the line after hitting a trifecta and getting knocked down. The Lions were inching close, but Jeremiah Jarrells ignited the crowd with a dunk on the break. Lockleer hit a dagger from beyond the arc seconds later, pushing the lead back up to 46-35. Commerce was up by as many as 15 in the second half.
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The fourth quarter saw a furious rally by Hudson and Bentley Huff. They drained back-to-back deep shots, and Bentley Huff had a clutch triple at the 3-minute mark to make it a 63-57 ball game. The Lions closed to 65-62 with 1:27 on the board, but Lockleer had a game-sealing 3-point play to ice the contest.

Lockleer led with 37 points for Commerce, while Mitchell had 14. Parks ended with nine, Jarrells seven, Ty Sorrells six, two for Mason Brown, and one for Zavion Smith.

Franklin County was paced by Hudson Huff’s 37, with Bentley Huff following with 16. Sam Shaver and Drake Nix each had six, Kennan Burtch had four, and Elliott Harbin one.

Lady Tigers’ smothering defense translates to blowout win over Franklin [VIDEO]

By

BLITZ Sports

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December 4, 2025

Commerce remained perfect at 8-0 with a tenacious defensive showing, which led to a 65-23 final at home Thursday against Franklin County (2-2).

The Lady Tigers didn’t need the deep ball, as they had just one deep shot in the game. Instead, a press defense created several breakaway layups and points in transition. Twelve different players got involved in the scoring for Commerce.

The Lady Tigers were up 15-5 after one, as Vi’Tory Williams led the field with six points. Niya Daniels had a big second quarter, as Commerce went up 33-11 at the half.

Commerce came out of the break, with Williams picking up where she left off with four straight points following steals. Ciara Rucker had six points in the quarter, and the Lady Tigers were in complete control with a 48-17 lead going into the final quarter.

With a 6-minute clock set for the fourth, Franklin County got a little more offense in the final stanza, but it was too late.

Williams led in scoring with 14 points, Kenyanna Jackson had eight, Daniels seven, and Rucker six. Number three (roster missing) had five points, along with Jurnee Vann. Ranyisia Wood, Mary Waters, and Arianna Patman each added two.
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Franklin County was led by Bella Rosene with 10 points, while Baylor King and Chloe McFarlin each had three. Nykhia Johnson and Avery Burton both recorded two, along with Kallie Thrift. Jyhia Sturghill had one.

Baldwin prepares for festive ‘Music of Christmas’ parade on Dec. 6

By

Joy Purcell

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December 4, 2025

The Habersham County Christmas Parade rotates among host cities Clarkesville, Cornelia, and Baldwin. This year is Baldwin's turn to host it again. (Daniel Purcell/Now Habersham)

BALDWIN, Ga. — Habersham County will celebrate the holiday season this weekend with its annual Christmas parade, set for Saturday, December 6, beginning at 6:30 p.m. in Baldwin.

This year’s theme, “The Music of Christmas,” invites participants to celebrate the season through traditional carols, modern holiday hits, and timeless classics. Organizers encourage floats and groups to incorporate live performances or recorded favorites to create a sing-along atmosphere for spectators lining the route.

The parade will stage at Fieldale’s corporate offices, travel down Willingham Avenue, and conclude on Airport Road. Parents picking up children participating in the parade should meet them at Baldwin CH Church, 303 Airport Road.

Habersham County Christmas Parade route, Baldwin, Ga. (NowHabersham.com)

City officials say limited street closures will begin around 5:30 p.m. as barricades are placed along Willingham Avenue. Roads will reopen as soon as the parade passes, with total closures expected to last about 30 minutes. Emergency access will be maintained throughout.

Residents are invited to come out, enjoy the music-filled festivities, and help kick off the holiday season in downtown Baldwin.