Live Like Laken 5K Race Recap Cherokee Recreation and Parks raised over $29,000 for the Laken Hope Foundation at the inaugural Live Like Laken 5K. The event at Woodstock’s Hobgood Park drew 731 in-person and virtual participants. Funds raised for the foundation will benefit organizations that promote women’s safety awareness, provide tuition assistance for nursing students, and improve children’s healthcare.“It was a beautiful morning for the race, and we want to extend a heartfelt ‘thank you’ to our sponsors, vendors, and volunteers for making it all possible,” said Race Director Skyler Cox. “I also want to thank the Cherokee County community for coming out to support the Laken Hope Foundation and celebrate the wonderful life of Laken Hope Riley. As the race director, I couldn’t imagine a better day. The support from our community was truly inspiring, and I hope it will be a day we all remember in honoring Laken.”The overall male race winner was Nathanael Spivey (A) with a time of 18:18, and the overall female winner was Isabella Kennison (B) with a time of 20:47.For more information on the foundation, please visit TheLakenHopeFoundation.com.
Cherokee Chamber Seeks Nominees for First Citizen of Cherokee County and Teen Leadership The Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce seeks nominees for its prestigious First Citizen of Cherokee County Award through 12:00pm on December 13, 2024. The distinct title of First Citizen of Cherokee County is bestowed upon a man or woman who has resided in the county for a minimum of five years and has shown significant meritorious service to his or her community through family, civic, and/or religious involvement. A panel of out-of-town judges carefully reviews each applicant's accomplishments, and the winner is chosen based on merit. The 50th Annual First Citizen will be announced during the organization’s Annual Meeting scheduled for January 24, 2025.The Chamber is also accepting applications for the Teen Leadership Cherokee Class of 2025 through December 8, 2024. Students must be in 10th grade to apply. The mission of Teen Leadership Cherokee is for participants to L.E.A.D. (lead, engage, aspire, and drive), so that they may confidently become our community's next generation of leaders. Participants will develop a sense of community while discovering the impact of teamwork on their peers, their schools, and Cherokee County.The young men and women selected to participate in Teen Leadership Cherokee must attend school and/or live in Cherokee County, demonstrate outstanding qualities as existing or potential leaders, and possess the desire to affect change in their community. Participants’ academic achievements and responsibilities – working after school, active participation in school functions, or membership in other organizations – will be reviewed during the selection process. The class is limited to 20 participants.Applications for these awards can be found at CherokeeChamber.com. For additional information, please call 770-345-0400.
National Civics Bee Launched The Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the launch of the 2025 National Civics Bee, an initiative to encourage more young Americans to engage in civics and contribute to their communities. Hosted in partnership with The Civic Trust of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, the competition in Cherokee County will inspire middle schoolers to become better informed about American democracy, engage respectfully and constructively in the community, and build greater trust in others and institutions. Middle school students in 6th, 7th, and 8th grades from public, private, charter, and home schools are invited to enter the first-round civics essay competition. After a distinguished panel of judges reviews the essays, the top 20 students will be selected to advance to their local competition, which is an in-person live event featuring two rounds of civics questions followed by a Q&A round to test their civics knowledge. The competition enables students to explore issues that matter to their communities, furthering their understanding of civic engagement and fostering responsible citizenship. The Chamber will host the Cherokee County competition in the spring of 2025. Local finalists and top winners will win prizes, with first place receiving $500. Winners from each local competition in Georgia will be invited to the state finals. The first-place winner of the state finals will receive a trip to Washington, D.C., to compete for prizes worth at least $50,000 during the national championship in the fall of 2025.
