Akins Ford Arena Athens Georgia (Ivy Ramage/The Classic Center)
The city of Athens is gearing up for the grand opening of Akins Ford Arena in 2024. The venue will host concerts, family events, hockey, and so much more. Featured throughout the arena will be a tribute to Athens’ legendary music scene through artist and photographer Jason Thrasher’s acclaimed Athens Potluck, an award-winning book.
To celebrate, 40 Watt Club will host an event to include a book release and a concert series featuring musicians from the Athens Potluck Book. The book is a collection of photographs by Jason Thrasher, which captures the city’s musicians in all their glory. Thrasher has been an artist and photographer for over 25 years, and his work reflects the richness of culture and the depth of appreciation in the music-loving community of Athens.
Artist and musician Jill Carnes of Athens, GA. (Jason Thrasher/Potluck Athens)
Visitors will enjoy the experience of the city’s rich musical heritage firsthand as images from Thrasher’s work will be featured throughout the arena.
The Grit Potluck will take place on September 21, 2024, at 7:00 p.m., at the 40 Watt Club located at 285 Washington Street in Athens. Thrasher is also releasing a new book, Murmur Trestle.
Please bring a favorite Potluck Dish to share. The event has a $10 donation. There will be performances by many of the musicians in the Athens Potluck Book including Dave Marr, Mike Mantioni, Hardy Morris, Cara Beth Satalino, Vernon Thornsbery, Charlie and Nancy Hartness, The Darnell Boys, and more.
Thrasher says in a recent press release, “I feel that this book is just a story of Athens. It’s not the whole story. There could have been a thousand other versions of this. I’m very lucky that I was in the right place and in the right mindset to capture this when I did. I love Athens and the creative spirit of this place.”
Andrew Rieger of Elf Power originated in Athens GA. (Jason Thrasher/Potluck Athens)
The Classic Center Authority and the University of Georgia Libraries have collaborated with Terence Healy from Healy Kohler Design to design the arena’s theme around music. The design concept is intended to highlight local and state artists, while also bringing in national touring acts and elevating the Athens music scene.
The interior design of the arena looks and feels all about music, featuring Thrasher’s work as “fun, artsy, and all about Athens, bringing the perfect touch to this new venue” President and CEO of the Classic Center Paul Cramer described in a press release to promote the event.
Athens is known for its vibrant music scene, and the Akins Ford Arena is expected to add to the city’s rich musical heritage. Tickets are available for purchase at 40 Watt Club. You can also call for more information at 706-549-7871.
The Hall County Sheriff’s Office has identified the man killed over the weekend by an Amtrak train as 26-year-old Justin Keith Bennett of Gainesville. Bennett, who is believed to have been a member of Gainesville’s homeless community, died on September 14. The sheriff’s office says it took investigators several days to locate and notify his family.
According to a news release, Bennett was walking on the tracks away from an approaching train at Aviation Boulevard and Dorsey Street around 1:30 a.m. when the train struck him. The conductor sounded the horn and applied the brakes, but authorities said Bennett did not react. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
This is at least the third train-related death of a homeless person in Hall County since last year.
In February, 39-year-old Keith Lamont Bryant was struck and killed by a train near Dorsey Street and Industrial Boulevard. Authorities say Bryant was a member of Gainesville’s homeless community.
A year earlier, on February 2, 2023, 50-year-old Bonnie Carrillo, who was also homeless, was struck and critically injured while walking across the Dorsey Street tracks. She later died at the hospital.
Janette Byron listens to public comments as she wears a make shift hat supporting the animal shelter. (Jerry Neace/NowHabersham.com)
It was standing room only at the Habersham County Commission meeting Monday night. The room was filled mostly with citizens pressing the commission to move forward with building a new animal shelter. Many wore makeshift hats made of construction paper stating, “Build our shelter.”
Voters approved the shelter in SPLOST VII, but county leaders say construction costs have more than quadrupled since the construction budget was set in 2019. Citizens have pressed the commission for over a year to proceed with the project. The urgency at that time was due to overcrowding from the number of strays animal control had to house.
