Local News and Weather

Clarkesville city leaders will begin discussions on the city's 2027 budget during a work session Tuesday evening that also includes agreements involving animal control and radio maintenance services. The Clarkesville City Council will meet at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27. Among the new business items on the agenda is discussion of the city's proposed 2027 budget. The agenda does not provide details regarding the proposed spending plan or indicate that a vote on the budget will tak

Habersham County paramedics will soon have new technology available when responding to heart attacks and other critical medical emergencies after the county received a $500,000 federal grant to purchase 10 new cardiac monitors. Habersham County Emergency Services was awarded the funding through FEMA's Assistance to Firefighters Grant program. The money will be used to purchase 10 LIFEPAK 35 cardiac monitors to replace aging equipment currently used by local emergency medical

The Torch Christian Academy would like to invite all veterans for a Veterans Day Program on Wednesday, November 11, at 8:30 AM in the main sanctuary of The Torch Church, 800 Cannon Bridge Road, Demorest. Doors will open at 8:00 AM. Students will present their artwork to each veteran as a small token of their appreciation. The Torch Christian Academy is honored to recognize and celebrate the brave men and women who have served this country and want to thank veterans for thei

Georgia drivers will continue getting a break from the state's motor fuel tax through the Thanksgiving holiday after Gov. Brian Kemp extended the suspension through Nov. 30. Kemp announced the extension Saturday, citing continued volatility in global fuel markets and elevated gasoline and diesel prices. The decision was made in consultation with Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and House Speaker Jon Burns. The suspension means the state will continue to temporarily stop collecting 33.3 ce

The Piedmont University Singers will take the stage Nov. 12 for a free fall concert featuring music centered on life and love, including a special tribute to Dolly Parton. The concert, titled “Live and Love,” begins at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12, at the Piedmont University Chapel in Demorest. Under the direction of Bobby Ivey, the 25-member auditioned ensemble includes both music and non-music majors representing a variety of academic programs across the university. The even

An 81-year-old Lula man has died after being struck by gunfire during a shooting outside a Gainesville Walmart Wednesday evening. Gainesville Police identified the victim as James Edward McDaniel of Lula. The shooting happened shortly after 7 p.m. in the parking lot of the Walmart on Shallowford Road. According to preliminary information from police, gunfire erupted in the parking lot and McDaniel was struck. According to AccessNorthGeorgia.com/ WDUN, which first reported the

Habersham County voters can begin casting ballots Tuesday as Georgia's three-week early voting period gets underway ahead of the Nov. 3 General Election. Voters will have decisions to make from the top of the ballot to the local level, with contests for U.S. Senate and Congress, statewide offices and seats in the Georgia General Assembly. Several Habersham County offices are also on the ballot, along with statewide constitutional amendments and a countywide sales tax referend

Piedmont University Theatre will open its 2026-27 Mainstage Season with The Addams Family Musical, bringing the famously spooky family to the stage just in time for Halloween. Performances are scheduled for Oct. 29-31 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 1 at 2 p.m. at the Swanson Center Mainstage Theater on Piedmont's Demorest campus. The musical follows the familiar Addams Family characters as they encounter a problem even they may not be prepared for — Wednesday Addams has fallen

The Habersham County Board of Tax Assessors has changed its meeting schedule, reducing the number of meetings held during several months of the year. Under the new policy, the board will hold one meeting per month during January, February, March, August, September, October, November and December. The board will continue holding two meetings per month during April, May, June and July. As part of the schedule change, the following meetings have been canceled: September 22, 2026

By: Nora Almazan Former Demorest Police Chief Casey Chastain and Assistant Chief James Minutello Photo: Submitted Casey Chastain has resigned as chief of the Demorest Police Department following months of tension that he says began with complaints made against him in January and continued even after an investigation into the allegations concluded. Chastain has spent 18 years in law enforcement, including 13 years with the Demorest Police Department. He served as the city's p

Oktoberfest visitors will have a chance to put their strength — and their ability to hold a beer stein — to the test when Helen hosts its third annual Stein Holding Competition on Saturday, Oct. 10. The competition will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Helen Festhalle and will feature separate men's and women's categories. Competitors will see who can hold a beer stein the longest. The competition comes in the middle of Helen's 56th annual Oktoberfest, which runs through No

The Banks County Sheriff’s Office is inviting motorcycle and Jeep enthusiasts to hit the road for a good cause during its Shopping With a Hero Benefit Ride on Saturday, Oct. 24. The ride will raise money for the Sheriff’s Office Shopping With a Hero program, with all proceeds from the event benefiting the program, with the start beginning at the Banks County Recreation Department and travel to the Rabun County Recreation Center. Registration is at 8 a.m., with kickstands up a