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Devers homers in 9th to give Red Sox 7-6 win over Braves

By
Ken Powtak
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Boston Red Sox's Rafael Devers, left, celebrates as he runs the bases toward home after hitting a walkoff home run in the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Saturday, May 17, 2025, in Boston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

BOSTON (AP) — Rafael Devers homered leading off the bottom of the ninth inning against Pierce Johnson, sending the Boston Red Sox to a 7-6 comeback win over the Atlanta Braves on Saturday night that snapped their four-game losing streak.

Jarren Duran had a two-run homer and a tying two-run single for the Red Sox, who had dropped 10 of 15.

Atlanta’s Matt Olson and Marcell Ozuna hit consecutive first-inning homers off Lucas Giolito, helping the Braves build a 5-0 lead before the Red Sox came charging back with two runs in the seventh and two in the eighth.

Drake Baldwin added a two-run homer for Atlanta, which lost for only the fifth time in 14 games.

Aroldis Chapman (3-2) struck out three in a scoreless inning for the win.

Eli White had three singles and a couple of nice running catches on back-to-back plays in the fourth for the Braves.

It was the second straight night that Olson was the front end of back-to-back homers after he hit a solo shot in a series-opening victory Friday.

Baldwin’s drive sailed over the top of the right-field foul pole, making it 5-0 in the third.

Making his fourth start after missing 2024 following elbow surgery, Giolito was tagged for six runs in four innings.

Key moment

Devers hit a 2-1 curveball from Johnson (1-1) into Boston’s bullpen.

Key stat

Atlanta (23-23) is only the fifth team to start 0-7 and move above .500. None of the previous four made the playoffs.

Up next

Braves RHP Spencer Schwellenbach (2-3, 3.31 ERA) pitches against RHP Brayan Bello (2-0, 2.33) in the series finale Sunday.

Gainesville man stabbed, suspect in custody

By
Staff Report
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(NowGeorgia.com)

Investigators with the Hall County Sheriff’s Office have arrested a suspect in connection with a stabbing that occurred Saturday in the parking lot of adjoining businesses on Browns Bridge Road in Gainesville.

According to the investigation, just before 11:30 a.m. on May 17, two men became involved in a verbal argument that escalated into a physical altercation in the 1500 block of Browns Bridge Road.

“During the course of the fight, the 43-year-old victim sustained multiple stab wounds to his upper body. The victim walked across the roadway to a Subway restaurant to seek help,” the sheriff’s office says.

The suspect, 44-year-old Alvin Reginald Maull of Gainesville, fled the scene. Following a brief search, law enforcement officers located Maull at the QT convenience store at the corner of Jesse Jewell Parkway and Queen City Parkway. He was taken into custody without incident just before 12:30 p.m.

At this time, Maull faces a single felony count of aggravated assault. The investigation is ongoing.

The victim remains hospitalized at Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville. He is expected to survive his injuries.

Personnel with the Gainesville Police Department assisted with Saturday’s incident investigation.

14th Annual Duck Race for Literacy makes a big splash in Habersham County

By
Nora Almazan
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A race to the finish line for the 14th Annual Volunteers for Literacy Duck Race. (Jerry Neace/NowHabersham.com)

The 14th Annual Volunteers for Literacy Duck Race brought excitement and community spirit to the Soque River in Clarkesville, Georgia, during the 2025 Mountain Laurel Festival held Saturday, May 17. The race started at 2 p.m. when nearly 3,000 rubber ducks took the plunge in a colorful and highly anticipated race to support literacy efforts throughout Habersham County.

The event, now a cherished local tradition, raises essential funds for Volunteers for Literacy of Habersham County. Proceeds benefit key educational initiatives, including GED scholarships, English language classes, dictionary donations for third graders, and the operation of Little Free Libraries in the area.

This year’s lucky winners are:

First Place: Ellen Coulon – $1,000

Second Place: Tom Thompson – $500

Third Place: Viv Hart – $250

Volunteers for Literacy Executive Director and event organizers expressed gratitude for the overwhelming community support. “Every duck adopted helps someone in our community move closer to their educational goals,” said one representative.

