Two inmates at the Athens-Clarke County Jail were hospitalized Tuesday evening after suspected drug overdoses in separate incidents less than 30 minutes apart. Deputies found both men unresponsive in their cells and administered immediate life-saving measures before EMS transported them to a local hospital for treatment, a jail spokesperson said.
At approximately 5 p.m., deputies discovered an unresponsive 28-year-old white male in one of the housing units. Jail personnel immediately initiated life-saving measures and notified medical staff, said Athens-Clarke County Sheriff’s Public Information Officer Keith Sims. Emergency Medical Services (EMS) responded, and the individual—who had regained consciousness—was transported to a nearby hospital for further treatment.
At approximately 5:26 p.m., Sims said staff were alerted to a second unresponsive individual in a separate housing unit. Jail personnel again responded, providing emergency aid to the 36-year-old black male. EMS and the Athens-Clarke County Fire Department (ACCFD) responded and transported the individual to an area hospital for medical evaluation.
“Both individuals are being evaluated for suspected drug overdoses after deputies found suspected drugs inside the housing unit,” said Sims.
No additional information is available at this time.
The suspected overdoses occurred hours after the jail reported another inmate had died. The inmate, whose name has not been released, was found unresponsive in his cell and later died at the hospital. His cause of death has not been released.
Volunteers help clean up a house after flooding in Kerrville, Texas on Tuesday, July 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
HUNT, Texas (AP) — More than 160 people are still believed to be missing in Texas days after flash floods killed over 100 people during the July Fourth weekend, the state’s governor said Tuesday.
The huge jump in the number unaccounted for — roughly three times higher than previously said — came after authorities set up a hotline for families to call.
Those reported missing are in Kerr County, where most of the victims have been recovered so far, Gov. Greg Abbott said. Many were likely visiting or staying in the state’s Hill Country during the holiday but did not register at a camp or hotel, he said during a news conference.
The county’s lowlands along the Guadalupe River are filled with youth camps and campgrounds, including Camp Mystic, the century-old all-girls Christian summer camp where at least 27 campers and counselors died. Officials said Tuesday that five campers and one counselor have still not been found.
Search-and-rescue teams are using heavy equipment to untangle and peel away layers of trees, unearth large rocks in riverbanks and move massive piles of debris that stretch for miles in the search for the missing people. Crews in airboats, helicopters and on horseback along with hundreds of volunteers are part of one of the largest search operations in Texas history.
The flash flood is the deadliest from inland flooding in the U.S. since Colorado’s Big Thompson Canyon flood on July 31, 1976, killed 144 people, said Bob Henson, a meteorologist with Yale Climate Connections. That flood surged through a narrow canyon packed with people on a holiday weekend, Colorado’s centennial celebration.
Public officials in charge of locating the victims are facing intensifying questions about who was in charge of monitoring the weather and warning that floodwaters were barreling toward camps and homes.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks during a press conference on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, after touring damage from flash flooding in Hunt, Texas. (AP Photo/Eli Hartman)
The Republican governor, who took a helicopter tour of the disaster zone, dismissed a question about who was to blame for the deaths, saying, “That’s the word choice of losers.”
“Every football team makes mistakes,” he said. “The losing teams are the ones that try to point out who’s to blame. The championship teams are the ones who say, ’Don’t worry about it, man, we got this. We’re going to make sure that we go score again and we’re going to win this game.’ The way winners talk is not to point fingers.”
Abbott promised that the search for victims will not stop until everyone is found. He also said President Donald Trump has pledged to provide whatever relief Texas needs to recover. Trump plans to visit the state Friday.
Scenes of devastation at Camp Mystic
Outside the cabins at Camp Mystic where the girls had slept, mud-splattered blankets and pillows were scattered on a grassy hill that slopes toward the river. Also in the debris were pink, purple and blue luggage decorated with stickers.
Among those who died at the camp were a second grader who loved pink sparkles and bows, a 19-year-old counselor who enjoyed mentoring young girls and the camp’s 75-year-old director.