Citizens fill the Jury Assembly Room to capacity during the Habersham County Commission meeting Monday evening to discuss the animal shelter construction. (Jerry Neace/NowHabersham.com)
Two groups have addressed their positions on social media about the animal shelter. One group supports building the animal shelter as soon as possible. Another group has requested that the commission take a 90-day pause to review the cost of construction as a cost-saving measure.
Several citizens spoke during the public comments section of the commission meeting on September 16. Some spoke in favor of the pause, while others spoke against it, pressing commissioners to move forward with construction.
Pause
Dale Latty supports pausing the shelter project. He asked commissioners to put the shelter project on hold for 90 days. Patty told the commission that even though he and his group were late to the discussion, they had questions about how the county came to the amount for the construction costs.
“It’s been a long road to this point. It’s a difficult thing to come up so late in a game like this but it’s also, I think, justified in this case in what we’ve seen in the cost escalations,” he said.
Dale Latty addresses the County Commission to pause the construction of the animal shelter for 90 days. (Jerry Neace/NowHabersham.com)
Latty explained that everyone he had spoken with over the last couple of weeks wants the animal shelter “but not at any cost.” He expressed that over the last ten days, his group has looked over some of the information they have been provided. They feel that they could bring the cost down even more.
Latty commended the county for bringing the estimated cost down by making value engineering cuts. According to him, the estimated cost originally was $9.4 million. With those cuts so far, it has been reduced to $7.56 million. He feels that more could be done to lower costs further, which may allow the county to restore some of those cuts.
Latty asked the commission to pause its work and explore other potential cost-saving measures.
Move forward
On the other side of the argument is Katherine Warwick, who has publicly pushed the commission to build the shelter for over a year. Last week, she took to social media asking county residents to attend the commission meeting to express their concerns about the existing shelter and the need for a new one.
“I am blown away by the people that have shown up here tonight. I can’t say how much I appreciate that,” she said during the public comments section of the meeting.
Warwick explained to commissioners that she has been involved in some capacity with the animal shelter over the last 25 years. During that time, she said she saw constant turnover with directors in that department. Also, during that time, the animal shelter had a euthanasia rate of 75%. Since Madi Nix came on board, that rate has substantially declined.
Katherine Warwick addresses the County Commission about moving forward with construction of the animal shelter. (Jerry Neace/NowHabersham.com)
Warwick expressed her fear that with the conditions and challenges at the animal shelter, Nix may suffer from burnout and leave the county. She explained that with the growth the county has seen over the last couple of years, there has been a rise in the shelter population. That rise is due to owners surrendering animals to the shelter.
“We need this to happen and not be paused and not be put on the back burner any longer,” she told the commission. She told the commission that the problem would only get worse as more people moved into the county.
Chairman response
Commission Chairman Ty Akins expressed his appreciation for everyone who came out to speak to the commission on behalf of their side of the animal shelter topic.
“I didn’t want anybody in the room to think we are making a rush decision.”
Akins explained that the commission has discussed the animal shelter issue multiple times. He said he was unsure where the original $1.7 million budget for the animal shelter construction came from, calling it “unrealistic” to build anything.
“We’re trying to make the best decision we can,” he said.
During an earlier work session, commissioners discussed potential funding options for the animal shelter. However, they did not vote on funding or a timeline during their regular meeting. County Public Works Director Jerry Baggett said they are still working on cutting costs through value engineering.
Senate Democrats, including Georgia U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, hold holding photos of families who benefited from IV at a press conference Tuesday. (Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)
WASHINGTON (States Newsroom) — The closely divided U.S. Senate gridlocked Tuesday over the best way to provide nationwide protections for in vitro fertilization, despite lawmakers from both political parties maintaining they want to do so.
Republicans voted against advancing a Democratic bill that could have prevented states from enacting “harmful or unwarranted limitations” on the procedure and bolstered access for military members and veterans. Two Republicans voted with Democrats — Maine’s Susan Collins and Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski.
That came just a short time after Senate Democrats — who narrowly control the chamber — in a procedural move blocked a GOP bill from Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Katie Britt of Alabama that would have barred Medicaid funding from going to any state that bans IVF.
