June turned out to be a pretty exciting month with a meteorite reaching the ground here in Georgia. Will another one hit in July? Who knows, they are entirely impossible to predict, but here’s some things that we do know will happen you can check out!
Lunar Happenings
July 3: On this eve of Independence Day you can spot the moon right next to Spica just after sunset. Spica is a bright, blue star in the constellation Virgo. Spica is actually a binary star system, but we are only able to see the main blue giant with our eyes.
July 6/7: The moon will meet up with Antares on both these nights as it races towards its full stage. It will be visible after dark in the southwest sky.
July 10: The Full Buck Moon occurs on the evening of the 10th. You may have noticed last month that the moon is taking a very low arc through the sky. This is due to an 18 year cycle where the moon rises higher and lower with time. 2025 is the lowest year until 2043, and June actually saw the lowest full moon until then. Don’t worry, though, this month’s moon will still be very low in the sky before it gradually works its way up through the next 9 years! Look for some nice yellow/orange color that will last a bit longer thanks to the high humidity we usually see this time of year and the low arc near the horizon!
Full moon. Image Credit: NASA
July 16: This might be my favorite conjunction of the month, although you will have to stay up late to catch it. The Moon, Saturn and Neptune will all be under blanket when they rise a bit after midnight. You’ll need a telescope to see Neptune, but it should be just barely visible through a small telescope in the glare of the moon. It’s location between the moon and lovely, currently ringless, Saturn will make it easy to find.
July 22/23: For the early risers out there, the moon will be next to Venus on the morning of the 22nd, and Jupiter in the morning of the 23rd. Jupiter actually won’t be easily visible until late month as it moves out from behind the sun from our perspective. It will gradually get higher in the sky through next January when it reaches it’s “opposition” and we sit directly between it and the Sun.
July 30: The moon will end the month the same way it started: right next to Spica in the evening sky!
Delta Aquarid Meteor Shower
We are nearing the peak of summer meteor season and the Delta Aquarid Meteor Shower is a nice warm-up event for the August Perseids. While it doesn’t have a particularly well defined peak like many showers, it will reach the maximum meteors around July 29/30. Like most showers, it is best after midnight until dawn. This year we won’t be competing with the moon, so the full 15-20 meteors per hour will be easier to come by.
The radiant comes from a fairly dim star, so you can use the constellation Pegasus and the bright star Fomalhaut to find the radiant point. You won’t need to be able to pinpoint this to see the meteors, though, they can appear anywhere in the sky and trace back to this point. You’ll likely also see a few early Perseids as well, so reaching 20-25 meteors per hour should be fairly easy from a dark sky site!
Summer stargazing is always a great time, so head out and enjoy the warm nights!
FILE - A carving depicting Confederate Civil War figures Stonewall Jackson, Robert E. Lee and Jefferson Davis, is seen in Stone Mountain, Ga., June 23, 2015. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File)
STONE MOUNTAIN, Ga. (AP) — The Georgia chapter of a Confederacy group filed a lawsuit Tuesday against a state park with the largest Confederate monument in the country, arguing officials broke state law by planning an exhibit on ties to slavery, segregation and white supremacy.
Stone Mountain’s massive carving depicts Confederate President Jefferson Davis, Gen. Robert E. Lee and Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson on horseback. Critics who have long pushed for changes say the monument enshrines the “Lost Cause” mythology that romanticizes the Confederate cause as a state’s rights struggle, but state law protects the carving from any changes.
After police brutality spurred nationwide reckonings on racial inequality and the removal of dozens of Confederate monuments in 2020, the Stone Mountain Memorial Association, which oversees Stone Mountain Park, voted in 2021 to relocate Confederate flags and build a “truth-telling” exhibit to reflect the site’s role in the rebirth of the Klu Klux Klan, along with the carving’s segregationist roots.
The Georgia Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans also alleges in earlier court documents that the board’s decision to relocate Confederate flags from a walking trail violates Georgia law.
“When they come after the history and attempt to change everything to the present political structure, that’s against the law,” said Martin O’Toole, the chapter’s spokesperson.
Stone Mountain Park markets itself as a family theme park and is a popular hiking spot east of Atlanta. Completed in 1972, the monument on the mountain’s northern space is 190 feet (58 meters) across and 90 feet (27 meters) tall. The United Daughters of the Confederacy hired sculptor Gutzon Borglum, who later carved Mount Rushmore, to craft the carving in 1915.
