United Way agency recipients and board members. (Dean Dyer/WRWH)
CLEVELAND (WRWH) — United Way of White County distributed $80,000 on Thursday to 12 community agencies serving residents across the county.
United Way Board Vice Chairman Nathan Eason thanked the partner agencies for their work and presented checks to White County Food Pantry, White County Caring and Sharing, White County 4-H, White County Family Connection, BRIDGE Recovery, Community Helping Hands Clinic, Family Promise of White County, Catalyst Christian Learning Center, Enotah CASA, South Enotah Child Advocacy Center, Circle of Hope and White County Backpack Buddies.
Eason said the organization’s major annual fundraisers include the Darrel Chaney Celebrity Golf Tournament, now in its 25th year and set for April 19-21, the fall bucket drives in Cleveland and Helen, and the White County Turkey Trot.
He also emphasized the need for more businesses and employees to participate in payroll deduction through the “Easy Way” program.
“One of the biggest needs, I think, is getting more businesses involved in payroll deduction,” Eason said. “That can be an easy way to fundraise, and we can grow our fundraising abilities through more businesses participating in that.”
The United Way of White County board is made up entirely of volunteers. According to the organization, 97 percent of the money raised goes directly to community agencies serving White County residents.
A crash on Hwy. 115 near the roundabout in Habersham County sent two drivers to the hospital Friday morning. (Daniel Purcell/NowGeorgia.com)
CLARKESVILLE, Ga. — A two-vehicle crash shut down Highway 115 at Peachtree Cove on Friday, blocking traffic in both directions between the White County line and the roundabout.
The collision resulted in injuries to both drivers. Two patients were transported to Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville. The first was initially listed as a non-emergency transport but was upgraded to emergency status while en route. The second patient was transported as an emergency.
A female driver in a black SUV was trapped inside her vehicle following the crash. She was unresponsive at the scene but regained consciousness and had to be extricated from the SUV, according to preliminary information.
The accident shut down the highway in both directions as traffic backed up. (Daniel Purcell/NowGeorgia.com)
The roadway remained fully blocked as emergency crews worked the scene, however Hwy. 115 reopened shortly after 11 a.m. Motorists were urged to avoid the area and seek alternate routes as delays were expected.
The Georgia State Patrol is investigating the crash. No further details were immediately available.
Now Georgia will provide updates as more information becomes available.
Sylvia Dalton Merrill, age 91, of Cornelia, Georgia, went to be with the Lord on Monday, February 23, 2026.
Ms. Merrill was born on March 12, 1934, in White County, Georgia, to the late Marvin Chester Dalton and Clara Mae Alexander Dalton. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her son, David Shane McEntyre; sister, Shelby Jean Dalton; and brother, Henry Kermit Dalton.
Sylvia was a proud graduate of Piedmont College, Clemson University, and Converse College. Her commitment to education laid the foundation for a distinguished career in nursing and healthcare leadership. She faithfully served as the Director of Nursing at Habersham Medical Center for many years, where she led with both skill and compassion. Her career also included service at a hospital in Anderson, South Carolina, where she continued her mission of caring for others. Beyond her work in healthcare, Sylvia was a gifted entrepreneur. She owned and operated One Stop Craft Shops in Clarkesville, Cornelia, and Clemson. Her talents extended into the floral industry as well, where her eye for beauty and detail brought joy to many through her floral business. In addition, she owned M&M Construction, through which she built FHA homes, helping families achieve the dream of homeownership and strengthening her community in lasting ways.
Survivors include her daughter and son-in-law, Sandra Ann McEntyre Ferguson and Joseph David Ferguson, of Cornelia; son and daughter-in-law, Rick and Sally McEntyre, of Baldwin; sister, Peggy Sue Dalton Smith, of Cleveland; grandchildren, Wendi and her spouse, Lance; Casei, Shauna and her spouse, Todd; great-grandchildren, Jackson, Madison, Luke, Cohen, Marlee, Hunter, Adair; and great-great-grandchild, Jackson, Jr.
Private Graveside Services will be held Sunday, March 1, 2026, at the Chattahoochee Baptist Church Cemetery with Rev. Nathan LaShoto officiating.
Arrangements have been entrusted to the Whitfield Funeral Homes & Crematory, North Chapel at 245 Central Avenue, Demorest, Georgia 30535. Telephone: 706-778-1700.
