Cherokee County First Responders Honored selected for going above and beyond for citizens as well as for fellow first responders. Chief T.C. Capps, Chief Fire Officer of the YearCapt. Brady Cornelison, Fire Officer of the YearSgt. Randy Fifield, Firefighter of the YearFire Apparatus Operator Destiny LaBossiere, Community Services Award Fire Apparatus Operator Connor Bourn, Paramedic of the YearFire Apparatus Operator Asheton Collins, EMT of the YearSgt. Stanley Ice (retired), Volunteer of the YearFire Apparatus Operator Parker Cazier, Special Operations Member of the YearExecutive Assistant Katie Erwin, Support Services Member of the Year
Canton Officers Receive Meritorious Service Award Officer M. Shaw and Detective T. Cruz recently received the Canton Police Department’s Meritorious Service Award for outstanding investigative performance and criminal apprehension. On Wednesday, June 22, 2022, Shaw conducted a routine traffic stop after observing the driver holding her cell phone while operating the vehicle. This traffic stop resulted in the arrest of the juvenile female for human trafficking, kidnapping, and other charges. Shaw was also able to determine the vehicle was stolen out of North Carolina. During a search of the vehicle, 13 THC vape cartridges, three vape pens, a THC Nerds Rope, and a large amount of lingerie were located.After further investigation, Shaw and Cruz determined the female passenger was a 13-year-old juvenile who was a victim of human trafficking and kidnapping. The victim was reunited with her family.
Lemonade Day Winners Announced Lemonade Day Winners AnnouncedOn August 6, the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce held Lemonade Day Cherokee County 2022. The well-established global national youth entrepreneurship program taught the participating students in 3rd-5th grades both leadership and business skills by encouraging them to launch a lemonade stand. On the morning of the event, 78 students working individually or in teams were registered to participate with four choosing to construct their stands at Cherokee Recreation & Parks. Participants at Cherokee Recreation & Parks in Woodstock were judged on Best Tasting Lemonade and Best Overall Lemonade Stand. Winners received cash prizes. Best Tasting Lemonade First Place - Main Squeeze Lemonade, invented by sisters Emma Shellhouse and Isabelle AbleySecond Place - Ella Richmond and Elizabeth McCloskey with Strawberry Sisters LemonadeThird Place - Rosemary, Love, & Lemons, operated by Alyssa SweatlandBest Overall Lemonade Stand - Lemmy’s Lemonade, created by brother/sister duo Ryan and Melinda Tran The Youth Entrepreneur of the Year will be awarded later this fall, as students who participated in the event must complete their business plan recaps, which will then be evaluated to determine the winner.
School Board To Sell Property to County Government Cherokee County School Board approved an intergovernmental agreement and memorandum of understanding to sell two properties to county government. This agreement allows both sides to proceed with the sale of the former Tippens ES in Canton as well as unused acreage on Hunt Road near Clark Creek ES STEM Academy.The school district discontinued full time use of the former Tippens ES building when the Tippens Educational Center program relocated to the former ACE Academy building in Holly Springs. Since then, the building has been used for community service needs such as a storage and distribution site for charitable programs. The Hunt Road property, encompassing 14.66 acres, was purchased for the construction of Clark Creek ES but wasn't used. The sites will be sold to the county for $600,000.“The county government is a longtime partner in our efforts to serve our community,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower said. “As with the recently reopened historic Hickory Flat school gym, which the county government restored for community use, we anticipate that both of these sites will be put to good use for the betterment of our community.”
Canton Police Names Uniform Patrol Bureau Commander Canton Police Chief Stephen Merrifield announced the promotion of Lt. John Lummus to the position of police captain, Uniform Patrol Bureau commander.Capt. Lummus has 25 years of law enforcement experience with his last year serving as executive lieutenant to the Office of the Chief of Police. He also served as the assistant Uniform Patrol Bureau commander, Office of Professional Standards sergeant, and Uniform Patrol sergeant. In addition, he possesses Georgia P.O.S.T. Intermediate Certification and Advanced Certification and is a FBI Leadership Trilogy graduate.
Historic Canton Theatre Receives Award American Towns Media has named the historic Canton Theatre to the 10 Best Historic Theaters in Georgia. Canton City Manager Billy Peppers congratulated Canton Theatre Director Kristin Norton Green for the honor, as her initiatives have brought the Theatre to life in the City of Canton.
