Home destroyed by fire

Firefighters from Dawson and Forsyth counties battled a house fire south of Dawsonville that displaced a family Monday morning. There was no one in the home when the fire broke out about 11:30 a.m. on Gomez Lane, a private, gravel drive off Jenkins Road and Hwy. 9 South.

Weekend festival full of fun

Dawsonville's unique history comes alive this weekend with the 45th annual Mountain Moonshine Festival. The festivities begin Friday morning with the annual "Moonshine Run" that begins at the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame.

Drive-in movie set for Saturday night

The city of Dawsonville's Downtown Development Authority and Dawson County Parks and Recreation invites the community and all the visitors in town this weekend to a free drive-in movie Saturday in the lower parking lot of the Dawson County Government Center. "We'll be showing Ice Age 4 and we'd love for everyone to come out, bring their chairs and blankets or enjoy this family friendly movie from their cars," said City Councilman Chris Gaines.

Church offers unique experience

For the past several weeks, the congregation at Lighthouse Baptist Church has tried to scare the audiences out of hell in an alternative to the haunted houses held around this time each fall. Featuring multimedia special effects and pyrotechnic explosions, Hell's Gates is an outdoor reality drama that challenges participants to consider the results of making life-changing decisions.

Park and rec invites kids to trunk-or-treat

Ghost, goblins, fairies and princesses of all ages are invited to fill their Halloween bags with sweets Oct. 31 at Rock Creek Park's inaugural Trunk or Treat. Scheduled from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m., the event is free to the public and offers a well-lit, secure environment for trick-or-treaters.

Property manager thwarts massive ‘rave’

The property manager of a rental home in northern Dawson County put a stop to a massive Halloween party planned overnight Oct. 30 at the resort.

Saturday night concert added to Moonshine Festival activities

New this year to the 45th annual Mountain Moonshine Festival is a free concert featuring Feedback and Across the Wide on Saturday night in the Winner's Circle at the Dawsonville Municipal Complex. Organizers encourage everyone to bring chairs or blankets to enjoy an evening of live entertainment under the stars Oct. 27. The show starts at 7 p.m.

Local man hospitalized after motorcycle wreck

A Dawsonville man is recovering at an Atlanta hospital following a motorcycle wreck Saturday afternoon on Harmony Church Road. Dawson County Emergency Services Deputy Chief Tim Satterfield said James Dymond, 42, was unconscious and unresponsive when emergency personnel arrived about 2:30 pm.

Early voting begins

Advance voting is under way for the Nov. 6 General Election. The ballot includes the presidential race between President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney, congressional races and a referendum on charter schools in Georgia.

Aging water main set to be replaced

Etowah Water and Sewer Authority plans to replace an aging water main near War Hill Park Road next week. General Manager Brooke Anderson said there will be little disruption to customers during the weeklong construction project that is set to begin Monday.

Get lost in fall

Whether it's navigating rows of corn, picking through thousands of pumpkins or hiking up mountains covered in fall foliage, autumn is filled with outdoor activities.

Fundraiser features grits and granola

A brunch fundraiser Sunday supports Good Shepherd Clinic's continued efforts to offer free medical care in Dawson County. Volunteers with the free clinic will be at The Chimneys at Big Canoe from 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Oct. 14 serving up a unique dish of grits and granola, catered by Buckhead-based Talk of the Town. Admission into the event is $35 per person.

Citizens to gather to pray for nation

Community members are invited to join in an open prayer session Saturday at Veterans Memorial Park. The "Heal Our Land Day of Prayer" will be from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. in the park's gym.

Young Life celebrates 10 years in Dawson

Young Life Dawson County, a Christian organization focused on sharing "the truth of God's love" with local adolescents, celebrated 10 years of service on Sept. 23. Hosting a banquet at First Baptist Church of Dawsonville, nearly 100 people were served dinner while hearing about the organization's decade of local growth and expansion.

Hiker rescued, expected to recover

The Cumming man that fell about 25 feet Friday while hiking at Cochran Falls in northwestern Dawson County is expected to make a full recovery. Dawson County Emergency Services Chief Lanier Swafford said the 22-year-old man, whose name has not been released, was in stable condition Monday afternoon at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta. He could be released within a few days.

