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Training first responders with super speeder fines

By
Nora Almazan
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Students prepare to receive hands-on trauma skills training during a lab at the Ruby Fulbright Aquatic Center in Clarkesville. (GEMSA photo)

Trauma skills training is both crucial and costly, and super speeders in Georgia are paying for it.

The Georgia Trauma Commission used super speeder fines to cover approximately $300,000 worth of training at a special skills lab held Friday in Habersham County.

Organizers converted a gym at the county recreation department into a lab and hosted two sessions of Georgia Trauma Skills Procedure Labs. The training, sponsored by the Georgia Emergency Medical Services Association, attracted more than 150 students.

“It’s excellent training,” says Habersham County Emergency Services Director Jeff Adams. “It’s paid for through the Georgia Trauma Commission. They receive the funding through Super Speeder fees, and they disburse the money out to GEMSA and to the EMS and also to the hospitals for trauma care.”

(Photo Credit Rob Moore)

Training with cadavers

The six 30-minute rotating labs offered EMTs, paramedics, and other care professionals hands-on experience with cadavers. The students practiced different skills they use with trauma patients.

Georgia’s Office of EMS and Trauma approves the sessions as four hours of continuing education units.

“Each lab runs about $45,000 to $50,000 by the time you get the necessary supplies and equipment together to put the lab on and get the instructors here. It’s pretty costly,” says Adams.

The instructors brought with them a combined 380 years of experience to the training.

Not your typical textbook training

Adams says the training is valuable not only for Habersham County but to the surrounding area as well. He adds it gives a perspective not offered by reading or watching a video.

An edited image shows the complete layout for trauma training inside one of the gyms at the Habersham County Recreation Department. (GEMSA photo)

“We try to do everything we can to support the education of our staff and staff in the surrounding counties, and it makes you feel good,” he says. “These trauma skills labs have become a big, big part of the EMS education through the technical schools and even through some of the nursing schools. Just to be able to get in here and to be able to get their hands on these cadavers, it’s completely different than what comes out of the textbook.”

Georgia collects $3 million per month in Super Speeder fines, with 20% of that going to GEMSA for the education of responders.

WinterFest Arts Tour returns to Northeast Georgia this weekend

By
Staff Report
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Artists will display and sell their work at four different locations in White County during the WinterFest Arts Tour February 17 and 18, 2024. (photo submitted)

The WinterFest Arts Tour is returning to Northeast Georgia this weekend, featuring 175 artists from Georgia, the Carolinas, Florida, Tennessee, and Alabama. The tour will be taking place at four locations over two days, with each location offering a unique arts experience for visitors.

The Hardman Farm Historic Site, Helen Arts & Heritage Center, the Sautee Nacoochee Center, and Unicoi State Park & Lodge will all be hosting exhibitions of original art and crafts created by local and regional artists. Visitors will have the opportunity to purchase items or simply enjoy the artwork on display.

The WinterFest Arts Tour is a weekend-long celebration of art, history, and community. The event showcases the best of local and regional art and culture and provides a platform for artists to connect with audiences. Visitors can enjoy a variety of activities and experiences, including guided tours, workshops, and live music performances.

Admission to all of the venues is free, but visitors may buy raffle tickets to enter to win one of three Grand Prizes valued at $250 each or more. Tickets may be purchased online or on-site during the event. Proceeds will go to benefit the nonprofit Sautee Nacoochee Center.

A banjo maker talks with guests during the WinterFest Arts tour at Unicoi State Park & Lodge near Helen, Ga. (photo submitted)

For more information on the WinterFest Arts Tour, please visit the official website or call 706-878-3300.

Elbert County’s Mecole Hardman wins it for the Chiefs

By
Staff Report
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Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman takes it in for the win with seconds left in overtime at the Super Bowl in Las Vegas on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024. (livestream image)

The Kansas City Chiefs won their second straight Super Bowl and third in the last five seasons, with a 25-22 overtime victory over San Francisco Sunday in Las Vegas.

It was a crushing defeat for the 49ers, which lost their last Super Bowl matchup with the Chiefs, 31-20, in 2020.

