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Dancing with the Stars Team 10 & 11

By
Michelle Wetherbee
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Well, hopefully most of the winter ickiness is behind us and our thoughts can firmly turn to Spring! Specifically March 28th! If you have not gotten your tickets for Circle of Hope and Rotary’s Dancing with the stars funraiser, go here: https://www.dancingwiththestarsforhope.org/

Team10You do not want to miss this!

So let’s introduce the final two teams. Team 10 is headed up by Habersham Medical Center’s Dr. Josh Garrett. Originally from Rome, Georgia, Dr. Garrett went to the University of Georgia for his undergraduate degree and then to the Medical College of Georgia for his medical degree.  He and his wife Laura then moved to South Carolina where Dr. Garrett completed his residency in family medicine.  In 2007, upon completion of his residency training, he and his wife Laura moved to Habersham County where Dr. Garrett opened his medical practice.  Dr. Garrett has also served as one of our community’s emergency room physicians since moving to this area.  A father to two boys, Jack and Sam, Dr. Garrett enjoys spending time with his family and is also active at their church, Bethlehem Baptist, in Clarkesville.  Currently, Dr. Garrett is on the board of directors of Gracegate, Habersham County’s free clinic, and also serves as the Chief of Staff of Habersham Medical Center.

Partnering with Dr. Garrett is Ramona Stowe, who began dancing in 2000 and has let her passion for dance grow over the years.  She is very involved with different groups and serves as a member of the following: Round-A-Lab, BMI/ASCAP, Georgia Round Dance Teacher’s Association, Dixie Round Dance Council, and the International Choreographed Ballroom Dance Association.  Stowe has also cued and taught at the Georgia State Square & Round Dance Convention, Tennessee State Square & Round Dance Convention, Alabama State Square & Round Dance Convention, and many others.  Stowe’s favorite rhythms include the rumba, bolero, and two-step.

team 11Team 11 brings two Habersham natives together. Cheyenne Hayes is a lifelong resident of Cornelia, Georgia. She started her dance training at the age of three at Dance-a-Lott Studio. Some the styles of dance she has studied includes, ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, modern, lyrical, fusion, pointe and variation, competition clogging and hip hop, and liturgical. She also has assisted teaching various forms of dance for eight years, and now has been an instructor for two years. Cheyenne still enjoys taking dance classes at Premiere Dance and Performing Arts Academy. Additionally, she also takes voice lessons from Mr. Bob Smith and has partaken in numerous Habersham Community Theater productions.  She appreciates being part of this great cause, go team 11!

Her partner, Gus Alexander, is a Product Solutions Consultant for MainStreet Technologies, Inc. (MST) who specializes in the development of loan portfolio risk management software for banks and credit unions, along with real estate document management software for government agencies.Gus is a graduate of Habersham Central High School and earned his Bachelor’s degree from North Georgia College & State University in Business Management. Outside of work, Gus enjoys an active role with the Kiwanis Club of Cornelia. Gus also enjoys trail running, travel, golf, and spending time with family.

Vote for your favorite teams! https://www.dancingwiththestarsforhope.org/

Only a few scattered power outages remain

By
Joy Purcell
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Power is nearly fully restored to HEMC and GA Power customers in Habersham and neighboring counties. Heavy snow and ice on trees caused some to fall overnight, wiping out service to nearly 3,000 people in Habersham, Rabun, Stephens and White Counties. Crews worked throughout the day and as of 6:30pm both company outage maps show only a few scattered outages remain. That’s good news for those who lost power, many, the same ones who spent days without power last week in the wake of Winter Storm Octavia. Octavia carried ice and Arctic cold temperatures.

Last week, utility crews spent hours cutting their way through fallen trees just so they could reach downed power lines. More than 1,000 trees reportedly fell in Habersham. Thousands more across northeast Georgia. That was not the case this time. Winter Storm Remus that swept into the region yesterday was packed with snow. The lighter, less volatile wintry mix made for easier clean-up. Habersham County Road Superintendent John Stamey says only a handful of trees fell this time.

Crews made significant strides restoring power on Thursday. As of 5am approximately 1,200 HEMC customers were without. By 7pm Thursday, only seven HEMC customers in White County were still without power. Dover says HEMC expects all power will be restored by tonight.