The 51-44 vote that prevented Democrats’ legislation from moving toward a final vote followed numerous floor speeches and press conferences, including by the Harris-Walz presidential campaign, that sought to elevate the issue ahead of the November elections. The measure needed 60 votes to advance.
“This is a chance for my colleagues across the aisle to put their votes where their mouths have been,” said Illinois Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth, the bill’s sponsor and a mom of two children born as a result of IVF. “They say they support IVF. Here you go — vote on this.”
Duckworth said the legislation would provide critical IVF services to U.S. military members and veterans, many of whom experience infertility or experience difficulty having children due to their service.
“It allows our military men and women, prior to a deployment into a combat zone, to preserve and freeze their genetic material so that should they come home with injuries that result in them becoming infertile, they will have already preserved their genetic material so that they can, themselves, start those beautiful families they wanted,” Duckworth said.
Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris released a written statement following the vote, rebuking GOP senators for blocking the bill.
“Every woman in every state must have reproductive freedom,” Harris wrote. “Yet, Republicans in Congress have once again made clear that they will not protect access to the fertility treatments many couples need to fulfill their dream of having a child.”
Republicans blocked the Democrats’ bill earlier this year. But Senate leadership scheduled another vote after Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump reignited the issue in August when he said his administration would mandate health insurance companies pay for IVF — a significant break with how the GOP has approached the issue.
“We are going to be, under the Trump administration, we are going to be paying for that treatment,” Trump said during an interview with NBC News. “We’re going to be mandating that the insurance company pay.”
Alabama ruling
Democrats began speaking at length about preserving access to IVF earlier this year after the Alabama state Supreme Court issued an opinion in February that frozen embryos constitute children under state law.
That ruling forced all the state’s IVF clinics to halt their work until the state legislature passed a bill providing criminal and civil protections for those clinics.
Democrats have since argued that legislating the belief life begins at conception, which is championed by most conservative Republicans, is at odds with access to IVF, which typically freezes more embryos than would be implanted.
Those frozen embryos can be preserved or discarded, depending on the patient’s wishes, the clinic’s policies and state law. Some conservatives believe that discarding shouldn’t be legal or are opposed to the process altogether.
The Southern Baptist Convention, for example, voted earlier this year to oppose IVF, writing in a resolution that couples should consider adoption and that the process “engages in dehumanizing methods for determining suitability for life.”
“We grieve alongside couples who have been diagnosed with infertility or are currently struggling to conceive, affirm their godly desire for children, and encourage them to consider the ethical implications of assisted reproductive technologies as they look to God for hope, grace, and wisdom amid suffering,” it stated.
Senate Democrats’ press for IVF protections has gone hand-in-hand with their efforts to bolster other reproductive rights, like access to birth control and abortion.
The issues could play a significant role in determining the outcome of the presidential election this November as well which political party controls the House and Senate.
Before the Senate held a vote on Democrats’ bill, Cruz asked for quick approval of an IVF bill he and Britt introduced earlier this year.
Washington state Democratic Sen. Patty Murray blocked his unanimous consent request.
During debate on that bill, Britt questioned why Democrats haven’t scheduled a recorded vote on her legislation, saying it could get the 60 votes needed to advance toward final passage.
“Today, we have an opportunity to act quickly and overwhelmingly to protect continued nationwide IVF access for loving American families,” Britt said. “Our bill is the only bill that protects IVF access while safeguarding religious liberty.”
The Britt-Cruz legislation has three co-sponsors, including Wyoming Sen. Cynthia Lummis, Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall and Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker.
Murray said the Britt-Cruz bill didn’t address what would happen in states that legislate fetal personhood, which she called “the biggest threat to IVF.”
“It is silent on whether states can demand that an embryo be treated the same as a living, breathing person,” Murray said. “Or whether parents should be allowed to have clinics dispose of unused embryos, something that is a common, necessary part of the IVF process.”
Cruz tried to pass his legislation through the unanimous consent process, which allows any one senator to ask for approval. Any one senator can then block that request from moving forward — as Murray did. There is no recorded vote as part of the UC process.