While a lot has changed for both teams since then, one constant is that the Georgia Bulldogs were well represented on football’s biggest stage Sunday. Most notably, Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman of Elbert County, Georgia, who caught the winning OT touchdown in Super Bowl 58 to lead the Chiefs to back-to-back titles.

After graduating from Elbert County High, Hardman played for the University of Georgia. He is the only former Bulldog on either team who played in Super Bowl 55 when the Chiefs and 49ers faced off in Miami.

The Chiefs drafted Hardman in the second round of the 2019 NFL draft after three years at Georgia, where he was a big-play threat as both a wideout and return specialist. He was a solid contributor for his first few years in Kansas City before signing with the New York Jets ahead of the 2023 season. His time in New York was short-lived, however, as he was traded back to the Chiefs this past October.

Hardman hails from Bowman. His former high school football team cheered his achievement on social media.

Hardman’s not the only former UGA player to make his home state proud. Here’s a look at some of the others who appeared on Sunday’s roster:

Chris Conley, 49ers wide receiver

Chris Conley graduated from North Paulding High School in Dallas, Georgia. He is the longest-tenured pro on the list, having been drafted by the Chiefs in the third round of the 2015 NFL draft. Through four years at Georgia, Conley caught 112 passes for 1,938 yards and 20 touchdowns as a frequent target of SEC all-time passing leader Aaron Murray.

Conley’s draft stock surged after a freakish NFL Combine performance, where he wowed scouts with his athleticism and even set the record for highest broad jump at 45 inches, a record that still stands.

Conley played four seasons in Kansas City before stops in Jacksonville, Houston and Tennessee and a very brief Chiefs reunion. He signed with the 49ers in April of 2023 and spent the season on the practice squad before being promoted to the active roster in December.

Charlie Woerner, 49ers tight end

Charlie Woerner, of Tiger, Georgia, graduated from Rabun County High School. He never jumped off the page statistically at Georgia, catching just 34 passes for 376 yards and a touchdown in his four years, but over time, he established himself as one of the best blocking tight ends in the country. His blocking ability got him all the way to the NFL, where he was drafted 190th overall by San Francisco in 2020. Since then, he’s picked up where he left off as a great blocker in a reserve role, this time behind 49ers star tight end George Kittle.

Woerner has only caught 11 passes for 120 yards in his pro career, but he’s played in 65 career games and carved out an important role in San Francisco’s offense. The 49ers have become one of the NFL’s best-rushing teams with superstar running back Christian McCaffrey, and Woerner’s blocking has played no small part in that success.

Malik Herring, Chiefs defensive lineman

Malik Herring graduated from Mary Persons High School in Forsyth, Georgia. He has had arguably the most challenging road to the NFL of anyone on this list. He went undrafted in 2021 after a four-year career at Georgia, in large part due to a torn ACL he suffered while preparing for the Senior Bowl just a few months before the draft.

He was signed by the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent and spent his rookie season recovering from his injury. The following season, Herring made the Chiefs’ active roster and has remained with the team ever since.

Herring made 70 tackles at Georgia, including 11.5 for loss, 4.5 sacks, and a forced fumble. So far in the NFL, he’s appeared in 14 games and recorded seven tackles, 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble.

Herring has done nothing short of claw his way to the league despite not many people giving him a chance.

Robert Beal Jr., 49ers edge rusher

Robert Beal Jr. graduated from Peachtree Ridge High School in Suwanee, Georgia. He was a regular contributor on Georgia’s back-to-back national title teams in 2021 and 2022 and was drafted by San Francisco in the fifth round of this year’s NFL Draft – just in time for another 49ers Super Bowl run.

Beal led Georgia’s legendary 2021 defense in sacks with six and a half and added another three in 2022. Much of his rookie year with the 49ers was spent dealing with injury, as he was placed on injured reserve in late August and not activated until late November.

Still, he appeared in four games for San Francisco this season and recorded five tackles and his first career sack, coming against Los Angeles Rams quarterback Carson Wentz in week 18.