That same year, the film “Birth of a Nation” celebrated the Reconstruction-era Ku Klux Klan, which marked its comeback with a cross burning on top of Stone Mountain on Thanksgiving night in 1915. One of the 10 parts of the planned exhibit would expound on the Ku Klux’s Klan reemergence and the movie’s influence on the mountain’s monument.
The Stone Mountain Memorial Association hired Birmingham-based Warner Museums, which specializes in civil rights installations, to design the exhibit in 2022.
“The interpretive themes developed for Stone Mountain will explore how the collective memory created by Southerners in response to the real and imagined threats to the very foundation of Southern society, the institution of slavery, by westward expansion, a destructive war, and eventual military defeat, was fertile ground for the development of the Lost Cause movement amidst the social and economic disruptions that followed,” the exhibit proposal says.
Other parts of the exhibit would address how the United Daughters of the Confederacy and the Sons of Confederate Veterans perpetuated the “Lost Cause” ideology through support for monuments, education programs and racial segregation laws across the South. It would also tell stories of a small Black community that lived near the mountain after the war.
Georgia’s General Assembly allocated $11 million in 2023 to pay for the exhibit and renovate the park’s Memorial Hall. The exhibit is not open yet. A spokesperson for the park did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The park’s board in 2021 also voted to change its logo from an image of the Confederate carveout to a lake inside the park.
Sons of the Confederate Veterans members have defended the carvings as honoring Confederate soldiers.
The new exhibit would “completely repurpose the Stone Mountain Memorial Park” and “utterly ignore the purpose of the Georgia legislature in creating and maintaining” the park, the lawsuit says.
Everyone knows where they live in America, right? We each have addresses, phone numbers, and better ways to find each other than hound dogs tracking a scent. Pings, dings, and drones can locate us in a briar patch; even our watches can call for help. Yes, sir, it is hard to get lost here, but can our nation disappear?
Our political division has not just affected but decimated this great land. I thought after September 11, 2001, nothing could stop our resolve to maintain our freedom and unity. I don’t think there was a house without an American flag flying proudly.
After COVID-19 took the lives of over one million Americans, I anticipated that our compassion and appreciation for life would increase. We witnessed nearly every nation suffer, children become orphans, and tears shed over countless graves. Yet, we still seem unable to heal. Our tendency to blame others reached a new level and continues to persist today.
I thought January 6 and all that followed would be the final act of our scorn and division. However, in many ways, it was just a dagger inserted deep into the wounded spirit of our land.
As July 4 approaches each year, I typically write an uplifting column about our great nation. It still is a fantastic country, but are its citizens forgetting where they live? Are we lost in the briar patch of political discord and partisan rhetoric? It’s time to remember that we are all Americans, and our unity is our strength.
Long ago, seventy men from thirteen colonies gathered in Philadelphia to draft a constitution for their new nation. These individuals came to America from various countries in search of hope, freedom, and opportunity, united by a common dream.
Their ages ranged from 26 to 81, and each man brought his own opinions and ideas to the table. They worked together, argued, and likely threw a few inkwells during heated discussions. However, in the end, they compromised and reached an agreement, recognizing that the welfare of America was more important than their personal disputes and differing views.
The first sentence of our Constitution begins with the words: “We the People of the United States…”
Every citizen in every state is expected to contribute to forming a more perfect union that establishes freedom, justice, and equality for everyone.
We are not defined by those who lead us but by our actions.
In Minnesota, political divisions resulted in the tragic deaths of a mother, father, and their beloved dog. Others were severely injured because America’s importance was overshadowed by an individual’s philosophy. Today, the bleeding from the dagger left in American civility and respect for life is oozing to the surface.
Anger and political unrest, often amplified by traditional and social media, undermine the appreciation for the freedom countless men and women have fought for from the 1700s to today. Shameful discrimination, rampant misinformation, and judgmental attitudes continue to foster a climate of fear in this country, as if a silent war is ongoing among us.
I would prefer the thrown inkwells over the hateful and disrespectful language that comes from some of our so-called leaders. Their words undermine the essence of free speech. When expressing ourselves freely leads to hate spilling into our communities, it costs our entire country dearly.