The flash floods erupted before daybreak Friday after massive rains sent water speeding down hills into the Guadalupe River, causing it to rise 26 feet (8 meters) in less than an hour. The wall of water overwhelmed people in cabins, tents and trailers along the river’s edge. Some survivors were found clinging to trees.
Some campers had to swim out of cabin windows to safety while others held onto a rope as they made their way to higher ground. Time-lapse videos showed how floodwaters covered roads in a matter of minutes.
Questions mounted about what, if any, actions local officials took to warn campers and residents who were spending the July Fourth weekend in the scenic area long known to locals as “flash flood alley.”
Leaders in Kerr county, where searchers have found about 90 bodies, said their first priority is recovering victims, not reviewing what happened in the hours before the flash floods.
“Right now, this team up here is focused on bringing people home,” Lt. Col. Ben Baker of the Texas Game Wardens, said during a sometimes tense news conference.
Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, the county’s chief elected official, said in the hours after the devastation that the county does not have a warning system.
Generations of families in the Hill Country have known the dangers. A 1987 flood forced the evacuation of a youth camp in the town of Comfort and swamped buses and vans. Ten teenagers were killed.
Local leaders have talked for years about the need for a warning system. Kerr County sought a nearly $1 million grant eight years ago for such a system, but the request was turned down by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Local residents balked at footing the bill themselves, Kelly said.
Recovery and cleanup goes on
Four days have passed since anyone was found alive in the aftermath of the floods in Kerr County, officials said Tuesday.
The bodies of 30 children were among those that have been recovered in the county, which is home to Camp Mystic and several other summer camps, the sheriff said.
The devastation spread across several hundred miles in central Texas all the way to just outside the capital of Austin.
Aidan Duncan escaped just in time after hearing the muffled blare of a megaphone urging residents to evacuate Riverside RV Park in the Hill Country town of Ingram.
All his belongings — a mattress, sports cards, his pet parakeet’s bird cage — now sit caked in mud in front of his home.
“What’s going on right now, it hurts,” the 17-year-old said. “I literally cried so hard.”
Along the banks of the Guadalupe, 91-year-old Charles Hanson, a resident at a senior living center, was sweeping up wood and piling pieces of concrete and stone, remnants from a playground structure.
He wanted to help clean up on behalf of his neighbors who can’t get out. “We’ll make do with the best we got,” he said.
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) works out during practice at NFL football minicamp, Wednesday, June 11, 2025, in Flowery Branch, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
ATLANTA (AP) — Kirk Cousins said on the Netflix docuseries “Quarterback” that he played through an injury to his throwing arm last season in part to keep from losing his starting job with the Atlanta Falcons to rookie backup Michael Penix Jr.
At minicamp last month, Cousins said he realized after last season he wasn’t as healthy as he thought he was at the time, citing an ankle injury that affected his mobility.
In the seventh and final episode of the second season of the Netflix show, which was released on Tuesday, Cousins said he made the best decision he could at the time after taking a big hit to his right shoulder and ribcage by New Orleans defensive end Payton Turner on Nov. 10.
Cousins was seen in an earlier episode telling training staff on the sideline he bruised his elbow “pretty good” but insisted he was all right and never missed time.
“Immediately my elbow lit up, and I knew I irritated something,” Cousins said on the show. “Had shooting pain kind of right through inside my elbow. My shoulder started to really throb, so I knew right away, like, ‘OK this is a little more serious.’ Once I lost my shoulder and my elbow, I didn’t have many other places to lean on to get the power I needed.”
Cousins was listed on the NFL’s official injury report in Week 11 with “right shoulder, right elbow” limiting his participation in one practice, but that was the only time the Falcons put him on the list all season. Cousins threw eight interceptions with just one touchdown pass over the next four games, and the Falcons lost three of them before turning to Penix.
Cousins said on “Quarterback” he did not want to come out because he was concerned about his starting status, citing a 2010 autobiography by Drew Brees that referenced advice from Doug Flutie to never let the backup see the field.
“If you sit down Week 10 and take two or three weeks or more to let it heal, you may never get your job back,” Cousins said. “That was something I always was aware of, that in this league, if you give someone else the chance, if you want to be Wally Pipp and there’s Lou Gehrig behind you, that can happen.”