Cherokee County School District Theatre Programs Present 2024-25 Season All CCSD high schools, select middle and elementary schools, and the districtwide Academy Street Theatre Group program for elementary through high school students present shows throughout the school year. Some shows will have advance ticket sales online. For more information, please get in touch with the school. 2024-2025 Schedule (matinees are in addition to the other show that day) 11/8 Woodstock HS, Variety Show, 7:00pm 11/8-9 Cherokee HS, A Trip to the Moon, 7:00pm 11/14-16 Creekview HS, Little Women the Musical, 7:00pm (2:00pm matinee 11/16) 11/14-16 Woodstock HS, One Stoplight Town, 7:00pm (2:00pm matinee 11/16) 11/15 Cherokee HS, Gobble Gobble Toil & Trouble, 7:00pm 11/21-22 Academy Street (at Cherokee HS), Best Christmas Pageant Ever, 7:00pm 12/6 Cherokee HS, Frosty the Snowman Special Education Show, 7:00pm 12/10-11 River Ridge HS, Two (2) One-Act Plays, 7:00pm and 8:00pm 1/10 Cherokee HS, Night of Broadway, 7:00pm 1/16-23 River Ridge HS, We Will Rock You, 7:00pm 1/24-25 Cherokee HS, Magic Treehouse – Knight Before Dawn, 7:00pm 1/30-31 Woodstock MS, play TBD, 6:00pm 2/28-3/1 Dean Rusk MS, Mean Girls Jr, 7:00pm (1:00pm matinee 3/1) 3/6-8 Avery ES, Disney's Aladdin Kids, time TBD 3/6-8 R.M. Moore ES STEM Academy, Annie, 6:30pm (3:00pm matinee 3/8) 3/6-9 Sequoyah HS, Kiss Me Kate, 7:00pm 3/13-15 Creekview HS, Mamma Mia, 7:00pm (2:00pm matinee 3/15) 3/14-15 Cherokee HS, Check Please, 7:00pm 3/21-22 Creekland MS, Newsies Jr, 7:00pm (3:30pm sensory friendly show 3/22) 3/21 Mill Creek MS, play TBD, time TBD 3/24-25 River Ridge HS, Two (2) One-Act Plays, 7:00pm and 8:00pm 4/10-12 Etowah HS, Cinderella, 5:00pm 4/10 and 7:00pm 4/11-12 4/17-19 Cherokee HS, Once Upon a Mattress, 7:00pm (2:00pm matinee 4/19) 4/17-23 River Ridge HS, Mean Girls, 7:00pm 4/24-26 Woodstock HS, The Wizard of Oz, 7:00pm (2:00pm matinee 4/26) 4/25 Etowah HS, The True Tale of Robin Hood, 7:00pm 5/2 Cherokee HS, A Night of Dolly, 7:00pm Date TBD Sequoyah HS, Into the Woods, time TBD 5/29-31 Academy Street (at Cherokee HS), Anastasia, 7:00pm
Grand Opening of Fire Station #13 and Sutallee Community Center Cherokee County Fire & Emergency Services (CCFES) and Cherokee Recreation & Parks recently celebrated the grand opening of the new Fire Station #13 and Sutallee Community Center. Located at 134 Ficklen Church Way, west of Canton, the new facility spans over 12,000 square feet and includes a fire station, fire apparatus bays, and a dedicated community room.The ceremony, emceed by Captain Michael Sims, featured an invocation by Reverend Billy Edmondson and a Presentation of the Colors by the CCFES Honor Guard. Fire Chief Eddie Robinson, Recreation & Parks Division Director Shawn Schumacher, District 3 Commissioner Benny Carter, Board of Commissioners Chairman Harry Johnston, KRH Architects representative Matt Parton, and Cooper & Company Director of Construction Kurt Main each addressed the audience, highlighting the significance of the new station for the community.More than 200 community members participated in the celebration, which included a ceremonial hose uncoupling by firefighters to officially open the facility. Demonstrations showcased vehicle extrication, hose deployment, and rapid-dress techniques, while tours of the new station and apparatus were offered to guests.The new facility is designed to last 50-100 years and is equipped with a fire engine, ambulance, and swift-water rescue boat. CCFES invites the community to tour the new station when visiting the area.
AI-Powered Guide Launched To Help Businesses Start and Scale in Cherokee The Cherokee Office of Economic Development (COED) has launched an AI-powered tool to help startups start and scale their businesses in Cherokee County at LaunchInCherokee.com.The Cherokee Entrepreneurship Guide is an AI-powered web app that is free to use. It is designed to guide startups through the initial stages of entrepreneurship and give AI-powered answers for business owners at all stages.Users new to entrepreneurship can start by exploring the “Business Starter Checklist.” This comprehensive list guides aspiring and new business owners through the early stages of entrepreneurship such as developing a business plan, choosing a business location, and registering a business.Business owners looking to scale can ask specific questions and receive AI-powered answers. Users have the power to input a business address to customize their content, providing business-specific help.Beyond AI, users can explore all 11 sections of the full business guide, which includes topics such as:• Defining Your Business Idea• Operating Legally• Marketing and Sales• Financial Management• Networking and Mentorship• ResourcesThis AI-powered web app is part of COED’s Cherokee By Choice 2.0 strategic plan, which aims to support innovative and enterprising businesses in Cherokee. Visit LaunchInCherokee.com to explore the possibilities and start growing your dream business.