We are the people of America. We should not be characterized solely as Republicans or Democrats. We must return to being American citizens—proud, resilient, and God-fearing individuals who love this nation. We are not defined by those who lead us but by our actions. We can either help our nation bridge the divisions among us or fall into the chasm created.
Building this nation required the efforts of people from every corner.
We can use our fearlessness to stop spreading political, partisan, and highly inflammatory rhetoric and actions. Don’t spread nasty emails, degrading remarks, or hate-filled opinions. Instead, let’s engage in respectful dialogue, listen to different perspectives, and seek common ground.
Many of our nation’s founders were concerned about establishing a two-party system in America. They feared that hyper-partisanship, disunity, and the suppression of minority viewpoints would lead to the loss of hope and independence for all. Have their worries become a reality?
So, who are we loyal to? Do we celebrate July 4 as a united nation or continue to demean those who don’t belong to our corner of thinking?
Building this nation required the efforts of people from every corner. Each individual labored and fought to protect the land we now call home. They entrusted us with a shared responsibility not to divide it based on differing opinions about what is best for America, but to collaborate and improve it together.
Those gathered in Philadelphia believed that future generations would be forever grateful for the fight they endured and the care they provided to ensure we would always be “We, the People…united.”
Los Angeles Angels' Zach Neto reacts after hitting a solo home run in the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Thursday, July 3, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Colin Hubbard)
ATLANTA (AP) — Zach Neto had three hits, including a homer, Nolan Schanuel added a two-run blast and José Soriano allowed only three hits in seven scoreless innings to lead the Los Angeles Angels to a 5-1 victory over the weak-hitting Atlanta Braves on Thursday night.
The Braves avoided a shutout on Jurickson Profar’s ninth-inning homer off left-hander Brock Burke. It was Profar’s second homer in two games since returning from an 80-game PED suspension.
Soriano (6-5) had seven strikeouts and did not allow a baserunner to reach second base. Neto scored three runs.
Bryce Elder (2-6) gave up four runs on eight hits and three walks in five innings. Elder’s third consecutive loss is a disturbing trend for a team that placed right-hander Spencer Schwellenbach on the 15-day injured list with a fractured right elbow on Wednesday.
The rotation previously lost Chris Sale (broken rib), AJ Smith-Shawver (Tommy John surgery) and Reynaldo López (shoulder surgery) to injuries. Manager Brian Snitker said he may use a bullpen game Saturday in the second game of a series against Baltimore.
Key moment
After allowing 10 runs, nine earned, and three homers in only two innings in a 13-0 loss to Philadelphia on Friday night, Elder gave up two more homers. Schanuel’s two-run shot in the second drove in Neto, who doubled.
Key stats
Matt Olson’s first-inning single to right field extended his streak of reaching base to 33 games, the majors’ longest active streak. Jo Adell’s first-inning single extended his hitting streak to 14 games, the Angels’ longest this season.
Up next
The Angels open a series at Toronto on Friday night when RHP Kyle Hendricks (5-6, 4.66 ERA) faces Blue Jays LHP Eric Lauer (4-1, 2.60).
Braves right-hander Spencer Strider (3-6, 3.86) will face former Atlanta right-hander Charlie Morton (4-7, 5.63) in the home series opener against the Orioles.
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigators say they stopped 700 pounds of methamphetamine from coming into Atlanta after a traffic stop involving a tractor-trailer in Gainesville.
The DEA says the huge drug seizure started with a tip claiming the drugs were hidden in the creases of cardboard boxes. The boxes concealed the drugs when they passed through the border and were scanned by X-ray machines.
Andres Jasso Junior and Rufino Perez were charged with possession of meth with intent to distribute. Perez is not a U.S. citizen and has been deported at least twice. Value of the drugs is estimated at $4.5 million.
Republican Rep. Tim Fleming of Covington has become the first candidate to launch a bid for Georgia secretary of state in 2026. (Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder)
(Georgia Recorder) — State Rep. Tim Fleming, a Covington Republican, has become the first candidate to launch a bid for secretary of state, seeking to replace Brad Raffensperger as Georgia’s top election official.
“Yesterday, I took the necessary steps to formally begin preparing a campaign for Georgia Secretary of State,” Fleming wrote in a post on Facebook Thursday.
“An official announcement will be made at the appropriate time, but in the meantime, I look forward to continuing meaningful conversations with Georgians across this great state about the challenges we face and the future we can build together with strong conservative leadership,” he added.