Democrats’ 64-page bill would have provided legal protections for anyone seeking fertility treatment, including IVF, and for the health care professionals providing that type of care.
It would have barred state and federal governments from “enacting harmful or unwarranted limitations or requirements” on IVF access.
The legislation would have bolstered fertility treatment coverage for members of the military and veterans, as well as their spouses, partners, or gestational surrogates.
The American Society for Reproductive Medicine supports Democrats’ legislation. Chief Advocacy and Policy Officer Sean Tipton wrote in a statement released this week that Democrats’ IVF bill would “protect the rights of Americans to seek the medical services they may need to have children and ensure no healthcare provider faces legal consequences for trying to help their patients as they seek to build their families.”
“This legislation also increases access to IVF treatments for all Americans by mandating that employer-sponsored insurance plans and other public insurance plans cover fertility treatment,” Tipton wrote. “Significantly, it would ensure the federal government does right by its own employees by providing coverage for active-duty military, veterans, and civilian staff.”
Councilman Franklin Brown, Mayor Barrie Aycock and City Attorney Matt Skilling discuss future adoption of a leash ordinance at Clarkesville City Council’s work session Monday, September 16, 2024. (Brian Wellmeier/NowHabersham.com)
There could be new restrictions on dog owners in Clarkesville in the coming months.
During a work session on Monday, September 16, city council members briefly discussed the future adoption of a leash ordinance to better control canines that otherwise, under current law, can roam alongside their owners in parks and recreation spaces throughout the city.
Habersham County’s existing ordinance permits unleashed animals “as long as they’re under control,” City Manager Keith Dickerson explained.
“But if you’re playing catch with your dog, is it really under control?” Dickerson said during Monday’s work session. “In the meantime, we’re going to add signs at the park saying, ‘Your dog must be on a leash.’”
Clarkesville City Attorney Matt Skilling then recited the county ordinance verbatim – which, in part, states: “An animal is deemed under control when it is confined within a vehicle, is under restraint by a competent person, is under voice control or is properly confined within an enclosure…”
Dickerson said additional signage and more specific language contained in a new ordinance would enhance the public’s safety.
“We’ve had a couple situations with dogs getting too close to the playground,” he said. “They may have been under control, but we would feel more comfortable if people had them on a leash…I don’t think the (existing ordinance) went far enough – in the parks for sure.”
Dickerson said additional signage will be posted in recreation areas throughout the city prior to the passage of a new ordinance, which would also give law enforcement officers a basis for citing those who allow dogs to wander without a leash.
City officials are now in the process of drafting a leash ordinance for council to consider later this year.
Clarkesville has lifted the boil water advisory issued Monday for customers on the south side of town.
The advisory was issued as a precaution for city water customers in the Spring Street, Russ Circle area off of Washington Street, including Dunkin Donuts.
Tests for possible contamination came back negative. Affected customers may resume normal water consumption.
Earl Stancil, 89, of Lula, Georgia, formerly of Norcross, Georgia, passed away on Monday, September 16, 2024.
Mr. Stancil was born on November 1, 1934, in Blount County, Alabama, to the late Lee and Mamie Stancil. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his siblings, Donald Stancil, Harold Stancil, Miriam Cerise, Reba McHenry, Dera Lee Kelly, Verna Stancil, and Betty Green. Earl was the last of his immediate family.
A devoted father and grandfather, Earl raised his children as a single parent, ensuring they had a childhood filled with love, adventure, and cherished memories. His life was defined by his selflessness, always willing to give to others and lend a helping hand. Earl’s career in the garage door industry spanned an impressive 55 years, including 44 years at Doors Unlimited and 11 years at RCS before his well-deserved retirement. Known for his remarkable ability to engineer and fix anything, Earl’s talents extended far beyond his profession. One of his proudest achievements was his work with the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, where, with Ramset, he engineered innovative ways to hang and display heavy art pieces. These methods are still in use today. Earl’s generosity and creativity were also evident in his community. In the 1970s, he founded the first Halloween Carnivals for Gwinnett County Schools, creating unforgettable experiences for countless families. At home, his inventive spirit shone as he built zip lines through the woods and over the family’s swimming pool using garage door cables, providing endless joy for his children. Earl will be remembered for his unparalleled gift of making things with his hands, his ability to connect with everyone he met, and his warmth in giving nicknames to all who crossed his path. He never met a stranger and leaves behind a legacy of kindness, ingenuity, and love for others.