Historic Canton Theatre Selected for Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers The City of Canton's historic Canton Theatre was recently selected by South Arts as a screening partner for the Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers. Canton is one of six Georgia partners among 21 total venues selected in the Southeast. This long-running South Arts program connects US-based documentary filmmakers with communities throughout the South for screenings and conversations around important stories, topics, and the art of filmmaking. Through generous grant funding from Fox Gives, the Canton Theatre will co-host the event with the Fox. "The Screening Partner film selections for this season demonstrate the group’s commitment to fostering curious spaces and using film as a conduit for local conversations. Directly connecting independent filmmakers with community audiences amplifies the films’ impact while investing in the regional filmmaking infrastructure of the South and engaging local community members in critical conversations," said Program Director Jordan Young.Thirteen films and filmmaking teams were selected for the 2024-2025 Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers, six of which were chosen to be featured at the historic Canton Theatre. Here are the four remaining films and dates:11/17/24 Family Tree, Jennifer MacArthur (director) 2/16/25 Home is a Hotel, Kevin Wong (director, producer, co-cinematographer) and Yar Kin Tham (co-director, producer) 3/30/25 This World is Not My Own, Petter Ringbom (director, writer, cinematographer), Ruchi Mital (writer, producer), and Cathi Perry (family member) 4/13/25 North Putnam, Joel Fendelman (director) and Beth Benedix (producer) O Pioneer, Clara Lehmann (director, producer, writer) and Jonathan Lacocque (director, producer, cinematographer, editor)"The Canton Theatre has a long tradition with film — beginning with its opening in 1911," said Theatre Events and Facilities Director Kristin Norton Green. From our Summer Family Movie Series to the Peaberry Film Festival to our Classic Film Series, Canton is proving to be hungry for film in all its forms. We are so grateful for a partnership with the Fox Theatre to allow us to further connect our community with independent filmmakers and their stories."For more information, visit the individual film tour pages on SouthArts.org. View the historic Canton Theatre showings at CantonGa.gov/cantontheatre.
Discover Downtown Canton's Golden Ginkgo Trees For a unique leaf-peeping experience, look no further than downtown Canton where the streets are lined with beautiful ginkgo trees. These ancient trees are a rare sight in many areas, making downtown Canton especially unique. The sole remaining species in a group of trees that date back to before the dinosaurs, ginkgo trees are referred to as "living fossils." They boast lush green leaves in the summer. In the fall, they transform into a remarkable bright yellow, making Canton’s picturesque historic downtown even more stunning. This colorful display offers a perfect backdrop for strolling through town.
GA Ag Partners Launch Joint Hurricane Relief Fund for Farmers Impacted by Helene The Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA), in a partnership with the Georgia Foundation for Agriculture (GFA) and in support by the Georgia Farm Bureau (GFB), has launched the Weathered But Strong: Hurricane Relief Fund to aid farmers and ranchers facing devastating losses from Hurricane Helene. The fund aims to raise $1 million by December to provide direct financial aid to those impacted by the storm.The Weathered But Strong: Hurricane Relief Fund is a cross-industry initiative designed to assist Georgia’s farmers with recovery efforts. The campaign emphasizes resilience within the agricultural community and collaboration across the sector to ensure a strong recovery for the state's farming community. The fund will help address essential needs by covering gaps left by other forms of assistance for efforts such as repairing fences, restoring livestock operations, rebuilding essential structures, and eventually providing financial aid to those impacted.
GA Ag Partners Launch Joint Hurricane Relief Fund for Farmers Impacted by Helene (2) The Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA), in a partnership with the Georgia Foundation for Agriculture (GFA) and in support by the Georgia Farm Bureau (GFB), has launched the Weathered But Strong: Hurricane Relief Fund to aid farmers and ranchers facing devastating losses from Hurricane Helene. The fund aims to raise $1 million by December to provide direct financial aid to those impacted by the storm.The Weathered But Strong: Hurricane Relief Fund is a cross-industry initiative designed to assist Georgia’s farmers with recovery efforts. The campaign emphasizes resilience within the agricultural community and collaboration across the sector to ensure a strong recovery for the state's farming community. The fund will help address essential needs by covering gaps left by other forms of assistance for efforts such as repairing fences, restoring livestock operations, rebuilding essential structures, and eventually providing financial aid to those impacted.
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