Ex-bank manager charged in theft

Thena M. Caine

Thena M. Caine, 79, of Dawsonville, died May 18, 2013.

Wiley Mezick

Wiley Mezick, 64, of Dawsonville, died May 16, 2013.

Flooding causes damage

Work crews have been out since daybreak Sunday assessing the damage and making repairs to areas across the county that felt the impact of heavy rainfall early Sunday.

Pruett promoted to lead senior center

A county native with more than two decades of local government experience has been selected to lead the Dawson County Senior Center.

Bible debate at state park rages on

A national atheist group wants to place books alongside Bibles at Georgia State Park lodge rooms and cabins.

Larry Cohran

Larry Cohran, 77, of McDonough, died May 15, 2013.

Kenneth Evans

Kenneth Evans, 81, of Dawsonville, died May 17, 2013.

Calibrate weed sprayers

I have answered many calls at the extension office in the past few weeks dealing with weed control in home lawns.

Revitalization interesting

It was interesting to read the recent recommendations for downtown Dawsonville revitalization. They were almost identical to the items we identified when the previous revitalization committee was active probably 15 years ago, including the desire to utilize the David house in some way. We also worked under the guidance of a University of Georgia planner, Paul Kreager.

It truly takes a village to raise a child

"I don't like change," Cole said solemnly one day. "I'm like a cat that way."

Hall of Fame to announce 2013 inductees

A Dawsonville man is among 15 semifinalists for the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame's 2013 class of inductees.

Memorial Day service Monday

A service Monday at Veterans Memorial Park will honor local military men and women who served their country honorably.

Grads ready to walk

Three days stand between more than 200 students and the next chapter of their lives.

Longtime educator retires

Friends and family gathered Sunday to honor a longtime Dawson County teacher and member of the Georgia Agriculture Education Hall of Fame on his upcoming retirement.

Celebrate Arbor Day

Arbor Day celebrates awareness of trees within our communities and promotes tree planting across the country. We all know the benefits trees bestowed upon us: Shade, cleaner air, erosion control, wind buffering, wildlife habitat and aesthetic beauty. Of course trees deserve an official day.

Kilough Elementary hosts night of science

Kilough Elementary School saw an invasion of young learners last month for Mad Scientist Night. The Jan. 24 event was designed to show students different fields of science and give them a hands-on approach to learning.

Leaders keeping eye on juvenile justice reform bill

After tackling criminal justice last year in the legislature, state leaders now are turning their focus toward the juvenile system. Local leaders in the juvenile justice community were optimistic but cautious in reaction to a bill introduced Friday in the House.

Crossing topic of luncheon

Transportation is up for discussion Thursday during a Dawson County Chamber of Commerce luncheon. Robert Murphy, senior project manager with the Georgia Department of Transportation, will outline plans for the Hwy. 53-Ga. 400 crossing, which include converting it to a two-legged continuous flow setup.

Students send shoes to Africa

Dawson County High School students are sending their old shoes to Ghana, West Africa. What may seem like a strange gesture or different way of getting rid of old shoes could make a huge difference to Third World children thanks to the help of Martin Kumi and The Soul Project.

Need to protect the Second Amendment

Last December, after a long day of meetings, I could think of nothing more important than going home and hugging my kids tightly. The Sandy Hook Elementary tragedy was everywhere that day - TV, newspaper, social media and general conversation. When a parent sends a child to school or when a teacher goes to work, it is assumed both will return home safe and sound at the end of the day.

Bill could benefit city

Dawsonville's downtown may get an added boost to its revitalization efforts in the coming months. A measure recently introduced at the state legislature, House Bill 128, is being billed as Georgia's downtown renaissance act. It would allow a three-tiered system to aid with refurbishing and renovating small, downtown areas.

Barida Hurst

Barida Hurst, 79, of Cumming, died Feb. 8, 2013. Survivors include her husband, Ed Hurst of Cumming; daughter, Wanoga Hammond of Forsyth County; sisters, Edna Stanley of Dahlonega, Dorothy Gist of Jasper; grandchildren, Amanda Bobo, Rhonda Hall, both of Dahlonega, Lahoma Meeks of Jasper, Mark, Dustin and Autumn Hammond; various other relatives also survive.

Jerry Ray Davis

Jerry Ray Davis, 58, of Dawsonville, died Feb. 3, 2013. Born June 8, 1954, in Memphis, Tenn. to the late Howard and Virginia Davis, Mr. Davis was a driver for Celadon Trucking Services.

Preparing for emergencies topic of annual meeting

Emergency preparedness will be the topic of discussion Saturday at the Dawson County's Homeowners Civic Association annual membership meeting. Guest speakers Dawson County Sheriff Billy Carlisle and Emergency Services Director Billy Thurmond are scheduled to outline the county's emergency management plans, as well as answer questions.

Arbor Day celebration is Friday

The community is invited to a celebration of trees Friday afternoon at Veterans Memorial Park. The Dawson County Tree Preservation Committee in conjunction with Keep Dawson County Beautiful will meet at 2 p.m. in honor of Arbor Day, held in Georgia on the third week of February each year.

Riverview students 100 days smarter

Last month, teachers and students at Riverview Elementary gathered to celebrate being 100 days older and smarter. The Riverview Elementary 100th Day parade began in 2010 when the school first opened and has happened every year since.

State working on juvenile justice reform

Last week was another busy week under the Gold Dome. Bills were introduced on various topics and all of my committees met to discuss legislation and to learn about issues occurring in our State. The House and Senate went into a joint session on Thursday in the House of Representatives for the State of the Judiciary Address.

Student signs with West Georgia

Dawson County High School senior Harley Vaughan made an important decision last week. Vaughan signed a scholarship Feb. 7 to continue his football career at the University of West Georgia in Carrollton. Vaughan is the 20th athlete that has signed a football scholarship under Coach Jeff Lee's training program since Lee has been at the high school.

Three will represent DCHS at state traditionals

Gavin Brown, Evan Kells and Keaton Toal will represent the Dawson County wrestling team at the State Traditionals in Macon this weekend. The tournament will be held this weekend at the Macon Centreplex.