To learn more about upcoming events or to support literacy programs in Habersham County, visit www.vflhabersham.com.

Justice Department deal ends a ban on an aftermarket trigger. Gun control advocates are alarmed

By
Alanna Durkin Richer
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Attorney General Pam Bondi listens during a news conference at the Department of Justice, Wednesday, May 7, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration will allow the sale of forced-reset triggers, which make semiautomatic rifles fire more rapidly, with the federal government ending a ban as part of a settlement that also requires it to return seized devices.

The agreement announced Friday by the Justice Department resolves a series of cases over the aftermarket trigger that the government had previously argued qualify as machine guns under federal law. The settlement is a dramatic shift in Second Amendment policy under the Republican administration, which has signaled it may undo many of the regulations that the previous administration of Democratic President Joe Biden had fought to keep in place in an effort to curb gun violence.

“This Department of Justice believes that the 2nd Amendment is not a second-class right,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement.

Gun control advocates said the settlement would worsen gun violence.

“The Trump administration has just effectively legalized machine guns. Lives will be lost because of his actions,” said Vanessa Gonzalez, vice president of government and political affairs at GIFFORDS, a gun control group.

There had been several legal battles over forced-reset triggers, which replace the typical trigger on an AR-15-style rifle. The government for years had argued they are essentially illegal machine gun conversion devices because constant finger pressure on the triggers will keep a rifle firing essentially like an automatic.

The deal announced Friday was between the Justice Department and Rare Breed Triggers, which was previously represented by David Warrington, Trump’s current White House counsel. Rare Breed Triggers argued that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was wrong in its classification and ignored demands to stop selling the triggers before being sued by the Biden administration.

“This victory is a landmark moment in the fight against unchecked government overreach,” Lawrence DeMonico, the group’s president, said in a statement. “The ATF and DOJ tried to silence and bury us not because we broke the law, but because I refused to bend to the will of a tyrannical administration.”

Under the settlement, Rare Breed Triggers has agreed not to develop such devices to be used on handguns, according to the Justice Department. The settlement requires the ATF to return triggers that it had seized or that owners had voluntarily surrendered to the government.

Piedmont’s Goolsby qualifies for NCAA Division III national championships

By
Danielle Percival
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(Piedmont Athletic Communications)

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Piedmont University Track and Field junior Silas Goolsby has qualified for the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field National Championships in the 200m, as announced by the NCAA in the official qualification release on Friday evening.

The top 22 individuals in each event qualify for the national championship field. Goolsby’s 21.10 in the 200m ranked tied for 14th in the country.

This marks the first time for the junior from Dacula, Georgia to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships.

The NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships are scheduled for next week on Thursday, May 22-Saturday, May 24 at the Spire Institute in Geneva, Ohio.

High-speed motorcycle chase leads to crash, arrest of Hartwell man

By
Staff Report
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(NowHabersham.com)

A high-speed motorcycle pursuit across multiple counties ended in a crash near Vanna just after midnight on Saturday, May 17, according to the Hart County Sheriff’s Office.

Just after midnight, a deputy attempted to stop a motorcycle allegedly traveling over 100 mph on Bowersville Highway. Police say the driver refused to stop, prompting a pursuit that reached speeds exceeding 120 mph. The chase continued along Bowersville Highway onto Highway 17 South, passing through Canon and Royston before turning onto Freedom Church Road.

Near Pullian Lane in the Vanna community, the driver lost control of the motorcycle and crashed into a fence, according to authorities. Emergency medical personnel from Hart County EMS responded to the scene and transported the driver to Piedmont Athens Regional Hospital in Athens for treatment.

The driver has been identified as 37-year-old David William Maddox of Hartwell. Authorities say Maddox is facing multiple charges, including felony fleeing and attempting to elude, reckless driving, speeding, driving on a limited permit, failure to maintain lane, too fast for conditions and passing in a no passing zone.

The incident remains under investigation by the Hart County Sheriff’s Office.

Carolyn Virginia Barrett (England)

By
Now Habersham
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Carolyn Virginia Barrett (England), 67 of Baldwin, GA, passed away on Friday, May 16, 2025, surrounded by family. Born on April 11, 1958, in Cobb County, GA, she was a daughter of the late John Robert England and Edna Mae England.

In Addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her sister Maggie Jean England and her brother Everette Anderson England.
She was a loving and devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, who loved her family, especially all the grand and great-grandchildren. She will be truly missed and loved forever.

Her survivors include her husband of 53 years, Steve Dean Barrett; son and daughter-in-law, Robert and Carrie Barrett; daughter, April Barrett Coker; daughter and son-in-law, Leea (Dori) and Johnathan Terry; grandchildren, Brooke Kelley (David), Blake Turpin (Tatyana), Kyle Coker (Katelyn), Brandon Turpin, Blaine Turpin, and Briar Barrett; great-grandchildren, Addie, John, Neveah, Haven, Greyson, and Gracie; sisters, Mary Mingo, and Ruby Edmonds; countless cousins, nieces and nephews.

A celebration of life service will be held at a later date.

An online guest register is available and may be viewed at www.mcgaheegriffinandmcentire.com.

McGahee-Griffin & McEntire Funeral Home of Cornelia, Georgia (706/778-8668) is in charge of arrangements.

Visitors to Georgia’s artificial reef contributed $8.2M to coastal economy in 2023, study says

By
Devon Zwald
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Concrete materials and retired MARTA railcars are placed at Artificial Reef L about 23 nautical miles east of Ossabaw Island on Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023. (Credit: Georgia Department of Resources, Coastal Resources Division)

In late 2023, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources placed two retired MARTA rail cars in 60 feet of water off the coast of Ossabaw Island. The event splashed into headlines.

The rail cars were the latest addition to one of 46 artificial reefs off Georgia’s coast. They’re made of materials such as concrete rubble and metal hulled vessels.

A recent study from the University of Georgia’s Marine Extension and Sea Grant found that visitors to these sites contributed more than $8 million to the coastal economy in 2023.

The artificial reefs were created to enhance recreational fishing and support marine life habitats, said Eugene Frimpong, Coastal Economics Specialist with UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant and principal investigator of the study.

He said the anglers and divers who visit the sites spend money.

“We want to understand the cost of transportation to these reef sites — if they purchase, for example, the fuel, the time that they even travel to these artificial sites,” Frimpong said. “We look at the hotel stays, if they spend overnight, how much is spent on hotel.”

He said the economic impact isn’t calculated only by the direct money spent in these places, but by indirect spending as well.

“So you go there, you spend money to reserve a room; this money that the hotel receives, the hotel also have to use it to, for example, pay for electricity, water, and other inputs,” Frimpong said. “And so that ripple effect, or the multiplier, what we call the multiplier effect, is what we are seeing in the indirect.”

Further, the hotel would have employees who would spend their paychecks in the economy.

The study was commissioned by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

“In order to understand whether the reef program is worth having them, it’s important to understand their net benefits and also the economic impact generally,” Frimpong said. “And so that motivated the research that we did.”

The study also estimated the artificial reef program could grow, generating up to $139 million in net benefits over the next 50 years. And for every $1 spent, the program generates $1.60 to $2.40.

Man dies after police chase in Lumpkin County

By
Brian Wellmeier
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A Buford man died Friday after a suspicious vehicle report led to a brief law enforcement response and pursuit by authorities in Lumpkin County.

According to the Lumpkin County Sheriff’s Office, on the morning of May 16, deputies were dispatched to the Publix parking lot following a call about a suspicious person. Police say the responding deputy observed a vehicle behaving erratically, and as the deputy approached, the driver allegedly sped away toward the north end of the county.

Lumpkin County deputies intercepted the vehicle and identified the driver as Jacob Karl Wilkerson, 36, of Buford. Authorities were able to take Wilkerson into custody shortly after the pursuit began.

EMS units were called to the scene, and Wilkerson was transported to Northeast Georgia Medical Center. He was later pronounced dead under circumstances that remain unclear, according to police.

The exact cause of death will be determined following an autopsy by the county coroner’s office. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation was notified, but since there was no physical interaction between law enforcement and Wilkerson during the incident, the agency determined an investigation was not necessary.

Officials noted that the incident was recorded on body camera footage and that no foul play is suspected at this time.

