July 2026 Community Life Canton Cherokee County Fire & Emergency Services Holds Symbolic Change of Command CeremonyCherokee County Fire & Emergency Services officially welcomed Kevin J. Lanier as the department’s new fire chief during a Change of Command Ceremony, which marked the formal transfer of leadership from outgoing Fire Chief Eddie L. Robinson, who retired after three decades of dedicated service to Cherokee County and the fire service profession.The Change of Command Ceremony is a long-standing tradition that symbolizes the orderly transfer of authority, responsibility, and accountability from one leader to another. During the ceremony, the department’s colors were formally passed from Chief Robinson to Chief Lanier, representing the continuity of leadership and service to the citizens of Cherokee County.After volunteering for several years, Chief Robinson began his career service with Cherokee County Fire & Emergency Services in 1999, the same year countywide paid fire protection was established. He became fire chief in 2022 and led the department through a period of tremendous growth and progress.Under Chief Robinson’s leadership, the department saw much progress, including:• International Accreditation• Increased staffing levels, including minimum three-person engine companies and four-person truck companies• Expanded employee benefits and professional development opportunities• Significant pay and compensation improvements• The addition of new fire apparatus, ambulances, and lifesaving equipment• The opening of new fire stations and planning for future growth• A reduction in employee attrition and strengthening of organizational cultureFollowing the reading of official orders, Kevin J. Lanier was officially sworn in as fire chief of Cherokee County Fire & Emergency Services by the Honorable Keith Wood.Chief Lanier began his career with Cherokee County Fire & Emergency Services in 2000. Over the past 25 years, he has steadily risen through every rank within the organization, from firefighter to deputy chief, earning the respect of colleagues through strong leadership, operational expertise, and a steadfast commitment to public service.As fire chief, Lanier will serve as a member of Cherokee County’s Executive Leadership Team and report directly to County Manager Geoff Morton.————————————————————————Century-Old Landmark Restored for New Judicial UseLast month, Cherokee County officials gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the opening of the refurbished 94 North Street building in downtown Canton.The building, which has served several purposes throughout its history, was formerly Canton United Methodist Church and later housed the Cherokee Arts Center. Cherokee County regained ownership of the building after the Arts Center ceased operations. Following extensive renovations, the facility has been transformed to support the current and future needs of the Cherokee County Justice Center.The renovated building now includes office suites for indigent defense services, space for accountability courts, a drug testing laboratory, and additional assembly areas. The project is part of the county's ongoing efforts to enhance judicial services and accommodate future growth within the justice system.————————————————————————Sweet Dreams Memorial Gardens Grand OpeningSweet Dreams Memorial recently celebrated the grand opening of its Memorial Gardens, a peaceful space dedicated to honoring beloved pets. For more than a year, team members and volunteers have carefully designed and built the gardens as a heartfelt tribute to the bond between pets and the people who love them. The space includes waterfall-fed ponds, a looping nature trail, rock gardens, and a brick remembrance walkway. Visitors will also find a pet collar remembrance wall and private seating areas designed for quiet reflection. An intimate amphitheater will be used to host future educational classes and workshops conducted by Sweet Dreams’ veterinary professionals.Sweet Dreams Memorial Gardens is the nonprofit affiliate of Sweet Dreams, which provides compassionate, in-home pet euthanasia services for families across metro Atlanta. For more information, visit SweetDreamsMemorialGardens.com.————————————————————————Cherokee County Celebrates Skilled Professions Signing Day Be Pro Be Proud Georgia, a statewide initiative dedicated to connecting students with post-secondary training and high-demand skilled professions, recently hosted its annual Skilled Professions Signing Day at Woodstock Arts Theatre. The celebration, held in partnership with the Cherokee Office of Economic Development (COED), the Cherokee County School District (CCSD), and Chattahoochee Technical College, recognized high school seniors who have committed to pursuing careers in Georgia’s most essential skilled fields.COED President Heath Tippens emphasized the significance of the students’ decisions, stating, “Georgia’s skilled workforce is aging, and the need for these critical abilities is accelerating. Celebrating students who choose these high-demand career paths is more important than ever. Their commitment represents real progress toward closing the skills gap.”Modeled after traditional athletic signing days, the ceremony honored 50 seniors from all six Cherokee County high schools. Each student has committed to one of Be Pro Be Proud Georgia’s 21 skilled professions, which span industries such as advanced manufacturing, agriculture, automation and robotics, aviation, computer programming, construction, electrician, forestry, healthcare, and welding.Since its launch, Be Pro Be Proud Georgia has made measurable statewide impact — reaching more than 96,000 students and completing almost 500 tour visits across Georgia through its Mobile Workshops and hands-on career exploration tools.To learn more about Be Pro Be Proud Georgia or to explore partnership opportunities, visit BeProBeProudGa.org.————————————————————————Canton Police Department Receives $10K Donation for Shop With a CopThe Soleil Laurel Canyon community hosted a Shrimp Boil Fundraiser for the Canton Police Department’s Shop with a Cop program and raised a total of $10,000 to support local families and children during the Christmas season. More than 120 Soleil Laurel Canyon community members attended. Food and entertainment were prepared by residents as part of a community-led effort. Canton Police Department officers and staff attended to support the event and thank residents for their partnership.“Saturday night was a powerful reminder of what makes Canton special. We’re grateful to the Soleil Laurel Canyon community for raising $10,000 for Shop with a Cop and for the time, care, and teamwork that went into making this event happen. We appreciate every resident who cooked, volunteered, attended, and donated. This support will directly help local children and families during the Christmas season,” said Canton Police Chief Marty Ferrell.The Shop with a Cop program works in partnership with local schools, churches, and other social service organizations to help identify families in need. During the event, Canton police officers shop alongside selected children to help them pick out clothing, essential items, and holiday gifts. A date for this year’s Shop with a Cop event has yet to be determined.For information on supporting Shop with a Cop, contact Strategic Engagement Officer Pacer Cordry at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..