Local News

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

The Soque River Watershed Association raised just under $25,000 during its annual fundraiser Thursday evening, Sept. 24, bringing supporters together for an evening focused on conservation, community and the future of the Soque River. The event, held at North Georgia Technical College’s Industrial Technology Center, featured a prime rib dinner, live music by John Burke and an auction that included fly-fishing experiences and artwork. Ten donor tables were represented during t

The Clarkesville City Council will discuss the possible purchase of new police body cameras, grant opportunities and the city’s MainStreet Manager position during a work session Tuesday evening. The council will meet at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 29. Among the items on the agenda is a discussion about the possible purchase of new body cameras for the Clarkesville Police Department. The agenda does not provide additional information about the proposed purchase, including potential

White County has earned national recognition for its financial reporting for the 17th consecutive year. The Government Finance Officers Association awarded the county its Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for White County’s Fiscal Year 2025 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report. The award recognizes state and local governments whose financial reports meet standards for transparency, accountability and full disclosure of financial information. Wh

Emergency Medical Services professionals from across North Georgia gathered at Piedmont University in Demorest for the 2026 Region 2 EMS Awards Ceremony. The annual event recognizes excellence in emergency pre-hospital care throughout the 13-county region, which includes Banks, Dawson, Forsyth, Franklin, Habersham, Hall, Hart, Lumpkin, Rabun, Stephens, Towns, Union and White counties. The 2026 Region 2 EMS Award recipients are: Dr. Gary Kempler “Trauma Call of the Year” Award

Piedmont University has been ranked the No. 3 private college in Georgia by U.S. News & World Report. The ranking was released as part of U.S. News & World Report’s latest college rankings. Piedmont is included in the Regional Universities South category, which encompasses colleges and universities across 13 states and territories. Regional universities offer a broad range of undergraduate programs along with some master’s programs and a limited number of doctoral programs. “

From left to right: Jacob Holm, Hannah Long, Kiani Holden, Jill Thompson, Katherine DeVane. Photo: Habersham County Habersham County has received national recognition for its financial reporting for the ninth consecutive year. The Government Finance Officers Association awarded the county its Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for Habersham County’s Annual Comprehensive Financial Report for the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2025. The award re

By: Rep. Victor Anderson Georgia State Representative Victor Anderson Photo: submitted For many homeowners in Northeast Georgia, one of the most noticeable increases in the cost of living has arrived in the mailbox in the form of a property tax bill. Georgia has spent considerable time over the past several years looking for ways to provide property tax relief. But there is another side to that discussion: counties, cities and school systems still have to pay for law enforcem

By: Nora Almazan Mac Koon, Public Works Director. Photo: Habersham County Habersham County has named Mac Koon as its new Public Works Director, promoting him to the position after he most recently served as interim director. Koon joined Habersham County in December 2024 as Assistant Public Works Director. He brings more than 18 years of public service experience to the position, including military service and work with the U.S. Department of Defense. As Public Works Director,

By: Nora Almazan One of Cornelia’s favorite fall traditions returns this weekend as the Big Red Apple Festival takes over downtown Saturday, Sept. 26. The 38th Annual Big Red Apple Festival will be held from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., bringing a full day of food, arts and crafts, vendors and entertainment to downtown Cornelia. The annual festival has become a fall tradition for families across Habersham County and Northeast Georgia, offering visitors a chance to spend the day down

By: Nora Almazan The Habersham County Board of Commissioners will meet Monday evening with fire protection, airport planning, recreation improvements and animal control services among the issues scheduled for consideration. The meeting begins at 6 p.m. Sept. 21 in the Jury Assembly Room of the Habersham County Courthouse, located at 295 Llewellyn Street in Clarkesville. Among the items under new business, commissioners will consider an automatic aid agreement with the City of

Habersham County has secured $2.5 million in federal funding toward construction of a new Emergency Operations Center that will bring the county’s emergency management and 911 operations together under one roof. The funding was awarded through the Fiscal Year 2026 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill, which has now been signed into law. The federal money will be combined with funding already designated for the project through the county’s Special Purpose Local Option Sales T

Habersham County residents will have several opportunities over the next several weeks to learn more about a proposed new sales tax designed to reduce county and municipal property tax millage rates. County representatives are taking information about the Property Tax Reduction Local Option Sales Tax, or PTRLOST, to community events, civic organizations, municipal meetings and two upcoming town halls as voters prepare to decide the issue in November. PTRLOST, also called the

For some military families, war did not end when the fighting stopped. There was no homecoming. No final goodbye. And, for some, there were questions that continued for years or even generations. On Friday evening, the Northeast Georgia community will have an opportunity to remember those families and the American service members who were prisoners of war or never returned home. The Grant-Reeves Veterans Honor Guard will host a POW/MIA Remembrance Day ceremony at 6 p.m. Frida