Georgia State Sen. Chuck Hufstetler, a Rome Republican, checks his phone after the Senate abruptly adjourns on Feb. 26, 2026, before allowing debate on Senate Bill 34, a bill he introduced aimed at protecting residential electricity customers from costs associated with data centers. (Alander Rocha/Georgia Recorder)
(Georgia Recorder) — The Senate session ended abruptly Thursday just as senators were nearing a vote on a bill aimed at ensuring data centers pay for the energy infrastructure built to accommodate them after it appeared a last-minute alternative measure had the votes to pass.
The Georgia Senate avoided voting on Senate Bill 34, which moved out of committee earlier this week after it had been changed to reflect language from House Bill 1063, which Georgia Power did not oppose and the data center industry preferred.
But the sudden adjournment came Thursday afternoon after the Senate bill’s sponsor, Rome Republican Sen. Chuck Hufstetler, attempted to revert the measure back to its original form through a floor amendment that appeared to have broad support. About a dozen Senate Republicans signed onto adding back the language that the utility company and representatives from the data center industry opposed in committee.
“Eighty percent of the people in Georgia want this. They want this protection. We need to provide it for them,” Hufstetler said after adjournment, adding that he’s unsure if the bill will come back for a vote.
Both proposals aim to prevent Georgia Power from passing costs associated with data centers to residential ratepayers. But HB 1063 focuses on the contracts signed between Georgia Power and data centers, requiring those contracts to last longer and insisting data centers pay a down payment to cover some of the costs of serving them. SB 34 would go further and explicitly ban any costs related to providing electricity to a data center from being passed down to residential ratepayers.
Lawmakers will return to the Gold Dome on Tuesday with a key legislative deadline awaiting Friday. The session is set to end April 2.
Senate Democrats, who backed Hufstetler’s original bill, accused Republicans of delaying action to provide economic relief to Georgians after giving data centers billions in tax breaks over the years.
“This is real affordability legislation in a year where Georgians face higher utility bills, grocery prices and health insurance premiums. Republicans need to drag themselves back to the Capitol, stop kissing Donald Trump’s ring and pass this bill. The data centers cannot be allowed to keep leeching off our state,” said Sen. Elena Parent, an Atlanta Democrat.
Senate Minority Leader Harold Jones, an Augusta Democrat, told reporters Thursday that in over a decade as a lawmaker, he had “never seen the Georgia state Senate actually decline to actually debate a bill.”
“Instead of addressing that issue today — (a) clear issue that Georgians want — what this majority did, what the Republicans did today, was say, we’re not going to address it. We’re going to actually hide from it and run, and that is amazing that this actually took place today,” Jones said.
The industry-preferred substitute adopted more flexible language that critics argued would leave the door open for Georgians to pay billions for the infrastructure needs of power-hungry data centers.
Bob Sherrier, a lawyer with the Southern Environmental Law Center who previously testified in support of the Senate bill as originally written, said in an email that “if Senator Hufstetler’s language passes, the only flexibility Georgia Power or the PSC loses is the ability to charge residential and small business customers for data center costs.”
“It’s telling, though, that Georgia Power and the data centers advocated for keeping the status quo, saying essentially ‘trust us,’” he said.
Aaron Mitchell, senior vice president for strategic growth for Georgia Power, pushed back on the bill’s original language but said the company was “neutral” on the substitute version as “those benefits are in effect now.” He said that the original bill would have interfered with the Public Service Commission’s process for setting electricity rates.
“The very definition of rate-making is the determination of costs, or the identification and pricing of costs of service of providing electric service to a customer. That’s what (the original bill) is doing: identification of costs and telling the commission and the company how to treat those costs through recovery of rate-making,” Mitchell said. “We agree with the intent, just not that inartful way of legislating that.”
Khara Boender, director of state policy for the Data Center Coalition, a group representing data centers and tech companies, said during a committee hearing on the bill this week that the industry saw the substitute “as a preferable route.” She also said the industry saw SB 34, as originally written, “kind of usurping” the commission’s regulatory authority and flexibility.
Holly Springs Republican Rep. Brad Thomas, who sponsored the House version of the proposal, chairs a House special committee that has traveled the state studying issues surrounding data centers. He defended the language in his bill and said Wednesday evening that while the Public Service Commission is already accomplishing what his bill is proposing, codifying the practice into law would prevent the commission from quickly changing the rule in the future.