AthFest 2025 lineup, dates

By
Alexia Ridley
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Thousands gather for the annual art and music festival held in downtown Athens each year. (Photo courtesy AthFest.com)

The lineup has been announced for AthFest 2025. The 27th annual music and arts festival takes place June 20 through 22 in downtown Athens. It features performances on three outdoor stages and Club Crawl shows. AthFest Educates executive director Mary Joyce says attendees can expect to hear a wide range of music.

“So, this year I’m thrilled to say we have an incredibly diverse lineup,” according to Joyce. “We have everything from rock, to country, to bluegrass, to klezmer, to hip hop, to R&B, world music, a steel drum band. Just about anything you can picture will be going on during AthFest weekend.”

In addition to free outdoor stage performances, the festival also includes a variety of other entertainment choices.

“There is a juried artist market, all kinds of different wares. There is Kids Fest, which features the Kids Fest stage, sponsored by the Clarke County School District, with youth performers as well as music directed at young families. Kids Fest also features inflatables, arts activities, rides.”

Proceeds from AthFest benefit AthFest Educates, a nonprofit which provides grants to support music and arts education for local K-12 youth.

AtheFest25 Lineup:

  • 96Vizion

  • Angie Aparo

  • Anna Kellum

  • Ant Da Ripper

  • Ashes To Omens

  • Atticus Roness

  • Banjo

  • Bayou Princess

  • Bea Porges

  • Beast Mode

  • Beat Up

  • Bichos Vivos

  • Bone Bag

  • Bubba Sparxxx

  • Bugs Eat Books

  • Cardynal and The Flock

  • Coma Therapy

  • Commune

  • Dadgum

  • David Barbe

  • DJ ChiefRocka

  • DJ Harold

  • DJ Play

  • Dog Person

  • Dragana

  • Dropsonic

  • Easy Honey

  • Eli Eternal

  • Elijah Johnston

  • Enox

  • Fawney Rig

  • Flatline Drive

  • Florence Cardigan

  • Florry

  • Freeman Leverett

  • Funk You

  • Gaby Delliponti

  • Glance of Dismissal

  • Grassland

  • Grebe

  • Guillotine A.D.

  • Hallpass

  • Heffner

  • Honeyknife

  • Honeypuppy

  • Jameson Tank

  • JiiG

  • Johnny Falloon

  • Karma Kat

  • Kenosha Kid

  • Kid Arsenic

  • Kimberly Morgan York

  • Kit

  • Klezmer Local 42

  • Kristina Murray

  • Kuroma

  • La Suegra

  • Lánre

  • Lo Down and Duddy

  • Los Cantares

  • Luxury Vehicle

  • Marcel P. Black

  • Mary & The Hotty-Hots

  • Mary Margaret Cozart

  • Matt Knox

  • Me’an Mills

  • Michael Carnes

  • Miley Roth

  • Misnomer

  • MK Barnes

  • Modern Skirts

  • Motorhead 2X

  • Music Hates You

  • Nappy Roots

  • Night Palace

  • Nightshade DJs

  • Nicholas Mallis & The Borealis

  • Nina Garbus

  • Ozello

  • Penny Loafer

  • Peach Ice Cream Bluegrass

  • Peter and The Skeeters

  • Phantom Dan

  • Pondgorl

  • Polar Waves

  • Quiet Hounds

  • RaceCar 44

  • Ralph

  • Rick Fowler Band

  • Scarlett Stitch

  • Slightly Famous Somebodies

  • Silent Euphony

  • Sleeper Cell

  • Smokey Jones & the 3 Dollar Pistols

  • Stella Groove

  • Sutherland

  • T. Hardy Morris

  • The Bad Ends

  • The Downstairs

  • The Grawks

  • The Ladies Of…

  • The Naysayers

  • The Regulars

  • The Rishis Band

  • The Vegabonds

  • The Vassar Blondes

  • Tropical Breeze Steel Band

  • Trepid

  • Trvy and the Enemy

  • Upchuck

  • Victor Charlie

  • Violent Violet

  • Viv and the Things

  • Well Kept

  • Wieuca

  • Wim Tapley and The Cannons

  • Workhorses of The Entertainment / Recreational Industry

  • Your Ex’s Pets

  • Yumbo Tron

  • Zach Ritter and the Eternal Soup

This article comes to Now Habersham in partnership with WUGA News

Country music legend Marty Stuart headlines Cornelia Music Fest May 17

By
Brian Wellmeier
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Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives will appear live in concert at the 8th annual Cornelia Music Festival at the city's new amphitheater downtown on May 17, 2025. (Photo by Alysse Gafkjen via MartyStuart.com)