Also on “Quarterback,” Cousins said he felt “a little bit misled” by Atlanta signing him in free agency last year before selecting Penix with the eighth pick in the draft. He said he might have re-signed with the Minnesota Vikings had he known the Falcons would draft a QB in the top 10.
“If I had the information around free agency, it certainly would’ve affected my decision,” Cousins said on the first episode of the season. “I had no reason to leave Minnesota with how much we loved it there if both teams are going to be drafting a quarterback high.”
His wife, Julie, emotionally described on the docuseries the difficult week for the couple when Cousins was benched for Penix. The day Cousins was called into the office by Falcons coach Raheem Morris to discuss the demotion, he called Penix to encourage the rookie before returning to the house.
“That is the kind of man he is,” Julie Cousins said, her voice cracking.
Cousins, who turns 37 in August, remains on Atlanta’s roster with the beginning of training camp two weeks away. This will be his 14th NFL season since being drafted in the fourth round by Washington out of Michigan State in 2012.
His youngest son, 6-year-old Turner, consoled him after the benching by telling him, “It’s OK you’re kicked off the team, because now you can spend more time with us playing football in the basement,” Cousins said on the episode, laughing as he recounted the interaction. “I always said that I wanted to play long enough so that my boys would be able to understand what daddy does, and those comments reminded me that I may still have to play a little longer for them to truly understand what dad does.”
An 83-year-old Hoschton man was cited for failure to yield after a crash involving a Hall County fire engine Tuesday morning.
The collision happened around 8:52 a.m. at the intersection of State Route 347/Friendship Road and Deaton Creek Parkway, according to the Georgia State Patrol.
Investigators say Philip Okun was driving a Kia K5 eastbound on Friendship Road, attempting to turn left onto Deaton Creek Parkway, when he turned in front of the westbound fire engine. The engine, operated by 58-year-old Jeffrey Reed of Gainesville, was responding to a call at the time and was unable to stop in time, the State Patrol said.
The fire engine struck the Kia on the right side, causing the car to rotate clockwise and come to an uncontrolled rest off the roadway. The fire engine came to a controlled stop in the westbound lanes.
Okun was transported from the scene for treatment of injuries. Reed was also transported for further medical evaluation.
The Georgia State Patrol cited Okun for failure to yield while turning left.
Clarkesville Police Officer Terry Lee Palmer accepts the Heroic Action Award from Fraternal Order of Police representative, Michael Palmer. Joining them is Clarkesville Police Chief Danny Clouatre, who nominated Officer Palmer for the award. (Chaz Mullis/NowHabersham.com)
A Clarkesville police officer is being hailed a hero for his actions during a life-threatening incident that authorities say stopped an ambush on fellow officers and a potential mass shooting.
The Georgia State Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) honored Officer Terry Lee Palmer with a valor award for his response to an emergency at Cameron Apartments in Clarkesville on September 7, 2024. On that night, Clarkesville police were called to the apartment complex for a welfare check on resident Allen Patterson. There were concerns that Patterson, an Army veteran, was struggling with mental health issues. Several Habersham County deputies responded as backup.
According to the police department’s incident report, while officers were on the scene, Patterson was observed following behind several deputies “with what appeared to be a rifle, pointed in their direction.”
Clarkesville Police Chief Danny Clouatre told Now Habersham that Palmer saw what was happening and engaged the subject, calling out for him to drop his weapon. Patterson then reportedly turned his gun on Palmer, who fired at him.
Chief Clouatre said by engaging Patterson, Officer Palmer gave the deputies time to turn around and protect themselves against the perceived threat. They opened fire on Patterson, who later died from his injuries.
“Officer Palmer averted an ambush on police personnel and a potential mass shooting involving residents,” said FOP North Georgia Mountains Lodge #112 President Michael Palmer during the award presentation. “He then performed life-saving measures on the perpetrator. For his selfless act, we are forever grateful.”
