Category: "Briefs"

GBI Hot on the Trail of Cornwell Abductor

New evidence appears to have been gathered in the on-going Kristi Cornwell abduction. Speculation among community members has apparently turned into a more solid investigation with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI.)
Kristi Cornwell disappeared nine months ago, presumed kidnapped during an evening stroll near her Blairsville home. She has not been seen or heard of [...]

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Cherokee County Primary Election Results

It looks like Cherokee County will have a brand new board of Commissioners.  The results from the May 4th Election Primary show that all three incumbent commissioners have been defeated.  In this primary, just under 17% of Cherokee County’s registered voters cast their ballot.  The unofficial results are posted below.   Statistics provided courtesy of the [...]

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Latest election results from Clay County

Early voting counted for almost 55 percent of the total vote count in Tuesday’s Primary election. On election day, the turn out was light with only 1,501 persons voting giving a 37.9 % overall voter turnout for the county. There will be no runoff for county officials; however there might be a runoff for statewide [...]

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Local rapist shoots himself after standoff

After a three hour standoff with an Atlanta SWAT team, James Scott Carringer, 42 of Young Harris, GA ended his own life April 8.
On Tuesday, April 6, Carringer drove to Kennesaw, GA and met a relative at Dick’s Sporting Goods parking lot. He then abducted the 19-year-old female, drove her to a remote part of [...]

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New board may oversee retail in old courthouse

A new board may be appointed to oversee retail operations in Clay County’s historic courthouse.
Clay County Communities Revitalization Association members Rob Tiger and John Bayne approached commissioners Thursday at the request of commissioner Harry Jarrett.
Numerous comments and surveys suggested choosing a nonprofit organization to lease the old courthouse to, Jarrett said.
Tiger said that forming a [...]

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Team strives to step up local recycling efforts

On average, about 30 percent of the nation’s solid waste is recycled. In stark contrast, barely five percent of Clay County’s solid waste is recycled.
Steve Kaagan and Bryan Hedden emphasized such statistics Monday in an effort to step up recycling efforts at Clay County Schools.
Partners for more than four years now, Hedden and Kaagan transformed [...]

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Appalachian Community Bank closed by feds

Georgia owned bank was 34th FDIC insured bank to fail in nation this year
Appalachian Community Bank in Blairsville was closed along with nine other branches in North Carolina and Georgia. All branches operated under the trade name of Gilmer County Bank.
On Friday the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance, which appointed the Federal Deposit Insurance [...]

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Board pulls brake on homeless shelter plan

Listen to the planning and zoning board meeting.
Hayesville may not be getting a new homeless shelter for women if the town council takes the advice of the local planning and zoning board.
The council voted unanimously not to recommend a zoning ordinance exception to allow the women’s center in the central business district downtown.
New Life Women’s [...]

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Google may have answer to internet plight

When it comes to our lack of high speed internet, the global internet company Google may have exactly what we’re looking for.  The company recently announced that they are launching a project that aims to make Internet connections better and faster for everyone.  Right now Google is looking for small towns across the nation to [...]

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Mental health reform won’t be quick

Listen to Ingraham talk to commissioners.
Smoky Mountain Center needs more time to transfer regional mental health services to a new provider, CEO Brian Ingraham told Clay County commissioners Thursday.
Ingraham called the privatization of SMC’s services the most significant change to sweep the organization in some time. The reform, orchestrated by the Department of Health and [...]

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