The Red and Black reporter Bo Underwood contributed to this report

Baldwin City Council to consider cell tower ordinance amendments

By
Jerry Neace
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Baldwin City Council will consider two ordinance amendments for a cell tower to be placed on Traditions Drive during their meeting Monday February 12. (Jerry Neace/NowHabersham.com)

The Baldwin City Council will consider two cell tower zoning ordinance amendments during Monday night’s meeting. The two ordinance amendments are the result of an application requesting a special use permit and a variance. The cell tower would be located at the end of Traditions Drive near downtown and the airport.

Vertical Bridge submitted the application for the special use permit and the variance last November. The application is for the construction of a 250-foot cell tower to be located on property zoned R-1. The city’s current zoning ordinance restricts cell towers to be located on property with that zoning designation. It also restricts towers from exceeding a height of 165 feet on property zoned R-1. The two ordinances would amend the city’s current zoning ordinance.

Following procedure

As a matter of procedure, zoning applications require a public hearing and two public readings of the ordinance. Last week, the city council held a public hearing during their work session. No one spoke in favor of the cell tower. However, five people spoke in opposition.

The council will consider the first of the two public readings of the ordinance amendments on Monday night. If the city council votes in opposition to the amendments Monday night, the second reading is not required.

Mattaniah Jahn, an attorney and representative for Vertical Bridge, requested during the public hearing last week that the council approve the first reading of the ordinance amendments on Monday night only as a matter of procedure and have the second reading and final decision on February 26.

The request came so that Vertical Bridge could have representatives attend the February 26 meeting and answer questions related to a “No Hazard” letter submitted by the FAA.

The Baldwin City Council will meet on Monday, February 12, at 6:30 p.m. in the Baldwin Municipal Courtroom at 155 Willingham Avenue in Baldwin.

2024 ADVANCE Youth Camp

By
Nora Almazan
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(Photo Credit Hall County Sheriff's Facebook)

The Hall County Sheriff’s Office wants to remind you to mark your calendars now for the 2024 Annual ADVANCE Youth Camp June 10 through 14 from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. daily. The best part about the camp? It is FREE!

The HCSO ADVANCE Camp is for students ages 9 to 12. It is a five-day camp experience and is limited to 180 participants.

The fun includes field trips, delicious meals, camp t-shirts and so much more!

Parents need to register their children on May 18 between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. outside of Academy Sports on Dawsonville Highway. There are no early registrations.

Gene Joy is the ADVANCE Coordinator. You can contact her at 770-533-7806 or her email with questions at [email protected].

2 weekend shootings under investigation in Athens

By
Staff Report
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The Athens-Clarke County Police Department responded to two shootings on Sunday, Feb. 11.

The first incident occurred at around 5:32 p.m. on the 120 block of Viking Court. Officers found a person at the scene with gunshot injuries and rendered lifesaving aid. An ambulance transported the patient to a local hospital in critical condition.

Five hours later, Athens-Clarke County police responded to a report of a shooting in the 100 block of Zebulon Drive. Witnesses told police that a car drove away from the scene after being shot at, and a passenger in the car was shot.

Police say investigations into both shootings are ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Athens-Clarke County Police Department.

According to ACCPD statistics, there have been 17 shootings in Athens so far this year, up 6% over the same time period last year. That increase comes on the heels of a report released last month stating that crime in the Classic City was down slightly in 2023.

SEE ALSO

Crime rate down in Athens-Clarke County

 

Invest in your marriage: For Life 2024 Marriage Conference

By
Nora Almazan
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Marriage Conference at The Torch to be held March 9, 2024. (Photo Credit The Torch)

It has become a ministry that The Torch, located on Cannon Bridge Road in Demorest, GA, has been hosting since 2018. This year it is “God Is Writing Our Story”.

“It is easy to become so involved in day-to-day lives that there isn’t time for couples to spend together. Sometimes, it is difficult to have a conversation together,” Caleb McCallister, Worship Pastor at The Torch talked about this year’s Marriage Conference.

McCallister said this year will be entertaining with prizes to win, games to play, and a lot of fun involved. “Anyone can come – married, engaged, dating, and singles – it’s all about investing in the relationship.”

This year the featured speakers are Anthony Braswell & Shannen Fields-Braswell. Shannen Fields Braswell is an award-winning actress, producer, model, and inspirational speaker. Anthony Braswell is a pastor, inspirational speaker, content creator, and leadership coach.