Giving credit where credit is due
Pictured, left to right, State Sen. Bo Hatchett, FOP North Georgia Mountains Lodge #112 President Michael Palmer, Clarkesville Police Officer Terry Lee Palmer, Clarkesville Police Chief Danny Clouatre, State Rep. Victor Anderson. (Chaz Mullis/NowHabersham)
Palmer and fellow FOP member Craig Fulghum presented Officer Palmer with the award during the July 7 Clarkesville City Council meeting. District 50 State Sen. Bo Hatchett and District 10 State Rep. Victor Anderson attended the ceremony.
“Giving recognition where recognition is due is very important to all of us in law enforcement,” said Michael Palmer. “Every officer is trained to make split-second decisions every day.”
The GBI Medical Examiner’s Office has not yet completed its report into the Patterson shooting. Chief Clouatre said he could not give an estimate on when the case would be closed.
“We can’t divulge a lot of details until everything’s completed, but most people don’t understand Terry’s actions,” Clouatre said. “You never see the crime that you stop; you only see the crime that you haven’t [stopped].”
A dangerous job
The Georgia FOP presents awards annually to officers across the state who demonstrate extraordinary service. For Michael Palmer, the opportunity to honor a fellow officer from his lodge made the recognition particularly meaningful.
“In the world we live in now, it is extremely important that all law enforcement officers receive proper credit for the outstanding work they do. And the FOP is proud to assist in that effort,” he said.
According to the FOP, in 2024, 342 officers were shot nationwide, including 18 in Georgia. Of those, 79 were ambushed, resulting in 18 deaths.
“It is because of Officer Palmer’s actions this number did not increase,” the FOP stated.
The Georgia Fraternal Order of Police represents over 7,500 officers statewide and is part of the largest law enforcement organization in the nation, with more than 377,000 members.
FILE - In this Aug. 3, 2011 photo, an experienced airline passenger holds his shoes and has an unloosened belt while waiting to go through the Transportation Security Administration security checkpoint at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Erik S. Lesser, File)
For the first time in almost 20 years, travelers may no longer be required to take off their shoes during security screenings at U.S. airports.
The Transportation Security Administration is looking to abandon the additional security step that has for years bedeviled anyone passing through U.S airports, according to media reports.
If implemented, it would put an end to a security screening mandate put in place almost 20 years ago, several years after “shoe bomber” Richard Reid’s failed attempt to take down a flight from Paris to Miami in late 2001.
The travel newsletter Gate Access was first to report that the security screening change is coming. ABC News reported on an internal memo sent to TSA officers last week that states the new policy allows travelers to keep their shoes on during standard screenings at many U.S. airports, beginning Sunday. That would expand to all airports shortly.
The plan is for the change to occur at all U.S. airports soon, the memo said.
Travelers have previously been able to skirt the extra security requirement if they participate in the TSA PreCheck program, which costs around $80 for five years. The program allows airline passengers to get through the screening process without removing shoes, belts or light jackets.
All passengers between the ages of 12 and 75 are required to remove their shoes, which are scanned along with carry on luggage.
The TSA has not officially confirmed the reported security screening change yet.
“TSA and DHS are always exploring new and innovative ways to enhance passenger experience and our strong security posture,” a TSA spokesperson said in a statement Tuesday. “Any potential updates to our security process will be issued through official channels.”
The TSA began in 2001 when President George W. Bush signed legislation for its creation two months after the 9/11 attacks. The agency included federal airport screeners that replaced the private companies airlines had used to handle security.
Over the years the TSA has continued to look for ways to enhance its security measures, including testing facial recognition technology and implementing Real ID requirements.
One of the most prominent friction points for travelers is the TSA at screening checkpoints. Trump’s Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy asked the public in an April social media post what would make travel more seamless.
The following day, Duffy posted on X that, “It’s very clear that TSA is the #1 travel complaint. That falls under the Department of Homeland Security. I’ll discuss this with @Sec_Noem.”
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem will host a press conference Tuesday evening at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to announce a new TSA policy “that will make screening easier for passengers, improve traveler satisfaction, and reduce wait times,” her agency said.
Trump fired TSA Administrator David Pekoske in January in the middle of a second five-year term, though he was appointed by Trump during his first term in the White House. Pekoske was reappointed by President Joe Biden.