GA Power crews worked all day to restore power to some 1,700 people left in the cold in Habersham, Rabun, Stephens and White Counties. As of 7pm Thursday only 161 customers in Rabun were still without electricity.

Dover says Hwy. 197 North in Habersham was the hardest by outages. Other areas include:

  • Boggs Mountain area in Rabun County
  • Sautee and Sky Lake areas in White County
  • Yonah Mountain area in White County

With forecasted temperatures in the 20’s tonight there’s a chance of ice build up on power lines and trees. If you come upon downed power lines, Dover says treat them as if they are energized. Leave the area and report downed lines immediately to Habersham EMC or your electric provider.

HEMC members may report outages online at habershamemc.com, or by calling:
· (706)754-2114

· (706)865-4362

· (800)640-6812

Please do not report outages through social media as those channels are not monitored 24/7.

GA Power customers may report outages online at georgiapower.com or by calling 1-888-891-0938 24 hours/7 days a week. A Spanish-speaking hotline can be reached at 1-800-253-1077 from 7am-9pm.

Habersham County Schools closed Friday

By
Joy Purcell
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Habersham County public school students will get another day off from school on Friday, Feb. 27. Classes have been cancelled due to the weather.

Staff should report to work at 10am or when it’s safe to drive.

Superintendent Matthew Cooper says the decision to cancel school for students was made due to the threat of icy road conditions.

Maddie and Marley’s sledding report

By
Joy Purcell
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Now Habersham’s roving weather reporter Maddie Palmer and her friend Marley Brevard check out sledding conditions in Habersham the day after Winter Storm Remus rolled into town.

Winter Storm Remus heads north

By
Joy Purcell
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Winter Storm Remus is moving north along the east coast after sweeping across the south and midwest. The storm system dumped snow on the northern half of Georgia. Habersham County received around 3″.

Remus is the third winter storm to hit Habersham in less than two weeks.

The National Weather Service (NWS) in Greenville has downgraded its winter storm warning to an advisory for the extreme northeastern part of Georgia and the western Carolinas. Hazardous road conditions still exist.

Snow plows from the county and GA Department of Transportation are blading the roads and laying salt and gravel. Primary roads are “pretty clear” according to Habersham County Road Department Superintendent John Stamey. He says Habersham’s main roads are passable but still hazardous. He advises motorists to wait until closer to noon when temperatures rise before venturing out on the roads. If you must travel, use extreme caution.

Utility crews are working to restore power to nearly 3,000 customers. Scattered power outages were caused by fallen trees. Outages affected people in several north Georgia counties including Habersham, Rabun, White and Stephens Counties. As of 7am Thursday, 1,700 GA power customers in those counties were without power; fewer than 800 HEMC customers remained without power, down from 1,200 earlier in the morning.

Habersham Emergency Management Agency Director Lynn Smith says Habersham weathered the storm with few problems. “We’re good. Everybody stayed off the roads. Most of our roads are passable; secondary roads, not as well as primary. We’ve been able to get people back and forth to work,” Smith says. Emergency personnel are using four-wheel drives to help get employees to and from work at the hospital. Smith says there were a few wrecks in Habersham but, for the most part, the county came out of Winter Storm Remus unscathed thanks to a strong team effort by municipal and county employees. “Our road crews have done an outstanding job. Everybody just worked really well together and I appreciate all the hard work.”

Winter storm warning now an advisory

By
Joy Purcell
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The National Weather Service (NWS) in Greenville has lifted the winter storm warning for Habersham County. The county is now under a winter weather advisory along with Rabun, Franklin, Stephens and Hart Counties and the western Carolinas.

The advisory urges motorists to watch out for hazardous driving conditions.

This is the latest update from the NWS in Greenville as of 6:30am Thursday, Feb. 26:

…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM EST THIS
MORNING…

* LOCATIONS…PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST GEORGIA…UPSTATE SOUTH
CAROLINA…AND THE SOUTHERN PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA.

* HAZARDS..SNOW AND ICE WILL CAUSE HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS
ON AREA ROADWAYS.

* TIMING…THROUGH MID MORNING.

* IMPACTS…HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS DUE TO SNOW AND ICE ON
HIGHWAYS.

* TEMPERATURES…IN THE LOWER 30S.