Survivors include his daughter, Allison Stancil, of Lula; son, Steve Stancil, of Commerce; granddaughter, Brandy (Zach) Wilbanks; great-grandchildren, Annabelle Wilbanks, Abram Wilbanks, Amelia Wilbanks; and numerous nieces and nephews.
The family will receive family and friends from 1:00 p.m. to 2:45 p.m., Saturday, September 21, 2024 at the funeral home prior to the service.
Funeral Services will be held at 3:00 p.m. Saturday, September 21, 2024 at the Whitfield Funeral Home, North Chapel. Mr. Stancil’s wishes were to be cremated following the service and no graveside service will be held.
A reception will follow the service at the Whitfield Funeral Homes & Crematory Family Connection Center at 255 Central Avenue, Demorest, Georgia 30535.
Flowers will be accepted, or memorials may be made to the Shriner’s Hospital for Children, Attn: Shriners Children’s, PO Box 947765, Atlanta, GA 30394, or to the Habersham County Animal Shelter, 4231 B Toccoa Hwy Clarkesville, GA 30523
Arrangements have been entrusted to Whitfield Funeral Homes & Crematory, North Chapel, 245 Central Avenue, Demorest, Georgia 30535. Telephone: 706-778-1700.
Esperanza Santaclara Niniz, age 63 of Cornelia, passed away Monday, September 16, 2024.
Born in Cheran, Michoacan, Mexico, on December 11, 1960, Mrs. Niniz was the daughter of the late Manuel Santaclara and Virginia Sanchez. Mrs. Ninis was a homemaker and of the Catholic Faith.
Survivors include her husband, Miguel Ninis of Cornelia, sons and daughters-in-law Miguel Angel Niniz (Sandra Sebastian) of Cornelia, Roberto Niniz (Laticia Cucue) of Alabama, and Julio Cesar Niniz (Guadalupa Castro) of Wisconsin, daughter and son in law Ofelia Niniz (Jose Wilfrilio Sebastian) of Mexico, brothers Jaime Santaclara, Uvaldo Santaclara, Jose M. Santaclara and Martin Santaclara, sisters Rosa Santaclara and Lidia Santaclara, as well as 11 grandchildren and a grandchild due in January.
A funeral mass will be held at 12:00 PM on Wednesday, September 18, 2024, at St. Mark Catholic Church in Clarkesville. Interment will follow the service in Level Grove Cemetery, Cornelia. The family will receive friends on Tuesday evening at their residence.
MILLINGTON, Tenn. – The Piedmont women’s golf team concluded the Joe & Lee Duncan Invitational Tuesday, finishing in sixth place overall. The Lions were led by Keegan Goins who shot a 78 in the final round.
Goins was the lone Lion to shoot in the seventies on Tuesday with a pair of birdies on one and two. Every Lion made a birdie on Tuesday with Goins securing a pair.
Both Abigail Evans and Sarah Fox carded an 81 as Evans finished two shots ahead of Fox overall.
Erin Donovan finished the tournament at nine over after an 83 on Tuesday. She birdied hole seven but also had five double bogeys in the round. Marissa Weaver shot a 92 to conclude the event.
Mississippi College won the event as a team with a 579 team score while Tina Honnef held on for the victory individually shooting even on Tuesday.
Up next, the Lions will head to the MCC Women’s Intercollegiate on September 22 in Montgomery, Alabama.
Detra Lashell Brown, age 51, of Baldwin, passed away on Sunday, September 15, 2024.
Born on September 8, 1973, in Atlanta, she was a daughter of the late Cynthia Brown. Detra was employed with Fieldale Farms until her health declined. She was known as a sweet and genuine person who enjoyed laughing. Her family was her life, and she loved them with everything she had. Detra enjoyed taking care of children, especially her grandchildren. She was of the Baptist faith.
