Cool City of Canton Updates A new Visitors Center has opened in the historic Canton Theatre. To welcome visitors and residents alike, the “pop-up” space will provide information about local dining, shopping, activities, events, parks, and accommodations. Canton branded merchandise will be available for purchase. The Center’s normal operating hours will be Thursday-Saturday, 12:00-5:00pm, and during the evening for each First Friday event in downtown Canton.
Holly Springs Pins New Police Chief The City of Holly Springs recently pinned Tommy Keheley as its new police chief. Keheley has more than 50 years of experience in law enforcement and 25 years in the military. He has served as the deputy chief of police for the Holly Springs Police Department since 2016. Throughout his professional career, Keheley has served our nation in the Naval Reserves and Coast Guard and has served in the Georgia Air National Guard.
CEO Bikes 9,000 Miles Across the U.S. To Raise Awareness Every 11 seconds, a senior citizen is treated in the emergency room for a fall, with treatment costs averaging $30,000. More than 80% of those falls happen in the bathroom.To help change these scary statistics, Jeff Salter, founder and CEO of Caring Senior Service, a national in-home, nonmedical care provider committed to improving the lives of seniors, has embarked on a national bike ride to raise awareness and funds to prevent falls. Salter is biking 9,000 miles cross-country on an electric bike to shine a spotlight on underserved seniors and raise funds to prevent falls, which are the leading cause of fatal injury for seniors. As he visits all 45 Caring Senior Service locations during his four-month bike ride, Salter will launch the company’s “Close the Gap in Senior Care” movement, which focuses on fall prevention through the “Grab the Bars” campaign to raise funds for installing grab bars, which help prevent falls in the homes of seniors who may not have the means or ability to install them. To donate to the campaign, please visit GiveButter.com/grabthebars. To learn more about the Close the Gap in Senior Care movement, please visit CaringSeniorService.com/closethegap.
Fore the Children Golf Tournament Winners The annual Fore the Children Golf Tournament, presented by Kia, was recently held at BridgeMill Athletic Club. The day featured delicious food, gifts for all participants, and a beautiful round of golf with perfect weather. The competition was stiff, but the real winners are the members of the Malon D. Mimms Boys & Girls Club of Cherokee County! All proceeds go directly to support programming for the club’s members and its daily operations. Thanks to everyone who supported the event, and an extra special thank you to Cherokee County Board Members for all their hard work.
Cherokee County School District Highlights - Sequoyah HS Music Facility Named for Beloved Band Director A crowd of family, friends, former students, and colleagues recently gathered outside Sequoyah HS for the dedication of the school’s band room in memory of the late David E. Harrison, who launched Sequoyah’s marching band program and directed it for 20 years.“Mr. Harrison was the first band director at Sequoyah High School and extremely instrumental in the phenomenal growth of the band program and the expansion of what is now the SHS band room. The impact he had with our program, as well as other high schools, universities, and community bands and orchestras in Georgia was extremely meaningful and significant. He truly created a legacy around fine arts for children and adults alike,” said Sequoyah HS Principal Robert VanAlstyne in his request to the Cherokee County Board of Education for the naming honor.Speakers for the April 30 dedication event included Dr. Brian V. Hightower, superintendent of schools; daughter, Kason Sams; son, Jonathan Harrison; and friends and band supporters Rick James and Steve Bell. All shared stories and memories of Harrison and his love of his students and the arts. The program closed with the SHS “Ocean Spray” Steel Band playing one of Harrison’s favorite tunes, “Margaritaville.”
Cherokee County School District Highlights - Cherokee HS Teacher Wins Statewide Hero Award Grace Ed Technologies has announced that Cherokee HS teacher and coach Jeremy Law is one of three winners of its 2021 Teacher Heroes Awards. The education technology company accepted nominations statewide of K-12 teachers who have demonstrated extraordinary dedication, effort, character, and ability over the past school year. More than 100 teachers were nominated, with 12 finalists selected and then narrowed to the three winners. Each winner receives a $1,000 award.Coach Law, who is a special education teacher and a football coach, is a past CCSD Teacher of the Year, an honor he earned for his service at Teasley MS. An Etowah HS graduate, Coach Law earned a bachelor’s degree in business and pursued a career in banking before he realized his true calling was to teach and coach youth. He taught at Teasley MS and coached football at Sequoyah HS before joining the Cherokee HS faculty and earning a master’s degree in special education and a specialist degree in curriculum and instruction. At Cherokee HS, he has helped lead programs for youth including the school’s FCA club and Student-Athlete Leadership Team (SALT) program.“Jeremy demonstrates servant leadership daily,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower. “He has earned this recognition through all he does to teach and coach his students and support and mentor his colleagues.”