Speakers – Anthony Braswell and Shannen Fields-Braswell (photo submitted)

Fields-Braswell was cast in the lead female role in the movie Facing the Giants (2006) as Brooke Taylor. She also played the lead role as Kerri Stein in the powerful pro-life movie Order of Rights.

Shannon and Anthony both lost their late spouses to terminal illnesses within eight weeks of each other. The couple decided to heal forward and make each day count.

As a couple, they love to share what God is doing in their lives. They’ve launched a ministry, “Uncover Marriage”, to equip couples to experience the marriage they have always wanted.

“Marriage is a lifelong choice – a commitment to be together through the good times and the not-so-good times,” McCallister added. “You don’t have to be having difficulty in your marriage to come. That is a misconception. Attending this conference is saying, ‘I’m placing my marriage as a priority’.”

Couple Attends Marriage Conference (photo by The Torch)

The day will involve games, big giveaways, food, entertainment, speakers and so much more.

For McCallister, it is all about making marriage the most successful that it can be. “My wife Liza and I understand that our marriage is a work in progress. We want to give it all we’ve got.”

You do not have to be a member of The Torch to attend the conference.

“It is a community event. Last year, we had 206 to register and ended up with 250 because many people registered the day of the event.”

Many businesses donate prizes and food for the day. McCallister emphasized the importance of living in a community that invests in marriage.

Dr. Connie Franklin speaks at the Marriage Conference (photo submitted)

“When you see couples who have been married forever, you always want to ask, ‘How do they do it?'” McCallister said. “It is a daily choice to stay married.”

The Marriage Conference will be held at The Torch, 800 Cannon Bridge Road, Demorest, GA, on Saturday, March 9, from 9 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. It is $40 per couple, which includes lunch, conference materials, and childcare.

If you are interested in childcare, your registration must be completed and submitted before March 3, 2024. T-Shirts are available to purchase as well inside the registration link for $15 each.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Commerce woman arrested after standoff with police

By
Joy Purcell
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A 60-year-old woman is facing charges after she barricaded herself in her home with a rifle and refused to come out, according to the Commerce Police Department.

The incident occurred at 45 Baugh Street, where the woman lived. Officers were dispatched to the home on Saturday after receiving reports of a disorderly person.

Police say the 60-year-old woman made threats to officers through a broken window and pulled out a rifle. She then barricaded herself in her home and refused to come out.

Officers evacuated nearby residents. The Barrow County Sheriff’s Office SWAT Team and Hostage Negotiators arrived on the scene and were able to take the woman into custody without further incident.

According to online jail records, police charged the suspect, Dee Figueroa, with six felonies. She faces three counts of aggravated assault against a law enforcement officer and three counts of making terroristic threats and acts.

Figueroa was booked at the Jackson County Jail, where she remained as of early Monday morning, Feb. 12.

Cornelia to hold Arbor Day ceremony Friday

By
Joy Purcell
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file photo

The City of Cornelia will celebrate Arbor Day with a public ceremony at 10 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 16.

“We will be planting an assortment of shade-producing trees on city-owned property on the corner of Moss Street and Wells Street,” says Cornelia City Manager Dee Anderson.

Last year, the city planted three Pink Dogwood trees to complete the Chenocetah Water Tank Beautification Project that began in 2022.

This year marks Cornelia’s 33rd year in the Tree City USA program, which aims to help communities manage and expand their public trees.

Although National Arbor Day is in April, each state typically celebrates Arbor Day during its regional planting season, which in Georgia is in February.

Woman who opened fire at Joel Osteen’s megachurch killed by police

By
Pooja Salhotra
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Worshippers gather outside Lakewood Church in Houston after a woman opened fire inside the church on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024. (image courtesy of NBC News)

(The Texas Tribune) — A female shooter opened fire on Sunday afternoon at pastor Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church in Houston, which has one of the nation’s largest congregations. She was fatally shot by off-duty officers. No one else at the church died.