In addition to her mother, she was preceded in death by a granddaughter, Dallas Brown, and a sister, Tawanda Walker.
Left to cherish her memories are sons and daughters-in-law, Jameco T. McMullen, Jr. of Baldwin, DeMario D. Brown (Kasey Harris), and Desmond Brown (Keisha) all of Atlanta; daughter and son-in-law, Kierra Brown (Steven) of Greensboro, GA; grandchildren, Senjaia, Aiden, Jalen, Eli, Jace, Kior, Madison, Eden “Mookie Mook”; sisters, Kimberly Brown, Tonya Brown, Tunisia Strozier, Cassandra Cooley, Lavella Mayfield, Michelle Jenkins, and Julia McNeal; several nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
Memorial services are at 2 pm on Monday, September 23, 2024, in the Chapel of McGahee-Griffin & Stewart, with Rev. DeWayne Stephens officiating.
Vice Presidential candidate J.D. Vance speaks at an Atlanta dinner for the Georgia Faith & Freedom Coalition. (Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder)
(Georgia Recorder) — Republican Vice Presidential nominee J.D. Vance shared an Atlanta stage with Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp Monday night, where Vance made a call for conservative unity before a crowd of high-profile names and faithful conservatives.
“Think about the incredible team that we have. We have Brian Kemp, Donald Trump, Nikki Haley, Tulsi Gabbard, and Bobby Kennedy Jr. What an amazing team of patriots fighting for this country,” Vance said at a dinner for the Georgia Faith and Freedom Coalition, a conservative Christian lobbying group
“Of course, there’s a lot of disagreement between those five individuals I just named, and amazingly, amazingly, they’re all on Trump’s team for 2024, because we are the party of common sense,” he added. “We can disagree, and we’ve got to get common sense back in the White House, and that’s why we’re here.”
Kemp’s praise for Vance’s boss, former President Donald Trump, was subdued. His five-minute speech led with the importance of maintaining the Republican majority in the state House and Senate before mentioning the man who will be at the top of the ballot in November.
“This fight, as you know, does not stop at the state level. We have to expand our majority in Congress, take back control of the U.S. Senate, and send Donald Trump back to the White House,” he said. “The reason that we have to do that is because we know what the other side will do if they take control of the federal government.”
Kemp offered no praise for Trump or Vance but said a Vice President Kamala Harris presidency would bring more immigrants into the country and higher crime and taxes.
“The truth is the vice president is just another politician saying whatever they have to to win the election. That is what’s at stake this November. Not just one policy, not just one law. Kamala Harris wants to take our country farther away from its founding principles.”
In his keynote speech, Vance, a converted Catholic, outlined the evolution of his own faith. He said he moved away from religion in college but came to rediscover it as an adult.
“I increasingly found the answers in the Christian faith that I discarded as a young man,” he said. “And that realization that the basic truths about being a good man, about being a good husband, about being a dedicated father, those truths found their best expression in the Christian faith of my grandmother.”
Vance said a second Trump administration would benefit Americans of all faiths, arguing that Trump would do better than Harris at fighting crime, stopping illegal immigration and lowering the price of goods.
But Vance told the conservative Christian crowd that Trump’s return to the White House would be especially good for people like them, saying that cultural conservatives will “always have a seat at the table in the Republican Party.”
“I stand here as the vice presidential nominee saying the Republican Party is proud to be the pro-life and the pro-family party,” he said. “Now we believe that human life is precious and every life is worthy of protection because we believe that every child, born and unborn, is created in the image of God. Now, following the Supreme Court’s landmark decision, we recognize that the obligation to help nurture and protect the women and the babies all over this country has only just begun.”
Vance pledged that will mean improving medical care for pregnant women and new mothers as well as enforcing “paternal responsibility.”
“We’re going to do new investments in counseling, in job training, and help with newborn expenses,” he said. “We’re going to do new investments in education and pregnancy care centers and so much more because we believe that this country must be more welcoming to families. And we’re committed to helping as many women as possible choose life and welcome new life into this world.”