“I guess it’s the greatest first step in getting (to the best policy). This isn’t over, but let’s go ahead and take care of the number one thing that people are concerned about,” Thomas said, pointing to infrastructure costs being passed on to them.
Thomas’ bill passed earlier this month with a 159-to-5 vote and is now awaiting consideration in the Senate.
Local opposition has been growing across Georgia as data centers expand beyond Atlanta and into rural parts of the state, alarming residents who worry these gigantic developments are being proposed or approved by local governments without regard for the state’s natural resources or the impact on consumers’ utility bills. Not only are they heavy water users, but they also consume massive amounts of energy. With a recent focus on energy affordability, these bills are among at least 11 proposed this session aimed at curbing their potential negative effects.
Connie Di Cicco, legislative director with Georgia Conservation Voters, said in a statement that the Senate has left “Georgia ratepayers waiting for relief.” She said lawmakers will have to make a choice to either “stand with ratepayers now, or protect corporate interests at their expense.”
“We are grateful to the senators holding firm to ensure Senator Hufstetler’s amendment restoring real ratepayer protections is adopted — because without it, families could be left subsidizing the soaring energy demands of billion-dollar data centers already receiving generous tax breaks,” Di Cicco said.
Alex Bohac was arrested Thursday and charged with 16 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor. (Hall County Sheriff's Office)
GAINESVILLE, Ga. — A 19-year-old Gainesville man has been charged with multiple felony sex offenses after authorities say he groomed and exploited a 14-year-old Texas girl he met on social media.
Alex Masato Bohac was arrested Thursday, Feb. 26, when investigators with the Hall County Sheriff’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children Unit executed a search warrant at his residence on Cove Overlook Road in northeastern Hall County, according to Public Information Officer BJ Williams.
During the search, investigators — assisted by digital forensics agents with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation — seized electronic devices belonging to Bohac, Williams said.
The investigation found Bohac and the girl began communicating online in early February. At Bohac’s request, the girl sent nude photos of herself to his Snapchat account, authorities said.
When Bohac later demanded additional photos, the girl refused. Investigators said Bohac threatened to distribute the images to the victim’s school if she did not comply. He allegedly followed through, sending the photos to three students and a teacher.
After learning the images had been shared, the girl reported the incident to her mother. The mother first contacted the Comal County Sheriff’s Office in Texas on Feb. 6 and later contacted the Hall County Sheriff’s Office on Feb. 9, Williams said.
Bohac has been charged with 16 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor. Ten counts involve coercing the victim to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child sexual abuse material. He also faces two counts of possession of child sexual abuse material and four counts of distribution of child sexual abuse material.
In addition, Bohac is charged with grooming a child for indecent purposes. Additional charges are expected, according to Williams.
Bohac remains in the Hall County Jail without bond.
Death investigation underway in Phenix City (Daniel Purcell/NowGeorgia.com)
On February 25, 2026, the Phenix City Police Department responded to a report of a deceased person located at the 900 block of Broad St. An investigation revealed that the deceased was a 49-year-old black male. He was pronounced dead on the scene at 7:02 pm by Russell County Coroner Arthur Sumbry. The decedent’s identity will remain confidential until his family is notified of his passing.
The unidentified male will be sent to the Alabama Department of Forensic Science in Montgomery, Alabama to determine the cause and manner of death. This is an ongoing investigation being conducted by the Phenix City Police Department Criminal Investigations Division. If you have any information about this case, you are asked to contact Lt. Anglin at 334-448-28539 or Inv. Silva at 334-448-2838.
Ashleigh Wilson, a cafeteria worker at Rabun County High School, was charged with four felony charges related to inappropriate conduct with a minor. (Rabun County School System)
CLAYTON, GA – A cafeteria employee at Rabun County High School has been terminated and arrested following an investigation into allegations of inappropriate conduct with a minor.
The Rabun County Sheriff’s Office announced Thursday that Ashleigh Wilson, 26, of Clayton, was taken into custody and booked into the Rabun County Detention Center. Wilson faces several felony charges, including aggravated child molestation, child molestation, grooming of a minor, and sexual exploitation of a child.