No reason was given for Pekoske’s departure. The administrator position remains vacant, according to the TSA website.
The City of Baldwin has lifted the boil water advisory for customers south of State Route 441 and Old 441. The advisory was issued as a precaution following a water main break that caused a temporary pressure drop.
Bacteriological testing from multiple sites confirmed the absence of harmful bacteria, and the water is now safe for consumption, according to Scott Barnhart, Public Works Director for Baldwin.
Affected areas included:
Cotton Tail Lane
Ferguson Road
Harmony Church Road
Moss Mill Area
Old 441
Ottis Brown Road
Rock Springs Road
Soapstone Road
SR 105
Trotters Glenn
Wolford Creek Road
Wynn Lake Road
Barnhart said, “The City of Baldwin Water Department would like to thank you for your help in this event and apologize for any inconvenience.”
Mount Airy Mayor Ray McCallister, center, administers the oath of office to returning councilmembers, from left, Adam Tullis, Chris Green, and Mike McCoy during the Jan. 9, 2024, town council meeting. (Jerry Neace/NowHabersham.com)
On Monday, July 7, Mt. Airy Town Council approved a resolution to call for a special election to fill Councilman Adam Tullis’ council seat. Tullis submitted his resignation from the council in May after 14 years as a council member. His resignation will go into effect on August 17.
According to Town Clerk Sheri Berrong, Tullis plans to run for mayor in the upcoming election. Current Mayor William “Ray” McAllister announced earlier this year that he planned to step down from the position after 29 years of service.
“Qualifying for the election starts August 18, so Adam will have been out of office long enough to legally take the seat of mayor if he’s successful in his bid for office,” Berrong said.
The special election will take place on November 4, coinciding with the statewide election for the Georgia Public Service Commission.
The White County Board of Commissioners has approved a ballot question that will give the citizens the opportunity to vote on whether the county can impose a 1-cent sales tax that should lead to lower property taxes.
Following an intergovernmental agreement with the cities of Cleveland and Helen, the commission approved a Floating Local Option Sales Tax (FLOST) question to be included in this year’s November balloting.
FLOST is a penny-on-the-dollar floating local option sales and use tax. If voters approve the tax—which officials say 60 percent or more of the revenue would be paid for by visitors to the county—it is expected to raise approximately $45,000,000. Those funds under Georgia law must be distributed to reduce property taxes.
The tax relief is not only for county taxpayers, but both Cleveland and Helen property owners will also see the reduction, commissioners said.
As things stand now, if the sales tax is approved, both city property taxes would be cut to zero, and county property taxes will be reduced by one-half, according to officials.
White County Commission Chairman Travis Turner noted that the tax relief does not include a reduction of the school tax rate.
Turner said that they can’t openly promote this sales tax, but asked county residents, “to do your research, to see how this affects you, that’s a better word, how this can affect you. This is also, if this passes in November, all property owners, not just your residential owners, also properties that are in commercial names or business names would also be affected more, actually potentially benefit.”
The FLOST question will appear on the November ballot.
Elizabeth Mae (Barron) Nix died peacefully on June 27th at 4:30 PM surrounded by her son Kerry Nix, daughter Sharen Nix-Beaulieu, and daughter-in-law Colleen Nix.
Elizabeth had been widowed 15 years prior, as her husband Leon Dennis Nix had passed away in 2010.
Elizabeth was 81 years old, born in 1943 in Clarksville, TN. Her parents moved to Cornelia when she was very young. Her parents went on to become well-regarded and beloved members of the community. Mr. John Barron was a Habersham County deputy sheriff, shop teacher, and long-time security guard at Habersham High School. Ms. Evelyn Barron was an English teacher.
Elizabeth worked for over 20 years at Scovill Fasteners. She had a similar tenure at Walmart where many people would recognize her from the photo lab or customer returns. Many of her coworkers, colleagues, and friends will know the passing is a huge loss due to her loving nature, giving spirit, servant’s heart, and talents as an amazing cook.
At the time of her passing, Elizabeth was residing in Gainesville, where she was loved by the staff at the location. Many of whom came to pray and share the family’s grief and loss of her passing. The loss of Elizabeth Nix is felt by family, friends, and acquaintances as she is warmly remembered by all who knew her and were blessed by the association.