Democrats have viewed abortion as a winning issue from them after the overturn of Roe v. Wade led to the dissolution of abortion rights in states including Georgia. The Faith and Freedom event came on the same day as a ProPublica report profiling the case of Amber Thurman, a Georgia woman who died in 2022 after presenting to a hospital with a rare complication from a medication abortion. Doctors waited 20 hours to perform a routine procedure to clear the fetal tissue from her uterus, called a dilation and curettage, or D&C, but it was too late, ProPublica reported.
Thurman’s death, which happened the month after the state’s six-week abortion ban took effect, represents the first time an abortion-related death has been officially deemed “preventable.”
As Vance was speaking, the DNC put out a press release detailing previous Vance statements on abortion as “a reminder of his close ties and unpopular promises to this anti-choice group.”
Political fallout
The dinner marks the closest thing to a reconciliation between Kemp and the Republican presidential nominee since a mostly one-sided spat ended their friendship in 2020 after Kemp declined to cosign Trump’s false claim of election theft in Georgia.
Things got so bad between the two that Trump enlisted former U.S. Sen. David Perdue to run against Kemp in the Republican gubernatorial primary in 2022, but Kemp easily fended off the challenge.
The bad blood seemed to mostly slip into memory since then, with Trump keeping silent on Kemp and Kemp vowing to support the Republican presidential nominee.
Then, in a move that left some Georgia Republicans gobsmacked, Trump attacked Kemp, first lady Marty Kemp, Attorney General Chris Carr, and other top Georgia Republicans during his August rally in Atlanta.
“Your governor, Kemp, and (Secretary of State Brad) Raffensperger, they’re doing everything possible to make 2024 difficult for Republicans to win,” he said just last month. “What are they doing? I don’t know. They’ve got something in mind, you know, they’ve got a little something in mind. Kemp is very bad for the Republican Party.”
The attack left politicos puzzled because Kemp is more popular than Trump is in Georgia – the governor had a 63% approval rating in June, according to polling from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. And while Trump narrowly lost Georgia in 2020 after winning in 2016, Kemp’s support grew significantly between his 2018 race against Stacey Abrams and their rematch in 2022.
Georgia is one of seven key swing states that could help determine whether Trump or Harris win the White House in November, and the race is expected to be close, with polls largely within the margin of error.
Not long after the Atlanta rally, Trump seemed to recalibrate his position on Kemp in a post on social media.
“Thank you to @BrianKempGA for all of your help and support in Georgia, where a win is so important to the success of our Party and, most importantly, our Country. I look forward to working with you, your team, and all of my friends in Georgia to help MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
Speaking to the friendly crowd, Vance and Kemp sought to demonstrate a unified front, as did other Georgia GOP leaders, including fellow Trump target Carr, Georgia Labor Commissioner Bruce Thompson and Congressmen Mike Collins and Barry Loudermilk.
A pet has been euthanized after being exposed to rabies in the Habersham Mills area. Habersham County Environmental Health Director Marcus Hall confirms a raccoon that bit the dog tested positive for rabies.
Habersham County Animal Care and Control Director Madi Nix said the rabid raccoon bit a large, older dog in the face in an attack on Roberts Road on September 5. The exposure was reported to officials the next day. The raccoon was shipped to a state laboratory and tested for rabies; the results came back positive, a news release issued September 16 states.
According to the release, on the advice of a veterinarian, the exposed dog was euthanized with the owner’s consent at the vet’s office.
“We don’t believe this is a rabies outbreak,” Nix said. “As far as we know, this is the only positive testing animal that had any contact with another.”
Why euthanized?
Nix explains the vet recommended euthanasia because the bite was on the dog’s face. The closer the exposure is to the brain, the higher the chance that the virus will make it there. She also says the dog had a “short lapse” in his rabies vaccination and had received his most recent shot “only a few days prior to the bite.”
Guidelines state that the rabies vaccine should be administered at least 28 days before exposure to be considered vaccinated. Despite this, the dog was tested for rabies, and Nix says that test came back negative.