According to a notification sent to families this evening by Rabun County School System Superintendent Steven Cole, the school administration first received reports of misconduct on Monday, February 23, 2026.
The school system acted quickly, placing the employee on immediate leave and turning over all gathered information to the Rabun County Sheriff’s Office, officials said. Following the issuance of arrest warrants on February 26, Wilson’s employment with the school system was officially terminated.
Nature of the allegations
The Sheriff’s Office stated the investigation began after the Board of Education requested a probe into “inappropriate physical contact and electronic communication with a minor.” While the school system noted the alleged incidents occurred off-campus and outside of school hours, the ensuing criminal investigation led directly to the charges against the high school cafeteria worker.
“The safety and well-being of our students is our highest priority,” Superintendent Cole stated in the letter to parents. “We remain committed to addressing any and all allegations of misconduct swiftly and appropriately.”
Ongoing legal proceedings
The criminal investigation remains active and ongoing. Authorities have indicated that once the Sheriff’s Office completes its file, the case will be turned over to the Mountain Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.
Officials are urging anyone with additional information regarding this matter to contact the Rabun County Sheriff’s Office.
Trevian Hipp arrested for car break-ins (Columbus Police Department)
Over the past several weeks, the Columbus Police Department’s Property Crimes Unit investigated a series of vehicle break-ins in the Schomburg Road area. The investigation identified Trevian Hipp, 22, as the suspect.
On February 19, 2026, detectives served a search warrant at Hipp’s residence. He was present and taken into custody. During the search, officers recovered three firearms (two reported stolen), multiple bank cards belonging to entering auto victims, additional bank cards and documents, masks, gloves, clothing matching surveillance footage, and a window punching tool.
Further examination of the recovered items revealed additional victims, leading to added charges. The investigation has resulted in:
Cases cleared: 20
Number of victims: 24
Number of charges: 35
Entering auto x21
Criminal attempt entering auto
Theft by receiving stolen property (firearm) x2
Theft by taking (motor vehicle)
Financial transaction card theft x10
Firearms recovered: 3
Hipp is scheduled to appear in Recorder’s Court for a preliminary hearing on Friday, February 27, 2026, at 1:30
Rep. James Comer, R-KY, speaks outside the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center after a deposition by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton who was testifying before U.S. House lawmakers as part of a congressional investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026, in Chappaqua, N.Y. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told members of Congress on Thursday that she had no knowledge of Jeffrey Epstein’s or Ghislaine Maxwell’s crimes, starting off two days of depositions that will also include former President Bill Clinton.
“I had no idea about their criminal activities. I do not recall ever encountering Mr. Epstein,” Hillary Clinton said in an opening statement she shared on social media. The closed-door deposition concluded Thursday after over six hours of Hillary Clinton giving an answer to every question.
The depositions in the Clintons’ hometown of Chappaqua, a typically quiet hamlet north of New York City, come after months of tense back-and-forth between the former high-powered Democratic couple and the Republican-controlled House Oversight Committee as it investigates Epstein, who killed himself in a New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial. It will be the first time that a former president has been forced to testify before Congress.
Yet the demand for a reckoning over Epstein’s abuse of underage girls has become a near-unstoppable force on Capitol Hill and beyond.
President Donald Trump, a Republican who has expressed regret that the Clintons are being forced to testify, bowed last year to pressure to release case files on Epstein. The Clintons, too, agreed to testify after their offers of sworn statements were rebuffed by the Oversight panel and its chairman, Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., threatened criminal contempt of Congress chargesagainst them.
“Like every decent person,” Hillary Clinton added in her opening statement, “I have been horrified by what we have learned about their crimes.”
She has previously said that her husband flew with Epstein for charitable trips but that she did not recall ever meeting Epstein. She had also interacted with Maxwell, Epstein’s former girlfriend and confidant, at conferences hosted by the Clinton Foundation.
Maxwell, a British socialite, also attended the 2010 wedding of their daughter, Chelsea Clinton.
As she exited the event center where the deposition was held, Hillary Clinton told reporters that Maxwell had come to the wedding as a guest of someone else and that she had told the committee she only knew Maxwell “as an acquaintance.”