* WINDS…NORTH 5 TO 10 MPH.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR BLACK ICE MEANS THAT REFREEZING OF
ROADS WILL OCCUR…RESULTING IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF WIDESPREAD
BLACK ICE. BE PREPARED FOR VERY SLIPPERY ROADWAYS. SOME ROADS
THAT APPEAR CLEAR MAY BE COVERED BY A THIN LAYER OF ICE.

Poor travel conditions in Habersham

By
Joy Purcell
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Habersham County Road Superintendent John Stamey says if you don’t have to drive this morning, don’t. He says of the roads, “They’re still pretty bad. We’ve got a lot of them bladed off. It seems like its starting to come off good but there are still icy spots.”

Stamey says 19 workers are running five snowplows and three graders on county roads to try to clear them. “Lots of miles to get,” Stamey says. “We’re working on the south end of the county and have most of the through roads done, but won’t get a lot of the side roads bladed until later today.”

Stamey says all four lanes are “pretty clean” and most main roads but watch out for secondary roads.

There are reports of trees on power lines; one is on Cody Road near the movie theater the other near Orchard Road in Turnerville. Road crews are waiting on the power company before removing them.

Stamey advises drivers to stay off the roads if at all possible. “If you don’t have to go, try to wait until at least up toward noon, but if you have to travel or have somewhere you have to go give yourself extra time to get there.”

The Miracle of Miracles

By
Nora Almazan
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Written by: Richard D. Stafford, Ph.D.

I recently received the following post on my Facebook page:

“We live on a blue planet, that circles a ball of fire, next to a moon that moves the sea every day, and you don’t believe in miracles?”

For those who know me, I usually take a more academic approach to religion and faith. I want to read the history, see the event, and peruse the evidence. I guess you could say (at times in my life) I have been like one of Christ’s disciples, (doubting) Thomas; I want to see and feel the wound in Jesus’ side to believe in miracles.

However…

My mother recently celebrated her ninetieth birthday and she continues to be in really good health: she drives her Texas pick-up truck down the street to the drug and grocery store, lives on her own, plans and cooks her own meals, plays crossword puzzles frequently on her iPad, and of course reads Facebook postings of all her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren every single day. She even got a “Yellow Rose” tattoo at age 80 on her ankle…she wanted to keep up with her grandchildren and great grandchildren who also got tattoos a decade ago.  But she has not been actively religious for many decades. She occasionally watches religious speakers on television, but has not been routinely active in a church in 50 years. She has planned for her body to be taken to medical school after she dies to train young doctors, because she feels they made a life changing event possible for her life.

But…

Seven years ago she almost died. She was in ICU for weeks from a heart attack, a stroke, and internal bleeding. Twice I flew to Texas to be at her hospital bedside as doctor’s said the end was within a few hours. Months later, she improved, went to a rehab center, and then home. That was seven years ago.

One day she told me about a dream she had while in ICU. I calculated the precise time and day by other information she shared with me that occurred in the room as we stood there, but while she was unconscious.  Here is what she said:

“While ya’ll were surrounding my bed, I felt my body rise up and pass through the roof of the hospital. I was very frightened because then I felt my body flying though space, my legs and arms becoming detached, and zooming across the blackness.  Finally, I came to an abrupt stop, my body reassembling in front of what appeared to be The Gates of Heaven. I stood there frightened and crying. Then the gate opened and out walked my mother who appeared to be in her late forties. Her hair was as I remembered, she had on jewelry I recognized, same shoes, dress, sweater, everything, even her glasses were there and her voice was just as I remembered. She looked at me and said, ‘Why are you crying?’  I answered that I was scared. She then said, ‘Well, then you are not ready. It is not your time.’  With that she turned went back through the gates, which closed, and I felt my body fly back through space until I came to rest in the hospital bed in the ICU. Once there, I knew each of you were surrounding me, and I felt a great peace.”

Well…

My mom, as I said, regained her wellness just a year after the event in 2007. And she has continued to be in good health.  She occasionally attends church with my brother and his wife, and though she seems to be the exact in terms of her own faith, as she was before the event, the change has been in…me.

Before, I don’t think I would have given much credence to miracles. But now? I do believe in them. She was the wound in Jesus’s side for my Doubting Thomas faith.

 

Richard D. Stafford, Ph.D.