The woman, between the ages of 30 and 35, entered the church at 1:53 p.m. wearing a trench coat and a backpack and carrying a long rifle, Houston police Chief Troy Finner said during a Sunday press conference after the shooting. A young child, who police said was approximately 4 to 5 years old, accompanied her.

The woman began shooting upon entering the church. Two off-duty officers shot the female shooter, who died on scene, according to authorities. The child was also shot and is in critical condition at Texas Children’s Hospital, but officers were unclear about how the child was injured. Another 57-year-old man — unassociated with the shooter — was shot in the leg and is being treated.

The shooter threatened that she had a bomb, so officers searched her vehicle and backpack but did not recover any explosives, police said. They continued a search of the church, which seats more than 16,000 people, on Sunday afternoon. Officers also said the shooter was spraying an unidentifiable substance, prompting officers to call upon the Houston Fire Department and hazmat units. Fire Chief Samuel Peña said they found “nothing of concern.”

Law enforcement did not identify the shooter’s motive or her identity. She entered the church minutes before the start of the 2 p.m. Spanish-language service.

“It’s unfortunate that on the day we want to attend church and watch America’s No. 1 sports event, we find ourselves gathered here to respond to this tragedy,” Houston Mayor John Whitmire said during the press conference. “We want Houstonians to know they are being protected by their first responders.”

Whitmire thanked first responders for their collaboration. Officers from the Harris County Sheriff’s Department, Houston Fire Department and Houston Police Department were on scene. The two off-duty agents who shot the shooter were from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission and the Houston Police Department.

Lakewood Church is about 6 miles outside of downtown Houston in the former arena for the Houston Rockets. The nondenominational, evangelical Christian church attracts people from across the country both in person and online.

Osteen, known for his best-selling books and as a televangelist, said at the press conference that he was devastated and “in a fog.”

“We don’t understand why these things happen, but we know God is in control,” Osteen said. “We are going to pray for the little 5-year-old boy and the lady that was deceased, her family, and the other gentlemen.”

Gov. Greg Abbott said he had been in contact with Whitmire and offered state resources, including Department of Public Safety officers and Texas Rangers.

“Our hearts are with those impacted by today’s tragic shooting and the entire Lakewood Church community in Houston,” Abbott said. “Places of worship are sacred.”

Several mass shootings have occurred in U.S. houses of worship in recent years, including the November 2017 shooting at the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs. Twenty-six people were killed and 20 others were wounded when a gunman opened fire on parishioners in the rural town east of San Antonio.

In December 2019, a man shot and killed two people during a church service at West Freeway Church of Christ in White Settlement, a suburb of Fort Worth. A church member shot and killed him in seconds. A Texas law passed in response to the Sutherland Springs shooting allows licensed handgun owners to carry those weapons in places of worship. The White Settlement church formed a volunteer security team in response to that law.

The Sutherland Springs shooting occurred just months before a school shooting in Santa Fe, Texas, which prompted Abbott to host a series of discussions to identify solutions to gun violence. Lawmakers heard from statewide leaders, school officers and law enforcement, with some proposing universal background checks and policies to keep guns away from people who “pose an immediate danger.”.

But year after year, lawmakers have largely rejected measures that would limit access to guns, instead focusing on enhancing school security and adding more mental health services. Last year, lawmakers filed a slate of gun control bills as they convened for the first time since the Uvalde school shooting in which an 18-year-old gunman shot and killed 19 students and two teachers. The vast majority of those bills stalled, including a measure that would have raised the age to purchase a semi-automatic rifle from 18 to 21 that Uvalde families spent months pushing.

Stevie Wonder performs emotional musical tribute to MLK’s son Dexter Scott King in Atlanta

By
Kristi York Wooten
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Stevie Wonder plays harmonica during "Total Praise," a gospel song he performed at the memorial service for Dexter Scott King on Feb. 10, 2024. (Credit: The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change)

Stevie Wonder joined mourners at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta Saturday for the candlelight memorial service honoring Dexter Scott King, the youngest son of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Coretta Scott King, who died Jan. 30, 2024 at age 62 after a battle with cancer.

Dexter Scott King was a civil rights activist, author, and attorney who served as a chairman of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change and was president of the King estate.