The owner’s other option was to place the dog in a 45-day quarantine. However, there was some concern for the safety of family members, one of whom was scratched by the dog’s tooth while playing fetch with him.
Safety around wildlife
Nix said humans should avoid close contact with wildlife and not engage with them. She reminds everyone that just because people see nocturnal animals out during the day does not necessarily mean they are sick.
“Mommas often are out working to feed their babies,” Nix said. Residents who observe wildlife that appears sick but have had no contact with the animal should contact the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.
If you or your pet come into contact with sick wildlife, call Habersham County Animal Care and Control directly at 706- 839-0496. If no one answers, leave a message. Nix says someone will call back, as the line is checked frequently.
Citizens press HabCo Commission to build animal shelter
It was standing room only at the Habersham County Commission meeting Monday night. The room was filled mostly with citizens pressing the commission to move forward with building a new animal shelter. Many wore makeshift hats made of construction paper stating, “Build our shelter.”
Voters approved the shelter in SPLOST VII, but county leaders say construction costs have more than quadrupled since the construction budget was set in 2019. Citizens have pressed the commission for over a year to proceed with the project. The urgency at that time was due to overcrowding from the number of strays animal control had to house.
Two groups have addressed their positions on social media about the animal shelter. One group supports building the animal shelter as soon as possible. Another group has requested that the commission take a 90-day pause to review the cost of construction as a cost-saving measure.
Several citizens spoke during the public comments section of the commission meeting on September 16. Some spoke in favor of the pause, while others spoke against it, pressing commissioners to move forward with construction.
Pause
Dale Latty supports pausing the shelter project. He asked commissioners to put the shelter project on hold for 90 days. Patty told the commission that even though he and his group were late to the discussion, they had questions about how the county came to the amount for the construction costs.
“It’s been a long road to this point. It’s a difficult thing to come up so late in a game like this but it’s also, I think, justified in this case in what we’ve seen in the cost escalations,” he said.
Latty explained that everyone he had spoken with over the last couple of weeks wants the animal shelter “but not at any cost.” He expressed that over the last ten days, his group has looked over some of the information they have been provided. They feel that they could bring the cost down even more.
Latty commended the county for bringing the estimated cost down by making value engineering cuts. According to him, the estimated cost originally was $9.4 million. With those cuts so far, it has been reduced to $7.56 million. He feels that more could be done to lower costs further, which may allow the county to restore some of those cuts.
Latty asked the commission to pause its work and explore other potential cost-saving measures.
Move forward
On the other side of the argument is Katherine Warwick, who has publicly pushed the commission to build the shelter for over a year. Last week, she took to social media asking county residents to attend the commission meeting to express their concerns about the existing shelter and the need for a new one.
“I am blown away by the people that have shown up here tonight. I can’t say how much I appreciate that,” she said during the public comments section of the meeting.
Warwick explained to commissioners that she has been involved in some capacity with the animal shelter over the last 25 years. During that time, she said she saw constant turnover with directors in that department. Also, during that time, the animal shelter had a euthanasia rate of 75%. Since Madi Nix came on board, that rate has substantially declined.
Warwick expressed her fear that with the conditions and challenges at the animal shelter, Nix may suffer from burnout and leave the county. She explained that with the growth the county has seen over the last couple of years, there has been a rise in the shelter population. That rise is due to owners surrendering animals to the shelter.
“We need this to happen and not be paused and not be put on the back burner any longer,” she told the commission. She told the commission that the problem would only get worse as more people moved into the county.
Chairman response
Commission Chairman Ty Akins expressed his appreciation for everyone who came out to speak to the commission on behalf of their side of the animal shelter topic.
“I didn’t want anybody in the room to think we are making a rush decision.”
Akins explained that the commission has discussed the animal shelter issue multiple times. He said he was unsure where the original $1.7 million budget for the animal shelter construction came from, calling it “unrealistic” to build anything.
“We’re trying to make the best decision we can,” he said.
During an earlier work session, commissioners discussed potential funding options for the animal shelter. However, they did not vote on funding or a timeline during their regular meeting. County Public Works Director Jerry Baggett said they are still working on cutting costs through value engineering.