Driven by the mission of people helping people, LGE Community Credit Union recently completed several initiatives to support the community amid the pandemic. 

As a way to show appreciation for front-line medical staff while supporting local restaurants, LGE delivered more than 500 lunches to local hospitals across the counties it serves. In Cherokee, LGE provided lunches from Cantons Four 41 South Catering to Northside Hospital Cherokee. 

And though the Class of 2020 has had to forgo many of the celebrations that occur around traditional graduation ceremonies, LGE could not miss the opportunity to celebrate the winners of its annual service scholarship program. LGE staff members worked with the high schools to make a special surprise visit for each student.

The winner of LGEs 2020 Cherokee County School District $5,000 Service Scholarship is Alanis Laney Broussard, Woodstock HS.

LGE Community Credit Union provides full-service, federally insured banking to over 116,000 people in northwest Georgia. The company was recently awarded two Credit Union National Association (CUNA) 2020 Diamond Awards, which recognize outstanding marketing and business development achievements in the credit union industry. LGE received awards in the Video (Non-Commercial) Single and Website categories.

Cherokee HS graduate Anna DeYoung won a National Merit Scholarship from the University of Georgia, and Creekview HS graduate Jack Eno won a National Merit Scholarship from the University of Mississippi. 

DeYoung, a four-year member of the Cherokee Band of Warriors, for which she served as drum major her senior year, plans to study music at UGA and pursue a career as a band director. An outstanding AP student and Superintendents Key Scholar, DeYoung served as president of both the Latin Club and Model UN at CHS.

Eno, who plans to study writing at Ole Miss, made his mark at Creekview HS through academic leadership and community service. A Lamp of Knowledge recipient and Superintendents Key Scholar, Eno was the academic bowl team captain and volunteered on service projects through the National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta math honor society, and the Law and Justice Club.

Only 15,000 of the nations top graduating seniors are eligible for the 3,300 National Merit Scholarships financed by U.S. colleges and universities. The scholarships range from $500 to $2,000 annually for up to four years of undergraduate study.

Cherokee County government recently launched a Communications Division to keep the public informed, share news about happenings in the county, and create publications for various departments.

I have been evaluating the need for a Communications Division for the county government for quite some time, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has illustrated the need for this key department, said County Manager Jerry Cooper. This division will work closely with departments countywide to step up the level of communication with our residents, property owners, and business owners in Cherokee County.

Erika Neldner was hired as the communications director, and Andrea Barker was promoted to assistant communications director.

Neldner has lived and worked in Cherokee County for 15 years. Her professional career includes working as a reporter, assistant editor, and managing editor of the Cherokee Ledger-News, where she wrote about the Cherokee County community and its residents and covered governmental meetings for multiple cities in the county.

Most recently, she served as the director of marketing and communications for Reinhardt University where she was charged with producing the annual Reinhardt Magazine, creating departmental marketing materials, and serving as the main media contact for the institution.

Neldner earned the Cherokee Chamber of Commerces Top 10 in 10 Young Professionals to Watch Award, as well as many Georgia Press Association and National Newspaper Association awards for her work as a journalist. She is the current president of the Rotary Club of Towne Lake.

Im honored to join the county government in this role and am eager to launch a Communications Division from the ground up, Neldner said. This is a new challenge that I am excited to undertake.

Barker has served Cherokee County for the last five years as the executive assistant to the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners and county manager.

Before joining Cherokee County, Barker worked in marketing and sales in the medical device industry. She grew up in Cherokee County, graduating from Woodstock High School and Reinhardt University. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication.

I am grateful for the opportunity to give back to the community through public service and to engage with our citizens, Barker said.

The Communications Division is responsible for disseminating information to media outlets and developing annual reports, brochures, flyers, and presentations. The department maintains the countys social media accounts and sections of the county website.

Neldner can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 678-493-6015, and Barker can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 770-721-7834.

The Rotary Club of Canton is continuing its longtime mission of supporting neighbors in need.

The Club presented checks to two local organizations as part of its annual charitable giving funded by member donations and community fundraisers. 

During a recent online Rotary meeting, Canton Rotarian Greg Elder, who is senior director of resource development for MUST Ministries, delivered an update on the nonprofit organizations efforts to serve the Cherokee County community.

MUST Ministries provides many forms of support to people in need including food, clothing, and household goods, as well as employment assistance. After Elders presentation, President Stacey D. Williams announced the Rotary Club would donate $1,500 to MUST.

In June, President Williams and District Attorney Shannon Wallace, who is also a Canton Rotarian, visited Tiny House Village, a nonprofit organization that oversees a community of tiny homes that house victims rescued from sex trafficking, to present a $1,000 donation.

From July 6-29, the Cherokee Arts Center will open its gallery for its Member Show and Sale. This show features items created by artists who are active members of the Center.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Centers for Disease Control guidelines will be implemented. The exhibit will be available both in the gallery (94 North Street, Canton) and online (CherokeeArts.org).

Character.org, the leading nonprofit organization supporting character education, has honored Clark Creek ES STEM Academy, Freedom MS, and Liberty ES with Promising Practices awards. Nationally, only 246 schools were honored. In Georgia, these three CCSD schools were the only schools to receive this recognition.