————————————————————————Juanita Hughes Legacy Archive Preserves Woodstock’s HistoryThe Juanita Hughes Legacy Archive initiative is dedicated to preserving, digitizing, and providing public access to the extensive work of Juanita Hughes, widely recognized as Woodstock’s Historian. The project is funded by the Joe E. Johnston Foundation.“Juanita Hughes documented the people, places, and everyday stories that make Woodstock special, and we are honored to help ensure her work remains accessible for generations to come,” said Chuck Douglas, History Cherokee's interim executive director.Beginning in 1988, Hughes wrote newspaper columns chronicling Woodstock’s history. What started as a monthly feature eventually grew into a weekly column by 2003. Her body of work includes approximately 200 monthly or bimonthly columns and more than 1,000 weekly articles documenting the community’s past.Many of these materials currently exist only in fragile formats, including aging newspapers, typed manuscripts, and personal research files created before digital tools were commonly used. Without preservation efforts, these materials face increased risks of from fading, tearing, and environmental damage.Through the Juanita Hughes Legacy Archive, History Cherokee will preserve the original materials while also digitizing the collection to improve public access. The materials will be made searchable through the organization’s online collections portal, CatalogIt, allowing educators, students, researchers, and community members to explore Woodstock’s history while minimizing the handling of delicate originals.The collection will also complement other Woodstock-related archival holdings at History Cherokee, including the Magnolia Thomas Collection and the Johnston Family Collection, both previously funded by the Joe E. Johnston Foundation.For more information about History Cherokee and its preservation initiatives, visit HistoryCherokee.org.————————————————————————Cherokee County School District AnnouncementsWeitzenkorn Earns National ScholarshipAnna Weitzenkorn, who graduated this spring from Cherokee HS, is a recipient of the Vicki Soto Scholarship, receiving $12,000 toward college tuition and academic fees. The scholarship honors the memory of the beloved teacher killed at Sandy Hook Elementary. Five students are awarded the annual scholarship, with only two selected each year from states other than Connecticut. Recipients, who must plan to pursue a career as an educator, are selected based on academic excellence, leadership, a deep passion for education, a submitted essay, and a letter of recommendation. Weitzenkorn plans to attend Samford University to study education, as she is pursuing a career as a special education teacher. CCSD Celebrates Coach of the YearA 23-year educator and coach who led Cherokee HS’s boys golf team to the State Championship last school year, Coach Gerald Sharpe was named Cherokee County School District’s (CCSD) Coach of the Year. Superintendent of Schools Mary Elizabeth Davis and district staff made the presentation along with Shottenkirk Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Canton General Manager Bill Harrell, who presented Coach Sharpe with the gift of a one-year lease of a new vehicle from the dealership. In addition to golf, Coach Sharpe is also the boys varsity assistant basketball coach, the school’s assistant athletic director, and has served as assistant volleyball coach. Lockwood Earns College-Sponsored National Merit ScholarshipAndrew Lockwood, who graduated this spring from Cherokee HS, is the recipient of a National Merit University of Georgia Scholarship. Only 15,000 of the nation’s top graduating seniors (fewer than 1%) are named National Merit Finalists, becoming eligible for the 2,500 National Merit Scholarships financed by U.S. universities and colleges. National Merit college-awarded scholarship winners are selected by awarding groups through review of academic records and college-entrance exam scores, leadership and service in their school and community, and personal essays and letters of recommendation. Lockwood plans to study finance at UGA. Condon Earns Statewide Student Athlete Award Etowah HS’s Trevor Condon, who graduated this spring and helped lead his team to two State Championships, is the Georgia Gatorade Player of the Year for Baseball. Gatorade Player of the Year is the top honor in high school sports, celebrating the nation’s best high school athletes for their excellence in sport, academics, and community. An outfielder, Condon signed to play at the University of Tennessee but is projected as an early round selection in July's Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft. He’s ranked nationally: No. 14 by Prep Baseball Report, No. 17 by ESPN, and No. 20 by Baseball America, which also named him a Preseason First Team All-American. Stacy Earns National ScholarshipRiver Ridge HS’s 2026 graduate Cullen Stacy earned the Mayo Clinic Dependent Scholarship, receiving $12,000 over four years toward college tuition and academic fees. Recipients are selected by the Mayo Foundation Board of Trustees based on SAT or ACT scores, with selected students ranking in the top 10-25% of applicants nationwide. Stacy plans to attend Georgia Southern University to study biochemistry with a concentration in forensics before pursuing law school. Barnard Named Top JROTC Cadet in the WorldJunior Kane M. Barnard has been honored as the 2025–26 AFJROTC Cadet of the Year: the best of the 100,000 students who participate in U.S. Air Force JROTC programs in the nation and internationally. He is a three-year member and serves as Corps Commander of the Etowah HS AFJROTC program, led by Lt. Col. (Ret.) Stephen Bergey and Technical Sgt. (Ret.) Ciarra Malto. Barnard was also recently selected as one of only 94 students nationwide to receive an AFJROTC Flight Academy scholarship to earn a private pilot’s license and college credits this summer. Students Win Gold in Summer State Special OlympicsCherokee County Special Olympics’ soccer team earned gold and student athletes earned individual gold medals in cheer, soccer, swimming, and track competitions at the 2026 State Summer Games recently held at Emory University. Cherokee County Special Olympics’ Unified Basketball Team, which won gold at the 2026 State Indoor Winter Games, moved on to compete in USA Games in Minnesota last month. Adapted PE teacher Ben Farist serves as the Cherokee County Special Olympics coordinator.
to your business!