Cherokee County School District Highlights - Three Seniors Named U.S. Presidential Scholars Program Semifinalists As semifinalists for the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program, Koryn Todd of Creekview HS, Annelise Axelsson of River Ridge HS, and Sophia Abbott of Woodstock HS are among only 700 students from the more than 3 million graduating seniors in the nation’s Class of 2021 selected to advance in this prestigious recognition program. Only 18 students from Georgia were named semifinalists.Established in 1964 by executive order of President Lyndon B. Johnson, the program honors and recognizes extraordinary graduating seniors. Candidates for the invitation-only recognition program are initially selected based on outstanding performance on the ACT or SAT. Semifinalists and finalists are then chosen based on an application that considers overall academic excellence, personal character, leadership, and service activities. Additional recognitions are awarded for students who excel in the arts or in career and technical education (CTE). Axelsson is a semifinalists for the CTE honor. Last school year, of the 700 semifinalists, 161 students were named scholars and received national recognition and an invitation to an all-expenses paid trip to the White House.
Cherokee County School District Highlights - Yes I Can Award Winners The Yes I Can Awards celebrate the achievements of children and youth with exceptionalities. The awards also increase public awareness of the abilities, aspirations, and personal qualities of those with disabilities. Each CCSD elementary school is invited to select one student to receive the award, based on achievement in the following categories: academics, art, school and community, self-advocacy, and technology. This year’s honorees are Arnold Mill ES, Kaleb Storey; Avery ES, Jace Runyan; Ball Ground ES, Dylan Moss; Bascomb ES, Jill Cramer; Boston ES, Cameron Moore; Clark Creek ES, Logan Arnold; Clayton ES, Avery Turner; Hasty ES, Baynachi Celestin; Hickory Flat ES, Aiden Office; Holly Springs ES, Logan Wright; Indian Knoll ES, Addyson Watson; Johnston ES, Peyton Wilhoite; Knox ES, Christian Shoemake; Liberty ES, Robert Simpson; Little River ES, Ariana Moss; Macedonia ES, Allie Wentworth; Mountain Road ES, David Whiteside; R.M. Moore ES, Oscar Flores Nandi; Sixes ES, Kaleb Lee; Woodstock ES, Colton Waggoner.
MUST Ministries Celebrates 50 Years and Launches Emergency Rental Assistance Program MUST Ministries has grown from a one-room food pantry and clothing closet in 1971 to a multimillion-dollar nonprofit that distributed 2.58 million pounds of food and served more than 180,000 people last year. The actual number of people receiving food, housing, emergency shelter, jobs, health care, and clothing often meant clients came more than once for help, but the record number of those in need has swelled beyond anything imaginable in the early days of this organization.“MUST Ministries exists to serve people, and serve them with compassion,” said MUST President and CEO Ike Reighard. “Every person who comes through the doors of any of our facilities is special and has a story to tell.” Thousands of success stories have been accomplished over the years, but many steps had to be taken to develop the full, comprehensive, wrap-around services that help pull people out of poverty. “MUST is poised to not only continue helping people in the 10 counties we currently serve but also expand throughout metro Atlanta. We are so blessed that we are able to impact lives and experience the miracles of transformed lives,” said Reighard.On that note, MUST recently launched the Emergency Rental Assistance Program on behalf of the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners. The Board approved allocating $4.5 million received from the U.S. Treasury to MUST Ministries to distribute relief funds to eligible residents. The funds were part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2021 legislation, which included an allocation of $25 billion to states and local governments to aid with rent, utilities, and other expenses related to housing.Applicants must reside in Cherokee County and will need to meet requirements highlighted by the Act. Eligible households may receive up to 12 months of assistance, plus an additional three months if it is determined that the extra months are needed to ensure housing stability and funds are available. The funding amounts will be determined by household income and total monthly rent and utilities. MUST Ministries is hosting an online application portal at MustMinistries.org/cherokee-co. For more information, call 770-790-3926 or 770-790-3927.
Cherokee County Manager Jerry Cooper Announces Retirement After 20 years of leading Cherokee County, Jerry Cooper will retire at the end of this month. Cooper began his career in public administration in Fayetteville, Arkansas, after serving in the U.S. Navy and graduating from the University of Arkansas. The job market relocated him to Newnan and then to Woodstock as city manager. When he was hired as the county manager, he never thought he would finish his career in one of the fastest growing counties in Georgia.“The average tenure of a county manager is seven to eight years, so I did not think back then that I would be retiring from Cherokee County 20 years later,” Cooper said. “I have enjoyed working with the best commissioners and employees in the country. We arrive every day to work as a team to make Cherokee County a great place to raise a family, live, work, and play for our great residents.”Over the last 20 years, Cherokee County has grown by more than 100,000, as people find a suburban locale with great amenities, schools, and low taxes. Cherokee County has the lowest tax burden in the metro-Atlanta region, something Cooper – and Commission Chairman Harry Johnston – feel is one of Cooper’s biggest accomplishments. “Other counties in Georgia don’t even come close to the combination of excellent services and low taxes Cherokee County provides,” Johnston said. “Jerry Cooper is the principal architect of the financial management and policies that give Cherokee County its exceptional value.”
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