The secretary of state is responsible for overseeing elections across the state, granting business licenses for a variety of professions, and managing Georgia’s securities market. The role soared to new prominence after the 2020 presidential election, when Raffensperger, a Republican, resisted pressure from President Donald Trump to overturn Georgia’s election results in his favor.
In the years since, the Republican-controlled state Legislature and State Election Board have sought to strip power from the office, removing Raffensperger from his former position as chair of the State Election Board before ousting him from the board altogether. The Georgia GOP has also imposed sanctions on Raffensperger, passing a resolution to ban him from qualifying as a Republican in future elections.
Secretary of state Brad Raffensperger. (Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder)
Raffensperger, who first became secretary of state in 2019, has not announced whether he intends to run again for the seat in 2026. But Fleming, a business owner and outspoken supporter of the president, may be positioning himself to be a more Trump-aligned alternative. Raffensperger beat a Trump-backed challenger in 2022.
First elected to represent Georgia House District 114 in 2022, Fleming previously worked as Gov. Brian Kemp’s chief of staff. According to his campaign website, he also served as deputy secretary of state under Kemp, who was Georgia’s top election official from 2010 until 2018.
Fleming has helped shape election policy in his brief time in the General Assembly. During his first term in the Legislature, he successfully passed House Bill 1207, a bill initially aimed at revising ballot proofing procedures for local superintendents. However, it was later amended to include language from Senate Bill 221, a controversial elections bill that failed to pass during the 2023 legislative session. Among other changes, the legislation required all election workers to be U.S. citizens, outlined protections for poll watchers and eliminated the requirement for polling places to maintain a ratio of one voting machine for every 250 voters. The governor signed HB 1207 into law in May 2024.
Earlier this year, Fleming also introduced a controversial election bill that would prohibit Georgia from sharing voter information with third-party groups like the Electronic Registration Information Center, limit voters’ ability to drop off absentee ballots on the final weekend before Election Day and expand poll-watching areas, among other provisions. The bill successfully passed through both chambers, but failed to gain final passage before the Legislature adjourned.
He was also appointed to lead this year’s House Blue-Ribbon Study Committee on Election Procedures, which is expected to evaluate Georgia’s current election policies and provide recommendations for new election laws ahead of Georgia’s 2026 legislative session. The study committee will hold its first meeting in Atlanta on July 15.
Employees at the Clarkesville Library will be serving guests outside the library building until 2 p.m. on Thursday, July 3. The city library flooded on July 1 due to heavy rains. Servpro air blowers and box fans can be seen inside the library drying out the remaining moisture.
“We came in yesterday to the mess,” said Library Manager Shawna Meers-Ernst. “So we’re trying to make do and we’re trying to serve people the best we can.”
Meers-Ernst said there was no damage to the building or the library inventory. “The county was fantastic. They got out here really quickly. Servpro was here right after them, so it’s been handled really well.”
Monday is when Meers-Ernst estimates the building will be reopened. “The moisture levels are still too high to take any of the fans out,” she said.
Due to the July 4th holiday, the library will not be fully staffed on Friday. Library workers will be cleaning and rearranging furniture in the building.
Follow the Clarkesville-Habersham Public Library Facebook page for more updates.
Pamela Lee Finney, age 64, of Demorest, took her Heavenly flight home to be with the Lord on Wednesday, July 2, 2025.
Born on November 11, 1960, in Asheville, North Carolina, she was the daughter of the late O’Neil Drannan Cole and Cecilia Gaye Whit Cole. Pamela retired from Banks Jackson Commerce Hospital with 15 years of service. She loved her family, especially her grandchildren, with whom she enjoyed shopping trips, and vacations to the mountains and the beach. Pamela was a devout Christian and prayer warrior, who was eager to see Jesus.
Survivors include her husband of 48 years, David William Finney; sons and daughter-in-law, Daniel Finney (Jodi), and Joseph Finney; daughter and son-in-law, Christina Poss (Justin); grandchildren, Ruthie Poss, Logan Poss, Zoey Poss, Norah Poss, Dominic Finney, and Donovan Finney; stepsister, Beth Sexton; several other extended relatives and friends.
Memorial services are 2 pm on Thursday, July 24, 2025, in the Chapel of McGahee-Griffin & McEntire, with Rev. Terry Rice officiating.