Canton Rotary Club Welcomes New President and Awards Rotarian of the Year The Rotary Club of Canton recently celebrated its past year of accomplishments and the passing of the gavel to its new president.Greg Elder, vice president of client services for MUST Ministries, who served as club president for the past year, passed the gavel to new President Nicole Lawson, northwest regional director for United Way of Greater Atlanta. Lawson will be joined in leadership by President-Elect Francisco Javier Lozano, Treasurer Marcie Smith, and Secretary Lori Flink. Also serving on this year’s Board of Directors are Ashton Banks, Clark Cordner, Lynn Epps, Evan Ingram, Billy Peppers, and Rommel RitaRita.The Rotarian of the Year Award, also known as the Coxe Award, was presented to Marcie Smith, executive director of The Children’s Haven. Smith was thanked for her work on the club’s family of Rotary and public image committees. The club, which is Cherokee County’s oldest civic club, offers members the opportunity to attend meetings at noon each Tuesday at the Northside Cherokee Conference Center (1130 Bluffs Parkway, Canton) to learn more about their community, participate in service projects, and enjoy networking and fellowship. Its motto is “Service Above Self.” For more information, visit TheRotaryClubOfCantonGa.org.
Canton’s Notable Transportation Initiatives In all cities, big or small, transportation is a vital part of the infrastructure, and that is why it is prioritized in one of the City of Canton’s eight tenets in its Roadmap for Success. While Canton’s Transportation Master Plan is a work in progress, the City is not waiting for it to be completed to address opportunities to improve how Canton moves forward. Some notable initiatives include:The current traffic light construction at Teasley MS, a much-needed solution on Reservoir Drive.A design plan for a West Main pedestrian connection from downtown to the Mill on Etowah is in progress.The City has applied for a grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission to construct a pedestrian bridge and a canoe/kayak put-in/take-out location across from the Mill on Etowah to connect the new Etowah River Trail extension to Boling Park back into downtown via the upcoming pedestrian corridor on West Main Street.
Be Pro Be Proud Drills Down the Skilled Trade Shortage Be Pro Be Proud Georgia, an initiative that promotes 15 of Georgia’s most in-demand skilled professions through a hands-on mobile workshop and interactive website, visited 43 cities across the state of Georgia during the 2021-2022 school year.The initiative’s gamified stations allow students to see what it’s like to get behind the wheel of an 18-wheeler, assemble a PVC pipe, analyze human anatomy through augmented reality, bind metal through a virtual welding experience, explore a career in linework behind the lens of an Oculus VR headset, discover robotics and automation, and test hand-eye coordination through an engaging skills challenge. As part of the tour, middle and high school students are given the opportunity to “join the movement” to be connected to training and potential employers that need new employees to replenish the diminishing workforce. Of the 13,532 students who toured, nearly 75% (10,129) joined the movement and expressed their career plans; these numbers include students from Cherokee County high schools. For the 2021-2022 school year, nearly 60% of these students said they plan to pursue a career in the skilled professions or technical training after graduation. Four new partners joined Be Pro Be Proud Georgia this year including American Home Shield, Georgia Northwestern Technical College, Select Cobb, and Wellstar Health System. Wellstar Health System is Be Pro Be Proud’s first health care partner, a field that is projected to grow more than 10% over the next decade. Since 2020, Be Pro Be Proud has hosted nearly 24,000 visitors on the mobile workshop across 43 counties and 238 tour stops. In addition to identifying the state’s top skilled professions, the initiative provides robust training resources – offering a comprehensive list of Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) training programs. Through partnerships with state agencies, local industry, and higher education entities, Be Pro Be Proud is effectively working to connect students across the state to high-demand careers, replenishing essential jobs vacated by the retiring workforce. To view upcoming tour dates, visit BeProBeProudGa.org.
Cherokee Deputies Receive Salary Increase The Cherokee Sheriff’s Office (CSO) has increased its pay for sworn positions by nearly 20%, making it one of the leading sheriff’s offices in the metro area for law enforcement pay. The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners approved a 7% increase plus a flat $5,000 to POST-certified positions, making the salary scales more competitive in an increasingly competitive market. The starting salary for an uncertified deputy is $50,243 with excellent benefits, pension with a county match, paid uniforms and equipment, and programs for incentive pay.“The Cherokee Sheriff’s Office is currently competing with every law enforcement agency in the state for qualified deputies. The commissioners’ decision to approve a 7% COLA and $5,000 increase in pay for deputies will not only help us attract new applicants to fill our 63 vacancies, it will also help us retain current deputies,” said Sheriff Frank Reynolds. This is the third year in a row the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners has acted to increase public safety salaries to assist in recruiting quality law enforcement officers to serve and protect the community.Those interested in applying to join the CSO should visit CherokeeGa-Sheriff.org or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
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