Cornelia is set to hold its annual Music Festival on Saturday, May 17, at the site of the city’s new park and amphitheater venue, located between Martin Luther King Drive and Grant Place.

This year’s festival promises an evening full of music, cars and fireworks. The event will feature performances by five bands, with country music legend Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives headlining the show. Live music kicks off at 4 p.m. and will continue into the evening. The event is scheduled to end at 10 p.m.

Local bands to perform will include Headed South, Katie Deal, Michele Little and Holding Ghosts.

In addition to the music, a Car Show sponsored by Year One will rev up the excitement starting at 3:00 p.m. in the parking lot of the Cornelia Train Depot, located at 102 Grant Place.

The festivities will conclude with a fireworks display immediately following the concert.

To accommodate the crowd, several streets will be closed starting at 4 p.m. on concert day.

Street closures

  • Clarkesville Street between Main Street and Galloway Street
  • Martin Luther King Drive between Clarkesville Street and Rosa Parks
  • Stovall Alley between Main Street and Clarkesville Street
Multiple streets in downtown Cornelia will close for the upcoming Music Festival (Google Maps)

Parking will be available in all city lots, including a new lot at the corner of Martin Luther King Drive and Rosa Parks. Handicap parking is designated at 465 Chattahoochee Street.

This free event is open to all. Food and beverage vendors will be on-site, but attendees are encouraged to bring their own chairs. Tents and umbrellas will not be permitted.

First event at new amphitheater venue

The amphitheater, part of a larger city park project off Grant Place, will eventually have a (outdoor) seating capacity of 5,000 and is funded in part by a $1 million grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC).

MORE New amphitheater comes to Cornelia

Phase I of the project, which includes the park, is estimated at $2.1 million – paid from the grant, SPLOST funding and the city’s general fund. That phase is expected to be completed by December 2025. Phase II is slated for completion in 2026 for $1.5 million from the city’s general fund.

While the amphitheater, in its entirety, won’t be finished until early-2027, the site will be graded by Higgins Construction in time for the upcoming festival.

Level Grove Elementary’s Beth Smith honored with Extra Mile Award

By
Brian Wellmeier
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Beth Smith with Extra Mile Award Monday, May 12 (Brian Wellmeier/NowHabersham.com)

Beth Smith, a longtime special education teacher at Level Grove Elementary, has been nominated for the Extra Mile Award, sponsored by the Peach State Federal Credit Union, in recognition of her service and unwavering dedication to her students and their families.

With 28 years of experience special education, Smith is known not only for her expertise but also for her deep compassion and commitment to going far beyond the typical duties of a classroom teacher.

Colleagues and parents alike say Smith is quick to adapt to each student’s individual needs and goals, taking a personalized approach that has made a lasting impact on countless children.

“Ms. Beth also ensures that her students can express their needs, wants and ideas comfortably in their classroom environment,” Habersham County Board of Education Chair Russ Nelson said during Smith’s recognition Monday, May 12. “Beth recognizes the importance of each student’s needs and approaches them individually. Beth is quick to accommodate individual students’ goals and needs to help him or her with their development.”

(Brian Wellmeier/NowHabersham.com)

But her dedication doesn’t stop at the school doors.

In one notable instance, Smith drove all the way to Atlanta to assist a student and parent who were stranded after a doctor’s appointment. Their vehicle had broken down, and with no one else to call, Smith made the long trip without hesitation.

Smith has also helped families by providing rides to get groceries and medications or to attend medical appointments—small gestures that have made a big difference in the lives of the families she serves.

In the classroom and among her peers, Smith is regarded as a steady and generous team player, always ready to lend a hand.

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