Republicans relish chance to question Clintons
Bill Clinton, however, has emerged as a top target for Republicans amid the political struggle over who receives the most scrutiny for their ties to Epstein. Several photos of the former president were included in the first tranche of Epstein files released by the Department of Justice in January, including a number of him with women whose faces were redacted. Clinton has not been accused of wrongdoing in his relationship with Epstein.
Comer has also pointed to Hillary Clinton’s work as secretary of state to address sex trafficking as another reason to insist on her deposition. Clinton defended her work to address sex trafficking around the world, saying that it remained important to help the millions of survivors of sex trafficking.
The committee’s investigation has also sought to understand why the Department of Justice under previous presidential administrations did not seek further charges against Epstein following a 2008 arrangement in which he pleaded guilty to state charges in Florida for soliciting prostitution from an underage girl but avoided federal charges.
Hillary Clinton accused Comer of running a one-sided investigation that has failed to hold Trump and other Republican officials to account. “This institutional failure is designed to protect one political party and one public official,” she said.
Yet conspiracy theories, especially on the right, have swirled for years around the Clintons and their connections to Epstein and Maxwell, who argues she was wrongfully convicted. Republicans have long wanted to press the Clintons for answers.
Hillary Clinton said that one Republican lawmaker asked her a line of questions about “vile, bogus conspiracy theories.”
The deposition was also paused after Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., sent a photo of Hillary Clinton in the private proceeding to a conservative influencer who posted it on social media, violating the committee’s rules for depositions.
Democrats said that the incident underscored how important it was for there to be a clear public record of the deposition. Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the Oversight panel, said that Hillary Clinton, after the incident, repeated her longstanding demand that the deposition be made public, and Democrats called for a video and transcript of the complete proceedings to be released quickly.
Comer said that he would work quickly to release a video and transcript of the deposition.
“The purpose of the whole investigation is to try to understand many things about Epstein,” he told reporters outside the convention center where the depositions were being held. “How did he accumulate so much wealth? How was he able to surround himself with some of the most powerful men in the world?”
Democrats call for Trump to testify
Democrats, now being led by a new generation of politicians, have prioritized transparency around Epstein over defending the former leaders of their party. Several Democratic lawmakers joined with Republicans on the Oversight panel to advance the contempt of Congress chargesagainst the Clintons last month. Several said they had no relationship with the Clintons and owed no loyalty to them.
Garcia also called on Trump to testify in the investigation. He argued that Bill Clinton’s appearance sets a precedent that should apply to Trump as well.
“Let’s get President Trump in front of our committee to answer the questions that are being asked across this country from survivors,” Garcia said.
Comer previously said that the committee can’t depose Trump because he is a sitting president.
Still, Democrats are also coming off an effort this week to confront Trump about his administration’s handling of the Epstein files by taking women who survived Epstein’s abuse as their guests to Trump’s State of the Union address.
Garcia and others are also challenging the Department of Justice’s assertion that it has met the requirements of a law passed by Congress last year that mandates the release of many of the case files on Epstein.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York said his caucus in the coming days would also review unredacted versions of the Epstein case files at a Department of Justice office. Schumer, who demanded that the department release all of the files and preserve all materials, said they will “pull on every thread” until they “reveal this massive cover-up.”
From left to right: Board members Dr. Robert Barron, Doug Westmoreland, and Dr. Darlene Hudson listen to a presentation on ESPLOST Thursday morning. (Patrick Fargason/NowGeorgia.com)
CLEVELAND, Ga. — Habersham County school leaders on Thursday outlined a wide-ranging five-year capital plan tied to the renewal of the district’s Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, or ESPLOST VII, telling board members the measure is key to maintaining low property taxes while preparing for growth.
The Habersham County Board of Education met for a strategic planning session at the Pioneer RESA building. No votes were taken. The agenda included ESPLOST, facility planning, a review of the district’s strategic plan and an executive session for personnel and real estate matters.
The ESPLOST renewal will appear on the May 19 ballot. If approved, collections would begin Jan. 1, 2028, and run through Dec. 31, 2032.
Superintendent Patrick Franklin stressed repeatedly that the measure is a renewal, not a new tax.
“It’s not a new tax,” Franklin said. “This is our one-penny sales tax for education.”
Low millage rate and regional comparisons
First approved by voters in 1999, ESPLOST is a 1-cent sales tax dedicated to school construction, capital improvements and debt service. Franklin described it as a consumption-based tax that spreads the burden beyond property owners.