The family will receive friends from 1 pm until the service hour on Thursday, July 24, 2025, at the funeral home.
An inurnment will be held, at a later date, in Shiloh Cemetery in Sparta, North Carolina.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., pauses to speak to reporters as he enters the chamber to prepare for final passage of President Donald Trump's signature bill of tax breaks and spending cuts, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, July 3, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans propelled President Donald Trump’s $4.5 trillion tax breaks and spending cuts bill to final congressional passage Thursday, overcoming multiple setbacks to approve his signature second-term policy package before a Fourth of July deadline.
The tight roll call, 218-214, came at a potentially high political cost, with two Republicans joining all Democrats opposed. GOP leaders worked overnight and the president himself leaned on a handful of skeptics to drop their opposition and send the bill to him to sign into law. Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York delayed voting by holding the floor for more than eight hours with a record-breaking speech against the bill.
“We have a big job to finish,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. “With one big beautiful bill we are going to make this country stronger, safer and more prosperous than ever before.”
The outcome delivers a milestone for the president, by his Friday goal, and for his party,. It was a long-shot effort to compile a lengthy list of GOP priorities into what they called his “one big beautiful bill,” an 800-plus page measure. With Democrats unified in opposition, the bill will become a defining measure of Trump’s return to the White House, aided by Republican control of Congress.
Tax breaks and safety net cuts
At its core, the package’s priority is $4.5 trillion in tax breaks enacted in 2017 during Trump’s first term that would expire if Congress failed to act, along with new ones. This includes allowing workers to deduct tips and overtime pay, and a $6,000 deduction for most older adults earning less than $75,000 a year.
There’s also a hefty investment, some $350 billion, in national security and Trump’s deportation agenda and to help develop the “Golden Dome” defensive system over the U.S.
To help offset the lost tax revenue, the package includes $1.2 trillion in cutbacks to the Medicaid health care and food stamps, largely by imposing new work requirements, including for some parents and older people, and a major rollback of green energy tax credits.
“This was a generational opportunity to deliver the most comprehensive and consequential set of conservative reforms in modern history, and that’s exactly what we’re doing,” said Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, the House Budget Committee chairman.
Democrats united against ‘ugly bill’
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., left, speaks in the House chamber as House Democrats stand to applaud him, prior to the final vote for President Donald Trump’s signature bill of tax breaks and spending cuts, at the Capitol, Thursday, July 3, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)
Democrats unified against the bill as a tax giveaway to the rich paid for on the backs of the working class and most vulnerable in society, what they called “trickle down cruelty.” Tensions ran high in the chamber.
Jeffries began the speech at 4:53 a.m. EDT and finished at 1:37 p.m. EDT, 8 hours, 44 minutes later, a record, as he argued against what he called Trump’s “big ugly bill.”
“We’re better than this,” Jeffries said, who used a leader’s prerogative for unlimited debate and read letter after letter from Americans writing about their reliance of the health care programs.
“I never thought that I’d be on the House floor saying that this is a crime scene,” Jeffries said.
“It’s a crime scene, going after the health, and the safety, and the well-being of the American people.”
And as Democrats, he said, “We want no part of it.”
Hauling the package through the Congress has been difficult from the start. Republicans have struggled mightily with the bill nearly every step of the way quarreling in the House and Senate, and often succeeding only by the narrowest of margins: just one vote.
The Senate passed the package days earlier with Vice President JD Vance breaking the tie vote. The slim majority in the House left Republicans little room for defections.
Political costs of saying no
Despite their discomfort with various aspects of the sprawling package, in some ways it became too big to fail — in part because Republicans found it difficult to buck Trump.
As Wednesday’s stalled floor action dragged overnight Trump railed against the delays.
“What are the Republicans waiting for???” the president said in a midnight post. “What are you trying to prove???”
Johnson relied heavily on White House Cabinet secretaries, lawyers and others to satisfy skeptical GOP holdouts. Moderate Republicans worried about the severity of cuts while conservatives pressed for steeper reductions. Lawmakers said they were being told the administration could provide executive actions, projects or other provisions in their districts back home.
The alternative was clear. Republicans who staked out opposition to the bill, including Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, and Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, were being warned by Trump’s well-funded political operation. Tillis soon after announced he would not seek reelection.