He was 7 when his father was assassinated in 1968 and spent much of his career working to protect the family’s intellectual property. His mother, Coretta, died in 2006, followed by his older sister, Yolanda, in 2007.

Wonder’s appearance at the Saturday memorial capped a two-hour, music-filled event led by Ebenezer pastors, including U.S. Senator Rev. Raphael Warnock, with words from MLK’s surviving children, Martin Luther King III and Rev. Bernice King, and Dexter King’s wife, Leah Weber, and performances by BeBe and CeCe Winans.

Ebenezer’s Horizon Sanctuary glowed with hundreds of candles, and solemn tones flowed from Wonder’s famous Yamaha Motif keyboard as he launched into “They Won’t Go When I Go,” a classical-inspired minor-key ballad he co-wrote with Yvonne Wright and released in 1974.

A pair of dancers moved gracefully in front of a bouquet of lilies while the Motown legend hit the verses’ soul-rumbling low notes, with members of the Celebration Choir adding rich harmonies behind him.

”The innocent will leave for sure; for them, there is a resting place,” Wonder sang, the urgency in his delivery recalling the time he played the song at a televised memorial for Michael Jackson in 2009.

Next, in his second voice—the harmonica—Wonder fronted the choir and organist in an emotional crescendo of “Total Praise,” a modern gospel hit written by Atlantan Richard Smallwood in 1996.


Stevie Wonder has a long relationship with the King family. Wonder met MLK at age 14 and was just 17 when he flew to Atlanta for King’s funeral in April 1968. He also appeared at Coretta Scott King’s funeral in Lithonia, Ga. in 2006.

He was a leading advocate in the campaign to make Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday a national holiday and penned “Happy Birthday” in MLK’s honor in 1980. In recent times, Wonder has used the social media hashtag #DreamStillLives to honor the memory of King.

His performance at the memorial service for Dexter King was poignant, given the history of disagreements between the King children.

Bernice King said Saturday she had reconciled with her brother before his death and that living in the “beloved community” her father created was not without conflict but proved that the path of nonviolence, like the healing power of music, endures.

This article appears in partnership with GPB News

Over 160 archers compete in Wilbanks February Tournament

By
Jerry Neace
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The North Habersham Middle School archers take aim during the Wilbanks February Tournament Saturday. (Jerry Neace/NowHabersham.com)

More than 160 archers from 11 different schools from across the region competed in the Wilbanks February Tournament. The tournament began on Friday, February 9, and finished up before noon on Saturday, February 10.

The 161 students that participated in the tournament were between the fourth and twelfth grades. The tournament was being held in preparation for the archers and teams to qualify for the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) Eastern Nationals tournament, which will be held in Louisville, KY, in May.

Eleven schools attend

Habersham County was well represented, with five schools participating in the tournament. Stephens County had two schools attend. Several schools traveled from outside the area to participate in the tournament. Those schools included Atha Road Elementary School from Walton County, Sugar Hill Christian Academy from Gwinnett County, Riverside Middle School from Pendleton, SC, and The Cottage School from Fulton County.

Scores

The table below demonstrates the schools that participated in the tournament. The team scores and the top male and female archers and their scores from each school are listed. Individual scores can be found here at nasptournaments.org.

The top male archer in the tournament was Aiden Perrin, an 8th-grade student from Stephens County Middle School. Perrin scored 266 out of 300, ranking #1 out of 98 male archers and #1 overall out of 161 archers in the tournament. This is the second time Perrin has won top honors at the Wilbanks tournament.

The top female archer was Ella Claire Gosnell, a 5th-grade student from Hazel Grove Elementary School. She scored 263 out of 300, ranking #1 out of 63 female archers. She tied #2 overall in the tournament with three other students: 7th grader Lewis Phillips from North Habersham Middle School, 10th grader Cooper Van Wingerden, and 9th grader Michael Shaw, both from The Cottage High School team.

Next tournament

Wilbanks Middle School will host one more tournament at the end of the month. The Wilbanks Qualifying February Tournament will be held on February 23 and 24. This tournament will be for archers and teams to qualify for a trip to compete in the NASP Eastern Nationals.

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