“Anyone who eats, shops or visits helps educate our children,” he said.
Chief Financial Officer Staci Newsome told board members that without ESPLOST revenue, the district would likely face pressure to raise its millage rate to fund major capital needs.
At 9.122 mills, Habersham County Schools has the fourth-lowest millage rate in Northeast Georgia, behind Rabun, Fannin and Towns counties. In contrast, Jackson County’s school millage rate stands at 15.324, the highest in the region.
Board Vice-Chair Russ Nelson said Jackson County has recently issued approximately $200 million in bonds.
“Jackson County has just started hitting them with two times in payment,” Nelson said, referring to bond obligations in addition to regular school taxes.
Franklin echoed the comparison.
“If you look at the growth in Jackson County, they just took out the last several months $200 million of bonds,” he said. “They’re not paying for those bonds via this penny. They’re paying for it with taxpayer money.”
Franklin praised the board for maintaining what he described as a strong balance between academic performance and tax restraint.
“Y’all have kept the millage rate extremely low while providing a wonderful product,” Franklin said. “You’re getting the best product in Northeast Georgia with the fourth-lowest millage rate. That’s a great deal.”
Assistant Superintendent David Leenman added that Habersham is the only school system in the Pioneer RESA region with both a Governor’s Office of Student Achievement score above 81 and a millage rate under 10.
“If you put all that on a graph, we’re the top right, which is where you should be,” Leenman said.
During his ESPLOST presentation, Superintendent Patrick Franklin (left next to Board Chair Joey Duncan) praised the Board for keeping the county’s millage rate low. (Patrick Fargason/NowGeorgia.com)
Franklin noted that, depending on enrollment figures, Habersham is the second-largest school system in North Georgia outside of Hall County, operating 14 schools.
Playground construction driven by new state standards
One of the largest proposed bond projects within the renewal would fund new playgrounds at each of the district’s eight elementary schools.
Maintenance Director Denise Gunn said the plan calls for three playgrounds per school — one each for grades K-1, 2-3 and 4-5 — for a total of 24 playgrounds.
The initiative is tied in part to House Bill 371, signed into law last year by Gov. Brian Kemp. The legislation establishes minimum statewide standards for elementary school playgrounds, including requirements for shade, accessibility and safety.
“State law changed last year,” Gunn said. “You have to have so much shade.”
Proposed designs include poured rubber surfacing instead of wood chips, inclusive play equipment, shade structures and age-specific equipment heights. Gunn said the poured rubber allows playgrounds to dry quickly after rain and improves safety.
Design concepts also reflect Habersham County’s outdoor character, incorporating natural aesthetics while meeting accessibility requirements for students of varying abilities.
Safety and technology upgrades
The Board also discussed transportation and communication improvements tied to ESPLOST.
Franklin outlined a potential GPS-based bus tracking system that would allow students to scan badges when boarding. Parents could monitor buses in real time and receive notification when their child boards or exits.
Rabun County has already implemented a similar system, Franklin said, and Habersham is studying it.
In addition, the district is preparing to transition to the county’s new radio communication system. Franklin said current coverage across the county is about 67%, with limited connectivity inside school buildings. The new system would provide 97% coverage, including within facilities.
The conversion is expected to cost approximately $800,000 and would equip more than 100 buses, along with portable and fixed units at schools.
“You don’t want your drivers on one system, police on one and EMS on one,” Franklin said. “You want them all on the same.”
Maintenance officials also plan to expand “Logic Controls” HVAC systems across campuses. The system allows staff to monitor heating and air units remotely, improving response times and reducing peak energy costs.
“It lowers our electrical bills,” Gunn said, adding that it also creates more consistent classroom temperatures.
Performing arts and growth planning
At Habersham Central High School, ESPLOST funds would complete lighting and sound upgrades in the Performing Arts Center. Floor lighting is being replaced due to a manufacturer sizing issue, and future improvements may include projection screens and enhanced audio systems.
Franklin said early planning is critical as growth continues in Habersham County.
“I do not want to see students in overcrowded classrooms or mobile units,” he said. “I went to school in some mobile units. It’s not safe. We’re not going to have it.”
School leaders said holding the referendum well in advance of the 2028 collection period allows the board to plan responsibly for future needs and enrollment growth.