Church to screen film about crime on children

First Baptist Church of Dawsonville will be screening the new film "Finding Faith" Saturday with hopes that parents will take a new look at the dangers of Internet crimes against children. "As grandparents, it's a grave concern of ours," said Debbie Gaines, whose husband Jim pastors the church. "We were interested in alerting the community on this important message for teens and their parents."

Relay for Life holds dinner and more

Cancer survivors, their families and supporters will gather Thursday at Dawson County High School to celebrate survival. Relay for Life of Dawson County will be holding its annual Survivor Dinner Celebration from 6 to 8 p.m. at the high school. According to Andrea Shoemaker, community manager for Dawson County Relay for Life, the 12-year strong event is held to "bring cancer survivors together in celebration of their success in beating cancer."

Dance supports literacy

A fundraiser Saturday night had couples twisting the night away for literacy. The annual golden oldies trivia dinner dance collected more than $5,000 for Reading Education Association of Dawson County's mission to improve lives through literacy in the community.

DCSO offers women’s self-defense course

A free course designed to teach women basic self-defense tips will be taught at Robinson Elementary School. Dawson County Sheriff's Capt. Ray Goodie said the three-hour course, which runs from 9 a.m. to noon April 20, will give women hands-on experience to fight off attackers.

Rabies clinic this weekend

While cases are on the decline, rabies is still a threat to both man and animal. To help fight this threat, the county's annual rabies clinic, sponsored by 4-H, will be held Saturday morning. Veterinarians will offer the low-cost vaccinations at various locations throughout the county beginning at 8:30 a.m.

R.E.A.D. dancing for donations

R.E.A.D. will host its "Oldies but Goodies" trivia and dancing night Saturday and the community is invited to join in for food, fun and trivia. "It is a really fun evening," said R.E.A.D. Executive Director Sandy Lipkowitz. "All of the trivia will be about the oldies goldies music."

Annual golf tournament supports local veterans

There's still time to register a team in Rotary Club of Dawson County's annual golf tournament April 29 at Crystal Falls Golf Club. Early entries for the Ft. Lauderdale scramble run through April 22. Entry fees are $125 for individuals or $500 for a four-player team.

Perren named new president of Lanier Tech

Church continues tradition

Despite having been with New Bethel Baptist Church for only four years, Pastor Bobby Whitmire is continuing a tradition that has spanned more than 30. Whitmire and two church members, Michael Densmore, a deacon, and Yancy Savage, stood on platforms affixed to wooden crosses in front of the church March 29, off of Hwy. 136 East.

Elliott truck series debut Saturday at Martinsville

Dawsonville's Chase Elliott will make his national debut Saturday in NASCAR's Camping World Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia. The 1:30 p.m. race will be televised on Fox Sports and shown on the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame's 24-foot projection screen.

Eggs, food & fun

The football field at Veterans Memorial Park looked like it had been the victim of an Easter shower this weekend as Dawson County residents brought their children to gather chocolate prizes. Sponsored by Dawson County Parks and Recreation, K.A.R.E. for Kids and the church @ War Hill, the 27th annual Easter egg hunt at the park drew a large crowd to hunt eggs, take train rides and get their faces painted. There also was a burger-eating contest.

Egg hunt is Saturday

Easter is this weekend and K.A.R.E. for Kids is ready for its annual egg hunt. The hunt begins at 11:30 a.m. on March 30 at Veterans Memorial Park. The organization invites the community to come out for a lunch of hotdogs and more.

Game benefits cause

A longstanding county rivalry deepened Saturday night when the Lumpkin County Sheriff's Office topped the Dawson County Sheriff's Office in a charity basketball game. After the 51-37 win in Dahlonega, Lumpkin County Sheriff Stacy Jarrard said he was proud to take home the coveted pig-shaped trophy.

R.E.A.D. director honored

Each year, one Certified Literate Community Program director is selected among every other in the state to win the Georgia Press Association Award of Excellence in CLCP award. R.E.A.D. executive director Sandy Lipkowitz has been named the 2013 award recipient.

Charity basketball game benefits Relay for Life

The rivalry between Dawson and Lumpkin counties is expected to heat up Saturday night when sheriff's deputies from each county face off in a charity basketball game. "We've always had kind of a rivalry with the Lumpkin County Sheriff's Office, so this is going to be interesting," said Dawson County Sheriff Billy Carlisle. "It's definitely going to be a competition."