Clarkesville native newest partner at Macon law firm

By
Joy Purcell
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carroll-299x400
Josh Carroll is the newest partner at the Macon law firm Buzzell, Graham & Welsh. He’s been with the firm nearly seven years. Carroll is originally from Clarkesville. He’s a graduate of Habersham Central High School.

Buzzell, Graham & Welsh is pleased to announce that Joshua A. Carroll is now a partner at the firm. For nearly seven years, Mr. Carroll has successfully represented the injured victims of car and truck accidents, workplace incidents, defective products, and medical malpractice. While experienced in all aspects of personal injury law, Mr. Carroll is most noted for his sense of fairness and attention to each client’s best interests as he seeks compensation for their injuries.

“We are very proud of Josh’s accomplishments and professional growth while exceeding his clients’, as well as the firm’s, expectations,” said Stephen Welsh, Managing Partner. “His dedication and loyalty to both are the reason he is the newest Buzzell, Graham & Welsh partner.”

Mr. Carroll began his legal career at a large Atlanta law firm, defending insurance companies and corporations against workplace injury claims. “While this offered me a solid legal foundation and excellent experience, I realized that I would rather represent real people than insurance companies,” Mr. Carroll commented. He searched for a smaller, more tightly knit community and law firm, choosing Macon, GA and Buzzell, Graham & Welsh.

“I am so grateful for the mentoring I’ve received from the Buzzell, Graham & Welsh partners and attorneys,” Mr. Carroll added. “That hands-on, caring attitude is the same approach we take with our clients, which is why I’m honored to take on my new role as a partner.”

Mr. Carroll was raised in Clarkesville, Georgia, but has resided in Macon now for over 14 years. He attended Habersham Central High School, and received both his Bachelor’s and Juris Doctor degrees from Mercer University. In recognition of his outstanding work on behalf of clients, Mr. Carroll was named a Georgia Super Lawyers “Rising Star” from 2012-2015. He was also recently selected as one of only 17 lawyers to participate in the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association’s Leadership Education & Advanced Direction (LEAD) Program.

About Buzzell, Graham & Welsh:

Founded in 1998, the law office of Buzzell, Graham & Welsh is an AV rated personal injury law firm with over 90 years of combined experience. Based in Macon, Georgia, our attorneys are active in the Middle Georgia legal community, serving as past presidents of the Macon Bar Association and active members of the local and state Bar and Trial Lawyers Associations. Our firm focuses on quality representation through individualized support. Visit us at https://www.bgwlaw.com.

Mervin Church Lovell

By
Staff Report
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Funeral services for Mervin Church Lovell, age 87, of Clarkesville will be held Friday, February 27, 2015 at 4:00 PM at Hillside Memorial Chapel with Rev. Ben Hames and Rev. Shane Jenkins officiating. Interment will follow the service at Victory Baptist Church Cemetery. The family will receive friends at the funeral home Thursday, February 26, 2015 from 5:00 PM until 8:00PM.

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Remus storms into Georgia

By
Joy Purcell
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Winter Storm RemusWinter Storm Remus is zip-a-dee-doo-dah’ing across the south and midwest and Habersham County is right in its ‘hares’. The third winter storm to hit Georgia in less than two weeks is dumping snow on the northern half of the state. It began falling in Habersham County shortly after 4pm as predicted and has been snowing non-stop ever since. The National Weather Service (NWS) in Greenville is calling for possible snow accumulations of between 5-8″.

The storm system stretches from Dallas to Washington. No sleet/ice is predicted to fall but there are increased dangers for slick roads as temperatures drop and slushy snow ices over.

A winter storm warning remains in effect until 7am on Thursday, Feb. 26, for Habersham, Rabun, Stephens, Franklin and Hart Counties. Other counties in northeast Georgia that are monitored by the NWS in Peachtree City are under a winter warning until 10am.

Gov. Nathan Deal declared a state of emergency for 50 north Georgia counties. State employees were sent home at 2pm. Habersham County public and private schools are closed and North Georgia Technical College has closed its three campuses on Thursday.

Road conditions are expected to worsen as the nighttime wears on. State and local road crews are scraping the roads now with snow plows and are laying salt and gravel to keep roads passable for emergency responders. All other drivers are urged to stay off the roads.

 

Anthony Lee Giaquinta

By
Staff Report
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Anthony Lee Giaquinta, age 41, of Clarkesville passed away February 22, 2015.

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