Democrats have described the bill in dire terms, warning that cuts to Medicaid, which some 80 million Americans rely on, would result in lives lost. Food stamps that help feed more than 40 million people would “rip food from the mouths of hungry children, hungry veterans and hungry seniors,” Jeffries said.
Republicans say the tax breaks will prevent a tax hike on households and grow the economy. They maintain they are trying to rightsize the safety net programs for the population they were initially designed to serve, mainly pregnant women, the disabled and children, and root out what they describe as waste, fraud and abuse.
The Tax Policy Center, which provides nonpartisan analysis of tax and budget policy, projected the bill would result next year in a $150 tax break for the lowest quintile of Americans, a $1,750 tax cut for the middle quintile and a $10,950 tax cut for the top quintile. That’s compared with what they would face if the 2017 tax cuts expired.
Pictured, from left, Cricket, Talon, and Bruce are among the older pets at the Humane Society of Northeast Georgia that are waiting for homes. Pet adoptions for dogs and cats over 6 months are free at HNGEA July 5-19. (Photos by HNEGA)
GAINESVILLE, GA — The Humane Society of Northeast Georgia (HSNEGA) is waiving adoption fees for cats and dogs over six months of age from Saturday, July 5 through Saturday, July 19 as part of the nationwide Empty the Shelters adoption initiative, sponsored by the BISSELL Pet Foundation.
This special event is designed to reduce pet homelessness by helping loving, responsible pet owners connect with fully vetted animals ready for adoption. All pets available through the program are spayed or neutered, vaccinated, microchipped, and ready to go home.
Adoptions will take place during HSNEGA’s normal business hours at:
Humane Society of Northeast Georgia
845 W. Ridge Road
Gainesville, GA 30501
Whether you’re looking for a loyal companion or a calm lap cat, this is an opportunity to open your heart and home while giving an animal in need a second chance. Serious, committed adopters only, please.
For more information, visit hsnega.org or call (770) 532-6617.
Tree blocks Alto-Mud Cree Road in south Habersham County after the storm. (Daniel Purcell/NowHabersham.com)
With forecasts warning of an exceptionally active storm season this year, the Habersham County Road Department is ready to respond to storm-related damage across the region.
According to the National Weather Service in Peachtree City, the 2025 storm season is expected to be significantly more intense than in previous years. In response, county officials say crews are already prepared to tackle a surge in downed trees, debris, and blocked roadways.
Since January 1, Habersham crews have cleared more than 180 roadways, each with multiple trees down, totaling an estimated 500 or more trees removed from public paths.
“Safety is our top priority, and we thank our dedicated Road Department staff for their tireless service,” said Public Information Officer Ashlyn Brady in a statement released Tuesday, July 1.
The Road Department is urging residents to report storm damage quickly and safely. If a tree falls and blocks a road—especially if power lines are involved—citizens should call 911 immediately and never attempt to move the debris themselves.
“Our crew will assess the scene, notify the utility company if lines are involved, and begin clearing operations once it is safe.,” the statement reads. “Debris will initially be pushed
to the right-of-way to restore traffic flow. Crews will return in the following weeks to fully clear rights-of-way.”
With staff and equipment redirected to prioritize storm cleanup, routine mowing operations have been delayed. The challenge has been compounded by heavy and frequent summer rainfall, which has accelerated grass growth along roadsides.
“We understand the importance of maintaining clear and safe rights-of-way,” Brady said, “and ask for your continued patience as we balance cleanup and mowing duties.”
For ongoing updates, visit www.habershamga.com or follow Habersham County government channels on social media.
One program participant assists another before their graduation from the Re-Entry Success Graduation program. (Clarke County Sheriff's Office)
The most recent cohort of the Re-entry Success Jail Resident Program has graduated. The program aims to empower incarcerated individuals and help them create successful futures.
Darryl Fitch is one of those recent graduates. “It’s pretty much worthwhile,” Fitch said. “I don’t regret it; I see all of the recognition. I know that the program helped me with my cognitive thinking skills.”
Shane Sims is the Executive Director of the nonprofit People Living in Recovery. The organization assists people with substance abuse issues, homelessness, and those affected by the criminal justice system. He says, “So, now that I understand what that cry sounds like and I can really interpret from them that their maladaptive behavior, so to speak, is actually a cry out. I feel like it’s my obligation to interpret, kind of listen out for that cry in the wind and then to respond and to be for these men what I didn’t have for myself.”