Habersham County voters will decide the ESPLOST renewal on May 19.
A driver’s car waits to pick up goods for delivery. (Photo: Spark Driver site)
Walmart will pay $100 million to drivers who participated in one of its delivery programs after reaching a settlement Thursday with the Federal Trade Commission and 11 states, including the Carolinas.
The settlement resolves a lawsuit against Walmart filed in Northern California District Court over Spark Driver, a program it has used since 2018 to deliver groceries and other merchandise using contracted drivers.
Walmart allegedly deceived its Spark drivers about base pay, incentives, and tips, frequently paying them less than offered at the start of orders and failing to provide drivers with full tips from customers or withholding them entirely. Walmart agreed to pay $79 million to its drivers, including roughly $2 million in North Carolina.
“Walmart frequently tells each Driver that they will receive the Customer’s full tip amount,” the FTC alleged in its complaint. “After the Drivers complete the work, however, Walmart divides the tip among all the delivering Drivers, resulting in Drivers receiving significantly less than the tip amount that Walmart represented.”
According to the complaint, Walmart also frequently reduced pay and tip amounts during the orders without informing drivers, or only informing them after the completion of the order. Despite this, the company allegedly maintained to customers that 100% of tips went to drivers and charged customers for tips that drivers did not receive.
Since the program’s inception in 2018, roughly a million drivers, working as independent contractors, have made 272 million deliveries nationwide through Spark Driver, according to a press release from North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson.
“All told, Walmart’s practices have caused Drivers to lose millions of dollars that Walmart deceptively misrepresented Drivers would earn,” the FTC complaint reads.
Walmart will also pay $11 million to the states who participated in the lawsuit, including $1.4 million to North Carolina for attorneys’ fees and other legal expenses, and $10 million will be paid to the FTC to reimburse customers who were misled by the program.
“Labor markets cannot function efficiently without truthful and non-misleading information about earnings and other material terms,” said FTC Bureau of Consumer Protection director Christopher Mufarrige. “Today’s settlement reflects the Trump-Vance FTC’s focus on ensuring a healthy labor market for American workers, which is critical to the nation’s success.”
The settlement also requires Walmart to run an earning verification program and report annually to the FTC for the next decade to ensure compliance. And it is restricted from modifying the pay offered to drivers after an order has been accepted.
“Walmart misled its drivers and its customers so that the company could keep tips and other money that belonged to drivers,” said Jackson, one of 11 attorneys general who took part in the lawsuit.
Habersham County held a 'Meet Your Government' event at the Ruby Fullbright Aquatic Center on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026. (Veronica Respress/NowGeorgia.com)
CLARKESVILLE, Ga. – Habersham County is putting faces to services through its new customer service campaign, “You Are The Reason,” launched this year by County Manager Tim Sims.
“They’re the reason we do what we do, so we just wanted to have a government forum to put a face with other faces and have a personal relationship with people,” Sims said.
Held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Ruby Fulbright Aquatic Center, the inaugural event drew approximately 80 attendees, according to Public Information Officer Ashlyn Brady.
“We’re just really happy with how things have turned out today,” Brady said. “This is the first time that we’ve done something like this, so we’ve seen good turnout, and we’re hoping to do it again — maybe an evening one next time or something like that.”
The purpose of the event was simple: build trust. By bringing county employees out from behind their desks and into a face-to-face setting with residents, officials aimed to strengthen transparency and communication.
All departments within the county were on hand for this event, including members of the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office. (Veronica Respress/NowGeorgia.com)All departments within the county were on hand for this event, including members from the Board of Elections. (Veronica Respress/NowGeorgia.com)
Departments ranging from Animal Control to the Senior Center set up informational booths featuring creative posters, printed materials, and even door prizes and goodie bags. Residents had the opportunity to ask questions, learn about available services, and meet the individuals responsible for carrying out county operations.
Employee participation was evident throughout the event. “We had a lot of buy-in from employees because they got to express their departments and what’s specific to them,” said Interim Finance Director Kiani Holden.
Information shared at the forum included volunteer opportunities, overviews of county services, and snapshots of financial reports — all designed to increase awareness and foster a stronger connection between local government and the citizens it serves. Hopefully, the next “Meet Your Government” will occur during the time where more residents can meet the government.