To win the award, schools must demonstrate exemplary character development practices through a specific initiative such as a service-learning project, peer mentoring program, or other similar activity. Character.org will honor the 2020 Promising Practice recipients at its National Forum in Washington, D.C.

Each of these programs and initiatives have demonstrated significant impact and strongly align with the principles that help schools and organizations cultivate a culture of character, said Dr. Arthur Schwartz, president of Character.org.

Liberty ES, which previously has earned the organizations top honor of National School of Character and numerous Promising Practices awards, continues its legacy with two more awards, while this is the first Promising Practice award for Clark Creek ES STEM Academy and Freedom MS.

Clark Creek earned its honor for a three-year effort to cultivate a culture of caring through service-learning projects and the development of a tribe program that celebrates positive behavior.

Freedom MS won its first honor for the Freedom Compassion Council, a club that includes many former Liberty ES students who are continuing their passion for service-learning as middle school students. During the past school year, the Council created a unity tree display at the school and organized a school-wide collection drive to create necessity boxes for children in foster care who are supported by The Childrens Haven.

Liberty ES earned Promising Practices awards for two efforts: its Student Leadership Teams support of the Cherokee HS Cares Closet, which included collecting household items, toiletries, and snacks for students in need; and its PRIDE Value awareness and family engagement project.

The Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce recently announced its 2020 Top 10 in 10 Young Professionals to Watch in Cherokee County. 

The Top 10 in 10 initiative is designed to cultivate and showcase exceptional Cherokee County young professionals, said Chamber President and CEO Pam Carnes.

The recognition program focuses on Cherokee County residents under age 40 who are considered to be up-and-coming county leaders over the next 10 years. Judging criteria included past professional achievements and awards, five to 10-year professional goals, as well as volunteer and community activities.

The years Top 10 in 10 includes Kelly Dobson, Northside Hospital Cherokee; Victoria Hill, Miss Georgia Scholarship Organization; Blake Honea, Northside Hospital Cherokee; Paige Reid, Next Step Ministries; Eric Rein, Renasant Bank; Nick Richert, Universal Alloy Corporation; Amanda Rostin, Lead Edge Design Group; Jose Luis Sanchez, JW Collection, LLC; Rebekah Smith, Office of the Cherokee County Solicitor General; and Luke Williams, Professional Benefits Consultants.

The Cherokee County Development Services Center (DSC) has been recognized with an Achievement Award from the National Association of Counties (NACo). The award honors innovative, effective county government programs that strengthen services for residents.

NACo recognized the DSCs Tenant Occupancy Permit Process Improvement Programs effort to streamline the process for commercial business license issuance to eliminate customer confusion. The outcome of the DSCs revamped process provides customers with a clear understanding of project status, which also shares real-time notifications when a project has been approved.

Our new procedure has improved relationships with our prospective business owners, enhanced communication among the departments involved, and added to the countys bottom line. We have reduced the amount of time to get a license approved, which saves both time and money for our customers. I am extremely proud of our staff for their ingenuity and hard work in streamlining this issue, said Cherokee County Community Development Agency Director Geoff Morton.

While practicing required COVID-19 health and safety precautions, some libraries have reopened their doors for limited operating hours.

Any library materials that have been checked out can now be returned, and overdue fines will not be charged. Once returned, materials are held in quarantine for a limited time. Also, libraries are not accepting donated materials at this time. Here are other services that are currently being offered:

Sequoyah Sidewalk Service
You can request titles for pick-up at a pre-arranged appointment time, Monday thru Friday, with Sequoyah Sidewalk Service. Some libraries offer Saturday pick-up hours. Request a title online or by phone, and youll be contacted when your hold is available.

2020 Summer Reading Program
Sign up for the Summer Reading Program online. Log your reading, participate in bonus challenges for rewards, and post reviews of titles for others to read on Beanstack, an online portal. Adults, teens, and children can participate for free, individually or as a family, through the end of July. Visit the official 2020 Summer Reading Program webpage for the latest on summer happenings, updates, and partnerships.

Virtual Programming
Enjoy your favorite programs at the library from the comfort of your own home. Follow Sequoyah Regional Library on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for a full schedule of virtual programming each week. Also, enjoy LIVE story times, DIY crafts, health and wellness exercises, and more. View the full schedule on the online events page at SequoyahRegionalLibrary.org.

Cherokee County School District has reserved the auditorium at First Baptist Church of Woodstock to host graduation ceremonies on this schedule:

River Ridge HS Thursday, July 23, 4:00pm  
Woodstock HS Thursday, July 23, 8:00pm  
Cherokee HS Friday, July 24, 4:00pm
Sequoyah HS Friday, July 24, 8:00pm
Creekview HS Saturday, July 25, 9:00am
Etowah HS Saturday, July 25, 1:00pm

The tentative plan is for graduating seniors to invite all family and friends to attend. Should it be necessary to make adjustments such as limiting attendance or changing to virtual ceremonies due to continuing health and safety concerns, the decision will be announced by July 1.

I cant truly know the heartbreak our seniors parents feel. I stepped across each of my milestones, as did my two children, who enjoyed all the pomp and circumstance of a traditional CCSD senior year. But I know this we will do our best, together as a community, to celebrate them, said Superintendent Dr. Brian V. Hightower.