Elizabeth is survived by her daughter and husband, Sharen and Marc Beaulieu, their 4 children: Vincent, Giovanna, Jake, Alex, and Gisele. She is also survived by her son and wife Kerry and Colleen Nix, their three children and spouses: Jared (with wife Cathy), Brandon (with wife Danille), and Sasha Rowland. In addition, Elizabeth has six great-grandchildren: Kendall, Ollie, Elara, Freya, Marlee, and Baylee. She is also survived by her “little brother,” Bill Barron of Clarkesville.
A celebration of life service will be held at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, July 12, 2025, at The Bridge Church, 607 Hulsey Rd, Cleveland, GA 30528 (706) 219-2857
Arrangements have been entrusted to the Whitfield Funeral Home, North Chapel at 245 Central Avenue, Demorest, Georgia 30535. Telephone: 706-778-1700.
The Clarkesville City Council approved a golf cart ordinance in April 2022, allowing specially-equipped golf carts to be driven on city streets. (Joy Purcell/NowHabersham.com)
The city of Clarkesville was loaned golf carts by an individual for transportation during the Mountain Laurel Festival. City Manager Keith Dickerson reported that the individual inquired about renting golf carts to residents in town. That sparked a discussion about the possibility during the city council’s work session on July 7.
Dickerson suggested that golf carts should not be allowed to be rented in the city, citing concerns involving accident liability and traffic violations. “[During the Mountain Laurel Festival,] They were driving up and down Washington Street even after we explained to them that they couldn’t drive there,” Dickerson said.
“You go to the beach and see people renting carts for a weekend and take off,” said Mayor Pro Tem Franklin Brown. “I don’t wanna see that.”
Councilman Don Nix said he thought golf carts could be used for limited transportation purposes, namely for shuttling event patrons from distant parking lots to the square. “I don’t think we should be renting them to individuals, but I think there’s a benefit to having a service like that,” he said.
The council agreed that if golf carts were to be permitted for city or rental use, the individual’s carts would need to comply with the city’s safety standards. This would include having proper headlights, brake lights and other safety features.
“We’re happy to have him furnish them, but they’ve got to meet our standards,” Mayor Barrie Aycock said.
Franklin said he would meet with the individual the day after the meeting to find out more about his ideas for the golf carts.
In April 2022, the Clarkesville City Council passed an ordinance allowing specially-equipped golf carts to be driven on city streets.
Marilyn McAllister Wildes, age 81, of Hoschton, passed away Saturday, July 5, 2025, at her home under the loving care of her family.
Born in Clarkesville, Georgia, she grew up in Habersham Mills, the daughter of Paul and Pearl McAllister, with her large, loving family of nine brothers and sisters. Marilyn was a 1961 graduate of North Habersham High School. Her first job was with Retail Credit in Atlanta. She worked many years as secretary at the Chestnut Drive Church of Christ in Doraville. Retiring in 2018 from Dutch Valley Supply Co., she was the payroll administrator. Marilyn was an accomplished seamstress, making Raggedy Ann dolls and Georgia Bulldog blankets that she shared with family and friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents and seven brothers and sisters, Mildred, Betty, Charles, Raymond, Gene, Fred, and James.
Survivors are her husband of 59 years, Vann Wildes of Hoschton; two daughters, Karen Wildes of Hoschton and Kelli Price of Braselton; a son and daughter-in-law, Greg and Kym Wildes of Atlanta; two grandchildren, Jared (Savannah) Price of Winder and Allison Price of Lawrenceville; a sweet little great granddaughter, Evelyn Louise Price; a brother, David McAllister of Fayetteville and a sister, Peggy (Joe) Smith of Cumming; her Wildes brothers and sisters and many nieces and nephews.
Funeral services are scheduled for 2:00 p.m. Thursday, July 10, 2025, from the Chapel of McGahee-Griffin & McEntire with Rev. Kenneth McEntire officiating.
Interment will follow in Habersham Cemetery.
The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 12:00 noon until the service hour on Thursday.