Cameron Stockton said he appreciated those efforts. “It could not have been other person but Shane Sims that came in here to do this,” according to Stockton. “With his energy and his spiritual influence and his mindset. The best way I can describe it is that like every time he came in here it felt like he was talking to me, like what was going on in my life.”
Sheriff John Q. Williams says he hopes the program can reduce recidivism, “How do you get people from coming back to jail, you have to give them some tools that they didn’t have when they came in, otherwise they’re going to go back to doing what they were.”
Twelve participants participated in the program.
This article comes to Now Habersham in partnership with GPB News
‘We, the People’…
Everyone knows where they live in America, right? We each have addresses, phone numbers, and better ways to find each other than hound dogs tracking a scent. Pings, dings, and drones can locate us in a briar patch; even our watches can call for help. Yes, sir, it is hard to get lost here, but can our nation disappear?
Our political division has not just affected but decimated this great land. I thought after September 11, 2001, nothing could stop our resolve to maintain our freedom and unity. I don’t think there was a house without an American flag flying proudly.
After COVID-19 took the lives of over one million Americans, I anticipated that our compassion and appreciation for life would increase. We witnessed nearly every nation suffer, children become orphans, and tears shed over countless graves. Yet, we still seem unable to heal. Our tendency to blame others reached a new level and continues to persist today.
I thought January 6 and all that followed would be the final act of our scorn and division. However, in many ways, it was just a dagger inserted deep into the wounded spirit of our land.
As July 4 approaches each year, I typically write an uplifting column about our great nation. It still is a fantastic country, but are its citizens forgetting where they live? Are we lost in the briar patch of political discord and partisan rhetoric? It’s time to remember that we are all Americans, and our unity is our strength.
Long ago, seventy men from thirteen colonies gathered in Philadelphia to draft a constitution for their new nation. These individuals came to America from various countries in search of hope, freedom, and opportunity, united by a common dream.
Their ages ranged from 26 to 81, and each man brought his own opinions and ideas to the table. They worked together, argued, and likely threw a few inkwells during heated discussions. However, in the end, they compromised and reached an agreement, recognizing that the welfare of America was more important than their personal disputes and differing views.
The first sentence of our Constitution begins with the words: “We the People of the United States…”
Every citizen in every state is expected to contribute to forming a more perfect union that establishes freedom, justice, and equality for everyone.
In Minnesota, political divisions resulted in the tragic deaths of a mother, father, and their beloved dog. Others were severely injured because America’s importance was overshadowed by an individual’s philosophy. Today, the bleeding from the dagger left in American civility and respect for life is oozing to the surface.
Anger and political unrest, often amplified by traditional and social media, undermine the appreciation for the freedom countless men and women have fought for from the 1700s to today. Shameful discrimination, rampant misinformation, and judgmental attitudes continue to foster a climate of fear in this country, as if a silent war is ongoing among us.
I would prefer the thrown inkwells over the hateful and disrespectful language that comes from some of our so-called leaders. Their words undermine the essence of free speech. When expressing ourselves freely leads to hate spilling into our communities, it costs our entire country dearly.
We are the people of America. We should not be characterized solely as Republicans or Democrats. We must return to being American citizens—proud, resilient, and God-fearing individuals who love this nation. We are not defined by those who lead us but by our actions. We can either help our nation bridge the divisions among us or fall into the chasm created.
We can use our fearlessness to stop spreading political, partisan, and highly inflammatory rhetoric and actions. Don’t spread nasty emails, degrading remarks, or hate-filled opinions. Instead, let’s engage in respectful dialogue, listen to different perspectives, and seek common ground.
Many of our nation’s founders were concerned about establishing a two-party system in America. They feared that hyper-partisanship, disunity, and the suppression of minority viewpoints would lead to the loss of hope and independence for all. Have their worries become a reality?
So, who are we loyal to? Do we celebrate July 4 as a united nation or continue to demean those who don’t belong to our corner of thinking?
Building this nation required the efforts of people from every corner. Each individual labored and fought to protect the land we now call home. They entrusted us with a shared responsibility not to divide it based on differing opinions about what is best for America, but to collaborate and improve it together.
Those gathered in Philadelphia believed that future generations would be forever grateful for the fight they endured and the care they provided to ensure we would always be “We, the People…united.”
Are we?